The race is a conflict in that there is an internal struggle of the soul. The man "who both began and finished this race we're in" (Heb. We must seek fellowship among other believers and let our fellow church members encourage us in the faith. As you endure day after day, Satan will whisper to you as he did to Job: "The righteous don't suffer. These people are the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us as we run the race we have been given. Progress and coronation. The good news is Jesus made us lightweight runners. ", Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above we can ask or think; according to the power that works in us. The Christian race is not easy. You allow yourself to imagine that maybe you do have what it takes to run the race. 3. Run in your own lane; stay in your own lane. The one who selected unattractive, unlikable, and unreliable men to be his followers and loved them to the end. We must be temperate in all things. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Maybe in your race you've been knocked off your feet a few times. If you have tripped and fallen, don't stay there. Speed is of utmost importance. Seeking entertainment instead of fellow-shipping and communing with God. Follow Jesus. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. It has been marked out especially for you. Run in such a way that you may obtain it." August 19, 2007. But it is worth it. that is first in a series, one who began someth. It is the race of a lifetime. 3 Similarities between the Pace Car of the Indy 500 and the Holy Spirit. read more, Scripture: Races are not always won by the fastest. We must run perseveringly; pursuing even when faint. In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado(PDF), D1. 12:1-2 on several occasions Paul likened the Christian life to a race.. **politics,religion,sportsthirst for sportswe are in a race.. not a rest,its a racenot a frolic,its a fightword race is the word we get our word agony from.the discipline of an athelete, and the determination of a championimportant Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. 1 2 3 4 Next For our lesson today, we are looking at the life of King Solomon. He is our crown, and we will be with him forever. [5] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). ( Philippians 3:14) Run the race that is set before you. It does mean that they are witnesses to the faithfulness of God. Your boyfriend can be a distraction. That is, you cannot run in my lane and I cannot run in yours! If these people could run their race, then so can we. The Hebrew Christians were being strongly tempted to give up on following Jesus. They did not run perfectly, but they ran. His birth was the cause of terrible suffering Mt. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 8:33-39), THE DISTINCTION OF THE SPIRIT LIFE (Romans8:31-39), THE DETERMINATION OF THE SPIRIT LIFE (Romans8:28-30), THE DILIGENCE OF THE SPIRIT LIFE (Romans8:18-27), THE DELIGHTS OF THE SPIRIT LIFE (Romans8:14-17), THE DIFFERENCES OF THE SPIRIT LIFE (Romans8:5-13), THE DELIVERANCE OF THE SPIRIT LIFE (Romans8:1-4), PAULS SPIRITUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY PART 2 (Romans7:14-25), PAULS SPIRITUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY: PART 1 (Romans7:7-13), MARRIED? So run, that ye may obtain. Hesitation or fear? for all endurance and patience" (Col. 1:11 HCSB). So you are chosen. To run the race well - to win it if you can - becomes the central focus of your existence. This merely teaches us that the Christian runner has endurance. In Hebrews, the writer reminds Christians to run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith.. He endured until the end so that we might be saved. To ensure you receive the best experience on Lifeway.com, we use cookies to process information about your visit. We're sorry, an error occurred. That seems to be the idea in the book of Hebrews. Let me challenge you to get your eyes back on Jesus. Reminder: You are currently impersonating {{userSessionData.email}}. You are currently impersonating {{userSessionData.email}}. Rather than getting up you're planning on hanging it up. Follow Jesus. 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. BUT, TO WHICH HUSBAND? Your family. There are so many things and people that try and take us from Gods purpose in our lives. In the spiritual race you are running, don't quit. The single most important principle for running the race toward becoming a spiritual champion is: Spiritual transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but of training wisely. 4. They Have Received Their Reward These people ran their race and now they are able to rest in the Fathers presence. We must seek him daily in his word and in prayer. [4] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). (3rd ed.) 1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin We need to keep our eyes on Jesus, who stands at the finish line waiting for us to complete the race. Will you get off the pew and get in the race? Hesitation or fear? We need perseverance as Christians. Baptist. Remember it is not about finishing last or finishing first, but simply about finishing. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and But rather by the one that keeps hanging on, who refuses to give up. 10:36 HCSB). People Listen In Different Wayscan You Reach All Of Them? A. I'm told that two critical times exist in a marathon race. Endurance refers to patience, steadfastness, perseverance. (Again, this should give us encouragement to run for he Lord. INTRODUCTION We need perseverance as Christians. In athletics, only one can win a race. You suddenly realize that you still have as far to go as you've already run and you're already very tired. There are so many things and people that try and take us from Gods purpose in our lives. That translates into more than 7,000 hours of training for an event that may last less than sixty seconds. 2. 12:1-2 on several occasions Paul likened the Christian life to a race.. **politics,religion,sportsthirst for sportswe are in a race.. not a rest,its a racenot a frolic,its a fightword race is the word we get our word agony from.the discipline of an athelete, and the determination of a championimportant He decided who was disqualified and who was running well.). Jesus is our joy. "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Because they ran well, they have received their reward. You can finish the race. As you leave the starting line, you feel so good that you believe that you can keep up this pace throughout the race. Doing so will result in distraction and defeat. He never lost sight of the goal and He never quit running until the goal had been achieved. They push through pain. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. 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. Runners call it "hitting the wall." Hebrews 12:1-4, Denomination: We must run perseveringly; pursuing even when faint. Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore 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,Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. ( Philippians 3:14) Run the race that is set before you. 6:12**). Lay Aside All Sins Next, the author encourages his readers to get rid of besetting sins. But we cant make it to the finish line without looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Maybe in your race you've been knocked off your feet a few times. (. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus, who stands at the finish line waiting for us to complete the race. He took the burden of our sins and placed them on himself at the cross. - to make an effort to advance spiritually or intellectually. Prayer: How often are you talking with the Father each day? The day when there would be a new heavens and a new earth where all the redeemed would be worshiping the Father. He ran His race for us. Imagine, God knocking on the door of your heart selecting you for his team. 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. The Pursuit of God by A.W. Gods UNLIKELY PATH to SUCCESS by TonyEvans, V1. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. It occupies every waking moment. We may not be aware of it yet, or perhaps the race hasnt been revealed by God. In the spiritual race you are running, don't quit. A daily regimen of prayer, worship, reading Gods Word and examining our lives for impediments will help. Verse 2 tells us He is the founder of our faith. I am convinced that the cause of Christ has been hindered by many who refuse to run in their own lane and they end up hindering everyone around them. Veterans whose memories take them back thirty-five years and in some cases longer in the history of athletics were unanimous in the opinion that Liddell's win in the quarter mile was the greatest track performance they had ever seen.". Bible. His was a race in which He never faltered. They were merely common men and women who evidenced a profound faith in God. I felt strong and energetic and my pace was quick and light. Charles Jr. Pastor-Teacher at the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church of Jacksonville and Orange Park, Florida. Solomon was the son of King David. Run in your own lane; stay in your own lane. 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 The first few steps felt easy, and my way was clear and bright. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 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. The farther we are from sin, the closer we are to Jesus. Stay in the Race! Will you get off the sofa and get in the race? There is something noble and honorable about not quitting - about getting back up and dusting yourself off and continuing to compete. She and her husband, Shane, live in Mississippi. He isnt talking about a 100 yard or 100 meters dash. In fact, He is the race judge, (Ill. It would be easy for him to be tripped up and fall out of the race. That's like me saying, "I'm going to try really hard to compete in a triathlon." We must not look at circumstances. He Is Our Crown The good news is Jesus made us lightweight runners. I wanted Gods will to agree with my will more than I wanted my will to become Gods. The founder of our sins and placed them on himself at the cross Metropolitan! Race you are running, do n't quit yet, or perhaps the race you allow yourself to imagine maybe! And now they are witnesses to the end charles Jr. Pastor-Teacher at cross! ( 2000 ) Jacksonville and Orange Park, Florida are from sin, the closer are. 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