I have run in a few races in my life. Several years back, I was up in Prairie du Sac, at a run called the Cow Chip Classic Fun Run. I am not exactly sure why they call them "fun runs," because they are not always all that fun. They can be pretty grueling.

This particular day, I got up a little later than I should have. And, I ate breakfast a little too soon to when the race was about to begin. When the starting gun went off, I was already feeling tired. By the time I got to the half way point, my stomach was burning, my lungs were heaving, and my legs felt heavy. And the thought, for a moment, passed through my mind, "Why am I doing this?"

When I made it to the three quarters way mark, off in the distance I could see a grocery store. There were two pop machines standing outside the grocery store's front door. There were people sitting in the parking lot, on chairs, kicked back, relaxing, watching us. And, this almost irresistible urge came over me, to run up to those pop machines, give them a big hug, stop running, have a nice cold drink, and then, sit down in one of those chairs and watch all of these crazy people keep on running, because I was growing weary. I was growing weary and my endurance was wearing out.

In today's scripture reading, God compares the Christian life to a long distance endurance race. In that race, you and I, and maybe there are people here today, who have grown weary. The Bible recognizes that the Christian life can be very, very difficult and grueling.

✔ It can be very difficult to give up certain friends, because you are a Christian.

✔ It can be very grueling to deprive yourself of certain things that other people in this world can have, just because you are a Christian.

✔ It can be very grueling, day, after day, after day, to struggle against sin, when it would be so much easier just to give in and enjoy the pleasures of sin.

✔ It can be very, very grueling and difficult, when people look at you differently and treat you differently, because you are a Christian.

✔ It can be very difficult, when God, whom you trust in, permits great troubles to come into your life.

And, we can grow weary. We can grow weary and the temptation is to say, "Why am I doing this? Why am I doing this?"

Brothers and Sisters, what is at stake? What is at stake is this. On that last, great, day, when it comes, on Judgment Day, will you have grown weary and given up Jesus? Will you stand before the great Judge, without Jesus? Will you hear Him say, "I never knew you? Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and all of his angels."

Or, on that last, great, day, will you have endured? Will you have fought the good fight, run the race, and kept the faith? Will you run into the arms of your Savior, waiting for you, to be with Him forever, in eternity?

Think about what is at stake.

Given that, our scripture reading intends to give us every encouragement and every strength to continue to walk the Christian life, and endure whatever hardship we may go through in this life, for Christ, our Savior. Our scripture reading does three things. First of all, it gives us this encouragement. It says,

"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."

It says, "we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses." What does that mean? Hebrews chapter twelve is referring back to Hebrews chapter eleven. Hebrews chapter eleven is what we call the great chapter of the heroes of faith. And, the Bible is telling us that there are many people who have gone before you, who are no different than you are. They were not super human. They were sinners. They had faults just like you. And yet, by God's grace, they endured all of the hardships of this life, and clung to Jesus, their Savior. Some of the examples that are used in Hebrews chapter eleven, for example, are Noah, who endured the hardship of being mocked and made fun of, when he built the ark that God told him to build. Do you think that was easy?

It uses the example of Abraham. God had promised him a land. However, never in this life did Abraham possess that land. He went around as a wanderer, all of his life. Do you think that was easy? And yet, he endured.

Abraham was also told by God to sacrifice his one and only son? Do you think it was easy that God would deprive Abraham of something so dear to him? And yet, Abraham endured.

Moses… Moses had the riches of Egypt at his fingertips, as a young man. And yet, he considered suffering with Christ more worth than all of the riches of Egypt. And, he endured all of those hardships.

Hebrews chapter eleven ends this way. It says, "Others were tortured, and refused to be released so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced years in flogging. Others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned. They were sawed in two. They were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts, and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. They were all commended for their faith."

By God's grace, "we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses." They are not the only ones. There are many people who, by God's grace, have endured until the end and clung to faith in Jesus, as their Savior, no matter what the difficulties.

Therefore, be encouraged.

If it is possible for them, then by God's grace it is possible for you and me.

The second thing our text tells us is this. It says, "Let us throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race that is marked out for us."

You know that there are so many things that can hinder us, that can keep us from fixing our eyes on the goal, fixing our eyes on Jesus. And, you know what they are.

➢ You know that having a nicer house can distract you from fixing your eyes on Jesus.

➢ You know that your job at work can become so all-consuming that it keeps you from fixing your eyes on Jesus.

➢ You know that spending time with your friends can become so all-consuming that it can take you away from fixing your eyes on Jesus.

