One of the first major non-human casualties of the coronavirus crisis was college basketball's biggest tournament, March Madness.
Well, right after that, as most everyone knows, other sporting events were canceled.
Now, we're living in a world that's basically where there's just no live sporting events taking place.
Now, for many people in this sports-crazed world, this is the most devastating and depressing thing that's happened throughout this worldwide pandemic.
I'm sure there are some people in South Carolina and beyond, church-going people,
who were more concerned or more upset when Clemson canceled their spring football game than they were when their church canceled their first service.
But, of course, I know no one in Pickens County or no one in our church would have ever been disappointed like that.
It's the fact that many people in this world and in our country in particular have gone overboard in their involvement with some even worship of sports.
Some people have just become obsessed with it.
But, you know, the popularity of athletics, the popularity of athletes, it's not something new.
It's not because of all the TV networks and all the things that are on TV today.
Sports, sport events, athletic contests, they've been popular for centuries.
If you're a reader of the New Testament, you know that the Apostle Paul was either a sports fan or he knew that many people were
because in several of his letters, he uses sports analogies.
Here's a good example from 1 Corinthians 9.
He says,
Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.
I do not run aimlessly.
I do not box as one beating the air.
The unknown author of Hebrews also uses what has become a well-known sports analogy.
I want you to look at it with me this morning in Hebrews 12.
It's in the first two verses.
He talks about living the Christian life in terms of running a race.
Let's look at it.
Hebrews 12, verse 1.
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.
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.
The writer is describing in these verses Christian living
in terms of running a long-distance race.
It's important that we understand a long-distance race,
a marathon, 10,000 meters,
something much longer than a sprint.
He's calling attention to how a successful athlete must run,
disciplining himself, staying focused,
enduring pain to illustrate living a faithful Christian life.
Now, before we look at the details of these verses,
we need to note that the writer has just spent the entire chapter 11
describing men and women of the Old Testament
and their faith, their faithfulness.
In fact, in chapter 11,
he is holding these Old Testament saints up as models for us.
We're to look at them and be inspired
and know that we can live out our faith.
We can live faithfully just like they did.
Now, it's encouraging to know
that these models of faith that he holds up,
they're far from perfect people.
They were very flawed individuals just like us.
They were sinners just like us.
If you go back and read some of the names in Hebrews chapter 11,
you'll remember from, I hope, your Bible reading,
Abraham, he was a great man of faith,
the father of the people of faith, people of God today.
But Abraham was also known for lying.
Moses, the great liberator of the people of Israel,
he had anger issues at times, didn't he?
Rahab is mentioned.
She was a prostitute.
And most Christians are familiar with the story of David,
all of the positive things that he did as a king,
as a great military leader, as the writer of Psalms.
But he was also an adulterer and a murderer.
Now, I want you to think,
the fact that God uses imperfect, flawed, sinful people like them
should encourage us that he can use us.
They were flawed.
There were times that they fell flat on their faces, spiritually speaking.
By the grace of God, they always got up.
And we can do the same thing.
God can work in our lives to enable us to be faithful
and to be used by him to serve good purposes,
his good purposes in our homes, in this church, in this community.
So I want us this morning to look.
Hebrews chapter 12.
I want us to see how we must cooperate with God
as he works in us to help us run the race of faithful and useful Christian living.
First thing I want us to see is that we must eliminate anything
that may slow us down or trip us up.
If we're going to run this race of faithful Christian living and be successful,
we have got to eliminate anything that may slow us down,
anything that may cause us to trip and fall.
Look at verse 1, the second sentence.
Let us also lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely.
He's talking about eliminating two things.
First, we must lay aside every weight that might slow us down.
Just like an athlete,
we've got to exercise the self-control and personal discipline
to lay aside anything that may hinder us
and prevent us from living a holy life
and really being used by God.
Examine yourself.
Think about it.
What have you found that slows you down
or hinders you from living this kind of life?
We're not talking about sinful things here.
That'll come next.
We're talking about things that anything here.
It could be something good, something positive in and of itself.
For an example, some people take a hobby too far.
Some people become obsessed with playing golf, fishing, hunting.
What could be a great form of recreation, relaxation, fellowship with others,
it becomes an obsession.
It takes all your time away from your family.
Keeps you from being really involved in the life of the church.
It may even be just distracting to you doing your job.
Some people, it's their job.
They're addicted to it.
They're obsessed.
And for them, their job is their life,
not family and certainly not God.
And then some people,
it's the influence of a certain person in your life.
Maybe a longtime friend.
Maybe someone that has come into your life recently.
It may be a certain group that when you hang out with them,
it just drags you down spiritually.
