OceanSide church of Christ

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FOUR MOTIVATORS TO FAITHFULNESS

 

Looking unto Jesus

Hebrews 12:1-2

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     The writer just finished a lengthy section about Old Testament examples who manifested faith in God.

 

B.      In this chapter, he reminds his readers of these Bible greats, but then points them to one even greater, Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

 

C.     The inspired penman also notes three other things that he hopes will encourage these Christians to remain faithful under great pressure to apostatize.

 

D.     Outline:

 

i.                    LOOKING UNTO JESUS (Heb. 12:1-4)

ii.                  LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURE (Heb. 12:5-13)

iii.                LEARNING FROM AN OT CHARACTER (Heb. 12:14-17)

iv.                 LAUDING THEIR PRESENT SITUATION (Heb. 12:18-29)

 

I.                   LOOKING UNTO JESUS (Heb. 12:1-4)

 

A.     The Cloud of Witnesses (Heb. 12:1a)

 

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses…

 

1.        The word “wherefore” ties us back to the previous chapter.

2.       In that chapter, the writer had set before his readers numerous Old Testament greats who had manifested great faith in God under difficult situations.

a.       The names of these individuals encircle us as Christians.  It is as if they are the spectators in an arena cheering us on.

b.      Too, these individuals inspire us. 

1)       We know them and know what they have been through.

2)      Now that we are facing similar circumstances, we are more determined to win the race that is set before us.

 

B.      The Commitment to the Race (Heb. 12:1b)

1.        Remove the hindrances

 

…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us…

 

a.       Shed the weights

1)       Runners would often train with weights attached to their bodies in order to build up speed and endurance.  However, when the day of the race came, the weights were cast aside. 

2)      In like manner, the Christian must cast aside those things that burden him in the Christian race:  habits, friends, jobs, toys, riches etc.

a)      These things are not sinful in and of themselves, but they hinder our Christian race. 

b)     What hinders one may not hinder another and vice versa.

3)      II Timothy 2:4

 

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

 

b.      Shed the wrongs: 

1)       …and the sin which doth so easily beset us…

a)      These are things that involve the transgression of the law of God.  They are sins.

b)     Sin often easily besets us.  We give in to them.  We justify them.  We convince ourselves that they are not that bad.

c)      Milligan:  “The temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, all serve to draw away our minds and hearts from God…And hence, the constant tendency of unbelief to encircle us, and so to paralyze our spiritual energies as to make us faint by the way” (Hebrews, p. 342).

2)      Some Christians deal with very specific sins.  These are hindering them in the Christians race:  pride, sensuality, temper, gossip, etc.

2.       Run the race

 

…and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

 

a.       There must be effort. 

1)       We have to run.

a)      We are not spectators.  We are the ones who are in the race.

b)     Therefore, we must run.

b.      There must be endurance.  Our race must be run with patience.

1)       Patience

a)      Strong (5281):  cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy

b)     Thayer:  steadfastness, endurance, constancy, perseverance, in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings

2)      This is not a sprint.  It is a marathon.  It is for the rest of our lives.  We will have difficulties and obstacles along the way on a regular basis.  We must keep running.

3)      LESSON

a)      It is easy to start a race.  It is another thing to finish it.

b)     No two people race the same course.  We are not racing others.  We are racing ourselves.

 

C.     The Captain as Our Focus (Heb. 2:2-3)

1.        Focus (Heb. 2:2a)

 

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…

 

a.       The operation:  Looking

1)       Definition:

a)      Strong (872):  to consider attentively

b)     Thayer:  to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something

2)      This is not just a passing glance.  “This word carries the idea of intensity; as if one were ‘captivated’ by what he is seeing” (Wacaster, 489).

b.      The object:  Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith

1)       The chief leader

a)      The word “author” means chief leader

b)     Jesus is the supreme leader of all who have manifested faith in God.

-          His faith never doubted or failed.

-          His faith always obeyed the heavenly Father.

2)      The completer

a)      The word “finisher” means completer.

b)     Jesus shows us what it means to be faithful unto death. 

-          In the Garden of Gethsemane, He resigned His will to the will of the Father (Luke 22:42).

-          He remained loyal and faithful until He commended His spirit unto the Father in death (Luke 23:46).

-          He was even faithful in the treatment of His enemies, desiring their forgiveness (Luke 23:34).

3)      NOTE:  The word “our” is in italics.  It was supplied by the translators.  Jesus is the author and finisher of faith.  He shows us how to practice it and to finish it.

2.       Features of His faith (Heb. 12:2b)

 

…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame…