1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:02,560 A reading from the letter to the Hebrews. 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:07,920 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud 3 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:12,920 of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which 4 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,440 clings so closely. And let us run with endurance 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,640 the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus, the founder 6 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,120 and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before 7 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:29,140 him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is 8 00:00:29,140 --> 00:00:31,780 seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 9 00:00:32,700 --> 00:00:36,420 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against 10 00:00:36,420 --> 00:00:40,420 himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted in 11 00:00:40,420 --> 00:00:43,740 your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the 12 00:00:43,740 --> 00:00:46,860 point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the 13 00:00:46,860 --> 00:00:49,220 exhortation that addresses you as sons? 14 00:00:50,340 --> 00:00:54,340 My son, do not regard lightly to discipline of the Lord, nor be 15 00:00:54,340 --> 00:00:57,970 weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one 16 00:00:57,970 --> 00:01:01,530 he loves and chastises every son whom he receives. 17 00:01:02,570 --> 00:01:04,730 It is for discipline that you have to endure. 18 00:01:05,170 --> 00:01:09,250 God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his 19 00:01:09,250 --> 00:01:12,370 father does not discipline? If you are left without 20 00:01:12,370 --> 00:01:15,250 discipline, in which all have participated, then you are 21 00:01:15,290 --> 00:01:17,890 illegitimate children and not sons. 22 00:01:18,730 --> 00:01:21,450 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined 23 00:01:21,450 --> 00:01:25,080 us, and we respected them. Shall we not much more be 24 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:29,400 subject to the father of spirits and live, For they disciplined 25 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,800 us for a short time, as it seemed best to them. 26 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,400 But He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His 27 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:39,240 Holiness. For the moment all discipline 28 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:43,040 seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields 29 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,720 the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have 30 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:49,320 been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping 31 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:53,070 hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths 32 00:01:53,070 --> 00:01:56,510 for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of 33 00:01:56,510 --> 00:02:00,630 joint, but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, 34 00:02:00,710 --> 00:02:03,630 and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 35 00:02:04,590 --> 00:02:08,830 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no 36 00:02:08,870 --> 00:02:12,590 root of bitterness brings up and causes trouble, and by it many 37 00:02:12,590 --> 00:02:16,670 become defiled, that no one is sexually immoral or unholy, like 38 00:02:16,750 --> 00:02:19,470 Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 39 00:02:20,350 --> 00:02:23,030 So you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the 40 00:02:23,030 --> 00:02:27,150 blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, 41 00:02:27,230 --> 00:02:30,830 that we sought it with tears, the word of the Lord. 42 00:02:32,590 --> 00:02:35,190 Please be seated. Good to see you and invite you 43 00:02:35,190 --> 00:02:38,470 to turn to Hebrews 12 and your Bibles are Bulletins as we 44 00:02:38,470 --> 00:02:46,270 continue our series Walking By Faith during the 1996 Summer 45 00:02:46,270 --> 00:02:52,220 Olympics in Atlanta, GA the US. That women's gymnastics team was 46 00:02:52,460 --> 00:02:57,100 on the verge of an upset. The Russians were highly favored 47 00:02:57,100 --> 00:03:01,820 to win the women's gymnastics and the Americans were ahead 48 00:03:01,900 --> 00:03:06,940 with one exercise to go, and that was the vault exercise. 49 00:03:07,780 --> 00:03:12,580 All the Americans needed was one strong finish from one of their 50 00:03:12,580 --> 00:03:15,660 gymnasts on the vault exercise and they would take home the 51 00:03:15,660 --> 00:03:18,420 gold medal the first gymnast went. 52 00:03:19,500 --> 00:03:23,940 And as she approached the vault, she vultered herself up in the 53 00:03:23,980 --> 00:03:27,340 air, did twists and turns and landed and stumbled. 54 00:03:29,220 --> 00:03:33,180 Did that twice. The 2nd gymnast, same thing. 