Word of Salvation – Vol.47 No.7 – February 2002
Keep on Keeping on
Sermon by Rev. J. De Boer on Hebrews 12:1-3
Scripture Readings: Psalm 16; Hebrews 11:24 2:3
Suggested Hymns: BOW 148; 436; 73a; 525
Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Last year the Olympics came to Sydney, and we saw the cream of the world’s sports men and women doing their best; putting all their strategy and training into their events; hoping to get into the finals; maybe break a record and maybe even get gold. Some did and were overjoyed, others didn’t and were disappointed.
Today I would like us to think of a different kind of race; one that the Bible speaks of often. A race in which everyone who crosses the finish line gets the prize. It’s not just a race for some elite athletes. Nor is it a race that you get into by proving yourself, or by beating others. Quite the opposite, this is a race you enter by grace. God, in His mercy, takes you out of the hopelessness of our sin, and joins you to Christ by faith. We call it the Christian life. All who believe, everyone who has received CHRIST as Saviour and Lord, is a runner in that race.
At the beginning of this new week we need to ask these questions: How does the Lord want me to run this week? What things do I have to watch out for? To whom can I look for encouragement?
That is where our text comes in and helps us in such a beautiful and practical way. It gives us an encouragement to keep us going, especially when the race is tough. But more than that: it gives us a strategy, a race plan that we can put into action. That’s important isn’t it? We all know that runners don’t just train, and then roll up and have a go. They have a race plan, which they have developed with their coach. Let’s look at these two points.
1. AN ENCOURAGEMENT
The text speaks of the “cloud of witnesses”. To help us here, I want us to imagine that we are on the track at Stadium Australia. We are running in the race. In the stands are thousands upon thousands of fans who are watching us. Who are they? Not just interested onlookers. Not just armchair sportsmen. They are God’s people, the saints in heaven. Every one of them has run the race before us and is now in glory.
How do we know that? From the word “therefore”. Our text follows on from the previous chapter, which gave examples of those who lived by faith. They trusted God through thick and thin, even when life didn’t make sense. People like Noah, who built a boat miles from nowhere; Abraham, who trusted in God, even when God called Him to sacrifice the son of the promise; Moses, who chose to suffer with the people of God, rather than enjoy the pleasures of Egypt. Others, whose names we don’t know, who were tortured, imprisoned, stoned, sawn in two. They all lived by faith, even if it cost them their life. Now they are in glory, along with all of God’s people. They are the witnesses.
Why is this so important? Because this is an encouragement, especially when we go through the rough and tumble of life. The people who received this letter were tempted to give up on their faith, because they were being persecuted for it. It was easier for them NOT to be a Christian. Here the author of the Hebrew letter encourages them. He says, remember this great crowd of witnesses who have gone before you? Some have suffered just like you. Many have been through far worse. They have finished the race. You can, too.
My brother, sister, can you see the encouragement here? Do you know what it is to struggle with sickness and pain? Have you come here today lonely, or depressed? Have you suffered from a broken relationship? Are you burdened because you have made some terrible mistakes in your life and now have to live with the consequences? Have you suffered because you are a Christian? Have you been tempted to give up on your faith because life just didn’t make sense? Have you seen the fun your unbelieving friends have and how sweet life seems for them, and asked: What’s the point of following Jesus?
Sometimes it is hard to trust God. Just like it is hard for a runner to keep going when his legs are burning, his lungs are bursting, and he’s hurting all over. Then, do what a runner does as he draws encouragement from the crowd. Remember the cloud of witnesses. Be inspired by their example – to keep on keeping on. By the grace of God they finished the race. And you will, too.
2. THE STRATEGY
But there is more to running the race isn’t there? You need more than the encouragement of the crowd. You need a STRATEGY, a race plan. And that’s what we have here, a two part strategy. The first part is the NEGATIVE; the things we should not do, or stop doing. What are they? Our text says: “Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”
To help us here, think again of a runner. We know that to be a runner is not always easy. It takes a lot of self-discipline. What sort of things are runners fussy about? Their weight and their clothing. They don’t want to be carrying around any excess weight. And they don’t want clothes that will get in the way. They have to get those things off. That is the picture here – “things that hinder and sins that entangle.”
In the race of your Christian life, what are the things that hinder you, that hold you back? Could it be your work? Our work is meant to be a calling, and we are to honour God in it. But sometimes we think of it too highly, and it becomes our god because that’s where we find meaning and purpose. Or, we don’t think of it highly enough, and we only work to make money. And what about sport? It’s a blessing of God, but sometimes God’s people miss church just to be at the football or tennis. Sometimes those who play sport are more regular at training and the games than they are at church. Or what about those who can name every footballer, or every cricketer, or basketball player, but don’t know the Lord’s Prayer, or books of the Bible?
Can you see the point? These things are not wrong in themselves – but they can hinder us, they can hold us back in our Christian lives.
What are the hindrances for you? Now, think of them as being like excess weight. Your coach is watching you. What do you think He’s going to say? Get rid of it.
