Hebrews 12:1-2

Turn to Hebrews chapter 12 and verses 1-2. I suppose I wanted to preach a New Year sermon.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

! These verses would be great verses to learn, wouldn't they, for you and I. Hebrews 12 and verses 1-2.

! I'm going to begin a series next week in the book of Philippians, and so maybe you want to read that this week.

But today, Philippians chapter 12 and verses 1-2. Some of you are very young, aren't you? Some of you are very old, aren't you?

Some of you are very old. And I expect children, you look around you, and some of you will look around and you'll think,

these people are ancient, aren't they? These people are ancient.

I want to speak, really, this morning on how do you keep going? How do you keep going as a Christian when you're very young and when you're very old?

The theme, the big word is perseverance. That's the big word. How do you persevere? How can I keep on going?

I expect some of you are sitting here this morning, you've got through Christmas, you're exhausted,

and the thought of a new year doesn't actually fill you with great joy. You think, how can I keep on going?

Maybe you've got many worries, anxieties about life on this coming year.

And there are many things that are needed to live and to serve God in our world,

but it seems to me that none of them are more vital

or more neglected by the church than this big theme of perseverance.

In a way, it's the theme of the whole of the letter of Hebrews.

The letter of the Hebrews is written to a group of Christians

who are living in days which were pretty dangerous for them spiritually.

And the danger of drifting,

spiritually drifting, was an ever-present danger. In fact, there's two dangers.

One of the dangers is drifting away,

and the other danger is shrinking back.

Let me show you that.

If you come with me to Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 1,

Hebrews 2 · chapter mention

the apostle makes it really clear.

He says this in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 1,

Hebrews 2:1

Therefore you must pay, we must pay close attention

to what we've heard lest we drift away from it.

And that seems to be a drifting,

which is just careless or neglect.

Maybe they weren't applying themselves to the truth of what God had said.

And so in chapter 2 and verse 3,

you get this question where it says,

and this is written to the church, to Christians,

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

And it was this drifting that caused neglect.

You know what that is.

When you go on holiday in the summer,

and you go away for a week or two,

and you leave your garden,

when your garden,

when you come back after a week or two away in the summertime,

your garden isn't exactly like how you left it, is it?

Because it's been neglected.

You didn't do anything with it,

and yet it has grown.

It is overgrown.

Drifting.

Drifting.

And neglect.

The other danger is in chapter 10 and verse 32.

Can you see that?

He says to them,

recall the former days when after you were enlightened,

you endured,

and here it is,

a hard struggle with sufferings.

Sometimes you were publicly exposed to reproach and affliction,

sometimes being partners with those so treated.

For you had compassion on those in prison,

and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property,

since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

Therefore,

do not throw away your confidence,

which is a great reward.

For you have need of endurance,

perseverance,

so that when you've done the will of God,

you may receive what is promised for yet a little while.

And the coming one will come and will not delay,

but my righteous one shall live by faith,

and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.

But we are not those who shrink back and are destroyed,

but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

So the appeal is keep on going.

Now can you imagine at the end of chapter 10,

these Hebrew Christians,

they've been weakened by suffering.

They've lived in pretty discouraging times,

pretty desperate situations.

And they're saying,

is this perseverance really possible?

Can I really keep going?

Is it really feasible for somebody who is ordinary and weak and frail like me,

to go on believing and trusting in the Lord?

My circumstances are dark and difficult and troubling.

Is it practical for me?

And the writer says,

well,

it's certainly historical,

and so chapter 11 is the story of people who lived by faith in God.

Look what it says in chapter 8,

by faith,

Abraham obeyed when he was called out to go to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance,

and he went out not knowing where he was going.

He believed God.

He took his only son,

and he laid him on an altar by faith,

and he offered him up.

By faith,

Moses,

can you see him?

Verse 23,

when he was born,

was hidden for three months by his parents.

And when he was grown up,

verse 24,

he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,

choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God,

than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

He considered the reproach of Israel of greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt.

And we're given this catalogue of men and women,

who in circumstances of appalling difficulty,

believed God and kept going.

I haven't got time to go through the chapter.

But it's a catalogue of one person after another,

who kept on going.

And that's what the apostle calls us to.

He imagines life as a race.

