Grace, Mercy and Peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
These last few weeks we’ve been studying the book of Hebrews, and asking the question, “What does faith have to do with Faith?” And why are Christians everywhere called to to walk by faith, to live by faith?
Two weeks ago, we learned that Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Faith clings to the unbreakable promise of God in Christ and Him crucified. Faith fixes heart and mind in the life of the world to come. Because there, with Christ, is our life, our hope, our future. And the life we now, in this broken and sinful world, we live as pilgrims. We are on a journey. We are running a race.
Then, last week our focus was on endurance…endurance through the trouble and strife and struggle of life in this broken world. Contrary to the preachers of health and wealth, the Christian life IS NOT all rainbows and butterflies. Just ask the apostles, who all suffered for the Gospel.
So we do not test or measure our faith by whether we are happy or whether we feel blessed. But instead, we endure in faith, according to the calling of Christ.
We endure struggles in our relationships, which are caused by our own sin and by the sins of others. We endure and seek forgiveness and extend forgiveness.
We endure persecution from the devil who shames us and accuses constantly of weakness and failure. We endure and we say to the devil, as Luther did, “You’re right, I am a poor miserable sinner, but Christ loves me. He died for me, and He grants me His righteousness, so that now I am a child of God.
We endure also the tempting mockery of this world, which would have us abandon Christ and the convictions of our faith; and which instead entice us to embrace the empty philosophies, beliefs, and pleasures of the world.
And we endure tragedy and loss, even death, knowing that our hope is not finally in this life, but in Christ and His promise of forgiveness, life and salvation.
Now today as we turn to Hebrews 12, the text summarizes much of what we have already studied. We read,
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,2 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. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
What do we see there? Our life as Christians is a race set before us. It requires endurance. And it can be run only when we look to Jesus. Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is what we are determined to know as the people of God. The cross of our Lord is the center and focus of everything. He endured it for us. And so we run with endurance by looking to Him.
But we should notice some other things in this text too. The author of Hebrews says that we are surrounded.
Maybe that doesn’t sound like a good thing. When I hear those words, I think of a criminal being caught and the police shouting out, “You’re surrounded.” There’s no where to run, no where to hide.
But being surrounded by God’s people is a good thing. We’re meant to be surrounded, not to be in hiding. Hiding is what the sinful nature does. Hiding from community. Hiding from accountability. Hiding from responsibility. What did Adam and Eve do in the garden after they sinned against God? They hid.
But not so with us. We are surrounded. With a great cloud of witnesses. Faithful men and women who have gone before us. Some of them are a part of the church triumphant, and some remain here in this room, or around this country, or around the world. But they all surround us, making the good confession of the one true faith. Their eyes are fixed on Jesus for forgiveness, life and salvation, and they cheer us on. So, you fix your eyes on Jesus, too. And run this race with endurance.
In fact, let me ask you to look around this room. Look around you and see the people that God has surrounded you with. Friends, family, and neighbors, who have been gathered here in the household of God, to surround you with His love and encouragement, and with their faithful testimony.
And think beyond this room, of those who have brought you to Christ, and brought Christ to you.
I think of my grandmother, Ida, who was such a kind and faithful woman. Her simple faith and devotion to Christ have had such an influence on my life and the lives of so many others. And then my mother and father, my uncle Lyle. I think of Pastor Sauer who confirmed me. And my high school principal at Los Angeles Lutheran High School – Dale Wolfgram – who was the first person who suggest I should be a pastor. And I think of Christian friends and mentors, and I could go on and on and on listing their names.
And you should do this, too. Take some today or this week and consider all the people that God has put into your life, to bring you to Christ and to bring Christ to you. And give thanks to God for them. And if they haven’t yet joined the great of company of saints in heaven, then pray for them and reach out to them and thank them for their love and faith; and for their witness of Christ.
Dear friends, you are surrounded. And you also are surrounding others. It’s not all about what you receive, but it’s also about what you give to others. You are a member of the great cloud of witnesses. And just as you have been encouraged by the witness of others, so you also should give witness, and share the love of Christ with each other and encourage one another toward a faith-filled life. So just as you looked around the room to see who has encouraged you, now also look around the room and see who you can encourage. Who can you talk to and pray for today. And if you don’t know, just ask. Ask the person sitting next to you, how can I pray for you? How can I help you walk by faith? How can I encourage you?
OK. so in this passage, we see
- First, we run the race set before us with eyes fixed on Jesus.
- Second, we run with endurance.
- Third, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses…
- And finally, we are to lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely.
