I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      In all of sports, one of the most physically demanding events is the running of the marathon.

                                                             1.      A marathon is a foot race on a twenty-six mile course that requires tremendous physical endurance.  It was first introduced to the modern Olympic Games in 1896.

                                                             2.      The idea of the race is based on the legend of a Greek messenger who ran twenty-six miles non-stop from the battle of Marathon to the city of Athens to report the improbable victory of the Greeks over the Persians (490 B.C.).  According to the legend, he died from exhaustion.

B.      In a spiritual way, we who are Christians have an endurance race that is set before us.

                                                             1.      Our race is truly a one of endurance rather than a short sprint, for we make a lifetime commitment when we confess that Jesus is the Son of God.

                                                             2.      The course of our race is not of our own choosing, but we must run it with endurance to the end if we want to receive the prize.  This is the subject of our lesson taken from Hebrews 12:1-3.

II.      RUNNING THE RACE OF FAITH

A.      Christians are not the first people to run the race of faith.

                                                             1.      The first verse in our text (Heb. 12:1) describes those who ran the race before the coming of Christ as witnesses to the Christians who run the race now.

a.       This verse draws on Hebrews 11, which is an impressive list of men and women who lived faithfully before the coming of Christ, running their own races of faith.  They are so numerous that they are described as a “cloud.”

b.       Hebrews 11:39-40 says that these witnesses have not yet received what was promised, and they were not made perfect apart from Christians.  Therefore, they wait and anticipate while we run our race.

                                                             2.      These witnesses give motivation for us to run our race of faith, for they provide examples of endurance in their own races of faith, and they bear witness that the way of faith is the right way.

B.      We must prepare ourselves to run the race in the same way as those who have successfully run the race before us.

                                                             1.      We must lay aside every encumbrance to our faith.

a.       This thought comes from the idea of a competitive runner in the ancient games who would remove every garment that would hinder his ability to move freely.

b.       Likewise, we must remove every encumbrance to our faith.

i.         These things are unnecessary weights that we sometimes place on ourselves, making it much more difficult to run the race of faith.

ii.        Things that are detrimental to our faith, such as evil influences or negative attitudes, must be removed if we are to be successful.

iii.      Other things that hinder our faith, such as overly demanding jobs or obsessive pastimes, should also be laid aside.

                                                             2.      We must also lay aside “the sin which so easily entangles us.”

a.       When a person obeys the Lord, he is freed from the shackles of sin (Rom. 6:14).  Putting those shackles back on by returning to sin prevents him from running the race of faith.

b.       Notice that sin “so easily entangles us.”

i.         Nothing can derail a Christian from his race of faith faster than sin.

ii.        Therefore, when a Christian sins, he must quickly repent and confess it to God (1John 1:8-10), laying the sin aside that he may continue on his course.

C.      The central message of this passage is the necessity of endurance in our faith.

                                                             1.      To endure is to bear, to stand, to suffer patiently, to put up with, or to tolerate.  Many translations of the Bible use the word “patience” rather than endurance.

                                                             2.      The Hebrew Christians needed this message because they were in danger of turning away from Christ and back to the old ways of the Law of Moses (Heb. 10:35-39).

a.       The majority of this epistle is given to show the Hebrew Christians that Christ is superior to all other things in every way (His person, law, priesthood, covenant, sacrifice, etc.).

b.       The only reason that the Hebrew Christians were abandoning Christ for their old ways was because they lacked the endurance to finish the course of faith they had started.

i.         Their faith was fading due to persecutions, false teachings, immaturity, and impatience.

ii.        They needed to have endurance similar to those listed in Chapter 11 who overcame many obstacles to their faith.  These were “those who have faith to the persevering of the soul” (Heb. 10:39).

                                                             3.      We also need endurance to overcome obstacles to our faith.

a.       Individual Christians need endurance to overcome temptations, sin, persecutions, discouragement, distractions, and apathy.

i.         So many Christians start our strong, but then their faith fades away.

ii.        Many things may make us want to abandon our faith and leave the Lord.  Yet these are the things that we must endure and pass through to get to our reward.  See Hebrews 12:4-11.

b.       Whole congregations need endurance to overcome division, strife, weakness, and frustration.

i.         Any fool can create division and strife in a church.  However, endurance and character are required to keep a church together.

ii.        It is tempting for churches to compromise the word of God and follow the ways of worldly churches to achieve growth.  This also requires endurance to overcome.

D.      The key to endurance is to fix our eyes on Jesus, who gives us the greatest pattern for success (Heb. 12:2-3).

                                                             1.      We are to look past the obstacles that stand against our faith and see Jesus, who waits for us at the end of the race.

a.       When a marathon runner focuses on the pain in his legs or the burning in his lungs, he cannot complete the race.  To succeed, he must focus on his goal, which is the finish line.

b.       Likewise, when Christians focus on the difficulties of life in this world, they will not be able to complete the race set before them.  They must focus on Jesus, who is the worthy reason for their sufferings.  Consider Romans 8:18; 2Corinthians 4:16-18.

                                                             2.      Let us consider Jesus, whom we shall see if we finish the race of faith.

a.       Jesus is “the author and perfecter of our faith.”

i.         He is the beginning and the end, the legislator and the executor, and the source and the substance of our faith.

ii.        He not only dictated what we must do to be saved, but He also perfectly demonstrated how to do those things Himself.

b.       When Jesus ran His own race, He focused on the “joy set before Him.”

i.         The joy that was set before Christ was to accomplish His Father’s will, save mankind, and be reunited with His Father in heaven.

ii.        Before He could accomplish this, He had to endure the cross, “despising the shame.”  Yet He was able to look beyond these things to the joy set before Him.

iii.      Compare this thought to Isaiah 53:10-12.

c.        Jesus has received His reward, having been exalted and seated “at the right hand of the throne of God.”

d.       We are told to consider Him “so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”

i.         In Jesus, we have both our pattern and our goal.  If He was able to endure the cross for the joy set before Him, then we can endure our own trials for the joy set before us.

ii.        The example of Jesus tells us that we must see our faith through to the end.  The accomplishment of the Lord was achieved only at the end a very difficult course.  If He had failed to finish, nothing would have been achieved.  We likewise can only accomplish salvation by finishing the course.

III.   CONCLUSION

A.      The apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may win” (1Cor. 9:24).

B.      For Christians, winning is a matter of finishing the race of faith, and therefore it is a matter of endurance:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up 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 also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2Tim. 4:7-8)