Hebrews 12:1-17 “Running the Race of Faith”

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

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! Turning our eyes upon Jesus. That's why we're here.

It's not just a Sunday morning thing, but it needs to be at least that to help us with every moment.

That's actually what we saw last week, that faith is.

Faith, really, is seeing Jesus, right?

Building our lives on realities that our eyes can't see, but are nonetheless true and eternal.

Faith, then, can't be a one-time activity.

Faith, then, can't be a one-time activity.

Sometimes, if you're talking to somebody that you've met about faith,

we may say that we had faith with something that happened in our lives back when we were a young person

and we walked an aisle or we prayed a prayer, and so we have faith.

The Bible says faith is not something that we just know about or that we just do once.

Rather, it is a lifelong race.

Hebrews 12 now turns us to a discussion of running the race of faith.

So we've got our image for this morning, right?

I don't have to make anything up.

We've got a race.

God is here in chapter 11, helped us see what faith is,

what it looks like when people trust unseen realities

more than the things they see with their own eyes.

And so now, God says in chapter 12,

go, run by faith.

Every day, run.

Let's listen to God's word together

and then ask that we might be shaped by it.

We need that.

Hebrews 12 at verse 1.

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

let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

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 at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself

so that you may not grow weary or faint-hearted.

In your struggle against sin,

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

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor be weary when reproved by him,

for the Lord disciplines the one he loves

and chastises every son whom he receives.

It is for discipline that you have to endure.

God is treating you as sons.

For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

If you're left without discipline in which all have participated,

then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us

and we respected them.

Shall we not much more be subject to the father of spirits and live?

For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them,

but he disciplines us for our good,

that we may share his holiness.

For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant,

but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness

to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore, lift your drooping hands and 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 the Lord.

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 afterward,

when he desired to inherit the blessing,

he was rejected,

for he found no chance to repent,

though he sought it with tears.

God's word.

Let's ask for his help.

Father, these are wonderful things,

but they're difficult things for us,

not so much to hear or even to grasp,

but to live.

We struggle.

We need your grace.

Would you so by your spirit give us grace

that we might be willing,

even eager,

to have our lives shaped by your word

more than by this world

or even our own desires.

Renew us, spirit, by your word

and change us even,

even where it hurts,

so that we'd be more and more

like our gracious Savior, Jesus,

we ask in his name.

Amen.

In spite of how it's translated

in English here,

there's actually only one main verb

here at the beginning of chapter 12.

With endurance, let us run.

Run the race set before us.

All these heroes in chapter 11

lived by faith, right?

By faith, by faith.

And now we are called

to run our race

by faith

with endurance.

Not, I hope this is encouraging,

speed.

It's not a sprint.

Endurance.

It means perseverance,

patience,

keeping on, keeping on,

bearing up under

whatever's pressing down on us.

The preacher has been calling us

to this all along in Hebrews.

Don't drift.

Cling to Jesus.

Don't turn back.

And now,

keep running

with endurance.

It is absolutely essential

to life with God.

Endurance.

It's essential,

but it's not easy.

So he has to keep calling us

to it over and over,

lest we grow weary

and faint-hearted, right?

And just not have

the strength to carry on.

And just want to notice up front,

don't you love

that God recognizes

that our growing weary

is a distinct possibility?

He gets that.

He doesn't mock us

for growing weary.

In fact,

he has help

and hope

for us this morning.

Switching temporarily.

Why might we

be weary?

Have you never run a race before?

Everybody

gets weary

at some point, right?

It's like saying

we're all so busy

these days.

Okay,

runners get weary.

Here in Hebrews,

though,

the weariness

is a bit more pointed.

Thank you so much,

Jarrett.

This will help everybody.

God knows

that we might grow weary

because

we're clinging

to his promises

and yet we're not

seeing them

fulfilled yet.

Remember last week

the people of faith

in chapter 11?

Finding life

in God's promises

but not finding them

to be coming true

in my life yet.

It may be

because we're being

attacked

for our commitment

to Jesus

and we seem

to have nothing

to show for it.

Like the psalmist

whose enemies

kept prospering

and pushing him down.

we may be weary

because

sometimes

it is just

too hard

hoping

in the unseen

living

for Jesus

and I

just want

to satisfy

myself

with some of the

things of this

world for a while.

I want to scratch

that itch.

And we've

parented

patiently

but it's not

producing results.

