Hebrews Ch12 - Throwing Off What Hinders

It's probably roughly around 1202 or something.

No?

It is.

1202, Hebrews chapter 3.

Hebrews 3 · chapter mention

Michael will be speaking from a section in Hebrews in just a while, but I want to read something which is the basis for our prayer.

So Hebrews chapter 3, verse 12.

Hebrews 3:12

So I'll read it and then I'll pray in response to what we've read.

Hebrews chapter 3, verse 12.

Hebrews 3:12

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of us has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of us may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

We have come to share in Christ, if we hold firmly till the end, the confidence we had at first.

Let's pray.

Father, we recognize that for each one of us as we go through the week, there are many voices competing for our attention.

There are many things that are trying to lead us away from the Lord Jesus.

And so it is our prayer that we would keep our thoughts and our eyes focused on him.

We pray that we would keep our thoughts and our eyes focused on him.

We pray that we would be people who quickly deal with any sin in our lives.

That we would support one another and encourage each other.

not by means of condemnation, but simply pointing one another to the Lord Jesus, the one who forgives,

the one who transforms us and changes us, the one who equips us with the power of his Holy Spirit

to live the life that he has called us to.

So, Father, we pray that as we go through this week, we would not just be thinking about ourselves,

but we would be thinking how we can spur and encourage one another on in the faith.

Father, provide us with opportunities to serve one another.

Provide us with ways to get alongside and to pray for each other.

We thank you for the support of this family.

We thank you for the testimonies of one another.

Father, I thank you for just the couple of people speaking to at coffee time,

of how they were encouraged with the church family.

Father, please that you would help us to be all that you call us to be.

We thank you for helping Betty to be with us today.

And we pray that you would continue to strengthen her

and give to her everything she needs over the coming weeks.

We pray for all those who are away, who are helping at camp or leading.

We pray that you would give them lots of energy and enthusiasm.

And we pray for every camper that they would grow in their understanding of you

and know what it is to love you and follow you.

Please help them to keep their focus on Jesus.

We pray, Father, for all the students.

And thank you for the weekend they had just gone.

We pray for their continued support on campus.

Amidst all their studies and all the work that they have to do,

we pray that they would live well for you

and continue to point others to Christ.

We thank you for our Sunday school teachers

and for those who help at Cresce who are doing that right now.

Please, would you give them the energy that they need

and fill their lives with joy to serve you well.

And that every child who is represented here

would not only grow healthy and strong,

but that they would be built up in the faith.

That they would grow to be people who follow you.

Leaders in the next generation.

People who are leading your church and growing your people.

Please be gracious in that way, we ask.

And for ourselves in all that we do this week at work,

at college or at home, wherever we find ourselves,

or if we're travelling away over the half term,

Lord, keep us close to yourself.

Keep us walking with you.

Trusting you.

And looking only to you.

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, we're going to read before Michael comes and speaks.

There's two readings.

The first one is in Psalm 1,

which is on page 543.

Psalm 1,

which is on page 543.

This psalm contrasts the difference between the one who walks with God,

listening to God,

and the one who does not listen to God.

So Psalm 1,

we'll read that together.

It's on page 543.

Blessed is the man or woman

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

or stand in the way of sinners,

or sit in the seat of mockers,

but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law meditates day and night.

They are like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season,

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever they do prospers.

Not so the wicked.

They are like chaff,

that the wind blows away.

Therefore,

the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

And then turn to the New Testament,

to Hebrews,

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12,

which is on page 1210.

Hebrews 12,

which is on page 1210.

Starting at verse 1.

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.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,

the author and perfecter of our faith,

who for the joy set before him endured the cross,

scorning at shame,

and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men,

so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

In your struggle against sin,

you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Okay.

I'm going to ask Michael,

who's going to come and speak.

If you don't know who Michael is,

he's related to me.

He's my father.

And,

yeah,

he's struggling with his back.

He wouldn't want me to tell you that,

but I'll tell you that.

So we've got out the wooden platform to lean against,

and I'm going to pray for him.

Thank you.

For lots of energy to stand.

Okay,

so let's pray.

Father,

thank you for all your goodness to us,

and thank you for your love,

and thank you for your word.

Thank you that you continue to speak to us,

and we pray that through Michael,

you would be speaking your words to us,

not just individually,

but corporately as a church.

And we pray that you will strengthen him physically,

and that you would empower him by your Holy Spirit,

that his pain would not be a distraction,

but he would be able to speak well,

and point us to Jesus.

We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, in spite of a bad back,

it's a joy to be with you this morning.

