How Can We Win the Race of Faith?

Everyone in our world wants to win, but the path to victory and success isn’t always easy, and some are easily distracted along the way. Distractions come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Sometimes those distractions are shiny objects that cost lots of money. Other times those distractions are things that demand our time and devotion rather than giving that same time and devotion to a family member or job. Sometimes we’re on Amazon or Facebook and we’re searching for something but we get distracted by another thing and we begin to go down a rabbit trail and waste valuable time looking for things that we never intended to look for - as a pastor put it just before COVID, “One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.” We’re easily distracted on our phones. Still yet, there are some distractions that are not phones, or places so much as they are people who distract us from the task at hand.

An organization called “Make a Wish” attempts to connect children going through difficult situations like cancer or life-altering surgeries with a celebrity who they admire and help them to make a dream come true. If you’ve ever watched one of these stories, get a box of tissues ready because you’ll need them, but it’s always interesting to watch the child meet the person that they look up to. In some cases it’s an athlete and their dream is to get to spend a day behind the scenes and inside the ropes with this person. Many kids have been successful athletes themselves, but whenever they are suddenly able to play a game of HORSE, Knock-Out, or even just throw a football around with this person, they suddenly are filled with nervousness and even some anxiety. They’re a little distracted from the activity itself because of the person that they’re around and the group of people who are watching them. This added distraction serves as a motivation for the child to try even harder than they normally would because they want to make an impression on the famous person or people.

As we move from Hebrews 11 to Hebrews 12, we move from the Hall of Faith to the Great Coliseum. We move from the past tense of all the giants of the faith of yesteryear to the present race that we find ourselves in today called life. It’s easy to look to the giants of our faith and get a little distracted as we run our race and to even get a little upset whenever we drop the ball… but as we’ll see this morning in Hebrews 12:1-3, as a Christian you can find encouragement in this Coliseum. As we run this race of life, we are to run in such a way as to win. How can we win? Maybe you’re thinking that you’re not very fast and that this doesn’t sound like a message of encouragement and hope for you… friend, are your eyes fixed on Jesus and His Word? Are you encouraged by the godly examples that we looked at in Hebrews 11? Are you running forward or are you dragging your feet in the other direction? Let’s look to God’s Word this morning and see how we are to run in this spiritual race!

Hebrews 12:1–3 CSB

1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.

Consider Jesus… Keep your eyes on Jesus… Run the race that lies before us. Friends, our life is not an easy one, but we have a forerunner, an example, a champion who has run the race before us perfectly and Who calls on us to simply follow His lead. As you look at yourself this morning, what is your fitness level? Not physically… but spiritually. Are you running, jogging, walking, crawling, or are you stagnant? This morning, let’s pray that God would help us continue in this race and for those who have not yet started, let’s pray that God would help us take the first step towards the finish line today. Let’s pray

How can we win the race of faith?

Realize the Crowd in the Heavenly Stadium (1a)

The people in the hall of faith have ran the race before us. They are in glory today not because they ran the race perfectly, but because they had faith in God and kept their eyes on Him. Because of this, the preacher of Hebrews says that they are currently a “cloud of witnesses” and are surrounding us. Because of this, this opening section of Hebrews 12 really belongs with the previous chapter because the focus is the same: Faith in God leads to action for God. We’ve seen that over and over in Hebrews 11 and now the preacher drives the point home with a “therefore” to demonstrate that this point concerning faith is not just a past tense truth for God’s people but something for each one of us today as well. God’s people have historically been a persevering people who demonstrate a life of faith with how they live their life and we must follow the example of countless others who have gone before us and who are currently in this “cloud” of sorts.

How Can We Win this Race? This section is an athletic metaphor - if you’ve ever competed in track and field, you know that there is a difference between running for fun (who does that?!) and running for a trophy. These saints of old ran their race well. They ran with the mindset to get a trophy at the end of the race. They experienced hardship, suffering, even death, and though some lost their lives along the way, they ran with courage and they walked step by step with faith. How can we do this? The exact same way - by faith. By trusting in the providence and goodness and faithfulness of our God each step of the way. As we do this, the crowd in the cloud encourages us to run the race and endure as, in many cases, they suffered far worse things than we can even begin to imagine.