God,

we're weary.

I've prayed

repeatedly

but the chronic

pain

it just

never seems

to go away.

God,

I'm weary.

God,

you know,

to be honest

I do feel

like I should

make some time

to think about

how my faith

in you

affects all

of my life.

But right now

I'm just trying

to put food

on the table

for my family

and keep money

in the bank

and get the kids

where they need

to go

and plan our

next vacation

and try not

to feel too

discouraged

about my

failures as a

spouse

and get prepared

for the next

meeting

and have some

real friends

I can actually

count on

and enjoy

and I'm just

too weary,

God,

with all of the

things that I

see right in

front of me

every day.

I'm too weary

to look up

to anything

else.

I give up

on trying

to have

life with

God,

a relationship,

with him.

I mean,

he'll be there

when I die.

I've got

faith for

them.

You feel

any of that?

I do.

I have thought

or said

every one

of those

things at

some point

in my

journey

with Jesus.

And God

understands.

He wants

to encourage

us today

that the

life of

faith

is a race

to stay

in,

to run

with endurance

even

when we're

weary.

He knows

that it's not

easy,

but he wants

to tell us

how to do

that.

So it's

intensely

practical

here.

Pause.

The race

of faith

is a

daily race.

So he

starts here

by addressing

how do we

stay ready

to run

well

each

day.

First,

he says,

lay aside

hindrances.

Anything that

would get in

your way.

Verse 1,

let us also

lay aside

every weight

and sin

which clings

so closely.

So just

imagine,

before you

run a race,

you might

need to

train

to shed

some extra

pounds,

weight.

You'll

certainly

want to

empty your

pockets,

right?

You'll

take off

a jacket

if you're

wearing it.

You know,

if you're

really serious,

you might

shave your

legs,

right?

You're

really

going to

make sure

there's

nothing

slowing

you down

in this

race.

You'll

get rid

of anything,

even good

things,

that might

slow you

down.

In other

words,

if your

goal is

running the

race with

endurance,

it's a

very simple

decision what

to keep

with you

for the

race.

Will it

help you

run or

not?

Not,

am I

allowed to

or can I

get away

with a

little bit,

but will

it help

me run?

So,

you got a

few things

in your

pocket in

life,

don't you?

Meddling,

mourning.

How about

your phone?

How about

your hobby?

How about

your habit?

college

football,

book club,

vacation,

kids

activities,

my high

paying job,

my

boyfriend.

Should I

keep it

with me?

Or not?

Are you

willing to

ask?

What's

the question?

I don't

understand,

Pastor,

should I

keep it

with me?

Of course

I want to

keep it

with me.

No,

no,

no,

I'm

asking a

different

question.

Will it

help me

live by

faith,

run with

endurance,

keep my

life focused

on unseen

realities,

or obsessed

with the

world I see

with my

eyes?

Which one?

I just,

I know

from my

own life,

I think

from looking

at ours,

if we

would order

our lives

around honest

answers to

that question,

they probably

look different,

maybe

significantly

different.

Not because

the things

that we

might decide

to lay

aside are

bad things,

but will

we be

willing to

ask if

or how

they help

us run

by faith?

Will we

at least

be willing

to ask

that question

what did

Jesus say

in Luke

14?

Any one

of you

who does

not renounce

all that

he has

cannot be

my disciple.

Deny

yourself,

take up

your cross

and follow

me.

And y'all,

that's just

the neutral

stuff that

we might

need to

lay aside.

we certainly

must lay

aside

the sin

that so

often trips

us up.

Harboring

sin in your

heart is like

running a race

with a big

boulder on

your back,

weighing you

down,

or with your

shoes untied,

you're going

to trip and

fall at some

point.

So what do

we do?

Laying sin

aside is called

repentance,

hating it,

turning from

it,

confessing it

to God.

James says

even confess

your sins

to one

another.

Fight

against

Satan

and sin

rather than

just giving

in to

sloth

or lust

or slander.

I talked

with a brother

this week

who said

generosity

and giving

is something

that he

loves,

but he

needs to

do it

because he

says he's

lifelong

been fighting

a battle

against greed.

It's one

of his

besetting

sins

and one

of the

things he's

learned helps

him in that

battle is to

give generously.

I love

that.

Lay aside

every weight.

Lay aside

every sin

and

look to

Jesus.

You didn't

think he was

going to take

a week off

from that,

did you?

