Sermon: Looking to Jesus

Father, even as we have just sung, we pray that you would show us Christ.

We confess that we are dumb, we are ignorant, we we're hardhearted, we're lost, we are dead apart from the truth of your word. And so we pray even this morning that you would attend to your word as you promised that it would not return void,

that it would search us,

and that we would find that we are looking to Christ this morning seeing Christ this morning and giving praise to you God and Father this morning, we pray this in the strong name of Jesus. Amen. Hebrews chapter 12 verses one through three. This is the holy iner sufficient word of God. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great to 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, founder and perfecter of our faith before the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and a seated at the right hand of the throne of God consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself That you may not grow weary or faint hearted. So the grass withers and the flower fades, the word of God is forever.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

I have never been a runner, but I have been told that there is such a thing as a runner's high. Uh, I have only ever experienced a runner's low, but I'm taking your word for it and great on you that you get a high when you run. Uh, but that's the picture here of the writer of Hebrews. What he is doing is he is painting a scene for you and I that as soon as we come to faith in Christ, once we are in union with Christ, he is picturing for us

that you and I have entered into a race that we're running. If you're a Christian this morning, you are running and the picture is this, is that you are running and you are running in a Colosseum. And as you are running in that Colosseum, you lift up your eyes and you see that the stands are filled. It's a great crowd and it's not just a crowd, but it's a enthusiastic crowd, a robust crowd. It's a crowd that is a buzz.

But then as your eyes focus a little more and you look a little more at that crowd, all of a sudden you realize this is not a a disinterested crowd Because It is a crowd made up of all the great runners that have ran before and that's who's cheering you on all the runners of the past. Since I'm not a runner, let me picture this a little differently because I know a little more about it about basketball though I'm dunno how to play that either,

but I know a little more about it. And the picture is this, is that you are headed down the court and you are dribbling and you look up into the stands and you see there is Kareem and there is bird and there is magic and there is Jordan and there is Kobe and there is LeBron. All these that are so famous at what they do, they can go by one name and all of them are there.

They're there as your example, as you head done, the court as a Christian, what he is saying is if you are a runner, a runner surrounded by all these name one name wonders in the history of the church, all those that have come before you, the the Abrahams and the Isaacs and the Jacobs and the Moseses and the Noahs and the Sarahs and the Abigails and the all these one name, They're all in the stand and they're all there as an encouragement to you,

but it's not just them. He says, we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, therefore, therefore we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. And the therefore points back to everything he said in chapter 11. What he's doing is he is bringing the bear that look, you are surrounded by all of the people in faith. All of the people in faith throughout redemptive history that have clung to Christ in faith, all of them

are surrounding you and they're cheering you on. But they don't just serve it as a, as an example is like running down the court with basketball and those two defenders before you, they are backpedaling before you and Kobe and Jordan and LeBron and Kareem and magic and bird, they're, they're all cheering you with with one voice As you go down the court, they are with you and they're saying do the crossover and then do the stutter step

and then sweep underneath the basket to the other side and lay it up with the left hand. They're giving you instruction, encouragement. You don't just have their example, you have their encouragement But not in that goofy way that different people have taught through the centuries that you and I are to pray to the saints or that we are to have visions of the saints or that we are to tap into that treasury of merit of the saints that some have spoken of in previous days.

Rather we are united with them. The church triumphant as theologians call it, all of our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout redemptive history that have finished their race are above, they are the church triumphant and we down below are the, the church militant, but it's not two churches, there's just one church. We we are with them and they are with us. In fact, that's the picture of the scriptures this morning is that

what is happening right now is that as you and I are gathered in corporate worship, there's a breach between heaven and earth. And as you sing this morning, by the power of the spirit your songs were wafting up into heaven and our voices were joining with the voices of all the church triumphant before is throne. Why? Because we're united with them and they are united with us Or one church offering the same one worship before the throne.

We have the same one desire to see his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

And so they're not just your example, they are your encouragement. You're getting a little taste this morning of the age to come and the saints above that, the church triumphant is saying to us as, as I finish the race. So you must finish the raise as I found him worthy of trust. So you must trust Him As I ran. So you must run

as the writer said in Hebrews 11, four about Abel's faith. When he began that chapter though he died, he still speaks. We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses that speak To us.

