Hebrews 12:1-2

The Christian life is a difficult marathon that we must run

It is not just a 1-2 week marathon. It is lifelong.

- You need self-discipline to get into good shape, you will need to maintain your motivation, and you will need sustained effort

- We’re competing against the enemy of our souls, who opposes God’s kingdom and wants us to drop out

To run the Christian marathon, we must get into shape and stay in shape

“Throw off everything that hinders us”

- In Ancient Greece, athletes use to run naked to lighten their weight

- Not just sin that hinders us. 

- Eg. Throwing off some sleep to wake up earlier to do quiet time, Throwing off your recreational time/rest time to read God’s Word

- Everything you do should you grow in Godliness, if it doesn’t, then it is not important (eg. Movies, computer games)

“And especially the sin that so easily entangles us”

- Sin always begins in the mind, and so we must judge all sin at the thought level. Pride, lust, envy, greed, anger, grumbling, selfishness—all of these things originate in our thought life

- If you entertain these things, they incubate and develop into sinful words and actions (James 1:14-15)

To run the Christian marathon, we must run with endurance the course set before us

“Run with endurance the race set before us”

- God sets the course

o God is the Sovereign One who sets the course for each of us, just as He set the course of the cross for Jesus

o Sometimes you will question, “Why this way, why am I going against the norm?” answer is, “Because the Sovereign God planned it this way.” You won’t be able to run by faith unless you submit your will to His will.

- We must run with endurance

o So what does it mean to run the race (Follow Christ)? – Luke 14:28-33

o As Christians, we must know what is the cost of starting the race and enduring all the way to the end

Motivation is essential. Where do we get it from?

The encouragement to keep running comes from those who have run before us, but primarily from Jesus Himself

- “Therefore having so vast a cloud of witnesses surrounding us”

o Refers to Chap 11 – Old Testament Saints, maybe other heroes of faith in the New Testament, encouraging us in our race all the way, along the way.

- Jesus Himself is the main motivation to keep running

o Verse 2: “The pioneer and perfector of Faith”

o Author also uses Jesus (Human Form). Jesus showed us exactly how to live by faith in God in this world.

 He trusted God at the beginning of His ministry when Satan tempted Him. 

 He relied on God to such a degree that He could claim, “the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing” (John 5:19).

 He claimed to speak the very words that He heard from the Father (John 8:38).

 He trusted the Father in the Garden and He went to the cross entrusting His soul to the Father.

 His final words included, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46).

o So from start to finish, but especially on the cross, Jesus showed us how to walk by faith.

o Jesus also ran the race. The greatest endurance by Faith by enduring the cross. Only Jesus knew the glory and joy of perfect fellowship with the Father in heaven before coming to this earth. Only Jesus knew the perfect holiness of His divine nature. To leave heaven and take on the form of a servant and be obedient to His death on the cross as the substitute for our sins.

o His final reward of Faith - “has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We run with endurance by fixing our eyes on Jesus

- FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS REQUIRES TAKING OUR EYES OFF OF OURSELVES

o Examine your heart, check ourselves if we are in the faith but remember to turn your eyes toward Jesus

- FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS REQUIRES TRUSTING ALL THAT HE IS FOR US.

o When Satan tempts us with guilt over past sins, we take refuge in Christ’s shed blood (Eph. 1:7)

o All of God’s promises are yes in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20)

- FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS MEANS TRUSTING HIM WHEN SINNERS WRONG US

o Consider the fact that the more committed we are to Jesus, the more those who oppose Him will oppose us, no matter how nice we try to be (John 15:20)

o But we calculate that the joy of knowing and obeying Jesus is greater than all of the rejection, anger, ridicule, or anything worse that we might have to bear for His sake.

- FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS IS THE KEY TO NOT GROW WEARY AND LOSE HEART.

o Just as a runner who is not in excellent condition gradually slows down and finally collapses, so the believer who does not keep looking with faith to Jesus will eventually collapse.