It causes you to think thoughts and engage in conversations
that you know are not pleasing to God.
And you'd really be ashamed for people at church to know
that you were involved in such conversations or even activities.
What about social media?
Nothing's wrong with it.
In and of itself, it could be a fun thing,
a way to keep up with family and friends and things like that.
But you know, as well as I do,
social media has become an addiction to a lot of people.
I want to ask you to just maybe do a time study sometime.
Think about the amount of time you spend on Facebook,
other forms of social media,
or just surfing the internet.
Maybe that will shed some light
on why you find it hard to make time to pray,
to spend some time just prayerfully,
carefully, slowly reading the Bible,
seeking to understand God's ways and God's will.
You know, you might find that some of your social media,
it's not just distracting you and your relationship with God.
It's taking time away from meaningful face-to-face interaction
with your children, with your spouse,
with other people in your life
that you need to be doing things with
and be with in person.
Social media,
it can be a great way to keep up with people
that you really want to keep up with,
need to keep up with.
But it is hindering many people's relationships,
their relationship with God,
their relationship with their family,
their relationship,
real relationship with friends.
If that's true for you,
even though it would be difficult,
you need to lay it aside.
Just like that hobby
that is becoming an obsession,
just like that person or that crowd
that's dragging you down.
We're told here,
we've got to lay it aside
because it is hindering us
from living the faithful Christian life
that God has called us to live.
And really,
if we are Christians,
the life that we want to live ourselves.
This past Tuesday,
many members of our church
prayed for spiritual awakening
with over 200,000 Christians,
probably from around the world,
but especially in this country.
What I want us to understand,
as I mentioned at the beginning this morning,
the first step to a spiritual awakening
is for us to experience a personal spiritual renewal,
for us to personally be broken over our sin
and draw close to God in real loving fellowship.
The second step to personal,
to spiritual awakening is a church revival.
When God does a work in so many of us,
let's just say in our church,
that He changes our church.
He changes the focus, the priority,
the spirit of our worship,
the desires of our hearts.
And then,
after Christians have truly become spiritually awake,
churches have revived,
then we can expect to see God move in larger areas
to bring about a true spiritual awakening
that will touch even the lives of unsaved people.
In fact,
many will come to Christ as a result
of such a spiritual awakening.
I want to ask you,
you prayed on Tuesday.
Have you continued to pray?
Have you continued to think about
how we need to pray?
for personal spiritual renewal,
for church revival,
for a big, wide spiritual awakening.
What is hindering you
from praying that way every day?
What is hindering you
from experiencing
your own personal spiritual renewal?
Think about it.
What is hindering you
from living a faithful,
consistent Christian life?
Well, God wants you to identify it.
Name it.
And ask Him to help you
to work on it,
to eliminate it.
I want to encourage you.
You know what it is.
If you're a Christian,
the Spirit of God lives within you.
He'll make it known.
He wants you to know.
And deep down,
if you are a child of God,
you want to know.
I want to encourage you.
Stop allowing it
to drag you down spiritually.
Stop allowing it
or him or her
to pollute your heart and mind.
Stop allowing it
to waste your time.
Don't allow anyone
or anything
to keep you
from enjoying
a personal,
close relationship
with God
and being used
by Him
for His glory
and other people's good.
Look back in the verse.
We see another way
we've got to discipline ourselves
in verse 1.
We must lay aside
every sin
which clings so closely
and trips us up.
The writer has in mind
a runner
in that day
in the ancient world,
stripping off clothes
that would slow Him down.
All sin causes us to fall
but every one of us
have certain sins
that keep tripping us up.
What sin
or sins
do you find
that keeps clinging to you
or you are clinging to it
and every few days
or every few weeks
it trips you up.
You know what it is.
One thing
or a couple of things
sinful attitudes,
words or actions
that is preventing you
from living this faithful
Christian life
that we're being called here
and told that we'll be
enabled by God to do.
In the context
of this passage
it could refer
to
the sin of
not trusting God
a lack of faith.
He's been talking
about that
throughout the book
of Hebrews.
So let me just ask you
do you really trust God
in the details
of your life?
Are you more likely
when problems arise
to worry
or to pray?
Are you more likely
to look to God
for answers
or look everywhere
except to God?
Do you really trust God
as we're going through
this pandemic?
As we're going through
this great unusual event?
Are you trusting God
looking to Him
depending on Him?
Or maybe your problem
is a different kind of sin.
You know what it is.
Could be anger.
That's your number one problem.
It could be gossip
or slander.
It could be some type
of sexual immorality,
lust.
Could be lying.
You lie.
