I'm certainly glad to be here again this morning and spend this time together.
It's always a delight to be able to gather to worship,
just to be grateful that we live in a country where we have freedom to do this.
I remember years ago when I was still young and single,
just before I went off to Bible college,
I needed to earn some quick money because I was going to be a student.
And God opened up an opportunity for me to go work in a mining camp in Pickle Lake, Ontario.
And I lived in this mining camp.
I was there for several weeks.
And we were working long hours.
It was called mine construction.
And so we weren't limited in the hours we were working.
We were kind of isolated, a little ways away from town.
And then one Sunday I had the opportunity to not work and drive into town.
And there was a little chapel, a group of conservative Mennonite people that had a little chapel there.
And they were doing outreach.
I remember they had these little printed hymn books with hymns in Cree.
And I joined them in fellowship.
And I was just reminded again of how important it is to be with God's people
and to enjoy that fellowship and the encouragement that comes when we worship together,
when we sing together, when we pray together, when we hear the word of God expounded.
It just builds us up and encourages us in that walk with the Lord.
The church that I spent my teenage years in, my dad was pastoring in a little town called Endeavor, Saskatchewan.
And I remember in the back of the platform on the wall, back in those days it was paneling.
And on the wall we had looking unto Jesus, kind of in an arch like this, looking unto Jesus.
Those words come from Hebrews chapter 12.
And this morning I'm going to be looking at that passage of scripture, Hebrews chapter 12.
What we're doing with the book of Hebrews is at chapter 12, we're kind of jumping into a sermon.
Now some of the New Testament books are letters that the Apostle Paul or Peter or others wrote to churches
or to groups of individuals to encourage them in the faith to maybe address some issue.
Hebrews is more like a sermon.
And so we're kind of jumping into the middle of a sermon.
And the author of the book of Hebrews, we could say the preacher, the one that was delivering this sermon,
is talking about how Jesus is the fulfillment of all of the Old Testament times leading up to everything is bringing,
bringing, coming together and in the story of Jesus we find the fulfillment.
And so he's showing how the temple worship and the priesthood and all of these things of the past,
how they are all pointing to Jesus and how Jesus comes and fulfills that.
And so in the beginning of chapter 12 there he's talking about let's look at Jesus,
let's fix our attention on Jesus because he is God's plan for mankind to be reconciled to God for creation that is groaning and that has fallen into sin
to be restored to fellowship with God.
So because of this great truth of who Jesus is and because Hebrews tells us in chapter 4 that he is a great high priest
and he has opened the way for us to come with confidence to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy to find grace to help us in our time of need.
And I always like that picture of, in the Old Testament, you know, there was that veil that separated the most holy place from the other parts of the temple.
And only the high priest could enter in there with the blood of the sacrifice.
Once a year he would go there and bring this sacrifice on behalf of the people.
And then Jesus came and when he died on the cross that veil was torn.
That means that now we have freedom to go into God's presence because of what Jesus has done.
And not only that, God has come out of that confined space and now he indwells us.
And he says, when we believe in Jesus Christ, when we put our faith in him, we are a temple of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit lives in us.
So the Holy Spirit is now spread throughout the world in believers.
And we have that confident, bold relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
And so that's kind of some of the story of the book of Hebrews.
And so this preacher is so enthusiastic about who Jesus is and what he has accomplished and how God's plan has all come together.
And how we still have the hope of God continuing that plan and finishing that plan when Jesus Christ comes back again.
So let's fix our eyes this morning on Jesus.
Now to get us thinking along those lines a little bit, I want to ask you to just think for a little bit.
In your own experience, is there a certain truth about Jesus or a certain description of Jesus that is easy for you to relate to?
Or that is especially comforting to you?
Has that maybe changed in your life as you've grown as a believer, as you've walked with the Lord?
Maybe that has changed.
The Bible gives us all kinds of descriptions or ways of thinking about Jesus.
For example, in the Gospel of John, there are a number of statements that Jesus says,
I am.
And of course, for a Jewish person reading the Gospel of John, when Jesus says,
I am the way, the truth, and the life, they would have automatically associated him with God saying in the Old Testament to Moses,
I am who I am.
So Jesus is making that claim to divinity.
So he says, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
Maybe sometimes that truth has just gripped you, and you've said, wow, this is amazing that in this world of confusion,
I can know the truth, and the truth can set me free.
Or Jesus said, I am the bread of life.
