Going the Distance By Faith

Transcript

GR 1719
03/30/2014
Going the Distance by Faith
Hebrews 12:1-2
Gil Rugh

We're going to the book of Hebrews, chapter 12. We are moving our way through this book and we come to the last two chapters. The focus of the book has been on the finished work of Jesus Christ. He is the high priest of God. He is the One who came to offer the sacrifice acceptable to God to pay the penalty for sin, to enable sinful human beings to be brought into the very presence of God and to be accepted by Him. That can only be accomplished by faith in the finished work of what Christ has done. We keep emphasizing that saving faith is not just having faith or having faith in God, it is believing what God has said and done, believing the reality that we are sinners because God says all have sinned and come short of His glory, believing that the penalty for sin is death, including eternal condemnation in hell, believing that there is only one satisfactory solution to sin and that is the payment Christ has made. The only alternative to that is eternal condemnation in hell where we pay the penalty for our own sin. We have a great high priest, Jesus Christ who now represents us in heaven.

He has been encouraging his readers to first recognize and make sure their faith is settled in God and the provision He has made in Christ. He has warned them of the danger of being religious but stopping short or failing to believe in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. Great danger to be a religious person, to be able to talk about God, to be able to talk about Jesus Christ, to know much about Christ, who He is and what He has done, but have never come to the recognition and understanding of our own personal sin and guilt and placed your faith and trust in Christ alone. It is a life changing event when the power of God comes into a life, cleanses you, makes you new. Now you are to live a life trusting God, living for Him.

These believers reading this letter written to a local congregation of Jewish believers have been believers for some time. They have experienced trials and difficulties, persecutions, imprisonments. They have had property confiscated. They have been faithful but with the passing of time they begin to wear down, get a little bit weary. Now they are facing the possibility of growing persecution and suffering again. And some of them are doubtful whether they want to go through it again. In fact look in Hebrews 10:25, he exhorts them, “not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some.” Some have fallen off. You look around and say, where is so-and-so? I don't see them anymore. They just are growing weary in well doing. So the writer is encouraging them and challenging them. And what he has done in Hebrews 11 is draw examples from Old Testament history of individuals who manifested their faith in God and the promises God had given. And they were approved by God. God Himself testifies that they were pleasing to Him. He approved them as acceptable before Him.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”—trusting the promises of God even though we haven't yet experienced them. And note verse 2, “for by it the men of old gained approval, gained testimony from God.” God testifies on their behalf that they are approved by Him. The first example was Abel and you'll note further down in verse 4, God testifying about his gifts that he was accepted. In verse 5 you have the example of Enoch, the last part of the verse, “for he obtained the witness.” That word we have translated witness is the same basic word translated approval. They gained approval, testimony. God is testifying that Enoch is pleasing to Him. Then verse 6, “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Because of their faith these examples in Hebrews 11 were able to accomplish great things, they saw marvelous things happen. But we also saw they were able to suffer great things. Some experienced deliverance—Daniel in the lion's den, Daniel's three friends delivered from the fiery furnace. But others weren't delivered, they suffered for their faith and died, some dying terrible deaths like Isaiah being sawn in two in a hollowed log. But he trusted God. And we are reminded that all of these examples died without experiencing the ultimate fulfillment of what God promised. Hebrews 11:13, “all these died in faith without receiving the promises.” We noted they received some immediate, some of them, promises, preliminary promises maybe we would say, but none of them received the ultimate fulfillment of what God promised.

You come down to Hebrews 11:39, “all these having gained approval,” God testifying that He was pleased with them, they were accepted by Him, through their faith did not receive what was promised. And those verses will form the transition into Hebrews 12. In Hebrews 11 he talked about them and they, individuals drawn from Israel's history that were examples of trusting God and believing Him to the end of their lives, even though they did not yet receive what was promised. Now when we come to Hebrews 12 we will turn from talking about them to talking about us. We have the examples of these who were faithful. Now what are we to do, having been reminded of their example.

