Hebrews 12:12-17

I don't know if you noticed this week, I think it was this week, might have been last week,

I'm not a particularly careful watcher of it, but it was His Royal Highness Prince George

of Cambridge's first birthday this week, and there was a bit of a hoopla across the pond,

as they say over there, and maybe you do too, it was a celebration of this little boy.

I was reflecting on him because I was thinking, man, as a one-year-old, what a life he has in

front of him. He is the great-grandson of the queen, the grandson, yes, the great-grandson

of the queen. One day he will be a king. He will grow up as royalty. He will grow up as

a son of the king one day, most likely, and he has a path that's set before him. In living out this

great privilege and this great honor that he has, his life will be marked by certain particular ways

in which he will have to grow up, be trained, things that he will have to pursue in order to

live out the life that he has been given because of his birth. No doubt, challenges will abound.

He will have to grow up in manners and in protocol in ways that we never will, and I'm sure as a young

child he will find that difficult. Certainly his, both his father and even more famously his uncle,

struggled to live out the youthful calling to be the son of a king. And even today, if you read the

tabloids, it's still a struggle sometimes, isn't it? To live out this calling and to be who they are

called to be because of their birth. He will need training. He will need discipline. He will forsake

living a normal life to pursue this particular life that he has been given. And it will give him a

focus of his life that will either be a crushing burden or a great joy.

Friends, this morning we are going to look at Hebrews. We're continuing in our series in Hebrews chapter 12.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

Hebrews chapter 12. And what I want you to see this morning is that just like His Royal Highness Prince

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

George of Cambridge, for all who are in Christ, there is now a calling, a birthright, a future set before us.

Hebrews is picturing it athletically as a race to run, which is also a helpful picture,

like a marathoner, to actually be able to compete at the highest levels.

To have discipline and training and focus about what we are doing and how we are going to pursue it.

Hebrews brings these themes together in our passage this morning.

And it raises a question for us, for all who are in Christ.

How do we run the race set before us as children of the King,

as beloved sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father?

This is the question that our passage puts before us this morning.

So if you want to turn with me to Hebrews chapter 12.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

That's on page 1,000 and, oh, I forget to look at this every week.

9, 10, 11, something like that.

Is that right? Yeah? Okay.

Hebrews chapter 12.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

We're going to be looking at verses 12 through 17.

So if you want to turn there with me.

And as you're turning there, I want you to see the flow of thought in chapter 12.

Because if you remember, chapter 12 begins with this majestic statement that's so famous and well-known.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us run the race set before us, laying aside the entanglements and the sin.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.

Let us look to Him, the author 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 God.

So this is the beginning.

Therefore, let us run this race.

But then He shifts gears almost immediately.

And in verses 4 through 11, He answers a question that many of us ask.

If we are indeed children of God, if we are indeed in Christ,

and Christ has done all of these things for us,

why is it so hard?

Why has God not made it easy?

And if you remember, if you were here last week,

or if you look through verses 4 through 11,

the answer that He gives is,

it is not easy because God loves you.

And the things that are hard,

the trials that you are facing right now,

are not signs of God's abandonment or lack of care for you.

Indeed, they are signs that He loves you.

Because every father loves his children

by training them and disciplining them

so that they might know more of what is right and good.

So that in this context,

we may know God and His ways more and more

and live in the birthright that He's given us.

And this is the context that leads us

to our passages this morning.

Hebrews 12, 12.

Let's read it together.

Therefore, therefore, because we have this race to run,

therefore, because God loves us,

and so this race will not be easy,

therefore, lift your drooping hands,

strengthen your weak knees,

and make straight paths for your feet

so that what is lame may not be put out of joint,

but rather be healed.

Strive for peace with everyone

and for the holiness without which no one will see God.

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,

that no one is sexually immoral or unholy,

like Esau who sold his birthright for a single meal.

For you know that afterwards,

when he desired to inherit the blessing,

he was rejected for he found no chance to repent,

though he sought it with tears.

Let's pray together.

