Good morning church family! Welcome to those who are new. My name is Nick Lees and I have the privilege of studying God’s Word with you in the book of Hebrews today.

Dismiss 4^th + 5^th graders

Ushers + Bibles (Hebrews 12; page 1196)

Have you ever sat in a church service and felt like the preacher was speaking directly to you? That somehow, they read some pages out of your life or week and modified their message just for your sake? Believe it or not, even as the preacher, this happens to me! And I’m the one who writes the sermons. For me it happens as I’m reading and studying the text in preparation for writing the sermon. Often God works through His Word and the commentary of other godly men/women to teach and convict me. This week was no different. I have had the joyful delight of realizing “Hebrews is for me!” So, while I hope this series has benefited each one of you, I personally have been challenged to grow in my endurance and perseverance in the faith.

You see, I have found myself effectively standing alongside the original audience of this sermonic letter. Like some of them, I am prone to look away from Jesus and, as a result, to have a noisy soul as I look at the chaos of life in this broken, sin-cursed world. I can understand their temptation to be fearful, to look all around me for something in this world to satisfy me, and then to consider giving up in discouragement. Hebrews is written to address real-life struggles for people who are weary and discouraged and struggling to endure in their faith. Who hasn’t had a day or a season like that in their life? (That’s rhetorical, you don’t have to raise your hand. If that’s you, then praise God for his consistent grace in your life!)

When you’re discouraged in life or tempted to sin, where do you turn? Are you looking to Jesus? Do you have a faith that endures through these trials and temptations of life? These are real-world questions with real-life impacts. I’m under no impression that all our lives are going exactly as we’d hoped without any struggles or imperfections. We are broken and hurting people in need of a Savior!

The Good News this morning is that we have such a Savior in Jesus Christ. That’s what the author of Hebrews has held up so beautifully for us over these past months. Jesus is the ONLY source of salvation and through faith in him we can develop a faith that endures. Even in the face of great trials or temptations. That’s what today’s passage is going to teach us. That God is at work, even in our darkest moments or in the deepest valleys of life. That he is not absent when we are suffering, rather he is at work to produce good out of that suffering! If you know Jesus, you have a Savior who has shown you by his own example how to endure, and he calls you to persevere to the end by looking often at him, thinking biblically about discipline, and pursuing righteousness together. With that in mind, let’s turn our attention to the Word of God.

Hebrews 12:1–17 (ESV)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a 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, ² 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.

³ Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. ⁴ In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵ 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.

  ⁶    For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

⁷ 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? ⁸ If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹ 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? ¹⁰ 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 his holiness. ¹¹ 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.

¹² Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, ¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. ¹⁴ Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵ 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; ¹⁶ that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷ 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.

What a wonderful text! I am so thankful that God knew that we would struggle and gave us truth about developing endurance in our faith. The focus of our discussion this morning is a continuation of what we started last week…

Cultivating a faith that perseveres to the end

We’re talking about developing endurance in the race of faith! Now this presupposes that you have faith in Jesus. All of what we’ll talk about today hinges on the reality that everyone of us is a sinner in need of a Savior. That God is perfectly holy and righteous, and we are not. That, in fact, we have all rebelled against God and are in danger of facing his just judgment and wrath. This is the clear teaching of Scripture on the condition of our souls.

Romans 3:23–26 (ESV)

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Thankfully, God did not leave us dead in our sin, but he loved us and sent his own Son, Jesus, to rescue and redeem us. This took place as Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect, obedient life in our place and then went to the Cross to bear the wrath of God for us. It’s by his sacrifice that we are able to be saved. But a response is necessary! Faith! Believing in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and the salvation of your soul. In order to develop endurance in the race of faith, you must first have faith to begin the race! So, if you’re here this morning and wrestling with what you believe, we’re glad you’re here and I’d love to talk with you afterwards about how you can know that you have this type of faith in Jesus. Nothing would be sweeter than to hear your questions or concerns and work through them together.

Praise God for the Good News! Let’s turn our attention back to the text at hand and our focus of cultivating a faith that perseveres to the end. As we saw in verses 1-4, developing endurance requires us to…

1. Look often at Jesus

Let’s review these first four verses again…

Hebrews 12:1–4 (ESV)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a 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, ² 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.

³ Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. ⁴ In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

A key aspect to running with endurance is looking often at Jesus! He is our Champion aka the founder of our faith. He is the one who defeated sin and death to rescue and redeem us. Let’s not forget what we heard back in Hebrews 2:10:

Hebrews 2:10 (ESV)

¹⁰ For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

God the Father sent God the Son, Jesus Christ, to be the founder or champion of our salvation. And the path to doing this was through his death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus endured suffering to give us hope in the face of our suffering! Which is why it is so important to look often at him in our own race of faith.

