Rsbc 4/11/04
Sunday Night
The Book of Hebrews
Subject: “Looking Unto Jesus”
Text: Hebrews 12:1-3
Intro: We have just ended one of the great chapters in this book as well as in the Bible. He begins this chapter by using the participle “wherefore” which is calling our attention now to our duty as a follower of Christ.
Pink says : “Our present verse is a call to constancy in the Christian profession; it is an exhortation unto steadfastness in the Christian life; it is a pressing appeal for making personal holiness our supreme business and quest.” This my friends is what Jesus called upon us as his people and it is recorded in the Bible for us to obey. Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
In these verses we see a number of things that I feel that will enhance our Christian life, we will preach the text.
I.. “ THE CLEAR DUTY”....VS 1 “ let us lay aside”
This teaches me that we can do it are the Bible would not command us to do it. What are some of the weighty things that we need to cast aside?
The entanglements of life:
Worry, frustrations, trying to do something about something that we have no control over and fretting about it. These things wear us down, cause us to be down hearted and loose site of the race of that is set before us.
Listen to what Jesus said: Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
The burdens we are called upon to bear, are for our good and teaching us a lesson if we would but hear it. Nothing comes our way except it be directed by divine providence therefore let us lay aside these weighted matters.
Paul said cast them down... Peter said casting them on Christ for he cares for us. Jesus said come unto me ye that are laboring and are heavy burden.
Note what else he tells us lay aside “ the sin that so easily beset us” Whatever it is that you have the greatest problem with in your Christian life you must lay it aside. Paul gives us two main verse that help us if we would be heed it.
1st. The command and the help of that command:
Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
2nd. The specifics that we need to work on.
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
So you say pastor I don’t have a problem with these; but you will admit you have one, and I will show you if you will hear it.
A. If it is not of faith it is a sin: Romans 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
B. If you know to do good and you do it not it is sin: James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
C. All unrighteousness is sin: 1 John 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
So what these verses are telling me is that we all have a great problem with sin, it deceives us, it weights us down, it destroy’s us, it burdens us, it promises pleasure and pay’s off in pain, it looks good, feels good, and it causes unholy desires to rise up in our souls and minds.
Lay aside, run from it, as Paul told Timothy flea also youthful lust. All of these things will entangle us in the race that is set before us.
II.. “ THE RESPONSIBILITY’...VS 1 “ Run the race”
This race starts the day the Lord saves us. It does not end until we die or the Lord comes for us in the clouds of glory. Some of us have been in the race a long time and we see some progress in our life by the grace of the Lord.
In this race it is clear that we will need some things.
1st. That of patience..
Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; Is there another way to obtain patience well there is, the old prophet Isaiah said:
Psalms 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
In this verse we see that David clearly shows us two things, one that waiting on the Lord produces courage, two, it strengthens us. In another verse that we use quite often in dealing with patience is found in ...
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
When we were at the Bible Conference in Grenada Bro Bill Holiday brought two sermons on the bearing up of the eagle and the mounting up as an eagle. They were so interesting I would like to share something he taught us..
The span of an eagle wings is huge and what he does is sit and wait with his wings spread until the Lord sends the wind current that he needs for him to mount up and he knows exactly when that is. This is what the Lord means when he says they shall mount up with the wings as an eagle.
You know God has patience also listen to this verse in Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
Paul said Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
It is our duty and privilege to wait and have patience Hebrews 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
III... “ THE GREAT EXAMPLE IN THIS RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US: VS 2-3
There is no question to the saint of God that Jesus Christ is the example of all that we need in this race that is set before us. We know some have run the race and now are in glory with the Lord and resting till the judgement day. We know from these heroes of faith that they ran the race and met the challenge and laid down the burdens, and cast them on the Lord. In the word of God it clearly sets forth that Christ is an example...
1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
I know and I am convinced that we can run this race because of the following reasons...Two of them. One because Christ is the author of our faith, two because Christ is the finisher of it. That tells me that he is with me all through this race.
Paul said in Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
1st. Christ counted it a joy to do the will of his father.
Christ delighted to do his fathers will, which was to come to this earth and submit himself to kinds of discomforts of life. Never think that because he was God that he didn’t have a struggle in the human body.
Matthew 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
This is the example of contentment: 1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. Once again the bible says: Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
2nd. Christ endured his task which is another example:
a. Record that some endured:
2 Thessalonians 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
b. We are solders therefore we are to endure.
2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
c. Why we need to endure.
2 Timothy 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Paul so loved the Lord and his people that he clearly shows that he was determined to endure so that the elect could be saved. He knew that every burden, every valley, every mountain was in his life in order to lead him to preach the gospel for the elects sake.
d. The benefit of looking to Jesus in this race: vs 3
The fact” he endured... no question. The text puts it into the past, it is our prime example that whatever was herald at the LORD JESUS CHRIST he stood the test. This my friends is enough in and of itself to cause us to endure.
If you don’t do it...two things.
(1.) You will become wearied in your race:
Literally this word means to become weak, to become sick. How many Christians fall by the wayside, give up, because they have not considered the LORD JESUS CHRIST.
(2.) You will faint..
The Lord through Moses said to the people of Israel in the day of a battle these words:
Deuteronomy 20:3‑4 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 4 For the LORD your God [is] he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Jesus said:
Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Paul said again:
2 Corinthians 4:15‑16 For all things [are] for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.