You have a transition here at the end of Hebrews 11, verses 39-40, “all these gained approval through their faith. They did not receive what was promised,” verse 40, “because God had provided something better for us.” You see how he is going to move the conversation from talking about them to talking about us. So that apart from us they would not be made perfect. So Hebrews 12 will begin “therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside, let us run with endurance, fixing our eyes.” So you see now he is moving to exhort them and challenge them to live the same kind of life of faith that these individuals in Hebrews 11 because God's work of redemption continues in the lives of those who believe. Hebrews 11:40 says, “God had provided something better for us so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” Why didn't Abraham receive what was promised? These other individuals? Because God's plan of redemption included us and He didn't intend to bring to fruition all that He had promised until His work of redemption would be brought to its fullness. So we are part of this line, we are included. What an honor to be included in the line of these faithful individuals—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshech, Abed-nego. Great individuals of faith who lived lives of faith. And here we are today to be living the same kind of lives. That's the challenge.

So Hebrews 12 begins, “therefore.” That provides the connection to what he has said in the last two verses of chapter 11 that will lead him into the exhortations to his present readers, “since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us.” These witnesses are those in Hebrews 11. They are testifying. Remember God testified that they were pleasing to Him, they were approved by Him. They act as those who are testifying to us of the blessing of living by faith, of believing God. Their lives continue on as a testimony. As we mentioned, the song that says “may those who come behind us find us faithful” so that they would see our lives as a testimony and an encouragement of those who walk with God, believing Him, trusting Him, holding on to what He has promised. “Since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us.” This doesn't mean that the people in heaven are looking down over the clouds watching us, I'm sure there are more interesting things in heaven to do than that. This is just the testimony that the lives of these individuals is and it's to be an encouragement to us. “Since we have so great a cloud.” This has just been a sample, what a blessing it is to have these examples, individuals who lived by faith.

What are we to do? “Let us,” he moves on now in the language of exhortation. Not command here telling you must, but more of exhortation. And you'll note he includes himself in this group. Let us as those now living by faith continue the pattern. “Let us lay aside every encumbrance.” And the picture in the context here, and it becomes clearer as we move along, is of a runner in a race. It's not a short race, it's a long race; it's not a sprint, it's a marathon. And so what does the runner do? The first things he does, he has to lay aside every encumbrance. That word ‘every’ indicates not just thinking of a specific incident, he'll give one in a moment, but anything that would weigh us down. That word encumbrance denotes something that would be a weight. You watch the Olympics and the longer races. In Greek times they took off everything and ran naked. Today we are a little more circumspect. We have companies that make large sums of money designing clothes specifically for certain athletes, like runners, that are the least restrictive as possible, the lightest possible, that will catch the less air, that won't be like a sail. You don't run in a marathon with a sheet wrapped around you, you don't run with your backpack. At least no one who is serious does. You set aside everything. When these racers of a serious nature come to the race course and they are going to be running an extensive race, they are down to the bare minimums. Anything that would be added weight is set aside, even the shoes they design to be as light as possible. You don't run in the shoes you might come to church in, you have special shoes that are, get aside, all weights, this is important for us to grasp, the analogy he is drawing.

We sometimes think the Bible doesn't say I can't do it. The Bible doesn't say it's wrong. I have to be more serious than this. Would this in any way keep me from running as intensely with the endurance I have to? Then I don't want it. We have people who don't come to church anymore. They just got tired of it. Other things fit in and we talk about we're so busy these days, and life is so busy. We fill our lives with things that keep us from being intense in the race that God set before us. We can't say that is bad in and of itself, it's just a weight that keeps us from going forward. We have a lot of things and we get our kids in so many things, and we get involved in so many things. And we say there is nothing wrong with that, there is nothing wrong with this, but is it a hindrance in my going forward on the race that God has set before me? The congregation, many churches get involved in many things and we say, they are good things, nothing wrong with that. Isn't it nice and good that they do this and do that. But we load it up so we can't really pursue with the intensity that which God has called us to do. So he says, let us lay aside every encumbrance.