Every page

of Hebrews,

isn't it?

Because he's

greater than

anything else.

Look to

Jesus.

Robert

Murray

McShane

must have

been reading

Hebrews,

I think,

when he

famously

said,

for every

one look

at yourself

and your

sin,

take ten

looks at

Jesus.

I hope

this brief

look he

gives us

will breathe

life into

your weary

soul this

morning.

Just look

at Jesus

for a

minute.

Jesus,

the

founder

and

perfecter

of our

faith.

The one

who at

the very

beginning

went before

us as

the champion,

the trailblazer

of our

salvation.

Remember

that?

Chapter

two?

He went

before us

and even

in the

beginning

made our

faith

possible

that the

way up

is down.

He lives

that and

he perfects

it in

the end

because our

faith needs

a perfect

object.

And Jesus

always comes

through like

ultimately when

he for the

joy that was

set before

him endured

the cross

despising

the shame

sat down

at the right

hand of

the throne

of God.

the deep

shame of

the cross.

It marked

the cross.

Jesus

considered that

as insignificant

compared to

the joy

that he saw

in doing

the will

of his

father,

in achieving

redemption

for us,

in bringing

you and

me with

him into

eternal

glory with

his father

to have

us there

with him.

That joy

sustained

him all

the way

to and

through

the cross.

That's the

Jesus that

we look to

now and

every day.

We slow

down and

consider

him

when we're

weary,

when we're

overwhelmed,

when we're

losing heart.

Because if

we're hearing

this sermon,

we haven't

given our

lives yet.

yet.

But he

did.

And so

there's

hope that

we then

can suffer

and yet

endure.

The first

Christian

martyr,

Stephen,

when he's

being stoned,

what does he

look up and

see?

He sees

Jesus

standing at

the right

hand of

God.

And he's

sustained

all the way

through his

death.

Since

Stephen,

many in the

cloud of

witnesses,

martyrs,

have looked

to Jesus.

And so

we too

look to

the crucified

Savior so

that we

can keep

running,

even and

especially

when it

hurts.

That's what

takes us into

this next

section.

Running

with endurance

is often

painful.

Non-runners

tell me

something I

don't know.

Right?

Different

times,

different

pains for

different

runners.

But the

side stitch

is going

to develop.

Yeah?

Right?

About 50

yards or

so.

Is that

when you

get it at

50 yards?

Please,

somebody.

Maybe it's

aching feet

or leg

muscles.

In some

moments you

get to this

just painful

exhaustion of

I can't even

catch a breath.

Or take

another step

that just

hurts.

Maybe it

happens for

you when you're

cruising along

and all of a

sudden the

slope starts

to go up.

You start to

feel the pain.

You been there?

You felt that?

One of my

friends that I

used to run

with, some

would ask me a

theology question

right at the

bottom of a

really big hill.

and then he

would just

enjoy waiting

for me to

try to talk

and breathe

running up a

hill at the

same time.

Didn't pick up

on it for

months.

Bill Nash

reminded us a

few months

ago that life

itself is

uphill.

It's hard.

That's part of

what verses

5 through

11 are

addressing when

they talk about

God's discipline.

It is for

discipline that

you have to

endure, verse

7.

The idea here,

it's a little bit

hard I think to

understand in the

ESV, the NIV

states it well,

endure hardship

as discipline.

How do we run

well when we're

hurting, when it's

hard?

How do we not

just give up and

drop out of the

race and just

stop to make the

pain go away?

I know how to

make it better.

I could quit.

He says we have

to recognize that

even the genuinely

painful things in

our lives are

being worked for

our good.

So we don't

deny the pain,

don't call bad

things good,

no.

Verse 11,

at the time,

for the moment,

all discipline

seems painful,

not pleasant.

We've got to

see the hard

things, the

hurtful things,

and name that

struggle so that

we can take

that struggle

and that hurt

to God.

18th century

British theologian

William Law

wrote,

receive every

inward and

outward trouble,

every disappointment,

pain, uneasiness,

temptation,

darkness,

and desolation

with both

your hands

as a true

opportunity and

blessed occasion

of dying to

self and

entering into a

fuller fellowship

with your

self-denying

suffering

savior.

You see what

he's saying?

Let the pain

point you to

the one who

bore your

pain, draw you

closer to him,

he's been there.

See, we don't

deny our pain,

but we also

don't deny our

father.

