We are back to our Perfect Man series this Sunday, and if you look at Hebrews chapter 12,
in fact, it's such a great chapter. If you look at one of the major themes of Hebrews chapter 12,
it's about stability. It's about being unmovable. And when it comes to our Christian life, we need
to learn how to be stable. We're called to be faithful and to see it through to the end,
to remain faithful to the Lord. And if the moment you believed on Christ,
nothing's going to change your destination. You are on your way to heaven. But live in
the Christian life is challenging, isn't it? To live a life that is faithful, making steps
progressively forward is a challenge. And there are many Christians, I've been saved,
like I said, I've been in church for a lot of my life, and I've seen many, you know, start this
walk and do their best to be faithful, and they just fall away. You know, they're just out of
church and just have no longer interest in anything to do with the Lord, or they're no
longer picking up their Bibles, or they're no longer soul winning. They're no longer doing
the things that they once did. But you know, chapter 12 is all about being unmovable and
remind ourselves that we have a God that is unmovable, that He's going to keep us stable
in our walk, in our race, as we're going to soon see for Jesus Christ. Let's have a look at there
in verse number one, Hebrews 12, verse number one. We're foreseen, we're also compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so
easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Brethren, the Christian
life is a race. We have a race set before us, and that race has been set by the Lord Jesus Christ.
You know, we have a race to run now. Think about that for a moment. You know, yes, I've been saved,
praise God, it's free, it's in Jesus Christ. Well great, you're saved, you're on your way to heaven,
but now we need to live this life on this earth, and the Bible says it is like a race. It is like
a race. So think about it for a moment. You know, if you're going to run in a race, you're going to
compete with other people, are you just going to turn up on the day without preparation?
Are you just going to turn up and think you're going to win the race, and you're just going to
school everybody without ever really thinking about how long the race is, what's going to be
required from you? No, you know, when we think about a race, and we think about having the
necessary, you know, the necessity to prepare, and the objective to get to the end of that race,
the title for the sermon this morning is A Race of Endurance. A Race of Endurance. There are
different types of races, and the race in the Christian life is a race of endurance. We're here
racing in this life until Jesus Christ takes us to be home with him in heaven, and so we're going
to be looking primarily at Hebrews chapter 12, just the first few verses, and I want to take
some thoughts out of this passage, and I've got one extra thought that we're going to look at
another passage, but you know, we're going to primarily stay there in Hebrews 12, and then,
you know, when I get to turn to other passages, just stay in Hebrews 12 as well, if you can for
me. Now when we look at verse number one, we've got already some points that we can bring out
about this race. How can we endure? How can we stay in this race for the Lord Jesus Christ?
And as I said to you, it saddens my heart when I see Christians who are just on fire for God,
just wanting to serve God, and I see their zeal, I see their passion, and I don't want to downplay
their desire to serve God. I don't want to slow them down in the race if that's the speed they
want to go, but sometimes, brethren, I just see people fall away from serving the Lord, fall away
for many different reasons, and we need to make sure that we endure, that we stay racing for the
Lord Jesus Christ. The first thing I want you to notice in verse number one, so this is about
endurance. How can we stay motivated? How can we stay in the race? I love how verse number one
begins. It says, we're foreseen. We are also compassed about, so we're surrounded about with
so great a cloud of witnesses. Brethren, point number one is that you have witnesses cheering
you on. You have witnesses cheering you on in the race. Just as much as you might see a sporting
event and you've got the stadium full of witnesses, full of spectators, and they're cheering on their
favorite team or they're cheering on their player, brethren, we've got the same surrounding around us
as well. We have witnesses cheering us on, wanting us to win this race, wanting us to do the best we
can as we endure for the Lord Jesus Christ. You might say to me, pastor, who is that witness? Who
are the witnesses that are watching us? Well, if you know Hebrews chapter 11, the chapter that came
before, that chapter is known as the chapter of faith, and it mentions a great number of people
that were faithful toward God, and then we get to verse number 12, wherefore, in other words,
it's a conjunction to what we just read about, wherefore seen we are also compassed, but we're
so great a cloud of witnesses, it's the same witnesses that we read there in chapter number 11,
because in chapter 11, we have all these believers that we read about in the Old Testament that have
run the race as well. They know what it is like to run the race, they know what it's like to endure,
they know the challenges, they've gotten to the end of their finish line, and now they want other
Christians, other believers of the next generations getting to the end of that finish line as well.
You say, who are those witnesses? Well, we don't have time to go through chapter 11 right now,
but just some of the names that I mentioned, we've got Abel, we have Enoch, we have Noah,
Abraham, Sarah, yes, even the ladies I mentioned, Sarah, we've got Isaac and Jacob and Joseph
and Moses, Rahab, hey, even the harlot Rahab ran this race, and she's cheering us on.