You tell more lies
to cover up lies.
It could be
it's just laziness.
You just don't do
what you know
you need to do.
It could be
an alcohol
or drug issue.
You know what
your major sin problem is.
So I want to encourage you
to ask God
to help you
to start resisting
the temptation.
Ask God to help you
to not only resist
the temptation
but to overcome it.
To develop
godly and holy habits
in place of this.
Now if God
is dealing with you
right now
about a specific sin
or specific sins
the first way
you need to respond
to God
is to confess
that sin.
Agree with Him
about it
and turn from it.
We have looked
several times
during these
online sermons
at 1 John 1.9.
If we confess
our sins
He is faithful
and just
to forgive us
of our sins
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
One of my favorite verses.
One of my most
used verses.
But it's also
a great comfort
to know
that when I truly
confess to God
agree with God
hate that sin
turn from it
He forgives.
He cleanses.
He gives me
a fresh start
and He will do
that for you.
It's also important
to understand
that whatever
the temptation is
regardless of how
strong it may be
you can resist it.
You can overcome it.
God clearly tells us
we have His Word on it.
Look at this
in 1 Corinthians 10.
No 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.
God is faithful
even when we're not.
And if we're children
of God
the Scripture says here
He will not let you
be tempted
beyond your ability.
He will always provide
a way of escape.
Our problem is
we don't always
look for it.
Our problem is
we don't always
take it when we do
see it.
But I want you
to understand
by God's grace
you can eliminate
whatever it is
whatever sin
whatever hindrance
that is keeping you
from running the race
of faithful Christian living.
but you've got to do
what God calls you
to do.
You've got to
obey Him
and we move on
in this passage
and see some of our
other responsibilities
along this line.
Number two
we must put forth
consistent effort
and stay on course
in order to run
this race
effectively.
Look at the last part
of verse one.
Let us run
with endurance
the race
that is set
before us.
This involves
two things.
He says we must
run with endurance.
An Olympic type
long distance runner
runs with the attitude
that no matter what
no matter how much
pain I feel
in my knees
or ankles
or whatever
no matter how
exhausted I am
I will not quit.
I will not stop.
I am going
to finish
the race.
Well that's the kind
of determination
we've got to have
when it comes to
living a faithful
Christian life
every day.
You know as well
as I do
too many people
have professed
faith in Jesus
gave the appearance
of starting to live
a Christian life
starting down
the path
starting down
the race
but somewhere
along the line
sooner or later
they dropped
out
they quit.
No doubt
you have thought
of some people
some individuals
who have done
that.
It may be
that
the truth
is
that describes
you.
Be honest.
What I want us
to understand
is that all
Christians
struggle
at times
to stay faithful.
The Christian
life is never
a cakewalk.
It's never
a stroll
in the park
for any
Christian.
Christian life
is a true
race
an agonizing
long
distant
race.
Every true
child of God
will stumble
and fall
at times
but every
true child
of God
will sooner
or later
get up.
that's
because God
will enable
us
to get up.
Paul
was confident
of that
when he wrote
this in the book
of Philippians
and I am sure
of this
that he
who began
a good work
in you
will bring
it to completion
at the day
of Jesus Christ.
God
will not allow
his true
children
to drop
out
of the race
of Christian
living
and stay
out.
There may be
times you
are a
committed
Christian
now
but there
were times
when you
walked away
from the
Lord.
Maybe you
fell
deeply
into sin
but God
wouldn't leave
you there.
He rescued
you.
He picked
you up.
He dusted
you off.
You confessed
your sin.
You repented.
He forgave
you and gave
you a fresh
start.
That's what
God does
in the life
of every
one of his
children.
You know
it's not
easy.
ever
to run
the race
of faithful
Christian
living.
But God
does not
leave us
alone.
God
does not
ever tell
us just
do the
best that
you can.
God
works in
us from
within
through his
spirit.
It's God
who gives
us this
desire.
And it's
God who
is the
one who
gives us
the power
to be
faithful.
One of my
favorite
verses
in all of
scripture,
Philippians
2.13.
Paul said,
for it is
God who
works in
you both
to will
and to
work for
his good
pleasure.
We're not
in this race
on our
own.
God,
through his
spirit,
lives in
us.
And he
will enable
us to be
faithful.
But he
does require
us to
cooperate.
I want
us to
look at
one more
thing.
Here in
this one,
at the
end of
verse 1.
We are
responsible
to cooperate
with him.
Look at
this.
We must
run with
endurance the
race that
is set
before us.
The long
distance
runner's
got to
run the
race along
the course
that has
been marked
out for
him.
