Series: Run the Race

Title: Run Freely                

Recap:

Last weekwe talked about one way that we will runthis race all the way is to recall the fact that othershave gone beforeus and have finishedtheir race. If we could hearthem, though we cannot, they would be encouragingus on to finishthe race that we have begun.    The writer of Hebrewscalls this being surrounded by acloudof witnesses. 

Today we want to look at the second part of our scripture. 

Hebrews 12:1-3

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay asideevery weight, and sinwhich clingsso closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.³ Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,

The first part of this sentence, says “Let us.”  Who is this referring to?

Part of the us is the believing “Hebrews”(descendants of Abraham) as the epistleis addressed. The letter was addressed to a Christian communitywhose faith was weakeningbecause of strong Jewishinfluences.  Many Jews were adamant about imposing their traditionsin addition to faith in Jesus. 

The other part of the us would be us.  This message applies to all who would hear the word. 

But salvation = Jesus + Nothing.  Thus, the need for the book of Hebrews.

One example of a person who did this well in the bible was the apostle Paul. 

• What might be some things that Paul would have to put off?

The book of Hebrews was written around 64 ADwhich comes after Paul’s firstRoman imprisonment. Paul was arrested in Jerusalemand placed under roman guardbecause he preached Jesusto be the Messiah. Meanwhile the Jews had rejected Jesusas their Messiah and were responsible for putting Jesus to death.  So, when Paul preached about the resurrected Christ, then naturally the Jews felt guiltyfor what they had done.  They thought they could eliminate their guiltby eliminating Paul.

Besides the near-death encountersthat he faced with the Jews, Paul ran into several other things, observe.

2 Corinthians 11:22-29

²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; ²⁷ in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. ²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 

In this convincing argument, Paul basically says that if anyonehas a reasonto throw in the towel, if anyone has a reason to give up the race, he most certainly has a more compelling reasonthan anyone.

In fact, we see in the next verse how these things affected him.

 ²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

• In other words, you think your weakthen trying walking in my shoesand facing the adversitythat I have faced.
• You think you are on the brink of your faith failing, the temptation is greaterfor me.
• You think you have a reason to be angry, I have an even greater reasonto be so

Paul had suffereda great deal up to this point in writing the bookof Hebrews.  Yet he is still able to say

let us also lay aside every weight

Lay Aside- to put off from oneself

Weight- ogkos- burden, weight, encumbrance (burdensome, hinderance)

Paul knew that God was not finishedwith him just yet and there was still a raceto run.  So, it was vital for Paul to lay asideevery weightand finishthe race that was set before him.

                  Lecrae Yet

I got songs I ain't made yet, I got foes I ain't faced yet
I got hands I ain't shake yet, I got plans I ain't made yet

It is important that you lay aside every weightbecause there are purposes of Godthat you have not fulfilled yet

• The gossiperhas not been quietedyet
• The immoralhas not repentedyet
• The offendedhas not forgivenyet
• Your familyisn’t savedyet
• The addictis not freeyet
• The hurtinghave not been relievedyet
• The hungryhave not been fedyet
• There are orphanswho are not fatheredyet
• The marriagehas not been restoredyet
• Jesushas not comeyet

Therefore, we have a racethat has not been completed yet. To run the race that is set before us we need to lay aside or putoff every weightwhich so easily besets us. 

We don’t just runthis race for ourselves, but we run it to impact othersas well.

(Illustration of running with weights started)

Now let’s talk about the second partof this

let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,

This implies that sin is near, it clingsto you waitingfor the opportunityto strike. 

1 Peter 5:8  

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Furthermore, if we were to look at that same verse in the King James Version, it would read.

(KJV)The sin which doth so easily besetus

 Sin-that which is done wrong, committed or resultant sin, an offence, a violation of the divine lawin thought or in act

• Sins of omissionare things that you SHOULD dobut that you don't do.
• Sins of commissionare things that you SHOULD NOT dobut you did anyway.

Beset- (Euperistatos) skillfully surrounding

Satanknows what baitto use to lure you into his trap and he looks for the opportune timeto use it.

2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 

Satan skillfully surroundsyou and tempts you, with the ultimate goal of devouringyou.  Many fallas his victim.

We have already talked about the heroes of the faith, and that through reading about the testimoniesof their lives, we can be encouraged to completethe race that we are running. 

Now let’s talk about the zeroesof the faith, who gaveinto temptation of the enemy.  By doing so, they sufferedgreat consequences.  Let their lives also be a warningto us.

• Lot’s wife- When God sent his angelsto bring Lot and his familyout of harms way, they were warnednot to look backbut to escape to safety. What happened?  Lot’s wife looks back and as soon as she does, she was turned into a pillar of salt.  Her sinprevented herfrom completing the racethat was before her.

• Pharaoh-Godhad toldPharaoh ten timesto let His people go so that they could worship Pharaoh refuses to do so until eventually God strikes him with the tenth plaguewhich was death to every first-born son, including the son of Pharaoh.

He lets the Israelites go, then immediately regretsthe decision.  He pursues after them to overtake them.  God causes the red sea to swallow himup along with the pursingEgyptianarmy.  He too was prevented from completinghis race because of his sin.

• Achan- Godhad told the people of Israelnot to takeanything from Jerichoas it was devoted to the Lord for destruction. Everything and Everyone were to be destroyed except Rahaband her family.  But Achan got a little greedy

Joshua 7:1 

when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them.

Because of his sin, Israel’s forward movement was impaired.  Israel lostthe battleagainst the people of AIwhich was a battle they should have easily won. 

Achan’s racealso was ended shortas he and his entire familywere stonedand burned.

• Samson- Beforehe was a hero, he was a He broke the Nazirite vowon all three terms regarding that vow. 

1. He was not supposed to touch anything uncleanincluding dead animals
2. He was not to have alcohol
3. He was not to cut his hair
4. On top of that he got involved with promiscuous womenwhich not only stopped his forwardprogress of his race, but ultimatelyled to his demise.

However, what is different with Samsonis that he repents, and God movesthrough him one last time.  He finishes as a heronot a zero.

As we can see, satan skillfully designedand executeda plan to destroyeach of these “zeroes of the faith.” Be aware that he also seeks to destroy your life, and he knows your weakness.

The heart of this message is that we are running a raceand we are running to finishthe race.  Sinalong with the weightswe hold on to, will impair our forwardmovement and will hinder usfrom running the race. We need to “put off” both to finish the race.

More than just putting them off we need to put onChrist.  Paul would say in his letter to the Romans:

Romans 13:12

¹² The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put onthe armor of light. 

Running your racewill require being equipped with the armor of lightwhich is being clothed with thepresenceof Christ Jesus.  You must be clothed with His wordand with His Spirit.

One final thought, After Paul describes the ways that he suffered in 2 Corinthians11, in Chapter 12 he tells us how he overcame.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

⁷ So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

• His Graceis sufficient
• His Power is perfect in our weakness
• When I am weak, He is strong

When the weight is too muchto bear, we can castall of cares

1 Peter 5:6-7

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 

when the temptationseems to be too strongto overcome

1 Corinthians 10:13

¹³No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

It is only when we rid ourselves of the weights and sinthat we will run the race with endurance.