Introduction

Before we jump into Romans 11, I’d like to revisit our 2023 theme, “Transforming Faith,” by looking at a wonderfully encouraging, vivid passage, Hebrews 12:1–3.

How many of you sometimes struggle to stay motivated in the Christian life? I can’t imagine anyone who doesn’t. How many of you have days where you don’t want to love people and engage in ministry? Again, it happens to us all. Sometimes life is hard, ministry is disappointing, and people fail us. We have no drive to pursue holiness, engage in ministry, or even be around people. We get in a rut, and it’s miserable.

What do you do about the rut? Our text is a great place to go. Afterall, when the Hebrews were first saved, they were on fire even in the face of severe persecution. They stood firm when the government seized their property. And when some of their brothers when to prison for their faith, the rest were not intimidated. They boldly visited their friends in prison, fed them, and encouraged them. They were on fire, they rallied to the cause, and it was exciting.

But now they were in a severe rut. It was so bad that some of them were considering giving up on Jesus and returning to the security of Judaism. The author responds in the early chapters of Hebrews with several powerful theological arguments that Jesus is better than anything else we could pursue.

But his pastoral steam builds as he nears the end. The final chapters of Hebrews give several powerful challenges, but none of them top the wisdom, the imagery, and the pastoral force of today’s text. The author urges you to stay motivated to run your race by following Jesus’ example of enduring faith. So, I also want to challenge you to cultivate an enduring faith that will sustain you and bring joy to your soul through every peak and valley. Let’s begin with the central command in v. 1 to…

I.  The Command: Run your race (v. 1).

There’s a lot of actions in vv. 1–2, but the Greek grammar clearly centers all of it on the command, “Let us run with endurance…” I’d like to make 5 observations about this command that are crucial to running well.

God designed your race. This is essential to remember because we don’t always like the racecourse in front of us. The hills are too long and too step, the turns are too sharp, and the race is way too long. We wish we were running a different race. “If only I wasn’t stuck in this difficult marriage,” “If only I had a better job and more money in the bank,” “If only I had better friends,” or “If only I had a more exciting ministry.”

Remember that your racecourse is not an accident. Your Heavenly Father designed every twist and turn, every hill and valley. He did so with perfect knowledge of your needs and capacities and with perfect, fatherly love.

Your racecourse is designed specifically and perfectly for accomplishing God’s best good for you which is transformation into the image of Christ. This week I heard a wonderful quote by Joni Eareckson Tada, “God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” You don’t want him to round off a single turn or big incline. God’s course is the best one for you.

Yet maybe you are bitter and discontent with your race. You’re demanding that God design a different one. Maybe you are trying to force the issue by compromising biblical convictions. Don’t do that. Remember that God designed your race and embrace it.

The race is a marathon, not a sprint. The fact that vv. 1, 2, and 3 all mention endurance tells us that the Christian life is more like a marathon than the 100-meter dash. Afterall, the 100-meter is not a test of endurance, unless you are in very poor shape.

Instead, the 100-meter sprint is ten thrilling seconds of power. It’s one of the most exciting events in the Olympics. It always gets a prime spot on T.V. But I doubt you’ve ever watched the entire marathon. If you have, you need some new hobbies. It’s so long, and there’s not much action.

Similarly, praise the Lord for thrilling moments in your Christian life. Sometimes the Spirit grabs your soul and does something dramatic, or you get to play a part in a dramatic conversion. It’s awesome. Relish those moments but remember that they are unusual.

The Christian life is not about bouncing from one thrilling moment to the next but about joyfully putting one foot in front of the other day after day even when your muscles ache, and your lungs feel like they will explode.

Your goal is to finish your race. Our text doesn’t command you to compete against other Christians or to win the race; he simply commands you to run the race that God has set before you.

Have you ever been jealous of someone else’s race? It looks so much easier or more exciting. Or you think, “I could run his race better than he is. I’d destroy him if I were running his race.” Don’t go there. Rather, focus on the race that God has designed for you. Run it with urgency and passion. Endure when it gets hard. Enjoy the fun parts. But above all faithfully run your race.

And make sure that you do so to the very end. Some of you have been running for a long time. You’ve made a lot of progress. Satan wants you to be satisfied with how far you have come and to slow down or even stop. It’s so tragic when senior saints begin to say things like, “I’ve done my time.” “I’m tired of running.” They stop running, and they start walking.

Yes, you may not have the same capacities you once did. That’s fine. Every section of your race is not the same. But you must run with endurance whatever section is ahead of you. Do whatever God has for you today with the same passion and urgency you had decades ago. 4^th…

The race demands singular focus. God says that running with endurance demands that we “lay aside…” When you watch Olympic track events, they often show the runners coming out of the tunnel in sweat suits. But they never run in a sweat suit. They always take them off, and there’s usually not much clothing left underneath. In the Greek games, they would sometimes completely undress.

