Following Until The End

One of the major disappointments for me over the last year of COVID-19 restrictions has been

on two occasions, a half marathon that I was preparing for was cancelled, but I had done

all the preparation. I had did three months of gruelling preparation. I had run the 22.1

kilometre distance twice while training, and it was very hard, and it was particularly difficult

when those events were cancelled. It was particularly difficult doing the 22.1 kilometres by myself.

It was especially hard to keep pressing on when I hit that wall of physical and especially

mental exhaustion at about the 17 kilometre mark. As we open up the book of Hebrews at the end of this

vision series, the letter to Hebrews pitches the Christian walk, the walk of Christian discipleship,

the journey of Christian discipleship, as a running race. It's a running race, a long running race,

a journey that the first recipients of this letter were struggling with. Hebrews 11 and 12 are crucial

for us to understand the message of Hebrews. You see, Hebrews is written to a bunch of Christians

who are on this road of journeying with Jesus, seeking to follow him, but who had settled into the world

and started to drift through life without focus, without vigilance, and without energy. At the beginning

of the letter, chapter 2 verses 1 and chapter 3, the writer declares,

we must pay more closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift from it. And then he writes,

how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

So the writer here is dealing with the disease of drifting, of neglect. It had crept into this church,

and these Christians are growing careless, spiritual lazy, and negligent. Chapters 11 and 12

are written to motivate his friends to keep the faith, to keep pushing forward, pressing on,

to keep running the race of discipleship. And they are written for us too. And so with these verses,

these three verses, we close out our vision series for this year and of our launch of our ministry

intent over the next five years. The key objective, as you've heard already and several times throughout

this whole series, is to see 65% of St Paul's identifying much growth in faith through this church by the

end of 2025. That is, we as a church want to run in such a way that the majority of us are growing as

disciples of the Lord Jesus. The majority of us are growing in confidence in God. So here's where I want

to head today. Three challenges, they're there in the St Paul's app. You want to grab that and open up.

Number one, run the race of faith. Number two, run it well. Number three, run to the finish and get the

prize. So first of all, run the race of faith. To get to Hebrews 12, you've got to go through 11. So

let me just launch into 11 a little bit. Hebrews 11 is known by some as the faith hall of fame.

What the writer does in chapter 11 is he overwhelms the readers with a list of those who have run the

race before them and got to the end, got to the finish line. And he sweeps through the whole Old

Testament, starts with creation. He mentions the faith of Abel and the faith of Enoch and Noah.

And when he reaches Abraham, he just slows down and takes a little bit of time to focus on the faith of

Abraham. He says that Abraham left everything behind that he had in order to go to a land that

he knew nothing about. He picked up everything and walked away to a new land. And he did that because

God called him to do it. He had faith and he had confidence in God. He lived out his days in a foreign

land without the support of family and friends and his tribe because he had faith in the God who had

promised him a better future. When he was very old, God promised that he would in fact have a son.

It was unthinkable he was that old. But Abraham had faith that what God said, that God had the power to

pull it off and a son was born. And after his son Isaac was born, God said the unthinkable to him

and told him to sacrifice this son to God. And Abraham was willing to do it because God was the

one who called him to do it. Even though it seemed like total insanity. He was willing to do it because

he had the faith in the God who had called it. He knew that God could even bring him back from the

dead if that's what was needed. The other significant figure here where he slows down and focuses on

demonstration of great faith is Moses. He's a man whose life was characterized by faith in God,

despite how hard it got. His faith meant giving up what would have been a wealthy and a comfortable

life in the palace in Egypt. His faith meant that he was often very alone in his leadership of God's

people. And the examples of faith from then on throughout the Old Testament, it just doesn't end.

The writer gets to the end where he goes, you know, like, you know, for time I've got to do

just a flying summary of all the highlights. Goes to verse 32. And what more shall I say? I do not

have time to talk about Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah and David and Samuel and the prophets

who through faith conquered kingdoms, admitted to justice, gained what was promised, who shut the

mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames and escaped the edge of the sword whose weakness was

turned to strength and it became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back

their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released so they might

gain a better resurrection. In other words, there's no shortage of incredible examples of faith.