And he says,

you're on the track in the Christian life,

not for a sprint,

not for 400 meters,

but for the marathon.

And he says,

persevere,

keep going.

There's nothing more urgent than this.

And maybe our world finds this kind of perseverance strange.

But we need to cry to God at the start of this year,

that he would form in us,

and make in our Christian character,

such that we would persevere.

You find it all through the Bible.

You find it in the teaching of Jesus.

You find it in the teaching of John.

You find it in the teaching of the apostle Paul.

So Jesus said this,

John 8, 31.

He said,

if you continue in my word,

then you are my disciples.

Colossians 1, 22 and 23,

the apostle speaks about presenting us before the throne of God,

provided that you continue in the faith,

stable and steadfast,

not shifting from the hope of the gospel.

The apostle John speaks of some who've left us.

If they'd been with us,

they would have continued with us.

And so there's this constant plea in the New Testament.

The apostle Paul in Acts 13,

he persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

2 Timothy 3, verse 14,

2 Timothy 3:14

he says to his apprentice Timothy,

continue in the things you've heard.

Now these two verses of Hebrews 12 are full of that.

So let's look at them under four headings.

First of all,

the need for perseverance.

The need for perseverance.

Why is it such a vital quality

that God calls us to seek from him?

It derives from the very nature of the Christian life.

And the word persevere gives us a clue.

It's often set against the background

of a military metaphor.

So it's used to continue the fight,

the battle,

until the very end.

Not to desert the field.

Not to run away.

Because the enemy seems so great.

Don't give up your post.

But go on battling

until victory.

That's one picture.

The military picture.

The second picture is

that of an athletic one.

It's of a race of staying the course.

Of not dropping out.

Of not falling behind,

but staying the course.

And the apostles are using

that particular picture here.

But you also find the military one

in chapter 11,

where the apostle speaks

about the kind of perseverance.

He says in chapter 11

and verses 33 to 34,

he speaks for all these different people

who through faith,

chapter 11 verse 33,

conquered kingdoms,

enforced justice,

obtained promises,

stopped the mouths of lions,

quenched the power of fire,

escaped the edge of the sword,

were made strong out of weakness,

became mighty in war,

put foreign armies to flight.

That's the military context,

isn't it?

And so in both of these,

Paul finds himself,

or the apostle,

the epistle finds himself

talking of the Christian life

as a race and as a battle.

He puts them together,

doesn't he?

So think about 2 Timothy,

when he speaks about

the end of the Christian life,

what does he say?

He says,

I fought the good fight,

I finished the race.

And so what I'm trying to say to you

is this,

the Christian life,

as it's painted in the New Testament,

is painted as a race

and a fight.

It is nowhere depicted as a holiday

or a journey

through this world

that is free from danger

and free from disaster.

The Christian life is nowhere depicted

as floating to heaven

on kind of fluffy clouds

and beds of ease.

The Christian life is described

as a war

and as a race.

And a Christian has to give everything

and to discipline herself

and to prepare himself.

And the Christian has to spend

all her energies

in this business

because it's hard,

isn't it?

It's hard to fight

the good fight

and run the race.

The endurance of hardship

and of trial.

The pressures

which the apostle speaks

of a thousand different kinds.

Now, none of us

would want to hide

from any young Christian

what it's like to be a Christian.

None of us would want to hide

the sheer, indescribable joy

there is in serving God.

None of us would want

to dial down

the sheer, indescribable glory

of what it means

to belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.

To know God as your Father.

To have the Lord Jesus Christ

as your elder brother.

To have the Holy Spirit

within you.

We wouldn't want to downplay that.

We wouldn't want to downplay

the sheer, indescribable joy

of knowing forgiveness of sins,

your conscience cleansed,

your past dealt with,

your future secure.

of knowing that you are

an inheritor

of the riches of his grace.

But we also don't want

to hide the fact

that the Christian life

is a deadly conflict

with the most bitter of enemies.

That we're engaged

in a marathon.

That we're not in a little sprint

that takes a little bit

of energy

but we have to go on

and on

and on

and on

and on.

And there are occasions

aren't there

when the Church of Jesus Christ

most needs people

who are just willing

to keep on

keeping on.

Think of Christopher Columbus.

You know the guy

who discovered America?

He talks about his diary

doesn't he?