Now, God is not telling us to run naked. Praise God for that! I think we all get the point. When you run a race, you don’t want to carry extra weight, and you don’t want anything limiting your mobility. You remove every possible hindrance so that you can devote all your energy to the race.

And God says that the Christian race also requires eliminating “weights” and “sin which so easily entangles us.” God warns that sin is be a major drag. It’s like a snare or a trap. So, understand that every sinful pattern in your life is a drag on your ability to run. Sin corrodes your fellowship with God, it divides your heart, and it consumes your energy.

Yet we tell ourselves it’s not so. I’ve listened to many Christians over the years complain that the Bible is boring or worship makes no impact or ministry is fruitless. It’s all someone else’s fault, or it’s all circumstantial. But they refuse to see how their own sinful passions and patterns are the cancer that pollutes everything else. They are moaning about everyone else while they ignore the snare griping their ankle.

Be honest about your sin and its effects. You might love your sin, but be willing to admit that it is a deadly snare. It’s not worth the entanglement. Be honest with yourself and with the Scriptures. Listen when brothers point out your blind spots. Confess it, forsake it, and do not tolerate it.

But notice that it’s not just sin that can slow you down. God also warns about “every (other) encumbrance (i.e., weight).” He is warning that anything, even something that is perfectly good, can become a major drag on the Christian race if it begins to compete with biblical priorities.

In 2 Timothy 4:10, as Paul is contemplating his own execution, he gives a scary lament, “Demas has deserted me, having loved this present world.” Demas started well. He was a missionary companion of Paul. We know he stood by Paul during his first Roman imprisonment because he sends greetings to the Colossian church in Colossians 4:14. But during the 4–5-year span between Colossians and 2 Timothy, some worldly passion infected his heart. It grew and it grew until it transformed Demas.

Maybe you’d say, “I know I’ve got a little drag over here, but it’s not that bad, I really love it, and I can control it.” First, you don’t know that you can control it, but even if you can, it is a drag on God’s race, the highest good in your life. It’s not worth it. And it’s probably more of a drag on your heart than you are willing to admit. Lay it aside. Don’t waste your energy justifying as much junk as you can carry. Put all your focus on the race.

Nothing in your life is more precious than the race that God has set before you. You get to become like Christ, God has given you a stewardship at home and at work, and you get to participate in the Great Commission. These are great opportunities. Don’t let anything slow you down.

The race demands endurance. Again, the center of this passage is the command to “run with endurance.” Admittedly, endurance is not an exciting word. In fact, it’s a boring word. To be clear, the Christian life is not boring and blah. Verse 2 describes the joy of eternity that compels us. The prize is awesome. And the race itself is also wonderful. God gives so many blessings and graces along the way. We should enjoy the race.

But there will be times when it’s simply a grind. The world looks attractive, spiritual growth is challenging, and ministry is disappointing. You want to stop for a time and sip on a Coke. Don’t stop. Don’t take a detour. Run with endurance. By faith, keep putting one foot in front of the other.

But maybe you’d say, “Pastor, I’m just not strong enough to do that. I am very weak.” Or, “I’m not sure I want to do that. I’m more of a weekend warrior kind of Christian.” That’s how the Hebrews felt. God knows, and he offers strong encouragement in v. 2 through Jesus’ example of faith.

II.  The Example (v. 2)

I’d like to frame our discussion of v. 2 with 4 observations. First…

Jesus’ race was excruciating. Our text says that Jesus “endured the cross.” You probably know that crucifixion was one of the cruelest forms of execution that man has ever devised. People who were crucified endured hours of excruciating pain. Their bodies slowly got weaker and weaker until they could no longer pull themselves up to breath. Finally, the suffocated.

It was a painful way to die, but v. 2 notes that it was also terribly shameful. No Roman citizen could be crucified because the Romans believed that no Roman citizen, no matter what he had done, should be subject to the humiliation of crucifixion. Only the worst criminals were subjected to the shame of hanging naked on a cross as an enemy of the state.

Some of you are enduring horrible sections of your race. Remember that Jesus has been there himself. He never asks more of you than he already endured. He knows what it’s like to suffer. Therefore, Hebrews 4 says that he is a compassionate, sympathetic high priest.

As we sang earlier, he is gentle and lowly, so you can come to Jesus, leave every burden with him and rest. Don’t grasp for other solutions, and don’t try to drown your sorrows in substances or worthless distractions. Instead, come to Jesus.

Jesus believed the Father’s promise. This is where our text intersects with our theme of “Transforming Faith.” How do you respond when the race is miserable, or it seems pointless and fruitless? The answer is that you fix your eyes on Jesus and especially on the example of faith that he established in the crucifixion.

Remember Jesus kneeling in Gethsemane. He knew what kind of suffering and shame were ahead in the next 24 hours. He pleaded with the Father to spare him that horror. But then by faith he submitted to his Father’s and said, “Not my will but yours be done.”

