GREAT EXPECTATIONS

 

Hebrews 12:1-3

Introduction

Christianity is basically the acceptance of Christ and the total dependence on Him. The Christian life has been compared to many things just to drum home the practicality of it. One such allegory is "as a race". 

Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:24 made a comparison of the Christian life to a runner on a field even by saying, "Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize." 

Paul uses this racing analogy not to say only one will win. He is saying, just because you are a Christian does not automatically make you a winner.

In my childhood, I loved running in Brigade race competitions at meetings. No matter your position, everyone receives a prize. This time without obedience to the rules guiding the race, one cannot win the race.

*Endurance is the capacity of something to last or withstand unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving in. (2 Corinthians 4:7-8-9). 

*Perfection is the point of meeting Christ as the Judge of this world. This is at the sound of the trumpet or your departure to eternity. (1 Corinthians 13:10)

Enduring unto perfection is basically holding on [on the narrow road (Matthew 7:13-14), and love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44), until we attain perfection [see God in eternity].

Comparing the believer's life with that of a race was prudent and it's still very needful in our time and generation.

The qualifies for the World Athletics Championship, Ghana was disqualified after finishing at 3rd position in the Men 4*100 relay race. This was as a result of a late changeover in the track. (Ghana Disqualified from 4*100 World Relay Final. myjoyonline.com [4/5/2021]). Without strict obedience to rules guiding the Christian race, no matter the position we may find ourselves in, we can be disqualified.

Our choice of focus for the semester as "Enduring unto Perfection" is apt and timely. We are indeed in a race. You and I can be disqualified when we fail to observe all the rules of the Christian faith. 

It is in the words of the Prophet Micah, (6:8) that the prophet admonished humanity saying "walk humbly with your God". A walk has no binding rules for disqualification, meanwhile, without a closer walk, one can also lose contact and miss the goal. The best allegory of the Christian faith is to run to win. So Paul says, "Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:27 (HCSB)

Have you accepted Christ as your LORD and Saviour? If yes shout Hallelujah. Now listen, 

Why should the saved, the born again endure unto perfection? 

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 

Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:19‭-‬31 NIV) 

song: //Keep me true Lord Jesus keep me true

There's a race that I must run

There're victories to be won

Give power every hour to be true.//

How do we run the Christian race? 

The Apostle Paul says,  "Run To Win" (1 Cor 9:24). James also puts it, "... Your “yes” must be “yes,” and your “no” must be “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment." James 5:12 (HCSB)

Three basic things I would want to share with you now on running the Christian race. A careful observation of these would be best to aid us Endure Unto Perfection; 

1. Denial  2. Decisiveness 3. Discipline (the 3D view)

1. DENIAL

In 1 Corinthians 9:25, Paul says, "Now everyone who competes, exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away."

'Self-control' here indicates a practice of abstinence, staying away from, being in charge. It is a practice of abstaining from less healthy yet nicer, tasty and appealing. We deny ourselves some pleasures in order to win good health, good grades, and generally win our goals in life. In the same way, denial is required to win the crown that never fades away or perish.

The Hebrews writer puts it as, "Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us..." Hebrews 12:1 (HCSB). 'Weight' here is not the same thing as sin. In fact, 'weight' does not break God's law, but it does hinder the Christian in the Christian race. It is something that distracts us from more important things. An athlete wanting to win will get rid of every weight so that he can concentrate and have free movement on running his race. In the same vein, we must also lay aside things that may hinder our race to victory.

- Internet, - TV, - songs, - alcohol, - sex and - sexuality, - profanity, - bad company, - gambling, - cults etc. Deny yourself these pleasures of life because they turn to become a weight on you as you run the Christian race. You may say, "but it's not a sin to watch say pornography, yes, but it becomes the 'weight' on you to prevent you from attaining the mark.

The Corinthian church thought they could go back to the pleasures they used to engage in before being born again. They thought they had the freedom to eat and get drunk. But Paul rebuked them saying, "For if someone sees you, the one who has this knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols? Then the weak person, the brother for whom Christ died, is ruined by your knowledge. Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother to fall." 1 Corinthians 8:10-13 (HCSB)

Note this, Freedom without limitations is bondage. Your ability to control yourself is freedom.

Jesus puts it, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me." Matthew 16:24 (HCSB) 

In this Christian race, denial of what God forbids us is to put us into a strong position to reach perfection. Without our control to deny the self these things, we become weary and grow tired.

2. DECISIVENESS

At the Boys' Brigade parade, we were taught to always fix our eyes on a facing object when marching especially if you are a 'maker'. When the 'maker' shifts, the entire company line is distorted. Without a decisive focus on a goal, destructions would be the order of the day.