Lord, we ask this morning that your word would speak to us.

Lord, enlighten our minds,

encourage our hearts,

Lord, refresh our souls.

Lord, we pray this morning that you would give us endurance

to run the race set before us.

God, that we would not give up,

but that we would press on.

Lord, help us to see your grace

that enables us to do it.

Lord, I pray you would help me to speak clearly,

and I pray that as we all sit under your word this morning,

that you would speak to us.

We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Today, we'll look at what it looks like to run the race of God,

and to run the race as a child of God,

and we will see in our passage three things.

If you're taking notes,

these are your three things to hang your notes on.

The first thing is there is going,

there's going to be a description of the path to run.

The second one is about the pitfalls to avoid,

and our third point will be the provision to endure

as we run this race.

So let's look at these in order.

First, there is a path to run.

Look with me again at verses 12 through 14.

Therefore, lift your drooping hands

and strengthen your weak knees

and make straight your path

so that what is lame may not be put out of joint,

but rather be healed.

The rite of Hebrews picks up an evocative image,

and it's probably not hard for you to think

if you watch the World Cup.

Think about the guys running the field

at the 118th minute of overtime.

When the ball goes out of bounds,

they all bend over,

put their hands on their knees.

Basketball, they call it,

hanging on their shorts

because they're so tired,

they can barely stand up.

Or if you're a runner,

think of the toil

of those running the Boston Marathon,

hitting that 20-mile mark

and hitting Heartbreak Hill,

that long incline.

And think of the image of an exhausted runner

struggling, striving, drooping hands

and weak knees,

wondering,

can I ever make it up this hill?

This image is not original to the writer of Hebrews.

If you listen carefully to the passage earlier in Isaiah that we read,

there Isaiah was encouraging his people

in the midst of great trial and tribulation,

in the midst of great calamity.

He's encouraging them,

don't give up,

for your God will come and save you.

The imagery continues in verse 12,

or in verse 13.

He says,

make straight your path.

And I was thinking about this.

What is he talking about?

There's another place,

again in Isaiah,

remember Isaiah 6?

I think, no,

Isaiah 9.

Every valley will be lifted up

and every mountain will be made low

so that the way of the kingdom,

and it has this sense of

the paths will be straight

because they're going to be easy.

And when I first read this,

I thought,

oh, that's what this is about.

But you know,

I read this more

and I don't think that's actually what it's about.

It's about having the right path.

I don't know if you're ever a cross-country runner.

I wasn't,

but my cousin,

or my nephew was visiting this week.

He was telling me stories

about running cross-country.

And, you know,

a lot of cross-country routes

run through the woods.

You know,

he was telling me

about reading a copperhead on there.

He's from South Carolina.

It's a great adventure for him.

But when you're running through the woods,

right,

you want to stay on the path

because if you stray off the path,

how much harder is it to run?

How much more difficult is it to run?

And particularly when,

as the writer points out,

when you're already lame,

right,

he's assuming that we are all lame,

that we all have particular weaknesses

of our joints

or of our muscles

where we're struggling to keep going.

And when we make it that much harder,

when we have to fight through the underbrush

and when we can't see

the hidden pitfalls under the leaves,

when we hit those things,

what happens?

We get thrown out of joint altogether.

We dislocate.

It's the best translation of that word.

He says,

that's why you need to run straight on the path

because when you run straight on the path,

even those places where you are weak

with a straight path

heading to the right goal,

you will actually find

not greater harm

but healing.

So the writer of Hebrews

picks up these two images

about running,

about running the race

and how do we do it

leading up to verse 14

where he makes clear

what is he talking about here?

What is he getting at?

So look with me at verse 14 again.

He says,

strive for peace with everyone

and for the holiness without which

no one will see the Lord.

A couple of observations here.

The writer is saying,

do you remember?

The goal is God.

The goal is that you can have fellowship with God.

Remember the writer of Hebrews

way back in chapter 10.

Now that Christ has entered into the holy place,

now you can draw near to God.

