Three Steps to Staging in the Christian Race

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2025 – PASTOR IAN GILKINSON

HEBREW 12 VERSES 1 TO 4

 

I wonder this morning have you ever felt like giving up on the Lord? Because the way is too hard? I am sure you have. We all have. Have you ever thought of throwing in the towel? Going back to your old ways. Maybe even to the faith of your fathers. The darkness of Rome, dead orthodoxy, liberal Protestantism? The Jewish believers who received this letter which we call the book of Hebrews did feel like that. They felt like going back, back to what we call Judaism, the faith of their fathers for they had experienced persecution. Persecution for their faith, faith in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah. They were facing the very real possibility of intensified persecution. This were hard, difficult, different for them. It looked like things would get harder, more difficult for them to follow Jesus. Knowing this the author of the book of Hebrews encourages them to keep going forward like runners in a race. That is my goal this morning – I want to share with you 3 distinct steps for staying in the race that the Lord has set before you. I want to consider those 3 steps.

 

Step 1 – consider the saints. As the author of the book of Hebrews beings this chapter he draws our attention back to the previous chapter with the word “wherefore”. In that chapter there were mentioned directly and indirectly many of the great heroes and heroines of the faith. These people such as Abel who offered a better sacrifice than his brother. Enoch who walked with God. Noah who built the ark. Abraham the father of our faith and Sarah his wife. Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Aram and Jochebed the mother and father of Moses and Moses himself, Joshua, Rahab the harlot, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Joseph, Samuel, David and so on. These are the great “cloud of witnesses” that surround us as we run the race the Lord has set before us. He has set a race for each one of us. Yours is different than mine. There are things you will go through in your life that I will not go through. We are all running in the same direction, towards heaven. As you consider these saints note 3 things about that can encourage us as we run our race.

 

First, they have run their race. These people, once Old Testament saints that we read of in chapter 11, these witnesses have finished the race the Lord set before them. In fact they never gave up even when the going got tough and for some of them it got really tough. For they endured unspeakable pain and strife. Read chapter 11 verses 35 to 38. These old Testament saints some of them endured great hardship, difficulties, some were killed yet they persevered, yet they ran their race, the race the Lord had set before them. We should then take heart in our race for if they could live for the Lord and serve him in their generation then we should be able to do so too. No matter how hard it gets, how difficult and discouraged and disillusioned we are. We ought to run our race taking encouragement from these saints we read about in Hebrews and of others in the Old Testament and those saints not mentioned in the New Testament and in church history. Take encouragement from their lives. They have run their race.

 

Secondly they have also received their reward. These saints, these witnesses have received their reward, even their rest from all their labours. Their spirits are of just men made perfect (Hebrews 12 verse 23). They are with the Lord. We should take heart in our race. When our race is over, when we cross the finishing line, when we pass from this scene of life into glory, we too shall enjoy the reward of rest from all our labours. The older we get, the more hardships and difficulties we go through. We look forward to that day, to rest in peace with the Lord knowing they are behind us. We will not face them again. We should be motivated to run by the promise of the future rewards and glory. The bible makes it clear that one day the people of God, the saints, the church will stand before him.  The unbeliever will stand before the great white throne of judgement and after judgement will be cast into the lake of fire. The believer will stand before the Bema Seat and be judged for their deeds done in the body. They will receive rewards. Some will be saved by fire, some will be burned up as by fire, as by wood, hay and stubble. Others will be considered as gold and silver. We shall enter into our rest. We will be rewarded one day when we stand before him. These saints, these people were witnesses, they have run their race and received their rewards.

 

Thirdly, what they have realised is that God is reliable. The greatest encouragement we can receive is proof positive of the reliability of God. Witnesses to the faithfulness of God. We are surrounded by these great witnesses. Sometimes the idea is given that they are looking down on us as we are running our race but that is not what is being said here. It proves to us that God is faithful, dependable. If he undertook for them he will undertake for us. God is not a man that he should lie. We can trust God, depend on God. Even the best of us fail but God never fails. We can take heart in our race. If he honoured their faith, strengthened and sustained, kept, used and blessed them and got glory from their lives, he will do the same for us. As we run the race set before us, as we think of staying in the race, step 1 is to consider the saints. They ran the race, they received their reward and they proved God is reliable and dependable.

 

Step 2 – consider self. We must consider 1 of 2 things regarding ourselves as we consider the race God has set before us. Failure to do so will affect our ability to run. A serious runner will always deal with that which will hamper them from running the race before them. They do so and go to great lengths to do so. We must do so in the race that God has set before us. “Lay aside every weight and sin which doth so easily beset us.” We need to set aside all weights and sins. Serious runners strip themselves of every weight that would hinder them from running the race. They trained hard to shed pounds. They are lean and light on race day. They are not carrying extra padding. They trained hard to be there. They got rid of the weights to increase their stamina and strength. In preparing for the race they used weights to strengthen their muscles but on race day they set them aside to run swiftly. We should do the same. We need to shed the pounds. Some of us have to do that spiritually speaking. How? By changing our diet. What do I mean? By getting into God’s word. By reading his word. By meditating on his word. By memorizing his word. The greatest goal and desire by exercising ourselves unto godliness. We need to get rid of that which is good as well as that which is bad if it keeps us running the race set before us. Sometimes good things can be a hindrance. Material possessions, things we own can be an encumbrance. If we have a car we keep it clean by washing it. We do the same with our homes. The more we have the more responsibility we have to maintain it. Family might be tying us back.  Our husband or wife may be holding us back and we cannot let them. We cannot let them hold us back from running the race no matter how much they love us. It can relate to any relationship we have. It can encumber us. Trip us up. There is also the love of comfort. We all like our comfort but it can encumber. The older we get, the frailer we get, we love to sit beside the fire. There is social media. How many of us pick up our phone or our laptop before we go to the word of God? There is television, the things that we should not be watching. We must tackle all that encumbers us by laying them aside. All the weights, all the sins. Serious runners strip themselves of all clothing that would entangle them. Today athletes wear lycra. It is skin tight so they can run swiftly. In ancient Greek they ran naked. They stripped themselves of all that would encumber them. If we are going to run the race the Lord has set before us we need to deal with our sin in our lives, in particular the besetting sins in our lives. In Hebrews the author is speaking of the sin of unbelief but it could refer to any sin, any sin we fall into again and again. That is besetting sin. If we find ourselves in that position we ought to take it to the Lord, trust him to deliver us from its power, whatever that might be. When the Holy Spirit brings them back to our remembrance we should take it to the Lord.