Maybe you've walked around with a hunger inside or a thirst, and Jesus said, I am the living water.
And so the bread of life and the living water have just met that need and satisfied that need.
Maybe there have been other pictures or images.
Maybe you're very familiar with the 23rd Psalm, the Lord is my shepherd.
And then Jesus comes in John chapter 10 and says, I am the good shepherd.
I lay down my life for the sheep.
So many truths about Jesus.
Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.
Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor.
Jesus, the Prophet, the Priest, the King.
There are so many pictures of Jesus.
Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb.
Maybe you can especially relate to some of those.
You say, yes, there was a certain time in my life where that truth just became real and meaningful to me
and helped me to understand who Jesus is.
So let's read the first few verses of Hebrews chapter 12.
And then we'll talk a little bit about this idea of walking with Jesus.
The whole thrust of the message in the book of Hebrews is about persevering or about endurance.
And so in chapter 12, we find the preacher is starting to kind of wrap up his sermon.
He's trying to bring, he's bringing some of these loose ends together.
And he's saying, this is how we walk with God.
This is how we persevere.
This is how we endure.
Because life is not always easy.
The Christian life is not always easy.
Sometimes it's great.
Sometimes it's easy.
Sometimes we live on the mountain.
Sometimes we're in the valley.
So let's read Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,
and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin,
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
And you have forgotten the word of encouragement that addresses you as sons.
My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.
Endure hardship as discipline.
God is treating you as sons.
For what son is not disciplined by his father?
And if you are not disciplined and everyone undergoes discipline,
then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
Moreover, we all had human fathers who disciplined us,
and we respected them for it.
How much more should we submit to the father of our spirits and live?
Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best,
but God disciplines us for our good.
God is good.
God is always loving.
God is always just.
God is always righteous.
God is always fair.
God is always pulling for us.
Oh, God is rooting for us.
He does it for our good,
that we may share in his holiness.
To belong to the family of God.
To be one with God.
To be reconciled to God.
That we may share in his holiness.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time.
Well, we can probably all relate to that, can't we?
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.
Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace
for those who have been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
Make level paths for your feet so that what is lame may not be disabled,
but rather healed.
So there we read a little bit about God's purpose for us.
He starts off saying, therefore,
and when we read therefore in the Bible,
then we always look to see what it is there for, right?
You've heard that before, haven't you?
Many times.
If you've been to church, you've heard that over and over and over again, right?
So, chapter 11 is what we refer to as the heroes of the faith.
There's a whole list of people that walked with God,
that depended on God, that trusted God.
So we read about Abraham, we read about Moses,
we read about these heroes of the faith
and how they clung to the promise of God,
even though sometimes in this lifetime here on earth,
they didn't see the promise fulfilled,
but they held on to the promise of God.
They said, what God has spoken is true,
and I will put my trust in it.
I will believe that God has spoken,
that he means what he says,
and that he will fulfill his promises.
And some of them saw great miracles in their life,
some of them saw great deliverances in their life,
some of them saw great evidences of God's power in their life.
And it said,
And others went through all kinds of hardship.
They faced jeers,
they faced persecution,
they faced oppression,
they were stoned,
they were put to death by the sword,
they were destitute and persecuted,
mistreated,
the world was not worthy of them.
They wandered about in deserts and mountains
and caves and holes in the ground,
and yet they clung to their faith in God.
And it says,
And they were all commended for their faith,
yet none of them received what had been promised.
God planned something better for us,
so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
In other words,
while we're here on earth,
God is doing a work in us,
but there's going to be a fullness,
a fulfillment of that work
at some time even in the future.
And that all comes together in Christ.
And so he starts chapter 12 by saying,
Since we have all of these examples,
all these witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders
and the sin that so easily entangles.
Now I'm not one to watch a lot of sports,
but you can't help but notice during the Olympics
the intensity of the competition.
Some of these competitors,
they win a medal by hundreds of a second.
And there is so much effort put into training,
and there is so much effort put into
the right kind of equipment.
If you're going to be a runner,
if you're going to be a cyclist,
if you're going to be a swimmer,
you have just the best of the equipment and gear
that is available.
And people spend a lot of time and effort
trying to design something that will give them
just that little bit of advantage
so that they can win their competition.
And so the scripture here is telling us,
throw off the things that hinder.
Throw off the sin that entangles us.
Put every effort into being the best competitor
that you can.
I noticed in these couple of verses,
there are, especially,
I'm using the New International Version of the Bible,
and there it says,
let us throw off.