Gideon, Barak, Samson, David, Samuel, and then it says, and of the prophets, meaning all the
prophets, all the prophets have penned God's word, all the prophets have proclaimed the Word of God,
brethren, they are all witnesses of this race, they are watching us from heaven, and you know
what, if you, let's say, you know, you know, God forbid, but if today was your last day, as we say
when God does us our winning, and we pass away, then you are going to be in heaven, and guess what,
you're going to be cheering those of us that we met on this earth on as well as we continue on
this race. Now someone once said to me, you know, I don't like this idea of people watching us on
this earth, because I sin, because I struggle, because I fail, I mean, you know, it doesn't sound
like heaven to me if all these believers see me in my sinful state and see me make mistakes,
but here's the thing, brethren, they're not witnessing your mistakes, they're not witnessing
your sin, okay, they're not witnessing, they're witnessing the race, so if you get off the race,
brethren, if you get yourself into a sinful lifestyle, if you get yourself away from the
Lord God, far from the Lord, you're no longer in the race, the witnesses aren't watching you then,
are they? They're only watching you when you're running the race, and you're running the race
when you're in the new man, when you're serving the Lord, when you're achieving great things for
the Lord, so you don't have to worry about these witnesses seeing you in your sin, they're watching
you in the race that God has set before us, and so that should be our first motivating factor
to continue enduring, is to know that we've got these believers in heaven cheering us on,
I mean, same believers that we've seen struggle, the same believers that encourage us as we read
about their stories, you know, think about the Abrahams and the Noahs, think about the people
that have done great things for God, and they're cheering you on, come on brother, come on sister,
keep serving the Lord, won't they get us motivated, won't that get us encouraged to just serve him,
well this is the truth of God's word, they are watching us as we run this race, but brethren, also
we have other witnesses on this earth, don't we, we have our brothers and sisters in this church
that, you know, that we can be an encouragement toward, you know, we can motivate one another
in this race, and one way to motivate our brethren isn't just kind words, and that's a great way to
motivate, but another way to motivate our brethren is by our example, and my question is, you know,
what kind of example are you, are you a motivating factor for your brethren to run the race, or are
you a discouragement, you know, you say how can I be an encouragement, you know, well yes, it's
nice words, fellowship, you know, encouraging words, that's great, but really the, you know,
you're the example that we set in our life is going to be the greater motivating factor,
you know, if you're trying to encourage your church to go soul winning, you know what you
need to be doing, you need to be soul winning, you need to set that example, and if you want to
encourage your church to know their bibles better, you know what you need to be doing, reading your
bibles, you know, if you want to encourage people in church attendance, you know where you need to
be in church, attending church, you know, our example can be a motivating factor for our
brethren, but we can also be in a discouragement, you know, if our brethren are trying to serve God
faithfully, and, you know, we don't give them, you know, any encouragement, or, you know, we have this
attitude, oh, you know, yeah, this, you know, because we feel bad, maybe, because we're not serving God
the way we should be, and others are, and we just don't give them, you know, the encouraging words,
because, you know, it makes us feel bad about ourselves, or something like that, you know, we
should be encouraging our brethren, and not be a discouragement toward them, we have other witnesses
between, besides those that are watching us in heaven, we have our brothers and sisters in this
church, and I understand my role as a pastor, I'm supposed to be an example of the believers, I know
that my life should be something that helps motivate and encourage other brethren to want to
serve the Lord, to want to be in church, to want to do the best they can to run this race that has
been set before us, and so point number one, brethren, is you have witnesses cheering you on,
and I hope that can be a motivating factor for you to endure in this race. What else do we learn
in verse number one? It says, wherefore seen we are also compassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside, hey, there are some things that we need to lay aside, there are some
things we need to get rid of, as it were, okay, every weight, and the sin which doth so easily
beset us, the word beset is to trouble us, you know, there are things that are weight,
like if you're going to run a race, I mean, you know, I don't know if you've seen any races,
you know, people, they try to limit the weight that they have on their bodies, you know, they
have slimming out, not that I like the slimming outfits, I don't think that's a great look anyway,
but you know, the idea, you know, you might see swimmers, they try to have, you know, skin tight
clothing to stop the resistance, you know, going to run a race, and being distracted with this
world, being distracted with the sins of this world, and the pleasure of the world, it's like
adding weights to our body, it's like getting ready to run the race, all right, ready, steady,
and you've got bags of cement just hanging off you, how are you going to win the race, brethren?
How are you going to endure? You're going to get exhausted trying to run a race, you know,
you can't have one foot running the race, and another foot trying to serve yourself and serving
the world, you're not going to run effectively, brethren, you're not going to run effectively,
you're not going to get to the end, you're not going to get to the finish line, as it were,
and you know, overcoming distraction, it's such a key part to the Christian life, there is so much
to distract us, you know, we have so much media, we have so much entertainment, we have so much,
you know, programming that comes into our life, that distracts us from the race that Jesus Christ
has left us to do. Now when I think about this race, I'm going to quickly read to you,
you don't need to turn there, I'm going to quickly read to you from 1 Corinthians 9 24,
1 Corinthians 9 24, because there is something that I want you to just be mindful about,
it says in 1 Corinthians 9 24, know ye not that they which run in a race, run all,
brethren, you might say to me, well, I'm not a pastor, you know, I'm not a missionary,
I'm not an evangelist, I'm not a deacon, and you know, maybe it's a race for these people to run,
no, it says, this is a race that run all, it doesn't matter who you are, you've been saved
today, you're on the racetrack, you are, you are called to run this race, but then it says this,
but one receiveth the prize, well, we know that, you know, when it comes to an earthly sense,
when you have a race as one that wins the gold medal, then it says this, so run that ye may
obtain, so run that ye may obtain, so the point here, brethren, is we've got a prize to win,
you know, and you know, I don't want you to misunderstand, this is not saying that we're
in competition with one another, we're not, I'm not in competition with brother Jason,
I'm not in competition with brother Michael or brother Rob, I'm not in competition with anybody,
and you're not in competition with me, brethren, we're motivating together,
we're encouraging one another, we all have our own race to run, but the point being,
just like on the, in an earthly sense, just like in an earthly sense, where you've got several
people that are competing for that one prize, we ought to run in the same way, we ought to run
with a desire to win that prize, we are not in competition with one another, but we should be