And this list here in Hebrews 11 is amazingly diverse collection of people and demonstrations of

faith. And what marks each of them out is that they had faith in God. They had total confidence in God.

It was faith in God despite what he was calling them to do. See verse 36? Some faced jeers and

flogging while others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned. They were sawn in two. They were put

to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated.

The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in

the ground. What's also remarkable about this chapter is that it doesn't just give us examples

of people of faith. It also gives us insight into what their faith actually is, what faith is.

And there's three things. The first is that faith is not something that exists independently.

It's not something that you achieve independently. It's not something you can buy from a supermarket

shelf or something like that. Faith is always faith in. Faith is a word that gets used even today in our

secular age. It's not uncommon for someone who perhaps doesn't believe in God to say, well, you just have to

have faith. When they've got no other answers, no other solutions, unsure of what the future is,

you've just got to have faith. And when the word faith is used like that, what they really mean is,

I'm crossing my fingers and I'm just hoping the best. Wishful thinking. And so in our secular age,

faith is regarded as the opposite of facts. In public debate, faith is seen as the opposite of reason,

logic, science, and facts. It's the opposite. So when you want to reject the research,

you just have faith is what you have. But biblical faith is not what you have when you don't have

rationality and facts. That is not the Bible's view of faith. And it's not the kind of faith that we

see demonstrated consistently in the scriptures. When the Bible refers to faith, it always refers to

faith in something. It is trusting in the facts. It is stepping out with logic and reason. It is

agreeing with the God who has revealed himself and the way things actually are.

The faith that these Old Testament people had was faith in God.

This is faith in the God who made the world. This is the faith in the God who has consistently

proven himself to be good and right and true.

It's faith in the God who is powerful and able to achieve his purposes and proven again and again

and again to do so. This is faith in the God who is able to save.

This is faith in the God who does what he promises.

How do we know? How do we know that at the end of the Christian life, there is a resurrection

hope and there is life forever? Because historically in this world, Jesus rose from the dead.

Historical fact.

That's how we know. The one who was dead has come back alive and promises the same for those

who run the race of discipleship. It's faith in that historical fact.

Biblical faith is faith in God. The second thing that we notice here is that real faith

shows itself in actions despite the consequences.

All the people mentioned here in Acts 11 had a faith that caused them to act.

Noah had faith in what God said about flooding the earth and dealing with sin and he built,

therefore, he built a really big boat.

Abraham believed God and he picked up his family and he moved to a foreign land, a promised land.

Moses trusted God, so he gave up the life in the palace with Pharaoh and he led God's people out of Egypt miraculously.

He confronted Pharaoh.

With each one of these people, their faith in God was a faith in the God who spoke,

who shaped what, and this God shaped what they did and how they lived and that is what genuine faith does.

That is, faith is not some inner feeling.

Faith is confidence in the God who's revealed himself, of who God is, what he says, and what he does.

Faith is based on that knowledge and experience of God's faithfulness that results in God's confidence.

Faith is based on that knowledge and experience of God's faithfulness.

Faith is based on that knowledge and experience of God's faithfulness.

Faith is based on that knowledge and experience of God's faithfulness.

The final thing we see here is that faith always looks forward to the future with hope.

That's the definition, in fact, of what we're given, what faith is, in chapter 11, verse 1.

Now, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

This is what the ancients were commended for.

That is, faith is not, I just hope it works out, I really hope it works out.

How can you be sure and certain?

Because you have confidence in the God and what he's promised.

Because he's got a track record of coming through.

Let me just say it one more time.

That is why communing with God in his word four or more a week is so, so crucial for us growing in faith.

You don't build God confidence.

You don't grow in faith unless you are being reminded again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

How great and awesome and trustworthy he is and how he consistently fulfills his promises throughout history.