“Consider him,” the author commands in verse 3! The Greek word carries the connotation of looking again and again at something. To examine. To observe carefully.  Consider Jesus! Look at him again and again. Examine Jesus. Observe carefully his way of life and his teachings. Why?

Because Jesus endured. He knows what it is like to face incredible hostility and persecution and suffering. He even endured the cross, where physical punishment and death met with the judgment of God for the sins of many. Jesus faced the worst treatment and suffering men had to throw at someone. But he did not run away or try to escape. He endured and even despised the shame of the cross because the glory of obeying God and accomplishing the salvation of many was worth it! He knew exaltation was on the other side of the suffering. For the joy set before him, he endured.

The author is quite transparent about his motives in verse 3. Consider Jesus who endured… SO THAT… you may not grow weary or fainthearted. There is incredible value in repeatedly looking to Jesus because by so doing you will be encouraged to persevere in the faith!

Who here used to or currently competes in a running sport? Who here has ever been invited to go running by someone else? If you’ve done either in your life, you know that it is very beneficial to have others to look to while you’re running. Seeing someone else running well challenges and motivates you to press on and not give up. I’ve always been a mediocre runner at best. However, in my adult life, I’ve run about 7 half-marathons and 1 full marathon. In every single one of those races, I would pick someone else ahead of me to focus on and my goal was either to keep pace with them (meaning not let them out of my sight) or to pass them. Looking to them helped me to run the race well! In my marathon, which was absolute torture and goes into the category of I’ll never do that again, it was absolutely essential to see other runners pressing on and completing the race. I wanted to quit so many times. My legs were cramping, I was dehydrated and without proper nutrition, it was miserable… But I knew I wasn’t alone, and I could see others pressing on. So, I pressed on too.

Now, that’s just a silly race that has ZERO eternal significance, but I think the point is relevant for our spiritual race too. Each one of us knows how hard life can be at times. Even if you haven’t faced persecution for your faith, we have all grown up in a world afflicted by sin and suffering. And we ourselves are creatures affected by sin and suffering. It is incredibly likely that we have all faced moments or days or even extended seasons where we felt like it was too much. “Lord, how am I going to carry on?! How can I possibly take another step facing what I’m facing?!”

Into this cry the author speaks, “Look to Jesus! Consider him!” Remember how he kept pressing on in the face of his sufferings and follow after him. Allow Jesus to encourage and embolden you in your race. As we heard earlier in Hebrews, he has not left you in the dust, he is here with you! Jesus is your perfect high priest who is constantly praying for you. In fact, recall these truths from chapter 4:

Hebrews 4:14–16 (ESV)

¹⁴ Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus has run this race before us, and he has made a way for us. He made it possible for you to enter the race of faith when he saved you and he is the one who holds you fast every step of the way. He is the one who will keep you in the faith until you cross over the finish line and your faith becomes sight! What a wonderful Savior!

So, in the moments when you are discouraged because you chose sin yet again… look to Jesus.

If you receive an unwanted diagnosis, and your thoughts begin to spiral… look to Jesus.

If people treat you poorly or hurt you… look to Jesus.

If you are weary of the noise/brokenness of the world around you… look to Jesus.

On the days when you are tempted to throw in the towel and think, “How can I possibly keep going?” … look to Jesus.

Look often at Jesus. As often as needed to persevere in the race of faith. Know that he has gone before you and prepared the way for you. Know that he is near to you and with you in the moment of need. Know that he invites you to draw near to him and call out to him for help and delights to provide it. And know that suffering will happen. Don’t be surprised by it. That’s part of the point here. “In your struggle against sin you have not resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” If you are a Christian, there ought to be a struggle against sin in your life. If not, you should be very concerned. And this struggle will not be easy or over quickly. It is a life-long process of growing in holiness. Which brings me to the next component of cultivating a faith that perseveres to the end…

2. Think biblically about discipline

In verses 5-11 the author transitions from the race metaphor for a bit to talk about the subject of discipline. But he clearly regards the two as interconnected. Discipline is part of developing endurance in the race of faith. So, let’s read the passage again and refresh ourselves on what it says.

Hebrews 12:5–11 (ESV)

⁵ 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.

  ⁶    For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

⁷ It is for discipline that you have to endure. (v7- Endure suffering as discipline – NET/CSB/NIV) God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸ If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹ 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? ¹⁰ 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 his holiness. ¹¹ 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.

Remember, he’s writing to an audience who is weary and discouraged! What does he tell them to help them to endure? To think biblically about discipline, specifically God’s discipline of them! Does it surprise you that he views this as an encouraging topic? How do you typically think about discipline? It’s painful! At least in the moment… But the temptation can be to think quite unbiblically about discipline and say, “Because it’s painful, it’s of no value. I don’t want it. I want to avoid it!” We regard it lightly and are wearied by it rather than viewing it as proof of God at work in us. Your view of discipline has a powerful influence on your life, either to promote righteousness or to run from God.