running as though there's something to win, and there is something to win, Jesus Christ,
when he returns, he's going to reward us, he's going to give us for the work and service we've
done for him, and I have no doubt, the moment that we stand before Christ, we are all going to desire
to have done more, we're going to have regrets, I wish I ran the race better, I wish I ran longer,
I wish I endured harder, you know, I wish I didn't get distracted with all the sins and the,
and the every weight that has easily beset us, now there's something else I want you to notice
there in verse number, actually you know what brethren, I do want you to turn to
first Corinthians, my apologies, keep your finger there, and please go to first Corinthians chapter
nine, first Corinthians chapter nine, because we are on topic number two, on point number two here,
of overcoming distractions, overcoming distractions,
first Corinthians chapter nine, and verse number 24, just a reminder,
no you're not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize, so run that ye
may obtain, verse number 25, and every man that striver for the mastery, well that's the prize,
look, is temperate in all things, now I just want you to keep that in your mind, okay, if you're
going to run for the mastery, you're tempering all things, this is my next point, okay, so let's just
move on, but tempering all things, now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we and
incorruptible, so the earthly race, the crown they're winning, the gold medal they're going to
win, it's corruptible, it's going to burn brethren, but the treasures that we're running for is
incorruptible, they're in heaven, verse number 26, look at this, I therefore so run not as
uncertainly, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air, okay, so if we run, we ought to be certain
that there's a prize to be won, you know, if we fight, you know, the Christian life is also
a life of warfare, spiritual warfare, if we fight, we're not as one that beats the air, you know,
it's not this empty race, it's not this empty fight, there's something to achieve, there's
something to win, okay, that's what he's saying, but then he says this in verse 27, but I keep
under my body and bring it into subjection, so what does he realise, he realised I want to run
this race, I want to win this fight, but my body gets in the way, my flesh gets in the way, this
is the same thing as we saw there in Hebrews, lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so
easily beset us, you know, that your biggest hindrance in running your race is yourself,
it's your flesh, it's your flesh and brethren, we all have it, we all have this flesh that does not
want to walk in God's ways, we have this flesh that wants to sin and has sinned and will continue
to sin, we have this flesh that loves the entertainment and the distractions that come
from this world, brethren, we all have it, okay, but I want you to understand, we need to remind
ourselves we have something to win, we need to overcome distractions and the greatest distraction
is your own flesh and so what are we to do, to bring this body or this flesh into subjection,
bring it into obedience of the new man, say no flesh, you stand aside while I run in the new man
this race that Christ has set before me, but see this is such an important part of our life
because it says here, let's look at verse 27 again, but I keep under my body and bring it into
subjection lest by any means when I have preached to others I myself should be a cast away,
he says look if I don't bring my body under subjection, if I don't bring it into obedience
then after I've served Christ and I'm preaching to other people I'm going to end up being a cast
away, I'm going to fail in this race, I'm going to fall off the race if I don't look after myself
and I need to remind myself this as a pastor because I do a lot of preaching to a lot of people
and I'm preaching four times a week and you know what yes I have Bible knowledge, I have experience
in my life and I have Christian experience, I have you know other experiences that I can bring to my
to my preaching, but I can't think that just because I preach to others and because I preach
the truth that I'm going to finish this race, that I'm going to run and do and I'm never going to be
cast away Reverend I can be because you know it's possible for pastors to just give into the flesh,
it's possible for pastors to be distracted with the things of this world and then come on a Sunday
and come on a midweek and preach the truth of God's word and I hope you benefit from it and then
this pastor can just fall away, you know this pastor can just give into this world and this
pastor can stop you know serving God with his life you know in his own personal life and again I've
seen this, the reason I'm saying this is because I've seen this after pastor after pastor after
pastor and he breaks my heart and so many of these pastors that have fallen away so many of
these pastors that have been cast away have been encouragement to me over the years like I've
learned great truths from them you know I've been encouraged I've been motivated to get into the
race by these pastors then I see them fail away why because they did not bring their own body
into subjection they preach to others but they did not care about their own spiritual life and
brethren you know as I said to you you know we ought to motivate our brethren we should encourage
our brethren but look at your own body look at your own flesh you know it brings humility when
we remind ourselves just how sinful we are we remind ourselves just how wicked our thoughts
can be the thoughts of the heart the imaginations that run wild you know we just remind ourselves
just how frail we are you know and it's great to preach to others it's great to motivate one
another but look after yourself overcome the distractions that are in the flesh
back to uh Hebrew chapter 12 please and verse number one Hebrew chapter 12 verse number one
there are two weights there are two elements that can cause us distractions in this race
let me just talk about the first one uh which is the second one on this list
it says and the sin which doth so easily beset us okay I said the word beset is to trouble us
you know our sins trouble us even though we give into sinful ways because there's a there's a
temporary you know moment of pleasure or whatever it is you know that causes us to to desire that
but at the end of the day brethren all sin does is bring us trouble brings us trouble upon ourselves
bring us trouble in our family our friendships our service for God all it does is bring trouble
and I know the truth I know we're going to sin till the day we die but again just a constant
reminder brethren we need to learn to overcome you know we need to ask go to God and say God
give me victory over my sins you know as I as you're running this race part of what this race
looks like is that you're slowly getting rid of more and more and more sins in your life
and that you're being more effective in your run for the Lord okay so there's sin and you know
we preach on sin all the time but the other element the other thing that is mentioned there
before and the sin so there's an other element not just a sin it says let us lay aside every weight
you see we have other weights in our life that stop us from running that are not necessarily
sinful okay there are other distractions in this life that stops us from serving Christ but they're
not sinful in of themselves so we're to lay aside every weight all right now you know to me I know
you know I'm trying to for example get off social media right I mean you know I think a lot of
people can waste a lot of time on this stuff I mean you can maybe watch one YouTube video
and then you've got a recommended video you watch that and so it's only three minutes long
Pastor Kevin yeah then when you finish watching that then there's another three minute video
and then after that there's another three minute video then all of a sudden like 10
