Learning To Run Well

Please stand for the reading of God's Word The Old Testament reading this morning comes from the 44th chapter of Isaiah.

I Will begin reading in verse 6 Thus says the

Lord the King of Israel and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts. I am the first and I am the last

Besides me there is no God Who is like me let him proclaim it? Let him declare and set it before me since I appointed an ancient people

Let them declare what is to come and what will happen Fear not nor be afraid

Have I not told you from of old and declared it and you are my witnesses

Is there a God besides me? There is no rock. I know not any remain standing

Today's New Testament reading is going to be in 2nd Corinthians 4 7 through 18.

That's on page 965 in your pew Bible But we have this treasure in Jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed Perplexed but not driven to despair persecuted, but not forsaken struck down, but not destroyed

Always carrying in the body of death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies

For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus sake So that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh

So death is at work in us, but life in you Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written.

I believed and So I spoke we also believed and so we also speak

Knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us

With you into his presence For it is all For your sake so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God So we do not lose heart though.

We Though our outer self is wasting away. Our inner self is being renewed day by day

For this light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all

Comparison as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen or The things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

You may be seated Take your

Bibles this morning and then ask you to turn to the book of Hebrews chapter 12 as you're turning there.

I Didn't depart from my typical way of doing things I just want to mention that if you haven't had a chance to welcome

Cam Vinson back He's here after boot camp and all that fun stuff. So make sure you

Recognize him and welcome him back. All right. All right Hebrews chapter 12. We're going to read verses 1 through 17

Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses Let us also lay aside every weight and sin

Which cling so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking to Jesus The founder and perfecter of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross

Despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured from sinners sinners such hostility against himself

So that you may not grow weary or faint -hearted in your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood and and have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons

My son do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord nor be weary When reproved by him for the

Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives It is for discipline that you have is for discipline that you have to endure

God is treating you as sons for what son is there whom his father does not discipline if you are left without discipline in Which all have participated then you are illegitimate children and not sons

Besides this we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them Shall we not much more be subject to the father of spirits and live?

For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them But he disciplines us for our good that we may share his holiness

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant But later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight paths for your feet

So that what is lame may not be put out of joint But rather be healed strive for peace with everyone and for the holiness without which no one will see the

Lord See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God That no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble and by it many become defiled

That no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau who sold his birthright for a single meal

For you know that afterward when he desired to inherit the blessing He was rejected for he found no chance to repent though.

He sought it with tears father now We would pray that you would help us as we seek to understand your word

I pray that your spirit would be active in this congregation today to open our eyes to truths and to change us by those truths

And we'll thank you for it in Jesus name. Amen How many of you love running?

I know you're looking at me right now and you're saying that guy doesn't love running. That's obvious. I Could run to the end of my driveway

I think and that's about as far as I'd get But you look at pastor Andrew and you say that guy's that guy's a runner

Well, whether you're good at running or not, whether you love it or hate it. God calls everyone to Run, he calls us all to be runners.

He says that you must run and God expects you to run and to run with endurance

Now remember how we got here The entire book has it been aimed at telling you not to abandon

Jesus when the pressure is on We will be tempted to abandon Jesus and he says to us don't do it and the whole first part of the book

He told us look There's nothing more superior than Jesus. He is superior to anything out there

That you want for answers that you want for help. He is superior. Don't go back to anything else.

Always go back to Jesus he's also told us that if we do turn our backs on Jesus if we if we

Disinherit him if we're disloyal to him that we will not make it to the finish line

Now we saw at the end of at the end of chapter 10 He says don't abandon your confidence, but continue to believe to receive the final reward

And then chapter 11 right after that he sketches What persevering faith looks like faith relies on God's promises?

Believing what he says even if it cannot see how it will be fulfilled faith looks to the future

Banking on God's Word rather than taking its cue from present circumstances faith trust

God in Danger and distress knowing that God will reward his own now

He turns your attention in chapter 12 to the supreme example of Jesus himself as one who endured by believing the promises of God and so he's taken us to the

Old Testament and shown us these heroes of the faith and now he culminates with showing us the example of Jesus one

Who endured by believing the promises of God let's look at our text for this morning the first three verses therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside every weight and Sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us

Looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross

Despising the shame and Deceited at the right hand of the throne of God consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself

So that you may not grow weary or faint -hearted All right, what does

God tell us in this text the first thing he says is run the race He tells us we need to be runners run the race now.

What kind of race should you run? It's the kind of race that requires Endurance Well, I don't know about you

But running for long long stretches. I just I don't see why anybody likes that.