And if I do wince now and again,

you'll understand the reason why.

But we're going to be looking at Hebrews chapter 12,

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

and focusing our thoughts particularly on verses 1 to 3.

A number of years ago,

I remember having to make a pastoral visit,

and it was quite an occasion,

the reason being that two young people were getting married,

but the father of the bridegroom

wasn't particularly pleased with the fact

that it wasn't going to be in their local Catholic church,

two young people had been converted,

and so I was asked to go and see the father.

And it was quite a big house.

I think, you know,

Downton Abbey would have looked small by comparison.

And I think the father wanted to impress me.

He'd been part of the British Army.

And he showed me into a great big dining room.

I could have met in smaller rooms, I'm sure,

but he wanted me to be impressed, I think,

and perhaps to be a little bit intimidated.

And he sat at one end of this dining table,

and I sat at the other,

and there were about room for about 20 people,

I would say, around this dining table.

And looking down on me were all these old men

dressed in their scarlets

who'd been part of the Irish Guards.

Very impressive.

There they were, all witness to our conversation.

It really impressed me,

but it also showed me that,

well, they were all dead.

They were all looking down,

but they were all dead.

I'm impressed so much more

when I come to Hebrews chapter 11.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

I'm surrounded with a great crowd of witnesses.

I'm told of all these people

who lived in time past,

these Old Testament saints of God

who continued on

in the face of difficulty,

in the face of trial.

We have Abel.

We have Enoch.

We have Noah.

We have Abraham and Sarah and Isaac

and Jacob and Joseph.

We have Moses' parents.

We have Moses himself.

We have the prostitute Rahab

who became a follower

of the Lord's people

and of their God.

We have the judges.

Not mentioned much,

but they're there.

We have the prophets.

And we have a group of anonymous people

who have been sawn in two

and stoned and chained

and imprisoned

and put to death by the sword

who we're told went about

in sheepskins and goatskins,

destitute,

persecuted,

ill-treated,

wandering in deserts

and mountains

and in caves

and holes in the ground

and were bidden

to have a look at them

and to see

that they continued on

in the face of difficulty

and trial.

They didn't give up

when the going got hard.

Now, by those people,

I am impressed

much more

than the men

in the scarlet uniforms.

And I say with the hymn writer

that I want a faith like them.

Oh, for a faith

that will not shrink

though pressed by every foe,

that will not tremble

on the brink of poverty or woe,

that will not murmur

or complain

beneath the chastening rod,

but in the hour

of grief and pain

can lean

upon its God.

That's the kind

of faith

I want.

But how can I

obtain

that faith?

Well, I believe

in verses

one to three

and indeed

further on

into the chapter

twelve,

we're told

how we can have

this kind

of faith.

How we can

keep going.

And why does

the writer to the Hebrews

write in the way

he does?

Well,

the Hebrews

were tempted

to go back.

They were tempted

to give up

their Christian walk.

And they're

bidden to look

at these

Old Testament saints

and they're bidden

to be like them.

And that's why

the chapter twelve

begins

with the word

therefore.

In the light

of what I've

been saying,

this is what

you must do.

So there's four

points I want

to bring

before you

this morning.

And the first

is this,

that if we

would have

that kind

of faith,

we must be

ready to get

rid of all

that hinders.

Chapter twelve

and verse one.

Therefore,

since we are

surrounded by

such a great

cloud of witness,

let us throw

off everything

that hinders.

Now,

it was a

custom of the

day.

If you went

along to

the athletics

meetings,

it doesn't

happen today.

And in all

sincerity,

I'm glad it

doesn't,

but the Roman

runners used

to strip down

to their

bare skin.

there was

no access

weight

whatsoever.

Of course,

there was

nothing wrong

with clothes,

but they

considered that

it would

hinder their

progress in

the race.

And what

the writer

to the Hebrews

is doing here

is saying,

there are even

those legitimate

things that

must be

removed if

we are to

walk the

life of

faith.

anything

that holds

us back,

anything that

drags us

down in

the race

of life.

Of course,

there were

many things

as far as

the Hebrews

were concerned.

They had

their ceremonies

that they

had brought

up with

all their

holy days.

Other Jews

would encourage

them to

adopt food

laws and

to hold

on to

those food

laws if

they had

stopped

practicing

them.

But all

of this

had to

go,

even though

it was

legitimate,

if they

were going

to run

the race

of life.

And what

the writer

to the Hebrews

is saying,

I want you

to be

radical.

I want you

to put

off anything

that hinders

you.

Jesus,

of course,

was radical

himself,

wasn't he?

