Sermon Tone Analysis

The apostle now turns to the application of the faith that he has laid out in the previous chapter.

Wherefore, because of all these who have gone before and have obtained a good report through their faith and are now our witnesses or spectators this links back to..

But unlike the gladiators in the arena that would be watched by spectators who were indifferent to their suffering and death we have these other witnesses who have actually gone before us and have suffered as we suffer.

And they don’t mock our suffering rather they are cheering us on and encouraging us in this challenge.

So seeing that these have gone before and that they have fought the good fight and have finished their race and now they are our witnesses then let us..

Lay Aside Every Weight

let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us

Lay aside every weight

When an Athlete prepares to run a race he wants to get rid of any and all weight which would slow him down.

Today athletes wear special clothing to reduce weight and drag, shoes that weight almost nothing so that they can be fast and increase their endurance.

Imagine someone getting ready to run a marathon showing up to the starting line with a backpack on and ankle weights, and heavy boots.

Now, he may train with some of these.

Perhaps he might wear ankle weight to build up strength and endurance in training, but on the day of the race he would cast off these things that would slow him down.

The Law

The cares of this World

The Luxury Living

And the sin which so easily besets us

Any sin all sin.

Sin that easily besets afflicts, oppresses us.

Sin weights us down, holds us back in this race.

When I think of sin that easily oppresses I think of addictions.

Sin which enslaves us.

People struggle with all sorts of addictive sins and they are oppressed and afflicted by them.

These sins hold us back in this race.

They drag us down and discourage us.

Yet here we are told to simply lay them aside.

If only it were that simple.

Well, by faith it is that simple.

Sin no longer has dominion over us

this is truth, this is God’s word, so by faith in God I know that sin has no dominion over me therefore, for the Christian addiction is an illusion, it’s not true, you are not addicted, God’s word says that you are freed from sin.

So by faith in God lay aside those sins which afflict you and oppress you, you are no longer servant to sin.

And yield yourself to God.

We must lay aside these things if we are to run in this race.

Run With Patience

In keeping with the image we are urged to run as the cloud of witness watch and cheer us on we run this race.

With Patience

We are to run this race with patience.

The word here means stedfast waiting for.

Those saints which now make up the cloud of witnesses waited for the promised seed of a women who would bruise the head of the serpent the seed of Abraham who would bless all nations and they ran their race by a stedfast waiting for the coming Messiah.

Today is the last day of advent which begins on the 4th and goes to the 24th.

It is in remembrance of the patient waiting of the old testament saint for the coming Messiah and the churches patient waiting for the second coming of Christ.

So we run with patience because we are waiting for Christ to perfect us.

We cannot apprehend that for which we were apprehended until we are perfected in Christ Jesus.

So we run but we wait.

The race set before us

This race is not our own choosing or by our own design.

Rather it has been set before us.

We don’t get to choose the challenges that will be set out before us.

We can only determine how we will face them.

Look Unto Jesus

Because He is the author and the finisher of our faith

Because He is our example

Because by considering His suffering and how he endured His affliction we will find courage and strength to run strong to the finish.

So this Christmas lets not get weighted down with cares of this world and luxuries.

Lay those things aside and run the race with patience Knowing that Jesus did come into this world, born in a sable as a servant but we look to His return as our King.

So look to Jesus because he is the author and the finisher of our faith.