He's never

left us.

The point of

the preacher

here is that

painful realities

in your life

are actually

being used by

your heavenly

father for

your good,

to help you

share in

his holiness.

Whoa.

How would

that happen?

By reminding

you where

your hope is

to be found,

by producing

the peaceful

fruit of

righteousness

as you learn

to trust God

in spite of

the circumstances.

It's why

John Piper

wrote,

don't waste

your cancer.

He's saying

not that it's

a good thing,

but that it

is an opportunity

because you

have a good

father.

And so it

can actually

draw you

deeper into

relationship

with him.

Don't let

the pain

convince you

that God

doesn't care

or that God

has forgotten

you.

Far from it.

The painful

struggles are

evidences that

God cares for

you as a

father.

After all,

didn't Jesus

tell us that

not even a

single sparrow

falls to the

ground apart

from the will

of our father

in heaven

and that

we are

of more

value to

him than

many sparrows,

even then that

he has numbered

the very hairs

on our head.

So if something

more painful

than a hair

for you is

going on,

your father

knows,

your father

sees,

your father

is working

for your good

even through

bad.

That's come

into your life.

There's peace

then in the

pain.

Not peace

from the

circumstances

here.

No,

what did we

sing?

Peace that

flows from

heaven.

A strength

in time

of need.

I know my

pain will

not be

wasted.

Not a

single tear.

It won't be

wasted.

Christ completes

his work in

me.

Hardship is

endured by

seeing it as

discipline from

a loving

father.

Be encouraged.

God knows you

will hurt

deeply as

you run

the race

of faith

but it's

not arbitrary

or meaningless.

He's anchoring

you to an

eternal hope

to a suffering

savior.

And there are

going to be

days when you

struggle to

feel that,

to find that.

You need to

have a brother

or sister

who will enter

in with you,

who will not

deny the pain.

They'll listen

to you,

they'll mourn

with you,

but they won't

leave you there.

They won't let

you deny your

father either.

In fact,

they'll point

you to him.

They'll remind

you that although

you are hurting,

he's helping

you.

And that's the

heart behind the

final section

this morning.

It's going to

remind us that

the race of faith

is not an

individual project,

it's a group

project.

It's like a

team race where

your team doesn't

finish until

everyone makes

it across the

line.

The issue is not

how fast is the

fastest guy,

that doesn't

help,

but how do we

make sure that

we don't leave

anyone struggling

behind?

How do we run

well together?

Can we think

about that for

just a minute?

Look at verse

12.

You can see the

discouraged runner

here, can't you?

Drooping hands,

just done,

ready to give up,

no more

motivation.

Weak knees,

unstable,

right?

Maybe even

fearful of

keeping on

running.

The lame

needing to be

healed on a

straight path.

That may be a

description of you

at times,

but it may be a

brother or a

sister in your

family,

family,

in your

church,

in your

grace group.

Notice how

once again

Hebrews broadens

our focus

beyond ourselves

to our

brothers and

sisters.

Strive for

peace with

everyone,

for the

holiness without

which no one

will see the

Lord.

That's pretty

serious.

We have to be

connected to

Jesus to have

that kind of

holy life,

right?

So, so,

see to it

that no one

fails to

obtain the

grace of God.

Notice what he

says.

He doesn't say

make sure that

you obtain the

grace of God.

That's not what

he's calling you

to.

He's actually

calling you to

something harder

than that.

Be careful

about everyone

else.

You know,

about really

surface level

things in their

life like how's

your day and

how are your

kids?

no.

Be careful

about roots

of bitterness.

Look for

everyone else

about their

sexual morality,

about their

holiness.

Wow.

That doesn't

leave much

out.

Remember back

to chapter 10

we have a

responsibility to

stir one

another up to

love and

good works.

This is more

one anothering.

Running

together, arms

locked, no

one falls down

and gets left

behind in this

family.

Strengthen the

struggling.

Are you drawn

to those who

are hurting?

Maybe even to

those who look

like they're doing

pretty well but

they've got a

distinct limp as

they run,

weighed down by

an obsession

they can't

seem to

shake,

clung to

by a sin

that they

can't seem

to get away

from?

That's your

job,

friends.

It may not

be your

sin,

but she's

your sister.

It may not

be your

addiction,

but he's

your brother.

it's our

issue.

And God's

at work.

God's at work

in the struggling

one, in him

or her.