55 00:03:34,140 --> 00:03:37,540 Failed to stick the landing. Stumbled, the third one 56 00:03:37,580 --> 00:03:39,540 stumbled. The 4th 1 stumbled. 57 00:03:39,740 --> 00:03:45,420 The 5th gymnast, highly talented and celebrated gymnast, ran. 58 00:03:45,580 --> 00:03:48,340 Vultered herself up at the air landed. 59 00:03:49,050 --> 00:03:55,090 And then fell entirely twice. With each successive failure, 60 00:03:55,770 --> 00:04:01,130 the pressure on the shoulders of Kerry Strugg got heavier and 61 00:04:01,130 --> 00:04:03,290 heavier. Kerry Strugg was an 18 year old 62 00:04:03,570 --> 00:04:09,130 from Tucson, AZ and she would get two tries at the vault to 63 00:04:09,130 --> 00:04:12,330 salvage the gold medal for the US Olympic team. 64 00:04:13,250 --> 00:04:16,890 On her first try, Kerry vaulted herself high up in the air. 65 00:04:17,890 --> 00:04:21,170 Twisted. And turned beautifully landed 66 00:04:21,170 --> 00:04:25,890 and you can watch in the video, her ankle gives way just so and 67 00:04:25,890 --> 00:04:28,850 she falls. Not only that, but she injuries 68 00:04:28,850 --> 00:04:32,890 her ankle in the process and she stand up and she limps. 69 00:04:33,170 --> 00:04:38,050 She limps over to the sidelines where she finds her coach and 70 00:04:38,050 --> 00:04:41,250 she says, do you need me to go do like, do I have to do this? 71 00:04:41,250 --> 00:04:44,370 Do we need this? And he says, Harry, we need you 72 00:04:44,370 --> 00:04:48,220 to go one more time. We need you to go one more time 73 00:04:48,220 --> 00:04:52,700 for the gold. So Carrie surprisingly limps 74 00:04:52,700 --> 00:04:58,500 over to the starting place and she straightens her feet and she 75 00:04:58,500 --> 00:05:04,700 focuses her eyes and she begins to run and she performs one of 76 00:05:04,700 --> 00:05:07,180 the most risky, one of those dangerous, one of the most 77 00:05:07,180 --> 00:05:10,740 beautiful vault exercises available to gymnasts. 78 00:05:11,580 --> 00:05:14,790 She. She goes high into the air. 79 00:05:14,790 --> 00:05:17,830 She twists. She turns, She lands with 80 00:05:17,870 --> 00:05:21,190 determination. You can see the pain pulsating 81 00:05:21,190 --> 00:05:26,110 through her body. She salutes the judges on one 82 00:05:26,110 --> 00:05:30,870 leg and then she collapses in absolute agony. 83 00:05:33,190 --> 00:05:37,470 Kerry Strug needed a 9.7 to secure the gold medal. 84 00:05:38,070 --> 00:05:47,770 She looks up at the scoreboard. 9.712 Kerry Struck's finest 85 00:05:47,770 --> 00:05:53,330 moment came when she was in great pain, when she was nursing 86 00:05:53,330 --> 00:05:55,290 an injury and most wanted to quit. 87 00:05:55,410 --> 00:05:59,530 That was the exact moment when Kerry's team and Kerry's nation 88 00:05:59,730 --> 00:06:03,570 looked to her the most and needed her the most, and her 89 00:06:03,650 --> 00:06:06,730 most painful moment became her finest moment. 90 00:06:08,030 --> 00:06:11,150 My friends, the most difficult time for you and I to walk by 91 00:06:11,150 --> 00:06:13,830 faith is when we are in great pain. 92 00:06:15,030 --> 00:06:19,990 Maybe, like Kerry, you have a bodily pain, you have an injury, 93 00:06:20,310 --> 00:06:22,950 you have a chronic pain somewhere in your body, You have 94 00:06:23,190 --> 00:06:28,790 a scary medical diagnosis, you're undergoing treatments and 95 00:06:28,790 --> 00:06:31,510 it's hard to pray, isn't it? When you're in bodily pain, 96 00:06:31,510 --> 00:06:34,350 isn't it hard to pray, Hard to trust God? 97 00:06:34,630 --> 00:06:37,350 We start to curve in on our pain, curve in on ourselves. 98 00:06:38,660 --> 00:06:44,420 You may have relational pain from loneliness to rejection, 99 00:06:45,420 --> 00:06:48,860 and the last thing you want to do is to identify yourself as a 100 00:06:48,860 --> 00:06:51,420 Christian and may and make it even harder to build 101 00:06:51,420 --> 00:06:54,940 relationships. The pain that you might be 102 00:06:54,940 --> 00:06:57,700 feeling right now is one of the worst pains there is, and that 103 00:06:57,700 --> 00:06:59,580 is the pain of feeling like you failed. 104 00:07:00,700 --> 00:07:04,100 You feel ashamed. Maybe you suffered some kind of 105 00:07:04,100 --> 00:07:06,460 setback in your career, Some kind of setback. 106 00:07:06,820 --> 00:07:11,980 Senior schooling and trusting God with more risk, which is so 107 00:07:11,980 --> 00:07:15,540 much of the part of walking by faith, seems unacceptable to you 108 00:07:16,980 --> 00:07:21,540 after you've gotten burned. It's like we're limping to the 109 00:07:21,540 --> 00:07:25,060 sidelines and we're looking to our coach Jesus Christ. 110 00:07:25,060 --> 00:07:27,540 And we're like, do we have to like, do you really need me 111 00:07:27,540 --> 00:07:29,540 right now? Couldn't I sit this one out? 112 00:07:30,820 --> 00:07:33,860 And through the author of Hebrews, through this word of 113 00:07:33,860 --> 00:07:38,040 God, which Jesus Christ, so. Clearly speaks through Jesus 114 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,840 Christ, says we need you. This is your moment. 115 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,480 This is the time when you are in greatest pain. 116 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:46,680 Actually, this is your finest moment. 