Let us do this.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.
Let us.
When we were studying Spanish,
they told us that this type of construction
in Spanish was referred to as a command of courtesy.
So it carried the weight of a command,
but it wasn't done in a harsh way.
It was done in a way of saying,
let's join together and put our effort into doing this.
Let's see what we can accomplish together.
And so that's what I'm seeing here in scripture.
Let us throw off anything that entangles
and the sin that so easily,
anything that hinders and the sin
that so easily entangles us.
Now we know that sin is something
that the devil would like to use to distract us,
to keep us from serving God well.
And of course, temptation at the start
always looks great, doesn't it?
Temptation always looks attractive.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be temptation.
But here's what somebody has said,
Neil Strait has said about sin.
Sin does not serve well
as a gardener of the soul.
It landscapes the contour of the soul
until all that is beautiful
has been made ugly.
Until all that is high is made low.
Until all that is promising is wasted.
Then life is like the desert,
parched and barren.
It is drained of purpose.
It is bleached of happiness.
Sin then is not wise,
but wasteful.
It is not a gate,
but only a grave.
I think that's very insightful about sin.
And so it's important to throw that off
and get rid of it
so that we can run in freedom.
Another person has written this.
Because of sin,
mankind has taken the deity out of religion,
the supernatural out of Christianity,
the authority from the Bible,
God out of education,
morality and virtue out of literature,
beauty and truth out of art,
ethics out of business,
fidelity out of marriage.
Pretty true words.
So we need to throw that off.
The guilt,
the bondage,
the shame,
the hiding,
the deception.
Jesus has taken all of that sin upon himself.
Our past sin,
our present sin,
our future sin,
he's already paid for it.
It says in Isaiah chapter 53,
that all we like sheep have gone astray.
We have turned everyone to his own way
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
And then he also says in Isaiah chapter 1,
verse 18,
come now and let us reason together,
says the Lord,
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson,
they shall be as wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land.
So sin is there to destroy and distract us
and keep us from running that race with Christ.
But Jesus Christ has already paid the price.
So that is one of the let us.
The next let us
is in the end of Hebrews chapter 12,
verse 1,
which says,
let us run with perseverance
the race marked out for us.
Let us run with perseverance
the race marked out for us.
So in Hebrews,
the author,
the preacher,
has already been making a point.
And if we go through,
just,
let's just kind of review
a couple of verses.
He's making the point
about persevering.
He's making the point
about let us run with endurance.
So if we start in chapter 2,
and we'll just kind of glance
at a few verses
to give us this idea.
Chapter 2,
verse 1.
We must pay more careful attention,
therefore,
to what we have heard,
so that we do not drift away.
Now,
how often
is a failure
in the Christian life
catastrophic?
How often
does it come
as a big crisis?
Usually,
it shows up
as a crisis
after there has been
a drifting away.
There have been
thought patterns.
There have been
little actions.
There have been
little habits
that have been forming
that have been destructive,
that have been
undermining the faith.
And then comes
the big failure.
So the writer is saying,
be careful
that we,
to what we,
and listen to what we've heard.
Pay attention
to what we've heard,
so that we do not drift away.
Then in chapter 4,
he's talking about
the fact that
God wants
his people
to come to rest.
Jesus said,
you know,
all you that are weary
and heavy laden,
come to me,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon me,
and take up my yoke upon you,
and learn of me,
for I am meek
and lowly of heart,
and you will find
rest for your souls.
So in Hebrews chapter 4,
he's talking about that rest.
Therefore,
since the promise
of entering his rest
still stands,
let us be careful
that none of you
be found
to fall short of it.
And then later on
in that same chapter,
verse 11,
let us therefore
make every effort
to enter that rest
so that none will fall
by following their example
of disobedience.
So again,
he's talking about
enduring,
he's talking about
pursuing something
that is good.
Chapter 6,
the beginning of chapter 6,
talks about the fact
that even though
we should,
he's telling the people,
even though you should
already be the point
of being able to be
a teacher
and an instructor
and a leader of others,
you still need to be taught
the most elementary truths
of the gospel message.
And so he says
you need to show diligence.
Show diligence
to the very end
in order
to make your hope sure.
We don't want you
to become lazy,
but we want you
to imitate those
who through faith
and patience
inherit what has been promised.
In chapter 10,
verse 23 to 25,
let us hold unswervingly
to the hope we profess
for he who promised
is faithful.
And let us consider
how we may spur
one another on
toward love
and good deeds.