The writer then gives us four instructions, lay aside, run, look, consider four instructions. The first is to lay aside verse one. He says, let us also that is also just like them, just like all of these saints that I've referenced from Hebrews 11, just like them. So also you must, so this is a call, this is a call for all Christians, every single one of us that have entered this race, including the writer of Hebrews, let us, he says,

let us lay aside. That is your running is not to be done half-heartedly. You have to run with intentionality. You, you have to run specifically and for reason, it requires commitment. He says that as you run, you are to lay aside. He gives us two things to lay aside. First lay aside every weight or it could be translated every hindrance or every encumbrance, anything that would slow you down, anything that would impede your

progress, not help us along in running the race. It's to be thrown off. It's to be done away with. Now the emphasis here is not upon that which is bad, it's just upon that which is unnecessary.

Lemme set a little context for you. In the Greco-Roman world racing was obviously a huge thing. This is the beginning of the Olympics, right? In the Greek world and, And these running of races in the Greek world, especially the Greek runners, they would, they would try and drop every pound that they have. They, they were literally flesh and bones running these races to try and get rid of all the extra weight they had.

And then when it was race day, they would cast off all of their clothes to run the race, thrown off every encumbrance, anything that impedes, anything that weighed them down. And the author is saying, lay aside anything that is not helpful.

It, it may be something good, but does it impede, does it slow you down even more importantly, does it actually make you run further and better? Eh, there are a lot of different things you can start thinking through. We could think through our friendships, we could think through our recreations, we could think through our goals, we could think through our recreations, we could think through, you know, we could go often.

What we want to know as Christians is, is this okay for me to do as a Christian?

Well, the answer to that more often than not is yes, it's okay for you to do, but that's the wrong question.

The question isn't, is this okay for me to do? The question is, is this something I should do? Does it actually help me to run my race?

I have a famous binder that is about this thick that I put together 20 plus years ago when I was preparing for ordination exams. To become a pastor you have to pass a bunch of tests and I had put together this binder of all of my notes of all the things that I thought they could ask me about Bible and theology and sacraments and church history and PCA polity and and Presbyterian history and it's in this big binder and kind of infamous.

I've had different people, a lot of men approach me over the years that I've mentored that have said, Jason, can I, can I borrow your binder? And I always answer the same way. You can absolutely. It's yours if you want it. The question is, should you borrow my binder now maybe that it's best for you to borrow my binder because it will save you time and it will save you some effort. But it may be that it's actually better for you

to put together your own binder where you have to think through the things and you have to put together your own notes and you have to think through the issues that they will ask you when you're examined. But listen, if you think it's better you, you can use it. The question is, should you use it?

That is the question that the writer of Hebrews would have us ask. It does not help me run the race and I'm lay it aside. Well, let's hit some things that you and I have to consider in our day. All fine, even good things. Should you, should you be on social media? Should you listen to podcasts? Should you play that secular music? Should you play video games? Watch Netflix. Should you drink alcohol? Should you seek a promotion?

Should you consider changing jobs? Should you say for a cabin and on week ago, they're all fine and good things. Some of them you may respond and say yes, that that's a, that really does help me. I don't know, only you can know about you.

You don't know about me. But we should be constantly asking ourselves that question. Does this help me run my race should constantly be a question in our minds throughout our days.

The other thing he says that we must lay aside, there is no debate about and it is not particular to the person. He says, let us lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely. Sin must be put. All it is to be lay aside, this isn't a question Specifically the author has in mind yours and my pet sins. That is those, those sins that we wink and that we nod at are besetting sins. He says those that that clinging so closely to us,

what is that for you?

You know when you walk into a room and you walk into a a cobweb and it gets all over your face, it clings closely and then you start trying to peel that thing off your face and it's all over your hands and then you're trying to get it off your hands and you think you have it off your hands and you realize it's back on your face. What do you start doing? You start doing the dance. You start swiping and you start, there could be a black widow in this thing

for all I know

you and I are to do that dance with sin

clings, but would it be ripping that off, casting it aside as a sting of death in it?

Sin you're to be relentless till it is no longer clinging.

Do you treat your pet sin like that?

That one that you rationalize in your mind may be wrong, but it's not that wrong.

I'm justified in this anger. You had what I have on my plate, you would lack patience to,

I'm a sensual being. If others, if I've been through what I've been through, they would complain too. I'm entitled to some excess now and again, he's saying lay it aside, throw it off.

But it's only one small sin, my friends is one. Buzzard attracts another buzzard. One sin attracts other sins, but even if it doesn't, what one small sin, like one little cancer cell can grow into a tumor and tumor can take a life. What he's pointing out is that it's a weight, one weight around a, a runner's ankle can tire that runner out and he fails to finish the race. You gotta cast it off. This can't be played with.

Second. He says, let us run, lay it aside now run, run with endurance the race that is set before us. We don't know the course. We don't know how many hills, we don't know how many valleys, we don't know how many detours, but we know it's a race so we know what we must do. We must go forward. That's the call you keep going forward. And so he says, let us run with endurance. Why? Because for most of us, this is going to be a long race.

