This Week's Sunday School Lesson "Running The Race For Life" Hebrews 12:1-11

RUNNING THE RACE OF LIFE

 

Hebrews 12:1-11

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE RACE

V:1. "Wherefore seeing we also are 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"

  I. FAITH

 A. Throughout Biblical history, God picked men and women to show us faith in action.

      1. Out of obedience, they followed God's Word to accomplish the work He laid out

          for them.

      2. They trusted God to provide, protect and guide them.

      3. By faith, they ran the race of life that God laid out for them.

 B. By Faith, Noah built an ark on dry land even though he had never seen a flood.

     1. By faith, Abraham left his home in Haran with his family and resettled them in a

         new land.

        a. Even though he had no children, he believed God's Word that he would make

            him into a great nation.  Gen 12:1.

     2. We are a people of faith. Our grandparents trusted God to provide for them

          through troubling times.

     3. It is impossible to please God without faith.  Heb 11:6

      II. GET RID OF THE WEIGHT

  C.  Since we know the Word of God, we know the race of life can be run

        successfully.

      1. The problem is that we are carrying some weights that can slow us down, throw

           us

         off track and leave us limping on the sideline.

      2. The weights are a product of a worldly attitude.

          a. Pride of life

          b. Lust of the eye

          c. Jealousy

          d. Envy

          e. An unforgiving spirit

      3. Our sinful behavior can throw us off track.

          a. We have the sin of unbelief.

              1) God said it, we just don't believe it.

              2) Believing God's Word is the key to moving forward successfully in life.

          b. There is willful disobedience.

              1). We have God's commands before us, but they are inconvenient  to follow.

              2). God's commands do not always fit our life style.

      D. God has a solution.

           1. Lay the weights and sins aside.

           2. To run the race, we have to lighten our load.  

 III. PATIENCE     

 E. The race has to be run with patience.

            1. We can't run anybody else's race.  

            2. We have to run at our own pace.

            3. I remember one of my childhood stories about a race between a rabbit and a

                turtle.

                a. The rabbit was much faster, but he got easily distracted.

                b. The turtle was slow and study, but he finished the race first.

      

 F. For the Christian, the finish line is heaven.

           1. Faithful living will get us there successfully.

 JESUS, THE ROLE MODEL OF THE RACE

V:2. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

 A. Jesus is our greatest role model for faith.

     1. It was by faith that He called the world into being with His Word.

     2. It was by faith that He formed Adam out of the dust of the earth.

     3. It was by faith that after Adam sinned that He took on the role of being Savior for

         all mankind.

     4. It was by faith that Jesus step down out of heaven and became man to die for our

         sins.

         a. It was faith in His statement, that "No man takes my life. I have the power to

             lay it down and the power to take it back up again."

  B. It gave Jesus joy to die for the sins of the world to reconcile it back to Himself.

      Col 1:19-20

  C. Jesus is the finisher of our faith.

       1. He is seated at the right hand of the Father making intercessions for

           us.  Isa 59:16-18         

          

       2. Jesus finished the work of the Father. John 4:34

       3. He is waiting for us to finish the race. 1 Cor 9:24, Act 20:24

       4. We can call on Jesus for help anytime during the race.

           a. It is the Word that will encourage us when we are down.

           b. It is Jesus who will strengthen us when we are weak.

           c. It is Jesus who will give us joy in the mist of troubling times.

 

V:3. "For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."

 A. Jesus was opposed by an elite group who studied the Word and were responsible

      for

      teaching the Word to others.

     1. The Chief Priest, Sadducees, Pharisees and the Scribes opposed Jesus to the point

         of lies, paying false witnesses and persecution.

     2. Jesus kept His focus on the Work of the Father which He came to finish.         

         John 4:34

     3. He planned His own death as a sacrifice for the redemption of mankind.         

         John 5:36

 B. Christians are to expect persecution as a result of their faith in Jesus. Luke 23:31

     1. Jesus said we are to take up our cross and follow Him. Mark 10:21

     2. We should not get weary in well doing. Gal 6:9, 1 Pet 4:19  

     3. We draw our strength from the Lord to keep pursuing the will of God.

 

DISCIPLINE REQUIRED FOR THE RACE

V:4. "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin."

 A. Jesus faced the ultimate test of His Faith in the will of the Father; His death on the

      cross.

    1. Many of the earlier Christian Fathers faced persecution and death for their faith in

        Jesus.