The Hebrews writer indicated, "... Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne." Hebrews 12:1-2 (HCSB)

It is always about the decision to focus on the goal. The writer gives one major reason why Christ was able to achieve His goal on earth, "who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame." That is with the joy of sitting at the right hand of the throne of God He overlooked the shame and humiliation they were taking Him through until He attained perfection.

Paul says, "... I do not run like someone running aimlessly..." 1 Corinthians 9:26 (NIV)

Paul did run with the greatest attention on his race. He decisively studied the course of the race and raced accordingly. He did not run aimlessly but he stayed on the right course. Paul had the finish line in mind and raced decisively to win. Paul decided that he was going to win the prize and everything he did helped accomplish this. So he said, "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day —and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV)

After denial, one must consciously decide to focus on the joy of what lies at the end of the race. "the crown of righteousness" which does not perish or fade away. Eternal life.

A 100m Sprinter: Can it be that an athlete waiting at the starting point on the mark for a 100 m race, stands up just before the gun and waves to his wife or friends in the crowd? By NO means. He wouldn't dare think of it. The only thing that he is thinking about is running as fast as he can to the finish line. He is not even concerned about the other runners. Only the finish line is in his mind. Running to win!

Paul sets this in perspective in his letter to the Philippians, in verses 12 to 14 of the Chapter 3. 

He puts it, "Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14 (HCSB)

Like Paul, believers need to have a purpose in all that we do! We must have a firm conviction about how we are running. We must have a strategy behind all that we do. We must know what we need to do and stick to it. This will mean that we make choices regarding how we use our time, talents and abilities, and our money. Christians are running a race that will finish in glory. Yet many runners invest most of their time and money on things that will remain on earth. How much time do you spend in prayer? Do you choose to order your life so that you have time alone with the Lord? Are you using your spiritual gifts and talents in the Lord's service?  

Remember, only money invested in God's kingdom will pay dividends in eternity. At the negligence of God's work, don't invest in houses, cars and appliances that are only temporal.  Let us run decisively so that all we do will count for Christ. Let us spend our time, talents and money for Christ! Let us Run to Win!

song //I have decided to follow Jesus

No turning back

The world behind me

The cross before me

No turning back//

3. DISCIPLINE

The word discipline means to persist even at the point of being weary. It has the idea of beating your body up but in a good sense. To reach top physical fitness, an athlete subjects his body to severe training. They push themselves to the limit, even though this involves pain and tiredness. So discipline here does not involve what we deny ourselves, but rather what we choose to subject ourselves to. The word literally means, "to take a punch under the eye."

Apostle Paul says, "I strike a blow to my body [discipline my body] and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NIV)

cite; Mohammed Ali and Joe Friezier bout...

Out of denial, decisiveness and discipline come victory. Subjecting the self into hardship gives endurance! Paul was determined to finish his course. He was not discouraged by hardship. In Acts 20:22-24 Paul says this: "“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me —the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace." Acts 20:22-24 (NIV)

The Christian Race unto Perfection

As an athlete needs physical exercise so the Christian needs spiritual exercise. The believer who runs to win will persevere in trials and push on for the finish line. S/He will spend much time agonizing in prayer, even when s/he is tired. S/He knows that the time spent training in prayer will pay great dividends on the track. The Christian athlete accomplishes much in the Lord's service because s/he pushes her/himself on. S/He doesn't slacken off during the race. S/He doesn't quit when things get hard. S/He runs a good race according to the rules leaving a good example for those running after him. The believer who runs to win will persevere through trials, suffering and sickness. S/He has disciplined her/himself to endure. S/He looks beyond the pain to the joy s/he will have when perfection is attained.

"...And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

Paul followed Jesus' example by fixing his eyes on Him, the author and finisher of our faith. My dearly beloved, let us do the same unto perfection.

Conclusion

How do we endure unto perfection? by the 3D, (Denial,  Decisiveness & Discipline).

I. Denial

Are you laying aside the weights, those things that harm your Christian faith? Are you feeding on the things that will build you spiritually? The word of God! Are you laying aside the sin which so easily besets you, so that you can run a good race?

II. Decisiveness or Dedication

Are you running with purpose, or are you running aimlessly? Is your focus on the finish line?  Are your actions helping you to obtain your goal? Are you using your time talents and money in the Lord's work? If you finished your race today would you win or lose?

III. Discipline

Are you pushing yourself to the point of weariness in your race? Are you agonizing in prayer? Are you bringing your body into subjection and making it serve your goal? Are you running a disciplined race? Are you running according to the rules? Or will you lose your reward through disqualification?

The Corinthians were not enduring unto perfection. Paul rebuked them for their lack of discipline. Therefore let us run to win! Let us exercise denial, decisiveness and discipline to attain perfection.  

Have a meditative prayer.

Ephesians 3:20-21: Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Shalom aleichem...