And he has assumed

that this is a precious

and beautiful thing

that we all want,

that we want to be with God.

The writer of Hebrews says,

in order to do that,

we must strive

for peace and holiness.

The picture of striving,

it's again an evocative word

that has a picture of

like bloodhounds on the chase.

There's a single sense

and a single goal

and they're pursuing it

over and over and over again.

Or again,

like a marathon runner

who has one goal

in running the race,

to finish,

to reach the finish line,

to not give up.

And so we are to pursue

this calling

of reaching to God

and actually drawing near to Him.

And he says,

how do we do that?

How do we lift up

our drooping hands?

How do we

make straight our paths?

We do it by pursuing

peace and holiness.

Now, the writer of Hebrews

has reminded us earlier,

peace is what comes

when we are rightly related

to God.

It is a gift

that God gives us

where the wrath

against sin

that God has,

the wrath that God has

against evil in the world

and injustice

and unrighteousness

that is both

in the world out there

but also in our hearts,

the wrath

against us

is removed

because of Christ.

And so we have peace

with God.

And then that peace

then allows us

to live a life

not of struggling

and striving

against one another

but of running

together

this race.

And don't forget,

friends,

that this race

is being run

for the Hebrews,

for the audience

that he's writing to.

It's happening

in the context

of persecution.

Do you remember

chapter 10?

You suffered

these things

and you did so gladly

and with joy.

They've already seen

persecution

and it seems

that the fear

of more persecution

is on the horizon.

Let me ask you this.

When life gets

really hard,

how easy is it

to be peaceful

with those around you?

Right?

When your stress level

rises,

when fear

begins to creep

into your heart,

when doubt

about God's love

for you

and His goodness

for you

begin to control

your heart,

what do you do?

I know what I do.

I get really selfish.

My life becomes

about me

and my agendas

and my taking care

of myself.

And you know

what it always does?

It makes me short

with my kids.

It makes me difficult

with my wife.

It makes me critical

of the others around me.

It makes me hard

to work with

in the office.

It is hard

to pursue peace

in the midst

of trial.

The author

of Hebrews

is telling us

that we need

to keep going

because this peace

is something

that God has given

us in Christ.

And because

we have it

from Him,

we are able

to,

even in the midst

of trial,

pursue it.

Not only that,

he says to pursue holiness.

Now,

I have to admit,

this feels like

it comes out of the blue

in the writer,

almost.

Verse 4

of chapter 12

mentions

in your struggle

against sin,

you have not

gotten to the point

of shedding blood.

But we haven't seen

a lot in the book

of Hebrews

up to this point

about how to live

a holy life

that is a life

set apart

for God,

a life that pursues

His righteousness,

that submits

all that we are

and all that we do

to God's control

and God's instruction

and God's direction.

But again,

it made sense to me

when I started

to think of

what is it like

to run a race

when it's really hard?

And again,

when you're facing

trials,

when you're facing

immense pressures,

maybe you've experienced

what I've experienced

and that is that

the temptation

to forsake

a pursuit of holiness

is really easy.

I'm just so tired.

I don't have the energy

to do the right thing.

Or sometimes it's

I feel so beat up.

Can't I just get something

to make my life

a little easier?

A little snack

from the fridge?

A little click

on the link?

A little bit

of juicy gossip

dropped in a phone conversation?

A little cutting corners?

My taxes?

Whatever it is.

All these little things

that just alleviate

our pressure

a little bit

or give us

this little moment

of joy?

But that's not holiness,

is it?

And when we're tired,

it's hard

to pursue holiness.

But friends,

the writer of Hebrews

wants us to remember.

Chapter 10,

we'll look at us.

Go back and look at it

again sometime.

Chapter 10,

verse 10 and 14.

Christ has cleansed

our consciences.

He has purified

our hearts

so that we are able

to pursue

righteousness.

So that we are able

to pursue holiness

rightly.

Friends,

this is the challenge

that Prince George

will face

as he grows up.

Will he stay

on the track

of living out

of who he is?

