SNBS #011 - Hebrew 12:1-2

Whitten Baptist Church

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Good evening, everybody, and welcome to Sunday Night Bible Study with Brother Joe, Cy, and Shipley.

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Today we're going to be looking at Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1 and 2. So we just got done with a couple week series on the relationship of faith and obedience or faith and works, a little bit on assurance and general security.

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In a couple weeks, we're going to start the life of the apostles, like the life of Paul, like a biography, if you will.

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But for the next couple weeks, I think, at least for one more week, we will be in Hebrews chapter 12, and then very soon,

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I don't have an exact date for you guys, we'll start the life of the apostles, okay? We're just going to cover these two verses,

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Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1 and 2. However long it takes is however long it takes, but there's a lot in these two verses, so it might take us a minute, yeah, and then in a few weeks, we'll start the life of the apostles.

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On July 5th, well, excuse me, I guess it'd be July 4th or 5th, or whatever

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Sunday night that is, we're not going to have one of these videos, we'll be off that week, that evening for family, and probably on the 4th, the question and answer session, we won't have one the 4th also, so people can be with their families.

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Hope you guys have been enjoying those. If you need to, go check out those question and answer sessions, we've had a lot of different people from Witten, I've been doing them recently, not just me, not just Brother Jeff, and they've been really good.

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Okay, Hebrews chapter 12, we're just doing two verses, I didn't have a chance to write the references on the whiteboard behind me, so pay attention, listen, write them down, check them out later.

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Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 and 2. Before we start, let me just clarify a couple things.

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Hebrews is one of my favorite books of the Bible. We, in Sunday night Bible study, we spent nine months going through all of it, verse by verse, a couple years ago, and I still have some of those lessons

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I like to go back and reference every now and then. We're not entirely sure who wrote the book of Hebrews, it's the only book of the

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New Testament, we can't be certain who wrote. Some think

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Paul, some think Apollos, some think Luke, some think Priscilla, the wife of Aquila, two believers in the book of Acts, we're not really sure.

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At any rate, this is towards the end, and before we read, check out the very first word of Hebrews chapter 12, it says therefore, or so then.

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Whenever you see the word therefore, you need to figure out what is the therefore, therefore. Whenever you see that word stop, make sure you understand what was just said.

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So, I'm going to read, starting in Hebrews 11, verse 32, and then read into chapter 12.

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Okay, you ready? So we're going to start in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 32, and we're going to read through Hebrews 12, 1 and 2.

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And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jepheth, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of a sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

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Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.

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36, others suffered mocking and flogging, even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, sawn in two, they were killed with the sword.

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They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated, of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

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And all these, those commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us, they should not be made perfect.

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Now stop. That's the end of Hebrews 11. Now, you have a picture in mind of all the prophets and believers before us, who all went through sufferings and trials, to obey

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God and to fulfill and to see his promises fulfilled, and they didn't even see all those promises fulfilled, because they died before Jesus came, since we know what they have done, and that we're standing on the shoulders of giants.

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Chapter 12, verse 1 and 2. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely, or so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

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Verse 2, 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.

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Let's spend some time on just those first two verses of Hebrews 12. So the great cloud of witnesses.

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Chapter 11 should encourage us that those are like our cheerleaders now, those prophets we just read about.

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We shouldn't see them as such a great cloud of witnesses because of how marvelous they were, but because of how they are people just like me and you, who because of their faithfulness

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God was able to use them to do mighty things. And it says, God delivered them, therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which so easily ensnares us, or clings to us.

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But pay attention, every weight and sin. You see a weight may not be a sin, but it's something that still holds you back, or is slowing you down.

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Whereas a sin is something that you do that is opposed to a godly lifestyle. Sin literally means to miss the mark, the standard of God.

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So think about this in your life. Yes, get rid of sin, repent of it, and move that away.

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But it also says, not just sin, but lay aside every weight. There are things that are not sinful that still slow you down from your sanctification process, from being the godliest you can be, that aren't sin in and of themselves, but are weighing you down so that you can't run the race as effectively.

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Find those things and lay those aside too. It may not be sinful, but if they are causing you to not run the race

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God has before you the best you can, you need to get rid of those as well. And that can be a lot of different things, that's for you to decide.