Where he's just sailing

and sailing

and sailing

and sailing

and sailing.

Sailing on.

That was his diary.

Day after day

after day.

Sailing on,

sailing on,

sailing on.

But there was a moment

wasn't there

where he caught sight of land.

There was a moment

when he discovered

a whole new world.

And for those

in the Christian life

who keep on

and keep on

and keep on

and keep on

and keep on

there will be a day.

There will be a day

when you will discover

a whole new world.

To your joy

you will discover

the God

who will bring you

into a new world.

The truth is though

until that time

you will discover

also an enemy

who will use

every means

to harass you

in the Christian life

and to divert you

from the great business

of running the Christian life.

And so

to some

the apostle says

doesn't he

you ran well

but what has hindered you?

What has diverted you?

WP Nicholson said

if Satan cannot

keep you

from being converted

he will do

all he can

to get you

diverted.

Quite good isn't it?

And the devil

will divert you

by all sorts of means.

Taking your eye

away from

the finishing post.

Getting you involved

in a whole lot

of things

that will actually

just slow you down

and drag you back

and blow you

off course.

So there is this

need for perseverance.

But secondly

there's the encouragement

to perseverance.

Can you see the

beautiful balance

in the verse?

There's this really

severe need

isn't there

for perseverance.

and yet there's

glorious encouragement.

Therefore since we

are surrounded

by so great

a cloud of witnesses

let us lay aside

every weight

and sin

which clings so closely

and let us run

with perseverance

endurance

the race that is set

before us.

So can you see

the picture?

The difficulty

of perseverance

the encouragement

of the witnesses.

The picture is

think of one of those

great amphitheaters

think of a great stadium.

rising ranks

of people

watching the runners.

Tier advantage points.

And those tiers

are full of spectators

who are bearing

witness to something.

That's the important thing.

They are bearing

witness to someone.

They bear witness.

The real point

of verse 1

therefore since we

are surrounded by

so great

a cloud of witnesses

is not that the believers

are in heaven this morning

cheering us on.

That isn't the point.

They're not sadly.

And they're not

standing around

watching us

admiring what we're doing.

Isn't Paul Levy

doing so well this week?

That's not the main point.

That's not the big point.

But the big point

Paul the apostle

who we don't know

who wrote Hebrews

is that the big point

is

is we need to listen

to what these witnesses

are testifying.

What are these witnesses

in Hebrews chapter 11

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

that he's just named?

What are they saying

to us

in the crowd?

Well think about it.

How did they manage

to go on?

How did Abraham

keep on course?

How did Moses

go through

all those trials

and pressures

that he experienced

in leading

those difficult people

Israel

out of Egypt?

Was it because

they had some

great personal qualities?

Was it because

Sarah had some

wonderful characteristics?

No it wasn't was it?

It was because

of the faithfulness

of God.

We're told that

he endured

Moses

he endured

as seeing him

who is invisible.

And that is what

all these great clouds

of witnesses

bear witness to.

That is the great

encouragement

to persevere.

And incidentally

that is why

we should be people

who are interested

in history.

It should be the

history of Christ's

church.

The biblical use

of history

is not to point

us to the past

and say

oh they were

great days

weren't they?

They were great

days in the

16th, 17th

and 18th century.

That's not the

biblical use of

history.

It's not wishing

that you were

living in the past

oh that we were

living in those

days.

No the biblical

use of history

is to say

look what the

living God

did in those

days and that

God is the

same God as

today.

And so where

is the Lord

God of Elijah?

The answer is

he is precisely

here with us.

He is the

same God.

God has not

changed one

iota.

And there's

not one thing

that he did

for those men

and women in

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

11 that he's

unable to do

for you.

And you might

be thinking

well not me

not for me

other people

here maybe

but not for

me.

but the

living God

who took

that geriatric

Sarah

and gave her

a child

the living

God who

took Abraham

who brought

the name of

his God

into disgrace

when he went

down into

the land of

Egypt.

That God

is able to

take you

and make

you the

kind of man

or woman

or boy

or girl

who will

go on

and on

and on

and on

to the end.

Encouragement

to persevere.

And so

think about

how does

God introduce

himself in

the Bible

often.

He says

I am the

God of

Abraham

and I am

the God

of Isaac

and I am

the God

of Jacob

and I am

the God

who brought

your fathers

out of

Egypt.