I Mean you feel like you're gonna die You're the cells in your body are about ready to explode and I've heard runners talk about well

You get this kind of runners high Wow, that's amazing. I don't know how you get there without dying

Nevertheless God says run with Endurance now that seems to be the theme run with endurance

Now the endurance of the Old Testament champions was the theme of the last chapter

They kept running the race when it looked like they would not triumph They kept running the race when suffering and opposition were obstacles in their way

They kept running they didn't give up All right. It's about endurance enduring in faith

Enduring by a perseverance fueled by faith. You should run with endurance and it's a race that's marked out

It says race the run the race that's set before you You look down the track.

You see its length. You see the lanes. You see the finish line It's all marked out and our race has been marked out for us

It's a race that requires that you do not turn your backs on your Savior It's a race that requires you to trust

God's promises no matter what the circumstances your race is beset with obstacles and and Opposition and suffering we know that he's told us that run the race with endurance

And so running the race means Persevering to the end. That's what he's saying

You run you persevere till the very end and so with that in mind run the race

That's his command here. We're to run with endurance and not quit

I was impressed with how the Bible describes a Christian life. The Christian life is not a sprint.

It's a marathon and He's saying you keep going You keep going run the race persevere to the end

Now in the rest of this text, here's what he says run the race Well, not just run the race but run the race.

Well, you have to know how to run this race if you're gonna run it well and In the the text that we have here.

He tells us Exactly how we ought to run so if you would run the race well

Remember those who ran the race before you? This is vitally important remember

Those who ran the race before you are surrounded by this enormous cloud of witnesses now

He's talking about the Saints that he's mentioned in chapter 11 They serve as witnesses to you by serving as examples for you

They witness to you by their faith and their perseverance. That is their witness.

You can run the race They're saying look you can run the race with perseverance you can endure because others have run it by faith before you before you listen

Too often we start crumbling because we don't know the stories

We don't see the Saints who endured we don't see how they exercise their faith we don't see how they continue to run because they believe the promises of God and that Fueled their endurance that fueled their perseverance too often.

We don't know their stories Remember who he's told us about for example Abraham. He took a journey to an unknown land

Why because God promised him that land and so he left he leaped if you will into uncertainty

But it was certain one thing was certain God would give him that land. He waited years for a son persevering in that faith never giving up Because of God's promises

Moses gave up luxury and ease so that he could suffer with the people of God He gave it all up So he could suffer with the people of God why?

Because he believed the promises of God that there was a reward at the end of it all there was glory to be had

There was something more valuable than what he had others were tortured stoned flogged and Imprisoned you remember and yet they stayed the course because they counted on the promises of God.

I It's all about the promises of God but that's what we have to hear if we're going to persevere and you can persevere in the midst of suffering and persecution because a whole host of others

Have already endured It can be done. You are not the first You're not the first Others have been been on the race before you

You're the in fact you can think of it this way. They've run the race. They finish the race

You're just following them and you see them and you know what they still speak to you through Scripture So if you're gonna run the race well remember remember

Now if you'd run the race, well strip yourself of all hindrances that would impede your ability to run

Strip yourself of all the hindrances that would impede your ability to run Now remember we're talking about running persevering to the end what will keep us from persevering

Okay, what will keep us from being able to run in a way that we finish that race?

Well, here's what he says Strip yourself of all hindrances that would impede your running strip yourself of anything good or bad that would weigh you down Not just the bad but the good

Right, by the way Have you ever gone to a cross -country meet and you stood and you looked at the starting line and all the you know

All the runners are you ever seen someone standing there in a three -piece suit and a tie and Oxford shoes?

You ever seen that? No, that's ridiculous, isn't it? It's just ridiculous to even bring it up Why would any would anybody run the race like that?

Absolutely not. Why well, can you imagine trying to breathe with a tie? When you're running, what is it two miles?

Right. How could you move with that coat on not to mention the vest and the shoes not made for running?

Right. Listen You don't even see him running with a sweatsuit on right

Because that will hinder their ability to run the race And so God says get rid of anything that would run the race

And I think he's here talking in the first part of all those things that hinder you as he puts it this way lay aside every weight

Lay aside every weight. What are some of the weights? What are some of the hindrances that you need to strip away?

I think he's talking about good things here Right, you spend all your hours working for the music boosters at the high school

You're committed to your son's baseball traveling team You love retirement because it gives you oodles of time to just go and visit all the places

You were never able to see before you love gardening and just about every waking hour

Finds you with your hands in the dirt, right? I know someone who's just like that.