The author’s argument is straightforward. God disciplines those who are his children, and his discipline is loving and for our ultimate good, that we may share his holiness! The author makes his case from both Scripture and our experience with our own human father’s. He quotes Proverbs 3 where wise King Solomon is instructing his own son to think rightly about God’s discipline. Then he points out that healthy families have fathers who discipline their own children.

I don’t go to my neighbors house and discipline their kids, they’re not my children. But you’d better believe I am responsible for disciplining my kids. That is my job as a godly father. Earthly fathers, he says, discipline as seems best to them, which ideally would be right in line with God’s Word. However, we know that is not always the case. Since the point of this passage is not to make an argument for us to discipline our children, I’m not going to spend additional time there. However, I did want to point out that it is biblical to discipline your children and your discipline should be informed by God’s Word. Verse 11 holds out the ideal outcome of all discipline, whether from God or an earthly father, that it would yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Discipline is producing something in us. God’s discipline is producing holiness. He wants our ultimate good, to be like him and to be with him for all eternity. As his image-bearers and ambassadors, discipline is one way he helps us to grow up and more accurately reflect him. It is good for us to be subject to or under the authority of God in this manner. To not despise the sufferings and trials he allows into our lives. How can we respond in a joyful and willing manner? By thinking biblically about it. God is at work in this for my good and holiness!

If you think about it… Jesus had to suffer and die on a cross as God’s only Son, and this was according to the plan of God for the salvation of many… So it is not surprising that God would appoint sufferings for us to accomplish good in our lives and the lives of others. If Jesus was made perfect through suffering, then why would I be surprised that God would call me to walk a similar path?! And thankfully, these are not fruitless or meaningless sufferings, they are intended to produce growth in holiness and righteousness in me and in others. God desires our perfection in eternal glory with him!

The Greek word for discipline is paideia. It carries the connotation of reproof or training or instruction. It means that God is guiding us, as any loving parent does, to the best possible outcome. He knows how to produce holiness in us, and he loves us enough to take us on that journey, no matter how hard or painful it might seem in the moment. All discipline seems painful in the moment! But later… what does it yield? The peaceful fruit of righteousness. If you want to be righteous, if you want to be like Christ, if you want to enjoy the exaltation of eternity in heaven with God where there is no more sin, suffering, sickness, or death, then do not regard lightly the Lord’s discipline nor be weary when reproved by him. Embrace the training opportunities that God brings into your life.

Instead of, “God, how can I get out of this?” ask, “God, how can I acquire all the possible good out of this?”

• This ridicule for my faith
• This cancer
• This rejection
• This despair
• This chronic pain
• This relational turmoil
• This financial nightmare

Do you believe that God knows what is needed to produce righteousness in you? Do you trust him to do what it takes to produce it? The answer is easier said than done. I know the temptation to run, yelling, “I don’t like this! I don’t want this! I want ease. I want comfort! I didn’t sign up for this!” But what am I doing in that moment? I am saying, “God, I don’t trust you. There has to be a better way. My way. You don’t know what you’re doing. I do. Let me take the reins! I am a better God than you.”

Oh, we must not say that. No matter how hard the pain is, no matter how strong the emotions might be. We must not seek to take God’s place or reject him outright. That is a dangerous way to live. It is a path that will only bring further despair and destruction into our lives. If you’ve spent any time pursuing it, you know what I’m talking about… Taking things into our own hands and running from God’s will only amplifies our pain and distress. For the original audience, the author wanted them to turn to the Lord, not to pursue their own path of idolatry and walking away from the faith…

Hope and healing and the peaceful fruit of righteousness are only found as we endure through the discipline, through the trial, through the suffering, trusting God to accomplish his good work through it in us.

In his sovereignty, nothing is ever wasted or useless. God is able to force all things to do good to his people. In the Father’s hands, even our suffering has redemptive value. Will you think biblically about discipline as you run the race of faith? *pause*

Finally, the author returns to the race metaphor in verses 12-13, out of which flow some very practical exhortations for how to live. Let’s read verses 12-17 again.

Hebrews 12:12–17 (ESV)

¹² Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, ¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. ¹⁴ Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵ 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; ¹⁶ that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷ 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.

Our final takeaway in cultivating a faith that perseveres to the end is…

3. Pursue righteousness together

I’ve drawn attention to the corporate nature of this letter before and we must do it again today. The author is writing to a community of believers. He is speaking to them in plurality – do this together! Each one must lift their drooping hands and strengthen their week knees and make straight paths for their feet, but they do so together.

This imagery is pulled from Old Testament imagery in Isaiah 35 and Proverbs 4. He is commanding them yet again in a very intentional way. LIFT, STRENGTHEN, MAKE. These are calls to action for runners in the race.