He isn't

simply giving

them a history

lesson is he?

He is telling

them this is

my character.

These are

the qualities

at the start

of 2023

that you

ought to

put your

confidence in.

This is

the God

you are

to rest

in

and rest

upon.

Thirdly

what about

the preparation

for perseverance?

The preparation

for perseverance

there is a

preparation

so look at

verse 1

therefore

since we

are surrounded

by so

great a

cloud of

witnesses

let us

lay aside

every weight

and sin

which clings

so closely

and let

us run

with endurance

the race

that is

set before

us.

In your

vision

it will

say throw

off everything

that hinders.

The writer

of the Hebrews

is urging

us

and urging

the readers

to be serious

about the race

and he is

only addressing

those who are

serious to

throw off

everything

that would

be an

impediment

in running

it.

And so

one of the

ways that

people are

hindered

and prevented

from persevering

is just

because they

are weighed

down with

various kind

of impediments.

So can you

see what the

race is like?

It's not like

the school

parents race

at the

school

sports day.

You know

what that race

is like isn't

it?

And people

get there

they've done

no warming

up

and yet

they really

go for it

don't they

and there's

hamstrings

pulled

and all

sorts of

things

and people

joking

and laughing.

It's not

a fun run.

The Christian

race is not

a fun run.

It is what

life is all

about.

And it's

why we're

here.

The question

is how

serious

am I?

Think of

the professional

sportsman

get up in

the morning

and they

weigh themselves.

They fill in

a sleep

chart of how

they slept.

They watch

what they eat

for breakfast.

They train

until they can

train no more.

They manage

their load.

They live

don't they

a really

strange kind

of life.

And you say

to them

why on earth

are you doing

that?

Why are you

living like

that?

What's the

point in

doing that?

And they

would say

to us

it all

depends how

seriously

you take

the sport.

Lots of

people in

churches ask

the question

is there

any harm

in dot

dot?

There's

probably not

any harm

in that but

it's not

the right

question.

The question

is this

is how

serious are

we about

the race?

And in

our culture

we would

say well

you don't

want to be

too serious

do you?

I don't

know about

you but

I have

found that

the man

or woman

who is

most serious

about God

is often

the most

gentle

and the

most humorous

and the

kindest of

people.

And I've

tragically found

that the

person who

is a

Christian but

is not

really serious

about God

often is

the most

unhappy

most

discontented.

And that's

because they've

got the

worst of

both worlds.

And so

just look

with me at

chapter 12

verse 1

because it

is a

flabbergasting

verse isn't

it?

Lay aside

every weight.