 

We must also run with endurance like the long distance runner. We should run with patience. We must, despite the pain persevere to the end. Like a marathon runner. The Christian life is more like a marathon than a sprint, In a 100 metres race it is over in a matter of seconds by professional athletes but a marathon goes on for hours. We are to be like marathon runners. To settle down for the long haul. To endure patiently. Endure whatever life throws at us. We ought to do so in the sure and certain knowledge despite the agony of our race. The English word for agony comes from the word race here. We are to do it in the knowledge despite the agony of our race. The race has been individually tailored for us. He sets it before us for our own good and his glory. We are all running in the same direction, for heaven and home but our individual race is tailored by the Lord. What you face might be different than what I face. Some go through awful, terrible things while others get off lightly. Sometimes people go through things that cause great tears, anguish and heartbreak. Others not so much. The Lord has tailored our races for our good, to make us more like Jesus for his glory. As we go through these trials, jump these hurdles, prove our faith, he uses them to refine us, to change us for his own glory. We must as we consider self run with endurance, patiently enduring unto the end.

 

We must focus on our supreme example. While we take encouragement from those who have run their race, the Old and New Testament saints who existed for 2000 years, our focal point in our race is the Lord. Our focus ought to be in the man Christ Jesus. Why? Because he ran his race perfectly from beginning to end. He did so in faith. In fact we are to look to him – verse 2 “the author and finisher of faith.” Sometimes we quote it as “our faith”. That little word “our” is in italics so it was not in the original. He is the greatest example. We can be encouraged by Abraham, David, Samson, Paul and Peter but the greatest example of faith is Christ. He exercised faith in God throughout his life. He exercised faith in God. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Take them off your own personal circumstances and those around you. Run the race the Lord has set before you. Don’t be like Peter who on one occasion took his eyes off the Lord and he began to sink into the sea of Galilee. Remember the occasion – Jesus came to his disciples walking on the water. They thought he was a ghost but realised it was the Lord. Peter asked to come to him and he got out of the boat. He started to walk on water but the moment he took his eyes off Jesus he began to sink. We will do the same. In our race we need to focus on our supreme example. It is good to look back but he is our supreme example. Step 1 consider the saints. Step 2 consider self.

 

Step 3 – consider the Saviour, Christ. The author of the book of Hebrews not only encourages us to look to the author of our faith but exhorted them to carefully consider him as they ran the race. He told them several things about Jesus so that he might spur them on in running their race. Many things could be said of the race but the writer focused on the cross and the shame he endured. He could have focused on his life and ministry but he chose to focus on his cross and the shame, the agony and the ignominy he endured at Calvary. If he was able to endure such for us then surely we can run our race for his glory? In fact it ought to spur us on to take up our cross and follow him. To do so irrespective of what others might say or do to us. Consider our reasons. He ran “for the joy that was set before him”. All the honour that would be bestowed on him in bringing many sons to glory. He knew he would be honoured in glory by doing his fathers will. Surely that is a great reason for us. To know that one day he will honour us for running the race that he set before us just as he honoured his son. He came into the world to go to the cross. He finished his race and was honoured for doing it. He found joy in doing it even though he suffered the agony and ignominy. Consider his reward – honoured by his father. He assumed his rightful place at his Father’s right hand. When we finish the race we too will be honoured by the Father. We will be enthroned with Christ in glory. The right to sit down with Christ on his throne in glory. Revelation 21 specifically tells us we will be granted the right to sit down with Christ on his throne in glory, to share his authority and reign with him for ever and ever (Revelation 21 verse 5). Surely that is another good reason for running the race the Lord has set before us.

 

Consider his resolve – verses 3 and 4. As we run our race consider the fact that the Lord was determined despite all the opposition he faced. He faced opposition from men and in the demonic world too yet he ran his race. He finished his course come hell or high water. He was resolved to do so. It was his meat in life to do the Father’s will. We should possess the same mindset as we run the race set before us if it means paying the highest price. Many have done so in church history and different parts of the world. They have been persecuted for their faith, finished their race by way of martyrdom. We think we have it hard, difficult with people who oppose us but we should consider our resolve and have that same mindset.

 

In 1994 Tom Hanks an American actor played the leading role in a film called Forrest Gump. It was billed as a romantic comedy and known today for its many iconic scenes and sayings that have pervaded our popular culture. Today I want to leave you with one of those phrases – run Forrest run. Young Forrest was encouraged to run for all he was able from the bullies chasing him. He did that with all his might even losing the leg braces that supported him as he ran. If I was to take that saying from that movie and apply it to ourselves it would be Run Christian Run for all you are able and keep running. Persevere to the end. Consider the saints as you do so. Consider self as you do so. Consider Christ the Saviour as you do so. Run Christian Run!