videos later you're what what did I didn't intend to start this way what am I watching
you know what is this you know where am I you know what how did I get here it's so easy to
be distracted and sometimes it's not even things that are sinful you know I mean this can be a
sporting team you know I love soccer I love basketball there are different sports that I
enjoy you know there are different teams that I would like to win but it doesn't matter if they
win whether they win or not doesn't really bother me too much but you know what it's so easy to be
distracted by sports it's so easy to be distracted by video games it's so easily to be distracted by
friendships that profit you nothing for the Lord you know there are so many weights that we may
have brethren that we need to learn to lay them aside now I'm not saying that you need to just
get rid of everything and all your life has to be is just a race constantly no brethren there's
a time to relax there's a time to rest there's a time to enjoy life yeah I don't think there's
anything wrong with social media in of itself there's nothing wrong with video games in of
itself there's nothing wrong with sports in of themselves brethren but if you're getting so
distracted by these things that you're not running the race then you need to lay aside that weight
you need to figure out what is stopping me from serving God the way that I should be
you know soul winning that's something God has left us to do you know I don't know how much soul
winning we're doing like you know we've been I've been stopped brethren I went months without soul
winning because of the lockdowns in Sydney and I just couldn't wait for that to go like and you
know what I've been I've been you know I told you guys I've done a whole week a whole marathon week
a marathon week because it's a race there are souls to be won and I know there are times that
we just can't do it for whatever reason outside of our control but brethren we need to get into
soul winning we need to get back into it this is this is a soul winning church let it be a church
with soul winning members I don't know what your soul winning is like in 2022 but I hope it's more
than it was in 2021 and I hope it's more than it was in 2020 say well pastor Kevin you know I can
honestly say that I've not been so winning the way that I should be well what weights are there
you know what weights do you have in your life that are stopping you from just fighting one hour
a week I mean just one hour a week to just go and knock my neighbor's door and to give them
the gospel you know you don't necessarily need to go out on the official times that we have in
church hey maybe that doesn't work for you that's I understand it doesn't always work for me I've got
a big family it's hard to manage those things sometimes but I can find an hour I can find two
hours and if I'm honest with you I can probably find several hours a week to go soul winning so
what's stopping us what distractions what weights are stopping us from serving God the way that we
should I'm going to read to you from Galatians chapter six verse seven I love this I love this
passage of scripture because it brings sobriety to my mind Galatians six verse seven it says
be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap for he that
so if to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption brethren we have a choice in this life
do we sow to this flesh or do we sow to the spirit do we sow to the new man do we sow to the things
of God we've got a choice you know and look we're always going to sow a little bit to the flesh as
I said we can't get past that but brethren you start sowing to this flesh you know what you're
going to reap Bible says corruption that there's no there's no eternal prophet reaping to this
flesh you just make this flesh stronger actually you make it weaker okay you make it weaker and
it causes you to follow after things that will distract you from the race it's as for he that
served to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but here that's so to the spirit
shall of the spirit reap life everlasting brethren if we just reap to the things of God to the
spiritual man the new man to the Holy Spirit we listen to the Holy Spirit of God and we walk in
his ways brethren we're going to reap eternal things eternal rewards the prize of the right of
the race the brethren I'm telling you there's treasures in heaven there are rewards that Jesus
Christ wants to give us at his coming and I want you to have the maximum reward I don't want you
to lose any reward that you could gain by serving Jesus Christ but we need to get rid of these earthly
distractions brethren this life on this earth maybe 70 80 90 years 100 years if you're lucky
we have all eternity forever to live in that next life to come let's get as rich as we can in that
next life let's get as many prizes as many treasures as we can in that next life that's
all that's going to matter the moment that you go into that next life which is going to be for all
eternity that's all that's going to matter you know and I don't want us to have regrets looking
back at the little 70 years that we got on this earth and to think that we wasted our time being
distracted so into this flesh rather than serving the Lord Jesus Christ but not only does it say
that in Galatians 6 in verse number 9 it continues it says and let us not be weary in well doing for
in due season we shall reap if we faint not so the same idea of endurance okay to endure is to not
faint so you know the Holy Spirit here you know under the sorry the apostle Paul under the
influence of the Holy Spirit knows that we become weary in well doing we understand like you know
I'm not trying to say that you know you should just be fired up all the time you know you wake
up in the morning and you sing praise I'm just going to walk in the ways I'm going to run this
race you know brethren it's not possible you know if you know the more we serve Christ the more we
do for him brethren we are going to become weary it is tiresome you know the spirit is willing but
the flesh is weak the more we do for the Lord the more this body is going to fight us you know the
more distractions are going to try to influence our life the more the kingdom of Satan is trying
to stop us from serving the Lord you know it becomes weary just like a race you know you run
a race of endurance there's going to be moments that you get tired but brethren when you get tired
when you get weary don't stop don't stop hey maybe slow down okay maybe slow down if you have
to when you get weary but continue doing you know your good works continue serving the Lord even if
you have to slow down a little bit okay don't get to the point where you become weary and you faint
and you stop the race and you know what brethren I can honestly say in my life there's been many
times that I've stopped the race many times that I've become weary serving the Lord and I just
fainted and you know I'm going I'm not saying recently but I'm saying in my you know back in
my teenage years early 20s where I've just stopped picking up the bible you know I've
written the bible every day and I've just I just I just couldn't pick it up I've just stopped
praying you know where I've been going to church but my heart's not there I've been singing hymns
but it doesn't mean anything to me you know when that happens brethren it's because you fainted
it's because you become weary and this is why this race is so important it's not a race of
speed but it's a race of endurance endurance you need to pace yourself in fact that's my next
point that's my next point if you can please uh look at uh back to Hebrews chapter 12 and we're
still in verse number one Hebrews chapter 12 and verse number one the last part of the verse says
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us now normally if you're going to run like
a hundred meter sprint a race you're not running with patience let me tell you that I mean from
the moment you know the gun uh shoots you know there is no patience if you have patience you're