And the next morning, when Pilate boasted that Jesus’ life was in his hands, he replied, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had ben given you from above.” But by faith, Jesus restrained that authority. And finally, when Satan baited Jesus to come down from the cross through the mob’s challenge, he silently stayed where he was. How did he do that?

Our text answers, “Who for the joy…” That is an incredible statement. Jesus’ intense misery and shame were not his greatest focus. Instead, by faith he saw past it all to the “joy set before Him.” He believed that the Father would raise him from the dead, that he would be exalted to the Father’s right hand, and that a multitude of brothers and sisters would follow in his steps.

Jesus did not allow his vision to be consumed with the horrors around him; instead, he fixed his eyes on the prize. Faith made the prize just as real and even more real than the whips, the shouts, and the nails all around him.

God commands you to do the same when you are in a rut. Fix your eyes on the example of Jesus and ultimately fix your eyes on the character and promises of God. I love how 11:13 describes this of faith (read). The patriarchs faith shaped and transformed their lives more than any physical circumstance.

And if you are going to endure and stay faithful to Christ and effective for Christ, you must do the same. Don’t let your circumstances be the loudest voice in your head. Listen to what God says about himself and believe what he has promised. That takes discipline. You must take control of your influences, and you must “set your mind on things above.” It won’t happen accidentally. But by the grace of God and with daily, intentional discipline, you can make progress. You can see the joy set before you. From there, you can imitate the next part of Jesus example. My 3^rd observation is…

Jesus ran with joyful endurance. I must be clear that just because Jesus saw this joy doesn’t mean that he didn’t also feel incredible pain and agony. You can have joy and sorrow at the same time. The Bible never calls us to pretend like our problems aren’t real or promises that we can wish them away.

But even as Jesus agonized under the wrath of God, he had joy because he saw his suffering in light of eternity. Therefore, the text adds that Jesus “despised the shame.” The idea is that he looked with contempt at the shame of the cross. In other words, compared to the joy set before him, he dismissed the shame of the cross as a very small thing.

Boy is that convicting because think about how you moan and groan over suffering and shame. We think we are really suffering for Jesus when a coworker mocks our faith or when a politician attacks our values. We act like the world is collapsing under our feet. Instead, your response should be, “Bring it. Jesus is going to win. Your hostility will only glorify the gospel, and I’m going to heaven someday.”

Then run with the same joyful endurance as Jesus. Eyes of faith make all the difference. Despise the shame, not the race. Be more like Tigger, and less like Eeyore. Embrace every twist and turn because God is forming Christ in you and giving your awesome opportunities to glorify him among others. Run with joyful endurance. You can do that because of the 4^th observation…

Jesus secured our victory. Maybe you have sat there the whole time thinking, “I could never endure like Jesus. I can’t run the race. I have to compromise; I have to slow down.” In a sense, you are right. You do not have the capacity in yourself to do this. But if you are in Christ, God says you are ultimately wrong. Because Jesus didn’t go through all of that suffering simply to get us to heaven. Instead, he became the “author and perfecter of faith.”

In this context, author means beginning, and perfecter speaks of completion or maturity. Therefore, the basic idea is that Jesus is the beginning of our faith, and he is the one who brings it to maturity. Because he was victorious, you can also be victorious by following in his steps in the power of his grace. So, don’t make excuses about why your race is too hard or why enduring faith is too hard. Christ is enough to sustain you as you draw near to him. So, what do we do with this? Finally, notice the twofold challenge in v. 3.

III.  The Challenge (v. 3)

Consider Christ. Satan loves to isolate Christians in our sorrow so that he can drown us in misery and despair. So, remember that you are not alone.

First, v. 1 says we are surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses,” meaning the saints of the past. The point is not that they are watching us run. They have better things to do in heaven. Rather, their testimonies encourage us by saying that we are not alone, and that God’s grace is enough. Remember what God has done in the past.

And don’t forget all the testimonies sitting around you. There are other people in this room who have probably been where you or are there today. Find them, listen to their stories, and draw strength.

But especially consider Christ “who has endured such hostility of sinners.” Maybe you need to receive him as your Savior today. The story of the cross is not just a great tale of self-sacrifice. It is powerful to save if you will put your faith in the Christ. We’d love to talk with you afterwards about how you can receive him.

And Christian, continue to consider Christ. You are not alone in your difficulty. Jesus sees, Jesus cares, and Jesus has been there before. Consider him, come to him, and rest. The 2^nd challenge of v. 3 is to…

Endure by faith (read). Do you feel weary today? I kind of do. The last 3 or 4 weeks of ministry have been a steady stream of burdens and disappointment. The Christian life and life in Christian community can be exhausting.

It’s hard not to get weary at times but make sure that you do not “lose heart.” “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord” (Ps 27:13–14).

Do not despair. Do not compromise your convictions. Do not abandon the race that God has called you to run for something easier, more exciting and more entertaining. Instead, believe that God will keep every promise. His grace will be enough. See the joy that is set before you. Do not lose heart. Do not stop running. “Run with endurance the race that is set before you.”