Unless you've got your face in the Bible and seeing that consistently, you don't grow in faith.

Secondly, the second thing here is to run the race of faith well.

Following a clear demonstration of lived-out confidence of God from those in the past,

the writer then here calls these Christians with a challenge in chapter 12, verse 1.

The word therefore at the beginning of chapter 12 connects the history lesson with the application.

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.

Now, I'm of the view that Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 to 3,

Hebrews 12:1–3

is the application for the whole letter of Hebrews.

That is, that therefore, at the beginning of chapter 12,

is not just about chapter 11, it's about the whole first 11 chapters.

And I think that the main take-home action point of the whole book of Hebrews

is that three-letter command in verse 1,

run, run.

Everything else supports it, explains it, gives motivation for it.

Run the race of faith which has been set before you.

Run it.

Endure, persevere, run, fight, be alert, be strengthened,

don't drift, don't neglect, don't be sluggish, don't stroll, don't meander,

don't wander aimlessly, don't take your eternal security for granted.

Run, as in a race with a finish line,

with everything for eternity hanging on you crossing that finish line.

Run.

Run the race of faith.

Follow Jesus in everything on the basis of Jesus' spectacular death and resurrection and ascension.

Show your confidence in God in the way the saints of Hebrews did

and just lived it out.

And to do that well,

we have to heed the two instructions which are in verse 1.

It says,

Let us throw off everything that hinders

and the sin that so easily entangles.

Take the last one first.

The easiest definition of sin

is attitudes and actions

where we choose to live life our way

without reference to God.

And contrary to modern thinking,

the life of sin does not result in freedom

it actually results in enslavement.

You are not set free.

You are not liberated.

Sin entangles.

It coils around you like a python

and it constantly requires you to sacrifice for it.

Constantly.

It trips you up.

It enslaves you.

It sends you crashing to the pavement

in the same way that if you decided to go on a run

with your shoelaces tied.

You could, you know,

crawl along for a bit.

As soon as you try to put some pace up,

bang, you are face planted onto the pavement.

So don't ever think that it won't happen to you.

Don't ever think that you've got your sin under control.

As 1 Corinthians 10, 12 says,

if you think you are standing firm,

be careful that you don't fall.

But city is not just high profile failures.

It is insidious and it's subtle.

A secret habit.

It's a character trait that you have just got comfortable with.

Anger.

Grumbling.

Greed.

Gossip.

Judgmentalism.

Selfishness.

The Puritan Thomas Watson urged followers of Jesus

to develop what he called a holy hatred of sin.

We must develop this if we're going to run the race

of perseverance well.

But we're also instructed here to lay aside

not only the sin which entangles us,

but also it says everything that hinders.

That is, every weight, every obstacle.

Things that in themselves may not be sinful.

But they do slow us down.

So last year when I was training for a half marathon,

I didn't wear what I'm wearing this morning.

In fact, when I went for a 5K run yesterday morning,

I didn't wear what I'm currently wearing this morning.

And this passage calls us,

if we're going to run the race of faith well,

we have to strip off.

We've got to take the layers off.

It says here,

get rid of everything that is going to slow you down.

Everything that hinders.

Quite literally what that means is every single weight.

One translation puts it like this.

Let us strip off everything that hinders us.

And the imagery in the first century Palestine is striking.

And the imagery that the writer the Hebrews picks up here

is very striking.

Because it is used,

this language is used in the first century

for athletes running in Olympic Games.

And what runners in the Olympic Games in the first century did

was that they ran literally naked.

And...

Oh no, sorry.

I do want to preach again.

They got rid of anything that held them back.

Anything that hindered them.

Every single weight.

Everything that weighed them down was stripped off.

And Christians are called to do the same metaphorically.

Do exactly the same.

Now, let me be clear.

This command here is absolutely revolutionary.

Absolutely revolutionary.

This is very helpful for the religious person.