117 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,920 It's time. The author of Hebrews will tell 118 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:53,800 us to stop walking by faith and to start running by faith. 119 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:56,680 Ironically. Great courage, it will take 120 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:01,000 great determination. And as we looked at Hebrews 12, 121 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,160 we find that we have in Jesus Christ. 122 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:09,000 The best example there is for running by faith when we are in 123 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:13,560 great pain. It's all about who we fix our 124 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:17,720 eyes on when we were in pain. It makes all of the difference 125 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:21,560 in Hebrews 12 versus one, and two is going to give us the gold 126 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:25,160 standard example for us to look to while we are in pain. 127 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:28,440 Verse one, the author of Hebrews says this. 128 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:32,039 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud 129 00:08:32,039 --> 00:08:35,350 of witnesses. Let us also lay aside every 130 00:08:35,350 --> 00:08:38,510 weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with 131 00:08:38,510 --> 00:08:43,549 endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the 132 00:08:43,549 --> 00:08:47,230 founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was 133 00:08:47,230 --> 00:08:51,630 set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and 134 00:08:51,630 --> 00:08:54,510 is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 135 00:08:56,150 --> 00:08:58,910 And the author of Hebrews pictures Jesus here as a runner 136 00:08:59,470 --> 00:09:02,150 in a great race. He is the quote. 137 00:09:02,780 --> 00:09:04,980 Founder and perfector of our faith. 138 00:09:06,620 --> 00:09:09,380 You know, you could translate this, that Jesus is the 139 00:09:09,380 --> 00:09:12,540 forerunner and champion of our faith. 140 00:09:13,540 --> 00:09:16,580 Forerunners in the ancient Olympic foot races were those 141 00:09:16,580 --> 00:09:20,220 who broke away from the pack and set their own pace. 142 00:09:20,860 --> 00:09:24,980 And maybe you've seen this in foot races in our day, or in 143 00:09:25,100 --> 00:09:27,620 bicycle races, that there's a breakaway group. 144 00:09:27,660 --> 00:09:30,660 There's someone who's able to get away from the pack. 145 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,840 And run at their own pace. And set a different pace. 146 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:39,080 Jesus was the forerunner who triumphed where every other 147 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,360 person in the history of mankind failed. 148 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:47,520 He didn't give in to temptation. He didn't despair when he was 149 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:49,200 mocked. He responded in love. 150 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:52,960 When he was crushed and when he was isolated, he didn't crack. 151 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,320 He was faithful to his call. He was faithful to the end, to 152 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,360 what his father asked him to do. Now I want to draw. 153 00:10:01,090 --> 00:10:05,010 Our attention to one particular way that Jesus triumphed in his 154 00:10:05,010 --> 00:10:07,770 race. Verse two says this. 155 00:10:07,770 --> 00:10:11,290 He endured the cross, despising the shame. 156 00:10:11,890 --> 00:10:15,450 And then in verse 3, Jesus endured from sitters such 157 00:10:15,450 --> 00:10:20,210 hostility against himself. Notice those two words, shame 158 00:10:20,890 --> 00:10:24,370 and hostility. Jesus endured those two things. 159 00:10:25,930 --> 00:10:28,210 Shame and hostility are power tools. 160 00:10:28,930 --> 00:10:33,250 They're used to control people. And we see it even in our day. 161 00:10:33,610 --> 00:10:37,010 If you want to control someone's behavior, you publicly shame 162 00:10:37,010 --> 00:10:40,930 them, and you make them the object of interpersonal 163 00:10:40,930 --> 00:10:43,490 hostility. It's an extremely powerful and 164 00:10:43,490 --> 00:10:46,970 effective weapon. And any you know this, if you've 165 00:10:46,970 --> 00:10:50,970 ever been publicly humiliated, you know how scalding of an 166 00:10:50,970 --> 00:10:56,450 experience this can be. Shaming and hostility are their 167 00:10:56,450 --> 00:10:59,290 weapons. And they they attempt to control 168 00:10:59,290 --> 00:11:03,130 us, but also they drive us to despair if we endure them long 169 00:11:03,130 --> 00:11:06,210 enough. Now the the race that Jesus ran 170 00:11:06,210 --> 00:11:11,370 included extreme physical cruelty, but that physical 171 00:11:11,370 --> 00:11:14,090 cruelty was a was only a means to an end. 172 00:11:14,090 --> 00:11:17,450 They're trying to break his soul and break the break the spirit 173 00:11:17,450 --> 00:11:22,890 of his disciples. They made him the object of of 174 00:11:22,890 --> 00:11:27,370 hostility in the form of jeers and taunts and violence. 