Then there are those “sins that trip us up”. Again, part of the strategy is to identify them. What does the Lord see when He looks into the dark corners of your heart, and mine? A lack of love? Jealousy? Pride? An unwillingness to forgive? A filthy mouth, or a filthy mind? A heart that is never content with what we have? A love of money? A love of the praise of others?
Surely, if Jesus Christ and His cross mean anything to us, it means that we need to deal with these sins in a radical way. That’s the point here. Think of them as being like a long coat. You’re running and it’s flapping against your legs; it’s going to trip you up. What is your coach going to say? “Get it off!”
Now let us put these two together. Today Jesus is saying to us, “Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” That’s the first part, the negative part, of His strategy.
But then there is the second part, the POSITIVE: “run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” This is speaking of our attitude. We know that attitude is incredibly important for a runner. Races have been won or lost because of it. Here Jesus is calling us to keep on keeping on in the Christian race.
That’s not so hard when things are going well. But what if they’re not? How can we keep on keeping on when we’re going through the rough and tumble of life, those times of trial and hardship I mentioned a moment ago? Let’s think of the runner again. What helps him keep a positive attitude? He must be focussed. It is the same in the race of the Christian life. But this time the focus is not on the finish line. It is on the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. That’s why our text says: “Fix your eyes, rivet your eyes, on Jesus”.
The language here is strong language. Don’t just look to Him occasionally; don’t just turn to Him when it suits you, or you’re in trouble. Keep on looking to Him in faith; lock your spiritual eyes on Him and don’t let Him out of your sight.
If this sounds a little bit unrealistic, and not very down to earth, I want to let you into a secret here. This has been the thing that has helped God’s people through the ages. Think of King David in the Old Testament. He was a man who had many troubles, and had to face many problems. Some of them he brought on himself, others simply came his way. What was his strategy? What kept him going, especially when things got tough? We read that in Psalm 16:8 “I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken.” David did not just drift through life. He “set the Lord always before him.” He made that conscious decision to live in God’s presence, every step on the journey of life.
But it was not just David. What is so exciting here is that this is also true of Jesus. Peter says the same thing in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:8-11).
Can you see the encouragement here? If ever there was one who was tempted to give up on God, to “grow weary and lose heart”, surely it was Jesus. Think of His life. He knew what it was to be tempted by the devil himself. He knew the sadness of a friend dying. He knew frustration. He knew loneliness and rejection. He knew hardship and suffering. Worst of all, He knew what it was suffer the agony, and the curse, of the cross. How did He keep going? What was His secret? What was His strategy? Psalm 16:8 “I have set the Lord always before me..!” He looked beyond the suffering and the shame, to the joy that would come through His work on the cross. Joy for Him, because this was the pathway back into glory. Joy in heaven, because the work of salvation was done and sinners would be saved. Joy for us, His people, because we have the forgiveness of sins and the blessing of life eternal.
That is what kept Him going. That is what must keep us going. That is why our text says: “Fix your eyes on Jesus.”
And who better to look to than Him? He is the “author and perfecter of our faith.” The idea here is not just that Jesus has given us faith. But also that He is like a pioneer, who has gone ahead, and opened the way of salvation for us. Ferguson, in his book “Grow in Grace” (p 10), puts it so beautifully: “Picture an army captain, hacking his way through a jungle during a battle with guerrilla forces. He leads his men from danger to safety. Now He beckons to us, “Follow me, the pathway of faith is safe for all of you to use.” That is what Jesus has done for us in His death and resurrection.
Could anyone else do that? Could anyone else claim that work of grace He has done on the cross? Who else can save us from our sins as He does? Who else can sympathise with us in our weaknesses, and give mercy and grace in our times of need, as He does? There is no other like Him. So let us fix our eyes on Jesus.
You ask: how do I do that? Practise the art of recollection. When you get up in the morning, say “this is a day the Lord has given. Today, as the track of life stretches out before me, I will remember that He endured the cross for me. Now He is the ruler of the universe, seated at God’s right hand, so today I will live in the light of that. I will seek to be faithful and obedient to Him.”
Also, spend time in the Word of God. Fathers, make sure this happens in your families. Why? So that the Lord can speak to you through it and you come face to face with Him. Then there is prayer. Speak to Him, and in that way keep the Lord before you. That’s the positive part of the strategy. Having your eyes fixed on Jesus, so that you can “run with perseverance the race marked out for you.”
As you go into this week remember that every believer is a runner in that race called the Christian life. How will you run the race this week? What things do you have to watch out for? Who can you look to for encouragement?
Our text tells us. Firstly, there is the ENCOURAGEMENT of the great cloud of witnesses. Be inspired by their example, and keep on keeping on. Secondly, there is the two-part strategy. Jesus calls you to “throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles.” Also, He calls you to look to Him. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Then you will not grow weary and lose heart. You will keep on keeping on. You will finish the race. You will cross the finish line and receive your prize.
May God bless these words to your hearts.
Amen.