Back up to 1 Corinthians 9, we're going to limit the number of verses we use in other passages and other books of the Bible, but look at 1 Corinthians 9. Paul is fond of athletic metaphors because the athlete demonstrates a commitment and there are certain things he doesn't do. I'm in training, I have to be in the best condition, I am focused on what I am doing. You know, you're going to be in the Olympics, a runner in the Olympics, you are focused on that. Some of you run marathons. What do you do? You begin to prepare for that.

1 Corinthians 9, Paul uses athletic metaphors here, verse 24. Verse 23 gives you the context, “I do all things for the sake of the Gospel, it's the focal point of his life, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.” I want to be part of what God is doing with the Gospel, I arrange my life accordingly. “Do you not know that all those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize. Run in such a way that you may win.” He's not saying here we ought to be in competition with other believers because only one of us is going to get a prize. All believers are promised reward. What he is doing is showing the intensity. It's not good enough to just say, I'm in the race, I don't care if I'm first or last or . . . No. You ought to enter this with an intensity. Every runner that goes to the Olympics goes with I don't care, as long as I can say I was to the Olympics? Of course they care and of course, writing to a Greek church, they would be familiar with the Greek games and the intensity that is there. “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.” Lay aside every encumbrance. It takes discipline, there are sacrifices made. “They do it to receive a perishable wreath, we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way as not without aim.” I know where I am going.

Can you imagine me out on the racetrack at the Olympics? Which way are we going? How far? Clueless. He's saying here, “I run in such a way not without aim,” I know where I am going, I have a goal. Then he mixes the metaphor. “I box in such a way, not beating the air” “ I'm just not out flailing around. “I discipline my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others I myself will not be disqualified.” The goal in it all is to be pleasing to God and hear His approval. Well done, good and faithful servant. That's the goal. This is serious business. Everything about my life as a child of God is arranged around what He would have me do. How would this impact my serving Him? Doesn't mean I don't have other responsibilities, but everything is done in light of that goal.

Come back to Hebrews 11. We want to pass this on to our kids. We want you to get the best education so you get the best job, make the most money. And none of us want our kids to have to suffer, go through difficult times. We want it to be easier for them. And then when we have grandkids we want it to be good for them, and somehow the concern transfers from the kids to the grandkids. Because now I don't care if my kids suffer, I care if my grandkids suffer. And I can't understand why my kids don't do more for my grandkids. I remember telling my Dad, Dad, you never would tolerate that with me. I know, you are my son, they are my grandkids. Thanks. We want to communicate to them that our lives are a testimony just like these examples in Hebrews 11. They look and see. One thing about my parents, they were committed, whatever else, to be faithful to the Lord. Didn't matter whether they were rich or poor, they were healthy or sick, they were committed to serve the Lord, be faithful to Him. They made sacrifices for that. I want them to know, doesn't matter to me whether you are rich or poor, course I would like them to have enough. But the most important thing in your life is you be faithful to the Lord and you serve Him and have a life that is pleasing to Him. If you have nothing, you walk with a life that is honoring to the Lord.

“Setting aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us.” Now some take this to be not any particular sin but whatever sin might be trouble. Some take it, like we talk about besetting sins, and all of us even as believers have areas of our lives where certain things are more attractive and appealing to us than other sins. I can never understand why one person will commit that sin, but for my sin there is understanding. The Puritans called them bosom sins, sins you want to keep close to your heart. Even when you are not indulging you don't want to get too far away because you want to keep the opportunity there in case you want to indulge. Certain sins have no appeal to me. Other sins are much more appealing. That's true, but I don't think that's what it's talking about here. I think the sin which so easily entangles us, and this is foundational for us as believers, is the sin of unbelief. Isn't that what we are talking about? Trusting God and for even us as believers, situations come. How often we face a situation and we say, “I don't know what the Lord is doing here and I don't see what good can come of this, I don't think I can make it through this, I don't think I can face it, I don't think I can do this.” What are we saying? “I don't think I can trust God to carry me through this. I know His grace has been sufficient but I don't know whether His grace will be sufficient in this situation.” I mean, do we really realize what is going on? That's what these believers are facing. His grace has been sufficient. I just don't know that I can go through another round of conflict and loss. I just don't think I have the energy for it.