➢ You know that going to all of the events for your children can become so all-consuming that it keeps you from fixing your eyes on Jesus.

Our scripture reading says, "Let us throw off everything that hinders." Let us not let those things become so all-consuming in our lives, and so important that they replace the most important thing of all, which is Jesus.

It says, let us throw off "the sin that so easily entangles," so easily entangles. Every one of us in this room could stand up and tell many examples of how we were running the race of the Christian faith and there was some sin that was tempting us. The battle began in our hearts between our sinful nature and our new man. Our 'new man' said, "Keep running the race. Stay away from that sin."

But the 'old man' kept calling us to that sin. "Oh, come on. Come on. This will be enjoyable. It will give you some relief. It will give you some pleasure and privilege in this life."

And, we fell. We fell. We ran off of the course. Sin so easily entangles us. Scripture says throw off "the sin that so easily entangles us and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

And, what is the race, the course that God has marked out for us? He describes it in the book of Hebrews where He says, "Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as some are in the habit of doing. But, let us encourage one another and all the more, as we see the day approaching."

There, scripture is talking about going to church, as we see the day approaching. We want to be ready for that day. And there is only one thing that causes us to be prepared for that day, and that is having faith in Christ, as our Savior.

And so, scripture tells us, "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 course marked out for us."

Then, it tells us where we can find our strength to do that. It says,

"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 its shame."

If, for just five minutes, just five minutes, God could take you into this back room, and for five minutes He could show you what you deserve, because of your sin, truly deserve because of your sin, and you had to endure for five minutes what you deserve, because of your sin, can you imagine what those five minutes would be like?

And then, for the next five minutes, God could, in this back room, show you for just five minutes

➔ the salvation that Jesus has purchased for you.

➔ He could show you what it is going to be like to be in Heaven.

➔ He could show you what it is going to be like to be perfect.

➔ He could show you what it is like to be in the bliss and joy in eternity of Heaven.

If you walked out of that room, having experienced for five minutes the wrath of God, and then for the next five minutes the salvation that Christ has earned for you, I can guarantee you, we would all walk out of that room very changed people. And, we would be committed to saying, "Whatever I have to suffer in this life, it is worth it. It is absolutely worth it, if only I could be with Christ, for all eternity."

Which is why our scripture says,

"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 its shame."

When it calls Jesus "the author and perfecter," those Greek words could also be translated, "the One who begins our faith, and the One who brings our faith to completion," or, "the starting line and the finish line of our faith." You became a Christian on the day you first believed in Jesus, as your Savior, and that was the starting line. Keep your eyes fixed on Him, so that He is the finish line, so that you persevere, until Judgment Day. Why? Because without Him, there is no salvation, none whatsoever. Fix your eyes on Him, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame."

Think about what Jesus did for you, for you. It says,

"Who for the joy set before Him."

And, what was the joy that was set before Jesus? The joy that was set before Jesus was He was thinking about you, sinner that you are, with all the faults that you have. It was the joy of Jesus knowing that you, you could be with Him forever, in eternity! That was the joy that was set before Him!

And, because of the joy that was set before Him, (thinking about you being with Him in eternity, grace upon grace), the Bible tells us that Jesus "endured the cross, scorning its shame." Think about that! It is as if Jesus looked out at you and said, "I can see that for eternity, he could be with me. She could be with me. Therefore, bring it on. Bring it on! I'll endure the cross. I scorn the shame of the cross. Bring it on!"

And, God the Father did bring it on. He brought it on. And, Jesus took all of the shame that you deserve, and all of the punishment that you deserve, and all wrath of God that you deserve. It was all put on His Son.

"For the joy set before Him,

Jesus endured the cross,

scorning its shame."

Jesus said, "Bring it on!"

And then, He died for you. He paid for all of your sins. He purchased you, so that you can be His own, and you can be with Him forever, in eternity!

Therefore, the Bible tells 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 its shame,"

so that you can be saved.

Is it worth it, continuing to run the Christian race, difficult as it may be? Or,

Is it worth it to give up?

Is it worth it to quit?

Is it worth it, to have a few more friends in this life? Is it?

Is it worth it to have a little more money in this life? Is it?

Is it worth it to give in to sins in this life? Is it worth it?

Is it worth it… or is it worth it, (no matter what the difficulties in this life), to cling to Jesus? Is it worth it to endure the hardships and the troubles in this life?

Is it worth it to cling to Jesus?

Is it worth it?

Absolutely!

By God's grace, let us say at the end of our lives, "I have fought the good fight. I have run the race. I have kept the faith. And now there lays, stored up for me, a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that day!"

"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 it shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Amen.