Do not stay stuck in a position of weariness or discouragement. Do not allow yourself to stumble and fall in the race. Look often at Jesus! Think biblically about discipline! Respond to these God-given resources with strength and endurance! Pursue righteousness together and spur one another on in the race of faith!

We all know there is power and influence in the people we surround ourselves with… And the expectation is that the church, this community of God’s redeemed people, would positively influence one another to develop endurance and persevere to the end! When one of us sees another runner limping along and growing discouraged, we are to come alongside them, put their arm over our shoulder, and help them run. We are to shout encouragements and offer help in a variety of forms to keep them on the straight path that leads to the Lord.

At times this will mean offering help in the form of bearing their burdens in love. At other times it will mean confronting temptation and sin that they are susceptible to and currently believing. Look at verse 14 – you see the call to strive for peace and holiness. That means you are to prioritize these in the body. Each of us must do what is necessary to promote peace with others, knowing that we cannot control their response. At the same time, we are also to strive for holiness, which means watching out for one another and protecting one another from the deceitfulness of sin. This is important work because there is no entrance into heaven without holiness! He even told them to see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God… Again, emphasizing this is a corporate calling!

You must be willing to do what is necessary to protect and watch out for one another. How do you pursue and promote righteousness corporately? First, by prioritizing it individually. Being a man/woman who pursues the Lord in his Word, prayer, and the spiritual disciplines we see taught in the pages of Scripture. But then bring that into your interactions with one another! Preaching the Word on Sundays, studying it together in small groups throughout the week, praying for one another, and encouraging one another to practice the spiritual disciplines are all vital ways to accomplish this goal.

I am so thankful for the wise counsel Micaela and I received at our pastor and wife retreat in early May. We were both challenged and encouraged by some dear older, mature Christians to be actively memorizing Scripture so that we would have it ready when temptation comes. This was nothing new to either of us, but I will be the first to admit that I wasn’t taking it seriously. I had slacked in this spiritual discipline this year. And the fruit was evident. As I mentioned last week, I have been prone to believing lies. So, this practice of memorizing Scripture and practicing it with my wife has been invaluable to me/us! It promotes holiness in us and helps us run the race. And I will keep talking about it with you to encourage you to do the same!

How are you doing at pursuing righteousness individually? Are you steadily taking steps of growth in your race of faith? Maybe you’re here and you need to let others in. People in your small group or the pastor team who can help you run with endurance. Perhaps you’re stuck in a rut or not even sure where to begin. Meet with your SGL or a pastor and figure out a plan for growth!

How are you doing at pursuing righteousness together? With the body? Are you intentionally engaged in body life such that it is producing righteousness in you and others? Some of you are not committed to the church like Christ calls you to be. That’s where you need to start. Come every Sunday – don’t make excuses to stay home. Stick around and be intentional to meet others. Get connected to a small group and faithfully minister to others. Commit to this church family by pursuing membership and fulfilling your commitments to one another.

In verses 15-16, we are told to protect one another against becoming a bitter root and engaging in immorality. The bitter root imagery comes from Deuteronomy 29, and it was a powerful lesson against harboring an unrepentant idolator in your midst:

Deuteronomy 29:18–19 (ESV)

18 Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, 19 one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.

Allowing unrepentant sin to continue unaddressed is unloving both for that person and the health of the church. Their words and actions are like a dangerous poison, affecting and defiling many! A church who pursues righteousness together will be able to spot such a person and come alongside of them to call them to repentance and holiness or to protect the church family by removing them from their midst if they remain unrepentant.

Esau became an object lesson for the Israelites of such an unrepentant person. He despised God’s plan and gave away his birthright for a bowl of stew. He only offered up tears to try to get the blessing back, but not from a place of true repentance. This is a warning for us all. Godly sorrow over sin leads to repentance – authentic heart and life change – while worldly sorrow only produces grief without repentance which leads to death.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be a part of a community that pursues righteousness together. I need you to help me develop endurance and to persevere in faith. And I want to help you endure to the end too. We all know how prone we are to making excuses for our temptations and sin. “Just a little bit and it won’t be that big of a deal!” We are prone to avoiding accountability for our desires/actions. We allow sin to linger and live when we ought to be putting it to death! We need the community of believers to help us have victory over sin and to walk in righteousness. I don’t want to remain crippled in my sin. I don’t want to be in danger of turning from the Lord because I harbored secret sin in my heart. I hope you don’t want that either. We must corporately clear our paths and make our ways straight together, as we follow Jesus. This is the way that leads to life!

Let’s pray and ask God for help in living this way.

Pray

House of the Lord

June Prayer Handout – Rich prayer emphases!! (Missions month’s prayer handout?)

Prayer + Praise Night (This Weds @ 6pm)

Women’s Breakfast – Mission’s Emphasis (Sat @ ?)

Prayer, Meet Pastors, Welcome Gift (in back)