I had a professor one time, teaching in a part-time position. He had been a pastor of a large church. He said to me one day, he was an older man, this has been years ago. He said, Gil, I just don't have the heart for the battle anymore, I just don't want to do anymore battles, just don't want anymore conflict in my life. So he is here teaching a part-time course, trying to hide. Doesn't want to be part of the race anymore. The sin which so easily besets us is I just don't want to trust the Lord anymore. I wouldn't say it that way.

Why have some of these, back in Hebrews 10, forsaken the assembling together with believers? I just don't want to trust the Lord anymore. Getting together with other believers, being part of this local congregation is going to expose me to conflict, difficulty, persecution, and suffering. It's not that I don't want to trust the Lord, I just don't want to go through this. You know, I have to run the race the Lord has set for me, we do as a congregation.

I think he is talking about faith. Come back to Hebrews 3, let's look at some verses in Hebrews on this and the concern the writer has. Hebrews 3:12, all of these will be in Hebrews, “take care, brethren, that there be not in anyone of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God,” a heart that doesn't really trust God and His promises. Down in verse 18, “and to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest but to those who were disobedient.” So we see they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

Hebrews 4:2, “for indeed we have had good news preached to us as they also, but the word they heard did not profit them because it was not united by faith in those who heard.” Hebrews 6:11, for the context, “we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end so that you will not be sluggish but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” This is a congregation that is wearing down, becoming sluggish. I just don't know, I can't go on, another conflict, can't face another round of persecution. You know what it cost me the last time. That kind of attitude.

Hebrews 10:38, “but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.” Hebrews 11:2,”it was by faith the men of old gained approval.” Hebrews 11:6, “without faith it is impossible to please Him;” verse 39, all these gained approval through their faith. And that shakiness of trusting God, which really is what it comes to. Right? Trial comes into my life, disaster, difficult situation, and my life begins to unravel. Where am I? Can I trust God? Can I trust God here? I trust God but you don't know what I'm going through. No, I don't, but I have to believe that He does. He is not up there trying to come up with Plan D for me because this has come into my life. And that's what he is going to remind them of.

So come back to Hebrews 12:1. “Let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. The word translated race here, we're talking in athletic metaphors, and the context we're talking about is running a race. But the word here translated race, listen to the Greek word—agona. You know what we get in English from that—agony. And it was used of athletic events because they could be agonizing, they were strenuous, they were demanding, they could drain you. That's why they word came to be used. Here he is talking about a running race, as the context makes clear, a race that takes endurance. It's not a sprint, it's a long race, like a marathon. You need endurance to do it. You just have to keep going.

I've shared with you, when I was a senior in high school we'd run on the track. I wasn't in track but we had to do it, so we did. And my friend and I would get out there and we'd take off. Had a friend, still remember his name, Joel Kagan, and he was a tall guy, he must have been 6'3”, 6”4”, and he was big. He could have been a lineman. Jewish fellow, we talked about the Gospel even into our college years. We'd get out on the track and my friend and I, we're lighter built, we'd take off, look back and there is poor Joel. We're a half track ahead of him already. The problem is you didn't have to go around the track one time, you had to keep going until the teacher said you are done. Do you know what happened? We looked back and he's behind us, pretty soon we are slowing down, we are getting winded. Here comes Joel. Pretty soon he's not a half track behind us, he's a half track ahead of us. We're still not done. We're getting down to almost walking, the teacher is saying, come on guys, pick it up. Here comes Joel lapping us, there he goes. This guy is an animal. He was running a race with endurance, we were just out playing. We didn't have the stamina to keep going.