Let us not give up
meeting together
as some are in the habit
of doing,
but let us encourage
one another
and all the more
as you see
that day approaching.
So he's talking
about this perseverance.
He's talking about
enduring.
He's talking about
how we need
to run this race
let us run this race
with perseverance.
And then there's
another let us.
If we look at
chapter,
number,
verse 2,
let us fix
our eyes on Jesus.
Or as I mentioned,
the words that I saw
and used to see
in our little chapel
in Endeavor,
looking unto Jesus
is the King James
version of it.
Let us fix
our eyes on Jesus.
Now,
Hebrews chapter
12,
verse 2
in the Amplified Bible
reads like this.
Looking away
from all
that will distract us
to Jesus,
who is the leader
and the source
of our faith,
giving the first
incentive
for our belief
and is also
its finisher,
bringing it to maturity
and perfection.
He,
for the joy
of obtaining
the prize
that was set
before Him,
endured the cross,
despising
and ignoring
the shame
and is now
seated at the right
hand of the throne
of God.
And then
in 1 Peter chapter 2
it talks a little bit
more about
Jesus.
1 Peter chapter 2
verse 21
says,
To this you were called
because Christ
suffered for you,
leaving you an example
that you should follow
in His steps.
He committed no sin
and no deceit
was found in His mouth.
When they hurled
their insults at Him,
He did not retaliate.
When He suffered,
He made no threats.
Instead,
He entrusted Himself
to Him
who judges justly.
He Himself
bore our sins
in His body
on the tree
so that we might
die to sins
and live for righteousness.
By His wounds
you have been healed.
For you were like sheep
going astray,
but now you have returned
to the shepherd
and overseer
of your souls.
Let us fix
our eyes
on Jesus.
Now,
if you drive by
a farmer's field
nowadays,
what do you see?
You see really nice
straight lines
because
the machine
is guided
by GPS.
I remember
back in the days
when I first
worked for a farmer
and I was driving
this little
Fordson Major tractor
that,
wow,
it had all
of about 50 horsepower
and
the farmer
was pretty
insistent
that I try
to make the rows
as straight
as I could
so I wouldn't
miss cultivating
parts of the field
or it wouldn't
overlap too much.
So what did I do?
When I started out
at the end of the field,
I would pick a mark
at the far end
and I would aim
the tractor for that
because if I tried
to just follow
my track,
pretty soon
I was doing this
but if I had
a mark at the far end
and I kept
following it,
then I could
stay a little bit
straighter.
Nothing compared
to GPS now
but
it was better
if I did that
and that's the way
it is with our
walk with God.
If we fix
our eyes
on Jesus,
we can walk
and we can walk
toward him
and the distractions
won't have
such a big effect
on us.
So I just want
to mention
a couple of things
about looking
unto Jesus.
A farther look.
Let us fix
our eyes
on Jesus,
the author
and perfecter
of our faith,
who for the joy
set before him
endured the cross.
He didn't just
look at the cross
although it was
significant,
it was important.
He agonized
over it
in the Garden
of Gethsemane
but he looked
beyond it
and he said
the reward
of what is going
to be accomplished
if I am faithful
to the Father's plan
outweighs
the suffering
and the pain
of what I'm going
to endure.
So Jesus
had a farther look
even though
he begged God
if it be possible
may this cup
be taken from me
yet he endured
because
of what lay
before him.
What lay beyond that?
The power of sin
is broken.
A fallen groaning
creation
will be recreated.
The lost
will be found,
the broken
will be healed.
Paradise
will be regained.
Who for the joy
set before him
endured.
He took a farther look
and so
Hebrews encourages us
looking unto Jesus.
Take a farther look.
Look beyond
the immediate,
look beyond
the immediate trials,
the immediate temptations.
Look to Jesus
beyond that.
A higher look.
He endured
the cross
scoring his shame
and sat down
at the right hand
of the throne
of God.
A higher look.
So often
we look at
the circumstance
around us.
We look at
the immediate.
We need to look up
to Jesus.
Jesus.
All of this earth
is passing away.
Weeping may endure
for a night
but joy comes
in the morning.
What was true
for Jesus
is also true
for us.
2 Corinthians
chapter 4
reminds us of that.
It says
at the end
of the chapter,
therefore we do
not lose heart
though outwardly
we are wasting
weight yet inwardly
we are being
renewed day by day
for our light
and momentary
trouble.
Wait a minute.