175 00:11:27,620 --> 00:11:31,340 And the indignity of being killed and buried like a common 176 00:11:31,340 --> 00:11:34,620 criminal. The the Son of God, the King of 177 00:11:34,620 --> 00:11:39,620 Heaven was denigrated as much as you can denigrate a human being 178 00:11:40,380 --> 00:11:43,340 in the Roman Empire at the turn of history. 179 00:11:44,620 --> 00:11:47,900 And Jesus endured all that, which was an amazing feat. 180 00:11:47,900 --> 00:11:51,140 The author of Hebrews is identifying This was incredible. 181 00:11:51,820 --> 00:11:56,070 This was when Jesus was in. It was in pain. 182 00:11:56,070 --> 00:11:57,950 That was actually his finest moment. 183 00:11:58,190 --> 00:11:59,750 And why was it his finest moment? 184 00:11:59,750 --> 00:12:03,790 Because instead of being dissuaded, he was seated at the 185 00:12:03,790 --> 00:12:07,470 right hand of the throne of God, that he went from the most 186 00:12:07,470 --> 00:12:12,950 denigrated lowest pit in in this earth, and he was raised up. 187 00:12:12,990 --> 00:12:17,510 Not only was his body resurrected, but he was brought 188 00:12:17,510 --> 00:12:22,430 up to the Father's right hand to rule over all of heaven and 189 00:12:22,430 --> 00:12:24,780 earth. He triumphed over all of those 190 00:12:24,780 --> 00:12:27,180 jeers. He triumphed over all of the 191 00:12:27,180 --> 00:12:29,380 mocking. He triumphed over all of the 192 00:12:29,380 --> 00:12:31,460 shame. And not only did he do that, my 193 00:12:31,460 --> 00:12:36,540 friends, Not only did he do that, he took with him anyone 194 00:12:36,540 --> 00:12:39,180 who's ever been enslaved, who's looked to him. 195 00:12:39,580 --> 00:12:42,220 Anyone who's ever been abused, who's looked to him. 196 00:12:42,540 --> 00:12:46,740 Anyone who's ever been shamed or mocked or put down. 197 00:12:46,940 --> 00:12:49,540 Anyone who's ever been dehumanized, who's ever looked 198 00:12:49,540 --> 00:12:51,890 to Jesus. He took them by the hand and he 199 00:12:51,890 --> 00:12:54,010 led them out of the depths of that shame. 200 00:12:54,010 --> 00:12:57,330 And he brought them and he intercedes for them today as 201 00:12:57,330 --> 00:13:00,690 their great high Priest who stands at the Father's right 202 00:13:00,690 --> 00:13:03,930 hand on their behalf and on our behalf. 203 00:13:03,930 --> 00:13:07,490 What an amazing triumph this was, that Jesus Christ triumphed 204 00:13:07,490 --> 00:13:10,530 over all of the shame, degradation, abuse, and he 205 00:13:10,530 --> 00:13:13,690 stands over it. And and he took people with him. 206 00:13:14,650 --> 00:13:21,860 What an inspiring example. Wouldn't you like to keep up 207 00:13:21,860 --> 00:13:24,020 with him in that race, my friends? 208 00:13:24,500 --> 00:13:28,220 Would you like to triumph over any dehumanizing force in this 209 00:13:28,220 --> 00:13:34,940 world, any anybody who's ever, who, who's ever committed acts 210 00:13:34,940 --> 00:13:37,580 of injustice against you or against those that you love? 211 00:13:37,700 --> 00:13:41,580 Wouldn't you love to follow Jesus in his path of death and 212 00:13:41,580 --> 00:13:45,740 resurrection and see the Lord work justice and make all things 213 00:13:45,740 --> 00:13:48,430 new? But what keeps us from doing 214 00:13:48,430 --> 00:13:49,950 that? What keeps us from following the 215 00:13:49,950 --> 00:13:52,030 example of Jesus? Why do we quit? 216 00:13:52,510 --> 00:13:57,190 Why do we stop? Verse one says this. 217 00:13:57,310 --> 00:14:00,430 It's the sin which clings so closely. 218 00:14:00,910 --> 00:14:04,390 The sin clings so closely. The injustice that we want to 219 00:14:04,390 --> 00:14:05,950 fight out. There is in here. 220 00:14:06,670 --> 00:14:09,470 There's sin and there's wait that clings so closely. 221 00:14:10,790 --> 00:14:13,150 Have you ever noticed that when you're walking with a backpack, 222 00:14:13,190 --> 00:14:16,590 the longer that you walk, the more irritated your shoulders 223 00:14:16,590 --> 00:14:18,850 get? Starts to dig in a little bit. 224 00:14:19,090 --> 00:14:22,170 Have you ever noticed that you, you know, at some point you're 225 00:14:22,170 --> 00:14:25,170 have to like, man, like, if I'm going to keep walking, I'm going 226 00:14:25,170 --> 00:14:27,410 to have to find a way to walk without this bag. 227 00:14:28,010 --> 00:14:31,410 Or maybe you've run in a race before and you've had layers 228 00:14:31,410 --> 00:14:34,370 because you started out cold, but then you start to heat up 229 00:14:34,370 --> 00:14:36,650 and you're like, man, these layers are like actually doing 230 00:14:36,650 --> 00:14:38,730 more harm than good. They're kind of getting 231 00:14:38,730 --> 00:14:40,290 scratchy. They're kind of getting hot. 232 00:14:40,450 --> 00:14:43,850 You have to shed some layers. So it is in the race of the 233 00:14:43,850 --> 00:14:48,590 Christian life. The pain, the pain of the race 234 00:14:48,590 --> 00:14:52,070 is going to reveal the sin that we're carrying with us, the sin 235 00:14:52,070 --> 00:14:55,630 that's clinging too closely and and and weighing us down. 236 00:14:56,710 --> 00:15:00,310 Here's some examples of that. Along the race of following 237 00:15:00,430 --> 00:15:04,470 Jesus, someone insults us, and that insult reveals our 238 00:15:04,470 --> 00:15:10,470 willingness to lash out and to gossip in response or a 239 00:15:10,470 --> 00:15:13,470 financial setback that we have reveals. 