God's

love.

In Matthew

Matthew 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18

and verse 7,

he says,

if your hand

or your

foot

causes

you to

walk in a

way that

is not

helpful,

or if your

eye causes

you to

sin,

cut off

your hand,

cut off

your foot,

take your

eye out,

gouge it

out.

it's a

different

metaphor

to what

we have

here of

laying

aside.

But it's

the same

radical thing

that he's

asking of

the believers.

And the

Lord would

ask us,

are we

ready to

leave those

things that

would hinder

us in

our walk

with the

Lord?

Are we

ready to

put aside

anything

that

hinders?

I remember

talking to

a pastor.

He was

very able

with his

computer.

He published

a magazine

on a

regular

basis.

But he

found that

he was

spending

too much

time

with his

computer.

So he

put it

aside.

Are

televisions,

how many

hours do

we spend

looking at

it?

I enjoy

sports,

but am I

ready to

put them

aside?

Friendships

that may

not be

helpful.

Am I

ready,

if the

Lord is

calling me

to further

service for

him,

ready even

to give

up that

career,

which gives

me a good

salary?

I remember

reading the

biography of

Martin Lloyd

Jones a

number of

years ago.

He was a

Harley Street

doctor.

He was

second to

an understudy

of Lord

Hodder,

who was

physician to

the King

of England

at that

time.

The whole

medical world

lay before

him,

met tremendous

prospects.

But God

was calling

him to be

a minister

of the

word of

God.

So he

was ready

to continue

in that

way.

He was

ready to

leave behind

even though

he had a

prosperous career

laid out

before him.

Are we

ready to

do that?

To get

rid of

anything

that

hinders?

Like

Moses,

who we

read of

in Hebrews

11 and

verse 24,

who refused

to be known

as a son

of Pharaoh's

daughter.

He chose

to be

ill-treated

along with

the people

of God

rather than

to enjoy

the pleasures

of sin

for a

short time.

He knew

that he

couldn't

continue

as he

was.

Naturally,

you would

think he

would like

to stay

in the

palace.

Perhaps

he could

work better

there,

making

conditions

easier

for his

people.

No,

palace life

was a

hindrance

to him,

so it

had to

go.

Isn't

this what

the Apostle

Paul is

saying in

1 Corinthians

6 and

verse 12?

Everything

is permissible

for me,

but not

everything

is beneficial.

Everything

is permissible

for me,

but I

will not

be mastered

by anything.

I won't

let those

things control

my life.

I will

be controlled

by the

Spirit of

the living

God.

So I

ask you

this morning,

is there

anything

hindering

you in

your way

of life,

of following

the Lord

Jesus Christ?

be ready

to cast

it aside.

Throw off

everything

that

hinders

you.

The second

thing

the Apostle,

the writer

to the

Hebrews

says,

is get

rid of

that which

entangles.

That

part of

verse 1,

and the

sin that

so easily

entangles.

We know

what it is

to be

entangled.

we've

all watched

a fly

in a

web.

What does

it do

when it

gets into

the web?

It

struggles.

It

struggles

to free

itself,

but it

becomes

more

entangled.

And then

the spider

comes along

and finishes

off the

job.

The fly

dies.

The spider

obviously

rejoices.

Or we

can think

of another

way that

we can

become

entangled.

I

remember

as a

child

at school

sometimes

going in

for the

three-legged

race.

Now that

was alright

if the

person I

was attached

to was

athletic

and was

able to

run.

Yeah,

that was

great.

But

sometimes

you went

to God's

side,

somebody

had no

idea

about

running.

And

consequently

you both

end up

flat on

your face.

You were

entangled.

It wasn't

helpful.

you didn't

get very

far in

the race.

Now

says the

writer to

the Hebrews,

the sin

that so

easily

entangles.

Get

rid of

it.

That sin

that so

easily

entangles.

But notice

he refers

to it

as the

sin

that so

easily

entangles.

He's

thinking of

a

particular

sin,

a

specific

sin.

Well,

what is

that

sin?

Well,

I would

suggest

that the

context

tells us

it's

the sin

of

unbelief.

He goes

on to

speak about

Jesus,

the author

and protector

of our

faith.

So I

think the

sin that

he is

speaking

about

is the

sin

of

unbelief.

Not

in the

unbeliever,

but in

the

believer.

And it

is a

sin that

does

entangle

us.

Of course,

there are

many sins.

There's

covetousness,

there's

envy,

there's

criticism,

there's

laziness,

there's

hatred,

there's

lust,

there's

unthankfulness,

there's

pride.