Perhaps even

he's at work

using you as

an agent of

his discipline,

as an agent of

his producing

holiness, so

that even the

one who is

most feebly

running receives

his grace and

then runs

freely again.

Don't give up

on them because

they're limping

behind.

Don't run

ahead without

them.

Pick them

up.

Run together.

Look to

Jesus.

He's enough

for all of

us.

And as you

do, remember

the relationship.

Yes, one

another, but

run well

together by

remembering the

relationship we

have with God

as our

Father.

It's a little

harder to

track with

here, but

that's the

issue for

Esau.

What did

Esau do?

Esau gave

away the

covenant

blessing that

he couldn't

see in the

moment.

You get

that?

You wake

up every day

and see the

covenant

blessing, the

glory of God

and his

faithfulness

immediately when

you open

your eyes?

No, he

didn't see it.

He gave that

away for

something that

he could see.

He could

taste it right

in that

moment, right?

Just for a

meal.

Esau lost

sight of what

was valuable.

I get that.

It's the

opposite of

living by

faith, of

valuing the

unseen, right?

All he could

value was what

he could have

right in that

moment and

see and touch

and taste.

And it was

later that he

realized that

that blessing,

that relationship

with the

covenant God

was so valuable.

See to it

that no one

is unholy,

neglecting the

blessing of

being set

apart as

God's

treasured

possession and

living as if

all that

matters is my

comfort and my

success right

here, right

now.

So here's the

deal for the

relationships in

your grace

group.

If you need to

turn around and

look at them to

remind yourself,

go ahead.

friends don't

let friends miss

the glory of

God's grace and

settle for less.

Friends don't

let friends

minimize the

value of being

loved by God

and drop out

of the race.

Friends don't

let friends live

for today and

neglect eternity

because we're all

prone to it and

we all need

help.

Turning our

eyes to Jesus.

The writer of

Hebrews has sent

us to stir one

another up.

Now he's calling

us to strengthen

the struggling,

not to let anyone

fall out of the

race of faith.

It's not a race

where you're

competing against

one another to

win, right?

Please don't get

confused.

It's a race you're

completing with one

another to endure,

to finish together.

That's the kind of

race that this is.

If you've ever run a

race of any length,

you know how much

help it is not to

run alone.

you felt the

relief from the

cup of water

pass to you at

the right moment.

The strength from

the apt word of

encouragement spoken

by the runner next

to you.

Even the energy

from the crowd

cheering near the

finish line.

I want us to think

about that together

as we close.

This image is

inspired by

Pastor Joe

Novenson a

couple years ago.

The cloud of

witnesses surrounding

us in this race is

primarily those who've

gone before us in

the race.

For the sake of

Mother's Day, let's

call them our

spiritual mothers and

grandmothers.

But as you picture

them, the picture here

is a bit different from

what we often think when

we read this verse.

It's not so much that

they're looking down and

watching us and

speaking to us.

It's actually that we

look at them and

their testimony of

faith is what we

hear when we see

them.

That Jesus is worth

it.

That God is faithful.

That he never let me

go.

I suspect each of us

has names and faces

that come to mind

immediately when we

think of forefathers

in the faith.

Those who've gone

before us.

Who've showed us the

path of faith and

what it looks like to

walk.

Next week, we're

going to see that

endurance in the race

of faith ends in a

kingdom.

I can't wait to

explore this with you.

But here, before we

get to that, endurance

ends finally in an

eternal embrace.

Abraham, Sarah,

Moses, who endured so

much.

the Old Testament

prophets and martyrs

sawn in two who yet

hoped in the Lord,

waited on the Lord,

renewed their strength,

ran with wings like

eagles, not getting

weary.

They're embracing us as

we cross the finish line.

And so right now, here's

what they're doing.

They're taking the good

news of Jesus, that he's

worth it.

the message of the

gospel that Jesus

saves, that the truth

of the Bible, shape your

life around this.

They're taking this

baton and they are

pressing it into your

hand.

They're running and now

they're handing it off to

you and they're saying,

Southwood, live by faith.

Fix your eyes on Jesus

and run.

Jesus himself is there in

this cloud of witnesses.

The one who went to the

cross in spite of its

shame and Stephen and the

New Testament apostles and

the many other martyrs who've

given their lives for the

cause of Christ.

