Sermon notes from Sunday 26 July 2015
Hebrews 12 verses 1 to 3
We
are thinking this morning of the race that is set before us. There are many races in this world –
motorbike, car, athletics, duck. Today
we are however thinking of the spiritual race.
There are many shortcuts in races.
There are many who start races and give up half way through. Racing always implies competitors, those who enter the race. The writer in these verses says “let us”
implying that he includes himself in the spiritual race. Many believe it was Paul who wrote this
letter but we cannot be sure. One thing
we do know is that the writer was referring only to those who have been saved
by the grace and the mercy of God. Without
faith it is impossible to please God.
You can run as hard as you like, attend as many church services, prayers
meetings, mission outreaches but if you have never been born of the Spirit of
God you will never see the finishing line.
In chapter 11 we see a number of individuals who ran the race, they believed
in God and it was counted unto them for righteousness. Racing also implies a course that cannot be
altered. The spiritual race starts at
conversion and the finishing line is in glory one day. There is also the crowd of spectators, referred here as the great cloud of
witnesses. Those who ran the race
before. There will always be spectators
who stand at the side lines with opinions about the competitors. In the midst of all the competitors there are
a few supporters. The world around us
today looks at the Christian and can tell us how to run but they themselves are
not in the race. The supporters are
there to help us. In the race there is a
controller or judge. The one who enforces the rules. You are either in or disqualified. There is also a concentration of purpose – to get to the finishing line that we
might glorify God and enjoy him forever.
We all have our own spectators in life, people we look up to and want to
be like, spiritual witnesses, our idols.
They testify of God’s grace in our lives. Someone we would like to be like. The Old Testament is full of tremendous
saints of God on whom we could build our lives.
Look
at Enoch who walked with God. In chapter 11 verses 5 and 6 we are told that
“he pleased God”. What a testimony to
leave behind. We all want something to
leave behind in this life. Enoch had a
starting point – at 65 years of age it was when his child was born. It was then that he started to walk with God
for 300 years. He walked right in to the
presence of God. We might say it was
easy for Enoch because he didn’t have the sin and trials we have today. Remember Enoch lived in a time when God
looked down from heaven and saw that “the wickedness o man was great in the heart
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually.” Sin was still abounding on
every hand yet in the midst of it all there was a man who pleased God not those
around him. Have you started on that
race? Have you heard the gospel preached
clearly? Have you made a decision that
you will walk with God?
Look
at Abraham who went with God. In chapter 11 verses 8 to 17 we read “he
obeyed God … not knowing whether he went.”
God called him out of Ur of the Chaldees to a life of separation. We never read that Abraham went back. The moment God called him out that is the
separation. Many do not like the word separation. They don’t want to be separated from the world. You never will fit in with the world around
you if you are saved by God’s grace. You
will stand out as being different. The
world will never love you and Jesus explained why – because it never loved
him. You can try your best but as soon
as you start to talk of Christ there will be a barrier drawn up. Why?
Because it makes people feel guilty.
Abraham was out and out or God.
He set his eyes on things above.
For those saved we are heading for a city whose building and maker is
God. There has to be a life of salvation
and separation. The children of Israel
let Egypt, they had a desire to go back but there was only one way to Canaan and
it meant Egypt was left behind. It was
also a life of submission. Abraham was completely committed to God. We know about the sacrifice of Abraham of his
son on the mountain. He submitted
himself to the will of God. Just as he
was about to kill Isaac God spoke from heaven and told him not to as he had
already supplied a lamb in replacement for Isaac. Abraham was a man of supplication or prayer. He
spent time in communion and submission to God.
We read about the city of Sodom and Gomorrah yet we also read of Abraham
hearing word of God’s plan to destroy this city. Abraham instead of saying they deserved it
got on his knees before God of heaven and pleaded for the people of the city. He asks God if there are 50 righteous people
in the city surely he would not destroy it.
God agrees that if there were 50 he would not destroy it. Abraham goes again and asks for 40 and he
continues until he comes down to 10 righteous people surely God would not
destroy it. Why Abraham stopped there we
do not know but we read that Lot and his family, Abraham’s own nephew was
brought out of the city. Abraham had
spent time in prayer pleading for his family.
We can pray for our families that God would be merciful. God is not willing that any should perish but
that all should come to him. Abraham was
also a man of service.
Look
at Moses who worked for God. He had everything as far as the world was
concerned. He had all the prestige and
riches with living in Egypt. He had it
all, servants, riches, position and all that goes with living there. The bible says “he chose”, that was his
decision. He had to make a choice between Christ and the
world. Maybe God can speak to someone the
same way today – Christ or the world.
The pleasures of sin or the blessings of salvation. Joshua said “choose you this day whom you
will serve but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” A clear
choice to be made. As Christians we
are told to lay up treasures in heaven.
It was a costly choice for
Moses. When you make that clear
conscious decision the world would say you have made a mistake but the riches of
Christ will last longer. It was a wise
choice. As we look around us there are
different paths to choose. We would not
choose the world of Sodom or its wickedness and abomination. These are the various false cults that are in
our world today. A simple choice. What about the world of pleasures and treasures
– we have homes today that are bigger and better than ever and the same is true
of the cars we drive. Moses had a
starting point. When he came to an age
he made a choice to choose Christ.
There
is the influence of past
runners. There are the instructions for the race “let us run
the race with patience.” This is a
different patience than what we are used to.
The word patience could be translated endurance to run. God has not promised us an easy path or a bed
of roses with skies ever blue. There are
trials and tests in life that we must get through. They are all part of the Christian
faith. They might be financially, family
or health. Think of Job who had to attend
10 funerals in the one day. In the midst
of it all he was able to say “I know that my redeemer liveth and will stand on
the earth.” He had a living redeemer, a
longed for Saviour and life everlasting promised to him. It is easy to praise God on the mountain top
when everything is going well but you need him when you go down into the valley
of the shadow of death. God has promised
to never leave us. There are also hindrances for the runners – “weights
and sins”. These imply something that is
hindering us. They might be good and
genuine but if they hinder us in walking with and working for God it is
wrong. You need to lay it aside. If it takes the place of God it is
wrong. “Sin that so easily besets us”. That may be unbelief or doubt. Different times when the problems increase
around us. The Children of Israel could
not enter into the promised land because of their unbelief. They were depending on themselves rather than
on God. We are to lay aside the sin of
unbelief. If we don’t it will trip us up
and set us back. Look at the incentive
for running – verse 2 “looking onto Jesus.”
It is a look of amazement – that he could leave the splendours of heaven
because of his great love for me. He
went all the way to Calvary. “Greater
love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend.” We are filled with the thoughts of his person
and his passion. “Who for the joy that
was set before him endured the cross.”
We can never explain the love God has for us. Think also of his position “set down at the
right hand of the throne of God.” That
is where he is today, interceding on our behalf. There are also thoughts of his power – he is
there on the throne and he does remember his own. If we take our eyes off Christ we will fail –
“he which has begun a good work in you will bring it to completion.”
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