The word endurance, compound word, means a word to abide, often translated abide or to live, to dwell under something. Under the pressure. So endurance is a good thing. That's where you are keeping going, it takes endurance. Why? Because you are under the pressure. This is a race, it's demanding, it takes endurance. Let us run with endurance. This is a key word in this section of Hebrews, not used broadly in Hebrews, but in this section it is used repeatedly.

Come back to Hebrews 10, look at verse 32. “Remember the former days when after being enlightened you endured.” You know those early days of being a believer, I would give up everything for Christ, didn't matter. Possessions, friends, whatever it takes. You endured. Come down to verse 36, time has passed and now he has to tell them, “you have need of endurance.” The race is not over. You have need of endurance. Hebrews 12:1, the end of the verse we are just reading. “Let us run with endurance.” Then you'll get into verse 2 and we'll talk about Christ, who “endured the cross.” Verse 3, “consider Him who has endured such hostility;” verse 7, “it is for discipline that you endure.” You see he is striving to drive home endurance, endurance, endurance. You say, well, I have endured. I think I've earned some rest. Doesn't matter what you think, there is One who tells us when the race is over. And you're sitting here this morning so the race is not over. How do I know? We'll get there, but just jump ahead to verse 4. Do you know what he tells them? “You have not resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.” The race is not over for them. Why? He says to them, you are not dead yet. That's how I know the race is not over for me, the race is not over for you. For Art Tschetter the race is over. How do I know? He's in glory today. That's the point he is driving home. We can't say for ten years, for twenty years I have been faithful, I have endured. Today is the challenge in the race, I must keep enduring. They are not to become weary, to become slack as we read in previous verses.

Back in Hebrews 10:23, a portion we read, “let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.” I mean, we don't begin to waver with the passing of time, get weaker, more doubtful. “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” You see this encouragement to keep on. Hebrews 10:35, “do not throw away your confidence which has great reward. You need endurance because after you've done the will of God you will receive what was promised.” We are sure that's at the end so don't give up before the end. You can't do that. That's the point he is making.

When you come back to Hebrews 12:1 I want you to note something else at the end of the verse. “It's the race that is set before us.” That expression we have translated, that is set before us, was used in the Greek races of the master, as they would refer to him, of the race. And he would set the course. And the point being made here is the God in whom we trust is the One who has set the course for us. As a congregation of believers who has set the course for us? As individual believers who has set the course for us? I don't have to run the race that God has set for a believer in China or the Ukraine or some other part of the world. But I do have to run the race He has set before me. We as a church like this local congregation of believers, we have to run the race God has set before us. We talk about what it would be in another country, another place. There are variations but we all have to run the race in the same way. We are not all running the same course. What God brings into my life may not be the same as He is bringing into someone else's life; what our church faces is not the same that a church faces in a Muslim country, for example. I have to run the race that He has set before me. Isn't that part of my faith? Things aren't out of control. God has set the course for me. God has set the course for our church. Now we must run with endurance the race that He has set before us, we can't deviate. Lord, I don't know why you are doing this, I don't know why this has come into our lives, I don't know why this has happened at this time. Lord, this doesn't seem . . .; Lord, you know I didn't need this. Who am I to tell the Lord what I need? I don't see anything, Lord, I don't know, I don't think I can take it. Do I believe that the God that I serve is able? We sing, He is able, He is able. I don't think I can do this. Do you remember what we read in Paul's testimony to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians? “I asked God to relieve me of this weakness and He said, My grace is sufficient for you, My power is perfected in weakness.” Paul said, ”therefore, I boast about my weakness.” Bring on the weakness “so that the power of God may be manifest.” Run the race that God has set before us.