This is very helpful for the legalist amongst us

who wants to live by boundaries and rules and stuff like that.

Because what it does is it shows us

that the fight of faith,

the race of the Christian life,

is not fought well

by asking what's wrong with it.

What's wrong with this?

What's wrong with that?

But...

But...

by asking another question as well.

Is it in the way?

Is it slowing me down?

Is it in the way of greater faith,

greater love,

greater purity,

greater courage,

greater humility,

greater patience,

greater self-control?

Is it a sin

is one question to ask,

but it's not the only question they ask?

We must also be asking the question

of everything in our life and our lifestyles.

Does it help me run?

Is it in the way?

Is it weighing me down?

I've been mightily helped

by having my very categories in life changed

in this way,

in the way I live.

And I commit it to you.

Do not ask.

Do not ask of your music,

your movies,

your parties,

your habits,

your friends,

your hobbies,

your career,

your retirement,

your relationships,

your investments,

your everything.

What's wrong with it?

But ask the question,

does it help me run the race?

Does it help me run for Jesus?

Hebrews 12 verse 1

Hebrews 12:1

is a command

to look at your life,

to think hard about

what you are doing,

to get ruthless

with what stays

and what goes.

We are reminded here

that of a simple lifestyle

to strip back our lives

and to be uncluttered

as disciples of Jesus

and travel light.

And so here's what I'm suggesting.

Pick a day,

half a day,

a few hours,

whatever it takes.

Get away by yourself.

Get away from the house.

Get away from the phone.

Get away from the TV,

the radio,

the chores.

Get away from other people.

Get away from work.

Take a Bible,

a pen,

and a piece of paper

and plan your run with Jesus

for the next year

and between now and 2025.

And on that piece of paper,

put two columns.

One at the top

called entangling sins.

These are the idols of your heart.

These are the treasures

that are pushing Jesus out

from being the treasure

of your life.

Things like approval of others,

materialism,

my work,

my family allegiance,

being an idolized parent,

being in control,

having power,

comfort,

achievement,

religion,

individualism,

image,

suffering,

helping others.

Whatever it is,

it's an idol of your heart.

And note on the other column

the weights,

the encumbrances,

the seemingly innocent things

that are not condemned explicitly

but you know

are holding you back

in the race of faith

of love and strength

and holiness

and courage and freedom.

Note the ways

that you make subtle provision

for these hindrances.

The computer games,

the hidden alcohol,

the chocolate,

the television,

the movies,

the work,

the hobbies,

the mobile phones,

the novels,

the people who weaken you.

What you'll notice

is that one or two

of those columns combined

you'll discover

they are the things

that are stopping you

from doing four or more.

They're the things

getting in the way

of you pursuing Jesus more.

Note the times

that are wasted.

Note the time

that's thrown away.

When you've made

all those notes

pray your way

through them

and formulate

a plan

of dismantling

those hindrances

and resisting

those sins

and breaking

the old,

old habits

that you've become

really comfortable with.

Then share it

with your community group.

Some of what you've resolved

and get them

to pray for you.

Find someone

who you can trust

and ask them

to check in on you

and support you

as you deal

with those things.

Let me just...

Today...

In other words,

you can walk

out of this building

and you can easily

just drift.

Right from now

you can drift.

Don't drift.

Even today

don't drift.

Don't drift

from this moment

right now

what's being preached

in God's word

into Sunday afternoon

and forget it.

Don't drift.

Don't even drift today.

Don't meander.

Don't wander.

Run today.

Don't drift away.

Before this day

is over

choose

that moment

where you're going

to run your plan.

Plan your run

with Jesus.

Thirdly,

run to the finish

and get the prize.

As we run

the race of faith

we are surrounded

by this great cloud

of witnesses

cheering us on.

Literally

a great host

of people

a multitude

who have run

the race

and have crossed

the finish line

and received

the prize.

And these people

are not just spectators

they are overcomers.