How many of you have heard this preached and the preacher makes the point that as we run this race, these people are watching our every move or that we have someone in heaven who is looking down on us and watching our every move. Some even go as far as to say that their loved one has passed and will now be their guardian angel - y’all, I love each of you enough to shoot straight with you. There is nothing in the Scriptures to suggest anything even remotely close to these ideas. Humans don’t become angels when they die - that’s a good thing too because we see that Jesus came to save sinful man, not angels. But what about our loved ones in heaven? I’ve had this talk with family and friends, especially after loss. We’d like to think that they’d be looking down on us and thinking about us… but if they’re in heaven because they were saved by grace through faith in Christ, don’t you think they’ll be a little preoccupied with, I don’t know, worshiping Jesus!? See, if my loved ones were able to look back at my life, they’d be reminded of my sin. They’d see my suffering. They would be angry, sad, concerned, and upset… We will be too busy worshiping Jesus to feel any of those ways and to look back down here even if we could. These witnesses are not like the spectators at a Chiefs game watching our every move to either boo or cheer and buy $10 popcorn during the timeouts!

So why does the preacher bring up this cloud of witnesses? Because while they might not be watching us, their lives are a witness to us! They aren’t in the earthly stadium anymore, they’re in the heavenly one, but the way that they lived still speaks and testifies of God’s goodness and greatness! Those who have ran this race of faith well serve as examples and encouragers to those of us still running the race today. They are our witnesses - the literal Greek word is martyrs - to look up to and be encouraged by.

Hebrews 11:4 reminded us that even Abel, the first person to die, still speaks today through his faith! We think of friends and loved ones who have passed away and they serve as witnesses and their lives still speak to us today and they help us even though they are long gone. See, the life that we live speaks to people long after we are gone as well! We have to understand from the onset that the only way that we can run this race of faith and run in such a way as to win is to remember that we are not the first people to run. We’re joining a cloud of people who have followed Jesus Christ and lived a life of faith. We realize that this crowd has passed away and they are in heaven, but their example still speaks to us. We’ll see them again, but it won’t be in the earthly stadium… it’ll be in the heavenly stadium!

Restrain Yourself from Caving into Sin (1b-2a)

Who here has heard of the olympic runner from Scotland before named Eric Liddell? He was a sprinter who was among the best in the world 100 years ago. In fact, he was the favorite to win the gold medal in the 100m dash but he refused to participate in the race because it was held on a Sunday. He believed that for himself to run in that race on what he considered to be the Lord’s Day would be sin. He wasn’t casting judgment on others, his conscience simply would not allow him to participate, even though he was the favorite. Instead, he ran the 400m, a race that he was not the favorite, yet he ended up winning the gold nonetheless. Liddell did what his conscience as a believer told him to do and he ran to glorify His heavenly Father instead of compromising and doing what would have been convenient. As we reflect on what it looks like to live a life of Biblical faith in our lives, we know that walking by faith isn’t always convenient… but it’s always worth it - regardless of if we get a gold medal or finish in last place! We are to run well and as we run, restrain ourselves from caving into sin and instead rely on God’s power and follow His Word.

Think about the average olympic athlete if you’ve watched them race before - are they dressed in a business suit? What about a NASA outfit for an Astronaut? Why do they not wear those types of clothing whenever they’re about to run a race? Because a suit would restrict your movement and you’d look really goofy - in fact, if we’re being honest, some of us would probably fall down if we had to run a lap around a track dressed up like an astronaut… We laugh, but the preacher of Hebrews is calling attention to a serious point. Athletes lay aside those hindrances before they run! In the original Greek olympic games and in the Roman world, whenever there was a race you’d lay aside much of it not all of your clothing. This was serious stuff because people had a goal in mind before the race even started and that goal was to win and they didn’t want anything to slow them down. This is how we are to run as well according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:24

1 Corinthians 9:24 CSB

24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.

This is our call, church! We must lay those hindrances down and run… We’re in a spiritual race, but so many times we don’t lay those things down… instead, we keep holding onto them and we trip down the road and we wonder what happened. It’s because we haven’t laid aside these 2 things

Hindrances

Sin

How do we divest or lay aside these things? Hindrances is literally “the weight that hinders” and we would say that not all of this weight is sinful. Something that hinders your race might benefit someone else. Think of the things in your life that distract you from running towards Jesus. A friendship? Friendships aren’t bad - in fact, in the Bible we’re reminded over and over again that we need friendships! But we know that some friendships do move us away from Jesus. Young people, you need to be aware of this as you get back in the routine of school - there are some people who have lots in common with you and they might be funny and seem cool, but if they are not saved and tempt you to live in such a way that doesn’t glorify and honor Jesus, that’s dangerous. That can be a hindrance. Football fans, what about this one: a noon kickoff. You’re at church, ready to worship Jesus, and you look at the bulletin and see that we’re singing 9 songs, we’re halfway through the message and you’re looking at the time hoping, praying even, that we get out in time for you to get back home and watch the Chiefs game start. You will not find a pastor who loves sports more than this guy, but Sunday afternoon football can 100% be a hindrance to our spiritual walk. We can think of others - hobbies, passions, family members, and other time commitments that can hinder our walk with the Lord - we are called to lay those aside.