How do we do this? Now we have the greatest example of all, the One that the book of Hebrews is about—Jesus who is the Christ. “Fixing our eyes on Jesus.” You are not saved by trying to follow the example of Christ. Some people say, I try to live my life like Jesus, I try to follow Jesus. You can't be saved by trying to follow Jesus, live a life like Jesus. Do what Jesus did. He did good and I try to do good to people. That won't save you. You are saved by faith in what Jesus Christ did and only He could do, taking your place to pay the penalty for your sin. But once you have placed your faith in the finished work of Christ, now He is an example for us. Now we sing, ‘oh to be like Him,’ but then I don't want sorrow and pain and difficulty. Fix your eyes on Jesus. We won't turn there for time but in 1 Corinthians 11 Paul says in verse 1, “be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” Same idea, trying to follow the pattern that Christ set for me.

Turn over to 1 Peter 2, Peter writes the same thing. And talking about suffering, that's the context. Verse 21, “for you have been called for this purpose since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps.” I want to follow Jesus and the health and wealth preachers want to say that means you don't have to worry about being sick, you don't have to worry about trouble. God has good things for you today. I want to speak blessings over your life, and you are going to prosper. What did Jesus say in Matthew 10 and Matthew 16? “ If you don't take up your cross and follow Me, you can't be My disciple.” He left us an example since He suffered for you and how He responded to the suffering.

“Fix your eyes,” come back to Hebrews 12:2, “fixing your eyes on Jesus.” That word fixing has the idea of turning your eyes away from other things so that they are focused on Him. He is the author and perfecter of faith. We get the word architect, archegon, architect, one who lays the foundation for something, who plans and who builds it. The author of it. He is the author of our salvation. Some would translate it pioneer to show He not only is the author, but He is the leader of it. The idea He is the perfecter, He brings to perfection. In other words all these who trusted God and His promises in Hebrews 11, the foundation for that even though as it wasn't as clear to them as it is to us, even as we've worked through the book of Hebrews, was the finished work of Christ. And believing in God and what He promised could only be realized, the One who is the author, the One who will bring to the fullness in completion Jesus Christ. He is the One who trusted God. In Hebrews 2:10, “it was fitting for Him for whom are all things, through whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to perfect the author.” There is our word, perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. And then verse 13, the words of the psalmist put into the mouth of Christ, “I will put my trust in Him.” Christ during His earthly life lived by faith in His Father and His promises.

What did He do? Back in Hebrews 12;2, “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.” Now you'll note here, He endured the cross because He is looking to the ultimate goal, the joy set before Him, to arrive at the appointed goal and the joy that would bring necessitated enduring the suffering of the cross. And that involved despising the shame. You know hard for us in our day, the cross becomes just a symbol. You have the most pagan of people wearing a cross, all kinds of jewelry made. But you understand in biblical times this was the mark of the lowest shame. Here is what one person wrote about the cross, “nothing more disgraceful could happen to any man than to suffer public persecution, a fate designed for the basest of criminals, the lowest of social outcasts.” There was no lower depth of humiliation. It was indeed a punishment so degrading that no Roman citizen might be subjected to it. A point to talk about, you see someone and they have a piece of jewelry on, a cross. You say, you're wearing a cross, how interesting. Do you understand what that cross symbolizes? What it represents? Do you know what it meant?

And that's what we're talking about. Christ had to despise the shame, He counted the shame of the cross as nothing because of the joy of the ultimate realization of the goal—the securing of salvation that could only be accomplished by the cross. What happened? He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The joy set before Him, exaltation by the Father. Philippians 2 that has been referred to earlier today, “Christ humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” He despised the shame as nothing. That's the pattern being set for us. We say, I tried to witness and they made fun of me, probably better I just keep my mouth shut. I'm not good in this anyway. None of us are good at suffering, none of us are good at really being ridiculed. We all want to be thought well of and respected. Christ despised the shame of the cross but because of the joy set before Him, He was looking at the culmination when he would be seated at the right hand of the Father and the work of salvation was completed. And we could experienced the blessings of that salvation and anticipate the ultimate fulfillment of the promise.