    2. The opposition of our faith is small in comparison to death on the cross.

    3. Our work for the Lord requires a personal sacrifice of our interest in favor of

        the interest of the father.

       a. Our devotion requires a sacrifice of time and resources which God so gladly

           replenishes.

 B. Striving against sin requires that we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to the

      Lord. Romans 12:1.

     1. We have to be watchful and careful because sin is present in every aspect of

         our lives.

        a. We have to choose the right friends.

        b. We have to avoid places where we are tempted to sin.

        c. We have to watch what we see; TV, internet, magazines.

 

V:5. "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him."

 A. Whom the Lord loves, He chastises.

       1. There is a benefit in God's chastisement.

       2. He chose us to be perfect before the world as His role models.

       3. His love precedes His chastisement which is designed to draw us closer to His

           righteousness.

 B. God's chastisement is designed to point out our weaknesses and areas we need

      improve.

     1. God's chastisement may come in the form of trials and tribulations which we are

         to count as joy.  James 1:2

 

THE LOVE IN DISCIPLINE

V:6. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

  A. God is love.

      1. God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us.

      2. God's love includes correcting us when we are wrong.

      3. Proverbs 13:24 states, " He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves

          him

          is careful to discipline him."

      4. We are God's children and He selected us to give Him glory.

      5. We give God glory by following His commands.

  B. It is the responsibility of  good parents to discipline their children when they are

      disobedient.

     1. God is watchful of us, his children and will discipline us when needed.

        a. We should thank God for His discipline.

 

V:7. "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?"

A. God shows Himself as a true Father when He chastises us.

   1. We should expect the discipline of the Father when we do wrong, when we are

        disobedient

       and out of control.

   2. His love is expressed in His desire for us to have His best.

       a. We hinder God's blessings when we are out of fellowship with Him.

   3. We should come to recognize the discipline of the Father and endure it with

       patience.

B. What is good for us is not always pleasant.

   1. What is good for us is sometimes painful.

   2. God designs His punishment for our good. Heb 2:10

 

V:8. "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."

 A. Chastise= paideia= tutorage , education, training, disciplinary correction.

     1. Because we are His Children, God takes the time to educate, train and correct

         us.

     2. If we were not His children, He would let us face the consequences of our actions

         without correction or training.

 B. To get any pet to do what you want, you have to train him.

     1. Training requires discipline for inappropriate actions.

     2. You show your love for your pet by training him in the correct way.

 C. God instructs parents to train up a child in the way he should go.

      Prov 22;6, Eph 6:4

 D. God loves us, therefore He disciplines us. Prov 13:24

 

V:9. "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"

 A. We should not get upset with God because He chastises us.

      1. We should love God more because He chastises us.

 B. We never hated our parents because of their discipline.

      1. We hated the punishment, but we loved our parents.

      2. The discipline by our parents drew us closer to them.

      3. The discipline by our parents caused us to respect them.

      4. The discipline by our parents guided us in the right way.

  C. God is our heavenly Father and He knows much more than our parents.

      1. God loved us before we were born.

      2. His discipline is designed for us to give Him the glory.

 

THE SUCCESS IN DISCIPLINE

V:10. "For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness."

 A. The discipline of our parents was limited to their way of thinking.

      1. They disciplined us to what seemed right to them.

      2. Sometimes they disciplined us when it was convenient for them.

      3. Sometimes they disciplined us according to the pressures of the world's

          standards.

      4. Sometimes their discipline was just for the moment.

      5. The discipline of our parents was focused on this life time.

 B. The discipline of the Lord is to mold us into the image of Jesus.

     1. The discipline of the Lord is focused on eternal benefits.

     2. The discipline of the Lord is focused on the quality of life we need for peace and

          joy in fellowship with Him on this earth.

     3. The discipline of the Lord is designed to mold us into effective role models that

          draws the world to the light of Jesus.

 

THE JOY IN DISCIPLINE

V:11. "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."

 A. Training for the race of life requires chastisement.

    1. An athlete has to beat his body into submission with rigorous training.

       a. The training is hard, tiring and continuous.

    2. The end results is a body fit to compete successfully in the race.

    3. The athlete has to race with the finish line in focus.

B. God trains His children for the race of life so that they are fruitful productive vessels.

    1. The trials and tribulations of life are God's chasten tools.

    2. James says we are to count it all Joy. James 1:2