going to lose that race okay because it's a race of speed you know you use you exert all your energy
straight away you know to get to that finish line but brethren that's not the race that we have as a
Christian okay and I know there are Christians like that I know there are Christians that get
saved they're excited they've got the zeal and I've got to manage them carefully because I don't
want them to lose the zeal but I don't want them to get burnt out like I don't want them to be just
a hundred meter sprinter where they they do really well at the beginning they're just like okay
collapse and they're out of the race brethren that's not the race it's a patient it's a run
let's say run with patience the race that is set before us the third point that I have for you
Brevin is run with patience okay it's an endurance it's a marathon run we have our entire life to run
this race this is why it's okay to slow down sometimes as long as you're moving forward
I'm not saying slow down to the point where you go backwards because now you're backsliding
okay I'm not saying go backwards I'm not saying stop and faint okay I'm saying yeah continue
running the race put one step ahead of another you know it's so much better for you to just take
one step at a time and make sure that every step forward is a solid step it's a grounded step you
can move on from that step than to take some gigantic leap you know in your faithfulness
and service for God in your zeal for God and just get burnt out and then you're just
what's that saying about the the tortoise that beats the rabbit how's it go
anyway you know the story the tortoise wins okay the tortoise wins the race not the rabbit I think
the rabbit gets distracted I can't remember what the story I can't remember now but anyway you
guys know what I'm talking about brethren that's what we ought to be we are I'd rather you be the
tortoise that's just taking one step at a time but you're going to get to the end you're going
to get to the finish line you're going to conserve your energy to get to the end rather than be the
rabbit that wastes all his energy get distracted with things and just think you're going to win
because you're the rabbit because you're speedy that's not the kind of race that we run I said
to you before when we looked at our first Corinthians chapter 9 to remember in verse
125 it says and every man that's striving for the mastery is temperate in all things so if you want
to master this race you want to get to the finish line and win the prize brethren you need to you
need to be temperate in all things what does the word temperate mean it means to be in self-control
to have self-control and to be in moderation self-control in moderation so what does that sound
like to you if you're running a race and you're and you're you're trying to control yourself
you're not you're not wanting to go so fast that you exert your energy you don't want to be going
backwards you want to make sure that you're in moderation that you're taking steps forward that
you know today is a day that you're serving the lord more than you were last week or whatever
right that in 2022 you're serving the lord more you're more ahead in your spiritual journey than
you were in 2021 but it's fine brethren just a slow step that's all I care about as long as
you're stepping forward you know I'm happy as a pastor like I know that the preaching of God's
word is working in your life this is why going back to one of my other sermons I said if you
just pick up one thing just one thing in the sermon and apply that one thing that's better
than than having understood the entire sermon and apply nothing okay I mean there are Christians
like that that know great doctrines they know all the bible they know the whole story but they
don't serve Christ you know without naming any names I you know I can think about someone right
now on my mind you know uh just just constantly speaking doctrine promoting uh you know great
truths but you know what if you walked up to him and said grab this hand and say hey let's go
slow when he won't do it if you grab this hand I'll pick you up and take you to church he won't
do it what I mean you're just on the sideline you're not running the race brethren one step
at a time one truth at a time one doctrine at a time there's no rush it's a run we're to run with
patience okay point number three is to run with patience don't burn out as I said to you I've
too many Christians in my life it saddens me to know how many Christians burnt out and you know
reverend let me just also say this as I'm on this race trying to win this prize and serving the Lord
there have been times that I've come across a Christian who starts to outpace me they start
to wow man you're running the race man you're full of zeal right I mean I'm doing you know
uh a couple of hours of soul in a week and you're there doing five hours of soul winning
10 hours of soul in a week and I and not that I want to stop them you know I want them to read
listen if that's the pace they they're able to achieve praise God for them I want to motivate
them I want to encourage that person right and there have been times that I'm just doing you know
one step at a time here one step at a time there and I'm seeing these Christians just run past me
I think man what's wrong with me that's what I thought maybe maybe I'm just not zealous enough
maybe I just don't love the Lord and I don't know why is it these Christians are going so fast
and I'm just taking one step at a time but then all of a sudden where those Christians now
they've fallen off the race or their backs they've gone backwards and now I'm ahead of them why
because one step at a time is necessary it's a it's a run of patience it's a run of endurance
please don't burn out you know please don't burn out in your spiritual life because if you burn out
brethren you use up all your energy it's going to take a lot of work to get you just back on that
race okay so point number three brethren was to run with patience back to uh uh Hebrew chapter 12
Hebrew 12 we're finally up to the next verse verse number two okay verse number two Hebrew
chapter 12 and verse number two it says here looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of
our faith now I want you to notice what it says about Jesus I said that this is um I wasn't told
for my sermon again uh it was uh a race of endurance I want you to see what it says about
Christ here looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was
set before him endured the cross so you can see this chapter is definitely about endurance
about stability about being you know grounded okay and we have Christ as our example
he endured the cross brethren not only was it a physical suffering his body became our sacrifice
he took on all of our sins he took on the punishment he took on the consequences he
took on the pains he took on the illnesses he took on everything that is disgusting and filthy
in this world upon himself the bible says he endured the cross and brethren the father
uh forsook his son he was separated from his heavenly father he became sin for us god became
sin for us god was cursed for us brethren and the bible says he endured the cross
so what do we have here we have an example okay my fourth point here brethren is set your eyes
on the pace setter that pace setter is Jesus Christ okay set your eyes on the pace setter
this is why we have Christ here looking unto Jesus Jesus you went to the cross for me Jesus
you took my sins all the weakness that I've ever thought I've ever done I'm ever going to do Lord
you took it as though you had done it and you were punished by God the father you endured the
cross what else despising the shame and he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God
for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied
and faint in your minds so notice this idea of weariness and fainting comes up again in this race
because it's easy to faint it's easy to not endure to fail and to give up on this race