Many

more sins

that we

could

mention.

But here,

it's a

lack of

faith,

a lack

of trust

in

God.

It's

a lack

of

walking

with

Him

and

being

obedient

to

His

Word.

Let me

try and

illustrate

it.

I'm

living my

life as

a

Christian.

And then

something

happens to

me.

I have

that

thorn in

the flesh.

Something

comes into

my life.

And instead

of trusting

in the

Lord,

I start

walking in

unbelief.

I've asked

the Lord to

take away

the difficulty,

but it

doesn't seem

to be going

away.

And then

the devil

comes along

and tells

me that

God has

forgotten

me.

Or I

lose my

job.

Or I

lose my

husband,

my wife.

Or I

have a

broken

relationship.

things that

happen in

everybody's

life.

And I

take my

eyes off

the Lord

and I

spiral down

into doubt

and unbelief.

And I

start behaving

like an

atheist.

Have you

ever found

yourself there?

Even as a

Christian?

That sin

that so

easily

entangles

me.

And I

begin to

say,

Christianity

doesn't

work.

Now the

Hebrews,

Christians,

were in

danger of

getting

entangled.

They were

ready to

give up.

You go

back to

chapter 10

and verse

35.

He writes,

don't throw

away your

confidence.

He's not

speaking in a

vacuum.

They were in

danger of

throwing away

their confidence.

No, don't

throw it away.

it will be

richly

rewarded.

In verse

4 of

chapter 12

he says,

in your

struggle

against sin

you have

not yet

resisted

to the

point of

shedding

your blood.

Things

could become

more difficult

for you.

Keep

on.

Remember

those who

have gone

before you.

Remember

those who

did shed

their blood

but they

didn't

give up.

So dear

Christian

friends here

this morning

in

Carragalline,

get rid

of anything

that hinders

and put

from you

that sin

of unbelief.

Hold

on to

the Lord.

Take

his word

into your

heart.

It is

utterly

dependable.

The third

thing he says

is run

with

perseverance.

Let us

run

with

perseverance

the race

marked

out for

us.

Some of

the older

versions have

the word

patience.

To keep

on even

when the

going

is tough.

The

Christian

life

is not

this,

if you

can remember

the Olympic

Games,

it's

more

of this.

You

remember

those who

ran?

The short

sprint.

It was

over very

quickly.

But the

10,000

meters goes

on,

or the

marathon

goes on

for a

long

time.

And in

Christian

service,

and we're

all called

to serve

to serve

the Lord.

We begin

when we

believe to

run in

this race.

And we

won't reach

the finishing

tape until

the day we

die.

We have

to

persevere.

We have

to run

with

patience.

And there

will be the

uphills.

There will be

obstacles.

There will

be things

that will

try and

cut in

on you.

And you

will reach

the pain

barrier that

you have to

go through.

But you're

to run

with

perseverance.

There's a

great cloud

of witnesses

looking on.

Didn't

they

persevere?

Didn't

they

continue?

Think of

Noah.

The

commentators

say he

was 120

years building

the ark.

Hauling

the timber

day after

day.

Hammering

those nails

in along

with the

rest of

his family.

Being

ridiculed

by those

who looked

on.

Look at

this great

big ark

on dry

land.

How

ridiculous

Noah.

Give it

up.

Oh

no says

Noah.

I cannot

give up.

God

has told

me.

A flood

is coming.

And he

persevered.

He

continued

patiently

forward.

Hauling

the timber

and hammering

the nails.

Moses

is mentioned.

Think of

Moses in

his life.

Which

can be

divided

into three

times

forty.

Forty

years in

the palace

enjoying

all the

luxuries.

Becoming

to recognise

that he

was part

of the

very people

of God.

And then

for forty

years being

a fugitive

out there

in the

desert

looking

after

sheep.

And then

meeting with

God and

God sending

him back

and spending

another forty

years leading

the people

towards the

promised land.

Moses

do you ever

feel like

giving up?

He tells

us he did

feel like

giving up.

Lord take

somebody else.

I've had

enough.

But he

went through

the pain

barrier

as he heard

the word

of the Lord

and he

encouraged

himself

in the

Lord.

I think

of the

apostle

Paul

shipwrecked

suffering

dangers in

this way

and that

way.

Paul

you have

the care

of all

the churches.

Do you

feel like

giving up

Paul?

Oh I have

a saviour

and I

know that

I can do

all three

things through

Christ

who gives

me

strength.

Jeremiah

the Old

Testament

prophet

nobody's

listening to

you Jeremiah

nobody cares

what you're

saying.

