Article

An Important Race Most if not all of us have seen a race being run. If you have seen one in the Olympics, you know that every runner trains real hard to make it there. Making it that far to the Olympics is in itself a great achievement. It takes a runner focused training, relentless practice, great sacrifices and great dedication to reach the Olympics. And when they run that final race, with the crowd cheering on, they know that “this is it! The final race”. It is all that they have trained for and sacrificed for, and they run with all they have got to win the prize. Every Christian is called to endure : Don’t be surprised John 15:18, 1 John 3:13 , John 17:14, John 15:19 As Christians we find ourselves in a race as the writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 12:1-2. But this is a different kind of race with a different kind of crowd cheering on. In Hebrews chapter 11 the writer has given examples of many people in history who have suffered and endured for the name of Christ and the purposes of God. These were martyrs who ran faithfully. Now they are witnesses to this race that you are called to run. So what kind of race is this? For Christians there is one and only race that we are called to run. The race to keep the faith till the end. It is not a pleasant race and hence the writer calls us to run with endurance. It is the only race and there is no other easy way to the finish line. It has been marked out for us. That we suffer for the faith should not come as a surprise to us because that is by design the path laid out for us and we are to fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith We are not pioneers in the race: Be encouraged Heb 11:32-38; Heb 12:2 ; Heb 2:10 ; Eph 4:8; Col 2:15 We are not the first or the only ones who have run this race and most importantly finished faithfully. We have a host of people who have gone before us and have finished. When we have to go to a place through a path that we have not been through before our fears are replaced with encouragement the moment we know that someone has gone through it safely before. In our race of endurance we not only have many witnesses but we have Jesus who has gone before us and suffered and given us his example to follow. He has finished the race perfectly. He endured till the end. (Col 3:1-3) . Jesus is also the one who will ensure that we make it till the end if we run faithfully. He is the author and the perfecter of our faith. He is there to cheer us on and to lift us when we fall. We must run the race with endurance: Put away sin 1 Cor 9:24-27, 2 Tim 1:8; 2 Tim 4:5; 2 Tim 2:3-5 Our Christian lives are bombarded with weights that slow us down and make our race painful .Sin entangles us and makes it difficult for us to run. This entangling can be an addiction, an unhealthy relationship, a difficult habit, long stubborn forgiveness, selfishness, hiding sin and the like. As runners in the race with so many witness around us and with our champion ahead of us at the finish line cheering us on. We must put away all this sin an run with perseverance and endurance (Col 3:5-10). How can we not shed these weights and run in such a great race? How can we still cling on to sin when we have so many witnesses who have rejected sin and embraced the cross paid the cost with their lives? How can we not die to sin when the cost paid for us to win was the blood on the cross? This is too great a race that we are called to run and let us run it with endurance