Friends,

that's how holiness

is.

Holiness is saying,

I'm a child of God.

I have been brought

into his kingdom.

I have been named

an heir

of the kingdom

of God.

I'm a member

of his family.

Now I need

to live like it.

And just like

Prince George,

it will make us

different

from the world

around us.

it will mean

we will not

do things

that the world

will do.

It will mean

we will do things

that others

will seem

to think

is crazy

or odd.

But as we

pursue this,

it is this

that perpetuates

our

drawing near

to God.

Our holiness

is a part

of our

drawing near

to God

as our

Heavenly Father

who loves us.

As we allow

him to instruct

and shape

our lives.

So this is

how we're

to run

the race.

To not

give up

the foot

of Heartbreak

Hill,

but to

strengthen

our limbs

by seeing

God.

And knowing

that the goal

is worth it.

And making

the path

straight.

And pursuing

peace

and holiness.

This is

what the

writer of

the Hebrews

encourages

us to

do.

Friends,

it's easy

for us

to grow

weary.

It's easy

for us

to want

comfort and

ease in

the moment

rather than

the finish

line and

the goal

that's set

before us.

God wants

us to run

with form.

God-shaped

form.

Godliness

shaped form.

As we

run before

it.

We have

to forsake

the selfishness

that so

easily creeps

in in the

face of

trial and

temptation.

What does

this look

like?

I was

thinking

through some

of the

great Christian

biographies

that I

love to

read.

Helen

was a

missionary

to Africa

in the

middle of

the 20th

century.

She was a

missionary

through the

transition from

the colonial

period and

suffered

deeply

for her

commitment to

stay with

her church

and with

her ministry

as the

battle line

swept over

their location

again and

again.

She, in

fact, in

the face of

great pressure,

did one of

the most

remarkable

things, one

of the most

remarkable ways

of pursuing

peace with

others.

she gave

herself in

place of

some young

Catholic

nuns who

were about

to be

assaulted by

the rebel

soldiers as

they swept

through.

She saw

in that

moment an

opportunity

not to

turn inward

on herself

and just

try to

protect

herself

through it,

but to

actually give

herself for

the sake

of others.

She ran

the race

at a

great cost

to herself

and suffered

deeply for

it, and

yet, as

she wrote

about it

in hindsight,

she said,

God gave

me this

privilege to

be his

daughter in

that moment,

to have a

fellowship with

my Lord

that could

not come

if I had

turned away

from it,

you all

probably know

the story

of Eric

Little,

the English

runner in

the beginning

of the 20th

century,

1922 Olympics,

he said that

he would not

run on

Sabbath by

conviction.

The

preliminaries

for his

favored race

was that

day,

but he

lived as

his son

set apart.

it's a

great movie,

Chariots of

Fire,

if you want

to see his

story, and I

think him

fairly well

represented in

it.

He did not

live to please

anyone, he

did not live to

please himself,

he lived to

please God,

no matter what

the cost.

He didn't run

in his favorite

race.

He never

medaled in

it.

He had other

successes, God

chose to bless

him with that.

But as he ran

the race, he

could see the

goal in front

of him, and it

wasn't a gold

medal at the

Olympics, and it

wasn't world

fame, and it

wasn't success at

the thing that he

had invested

everything in.

it was that he

would be faithful

to his God.

Having looked

at then the

path to run,

the writer of

Hebrews goes on

to point out

pitfalls for us

to avoid.

Look with me at

verses 15 through

17.

One of the

things that's

important to see

is this whole

passage has

plural

nouns.

It's really

hard in our

English, you

know this, to

see you.

You in English

is both singular

and plural.

It's easy to

think of a lone

runner running

this race, but

in fact, all of

the you's in

this passage are

plural.

And so he's not

speaking to an

individual per se,

but he's speaking

to a community

saying, run this

race that's set

before you, and

here we see, see

to it that you

don't fall into

these pitfalls

before you.

See to it not

just by watching

your own life, but

by encouraging and

strengthening and

even challenging

one another to run

the race.