This is gonna be over the course of our lives. We aren't sprinters, we are marathoners. We take deep breaths, we labor long and we keep going. That's what we do.

You have to hear that. You keep going, you run

especially have this burden for young people. I think, oh, especially our high schoolers and especially our college students. So many of them go on spring break this week I think especially. How many do you see over the years that they start out of the blocks fast. They're attending every bible study. They eventually begin leading bible studies. They're committed to coming to corporate worship every week. They are serving in the church,

they're evangelists on campus and then you look a couple of years down the road and they look back and they say, that was just a phase of my life. It stopped running. It's not enough to start. Will you have to finish? Well

want to finish.

Once heard Derrick Thomas, a mentor and friend and fellow pastor say once and it resonated with me, said that when he first became a pastor, he, he thought, I want to do great things for Christ in the world. Said then after a few years he downgraded that having gone through a little bit and said, ah, just want to do great things for Christ and the denomination I serve. And it was a couple years later, I just want to do great things for Christ and the church I serve.

And a few years went by and he said, now I'm just where I just want to finish the race. It's Enough.

Finishing the race is what's set before us. Along the way we are seeking to serve Christ with what he has put on our plate. But there are so many that want to do great things for Christ and they are so focused on doing great things for Christ that they forget to look down and their feet aren't moving. You have to run. You have to keep running in faith, so busy about the things of Christ but not busy about Christ. You have to run the faith.

Paul could say at the end of his life, two Timothy four, the time of my departure has come. I fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith, hence forth 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. He fought the good fight, he finished the race, he kept the faith for the crown.

But you have to finish to get the crown,

which means you have to keep running in faith.

No finish, no crown.

So many distractions along the way,

but the writer's point is that there are many encouragement along the way as well from the cloud of witnesses. Abraham testifies that it's worth waiting upon God. Noah testifies that it is worth relying upon God. Isaiah testifies that it is worth fearing God, Nicodemus, that it is worth believing in God. Paul, that is worth being spent for God. Peter, that is worth repenting unto God, John, that it is worth loving God.

Every experience, every trial, every circumstance you could possibly go through, there's nothing new under the sun. There are saints that come alongside of you, this cloud of witnesses that says it's worth it.

You gotta keep going in faith, it's worth it.

How One foot in front of the other you keep going how? That's our third point. Verse two, you look to Jesus,

You Look to Jesus

form of that word looking. There is an active present participle. What that means is, is that as you are going or as you are running, you are to be looking to Jesus. It has the idea of something that you continually do it. It doesn't end every moment you, you just keep looking to Jesus It. It doesn't end as long as you are in this race. You are to be looking to Jesus like those dogs that run around the track and they put

that fake rabbit 10 feet in front of their face. So in the same way you are to be seized, you are to be consumed with looking to Jesus until you finish the race.

Why? Well, he says this, he's the founder of our faith where literally means pioneer. He's the pioneer of our faith. You'll notice that he calls him Jesus, not Christ because he wants you to be focused upon his humanity. It is that Jesus, the one who was truly man Jesus with everything that he was, he went through this life and he trailblazed the way in faith in this life for you and I, he's cleared the path before us.

The race that you are running has already been run and it's been run by the pioneer of our faith. But not just that, he calls them the perfecter of our faith, not meaning our subjective faith. That is that that faith that you exercise but rather the object of faith. He's the gold standard of faith. There's never been a man of faith like him. Noah was a great man of faith, but he was nothing compared to Jesus. Abraham was a great man of faith,

but he was nothing compared to Jesus. Moses was a great man of faith, but he was nothing compared to Jesus. As they will say at the foot of the cross in Matthew 27, they will look up those people at the foot of the cross and they will say He trusts in God.

He did until his dying breath.

The man of faith he trusted in God until the very end of his race. And so this is who we look to.

The writer emphasizes what we are to see in Jesus, this great author and perfecter our faith. And it's this, it's his outlook. Verse two, before the joy that was set before him endured the crawls, despising the shame, and a seated at the right hand of the throne of God. And as he's saying, look, as he marched through this life and everything that he suffered and everything that he was suffering upon the cross, all that he did, he did it by faith.

And you think about this, the agony of the cross was no slight consideration for our savior. Our guilt and our shame being poured out upon him who knew not sin was no minor travesty. The bearing of the wrath of the Father was no small trial. It it was a literal living hell that he endured by faith.

How? Oh, he tells us for the joy that was set before him, he looked beyond the cross to the crown. That's how he endured.

