Hebrews 12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 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. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

Suffering

In recent weeks we have explored Jesus as our way to eternal life, that he has gone up and ascended to prepare a place for us. So we are now on that way ourselves, on that journey, in that “race of faith!” And it is of course, no easy way or journey. You might know that the people this reading was written to, the Hebrews, had suffered severe persecution in earlier days on account of their faith in Christ. In this time it was illegal to be Christian. There was a cost to be Christian and they truly had to count that cost . We too need to count that cost today. So many today seem to think being a Christian is just some easy thing on adds to one’s life. It is a change of life! The cost is your old self...And the child of God is going to always struggle with those “Christian hindrances” to growth in faith we spoke of last week. These things, these temptations and trials could work to hinder and bring us back to ways of old, to our former sinner-self. The Hebrews here had the normal temptations of life as we do coupled also it would seem with the temptation to leave their faith...The letter is really an exhortation and reminder to hold on to the confession of faith without wavering...there is a warning about drifting in their faith like a boat at sea blown off course...The writer reminds them “they dare not neglect such a great salvation...” In the influence of God’s Spirit the writer here reminds them to throw off everything that hinders in “the race,” (see verse 1). That is, in the “contest,” the struggle of faith! In this contest the Christian is to put away every weight (or hindrance) and the sin which clings so closely (or so easily wraps around) along the way. (This may be a reference here to thorns and brush.)

Now in order to put aside such hindrances, the Christian’s got to know what they are! The Christian needs to know his struggles. What are the obstacles in your path as you enter the contest, as you move ahead, travel on, “run” in faith? What are your distractions and temptations? To be truly on that Way is to know it can be no easy journey...Christians will always struggle, it’s what is done in the midst of the struggle that makes the difference. There are all manner of logs, boulders, pitfalls and potholes of temptation, of doubt and sometimes of despair in the way of this journey. What are the obstacles? I mentioned last week there are always those things in our lives of faith that can keep us down, weigh us down, hold us back from the freedom and growth Jesus calls us to as we journey on in faith. The “Christian hindrances” to growth...These may be your troubles, your cares, your health issues, pain over the loss of a loved one. These may be even persecution from others because of your faith! There will be struggles. There will be sins which cling so closely, these entanglements of sin that the reading speaks of.

Can you forget the cost as a Christian? Have you forgotten to cost of this contest? You know the greatest struggles with sins, all call back to a great problem, the problem of Pride, (capitol “P”), that is not the proper care of self, Pride in the sense of the Anti God way of arrogance against him in our thoughts, words and deeds. (We call it sin,) the Bible describes it as prideful arrogance against God. I think today of our youth here who have their own struggles. I imagine generally you’re kind of care free...You know, you live day to day, usually without great physical suffering or trouble or worry about tomorrow, but I think you have your own struggles/temptations from this world. I read once not long ago in the Lutheran Witness that a study showed how that most young teens have viewed pornography particularly on the internet at some point in time...You have the temptation of the world at your doorstep. Then come the college years, then young adulthood, relationships...and it has become just commonplace to give in and give out, giving over to intimacy before the time...That is, God’s best for you as a Christian is in keeping his ways and his glory can be preserved by keeping his ways. The source of it all; John says in his first letter chapter two, "For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world."[1] This about desires, lusts of sin, and a boastful false pride in life. This stuff is real. This is the power of sin and this power can seem to get the best of you, bring out the worst of you!

Watch out for the temptation the Hebrews had to leave their faith...You dare not neglect such a great salvation...like so many youth have as they grow and grow away from God...This Christian journey is no easy way. I remember seeing a billboard once with a depiction of a teenage girl. It said on the board simply, “I won’t give it up and I’m not giving in.” There is a message out there reflecting God’s will in use of self control in the different areas of our lives. God’s message today is about the cost to us that in this greatest goal of all, to know the true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent! Your faith is just not finished yet!

Saints

Listen, if you are on this arduous journey today, you must know that you are not alone! This is one reason we need church, community, no lone ranger Christians out there...or in here! And somebody’s rooting for you! Look at all the faith-identity of the saints of old listed here in Hebrews that kept looking ahead through the promise, to the blessing and reward...They endured in faith through a lot and now they have entered into the blessing they had been traveled toward all their lives long. As you run on these root you on! The writer here says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. What does that mean? That is, as his own, bearing his name, you have a heavenly gathering awaiting your arrival! Since you are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, the author says, therefore you should run the race before you! You’ll need this encouraging, faith building message that the people of God who have made it on before you are rooting for you.

Savior!

Somebody’s rooting but even more importantly somebody’s praying for you! Do you know that Jesus prays for you? Perhaps you may not imagine Jesus praying regularly but he does. In the Gospel narratives Jesus takes time to be alone with His God and Father. In Jesus’ high priestly prayer in the Gospel reading today from John 17 we again see Jesus praying. What does he pray for here? He prays for his people! His disciples are on his mind and heart as among other things, he asks his father to keep them in the Name and Word of God, to keep them in joy, and to keep them safe from the evil one. We see also how Jesus includes his people today in these intentions. Now I should add that one of the key prayers Jesus lifts to his Father is that his people be joined in unity. Again, the blessing of worship! We gather and God is here, gathering us! We race together, we are a team! (Don’t they say that the success of a team depends on the participants playing to one another’s strengths?) We are in this together. This is not a race against one another here...the race of faith is about continuing and completing the journey! We root for one another, we pray together and he prays or us! Later in John 17 we see Jesus also has the world at large in mind and he knows that as the world sees the unity of faith we have with the Father and the Son in our lives that they may believe as well! This is why he prays in verse 21, "That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." He prays God will keep you so he will one day see you in glory! There is a cross, there is a cost...But Jesus who counted the cost, and took up his cross for you did it, it says in the reading, “for the joy set before him!”

That is the same joy set before you! We are those “knowing where we’re going!” It’s forward motion from point A to point B-safely with your eyes on the prize in the race toward eternal life! Listen to Paul’s counsel here, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it."[2] Our reading from Hebrews here says in verse 2, look to him, your Lord Jesus; the founder and perfecter of faith, the one who ran and finished the race of faith...for you! He has done it...he has already run it...and he has won it...It was all for that joy set before him, a joy that awaits his people as well...His grace is truly amazing! Looking ahead, you run as he has run already for you! So for you as his own it is forward motion, journeying on all the way, as you run on with endurance, looking to and focusing on Jesus Christ the founder and finisher of your faith!

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[1] 1 John 2:16, The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (electronic ed.). Wheaton: Good News Publishers.

[2] 1 Corinthians 9:24, The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001 (electronic ed.). Wheaton: Good News