Each bear witness

to the hardship

and the triumphs

and to the final prize.

But there is one.

There is one

amongst all

that cloud

of witnesses

that we must

transfix our gaze on.

Verse 2

The term

to fix our eyes

on Jesus

is a term

that literally means

to look away

from everything else.

to be transfixed

to look away

from everything else.

This is a firmly

fixed gaze on Jesus

as if success

is totally

dependent upon him.

And Jesus

in amongst

this great cloud

of witness

is the perfect example.

He is our forerunner.

First of all

in the Garden of Gethsemane

he had complete

confidence in God

and he says to God

not my will be done

but yours.

Secondly

his faith translated

into actions.

He was willing

to endure the cross.

Thirdly

his faith

was based

on what lay ahead

the future hope.

It says

for the joy

set before him

he endured

the cross.

But he is more

than just

an example

of faith.

He is the author

and the perfecter

of our faith.

That is

he's not only

the one who

is amongst

the cloud of witnesses

he wrote the book

on what genuine

faith is

and

he's completed

it for us.

He's the one

who brings

our faith

into being

and he finishes

it for us.

Jesus'

entire life

was the embodiment

of trust

in his father.

Where we fail

every day

he didn't.

he perfectly

obeyed.

He lived

the perfect

life

that we

never can live

and he trusted

God all the way

to the cross.

He died the death

that we should have

died.

His obedience

took him to the cross

of shame

the shame

that we should have

received

the rejection

that we should have

received

for our

imperfection

for our

meandering

and dawdling

and wandering

or taking

different paths

in life.

And he did that

so that we could

receive the accolades

and the praises

if we have run

the race

in perfect

obedience.

Friends,

it is so

essential

for your

discipleship

that you

always have

the gospel

in front of you.

You know,

this 525

is not about

you pulling

your socks up

and trying

a bit harder.

It's about

growing

in faith

in Jesus

Christ.

God

confidence.

Our tendency

is to look

at the list

of names

in Hebrews

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11

and we

pass them

on the board

of heroes

of the faith.

And they

are.

And yet

even Abraham

and Sarah

failed God

often.

Rahab

was a

prostitute.

Jacob

was a

schemer

and a

deceiver.

Samson

was constantly

falling

to sexual

temptation.

He did

not think

with his

brain at

all.

All men

and women

of faith

but every

single one

of them

deeply

floored

with clay

feet.

They all

wavered

and they

did it

often.

Hebrews

11

is a

catalogue

of

imperfect

saints

who made

many

serious

mistakes

grace

but they

all

finished

the

race

with

faith.

Even

Samson

in the

end

finished

the

race

in

faith.

They

received

God's

free

gift

of

forgiveness

and

grace

and

they

finished

the

race.

They

might

have

suffered

consequences

for their

failures

but by

God's

grace

they

finished

the

race.

These

imperfect

saints

like

the

rest

of

us

were

in

fact

the

joy

that

was

set

before

Jesus.

That

is

his

future

joy

the

joy

that

was

set

before

him

the

joy

that

meant

he

scorned

the

shame

of

the

cross.

What

was

that

joy?

Let

me

quote

biblical

scholar

Leon

Morris.

He

looked

right

through

the

cross

to

the

coming

joy

the

joy

of

bringing

salvation

to

those

he

loved.

That

was

his

joy.

You

and

I

are

his

joy.

His

victory

is

the

guarantee

of

our

victory.

His

joy

is

our

joy.

All

of

us

who

are

disciples

are

part

of

his

reward.

He

has

given

us

the

gifts

to

ensure

that

we

finish

the

race

too.

We

have

his

word.

As

we've

been

reminded

through

this

series,

we

have

his

word,

his

presence

every

step

of

the

way

in

his

spirit.

We

have

fellow

runners

to

spare

us

on

when

we

hit

that

emotional

wall,

that

spiritual

wall,

but

more

importantly,

we

have

the

cross.

His

cross,

where

he

crossed

the

finish

line,

and

he

guarantees

our

prize.