They're

asking you

to say

something

pleasant to

them and

all you're

telling them

is judgment

is coming.

Much easier

to shut up

isn't it

Jeremiah?

No I

must go

on speaking.

I must

persevere.

My friends

if you feel

like giving

up because

the going

is hard

keep on.

Run

with

perseverance.

But it

doesn't just

say that run

with perseverance

it says run

the road

marked out

for us

with

perseverance.

There's a

verse

from Psalm

139

and verse

16 which

says

your eyes

saw my

unformed

body.

All the

days

ordained

for me

were written

in your

book

before one

of them

came to

be.

I find that

very comforting

that nothing

can happen

to me

which is

outside the

will of a

sovereign

God.

I believe

by faith

as a

young

child.

I've

been on

that race

for nearly

70 years.

The race

that was

marked out

for me

as it

was marked

out for

you

as it

was marked

out for

this great

cloud of

witnesses.

is.

The lane

is there.

You know

if you're

running on

a track

you're

given a

lane.

If you

go out

of that

lane

you are

disqualified.

We are

to stay

in the

lane of

God's

appointment.

What will

our lanes

be like?

What will

our road

be like?

I don't

know.

but none

of us

knows.

But we

are called

to walk

by faith

and not

by sight.

We're

called to

walk in

obedience.

We're

called to

walk under

the direction

of a

sovereign

Lord who

does all

things well.

We're

called to

walk in

the light

of

eternity.

Read the

lies of the

people mentioned

in Hebrews

11.

they were

all

different.

Consider

Joseph

thrown

into a

pit by

his

brothers

being

sold as

a slave

into

Potiphar's

house

being

thrown

unjustly

into

prison

before he

went to

the palace

to become

second in

command in

the land

of Egypt.

It

wasn't an

easy pathway

for him.

it didn't

happen

overnight.

Later on

he was

saying

he says

to his

brothers

you meant

it for

evil

but God

meant it

for good.

Or look

at chapter

11 and

verse 38

about those

fugitives

who were

ill

treated.

all the

problems

that they

had to

go through

some of

them even

sawn in

two.

we don't

get that

kind of

persecution.

But we

too

in our

particular

lane

have the

joys

we have

the

hassles

at our

work

in our

schools

in our

university

we say

suffer

with the

problem

of

childlessness

we may

know

the

instance

is a

breakup

of

marriages

of a

friend

who

had a

special

needs

daughter

and they

have

had

problem

after

problem

through

her

23

years

of

her

life

I

don't

know

what

your

lane

will

be

like

I

don't

know

what

you're

going

through

now

but I

would

encourage

you

to

keep

going

on

to

get

rid

of

all

that

hinders

and

to

run

with

perseverance

the

road

mark

out

for

you

of

course

you

can

take

a

shortcut

because

you

think

it's

easier

remember

pilgrim's

progress

we find

Christian

and

faithful

taking

a

shortcut

the

ground

looked

easier

the

bypass

meadow

looked

very

very

nice

to

them

not

so

difficult

as a

way

that

they

were

on

but

remember

because

they

took

that

shortcut

they

quickly

found

themselves

locked

up

in

doubting

castle

and

giant

despair

took

hold

of

them

my

friends

don't

go out

of the

way

because

it

seems

easier

follow

this

word

walk

in

his

way

oh

it

may

you

may

look

at

the

world

and

say

they

don't

have

the

problems

that

I

do

as

a

Christian

they

don't

have

the

difficulties

that

I

have

as

a

Christian

but

my

friends

keep

on

the

road

the

race

that

is

marked

out

for

you

and

it

will

always

be

the

best

way

all

things

do

work

together

for

good

to

those

that

love

God

and

to

those

that

are

the

called

according

to

his

purpose

so

get

rid

of

all

that

hinders

that

which

entangles

and run

with

perseverance

the

road

marked

out

for

you

the

road

of

God's

appointment

and

the

final

thing

I

want

to

say

to

you

this

morning

is

this

and

it

is

a

most

important

of

what

I

am

saying

this

morning

as

you

do

it

keep

your

eyes

fixed

on

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

we

have

it

there

don't

we

in

verse

2

let

us

fix

our

eyes

on

Jesus

the

author

and

perfecter

of

our

faith

who

for

the

joy

set

before

him

endured

the

cross

scorning

his

shame

and sat

down

at

the

right

hand

of

the

throne

of

God

consider

him

who

endured

such

opposition

from

sinful

men

so that

you

will

not

grow

weary

and