So he says, see to

it that you don't

fall into these

things.

And I think there's

a progression in

these pitfalls.

The first one is

don't fall short

of the grace of

God.

That is, don't

fall short of

attaining or taking

hold of or living

in or depending

upon the grace of

God that God has

shown you in

Christ.

What is this?

Well, if you've

been here for the

whole year, then you

know, because it's

what the writer of

Hebrews wrote about

for chapters and

chapters and

chapters.

But if you're new

here, let me try to

summarize the

richness of this

book.

God in Christ has

done the amazing

work of removing

the stain of our

sin by offering

his son, Jesus

Christ, to take

that sin and the

penalty for it and

the stain of it

upon himself, dying

on the cross in

our place so that

we might not bear

the reproach and

the judgment and

the wrath of God

against that sin,

but rather we

might know that we

are able to draw

near to God as

sons and daughters

of the King because

of what Christ has

done.

This is the grace

of God.

There is nothing

that you can do to

make yourself

acceptable to God,

but God has done

everything that is

necessary in

Christ, and you

are called simply

to receive this by

faith and believe

it.

And friends, as the

Hebrew church knew

and as we know,

it can be hard to

keep going in that

grace, to keep

clinging to that

grace and that

truth alone.

Our hearts are so

bent to want to do

it on our own, and

then as we see when

life gets really

hard, we want to

give up.

And so he warns

us, don't let go

of that.

Don't lose sight of

what God has done

for you in Christ.

When you lose sight

of that, you've

begun to wander from

the path.

And then, the next

thing that he says

is the next step.

See to it that a

root of bitterness

doesn't grow up in

your heart.

See, friends, when

we lose sight of

God's goodness to us

in Christ, the

objective work that

God has done for us

for all time, then

when we face trials,

it's really easy for

self-pity to rise in

our hearts.

It's really easy to

think, God, why are

you doing this to me?

I don't deserve this.

God, this is too

hard.

I can't do this.

And a root of

bitterness begins to

grow up in our

hearts.

We become bitter

towards God.

God, why couldn't

you make this easier?

God, why couldn't

you take this away?

God, why can't you

give me the thing

that I really, really

want?

And bitterness

takes root in our

heart.

And we can come to

church for years

and live with this

root of bitterness

in our heart.

And in it, as it

says in verse 15,

it causes trouble.

Because when we have

lost sight of the

grace of God and when

bitterness and this

questioning and this

doubting rises up in

our hearts, it begins

to then affect how we

serve in the church, how

we have fellowship with

one another.

Suddenly, God is not a

delightful one that we

come to worship every

Sunday.

We come and we do it

out of duty or out of

habit.

Our fellowship with one

another becomes weak.

Because we can't exhort

one another, God is

faithful.

God has taken hold of

you.

God will take care of

you.

Which is what all the

book of Hebrews has been

about.

When the root of

bitterness takes hold,

we can't do that to one

another.

And so not only is your

life impoverished, but

those around you lack the

encouragement that they

need.

And so we resent the

calling to holiness.

We resent the desire to

pursue peace in our hearts.

And this leads us then to the

third thing.

Don't be sexually immoral or

irreligious.

Do you remember Esau?

What did Esau do?

Go back and look at the story

after church this morning.

In Genesis 25, Esau was the

older son, the one who had the

birthright of being the son of

Isaac, which meant that he was

the son of the promise, Abraham,

Isaac, and it should have been

Esau in the normal course of

human relationships.

He had that place because he was

first born.

And he came home one day and he

was hungry and he was tired.

And he looked at his brother who

was a farmer and he said, can I

have some of your stew?

Your lentil stew because you're

not a hunter.

So it's vegetarian.

And Jacob, seeing the

opportunity, said, sell me your

birthright.

Well, that's kind of shocking.

But even more shocking is Esau's

response.

Well, without your soup, I'm going

to die.

So what does it matter?

Sure.

It's basically what he says.

He says, I'm so hungry and tired,

I'm going to die.