Light and momentary
troubles?
Does it feel
that way some days?
Sometimes it feels
like the burdens
are pretty heavy.
But compared
to the weight
of eternity,
compared to the
weight of glory,
it is small.
It says
for our light
and who is writing
this?
Light and momentary
troubles.
The apostle Paul
right?
And in 2 Corinthians
he talks about
I've been shipwrecked.
I've been beaten.
I've been stoned.
I've been persecuted.
I've been chased
from pillar to post
because of my faith
in Jesus Christ.
He says
these are light
and momentary
troubles
in comparison
to what God
has planned for us.
For our light
and momentary
troubles
are achieving
for us
an eternal
glory
that far
outweighs
them all.
So we fix
our eyes
not on what
is seen
but what
is unseen
for what
is seen
is temporary
what is unseen
is eternal.
And so we have
a higher look.
Jesus said
when you see
all these things
happening
what is he?
Lift up your head
because your redemption
draws near.
And then a deeper look.
Verse 3 starts
consider him
who endured
such opposition
so that you will not
grow weary
and lose heart.
Consider.
think about
ponder
spend time
reflecting.
Now there is
a form of
worldly meditation
that says
just empty your mind
and be open
to whatever
thoughts may come.
Well it's no wonder
there's confusion
in the devil's
playground.
But there is
a godly form
of meditation
that means
literally
chew the cud
on God's word.
Whatever is true
noble
pure
right
lovely
admirable
excellent
praiseworthy
think on
these things
and the God
of peace
will be with you.
Consider
a farther look
beyond the immediate
a higher look
to all that God
has prepared for us
the eternal weight
of glory
a deeper look
spend time
pondering
who Jesus is
and what he has done.
And then
it says
in Hebrews
chapter 12
verse 12
therefore
strengthen
your feeble
arms
and your weak
knees
make level
paths
of your feet
so that
what is
lamed
may not
be disabled
but rather
healed.
That is
God's plan
for us.
Not fearful
not anxious
but boldly
confident
not faltering
but thriving.
And what's
at stake?
our eternal
well-being
is at stake.
God's
honor
is at stake.
People
look at us
and they say
they form
their opinion
of God
by what they
see in us.
That's a pretty
heavy responsibility.
If we had to try
and do that
on our own
it'd be hopeless.
But the Holy Spirit
is in us
to empower us
to show
the image
of Christ.
Jesus said
let your
light shine
such a way
before men
that men
will see
your good deeds
and glorify
your Father
who is in heaven.
And we will
have an influence
on others.
If we faithfully
walk with God
fixing your eyes
on Jesus
our life
will be an example
to others.
It will be an
encouragement
to others.
And praise God
that's what you
as a congregation
are to me.
When I spend time
here interacting
with you
you're an
encouragement
to me
and I bless
you for that.
And I praise
God for that.
And I trust
that I will be
the same for you
as I serve him.
May God bless you
as you continue
to serve him
faithfully.
And I'd like
to just
invite us
to close
with a word
of prayer.
Father in heaven
it is just
such a great
privilege
to belong
to you.
To know
that because
of what
Jesus Christ
has done
I can come
to you
with confidence
and with boldness
and obtain
the grace
and the mercy
that I need
to help me
in time of
trouble.
I thank you
Lord God
that we have
the freedom
to meet together
in this land
that we have
the freedom
to have your
word in our
hands
that we can
read
we can
study
we can
learn
we can
encourage one
another
we can teach
one another
the truths
that we have
learned from you
and I thank you
Lord that you are
the one that gives
us a healthy
perspective on life.
there are many
things in life
that are important
that we pay
attention to
we pay attention
to our work
and to our
families
and to our
daily responsibilities
but we recognize
Lord that these
are all things
that pass
away with
time
and the only
thing that we'll
endure for all
eternity is
our
relationship
with you
and our
relationship with
others that have
come to know you
and are part of
your family
and so I pray
Lord that you
would help us
as we look to
Jesus
to simplify
the things of
our life in
such a way
that we are
not distracted
from doing
what is most
important
loving you
with all of our
heart
with all of our
soul
with all of our
mind
with all of our
strength
and loving our
neighbor
as ourself
we know we
can't do it on
our own
and so we
depend on your
grace
we depend on you
living your life
through us
and we thank you
Lord that you've
promised to
not just begin a
work in us
but to bring it
to completion
until the day
of Jesus Christ
we praise you
in his wonderful
holy name
amen