notes

1446326761301 Article 1447775403 1448296808 An Important Race Most if not all of us have seen a race being run. If you have seen one in the Olympics, you know that every runner trains real hard to make it there. Making it that far to the Olympics is in itself a great achievement. It takes a runner focused training, relentless practice, great sacrifices and great dedication to reach the Olympics. And when they run that final race, with the crowd cheering on, they know that “this is it! The final race”. It is all that they have trained for and sacrificed for, and they run with all they have got to win the prize. Every Christian is called to endure : Don’t be surprised John 15:18, 1 John 3:13 , John 17:14, John 15:19 As Christians we find ourselves in a race as the writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 12:1-2. But this is a different kind of race with a different kind of crowd cheering on. In Hebrews chapter 11 the writer has given examples of many people in history who have suffered and endured for the name of Christ and the purposes of God. These were martyrs who ran faithfully. Now they are witnesses to this race that you are called to run. So what kind of race is this? For Christians there is one and only race that we are called to run. The race to keep the faith till the end. It is not a pleasant race and hence the writer calls us to run with endurance. It is the only race and there is no other easy way to the finish line. It has been marked out for us. That we suffer for the faith should not come as a surprise to us because that is by design the path laid out for us and we are to fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith We are not pioneers in the race: Be encouraged Heb 11:32-38; Heb 12:2 ; Heb 2:10 ; Eph 4:8; Col 2:15 We are not the first or the only ones who have run this race and most importantly finished faithfully. We have a host of people who have gone before us and have finished. When we have to go to a place through a path that we have not been through before our fears are replaced with encouragement the moment we know that someone has gone through it safely before. In our race of endurance we not only have many witnesses but we have Jesus who has gone before us and suffered and given us his example to follow. He has finished the race perfectly. He endured till the end. (Col 3:1-3) . Jesus is also the one who will ensure that we make it till the end if we run faithfully. He is the author and the perfecter of our faith. He is there to cheer us on and to lift us when we fall. We must run the race with endurance: Put away sin 1 Cor 9:24-27, 2 Tim 1:8; 2 Tim 4:5; 2 Tim 2:3-5 Our Christian lives are bombarded with weights that slow us down and make our race painful .Sin entangles us and makes it difficult for us to run. This entangling can be an addiction, an unhealthy relationship, a difficult habit, long stubborn forgiveness, selfishness, hiding sin and the like. As runners in the race with so many witness around us and with our champion ahead of us at the finish line cheering us on. We must put away all this sin an run with perseverance and endurance (Col 3:5-10). How can we not shed these weights and run in such a great race? How can we still cling on to sin when we have so many witnesses who have rejected sin and embraced the cross paid the cost with their lives? How can we not die to sin when the cost paid for us to win was the blood on the cross? This is too great a race that we are called to run and let us run it with endurance notes 11447775404073

Arc

editing

NT

Hebrews 12:1-2

esv

mine

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,

Since we have many people who have gone before us and cheering us on

let us also lay aside every weight,

so let us remove every unnecessary weight in our race of faith

and w sin which clings so closely,

By weight I mean any sin that so easily sticks to us

ideaexplanation

and x let us run

having got rid of that let us run

y with endurance

let us run with ENDURANCE and not otherwise

actionmanner

the race that is z set before us,

Lets run the race that is before us

progression

looking to Jesus,

let us run looking to Jesus

the founder

he is the founder

and perfecter of our faith,

He is also the perfecter of our faith

series

a who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,

Jesus for the Joy (goal, finish line) that was before him ENDURED the cross

despising b the shame,

He endured the cross despising its shame

and c is seated

and he is now finished the race and seated

at the right hand of the throne of God.

at the finish at the right hand of the throne of God

locative

inference

Endure and run the race of faith knowing that Jesus has run,endured and finished the race.

discourse

1446326761301 Arc 1448293949 1448296853 editing NT 58 12 1 12 2 Hebrews 12:1-2 esv mine Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, Since we have many people who have gone before us and cheering us on i1 let us also lay aside every weight, so let us remove every unnecessary weight in our race of faith i3 and w sin which clings so closely, By weight I mean any sin that so easily sticks to us i4 i19 ideaexplanation 1 and x let us run having got rid of that let us run i5 y with endurance let us run with ENDURANCE and not otherwise i6 i17 actionmanner 1 the race that is z set before us, Lets run the race that is before us i8 i18 ideaexplanation 1 i20 progression looking to Jesus, let us run looking to Jesus i2 the founder he is the founder i9 and perfecter of our faith, He is also the perfecter of our faith i10 i21 series i22 ideaexplanation 1 a who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, Jesus for the Joy (goal, finish line) that was before him ENDURED the cross i11 despising b the shame, He endured the cross despising its shame i28 i29 actionmanner 1 and c is seated and he is now finished the race and seated i14 at the right hand of the throne of God. at the finish at the right hand of the throne of God i15 i16 1 locative i24 series i25 ideaexplanation 1 i26 actionmanner 1 i27 inference 2 Endure and run the race of faith knowing that Jesus has run,endured and finished the race. 1 1 1 1 90 esv 1 mine 1 a 2 discourse 11448293949612