TITLE:THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS AND ENTANGLES YOU FROM REACHING YOUR

TITLE:THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS AND ENTANGLES YOU FROM REACHING YOUR GOAL

SCRIPTURE:

“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, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  (Hebrews 12:1—3 NIV)

OBSERVATION:

            The writer’s words serve as a powerful encouragement to believers, guiding them on how to run the race with endurance and perseverance.  The Christian life is not solely about the initial grace of Jesus’ love and salvation. These are the foundational elements that believers are urged to move beyond toward spiritual maturity.  The Christian life is a continuous effort, working out our salvation with fear and trembling.  Our salvation from sin and wickedness is a gift freely given by our Lord Jesus at a significant cost of life. This is the only free thing, and I have nothing to do with it. It is the Father’s gift of grace and mercy, a gift of immeasurable value.

            Our journey toward spiritual maturity is marked by our continuous effort to make righteous and godly choices. These choices, as the fruits of our salvation, are not always easy, but they are essential. The writer of Hebrews encourages us, reminding us that we are not alone in this struggle. We are part of a great cloud of witnesses, a collective of believers who have persevered through the same challenges we face, offering us their support and understanding. 

            Every race has preparations and goals to be achieved, and so does Christian life. Growth as an athlete worthy of notice does not happen automatically. Some efforts need to be made to realize the desired outcome.  Here is the list of things the writer encouraged the believers to do to endure in the believer’s journey with Christ.  Even though athletes sometimes prepare and train together, you run on your own for the medal in the race.  Personal efforts will be rewarded individually. 

§  Let us throw off everything that hinders…there are hinders in preparation for any sports event.  Discipline is necessary for my training if I want to last in the race.

§  Let us throw away the sin that easily entangles us.  Sin always trips us up.  Sin always hinders our progress toward being like Christ.  Sin is devastating to our spiritual maturity and must be dealt with.  To deal with the sins that so often entangle us is a personal issue.  I don’t know what kind of sin that entangles you, but I do know what entangles me. And I understand the personal nature of this struggle.

§  Let us run with perseverance the race marked for us.  Two things that I am reminded of are running the race with endurance.  Without preparation and discipline, I will lack endurance and perseverance.  The lack of endurance and perseverance requires more power to finish the race.  Another reminder is that I must run the already-marked race for me.  I can’t run anybody else’s race that is marked for them.  I must run my race.  So many people are running the race that was marked for someone else.  I must stay in my lane to the end.

§  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and the perfecter of faith.  The goal is Jesus.  My goal as a believer is to become more and more like my Lord.  I don’t want to become like my pastor or others.  I want to become like Jesus.

§  Let us set joy as fuel for the goal. The Bible speaks about Joy as the believer’s strength. Without Joy, I am without strength.  Joy gives us the strength to overcome difficulties in life.  The Joy of the Lord is our strength.  We need Jesus’ joy if we are to last and persevere in our run of faith.

§  Always consider Jesus, who endured opposition from sinners.  Set Christ as your model so we will not grow weary and lose heart. 

APPLICATION:

            I am grateful for this reminder and wisdom from Christ this morning.  It is so easy to grow weary and lose heart in the race. Christ must always be our goal and motivation in the Christian race. If I do not yield to these appeals, I will only grow weary and drop out. I am glad that the writer of Hebrews gave me these exhortations this morning as I run my race of faith. 

PRAYER:

            Father, thank you for your word today.  Thank you for reminding me to run my race faithfully and to persevere and endure in the face of difficulties.  I look to you and ask that you give me the joy of journeying with you.  I am so grateful that you are always there to encourage me to build and to guide my journey.  Please help me to learn endurance and perseverance.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!