My birthright is worth nothing.

He despises it.

He treats it as cheap.

And he gives it away.

He didn't see or he had lost

sight of how his birthright was

connected to the promise to

Abraham that God would bless him

and his descendants and make his

family great and make it a

blessing to the whole world.

Now, interestingly,

in Genesis,

Moses reminds us of that.

Chapter 26, right after this

account, God comes to Isaac and

reaffirms the covenant to him,

reminding us of the foolishness

of Esau.

He traded something

eternal,

something of immeasurable value,

the promise and favor of God

for a fleeting pleasure,

for a bowl of soup.

He lost sight of God.

How easy it is,

particularly when we are facing

trial,

when we are facing persecution,

when it's costly to continue to

run the race.

When we lose sight of God's grace

for us in Christ,

when we begin to doubt and question

God's goodness to us,

at that moment,

friends, do not deceive yourself.

You are on the edge of exactly

where Esau was.

It is so easy at that moment

to sell your birthright

for a pot of soup.

It is so easy to give up

running the race,

pursuing peace and holiness

for a momentary pleasure.

It might be the pleasure of

blowing up at your kids

and yelling at them

because they've done it again

and it just kind of drives you crazy.

And when you lose sight

of the grace of God,

you take it out on them in anger.

The writer of Hebrews is explicit here

and he'll pick this up

in chapter 13.

But how easily

the power of sexual pleasure

can grip us

in those moments of weakness.

Whether it be

late night internet pornography,

whether it be

a late night

hanging out with your girlfriend

that begins to slip far beyond,

whether it be

the dalliance of

that co-worker

across the hall

who just seems to be

really interested in you.

How easily our hearts

wander

from the path of holiness

and the area

of sexual morality.

How easily we forsake

faithfulness to God,

a pursuit of purity

for a moment of pleasure.

And friends,

we're never thinking about it

as selling our birthright

as children of God

when we do it.

Rarely.

Rarely are we thinking about it

when we do it.

But the writer of Hebrews

wants us to remember that

and to see that.

Often it's a little thing.

At times it's a big thing.

It's a big decision.

You've just had it.

You've had it with God.

You've had it with how hard

your life is

and you just are ready

to chuck the whole thing.

I'm going to go find

something else to do.

Eat, drink, and be merry

for tomorrow we die.

That actually sounds

really good to me today.

Why would I want

to pursue God

if I've lost sight

of His grace

and if I'm doubting

His love?

It's not very valuable

to us anymore.

And it's easy.

It's easy to say

I'm just going to pursue

this affair.

I'm going to embezzle

the money.

I'm going to beat

the heck out of this guy

who I don't like.

Whatever it is

we just lose it.

And there's a warning.

Verse 17 reminds us

of the warning

that we've seen

throughout Hebrews.

There's a warning

that when we have

walked down this road,

when we have put

our feet in the steps

of these pitfalls,

rather than making

our paths straight,

our hearts are hardened.

Look at it with me

because I want you

to make sure

you get it right.

For you know

that afterwards

when Esau desired

to inherit the blessing,

which is separate

from the birthright,

you look at the story,

he wanted,

he had given up

the birthright,

but he went,

he wanted the blessing

from his father.

Jacob snuck in

and stole that too.

And so he couldn't

get either of it.

So he was rejected

and he found no chance

to repent,

though he sought it

with tears.

Friends, he didn't seek

repentance with tears.

It's not that he couldn't

repent in that moment.

It's that he sought

the blessing

and he couldn't repent

because his heart

was so fixated

not on pleasing God,

not on the promises

of God,

but on the momentary

value of the blessing

from his father.

And he couldn't

turn away from that

because he had set

his heart on it

for so long.

Friends,

when we walk

in these pitfalls,

we need to recognize

that we are hardening

our heart

against the truth

of the gospel.

people.

But the good news,

friends,

is that this is in here

not because you are

a lost cause.