And let's

go to the

Olympic final

100 metres

and you

know they

go along

the thing

and they

I don't

know

who

is

runners

now

and they

kind of

interact

one

is

dot dot dot

and there

you go

the person

waves at

their crowd

and they're

from

Dominican

Republic

you've

got someone

from Jamaica

and then

you come

to somebody

who's

wearing

a duffel

coat

and carrying

two

suitcases

on the

front

on the

start line

of the

100 metres

it would

be ridiculous

wouldn't it

be so

stupid

a figure

of

stupidity

is there

anything

stupid

about

an

overcoat

it's not

is there

there's nothing

stupid

about carrying

suitcases

that's

really fine

it's good

to have

a coat

it's good

to have

suitcases

but

it's what

he's professing

to do

makes it

ridiculous

and here's

the point

the apostle

says

the weights

and the

hindrances

get rid

of them

and just

notice

can you see

this

I'm not

sure I've

seen this

before

but in

verse 1

there's a

distinction

between

every weight

and sin

the weights

are distinguished

from

sin

there are

things in

your life

and my life

that are

not sinful

and yet

they may be

a weight

that is

stopping us

from the

Christian

life

and yet

there are

things

which are

harmful

for all

people

all the

time

these things

cling about

us

and the

apostle Paul

says to you

think about

your life

this morning

at the

start of

2023

and

disentangle

yourself

from the

things

that are

hindering

you

and drop

the sin

that is

stopping you

running

maybe a

phone

maybe an

app

maybe the

TV

maybe money

it may be

possessions

maybe a

relationship

that is

stopping you

from running

all out

maybe the

trap of

pornography

and Paul

speaks about

cutting

cutting away

in Romans

Paul speaks

about putting

things to death

he speaks

about being

radical

with certain

things in our

lives

being radical

with things

that will

stop us

running the

race

and keeping

on looking

at the

finished

post

don't

drift

preparation

for

perseverance

let us lay

aside every

weight and

the sin

that so

easily

entangles

and then

finally

let's

just see

the manner

in which

way to

persevere

look at

verse 2

why is it

worth it

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

right now

at the

right hand

of the

throne

of God

and so

can you

notice

where our

eyes are

in the

race

our eyes

are not

primarily

on the

cloud of

witnesses

our eyes

are on

Jesus

and he

is the

author

he is the

founder

and the

finisher

of our

faith

and of

course

Jesus

is the

great

example

of

perseverance

isn't he

he is the

prototype

of perseverance

look what

he did

he endured

the cross

he despised

the shame

and is seated

at the right

hand of God

and so

if you think

of Jesus

life

they came

to him

again and

again and

again and

the devil

came to him

again and

again to

divert him

to try and

distract him

to try and

entangle him

and so

when Peter

says you are

the Christ

the son of the

living God

and then

immediately

Simon Peter

says this

way of

suffering that

you're talking

about Jesus

that isn't the

way of the

Messiah

that isn't

the way of

the Lord

and what

does Jesus

say to Peter

Jesus says

get behind

me Satan

because he

saw behind

Peter's

diversion

was the

devil

diverting his

eyes from

the glory of

the father

and as he

hung on the

cross you

remember what

they said to

him they

said come

down from

the cross

if you are

the Christ

but he

didn't listen

because he

persevered and

he endured

the cross

but of course

we don't look

to Jesus

primarily as

our example

we look to

him primarily

as our

eternal

sufficient

saviour

that he

is the

author and

the finisher

of the faith

what that

means is this

this is a

wonderful truth

the only reason

if you are

running the

Christian life

this morning

the only reason

if you are

in the race

this morning

is because

he's put

you there

it's only

by his

grace and

by his

mercy

that the

Lord Jesus

Christ has

made you

who were

dead in

your trespasses

and sins

and made

you alive

in Christ

so that

you can

run

and he's

given you

newness of

life and

he's put a

new heart

and a new

spirit within

you and a

new desire

for heaven

and the glory

of God

and he's put

you in that

race and he

is the author

of that race

he is the

alpha the

beginning of

that race

but notice

it also

says he

is the

finisher

because he

who began

a good

work in

you will

bring it

to completion

at the

day of

Jesus

Christ

and that

wonderfully

means that

if God

has begun

a work

in you

he will

complete it

and he

will finish

it

and so

the secret

to running

this race

is not

that I

have this

particular

quality in

my Christian

character

it is

primarily

that God

will

persevere

with me

he will

persevere

with me

to the

end

and he

calls you

and I

to persevere

because he

persevered

with us

to be the

author and

finisher of

our faith

and that is

the ground

on which we

rest

as we set

our eyes

on the

Lord Jesus

and we are

able to say

at the start

of this year

Lord take

me on

let nothing

divert me

and so

the great

business of

your life

and my

life

this year

is to go

on with the

Lord Jesus

Christ

and to keep

going on

and so

we say to

him today

don't we

let not

the sins

which cling

around me

help me

Lord to

put them

to death

give me

a new

heart

give me

a great

hope that

will delight

in you

that God

will go

on in

his work

with you

what he

has begun

he will

continue

he is

the author

and the

finisher

so we

know the

hymn

don't we

a debtor

to mercy

alone

the work

which his

goodness

began

the arm

of his

strength

will complete

his promise

is yea

Amen!

and never

was forfeited

yet

and so

that is

the hope

of the

child of

God

this

morning

as we

look to

the future

of this

year

and that

is why

when we

say keep

on

keeping

on

we are

assured

that there

is a

new world

that is

coming

and in

that world

this morning

there is a

forerunner

who has

entered

into it

before us

you think

of the

image

he has

put an

anchor

down

for our

souls

and it is

as it

were

he is

drawing

you in

and the

Christian life

is letting

him draw

you

and let

nothing

in earth

or in

hell

divert you

from it

and may

God make

us a

people

who will

persevere

to the end

let's pray

together