This emphasis on seated at the right hand of the Father, this is where we started in Hebrews. Come back to Hebrews 1:1, “God after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways in these last days has spoken to us in a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory, the exact representation of His nature. And He upholds all things by the word of His power.” Note this, “when He had made purification of sins,” when He had endured the cross because that is what was necessary to provide purification from sins for sinful people like us, “He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High.” That's the joy set before Him, the accomplishing of what the cross alone could accomplish and arriving at the goal. Down in verse 13, ” to which of the angels has He ever said, sit at My right hand until I make you enemies a footstool for your feet?” Exalted above the angels. Hebrews 8:1, now the main point in what has been said is this, we have such a high priest, that high priest whom he has unfolded is perfect in His own character and has offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin and now represents us in the presence of the Father. He has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on High, the Majesty in the heavens. Hebrews 10:12, “but He having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, He endured the cross, sat down at the right hand of God.”

Now in Hebrews 12, the verse 23 just read, verse 2, “He endured the cross, despising the shame and He has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” You see the joy set before Him. And what does he tell us in verse 3? We're not going into this verse but note where we will be, a command. “Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself so that you don't grow weary and lose heart.” Not only the examples of those of Hebrews 11, but consider the example of Christ. And that's a pattern. That's why he said, “if you will not take up your cross and follow Me you cannot be My disciple.” The shame, the humiliation, the rejection, the suffering, it comes from being identified with me. People in His day understood what He meant when He said, you have to take up your cross. I'm looking, I'm not getting in this for a life of humiliation and suffering, being considered the lowliest man, but I am identified with my Savior. So don't grow weary. Going forward to verse 4 as we noted, you haven't died yet, the race is not over. Don't quit, don't grow weary, don't lose heart, don't get discouraged. “Keep your eye on the goal, fix your attention on Christ, the One who endured the suffering of the cross, has been seated at the right hand of the Father.” Do you understand what God has promised us? That we will be presented in the glory of His presence without spot, perfect, acceptable in His sight? Do you think that the saints who have gone before are in glory now saying, if I had it over I would have taken it easier, wouldn't have been as intense, taken time to smell the roses? Do you think Paul thought that? That it wasn't worth it? We have to fix our attention, turn it away from things that distract us. We are in serious business, we are in the race that God has set before us. I cannot load myself up with things that would hinder me in the race. I cannot turn my attention . . . What kind of Olympian would it be running the race, turning around and looking this way, looking around at everything, wondering what I'll do for endorsements if I win this race? I mean, he's going nowhere. And Christians are walking around . . . This is serious business. God says, I have set a race before you, I have laid out the course. You have to run it with endurance. The beautiful thing, do you know where the strength and power comes from? His grace is sufficient for us. I never on this course face something that I cannot overcome.

That's why in Revelation 2-3 we have the repeated emphasis to the seven churches, to him who overcomes I will give this, I will give this. He set the course for us. I didn't know this was going to be on that race course, I didn't know this would come up in my past, I don't know what's ahead. I suffering and pain ahead? I don't know what's ahead, but I know He set out the course, He set it out for me, set it out for us as a church family so we can trust Him. I don't know what's ahead. We have the song, I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future because He has planned it. And I know His grace will be sufficient, that grace given when I need it. He doesn't give me tomorrow's grace today, but He has given me today's grace today. And that's what I live by.

Let's pray together. Thank You, Lord, for Your grace. Lord, how blessed we are to belong to You, to have a Savior who loved us and died for us, a Savior who is seated at Your right hand and will some day present us in the glory of Your presence, holy, blameless and without spot. Lord, may we keep our eyes fixed on Christ, fixed on the goal You've set before us and endure those things that come by faith in You and the grace You provide. We pray in Christ's name, amen.