We’re also called to lay aside the sin that so easily ensnares us. To be ensnared is to be stuck or trapped. We know that animals sometimes get stuck or trapped in difficult situations… Think of a fly and a Venus fly trap. I watched a clip on how these plants work earlier in the week and its fascinating! A fly lands on the plant and starts to eat a little bit and all is fine, but the fly trap has several hairs throughout that, when touched, start a countdown of sorts, and once 2 are triggered, the fly trap slams shut and the fly is doomed. This is how sin is often times in our lives. We’re doing something and it seems harmless - we’re having fun or doing something that we love or we’re with our friends, but we all have temptations and sinful desires that are unique to us and able to easily ensnare us. We’re tempted and we’re like the fly that triggers one of those time bombs, we think that it’s not a big deal… but then we do it again and sooner or later we look around and we’re trapped in sin and the reason we’re stuck is our own doing.

How can we get out of this situation? What is the solution here? The preacher of Hebrews tells us at the end of verse 1 - we run with endurance and keep our eyes on Jesus! The way to avoid the temptations of sin is to trust in your Savior and follow after Him in faith. This isn’t an easy thing to do - it’s not as though we wake up in the morning and we have a temptation to sin and and we’re tempted to trust in ourselves and instead, we run a lap around the track and suddenly we snap out of it and all is perfect and well again - I wish it were that easy! The preacher of Hebrews instructs us to run with endurance. Do you know the literal Greek word for race? “Agon” - any clue what English word we get from that? “AGONY” - running isn’t easy. It’s hard. You’ll be tempted to quit and throw in the towel, especially with a long race like a marathon. It is estimated that 17% of people who sign up to run a marathon do not finish - this isn’t the average person, this is the person crazy enough to sign up for the marathon in the first place - and the average person makes it nearly 20 miles before stopping. Our life is like a marathon, it’s a long race - and there is a temptation to throw in the towel during the hard sections of the race! Now, most of us haven’t run a marathon, I certainly haven’t - but I have seen pictures of people running marathons and maps of the course itself… there are some miles that will come easier in the race than others. Some miles you feel fresh, you’re running downhill, the wind is at your back, life is GOOD! But other miles aren’t that easy… you’re sore, your body hurts, you’re running uphill at every turn and it seems like the wind continues to be gusting in your face the whole time. Don’t we all have seasons in our life that feel this way? What do we do in those stretches as we run? We keep on running and we run through the finish line! We don’t stop - we don’t turn around - we don’t throw in the towel. We restrain ourselves from the urge to stop running and we persevere.

2 Timothy 4:7 CSB

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

This is what Christians have done for 2000 years - we persevere and we trust in Jesus… and as we do this, He strengthens us and we trust in Him more. As John 3:30 tells us, He must increase and we must decrease.

CS Lewis portrayed this truth in the Chronicles of Narnia as Lucy saw Aslan from a distance and rushed to Him and was greeted with a warm welcome. She said, “Aslan, you’re bigger!”

Aslan replied, “That is because you are older, little one.”

Lucy was confused, “But not because you are?”

Aslan said with love, “I am not… but every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

Friend in this race called life, we are running in one of two directions. Those with Biblical faith are running towards their Savior and as you do this, you will find Him bigger year by year. John Newton put it like this, “Though my memory is fading, I’m reminded of two things. I am a great sinner. Christ is a great Savior.” We could say it like this as we know from the song, our sins are many but His mercy is more! We remember those who have ran their race well, we restrain ourselves from caving into sin, and finally

Remember Your Champion’s Sacrifice (2b-3)

Jesus is called the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. The literal word for pioneer here is the word ἀρχηγός (arkegos) which is also where we get the word champion. So let’s follow this argument from Hebrews 11 to Hebrews 12. All of these people end up in the hall of faith as they live out faith in a faithful God. They kept their eyes on the Lord and trusted in Him… now we get to Jesus. He’s not just faithful, He is the champion. He is the original gold medal recipient who ran His race perfectly and who strengthens and equips us to go and follow Him. How did Jesus become the champion of our faith?

