Runners call it "hitting the wall." Believers can take certain approaches to be sure they will strongly finish the race. 1 Kings 11:4-11, 1 Kings 11:4, Denomination: Paul reminded Timothy, "if we endure, we will also reign with Him" (2 Tim. He goes forth and runs at trouble. His was a race in which He never faltered. Your community. 3. But we, like runners, must lay aside hindrances of our endurance. We will persevere by maintaining a Christlike attitude even in the midst of trials ( 1 Peter 2:21; 4:1; 1 John 2:6 ). 15. Denomination: Lutheran JUST STAY IN THE RACE Charlton Heston had to learn how to drive a chariot with four horses for his part in the movie Ben Hur. Jesus is our joy. Strong to the Finish o Jesus is the starting line and the finishing line at the same time! My job isnt to outrun you, my job is to run for Jesus, the race that He has planned for me to the best of my ability. D. Consider His Resolve Verse 3 tells us that Jesus endured must to finish His race. Text: Hebrews 12:1-3 1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and They have sore muscles and tired lungs. (LogOut/ MOTIVATION FOR THE RACE Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [HEBREWS 12:1a]. They can't be avoided or erased. Jesus Christ Himself is our greatest role model for He endured until the end so that we might be saved. We must run lawfully, i.e., according to the Scripture rules of the race. They could not be further from the truth! The Hebrew writer gives us insight and direction of being a witness to others. The Bay to Breakers footrace is an annual event in San Francisco. WebTwelfth Sunday After Pentecost. Solomon was a good man. 2. ? The activities of prayer, Bible Study, worship, service, evangelism, stewardship are among the needed the disciplines for running the spiritual race. Were on a mission to change that. Yes, difficulties will come and trials will cross our paths and often, we will be tempted to quit on God and drop out of the race. If God took care of them, honored their faith, sustained them, kept them, used them, blessed them, and got glory from their lives, then He will do the same in your life and mine! We strive to finish strong in our faith. Winning this race will require great endurance, perseverance, patience, and resolve. He was appointed the King of Israel and Judah by his farther, King David. We need perseverance as Christians. The race of faith is lifes journey for the Christian. As you endure day after day, Satan will whisper to you as he did to Job: "The righteous don't suffer. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. It speaks of things that are innocent in and of themselves, but when they slow you down in the Christian race, they are weights and they must go. He stands as our example. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus, who stands at the finish line waiting for us to complete the race. Whatever that sin is, it must be stripped off and avoided at all costs. But it is worth it. II. His was a race that set the perfect example of how a race should be run. Energy is expended and none is left for the end of the race. We must seek him daily in his word and in prayer. The temptation is to run too fast too soon. 25And every man that striveth for The first few steps felt easy, and my way was clear and bright. But in a long distance contest such as a marathon, endurance is the key. It, too, occupies your waking moments. B. Keep going. Imagine, God knocking on the door of your heart selecting you for his team. We will be rewarded if we run the race God has set for us and not the race He has set for someone else. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Verse 2 tells us He is the founder of our faith. You must arrange your life around certain practices that will enable you to do what you cannot do now by willpower alone. The good news is Jesus made us lightweight runners. Our eyes are to be on the One who started us on this race, and the One who will greet us at the end of it. His life was threatened as a baby Matt. This race becomes the great passion of your life. stumbled and fell, severely injuring both his knee and ankle. In light of that, the writer is attempting to encourage these weary, hurting believers to be faithful to the Lord and to continue to run their race. In the Bible, we can find many stories of those who have stayed the course during difficult times. That translates into more than 7,000 hours of training for an event that may last less than sixty seconds. When we set our eyes firmly on him, we will not grow weary in the fight against sin and in the race to persevere in faith. Your girlfriend can be a distraction. God is absolutely dependable, Heb. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. . Run in such a way that you may obtain it." Some runners carry kitchen sinks or push beds as they sprint down the street. Yes, difficulties will come and trials will cross our paths and often, we will be tempted to quit on God and drop out of the race. 2. I felt strong and energetic and my pace was quick and light. WebHow To Stay In The Race? (3rd ed.) I'm told that two critical times exist in a marathon race. Imagine what would happen if we looked to Jesus every day. (2 Pet. Solomon was a good man. Therefore, let us run with patience the race that is set before us! Jesus understands because (v. 3 says) He endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself, (v. 2 says) He endured the cross, and (v. 3 says) He despised the shame! He was charged with demon possession Mark 3:22, 14. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and We arrange our life around certain disciplines that help us gain power and strength to become more like Jesus each day, to live a life as Jesus taught and modeled. That is, you cannot run in my lane and I cannot run in yours! NOT! (Again, this should give us encouragement to run for he Lord. (Ill. The one who selected unattractive, unlikable, and unreliable men to be his followers and loved them to the end. You've come to the end of your stamina and you're not sure you can put one foot in front of the other anymore. Hebrews 12:13 says. The race you are running has been prepared just for you. We will persevere by maintaining a Christlike attitude even in the midst of trials ( 1 Peter 2:21; 4:1; 1 John 2:6 ). (Ill. Lay Aside All Sins Next, the author encourages his readers to get rid of besetting sins. I prayed that God would enable me to win so I might have the opportunity to praise him for the victory. Get in the race. Charles Jr. Pastor-Teacher at the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church of Jacksonville and Orange Park, Florida. Our new Preaching Suite solution makes it easy to prepare, preach and archive your sermons. We each have our own race to run! They come in different sizes and at different stages. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. ( Philippians 3:14) Run the race that is set before you. WebTwelfth Sunday After Pentecost. They were merely common men and women who evidenced a profound faith in God. The day when there would be a new heavens and a new earth where all the redeemed would be worshiping the Father. The writer of this text uses the illustration of a race to but to finish that race and make it to the cross where he would pay the price for mans redemption. Prayer: How often are you talking with the Father each day? WebTwelfth Sunday After Pentecost. Medical personnel had to assist him off the track that day. A. As the Lord gives liberty, allow me to share with you these Steps For Staying In The Race. That seems to be the idea in the book of Hebrews. Your family. Lay Aside All Weights This refers to a runner making sure that all extra weights have been removed from his body. read more, Scripture: But run it with the hope that God wants you to have in Christ. The lighter the endurance runner, the swifter the runner. of 1: using the foot-races in the stadium as a basis[2]; exert oneself to the limit of ones powers in an attempt to go forward, strive to advance, the emphasis is entirely on the effort that the person makes. *Indicated Required Field See ourPrivacy Policy. When we set our eyes firmly on him, we will not grow weary in the fight against sin and in the race to persevere in faith. Hebrews 12:1-4, Denomination: You will run the race. A short list of things includes: 1. View Latest Resources Resource Categories: Articles Conference Messages Interviews Music Podcast Sermons Browse Resources By: Author Scripture Series Topic Event It occupies every waking moment. You want to make it to the end. You are on the team. Keep going. You allow yourself to imagine that maybe you do have what it takes to run the race. 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. We must be temperate in all things. Second: He has all power to help us complete the race of faith. Sermons on Staying the Course. (25) All good athletes train hard. We have statistics on every person in the entire nation on computer. Jobs can be a distraction. Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV) The Race of Faith. When the gun sounded, there was a lot of shoving to get in front to the inside land, the advantageous position. WebThe aim of the message today is, God wants us to stay in the race! Follow Jesus. In the spiritual race you are running, don't quit. 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him Stay In The Race Scripture Hebrews Topic Series H.B. It dominates your mind. When we sin, we take our eyes off Jesus and put them on ourselves. Evangelism: Have you spoken to someone recently regarding his or her relationship with God? (REPEAT 3xs) Right at the tape he passed Gillies, stuck his chest out, won the race, and collapsed to the track in total exhaustion. It would be easy for him to be tripped up and fall out of the race. This merely teaches us that the Christian runner has endurance. We remember the crown waiting for us in glory and continue running. We must welcome rebuke and embrace trials. The Christian race is not easy. For our lesson today, we are looking at the life of King Solomon. Summary: This sermon helps one to look at the good and bad and understand no matter what they go through in life they have to Stay in the Race. Sermons on Staying the Course. While we run, we must not look at the other runners. Hebrews 11:29-12:2. This is what the writer is referring to here. The Bay to Breakers footrace is an annual event in San Francisco. I felt strong and energetic and my pace was quick and light. Heb. Every believer is in a race. fig. c. Giving our attention to things like music, television shows, movies, etc that do not focus our minds on the Lord. They Have Received Their Reward These people ran their race and now they are able to rest in the Fathers presence. Run in your own lane; stay in your own lane. I. Free shipping on books, Bibles, gifts, VBS, and church supplies of $50 or more. Friends. Every huff, every twinge of pain, and every prolonged day on earth is worth patiently enduring the journey to get to the finish line to get to Jesus. ( Philippians 3:14) Run the race that is set before you. We must seek fellowship among other believers and let our fellow church members encourage us in the faith. The prize is theirs because they ran and they ran well. Our primary duty while we run is to look to Him. Those who persist prevail. God makes us all winners when we cross the line. Your girlfriend can be a distraction. He was executed as a common criminal by means of crucifixion John 19:16ff. August 19, 2007. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. He is our crown, and we will be with him forever. Are you more like Jesus today than you were yesterday? Evangelical/Non-Denominational, This Christian life we live is a race, make sure you are in the best of shapes always. Stop looking at the circumstances through which you are running. We looked together are two primary passages, Psalm 61:1-3 and Psalm 62:5-8. After the shock of being selected passes, you are gripped by the realization of what's happening in your life. 2:20-22, GERITOL, DIAPERS AND THE WORD OF GOD (Romans4:18-25), JESUS: THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE (John11:18-27), WHERE THE LAW FAILS, FAITH PREVAILS (Rom4:13-17), The Anatomy (Inner Workings) of Faith Heb11:1-2, HOW RIGHTEOUSNESS IS OBTAINED (Romans4:9-12), ILL TAKE WHATS BEHIND THAT DOOR (John10:1-11), A Y2K PLAN FOR THE FATHERS HOUSE (Heb. They did not quit until the race was finished. Sept. 11, 2005 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor In the spiritual race you are running, don't quit. However, I want to encourage you, my fellow believers, to keep at it; dont quit. A daily regimen of prayer, worship, reading Gods Word and examining our lives for impediments will help. And, since God knows no respect of purpose, He will be with you just as He was with Moses, Abraham, David or any of the others great heroes of the faith. We have been looking for someone to run the marathon in the next Olympics. ", You are surprised because the farthest you've run in years is from the couch to the refrigerator. We must be temperate in all things. Like the orange cones on the roadway that indicate the path of a long distant race, God has marked out a race distinctive for you that will take you on an adventure.