He can't
take a
shortcut.
He certainly
wouldn't want
to take a
detour.
He's got
to run
the race
that's been
marked out
in order to
stay qualified.
Well,
God has
marked out
a particular
course for
you and
for me.
In fact,
God has
marked out
a particular
course,
a race,
uniquely for
you and
then for
me.
Truth is,
some of us
have a more
easy race
than others.
Some people,
the race
that God
has marked
out for
them,
most of
the race
is smooth.
Not many
hills and
valleys.
But then
there are
other
Christians,
other
faithful men
and women
of God.
For whatever
reason,
God's
course for
them has
a lot
more hills,
a lot
more valleys,
even
potholes
along the
way.
people.
But I
want us
to understand
that whatever
course of
life that
God has
called us
to,
we must
endure,
we must
persevere,
we must
always keep
on remaining
faithful with
confidence that
God's going to
enable us.
Day in and
day out,
God is going
to work in
us to
enable us
if we
will.
I want to
ask you,
are you
putting forth
consistent
effort to
stay in
the race,
to stay
on course,
to live the
Christian life
that you
know God's
calling to
and deep
down you
want to
live?
If not,
why not?
What needs
to change?
Is it an
attitude?
Is it a
lifestyle?
Do you
need to get
serious about
spending time
with God,
talking to
Him in
prayer,
listening to
Him as
you read
His Word?
No one can
live the
Christian life
without spending
time with
God like
this.
No one.
You know
what you
need to do.
God always
makes it
clear to us.
So I want
to encourage
you to ask
Him and
then obey
Him.
Do it
now.
Our final
responsibility is
the most
important one.
It's the most
important one
because of
where we're
looking and
because Jesus
will enable us
to be successful
in all these
other things.
Look there.
We must stay
focused on our
goal and our
goal is Jesus.
Verse 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.
The Olympic
runner runs
with his
eyes on
one goal,
the finish
line, to
get the
prize, whatever
it might be.
Well, we've
got to run
our race with
our eyes fixed
upon our Lord
Jesus.
And the writer
here explains
why in the rest
of verse 2.
Jesus is the
founder and
perfecter of
our faith.
Everything about
the Christian
life, it
begins, it
continues and
ends with
Jesus.
And there's a
special focus
in Scripture
on His death
on the cross
for our sins.
Now, in
keeping with
this race
imagery, He
has cleared
the path for
us to run in
terms of He
has eliminated
the roadblocks,
things that
would stop us.
He has
eliminated through
His death and
resurrection.
But all of
us, along
the way, as
we run this
race, there
are hills and
valleys.
There are
obstacles that
we've got to
overcome, that
we've got to
endure.
But the Lord
always promises
He'll never
leave us nor
forsake us.
He is with
us.
Look also,
Jesus has
already endured
the cross,
despising the
shame, and
is seated at
the right hand
of the throne
of God.
The cross was
the lowest form
of execution
in the Roman
world.
A Roman
citizen could
not be
executed by
crucifixion no
matter what
his crime was.
Crucifixion was
the way of
execution for
the lowest of
the low.
It was,
it involved
torture.
It was
exposed, the
person who
was being
crucified to
public
humiliation.
Well, the
scripture says
that Jesus
willingly endured
that death
and chose to
disregard that
shame.
Do you know
why?
The scripture
tells us here,
Jesus did that
for the joy
that was set
before Him.
Again, in verse
two, Jesus
looked beyond
the horror,
the pain,
the suffering
of the cross
to the joy
that He would
experience on
the other side.
And that joy
involved two
things.
One is stated
right here.
He knew that He
would return to
His place of
honor, look at
it, seated at
the right hand
of the throne
of God.
But He also
knew that having
completed His
work on the
cross, He
salvation would
be provided
for every
person who
would ever
believe in
Him.
That gave
Him joy
to know He
was going
back to the
Father, seated
at the right
hand of the
Father, interceding
for us, His
people.
It brought
Jesus joy to
know that on
the other side,
after His death
and resurrection,
salvation would
be freely
proclaimed as
a gift to
all who will
receive Him
as their
Savior and
Lord.
We need to
keep our
eyes of
faith firmly
on Jesus
every day.
And I want
you to think
about two
reasons we
ought to do
that.
First, we
are to follow
His example.
And what
Jesus did there
on the cross,
He demonstrates,
exemplifies,
that we can
endure whatever
pain, whatever
suffering, whatever
hardship comes
our way in
life.
And for
some people,
life is
extremely hard.
Life's not
fair for
anyone.
Life is
difficult at
times for
everyone.