but this is why we set our eyes on the pace setter that pace setter is Jesus Christ so important
brethren because you cannot if you want to run this race effectively you cannot set your eyes
on a man not even on this pastor not on any pastor you think is just going to never fail they're just
going to get to the finish line brethren no you set your eyes on Jesus Christ he endured the cross
he despised despising the shame he suffered these things for us and so we need to set our
eyes on the one just like you know you may see certain races you know and you have you know a
group of people running and usually there's a pace setter usually there's someone ahead and
everyone's just trying to keep you know in touch with the pace setter they're trying to maintain
their run and they want to keep up with that person you know when we think about who is setting
the pace who are we trying to keep up with who are we trying to follow we're following Jesus
Christ this is why we're Christians we're not Kevinsians okay we're not anything like that
we're Christians we're Christ followers set our eyes on Jesus Christ and brethren I've told you
in my life I've seen failed pastors I've seen failed men of God that I've looked up to that
I've loved that I've been motivated by and they've collapsed that they've given up the race they've
disqualified themselves etc etc and then what do I see when you see these leaders fail you see
other people in the church fail you see other people give up you say well pastors children
look how they turned out this is this is a waste of my life why should I live after the ways of
the bible if this is how things turn out you know this this man has failed me you know then why am
I in church you know they preach that I ought to be in church they preach that I ought to read the
bible look at how they failed then maybe this is not the life that succeeds on this earth and many
times when you see great men you see pastors fail you see other people fail around them but why do
they fail because their eyes were not on the pace setup their eyes was on a man their eyes were on
a sinful man okay just a man that needed salvation just as much as you did their eyes were on the
wrong thing in a very famous psalm is psalm 118 verse 8 it is better to trust in the lord than
to put confidence in man reverend you know I plan to serve the lord for the rest of my life
I plan to be the pastor of new life Baptist church to the day I die okay I plan to to be a motivation
for you to be an encouragement for you I plan to do this for the rest of my life
but I can fail not that I want to or think I will I hope I don't please play for me pray for me pray
for pastors that are serving the lord Jesus Christ okay but I can I can fail and what I would hate
is if I failed then the rest of you just give up then that would tell me your eyes were not on
Jesus you know you're trying to just follow after a man it continues there in verse 9 in psalm 118
verse 9 it is better to trust in the lord than to put confidence in princes so not just don't
have confidence in man but don't even have confidence in in princes in people authority
people that you might look up to people that are doing well as it were you know you can throw in
passes there throwing other religious leaders leaders in there it's still better to trust in
the lord it is still better for you to lay your eyes on Jesus Christ you know when my first when
my first pastor failed me one man that I looked up to so much and I loved and and when I saw him
fail he failed me personally but he failed in life and I felt like he failed me though you know I
remember the feelings I had and it was like a feeling of shock you know I went for like two
weeks with this just this hole in my heart you know it's just like someone just stabbed me that's
what I felt like and I'm just thinking why and I'm just so discouraged I'm so saddened and so
cast down and and you know you are going to be saddened if you see someone that you looked up
to that love the lord fail you but I had to learn after a couple weeks that hold on why am I so
cast down I'm so cast down that I can't even run the race why because my eyes were on a man I had
to learn this lesson I learned this lesson in my early 20s or maybe mid-20s mid-20s roughly okay
my eyes must have been on a man I need to set my eyes on Jesus I need to set my eyes on God who
will never fail me he will never forsake me and once I learned that truth once I was grounded in
that truth then it didn't matter what other part how other pastors failed it didn't matter if other
brothers in the lord had a conflict with me or hated me or thought I was a loser it didn't matter
it didn't matter anymore you know I learned to just put my eyes on the pace setter I've put my
eyes on Jesus and okay Jesus you're leading me I'm following after your steps you know you've
run this race already in fact you've endured more than I'm ever going to do on in this race
and I'm my eyes are upon you and I promise you brethren if you put your eyes on Jesus you're
going to finish the race if you just remember to put your eyes on Jesus
you will finish the race and you will win the prize
can you please turn to Philippians chapter three Philippians chapter three
Philippians chapter three and verse number nine Philippians chapter three verse number nine
Jesus has already run this race brethren set your eyes upon him
Philippians chapter three verse number nine it says and be found in him that's found in Christ
not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ
the righteousness which is of God by faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection
so we wouldn't know the power of his resurrection when is that going to happen
when we get our new resurrected bodies right and and the fellowship of his sufferings
being made conformable unto his death if by any means I might obtain unto the
resurrection of the dead then he says in this verse number 12 not as though I had already
attained either were already perfect he says look I've not yet obtained this resurrection of the
dead as it were though spiritually we have because we've been born again we've been resurrected
spiritually as it were but we're still waiting for that time that our bodies will be resurrected
okay and the perfection that's been mentioned here is the completion of salvation again the new
resurrected body to go with the new spirit the new soul oh it's not a new soul but the new spirit
that God has given us it says look at this but I follow after so that he is following something
I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which I am sorry for let me read that again if
that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus verse number 13
brethren I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things
which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before now a great trip that
we learned in verse number 13 brethren in order for us to be able to move forward to keep running
this race to take steps forward is that we can't dwell in the past you know we all have a past
we all have made mistakes we all beat ourselves up about our mistakes part of the consequences of
our sin okay but in order for you to run the race effectively to get to that finish line brethren
you need to forget the past okay Paul forgot the past he persecuted the church of God now I've got
an entire sermon in this perfect man series on this topic so I don't want to steal my thunder
too much let's keep going there in verse number 14 so once he's forgotten the past in verse number
14 he says I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus so just
remind yourself you know point number four was set your eyes on the pacemaker set your eyes on Jesus
if we want this high calling it needs to be in Christ Jesus verse number 15 let us therefore as
many as be perfect be thus minded and if in anything you be otherwise minded God shall reveal
even this unto you nevertheless where to we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let
us mind the same thing it's quite interesting what it says here I know it's tricky words here but it