Jesus

saves

us,

and

he

gets

us

started

on

this

journey.

That's

what

we

saw

right

at the

very

beginning.

We

began

this

series

with

Jesus,

the

one

who

rescues

us,

brings

us

from

the

paths

of

life

that

we

have

followed,

the

broad

ways

that

lead

to

destruction.

He's

brought

us

back

onto,

by his

grace,

onto

this

pathway

of

Christian

discipleship.

We

discover

he's

just

not

the

beginning

of it.

He's

the

enabler

for

the

whole

journey.

He's

the

one

who

is

there

with

us.

He's

at

the

end.

He's

the

goal.

He's

the

prize

of

the

life

of

Christian

discipleship.

The

race

of

the

Christian

life,

the

journey

of

discipleship

does,

however,

require

perseverance

from us.

That's

what this

Bible

passage

is

calling

us

to,

to run

with

perseverance.

We

must

persevere

if we

are to

finish

and

receive

the

prize.

For

you

young

people

in

the

room,

put

down

your

phones

and

listen

to

this.

especially

young

people,

everyone,

because we're

all marinating

in the

same

culture,

but for

young

people

especially,

you

exist

in a

culture,

in an

era,

in a

time and

space,

where you

value the

quick fixes.

Maximum

results with

minimum

effort.

We

exist in

a culture

where we

are

flippant.

We

flip from

one thing

to the

next

thing,

one

promising

solution

to the

next

promising

solution.

We

shift

from

church

to

church.

Our

culture

encourages

what

American

writer

Gore

Vidal

once

described

as a

passion

for the

immediate

and the

casual.

We

are easily

bored,

we are

easily

distracted,

and we

cannot

grow in

faith and

persevere in

Christian

discipleship

if that

culture

that we

marinate in

dominates

our

outlook

on life.

The best

description

that I

can have

of the

Christian

life

comes from

atheistic

philosopher

Friedrich

Nietzsche.

He

saw

Christian

discipleship

with

absolute

clarity

even

though

himself

was no

friend of

Christianity.

He wrote

it is the

necessity

of long

obedience

in the

same

direction.

Nietzsche,

what insight.

Unfortunately,

you didn't

live it.

it

powerfully

describes

the

pathway

of

Christian

discipleship.

This is

the life

of meaning

and purpose.

This is

the life

as God

intended.

Do not

chase

pale

imitations.

Do not

be

distracted

by

shadows.

Persevere.

We may

reach the

finish line

limping

or leaping.

We may

even

collapse

over the

line,

but all

true

disciples

will make

it.

such is

the grace

of the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

But we

will cross

the finish

line

because of

the means

that he

has given

us.

And we

will cross

the finish

line

more strongly,

more purposely,

with greater

joy, with

greater anticipation

as we fix

our gaze

more and

more on

the Lord

Jesus

Christ.

The key

objective for

Follow 25

is to see

65% of

St.

Paul's

identifying

much growth

in faith

through the

ministry of

this church.

That is the

majority of

us growing

more and

more in

confidence in

God in

the next

five years.

Oh, my

goodness, how

I would

navigate the

complexity of

life if I

was far more

confident in

God.

Young

people,

you've got a

whole life ahead

of you.

You will

navigate the

complexity of

life in this

world fundamentally

more easily

as you grow

in confidence

in God.

Our vision

is about

what we are

seeking to

do as a

church over

the next

five years,

but fundamentally

it's about

you.

You, the

individual.

Don't sit

back and go,

well, you know,

we've been to see

what happens in

the next five

years, see

where the

leadership goes

and how we,

this, this is

about you,

this is about

your journey,

your life,

your faith in

the Lord Jesus.

This is about

you growing in

confidence in

God.

This plan is

about your

journey with

Jesus.

So don't

meander from

this moment.

Don't drift.

Don't wander.

This plan is

about your

next step

in faith.

So what is

it?

That's it.