240 00:15:13,750 --> 00:15:16,710 An unhealthy trust and money. We didn't know that we had that, 241 00:15:17,430 --> 00:15:19,510 but we discovered that through pain. 242 00:15:20,390 --> 00:15:25,110 What about work pressures that reveal our willingness and our 243 00:15:25,110 --> 00:15:31,430 habits of binging behaviors or parenting stressors reveal our 244 00:15:31,430 --> 00:15:36,950 irritation, our anger? Pain makes us confront our sin. 245 00:15:38,750 --> 00:15:41,510 We have to ask the question, are we going to rid ourself of the 246 00:15:41,510 --> 00:15:43,490 sin? So we can run the race after 247 00:15:43,490 --> 00:15:48,450 Jesus or we going to quit the race so that we can keep the bag 248 00:15:48,450 --> 00:15:52,170 of our sin. We either have a breakdown or we 249 00:15:52,170 --> 00:15:54,650 have a breakthrough. And this is intentional. 250 00:15:54,650 --> 00:15:57,690 This is actually part of the process of growing in Christ. 251 00:15:58,370 --> 00:16:00,450 Our text mentions Esaw, our author. 252 00:16:00,730 --> 00:16:05,250 The pastor of this text talks about how he warns us against 253 00:16:06,530 --> 00:16:09,050 becoming immoral or unholy, like esaw. 254 00:16:09,690 --> 00:16:13,610 For 16, who sold his birthright after a single meal, And then 255 00:16:13,610 --> 00:16:15,930 afterward, when he desired to inherit a blessing, he was 256 00:16:15,930 --> 00:16:19,890 rejected, for he found no chance to repent that we saw it with 257 00:16:19,890 --> 00:16:22,450 tears. What's what's the author talking 258 00:16:22,450 --> 00:16:26,450 about? What you saw was the grandson of 259 00:16:26,450 --> 00:16:28,170 Abraham. I mean, he was a child of the 260 00:16:28,170 --> 00:16:29,010 covenant. He was. 261 00:16:29,250 --> 00:16:32,730 He was in line to receive God's incredible blessing and to take 262 00:16:32,730 --> 00:16:35,090 that blessing to the nations, to the world. 263 00:16:36,450 --> 00:16:39,250 One day you saw comes in from a hunting trip. 264 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:41,960 He's tired. He's really hungry. 265 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:45,480 And his brother Jacob's cooking some Stew and his brother Jacob, 266 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:49,400 who's very strategic, says, hey Esau, I would love to serve you 267 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:52,160 some Stew, but in exchange, I would like for you to sell me 268 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:54,720 your birthright, your birthright. 269 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:59,200 Esau's birthright was his legal, It was like his, like, legal 270 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:03,520 proof that he was the first born in the line of the covenant. 271 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:08,160 And so the birthright was sort of like this tangible sign of 272 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:11,390 God's blessing. That flows through Abraham down 273 00:17:11,390 --> 00:17:16,150 to Isaac, down to Esaw. And Esaw could have at that 274 00:17:16,150 --> 00:17:19,950 moment took a stand. He could have said this 275 00:17:19,950 --> 00:17:24,910 birthright means too much to me for me to to sell it so that I 276 00:17:24,910 --> 00:17:27,589 can satisfy my cravings and satisfy my appetite. 277 00:17:27,589 --> 00:17:29,670 He could have confronted Jacob and said, hey Jacob, look, 278 00:17:29,710 --> 00:17:31,950 listen, you and I are brothers in this covenant. 279 00:17:32,350 --> 00:17:34,910 Don't tempt me like this. This is not appropriate. 280 00:17:35,710 --> 00:17:38,150 I actually want my birthright. I actually own my birthright. 281 00:17:38,150 --> 00:17:40,710 I actually want to honor God by keeping this birthright. 282 00:17:41,630 --> 00:17:43,630 He didn't do that. He didn't take a stand. 283 00:17:43,630 --> 00:17:48,630 He made an excuse. And he said actually, like, why 284 00:17:48,630 --> 00:17:50,710 not sell my birthright? What does my birthright mean to 285 00:17:50,710 --> 00:17:52,150 me? I'm really, really hungry. 286 00:17:52,190 --> 00:17:55,310 I'm really, really in pain. And so he sold his birthright 287 00:17:55,670 --> 00:17:59,070 and he got the Stew. And then not only that. 288 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,240 For the rest of his life. So then the, you know, then 289 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:06,560 Jacobs also stole the blessing from Esau, and the drama even 290 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:09,800 unfolded. And so Esau lost his birthright 291 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:11,520 first. Then he lost his blessing. 