Hebrews 2:10 CSB

10 For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—for whom and through whom all things exist—should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Made perfect through suffering… for the joy that lay before Him, He endured the cross. The word endure shows up 3x in this passage - let us run with endurance, Jesus endured the cross, Jesus endured hostility from sinners. We can endure well in this life because our Savior endured the cross to bring about our salvation. We are to have endurance and perseverance in this life because this is what we see Jesus Christ demonstrate during His earthly ministry. For our sake, He endured the cross… for our sake, He was persecuted and treated with hostility for us. We must remember what our Savior has done for us if we are going to win this race of faith and not give up - we must persevere! This is a theme throughout Hebrews

Hebrews 2:1 CSB

1 For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.

Hebrews 3:1 CSB

1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.

Hebrews 4:1 CSB

1 Therefore, since the promise to enter his rest remains, let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short.

Hebrews 6 tells us to mature and move on from milk to meat - Hebrews 10 tells us to not live in deliberate, unrepentant sin, Hebrews 11 tells us to trust in God and walk by faith… Over and over in this sermon there are appeals to persevere through times of suffering and hardship and continue running and at times we wonder why?! Why keep on running? Why keep on fighting? Why do this whenever everyone else seems to be running the opposite direction? Because we live for an audience of 1. Because of what our Savior did for us. Because our Champion suffered and sacrificed Himself for us in our place so that we could be forgiven. The preacher of Hebrews says that our champion endured hostility so that we wouldn’t grow weary and give up! Our race is a long one - it will encompass the rest of our lives on this planet. But it isn’t a race that we run in vain - our Savior has gone before us. He paid for our pardon. He conquered our opponent. He gives us strength and He holds us fast along the way. He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven and He is interceding for us even now. Though the race is hard, we know how the story ends! Don’t give up hope today - heed the warning of Hebrews 10:35-36

Hebrews 10:35–36 CSB

35 So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.

Friends, we live by faith. Trust in the Lord. Endure through hard times and trust in His promise.

One former Christian leader prayed this prayer that we must pray as well: I ask Christ for this one thing only, that He will enable me to endure all things courageously, and that He break me as a potter’s vessel or make me strong, as it pleases Him - Ulrich Zwingli

We serve a Savior who endured hostility from sinners and He endured the cross in our place… and He calls on us to trust in Him and to run this race with endurance and perseverance. This race isn’t an easy one, friends. It’s hard. It involves suffering. There will be sleepless nights. There will be heartache. There will be pain. There will be seasons that don’t make much sense… but do you know what is awaiting us at the finish line? Our champion who will say, “Well Done.” There is strength for today and hope for tomorrow because our Savior is seated down. Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can’t heal. We run this race with our eyes on Jesus knowing that in the end, He will be glorified, and doing things His way is for our ultimate good. Therefore, we pray that God would either break us or strengthen us as we seek to endure all things in a way that reflects Christ.

How can we endure? How can we run well? In the words of Kent Hughes, “We must be totally absorbed with Jesus.” As you look at your life this morning, would you say that you are “totally absorbed” with Jesus, or are you just a little interested with Him? Are you turning away from distractions or are you keeping them close by for when you want something else to trust in? Church, we must be centered exclusively on Jesus. Not on self, not on tradition, not on the way that other people are running. We must run with our eyes glued to Jesus and fixed on His Word. How are you running today?

If you are here and you are not a Christian, you must Consider Jesus

This text is all about Jesus. Hebrews is all about Jesus. The Bible is all about Jesus. Our lives must be all about Jesus. If you are here this morning and you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, I’m so glad that the Lord brought you here this morning because you’ve heard about our need to look to Jesus in every step of our life. We look around our world and see brokenness and hopelessness… friends, there is salvation and hope found in Jesus Christ alone. Consider what Scripture says about Jesus and your need for Him and respond today in faith.

Endure With Joy

If you are here and you are a born-again follower of Jesus Christ, based on this text of Scripture, we see that we will have hardships in this life just as our Lord and Savior did… but there is still joy to be had in the suffering and hardship. As we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will trust in Him regardless of if we escape suffering or if we have to endure suffering. There is still joy available to us through our Savior’s sacrifice on the cross.

Don’t Give Up

Christian, this life is hard. We’re overwhelmed at times. We’re exhausted. We’re suffering. We think that there’s a better way that won’t result in all the suffering we’re currently going through. We’re tempted to grow weary and lose heart as verse 3 says… but we can’t do this! We can’t give up. Just as there is a joy found in Jesus, there is an endurance found in Him as well. Look to your Savior and press on. Run this race in such a way that glorifies Jesus and when life tries to drag you down, remember that Jesus is your hope in this life and in death. He still holds you fast. He began this work in you, and He will finish the work that He starts. Don’t give up - finish well and run through that finish line like that cloud of witnesses did before you!

Related Media

Related Sermons