says in verse number 16 nevertheless where to we have already attained you know there's an
interesting truth to the Christian life that we're going to get to toward the end of this sermon
that while we try to apprehend this high calling of Christ while we try to step forward and be more
Christ-like in our life and run this race at the same time there is another reality that we have
already attained the victory okay and I'll get to that point at toward the end but I just wanted to
keep that in your mind but the point of what we just read in Philippians 3 is that we're running
this race in Christ Jesus we're following after the steps of Christ you know where the high calling
is one that Jesus Christ has given us okay our eyes are upon the pace set on that is Jesus
Christ back to Hebrew chapter 12 please Hebrew chapter 12 and verse number four Hebrew chapter
12 and verse number four it says you have not resisted unto blood striving against sin
and you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children
my son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint so there's a faint there is
mentioned again nor faint when thou art rebuked of him so you know what it's saying here that
as children of God we're going to be rebuked by God we're going to be chastened by God and
sometimes we may faint we may become weary you know as we run this race if you break the rules
of the race guess what's going to happen the referee is going to step in and correct you
okay and that referee is the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord God he's going to chasten us let's keep
going there for number six for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son
whom he receiveth wow so the Bible's saying look every son every child of God we've all already
gone through the chasing of the Lord we have and sometimes we don't identify it because we've gone
through some trial we go through some problem and it's hard for us when we go for a trial
it's hard for us to go you know what I've been chasing by God
yep my bad you know what I've just not been serving God the way I should it's hard for us
to do that we'd rather if we go for trials we'd rather be like yeah we're just being persecuted
for Christ's sake not always sometimes you just mess up sometimes you're breaking the rules
sometimes you're off the race and God has to step in and bring you some trials bring you some
chastisement bring you some rebuke but brethren we're not to faint when that happens okay because
it's love for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth God wants us to run the race when he corrects you
when he brings you trials brethren he does it because he loves you he wants you to keep serving
him he wants you to keep running the race he wants you to have the greatest rewards that you can
attain in heaven look at verse number seven now Hebrews 12 verse 7 if ye endure chastening isn't
that what we're trying to do endure as we run this race well we need to learn how to endure
chastening as well brethren God deal with you as with sons for what son is he whom the father
chasteneth not so point number five brethren is appreciate correction appreciate correction
you know if you get corrected by the word of God you know I hope as I preach and other men preach
in this church that sometimes you feel corrected that sometimes you're challenged and you you know
you know you you realize your stubbornness you realize your rebellion you realize that you know
your heart might be a little bit hard toward the Lord and you've heard some truth from God's
preaching God's word and it's challenged you you know and you receive some correction you know
appreciate it brethren I know it's uncomfortable I know when God puts you for a trial and he's
correcting you it's uncomfortable and we don't like it at the beginning no one likes chastening
but brethren appreciate it appreciate it because God loves you he wants you back on the race he
wants you to endure the chasing he wants you to learn the lesson he wants you to run with patience
he wants you to win the prize he wants to reward you in heaven drop down to verse number 10 in the
same book there Hebrews 12 verse 10 it says for they verily for a few days chastened us after our
own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness again why does Christ
why does the Lord God chasten us for our profit he wants us to win this race this is why you know
sometimes we think about the chasing as one element we think about the race as another
element there's a reason why it's all connected there's a reason why the endurance is mentioned
here because this is part of the race you know sometimes you're going to be running you're going
to be running and you're going to break the rules just like any any game just like any
sporting event there are certain rules in order that you are to run hey brethren and those rules
are the laws of God you know if you you you trespass the laws of God you know you don't run
the way God wants you to he's going to bring you in line he's going to correct you he's going to
bring you through some challenge some difficulty to humble you that you may learn the lesson that
you may profit and get back running on the race get back serving him the way you ought to please
learn to appreciate correction you know appreciate it I I I you know as much as I don't like going
through trials I've learned to appreciate it I just honestly I'm not trying to boast of myself
anything brethren but when there's a challenge I'm just like thank you Lord you know I don't know
Lord it's sometimes if you're correcting me or Lord it's just this wicked world and it's just
the way it is Lord but there's some challenge there's some trial thank you Lord for letting
me go for this trial because I know if I get through the end of it if I learn the lesson
I'm going to be better to serve you in my future the bible says in James chapter 5 verse 10
take my brethren the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering
affliction and of patience James is saying look read the old testament look at all the prophets
look at all the great men of God that have suffered affliction okay and then it says in
verse 11 behold we count them happy which endure ye have heard of the patience of Job
and have seen the end of the Lord the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy hey we know the book
of Job we know how much Job suffered the bible says that he was behold we count them happy which
endure you know when we go through these trials brethren and you learn the lessons and you run
the race more effectively you know what's got the end result for you it's going to be happiness
it's going to be joy hey but if you faint if you give up if you think it's too hard if you think
I don't just want to serve God you know what the opposite of happy is it's sadness it's depression
you know there are many Christians that are just sad depressed they don't want to serve God they're
not motivated they have nothing just no desire for God brethren you know why they've gone through a
trial they've gone through a difficulty and they didn't endure it they they didn't appreciate the
experience that God has allowed them to go through and they've given up they've dropped the ball
you know they they backslid it whatever it is brethren however it is that you want to explain
it and they've gotten off the race don't forget the chastisement the trials that God has given us
is to bring us joy to get through to the other side because as you go through trials you have a
greater you're going to need a greater drawing from the power of God to get you through that
challenge all right brethren I'm up to my sixth and final point now which I kind of already
covered I'm just thinking where we get to turn to please turn to Ephesians chapter two turn to
Ephesians chapter two Ephesians chapter two for me please and I've got my sixth point now you turn
to Ephesians chapter two the sixth point I have for you brethren is run as a reigning champion
run as a reigning champion run as though you've already won the race run as though you're already