292 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:15,480 Then, you know, what he did is that he blamed Jacob his whole 293 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:18,640 life. He he stooed in resentment. 294 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:21,120 He stooed. Things didn't turn out his way. 295 00:18:21,120 --> 00:18:23,080 Life didn't go how he thought it should go. 296 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:26,720 And so he became an angry, resentful old man. 297 00:18:29,350 --> 00:18:32,910 Later there was a reconciliation, but things were 298 00:18:32,910 --> 00:18:35,030 never the same. For you saw, because he curved 299 00:18:35,030 --> 00:18:38,910 in on cravings and then he curved in on conflict. 300 00:18:41,590 --> 00:18:44,070 And who among us my friends, have not been there? 301 00:18:44,350 --> 00:18:46,910 Who among us has not been? He saw at some point in our 302 00:18:46,910 --> 00:18:49,790 life, right? We sold the birthright of God's 303 00:18:49,790 --> 00:18:53,190 bless of God's blessing for something short sighted. 304 00:18:55,590 --> 00:18:58,400 We were in pain, right? So instead of taking a stand, we 305 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:02,760 made an excuse and we gave in and we gave into the darkness 306 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,960 and we denied Christ and we blame it's everyone else's 307 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:09,000 fault. It's God's fault, right? 308 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,960 But you know what? Jesus Christ ran his race to 309 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:17,320 rescue all the esaws of the world because he he knew that we 310 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:20,280 would fall and he didn't want to leave us helpless. 311 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:25,200 So when we've collapsed along the race, whoa. 312 00:19:27,070 --> 00:19:32,470 Like that candle glass when we have crashed. 313 00:19:35,550 --> 00:19:39,310 All we have to do, my friends, is to cry out Jesus Christ, 314 00:19:39,310 --> 00:19:45,310 Savior, Son of God, Have mercy on me, a Sinner, and He will 315 00:19:45,310 --> 00:19:48,710 come find us. He will scoop us up and He will 316 00:19:48,710 --> 00:19:50,950 carry us. He will get us back into the 317 00:19:50,950 --> 00:19:53,630 race. That's how great His mercy is. 318 00:19:54,230 --> 00:19:55,710 That's how great His kindness is. 319 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:57,960 And we'll actually have that opportunity. 320 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:00,280 We'll have that second chance to run the race again. 321 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:04,800 But here's the thing, my friends, The pain threshold is 322 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:07,480 going to go up again the minute we start running again. 323 00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:10,360 And that's part of the process of grace. 324 00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:12,000 Grace isn't going to take that away. 325 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:13,680 Grace isn't going to take pain away. 326 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:15,240 It's not going to take temptation away. 327 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,800 It's going to give us strength to face the temptation and to 328 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:20,400 face it again. And instead of having a 329 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:21,920 breakdown to have a breakthrough. 330 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:25,720 And we're going to have a choice between. 331 00:20:26,070 --> 00:20:32,150 Repentance and resistance. As some of you have been 332 00:20:32,710 --> 00:20:34,550 spectators of the Chicago Marathon. 333 00:20:34,550 --> 00:20:36,430 Some of you have run the Chicago Marathon. 334 00:20:36,430 --> 00:20:38,750 Some of you are training for the Chicago Marathon, right? 335 00:20:39,510 --> 00:20:44,590 And you know that around mile 20 to 22, what happens? 336 00:20:45,190 --> 00:20:50,230 You hit the wall. Energy drops. 337 00:20:50,710 --> 00:20:54,610 Exhaustion sets in. The excitement is not You burn 338 00:20:54,610 --> 00:20:59,490 through all the adrenaline, Adrenaline's gone, and the race 339 00:20:59,490 --> 00:21:01,530 seems like it will never, ever finish. 340 00:21:02,290 --> 00:21:06,210 And at that point, it's all about who you fix your eyes 341 00:21:06,210 --> 00:21:10,010 upon. You could fix your eyes upon 342 00:21:10,010 --> 00:21:13,290 those who have given up. They've lost focus. 343 00:21:13,970 --> 00:21:16,970 They're dragging their feet, They're shuffling. 344 00:21:17,130 --> 00:21:18,730 You can. Their shoulders are hunched. 