She just loves soil All right You spend all your waking hours in your garden and we could go on and on with all the good things of life

But be careful that you don't fill your lives with so many good things That you cannot grow in grace

Your son's team is a good thing. It's a great opportunity But it can keep you it can keep you

From the fellowship and the preaching of the word that are necessary for the grace that will make you grow

Your garden keeps you from spending time in the grace -growing Word of God All these things might be good.

You serve the community and the music boosters good to do it, but be careful be careful that they don't take you away from the things that would engender grace and strength and Holiness in you because without those things you will not be able to run the race to the end

They will hinder you they will be like weights if they take up too much of your time now hear me out

I'm not saying that these good things all y 'all need to get rid of that and spend every day Eight hours a day here at church reading your

Bibles. I'm not saying that I'm just saying you've got to be always looking as to whether the good things

Are keeping you from the grace things? That will give you the strength to persevere to the end

He says put off the sin that so easily entangles you all right sin entangles you now look

You know it's wrestling season, so I've been a lot of wrestling meets this tournaments this year all right and over all the years

I've gone to wrestling. I always see this the guys are in their sweats right okay. They say they're on deck

What do they do they take off their sweatshirt? And usually what they do is they just drop their sweatpants

And they just kind of get out of can you imagine one of those guys going out with the sweatpants still around his ankles

Right trip down fall on the mat The other guy would have a psychological advantage right away the point is be careful because sin can entangle you

It can entangle you. I want you to think about this sin has a way of destroying endurance

Because in sin you start believing lies rather than the promises.

Let me let me play this out for you I want you to understand and and I thought about this every time you sin

Every time you sin it involves faith You're believing you're believing the lie of your desires

Over the promises of God no one you've heard me say it before no one sins out of duty

Right you don't sin out of duty you sin because that sin holds out a promise

It's a lie But it's a counterfeit promise as opposed to God's promise now if you get entangled in sin and start believing lies rather than God's Promises, what is that going to do for your endurance it cuts off?

It cuts off the at the root your endurance because in order to endure you need what?

Faith in the promises of God that's what fuels your perseverance And if you get entangled in sin you're cutting it off All right, do you think someone captivated by pornography will have the ability to remain true to Jesus?

When persecution arrives, what do you think it's not going to happen

What about someone who's made money his God? When it comes to the pressure point of declaring your loyalty to Christ You've already abandoned him for another

God You've already abandoned him. You're not gonna stand you see sin

Easily entangles us and so we cannot endure if we're entangled in sin listen to Proverbs 5 22 and 23

These are very instructive verses the iniquities of the wicked ensnare him and he is held fast in the cords of his sin he dies for lack of discipline and Because of his great folly he is led astray

By the way, I've become convinced That we do not have most of us do not have a biblical view of sin

You know, we have the oops view of sin. Oops. I did something wrong. Oops.

I should have done that No sin is an incredible power

That can enslave you Don't get entangled with sin be vigilant be diligent in your fight against sin

Don't see how close you can get to it. All right Because sin will entangle you and it'll make it difficult if not impossible

To endure so weighted down with good things and entangled by sin will keep you from running with endurance

These will rob you listen. These will rob you of your ability to Believe God's promises and thus rob you of the ability to endure so strip yourself of anything

That would hinder you please And I'm preaching to me here. Okay. I hope you never think

I'm just always looking down at you I well, I am always looking down at you But I'm not sitting here like one who's arrived.

I've got to hear these words to Get rid of those things that can weigh you down and get rid of the sin that can entangle you because when the pressure comes

You won't be ready If those things are true Here's another thing he says to us if you would run the race well look to Jesus This is where he wants us to land

Look to Jesus if you're going to endure when the pressure is on look to Jesus and he gives you three reasons

Why? He gives you three reasons why you should look to Jesus Why because of who he is what does he say about Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith

He's the founder of your faith He's the pioneer the pathfinder the one who's gone ahead the one who shows us

Then what is perfect faith if you want to know what perfect faith is Look at Jesus Look at Jesus And he's not only the founder.

He's the perfecter of your faith he initiates and completes faith in believers and So you can endure since Jesus as the founder of your faith will also complete and perfect you in that faith

All right Because of who he is. That's one reason why we can look to Jesus because of who he is

There's a second reason. Why should we look to Jesus because he is the greatest example of one who endured

Because he had a perseverance fueled by the promises of God perfect example of it

What does it say here? What does it say about Jesus? Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross?

despising the shame and Deceited at the right hand of the throne of God All right.