Christians through the

centuries have endured

persecution, suffered

through church schisms,

endured mockery.

missionary, missionaries

who've packed all of their

belongings into a coffin

to go invite people into

the eternal embrace of

Jesus that they knew that

they themselves couldn't

lose even if their life

ended trying to invite

others into it.

As we read this passage

today, they're saying,

live by faith.

Fix your eyes on Jesus.

Take the baton and run.

Perhaps more recently, we

should think of Christians

in Nigeria.

Our brothers and sisters,

some of whom even this

week have ended their race

that they endured by faith

in martyrdom.

You may think of Frank

Six, of Laura Wolfson,

of Ron Brady,

who can't wait

to embrace us again

eternally

to live in their embrace.

They want us to bring with us

many more

from this community.

They're by the Spirit of God

pressing the baton

of the Word of God

into our hands this morning

and saying,

Southwood family,

whom we love,

live by faith.

Fix your eyes on Jesus

and run.

Run.

Run to our neighbors

and to the nations

toward lives of rest

in a world of exhaustion,

lives of simplicity

in a world of chaos,

toward lives of peace

in a world of war

and holiness

in a world of compromise,

toward lives of purpose

in a world of distraction,

lives of service

and a world of selfishness,

because by faith

you see Him

who is invisible,

who nobody else sees.

It's our turn,

Southwood.

God's Word is saying to us,

there's a race

marked out for us.

It's our turn

to run it

with endurance.

Let's take the baton,

let's turn our eyes

to Jesus,

and let's run.

That's why this table

is before us this morning.

Because we need

to see Jesus again

and we're not going to run

in the right direction

at all.

You know that.

You know how capable

we are of wandering

off the path of faith

in any moment.

And so Jesus sits

with disciples like that

who were weary,

some of whom were losing

direction in the moment.

And that night

He was betrayed,

He took bread

and He broke it

and He gave it to them

as I am ministering

in His name,

give this bread to you.

He said,

take and eat.

This is my body

given for you.

Do this

in remembrance of me.

In the same way,

after supper

He took the cup

and He said,

this cup is the new covenant

in my blood

shed for many

for the forgiveness

of sins.

Drink from it,

all of you.

For as often

as you eat this bread,

and you drink this cup,

you proclaim the Lord's death

until He comes.

You say,

forgiveness of sins,

I need that.

Let me drink.

It's His death

and His death alone

that can cover my sins.

If that's how you run,

if you run the race

looking to Jesus,

if you know

that there is no other way

for you to run towards God,

that you can't get there

on your own

but you need Jesus,

if you run today

willing to lay aside

every weight

and every sin

which would cling

so closely to you

and trip you up,

then come running

to this table

because Jesus is here

for that.

You can bring your sin

with you

as long as you're

bringing it to Him

to be crucified

at His cross

and mortified

in your life.

Put it to death.

If that's not your story,

if you're not running

the race

looking to Jesus,

listen,

we're really glad

that you're here

with us this morning.

We wouldn't invite you

to come to a table

and to do something

outwardly

that you don't believe

at all is true

for you inwardly.

Maybe you do believe it.

Maybe you have trusted Jesus

but today you're not willing

to lay aside

the sin that clings

so closely

and you know it.

Wherever you fit in that,

we'd love to pray with you.

You can just come up.

You may be a part

of this family

for 50 years.

You can come up here

and say,

Pastor,

I just need you

to pray for me.

Okay?

But if you want

to run to Jesus,

if your heart trusts Him

to take care of the sins

that you want to lay aside

and to bring you

all the way to glory,

then come and eat

and be strengthened

to run the race by faith.

Let me pray.

Jesus,

we do need

your grace

and your help

to have the holiness

of God

without which

none of us

will even see the Lord.

Oh,

it's too much for us.

And so we run to you

knowing that you're

perfectly holy,

knowing that you know

what to do with sin,

that you've forgiven it

once and for all.

And so we come to you,

Jesus,

and we come together

to you

because we'd not want

to figure this out

on our own.

It's too much for us

and you've given us

one another

that we might run

this race together.

What a great gift.

And so use very common

elements this morning

for a holy purpose.

Make us holy.

Strengthen our faith

that we might really believe

the things we don't see

are more real

and more true

and more valuable

than the things

that we do see.

Meet with us now.

Thank you for setting

the table for us.

In Jesus' name,

amen.

For more information,

visit us online

at southwood.org.

For more information,

visit us online

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