345 00:21:18,730 --> 00:21:23,340 They're they're defeated. And if you fix your eyes on 346 00:21:23,340 --> 00:21:25,340 them, that's exactly what you're going to do. 347 00:21:26,460 --> 00:21:30,020 You'll give up as well. But you could fix your eyes on 348 00:21:30,020 --> 00:21:32,780 those who have the shoulders back, who are keeping their 349 00:21:32,780 --> 00:21:36,660 pace, who've got consistent strides, who are, despite their 350 00:21:36,660 --> 00:21:39,580 exhaustion, continuing to press on one foot in front of the 351 00:21:39,580 --> 00:21:42,140 next. And they'll keep you going, and 352 00:21:42,140 --> 00:21:44,580 they're going to carry you through to the finish line. 353 00:21:45,740 --> 00:21:48,340 Someone once said this. Show me your friends and I'll 354 00:21:48,340 --> 00:21:51,040 show you your future. Right? 355 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,920 So running by faith is so often a matter of running by the 356 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:59,160 faithful. So think about people in your 357 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:03,040 life. Who are the people in your life 358 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:07,200 who are running as close to Jesus as they can? 359 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,280 They're running after Jesus as hard as they can. 360 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:13,080 Are they enduring hard things with patience? 361 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:15,080 Are they winning battles over sin? 362 00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:17,560 Are they showing joy instead of cynicism? 363 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:19,760 Are they venturing on God to provide? 364 00:22:20,070 --> 00:22:21,870 Are they taking risks to love and serve? 365 00:22:21,870 --> 00:22:23,630 Are they growing in holiness and peace? 366 00:22:24,110 --> 00:22:26,870 If you got people like that in your life, keep them in your 367 00:22:26,870 --> 00:22:28,990 sights. Those people are golden. 368 00:22:29,630 --> 00:22:32,190 Stick as close to them as you can. 369 00:22:32,190 --> 00:22:35,710 Ask them to pray for you in your own battles against it. 370 00:22:37,790 --> 00:22:39,070 What about other people in your life? 371 00:22:39,070 --> 00:22:41,390 Do you have anyone in your life that's a little bit more like 372 00:22:41,470 --> 00:22:44,790 Esaw? Making excuses, taking 373 00:22:44,790 --> 00:22:50,100 shortcuts, dropping out, losing heart, curving in on themselves. 374 00:22:51,260 --> 00:22:53,740 When the pain thresholds, it's a certain point. 375 00:22:53,900 --> 00:22:57,620 Do they stop seeking God, and do they instead curve in on 376 00:22:57,620 --> 00:23:00,980 cravings and conflict? Maybe you have a chance to 377 00:23:00,980 --> 00:23:02,420 encourage them. That would be great. 378 00:23:02,420 --> 00:23:06,780 Encourage them, but don't spend much time with them. 379 00:23:07,820 --> 00:23:10,140 Don't let them set the pace for your life. 380 00:23:10,260 --> 00:23:12,140 It's fine if you're setting a pace for them and they're 381 00:23:12,140 --> 00:23:18,050 following you. The stakes are too high, my 382 00:23:18,050 --> 00:23:20,890 friends. There's a reason that we never 383 00:23:20,890 --> 00:23:24,690 hear this. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and 384 00:23:24,730 --> 00:23:28,370 Esau. That's how it was supposed to 385 00:23:28,370 --> 00:23:31,170 be. That's how it could have been. 386 00:23:31,850 --> 00:23:35,050 But Esau dropped out because he didn't get what he wanted. 387 00:23:35,610 --> 00:23:38,090 Esau dropped out because he sold his birthright. 388 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,680 We don't say the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Esau because Esau 389 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:47,080 threw in the towel at the very moment he was called the step 390 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:51,200 into grace. So, my friends, Jesus the High 391 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:55,080 priest, is pleading with us and praying for us to not make the 392 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,600 same mistake as Esau. He wants us to run the race 393 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:00,840 well, and he's running next to us. 394 00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:03,280 He's not just the one who ran the race before us. 395 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,760 He's still running the race with us as our great High priest, 396 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,120 feeding us, encouraging us, strengthening our inner person 397 00:24:10,370 --> 00:24:15,210 so that we can cross the tape. A man is facing a cancer 398 00:24:15,210 --> 00:24:17,050 diagnosis in the prime of his life. 399 00:24:18,610 --> 00:24:21,370 He finds that though his body is weaker from the painful 400 00:24:21,370 --> 00:24:24,970 treatments, his prayer life is richer than ever and his 401 00:24:24,970 --> 00:24:26,850 compassion for others is deepening. 402 00:24:26,850 --> 00:24:29,090 And he would never actually want to go back. 403 00:24:30,490 --> 00:24:32,530 A young woman is starting out in her career. 404 00:24:33,090 --> 00:24:36,450 She's got a coworker who's outwardly hostile to 405 00:24:36,450 --> 00:24:38,850 Christianity, openly hostile to Christianity. 