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But whatever that is that's weighing you down from running the race, you need to lay that aside also. So lay aside every sin and weight which clings us so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

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Sanctification, Christian lifestyle, is not a sprint. But it's not a walkathon either.

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It's a marathon. You're running, you're not sprinting, but you are running. And it's a long race. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

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The race that has been set before you. Guys, you're not running on your path, and God is helping you through your path.

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God is helping you through the path that he has laid out before you. Ephesians 2, 8 -10,

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For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one can boast.

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For we are his creation, a workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, that God prepared ahead of time that we should walk in them.

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That God prepared ahead of time that we should walk in them. Your race has been set before you, it's your job to run it, to stay on track, and to run it with endurance.

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You run it with endurance by laying aside all the sin and weights that are ensnaring you, and to run with endurance the race that was set before you, not the one you try to make yourself.

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You think of what God told Cain in Genesis 4, 6, and 7, it says,

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The Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry, and why is your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? But if you don't do well, sin is crouching at your door.

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Its desire is for you, or contrary to what you should be, its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.

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You can rule over your sin, you must rule over it. Its desire is for you, contrary to what you should be doing, but you must rule over it.

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Why do we lay aside every weight and sin so that we can run? I wrote this out, God on that race knows every turn, bump, hill, puddle, pothole, deterrent, opposer, shin splint, untied shoelace, trip, fall, and pile of poo on that pathway of the race.

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And he is teaching you how to have the endurance to keep running. Not only does he know them all, he has experienced them all.

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Go back a few chapters to Hebrews chapter 4, 15 and 16.

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For we don't have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

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Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in the time of need, or at the proper time.

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He has been tested in every way that we are, yet without sin. Every way.

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Guys, Jesus experienced temptation in every way that we do. Every way.

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Hebrews puts it another way in chapter 2, verse 17 and 18. Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

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For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Because he has suffered when being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

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He can say, yes, I felt that too. He was made like his brothers in every respect, yet without sin.

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So, okay Josiah, I understand that I'm supposed to run this race. I understand that I'm supposed to run it with endurance and not give up.

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But how do I get endurance? I want to. I'm tired of dealing with sin. I'm tired of dealing with the weights.

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I'm tired of running slow, or walking, or giving up. How do I have endurance? Romans 5 answers that for us.

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Check this out. Romans 5, 3 -5. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that sufferings produce endurance.

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Did you hear that? Sufferings produce endurance. And endurance produces character, and character produces hope.

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And this hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

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So the Bible tells us that endurance, it tells us to have endurance in afflictions, but that patience and endurance can only come from suffering and afflictions.

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So, think about that again. The Bible says, have endurance in suffering, but endurance comes from suffering.

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How does that work? My analogy for this passage is like an alternator for a car.

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I was a small engine mechanic for years, fixing lawnmowers, chainsaws, weed eaters, generators, all that stuff.

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But on a car, the alternator, much like a stator, if you will, on a small engine, recharges the battery.

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So you have coiled up coils and copper and all that, magnets going around.

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Alternator's a little different than a stator, but it recharges the battery. But in order to activate the alternator, you have to start the car to have the belt spinning it, right?

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My point is this. The alternator recharges the battery, but only if the alternator is started, which drains the battery.

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So in order to recharge your battery, you have to drain a little bit of your battery.

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You gotta spend money to make money, right? You must have endurance during suffering, but suffering produces endurance.

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So based on your previous life's sufferings and afflictions, it will give you endurance at a later time.

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And the way to have the right attitude and mindset when you're dealing with suffering and trials and tribulations is verse two, keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus.

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Or also said, keeping your eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.

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Let me get back here. Or the source, the author and finisher. Yeah, Hebrews 12, two, looking at Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, or the author and finisher, the source and perfecter of our faith.

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Your attention is on Jesus. Your focus, your treasure, for your treasure is over your heart also.

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Keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus. Don't you, when you hear that verse, don't you think of Peter on the waves?

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His eyes are on Jesus and he's walking on water. When his eyes leave Jesus and go to the storm, he begins to sink.