But what this
writer is saying,
by looking beyond
whatever it is we
have to suffer,
looking beyond it
to the joy we
will experience as
God's children
when we cross
that finish line
and enter into
His presence.
That joy should
motivate us.
And Jesus'
example of
looking toward
that with joy
is one we
need to follow.
But also,
we need to keep
our eyes firmly
fixed on Jesus
to experience
His power.
Jesus empowers
us day by day,
even moment by
moment, week
by week, to run
the race of
faithful Christian
living.
He empowers us
by indwelling us
with His Spirit.
You know, the
Holy Spirit is
called at times
in Scripture
the Spirit of
God, but He's
also called at
times the Spirit
of Christ.
Romans chapter
8, verse 9
is a good example
of that.
How does Jesus
live with us
today?
Through the
person of the
Holy Spirit
who indwells
us.
The way God
intends for us
to live the
faithful Christian
life today is
to be motivated
by the example
of Jesus and
to be empowered
by the Spirit
of Jesus who
lives in us.
If we will,
we will be able
to have the
experience on an
ongoing basis.
Like the Apostle
Paul when he
made this statement,
I can do all
things through
Him, Christ,
who strengthens
me.
You know,
we'll never be
able to live a
faithful Christian
life that honors
God and brings
joy and satisfaction
to our own lives
if all we do is
dwell on our
circumstances,
dwell on our
feelings,
or what the
world offers us
and tempts us
with.
Instead, what we've
got to always
remember, Jesus is
the goal.
He is to be our
focus.
We've got to
follow His
example.
We've got to
depend on His
power.
And we do need
to look beyond
our sufferings,
our difficulties,
to the joy that
is in store for
us when we cross
the finish line
and enter the
presence of our
Lord Jesus.
That is something
that is going to
happen one day.
and throughout
the Bible, that
reward is spoken
of in a way that
should motivate us
and encourage us.
Be faithful today.
Be faithful in
what is really a
short span of
life so that we
can experience God's
eternal blessings
and rewards and
joys forever.
That's what the
Apostle Paul did.
That's what enabled
him to run the
faithful Christian
life or live the
faithful Christian
life, run the race
to the very end.
And in the book of
2 Timothy, Paul is
approaching the
finish line.
He knows that death
is soon to come.
And as he thought
about that, as he
was coming to the
end, thinking about
going into the
presence of the
Lord, listen to what
he said.
I have fought the
good fight.
I have finished the
race.
I have kept the
faith.
Now there is in
store for me the
crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the
righteous judge, will
award to me on that
day, and not only to
me, but all who have
longed for his
appearing.
When you approach the
finish line of life
one day, will you
have that kind of
confidence as you
think about crossing
over the line from
this world to the
next and entering
into the presence of
Jesus?
If you don't, I
encourage you to do
whatever is necessary
right now to get
that kind of
confidence.
If you're not a
Christian, admit your
sin, turn from it,
put your trust in
Jesus right now, call
on him to save you.
If you are a
Christian who's away
from the Lord, if
this message this
morning has just
beat you up, because
everything that a
Christian should be and
do and trust, it's not
what you're doing now.
Just admit that to God.
Don't make excuses.
Confess your sins.
Seek his forgiveness.
Experience his
cleansing.
Draw close to him.
But I know that many
Christians, many members
of our church, you have
that confidence.
You have that confidence
not because you've lived a
perfect life, but because
you are truly trusting in
Jesus.
You love him.
You're trusting him.
You're seeking to follow
him, to serve him.
And the idea of entering
into his presence brings a
smile to your face.
If that describes you, then
thank the Lord for the way
he has worked in you and
just draw closer to him
right now.
Express your thanks.
Tell him how much you love
him.
Let's pray together.
Father,
help every Christian to see
where they are along the race
of faithful Christian living.
Help them to see, Father,
if they have allowed
maybe even good things
to hinder their progress.
Help them to see if they
have allowed certain sins
to trip them up over and
over and over again.
Help them, Father, to lay
these things aside,
to eliminate them,
to not let them continue
to get in the way,
to rob them of a close
relationship with you.
Father, help us all to see
just how serious we are
about showing discipline,
exercising discipline,
enduring hardship,
and persevering in living
this faithful Christian life.
Help us to see that is
necessary, but you will help
us, enable us,
by giving us the desires
and the ability
to be successful.
Lord, help each of us
to really see right now
just how focused in we are
on Jesus,
looking to him as an example,
but also looking to him
for power.
Show us all how we need
to respond,
and help us, Father,
to respond in such a way
that we go on from here
today,
running the race
of faithful Christian
living for your glory,
other people's good,
and our own joy
and satisfaction.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.