406 00:24:39,780 --> 00:24:42,140 And so this, this young Christian is, is kind of set 407 00:24:42,140 --> 00:24:45,900 back on her heels from the constant barrage of questions 408 00:24:45,900 --> 00:24:48,540 that seem to come from a bad faith place. 409 00:24:49,100 --> 00:24:53,500 Yet her Citigroup is praying for her as she goes into work, and 410 00:24:53,500 --> 00:24:56,900 she's actually finding that her confidence in Christ is growing 411 00:24:57,140 --> 00:24:59,780 from these conversations, that she's becoming a little bit more 412 00:24:59,780 --> 00:25:03,900 free to disappoint people who don't like Jesus, and also to 413 00:25:03,900 --> 00:25:08,340 speak with greater grace and truth in response to her 414 00:25:08,340 --> 00:25:10,150 coworker. There's more peace and Holy 415 00:25:10,150 --> 00:25:14,230 Spirit in her life as a result. But what about this hypothetical 416 00:25:14,230 --> 00:25:16,070 example? A local church is in need of a 417 00:25:16,070 --> 00:25:20,550 permanent worship space. They pray fervently for God to 418 00:25:20,550 --> 00:25:24,350 provide, and in the moment of greatest uncertainty, he answers 419 00:25:24,550 --> 00:25:28,350 their prayer by bringing over 500 migrants to live in the 420 00:25:28,350 --> 00:25:32,270 campus where they meet. So instead of despairing, they 421 00:25:32,270 --> 00:25:36,410 rise to the occasion with a carnival and a lunch, and even a 422 00:25:36,410 --> 00:25:40,330 few people step and step up and volunteer for perhaps an ESL 423 00:25:40,330 --> 00:25:46,010 ministry going forward. When we are in great pain, when 424 00:25:46,010 --> 00:25:49,690 the discomfort is at its highest, Jesus Christ makes us 425 00:25:49,690 --> 00:25:56,730 capable of great faith. The time came for the US Olympic 426 00:25:56,890 --> 00:25:59,770 gymnastics team to go up to the podium to receive their gold 427 00:25:59,770 --> 00:26:03,810 medal, but they refused because Kerry Struggle was not with 428 00:26:03,810 --> 00:26:06,290 them. They would not receive their 429 00:26:06,290 --> 00:26:08,490 gold medal unless she was up on the podium. 430 00:26:09,450 --> 00:26:14,530 And so after Carrie struck, got her her ankle in a cast, her 431 00:26:14,530 --> 00:26:18,330 coach scooped her up and actually carried her up to the 432 00:26:18,330 --> 00:26:23,050 Olympic podium. And and there Carrie along with 433 00:26:23,090 --> 00:26:28,090 all of her teammates received. They dipped their head down and 434 00:26:28,090 --> 00:26:31,370 received their commendation, received the gold medal and the 435 00:26:31,370 --> 00:26:36,140 national anthem played A time will come, my friends, when the 436 00:26:36,140 --> 00:26:40,820 race that you and I are running will be over and we will come to 437 00:26:40,820 --> 00:26:43,420 our deathbeds. We will be unable to run any 438 00:26:43,420 --> 00:26:46,980 longer. And at that time, if we have 439 00:26:46,980 --> 00:26:49,860 looked to Jesus in this life, the founder and perfector of our 440 00:26:49,860 --> 00:26:53,060 faith, our great High Priest, will come to us. 441 00:26:53,060 --> 00:26:57,340 He will scoop us up, and He will carry us up to where he belongs, 442 00:26:57,340 --> 00:27:01,260 Up to the throne of grace, where we today have mercy and grace to 443 00:27:01,260 --> 00:27:05,280 help in time of need, up to the Father, where the Father reigns 444 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:08,680 over all of heaven and earth. And there we will receive our 445 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:13,240 great commendation as the cloud of witnesses cheers. 446 00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:19,480 But there are miles to go still, and our work is not yet done. 447 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:24,120 And so, Emmanuel, while we have the opportunity, let us lay 448 00:27:24,120 --> 00:27:29,240 aside every weight and fix our eyes on Jesus Christ, and run 449 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:32,310 after Him by faith and not by sight. 450 00:27:32,870 --> 00:27:35,270 In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 451 00:27:38,230 --> 00:27:42,350 invite you now to take a moment to offer to God your prayer as 452 00:27:42,350 --> 00:27:44,790 we consider running after Him by faith. 453 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,240 And though we do pray that we would have the mercy and grace 454 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:57,680 we need to run after you without falling, but we can only do it 455 00:27:58,040 --> 00:27:59,600 through your strength, through your power. 456 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:04,010 We repent, Lord, of any ways that we've made an excuse rather 457 00:28:04,010 --> 00:28:07,250 than running after you in the moment that we have. 458 00:28:08,450 --> 00:28:10,810 So we offer to you our lives, Lord, and we pray that we would 459 00:28:10,810 --> 00:28:14,490 be able to put 1 foot in front of the other today and every day 460 00:28:14,770 --> 00:28:16,930 until we meet you face to face. In Jesus name. 461 00:28:17,290 --> 00:28:17,650 Amen.