If you're feeling

that right now,

let me state

very clearly,

you are not

a lost cause

because it's in here

as a warning to you

so that you

can turn back today.

So that you can say,

I don't want to walk

in those pitfalls anymore.

I want to run

the race again.

And for all of us

this morning,

the question is,

how do we do that?

Having looked at the path

and the pitfalls then,

what is God's provision

for us?

If it was just

running a marathon,

the coach would be,

try harder,

do more,

train better,

focus your mind,

you can do this,

strive,

strive,

strive.

But friends,

the beauty of the

Christian life

is that we are

meant to strive

and we are meant

to strive

and we are meant

to discipline ourselves

and we are meant

to be careful

and we are meant

to be focused.

But we are meant

to do that

not as the achievement

of these things,

but as the result

of what God

has done

for us.

the key

is all the way

back in chapter 12,

verse 2.

We are to look

to Jesus.

We must look

to Him.

Verse 3,

we are to consider

Him.

Why?

Well,

friends,

because

Esau sold

his birthright

for an easy meal.

But Jesus,

Jesus had a birthright

of greater glory,

of greater value.

And you know what?

He didn't abandon it

even when it meant

that He would go

to the cross.

Jesus is the Son of God

and in His calling

as the Son of God,

He was going

to walk

the path

of condemnation

for sinners

like you and me.

He embraced

that path

and said,

not my will,

but your will

be done.

And rather than

selling His birthright,

He embraced it

at the cost

of His very own life.

Esau said,

what worth

is my birthright,

I'm going to die.

Jesus said,

my birthright means

I am going to die

and I'm going to embrace that.

I'm going to make it mine.

And He walked that path

and He ran that race

for us

to win us back,

to rescue us.

Jesus has run the race

ahead of us.

so that

we might know

God.

So that we might

be adopted

into His family

as sons and daughters.

So that we might

inherit with Him

this birthright

of being children

of God

and drawing near to Him

as a loving

Heavenly Father

who in the midst

of the fiercest trials

and the deepest

persecutions

is showing

His Father love

for us.

Training us

to live

as His children

in this world

as we look ahead

to the finish line.

The finish line

when we will know

the well done,

good,

and faithful servant.

When we will know

the embrace

of the Father

in heaven.

When all of our

striving against sin

will be done

when all the powers

that stand against God

will be overcome.

That's the finish line

that we're looking

forward to.

Jesus ran that race.

Hebrews 5.8

reminds us of this.

He learned obedience

through suffering.

Not because He was imperfect,

but because in His perfection

as He suffered

He affirmed

over and over

and over again

that He would be

the obedient Son

who would not forsake

His birthright for us.

And this is what

the Hebrews,

the writer of the Hebrews

wants us to hear.

Brothers,

sisters,

don't give up

your birthright.

Don't lose heart.

No matter how hard it is,

Christ has run

the race before you.

He has shown you

the way

to keep going.

He is teaching us

to run.

And yes,

it involves

the discipline

of pursuing holiness,

of being set apart,

of allowing

God's Word

to shape

everything we do

and how we think

and what we value.

It is pursuing

peace

first with God

and then with one another

at great cost

to ourselves,

pursuing reconciliation

and unity

through service

and sacrifice.

But friends,

we pursue this

because we can look

to Jesus,

because He is not only

the author

but the perfecter

of our faith,

because He has run

the race before us

and He is bringing

us with Him

into this glory

that He has achieved.

Don't give up,

friends.

Don't give up.

Press on

to run the race.

Let's pray.

Jesus,

we look to You.

Lord,

will You capture

our hearts

this morning.

Lord,

with the greatness

of Your grace

to us in Christ,

will You affirm

again to our hearts

the goodness

in the midst

of trial,

in the midst

of persecution,

in the midst

of suffering.

Lord,

that You love us,

that You are

training us,

Lord,

to trust in You,

to value You

and Your kingdom

above all other things.

Lord,

to wean out

our selfishness

and our self-pity.

Lord,

so that we might

truly live

as Your sons

and daughters.

For Your glory,

we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.