Imagine running a race…while carrying 50 pounds. That’s like my backpack from last week. You know when it’s maxed out with water and food and gear for several days. I can put it on my back and hike with it, but running a race with it? Not so much.
A friend of mine, a pastor and professor at Concordia Irvine, is currently hiking the Pacific Coast Trail. Like many through hikers, he got a few days in and began shedding weight. I don’t mean losing weight. I mean that he began to realize that he was carrying things that he didn’t to carry—things that we’re just encumbering him, slowing him down, and making his journey harder than it needed to be.
It’s still a hard journey to hike that far, hundreds of miles, but why carry more than you need to? Lay it aside, cast it off, lighten the load.
And what are the weights that encumber us in our journey with Jesus?
Maybe it’s pride, which says, I don’t need other people in my journey with Jesus. I’ll do it myself. But of course if you say that you’re wrong. And you are blatantly disobeying the call and command of Christ, who says you are to be surrounded…by the cloud of witnesses…by the people you need. You need them to share the burdens of this life and to encourage you and spur you on. And they need you. But Pride leads us to believe, we’re ok by ourselves. We’re better alone. And it’s a lie.
So Jesus says to you, lay down that burden of pride. Stop carrying that sin with you. It is just causing you pain and slowing you down. Lighten the load already!
What else is encumbering you? Maybe greed. We are a society that has so much. We already have more than we need and we are always being tempted by new things. A new phone. A new TV. A new car. And give me more, more, more.
And of course, along with that greed comes the struggle with debt and the financial chaos that it creates. And then we’re tempted to overwork in order to try to pay all those debts and make ends meet. Nevermind that the Scripture calls us to contentment and generosity. No, Le’ts go into debt up to our eyeballs and then struggle under it for the rest of our lives. So much for living by faith.
But Jesus says, lay down that burden of greed. Stop carrying that sin with you. It is causing you pain and slowing you down. Lighten your load and come follow me!
Or how about lust. Again our culture is constantly putting images and ideas in front of us. We are fed this corrupt and evil vision of relationships and sexuality. Things like pornography, draw us in with the promise of pleasure and fulfillment, but then fill us up with the burden of guilt and shame and loneliness. Meanwhile God faithfully proclaims the joys of marriage and family, which are hard, but which grant to us true and Godly purpose and fulfilment.
And so Jesus says, lay down that burden of lust. Stop carrying that sin with you. It is causing you pain and slowing you down. So lighten the load and believe that my Word is Truth.
Do you know what all this is? It’s discipline. That word scares us. It conjures up notions of punishment for our sins. But the author of Hebrews sees a different way. He says,
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
The Greek word for discipline in this passage is παιδεία (paideia), which actually refers to education. It is the training up of children in the best way of life. And sure that might sometimes involve painful punishment as we reap the temporal consequences of our sins.
But παιδεία always has the goal of producing repentance. It always seeks the best way of life for those that receive it’s work. It is God, training you up, treating you as His dear children, whom He loves.
And indeed, He loves you. It’s true that you may carry with you all manner of burdens and sins. They cling close. Isn’t that true? The old sinful nature, sticks to us, constantly raising it’s ugly head.
But the love of God clings to you even more strongly. In baptism he made that love known to you. There at the font, He made you His dear children. By the blood of His Son, shed for you on the cross, He forgives you of all your sins.
And today, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you can confess that Christ is your righteousness and your life … so look to Him. The author of Hebrews says that He endured the cross and its shame for the joy set before Him, and you are that joy. Your life, your salvation, your place in His kingdom, was and is His joy. And He counted that joy worth the agony of the cross, so great is His love for you.
And so look to Him. And with His help, and with the help of all God’s people surrounding you this day, lighten your load. Lighten your load as you confess your sins, and hear Christ say, I forgive you.
Lighten your load as you remember your Baptism and know that you are a dear child of God.
Lighten your load as you come to His table to receive His body and blood to strengthen and preserve you in faith.
And then let’s run. Together, you people of Faith, let’s run with endurance the race set before us. You are not alone. We are meant to be together, a great cloud of witnesses. We are better together. And together we gather around the one who is our victory, even Jesus Christ.
So let’s work together. Let’s cling to Christ together and let’s pray together and let’s serve our neighbors together, living our lives under the παιδεία, the training of our Lord, and knowing that what He has in store for us is best.
The best…For He has forgiven all of our sins, and given us hope and a future, both for this life, and also for life in His Kingdom which has no end. Amen.
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The Peace of God which surpasses understanding guard your hearts and minds in the one true faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.