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Peter's job, what he needed to do to keep his eyes fixed on Jesus and whatever's going on around him is his eyes are fixed on Jesus.

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He's not unaware. He's not ignorant of his world around him, guys. He knows exactly what's going on, but his focus is on the prize.

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His focus is on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Now, what do you think about that?

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Maybe you've never thought about this verse before in this way. Jesus is the author, the source, the founder of your faith.

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Be careful not to be too proud of your faith. Be careful not to be too arrogant when you say, well, yeah,

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I'm a believer. And they're not. Stay humble knowing that in reality, it's not really your faith.

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What does the founder or author or source mean? If someone is the author of a book, right?

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You don't praise the book for existing. You praise the author for birthing, if you will, for, for creating that work.

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When the Bible says Jesus is the author, the founder, the source of our faith. It's exactly what

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Philippians 1 .6 says, that he who started the good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ.

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He says, guys, he started the work in you. You were dead in your trespasses. You were dead in your sin. Dead means dead.

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You were dead until he made your spirit alive so you could love him. We only love him, guys.

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Why? 1 John 4 .19. We love him because he first loved us.

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Guys, he's the source. He's the founder. He's the author of our faith. So when we call it our faith, it is ours because he gave it to us, not because we earned it.

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You are not a believer because you are more spiritual or more humble than anyone else. You're a believer because of grace.

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It's not your own work that starts that faith, it's his. And what he started, he will finish.

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He finished the work on the cross and will bring this to light at his revelation after he's molded his church into his image.

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So this talk of all these prophets and former believers in the past enduring suffering should give us hope.

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We are to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Peter says it this way in 1

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Peter 5 .9 -10. Peter tells believers, resist the devil, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

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And after you've suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

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To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Guys, if you're a true believer, a child of God, you will experience suffering.

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Our brothers and sisters around the world at times experience it far greater than we do here in the states.

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Time will come when that may not be true any longer. You will experience suffering of different types if you're a believer, if you love

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Jesus and show that in your actions. Peter says, know that these sufferings are taking place through other believers around the world.

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That should give us hope and a sense of belonging. So we keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

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Now check this out. Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despised the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God.

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For the joy that lay before him endured the cross? Oh, I'm sorry.

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What is joyful about torture and crucifixion on a cross? What's joyful about that?

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Well, there are two ways that I wrote down that Jesus experienced joy. Because ladies and gentlemen, I want you to think about that cross for a minute.

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That didn't sound very joyful to me. When you think about being beaten with rods, having your beard plucked, crown of thorns, being scourged at the cat of nine tails, being crucified where you really died of asphyxiation.

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You died of suffocation because you couldn't breathe to pick yourself up to take another breath. The Bible says

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Jesus experienced that with joy. Yes, he felt fear. Yes, he felt anxiety. Yes, he felt sadness, anger, pain, but he had joy in his heart.

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You see, joy doesn't mean you're always smiling. Joy means you're glad even when, even when everything around you is going bad because you have a hope.

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It pleased Jesus to please God to do his will and his father. So, one way

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Jesus experienced joy on the cross was that he pleased his father. Father, if there be any other way, but not my will, but thy will.

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God, I would rather please you than myself. Whatever I want doesn't matter.

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I want you to think about this. This is Jesus' words. If there's any other way, but I'd rather please you, father, than please me.

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So not my will, but your will be done. Guys, if our desires get closer and closer in line with God's, then there will be less friction.

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If we can mold our desires to be more and more like God's, what makes him tick, what he likes, then there will be less friction as we learn in this race because we won't be trying to do our own thing as much.

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God will get his way. He just allows us to choose whether we want to do that on the easy path or on the hard path.

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It's just like John 3 .30. He must increase and I must decrease. If I empty myself of me, if I die to self every day, if I crucify the flesh and I become more and more like him in the image of his son, then there will be less friction along the way during the sanctification because I don't get in the way as much.

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It pleased Jesus to please his father. How many times in the life of Jesus did God verbally speak to him that we know of?

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Two or three. I can give you a couple examples. One was a response to blasphemy and idolatry against his son.

