We need to be sure that we remember that other men and other women have gone before us and faithful carried the gospel forward for 2000 years before us.
The only reason we can have this dream, the only reason you are in this room, is that somebody dreamed this dream before you.
The book you hold in your hand thousands of people gave their lives. We likely won’t face death because they did.
Let the text grab you a bit before you run out with Jesus flag and get yourself killed and His name dishonored.
John says, In the beginning was the word (logos) and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. John used Greek language to engage the Greeks.
Paul in Acts 13 talks of Israel in the desert, quotes from Torah, from the Prophets, all in one text. Paul then also engages in Athens and with Pagans and doesn’t use the Jewish scriptures at all. He uses Athenian poetry and secular prophets. This will blow the minds of fundamentalists. You’ve got in the text, Paul and John contextualizing the gospel.
It’s messy, it’s not clean. We’re all on slippery slopes.
There isn’t any doctrine that doesn’t create issues that have to be addressed.
This isn’t new, it’s just our turn.
Paul doesn’t want John Mark, Barnabas is all mercy, so they split over philosophy and not theology but the gospel spreads. We need to quit judging one another in 5 minute sound bites on YouTube.
But Paul calls out people by name in public letters in scripture.
Let’s just shut up. We disagree. We do things that others don’t like. Let’s get past it and ask, “are we on the same team?” Do we both believe in essential doctrine?
Hebrews 12:1
Let’s not judge success the way we evangelicals judge success, look at the results of the list in Hebrews 11. But growth is also fruit.
Listen to the Spirit, proclaim the gospel, it works.
Vs. 1 - 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.
Apparently there are things that hinder us that are not necessarily sin.
Comfort is not a bad thing, unless…
Safety is not a bad thing, unless…
Money is not a bad thing, unless…
unless they own you.
TV, sleep, food, etc.
What are the hindrances that are robbing me of joy in Jesus Christ?
Are you godly? This is a question that has to be answered.
How’s your home?
Are you in the word?
Are you godly, because sin will choke you out and publicly ridicule the name of our God?
Some of you figured out in youth group that by saying the right things publicly, people honored you, and you found your place and how to behave in it and you started playing the game.
You may not be saved…you may be good…but you may not be saved.
Vs. 1 cont. - And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
God allows our wounds sometimes to protect us from ourselves.
You are not the next Billy Graham, or the next Rick Warren.
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
God’s affection for me is not about my performance but is rooted solely in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Vs. 2 - fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Looking to Jesus because he is the founder and perfecter of our faith.
God started looking for me, I didn’t go looking for it. Jesus was the pioneer, he started it, I didn’t.
God allowed my cancer. He didn’t cause but he allowed it.
He did so to keep me deeply tied to him.
Discipline isn’t that we’ve done bad.
Those of us 35 and up were disciplined (spanked, anyone could hit us). Those 35 and under had to go in a corner and think about it.
Thorn was to keep us from an evil spirit that tormented us.
We’re going to make mistakes, the cross tells us that we’re going to make a lot mistakes.
God knows we’re going to fail. The glory of God is not that he uses you in your awesome. The glory of God is that he uses you in your frailty. Please do not celebrate yourself or other messengers.
In your Bible, Moses dies. It’s a verse long.
Joshua dies. It’s a verse long.
It’s important that we’re wired into Jesus who…
2 For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
If you don’t find your assurance in Jesus, you are going to find it somewhere.
We can play the game. We know when to raise our hands during the song. We know what to say. We are fine when someone asks. We’re not looking to the cross. When we’re looking to the cross we can easily admit that we need help and we get it.
We’ve been set free to pursue Jesus.
The more you understand the cross, the more you understand that God is not in love with the future you. It’s for you now that Christ died. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Has the cross scorned the shame?
What the devil meant for destruction has now become a brag in the grace of God. Where else can that happen? Where people with a disgraceful past can brag about what God has done in them.
It’s our time to play.
Back wherever your from, there is a man at work who is miserable. He hates his life and has accomplished his dreams. He hates his wife, his kids are miserable. But because you heed the word of God and follow the Spirit’s direction, he’ll heed the gospel and accept God’s grace and will be worshipping God by the time we gather next year.
Or you’ll think I’m talking with someone else and you can continue walking in sinfulness and ignoring God’s work of the cross in your life.
It is our turn.
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