He was consumed with the father's will even upon the cross because he knew that he was being ushered into the eternal pleasure and delight of the Father. He would receive the crown and he knew even the cross was just a, if we can say it this way, a slight momentary affliction

compared to the way to eternal glory.

He knew it.

So you keep looking to him.

You think about this throughout church history, how, how did the apostles in Acts five? How is it that that they are beaten And they walk away rejoicing? How is it that Paul and Silas can be imprisoned and and they continue in faith and they're singing through the night? How is it that Stephen can be stoned to death and even while he is being stoned to death by a hostile crowd, he can be speaking forth blessing upon them in faith.

How can he do that? How is it that Polycarp can stand in front of an entire Colosseum of pagans crying for his death and stand there resolved in faith? How is it that Perpetua can be put to death and continue to to stand in faith? How is it that Wycliffe and husk could, could be put to death and stand in faith? How is it that Latimer and Ridley can encourage one another and say, play the man when logs and fires are being set underneath their feet a flame.

How is it that they continue to abide in faith

by looking to Jesus, by looking to Jesus?

Finally, consider, consider the author says in verse three, consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself. Why? He says so that you may not grow weary or faint hearted. The picture here is of a runner who has been running his race and he has reached the point of, of exhaustion and he has collapsed upon the ground. They, he can't go or she can't go any further. Exhaustion has set in, they have collapsed.

It's a long race. And he's saying, look, you are running a long race and it's a long race. That's the course, but it's not just a a long race. It is a trying race. A great hills. Some of you are running up mountains and there are deep valleys.

Some of you are in those valleys. And what he says is that there's an expectation. There's an expectation that you'll be tempted to grow weary and to become faint hearted.

Some of you find yourselves there this morning. You Ah, You're exhausted. You are wore out spiritually.

You have spiritual fatigue. What they would've called in previous days, spiritual depression. You say one more thing is added to my plate. I feel like I will collapse. I'll Feel like I can take anymore. Lord, it just keeps coming.

What's his advice to you? It is to consider Jesus when you feel like you can't take one more trial, you can't take one more step forward in faith. He says, this is the encouragement. Consider Jesus.

We've not experienced what he did and he's set before us as an encouragement. He's set before us as an example, but he's also set before us as a help consider Jesus. He endured much more for us than we have to endure for him.

Isaiah in that famous chapter 53 says this about Jesus

is despised and rejected by men, men of sorrows and acquainted with grief as one from whom men hide their faces. He says He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, was pierced for our transgressions, was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was laid the chastisement that brought us peace. He then says he was opposed. He was afflicted, was like a lamb led to the slaughter, was taken away by oppression and judgment. He was cut off outta the land of the living.

He was stricken for the transgression of his people and yet it still did not end. It continued. He says he had his grave made with the wicked, though he had done no violence and there was no deceit in his mouth. The Lord crushed him, put him to grief. He poured out his soul to death, was numbered among the transgressors and bore the sin of many. The writer of Hebrews is saying, consider him Who did this for you And Ask yourself,

can I take another step forward in faith,

you see the wisdom.

The writer is noting that you and I have to have to throw off so we aren't encumbered and we have to use using Paul's language in Colossians three, we we, we gotta put on.

But it's not just that

we're to look away from the world, to keep looking to Christ, return our back to the world, to run away from the city of destruction and keep our eyes fixed upon the celestial city above. And Christ who is enthroned above at the right hand of God in glory.

He's saying keep considering him. This is the way. Keep looking to him. This is the way. And he's saying, you are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.

And as you have Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Jacob and Noah and David and Abigail and Nathan and Paul and Peter and Lydia, and you have Polycarp and you have Perpetua, and you have Felicia, and you have

Luther and Swingley and Calvin, and you have Lady Jane Gray and you have maybe your great grandma or your grandpa or your mother or your father or your husband or your wife or your son or your daughter, And this entire cloud of witnesses is surrounding in you. And they're saying To you, it is worth it.

Keep running. It's worth it. We've Seen the glory of God in the face of Christ. It's worth it. This whole Cloud of witnesses are surrounding you. Say It's worth it. Keep Going, Keep going.

You're almost home. It's just over Horizon And you get To be with him. And when you're there, it Is truly home. Truly home. You Keep running in faith.

Let's Pray.

Father, we are thankful for the great gift of faith.

We are thankful that sustain us in this race and we pray that you would remind us that is not enough just to believe in a moment, but that we must persevere in this faith to the end. Would you help us to do so by the power of your spirit, the great encouragement of the saints that surround us, and by the great example, and help that great pioneer and perfecter of our faith, the Lord Jesus, your son, our dear friend and savior.

Until we are home with you and we pray this in the name of Christ. Amen.