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Maybe a little harshly worded, but if you remember, this was on the mountain of transfiguration when

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Peter wanted to build a tabernacle for Elijah and Moses. But the other one was when

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God spoke to Jesus to let him know that he was pleased with him. This is my son in whom

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I'm well pleased at the baptism, right? The other was Jesus experiences, I'm sorry, the other way

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Jesus experiences joy is through his children. So one is pleasing his father, the other is through his children, us.

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Ephesians chapter one, 18 and 19, Ephesians chapter one, 18 and 19, I'm going to start with verse 17, actually, that the

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God of the Lord, Jesus Christ, the father of glory may give you a spirit of wisdom at the revelation in the knowledge of him.

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Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened that you may know what is the hope that he has called you. What are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints?

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What is the measurable riches and greatness of his power towards us to believe according to the working of his great might?

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Did you catch that? He has called you according to the riches of his great inheritance.

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So we always read about our inheritance. What's Jesus's inheritance? Us. Remember in John chapter six,

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Jesus says, all that the father has given me, I will lose none of them. The father gave them to me.

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They're mine. Those are my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. That is my inheritance. I received them

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Titus two, for the grace of God is a pure for salvation. Bring it to all people instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts in the present age while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of our great

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God and savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself.

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Verse 14, a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.

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Jesus bought a people, all those who would believe he bought them with his blood.

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That's his inheritance. So Jesus experienced the crucifixion with joy for two reasons that I can think of one to please his father to, to be pleased in the joy of his children, of his people, of his church, us to buy us because he loved us.

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He loved us and gave himself for us. That's how he was able to endure that cross with joy.

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And if he can endure that cross with joy, we can endure the trials of this life with joy. Jesus set our example.

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He was tested in every way that we are. He was like us in every way yet without sin.

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Therefore, if he can experience suffering with joy, so can we. So again, Hebrews 12, one and two, let's read it and summarize and we'll be done.

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Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely or so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith and for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame and seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

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Just to make sure I didn't miss anything, because we have all these wonderful witnesses that have gone before us, you know,

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Rahab and Samson and David and Noah and Abraham and Jacob and Gideon and Samuel.

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Because we have that great cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and sin in your life that's slowing you down from being as godly as you can be and run.

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And run that race with endurance, knowing that suffering produces more endurance. And you can do all this with your eyes fixed on Jesus, who was made like us in every way, tempted just like we are, yet without sin, and he had joy in his heart when he experienced suffering.

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Just like Romans 5 said, have joy knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, proving character and hope, and that hope will not disappoint us.

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That Jesus is the founder and perfecter of our faith. In him we live, move, breathe, and exist.

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He's the reason why we're believers. But you didn't just need grace to believe in him, you need grace to follow him every day to run this race.

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You can't run this race on your own. You need God to please God. So he's not just the founder of your faith, he's the founder and perfecter of your faith.

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Helps you every step of the way. He despised the shame of the cross and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God waiting for his enemies to be made his footstool.

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That's Hebrews 12, 1 and 2. Pretty cool, right? Next week we'll most likely go through verses 3 and 4, and then we'll probably be ready to start the life of the apostles.

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Again, we won't have class, if you want to think of it that way, July 5th. Probably won't have question and answer

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July 4th, but please go back, we've got all the videos on Facebook, Whitney, Ministry of the YouTube page, please go back and check out some of these question and answer sessions.

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Please check out Pastor Ben's timeouts on Mondays, Brother Jeff's Bible studies Tuesday nights, Hymn Histories on Wednesdays, The WoW Moments on Thursdays, which have been really cool.

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We've had Dana Sneed on there, we've had Brother Jeff on there. Check out the question and answers on Saturdays, and as always, check out the sermons at 1030 on Sundays and the 6pm

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Bible study at 6pm. Guys, I do read comments, even though we're not doing this live.

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Don't be afraid to comment. I go through and I read them every day. Every day after they air, okay?

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Even though there's not as many, it'll just mean I can pay more attention. Any questions you have that you want answered on the question and answer sessions on Saturday, please put them in the comments of those question and answer videos, or on here, where I can see them, or put them in the inbox of the

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Whitney page, and we will try to get to them, okay? Alright, I love you all very much.

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As always, please let me know how I can help. I hope these are benefiting you guys. I hope these are helpful.