a victor for the Lord Jesus Christ one of my favorite quotes of my old pastors he would say
it all the time he says and this is you know I guess you can tie it into the racing as well but
he would say you know we don't fight for victory he says we fight from victory I think yes of course
Jesus has already won I've already won because I've believed on him I'm already going to heaven
isn't that right I mean I'm already a victor the bible says in first John 5 5 for for who is he
that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God brethren if you've
believed on Jesus Christ your faith is upon the son of God you've already overcome the world
you're already victorious you're already on your way to heaven Jesus Christ is already creating
mansions for you in heaven you know we are already reigning champions and you know what the reigning
champions you know what they want to do you know why they go and compete again because they want
to retain the crown they want to show that they're still a winner right they want to take on that
challenge and show look I've won it before I can win it again and this is the reality I was
talking about before when we're looking at Paul he said look I'm trying to apprehend I'm going
after this high calling because but I've already attained you guys I'm already victorious I'm
already a reigning champion in Jesus Christ and we need to remember this I believe this is going
to help us really endure the race if we remember we've already won we're already going to I've
already read the old test I mean the new test I've read the book of revelation we win brethren
we beat the antichrist you know people oh are the vaccinations a mark of the big what's going to
happen to the mark we've already won I've already beaten him you know the antichrist is going to be
cast into the lake of fire I already know you know I've got the new heavens the new new earth
got mansions in heaven new Jerusalem it's already there I already know it's there I already know
I'm going to be there brethren I'm going to be eating of that tree of life I'm going to be
drinking of those fountains that flow from the throne of God I'm going to be serving my king
I'm going to be a prince and king for Jesus Christ and for all eternity I already know okay and so we
are already victorious in the spiritual sense we've already overcome this world just the fact that
you're saved and it was a free gift you've already won you know the vast majority of this world has
not won they've not overcome the world they're not victorious they're going to die and go to hell
which is so why it's so important that we're effective witnesses for Jesus Christ I won't go
where did I get to turn to sorry where was reverend
Ephesians chapter two look at verse number five Ephesians chapter two verse number five
it says this even when we were dead in sins have quickened us together with Christ be quickened
together to be made alive looks by grace that you're saved okay so the moment we know that's
a familiar passage for grace that you're saved we know that the moment we're saved we've been
quickened together in Christ we've been born again God has given us everlasting life okay
then it says this in verse six and so not only have we been made alive and have raised us up
together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus brethren we're already
sitting together in high places we're already in heavenly places in Christ Jesus I know I'm not
physically seated in heaven right now but spiritually I am if I'm in Jesus Christ I
already I'm already in heavenly places I've already won I'm already on my way to heaven
I've already got a place there nothing's going to change that if you're in Christ Jesus just
the moment you got saved day number one you believe in Christ you call upon them the Lord
now spiritually speaking you're seated in heavenly places you're already the reigning champion you've
won you've won this race brethren and so the reason I'm saying this is if we already won
if we already got a place in heaven we know there's victory in heaven why don't we just
bring some of that victory to this earth right now okay we've already won okay we've got the
power over sin we have the new man that Christ has given us we've got God's word we've got new life
Baptist church we've got the Holy Spirit of God leading us well if we're victorious remind yourself
we're a reigning champion okay now I've got the rest of this life on this earth let me live like
a reigning champion let me run like a reigning champion let me run like one who has already won
that really knows what it's like to get to the finish line and earn great rewards in heaven
one more passage for me please go to second timothy go to second timothy for me please
I'm going to read to you from Colossians 1 9 it says for this cause we also since the day we heard
it do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of
his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all
pleasing you know what we're to walk worthy of the Lord okay they say well aren't we already worthy
yes we're worthy because we're saved okay and we are yes it's Christ that makes us worthy in the
eyes of God but just because you know spiritually speaking we are worthy in other words let's then
walk as though we are worthy of the Lord unto all unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good
work and increasing in the knowledge of God strengthened with all might according to his
glorious power unto all patience and long suffering okay these are the ideas of endurance
with joyfulness so brethren let's take a little bit of heaven and let's bring it to this earth
let's take a bit of our victory let's take a bit of our worthiness that we already have
and bring it to this earth bring his body under subjection to to the reigning champions that we
truly are children of God in Jesus Christ second timothy chapter four please verse number six
we'll conclude on this verse second timothy chapter four verse number six very familiar
passage we've gone through it just recently because i've gone through the book of timothy
first and second timothy but in conclusion let's remind ourselves what paul said as he came toward
the end of his life verse number six he says for i am now ready to be offered and the time of my
departure is at hand i have fought a good fight i have finished my course i have kept the faith
what is it saying i've endured i've stayed faithful i've done the work that god has left
me to do brethren these are the words that should be coming from our mouth you know if
we're lying sick on our deathbed can you say these words i have fought a good fight i have
finished my course i have kept the faith and then it says in verse 8 henceforth there is laid up for
me a crown of righteousness because man i've run the race now i'm ready for the rewards i'm ready
for the prize i'm ready for the crowns i'm ready for these treasures that have laid up in heaven
which the lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them
that love his appearing and i think we all love his appearing i think we're all looking forward
to the coming of christ but i want to look forward to christ coming with a lot of rewards for new life
at this church a lot of rewards for every brother and sister that this church has you know what
brethren let's have that same desire that paul had let's they had desire to finish the course
to finish the race to endure to remain faithful to the lord taking one step at a time running with
patience as i said to you brethren the title for the sermon this morning was a race of endurance
and so let me just summarize those six points once again then we'll finish up point number one was
to to endure you know remind yourself that you have witnesses cheering you on number two you've
got to overcome distractions number three you've got to run with patience number four you've got
to set your eyes on the pace setter number five you've got to appreciate correction appreciate
chastisement and number six run as a reigning champion okay let's pray