Refiner – Part 3 – Run the Race

 I would love if you would open them with me to Hebrews chapter 12. We are going to be looking primarily at the first 17 verses together.y.
  •  look at your text with me in Hebrews 12:1-4 – it says this.
Movement 1: Run Light
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
The writer of Hebrews is writing to a church that is suffering
  • they were losing their homes – jobs – families – they were experiencing immense social and physical pressure to deny their faith and go with the culture
and this church was starting to give in – and they started thinking maybe we just go back and all this pressure will go away.
  • so the entire book of Hebrews is written to show the church – why Jesus is better – than every other thing.
      • why he’s better than the old covenant
      • better than Moses
      • better than angels – and every other religious system
    • he writes them to say don’t you dare let go of Jesus in the midst of this trial.
  • and in chapter 11- right before our text – he points back to all the heroes of the faith in the Old Testament –
  • people like Abraham – who waited for a son for most of his life
  • people like Moses – who led the Israelites out of Egypt
  • People like Rahab who trusted God – and rejected her culture. –
  • he says – now its YOUR TURN
  • 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,
  • When we’re running the race of trials, as we run the race of this life – The first thing that he says we have to do as we walk through and endure these difficult things,
    • is we have to run lightly. And to do that – specifically here, he says we have to cast off two things as we are running. Specifically, he says we have to cast off every weight and every sin.
So as the writer of Hebrews says – if we want to run with endurance the race that God has assigned to us – we have to lay aside every weight so that we can run well and we don’t get tired out.
  • Sometimes that’s bitterness.
  • or maybe it’s pride.
  • or maybe it’s escapism.
sometimes the thing weighing us down as we run the race – is sin. And he says we gotta cast it off.
but sometimes the weight we have to cast off to run lightly is not necessarily sin – but it is stuff that is causing us to become distracted.
  • the weight of isolation. 
  •  the weight of fear.
  • the weight of comparison. 
and the writer here says – cast them off – lay them down – every weight – every sin – so that you can run with endurance –
Movement 2: Run Focused
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. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (12:2-4)
  • The other secret to running lightly is this: focus on Jesus. If you remember earlier – he says look at the cloud of witnesses – look at these people who were faithful – be inspired by their faithfulness – learn from them – but only glance at them.
  • because your eyes need to be fixed on Jesus and how he ran his race.
Focus your eyes on Jesus. LOOK ahead.
the stuff we feel – he felt. In fact – earlier in Hebrews scripture that he had be made just like his brothers – like humans – so that he could be a merciful high priest –
In Matthew 11 – he says – “Come to me – all who are weary and heavy laden – and i will give you rest – take my yoke upon you learn from me.”
Movement 3: Run Like a Son or Daughter
And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.'(5-6)
  • We learn here that these trials we go through – are an essential part of our spiritual formation. it’s part of the loving discipline of a Good Father
“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of Spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (7-11)
  • The writer of hebrews – says that as we lay aside weights and sin – as we fix our eyes on Jesus
he says remember  WHOSE you are.
  • and for the child – sometimes that training isn’t fun – maybe it feels painful in the moment – but it yields good results.
It’s that we share in his holiness. That you would become like Jesus.
  • God is far more committed to your transformation than he is to your temporary comfort.
Movement 4: Run to the Finish
“Therefore, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent though he sought it with tears.
First – he says to lift your drooping hands, strengthen your weak knees run in a straight line.
  • He goes back to his running analogy at the beginning. Of the runners entering the stadium and stripping off the weight, and running to win the prize.
    • another important aspect about running especially long distance – is good form. running with bad form or on weakened muscles with bad form – could be a disaster. – you can tear something – break something or as the writer says here – things could come out of joint –
  • the same is true spiritually. He says run this race with good form.
Second – he says – be on the lookout for the things that will harden your heart.

Email my notes