He endured the cross the ultimate expression of suffering Listen you will never suffer as much as Jesus did

The cross is the ultimate expression of suffering. He endured suffering and opposition greater than any

Old Testament saint He endured suffering and opposition greater than any of you will ever face

He faced the suffering of the cross with a resolute determination

He walked Into the suffering of the cross and that suffering was so much not just the physical agony

That's not just it but what happened he suffered the very judgment of God and he knew that was coming the perfect relationship with his father would be broken and God would treat him as the worst sinner

You could possibly imagine because the sin of all his people have been put on him and God poured out his wrath on Jesus He endured that He despised its shame

Hanging on a cross at that in those days was the most shameful way to die hung up naked

Hung up with people mocking you hung up on that cross because people had made judgments about you, right?

Shameful judgments you're the lowest of the criminal class. We've ever thought that Jesus was considered a criminal

Hanging there naked with people mocking him it brought incredible shame

But that did not stop him That did not stop him.

What else does it say? It says that he was given the power to reign at the right hand of the throne of God He was promised that he would reign he was promised authority now how

How again, how could he do all the suffering? How could he do that because he believed the promise of God there was the reward of inexpressible joy

Beyond the pain and the shame of the cross Here was the cross with all its pain and with all its shame and he looked what?

He looked beyond it He didn't just center on that How could he endure because he looked beyond it?

He knew where this was taking him It meant inexpressible joy as he entered into everlasting life.

That is this He had been come to earth as a man. He had lived under the curse of sin

In fact, he had suffered the curse of sin in the most horrible way He'd experienced everything that we have experienced and now

He lives in heaven never ever again To be subject to the curse of sin never ever again

To live under the the taunts and the hatred of men He lives in everlasting glory the joy inexpressible joy of that song caused him to endure

There was the reward of reigning at the father's right hand There is glory and authority waiting for me

That is how he endured he renounced the the suffering and the shame because there was joy and Glory on the other side he saw to the other side

Now look, that's the same thing is true of you How will you be able to endure suffering if you see the joy on the other side?

By the way, when you get discouraged, this is where you need to go I've often sat with people and we're sitting in my office and they're going through horrible circumstances in their life

And I can say to them look there's joy on the other side of this There will be joy on the other side of this you can do it

And so you endure suffering for the joy set before you and Here's the third reason why we ought to look to Jesus because by looking to Jesus you will not lose heart verse 3

You will not lose heart Consider Jesus he says reflect on him and the hostility and the opposition he endured

You ever thought about what he endured? He maybe ever thought about this

Betrayed by Jesus. I'm sorry betrayed by Judas betrayed by Judas Denied by one of his closest associates

Peter the mob Demanding his death He was mocked by soldiers.

He suffered the agony of the cross Look at the suffering that Jesus went through and not only just in that last week

Look at it all through his ministry Right. Have you ever thought about this?

Jesus did everything perfectly Now think about that He did everything perfectly never made a mistake.

He never overate one time He never Got angry and lost his temper right

He he was teaching things like love your enemies

Doing all unbelievably wonderful things and where did it get him? hatred and the cross and so You then look at his faith.

How did he get through an entire life and then the the cross and it shame? He has an absolute trust in the promise of God he has an absolute trust in the power in the in the promises of God and When you

Do look to Jesus when you look to Jesus you will not grow faint -hearted or weary When the same hostility comes your way listen again,

I've sat with so many people and They're telling me horrible things of what's happened to them and they're starting to get angry about it and they're starting to try to You know manipulate and all these other things and I say, you know what?

I know someone who's experienced what you've experienced He did everything right Where what did it get him?

the cross That's not all got him There was joy there was glory and He believed the promises of God and he was able to endure.

So he says look to Jesus and You will not Grow faint -hearted or weary.

How well do you know Jesus? What do you say? I Frankly I don't think

I know him very well well Then get to know him Get to know him

None of us know him as as well as we would like her as well as we could So we need to say

I want to know Jesus better Look at his life. Look at him If you would persevere you must know him.

Well If you're going to peer persevere know him If you would not grow weary and lose heart know him well

See his character see his faith his absolute trust in the promises of God his endurance fueled by that faith and Then imitate it cry out to Jesus.

Oh Lord Jesus. I want to be like you help me to know you Help me to know you and As you know him when the pressure's on you will not crumble if you see

That he believed the promises of God Absolutely and was able to endure the suffering

Imitate him ask him for help and do it father. We look to Jesus Our Savior and our exemplar the ultimate expression of Endurance and faith

God help us to know him. Well Help us to see that help us to see his trust in you every step of his life help us to see how everything he did and all the opposition and Hostility that he faced he faced well and did not crumble because he trusted you

He knew your promises and he believed him help us to be like him Thank you father again for your magnificent grace to us in Jesus in giving him to us as the one who can show us as Giving him to us to deliver us from the tyranny of sin