"HOW TO FINISH YOUR RACE"

                                                        HEBREWS 12:1-2

INTRODUCTION:

          HEBREWS WAS WRITTEN TO PEOPLE WHO WERE BEING PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.  MANY OF THESE HEBREW CHRISTIANS HAD LEFT JUDAISM AND TURNED TO CHRIST AND THE WRITER IS CONCERNED THEY MAY GIVE UP IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION, RETURN TO THE HERESY THEY WERE DELIVERED FROM.

          SO IN AN EFFORT TO EXPLAIN TO AND ENCOURAGE THEM THE WRITER COMPARES THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AS TO A PERSON WHO IS IN A RACE.

          TODAY, MANY HAVE BECOME DISCOURAGED AND QUIT RUNNING THEIR RACE.  IT IS NOT ABOUT HOW FAST YOU CAN RUN THE RACE; IT IS JUST ABOUT HOW YOU FINISH.  FIRST, IN ORDER TO WIN THE RACE YOU HAVE TO GET IN THE RACE.

          IN THIS RACE THERE IS NOT A FIRST PRIZE OR SECOND PRIZE OR EVEN A THIRD PRIZE.

THE BIBLE JUST SAYS THERE IS A PRIZE AND EVERYONE WHO FINISHES THE RACE WINS THE PRIZE.

          MANY, UNFORTUNATELY, DO NOT FINISH THEIR COURSE IN THIS WORLD, BUT THERE IS A SIMPLE FORMULA FOR DOING SO.

          LET'S TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND STUDY WHAT THE WORD OF GOD SAYS ABOUT "HOW TO FINISH YOUR COURSE".

          1.  KEEP YOUR FEET RUNNING YOUR RACE!

 HEBREWS 12:1 "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."

 NOTE: CHRISTIANS HAVE A RACE TO RUN, A RACE OF SERVICE AND A RACE OF SUFFERINGS; A COURSE OF ACTIVE AND PASSIVE OBEDIENCE.     

          THE RACE US SET BEFORE THEM; IT IS MARKED OUT UNTO THEM, BOTH BY THE WORD OF GOD AND THE EXAMPLES OF THE FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF GOD.

          THE RACE IS SET OUT BY PROPER LIMITS AND DIRECTIONS; THE MARK THEY RUN TO, AND THE PRIZE THEY RUN FOR, ARE SET BEFORE THEM.

          THIS RACE MUST BE RUN WITH PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE.  THERE WILL BE NEED OF PATIENCE TO ENCOUNTER THE DIFFICULTIES THAT LIE IN OUR WAY. THERE WILL BE NEED OF PERSEVERANCE TO RESIST ALL TEMPTATIONS.

          BELIEVERS NEED TO KEEP THEIR HANDS AND MINDS BUSY IN THE WORK OF THE LORD.

BUSY PEOPLE HAVE LITTLE TIME TO GET INTO TROUBLE!

          DO NOT KEEP YOUR EYES ON EVERY ONE ELSE'S RACE!

 1st CORINTHIANS 15:58 "THEREFORE, MY BELOVED BRETHREN, BE YE STEDFAST, UNMOVABLE, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, FORASMUCH AS YE KNOW THAT YOUR LABOUR IS NOT IN VAIN IN THE LORD."

 NOTE: CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE STEDFAST IN THEIR READING AND STUDYING OF THE WORD OF GOD.

          CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT BE MOVED AWAY FROM THE "HOPE" THAT THEY HAVE IN THE GOSPEL; THIS GLORIOUS AND BLESSED SHOULD NOT BE RENOUNCED NOR RESIGNED FROM

          CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT STUNT THEMSELVES AS TO THEIR GROWTH IN HOLINESS, BUT BE ALWAYS IMPROVING IN SOUND DOCTRINE AND ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD.

          IDLE HANDS ARE THE DEVIL'S WORKSHOP WHILE BUSY HANDS DO NOT HAVE TO GET INTO TROUBLE.

          2.  KEEP YOUR CONFIDENCE IN JESUS CHRIST!

 HEBREWS 12:2 "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."

 NOTE: "LOOKING": LITERALLY MEANS TO LOOK AWAY OR TO FIX ONE'S EYES, AND SO TO GAZE.

          OUR GAZE OR ATTENTION IS TO BE FOCUSED UPON "JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH".

          THE CHRISTIAN IS TO RUN THE COURSE THAT HAS BEEN PLACED BEFORE THEM WITH ENDURANCE, AS CHRIST ENDURED THE CROSS.

          * IF YOUR EYES ARE UPON THE WORLD, YOU WILL BE DISCOURAGED!

          * IF YOUR EYES ARE UPON MEN, THEY WILL DISCOURAGE YOU!

          * IF YOUR EYES ARE UPON CHRIST, YOU WILL STAY THE COURSE!

 PSALM 118:8 "IT IS BETTER TO TRUST IN THE LORD THAN TO PUT CONFIDENCE IN MAN."

 NOTE: MAN IS NOT YOUR SAVIOR!

 PSALM 118:9 "IT IS BETTER TO TRUST IN THE LORD THAN TO PUT CONFIDENCE IN PRINCES."

NOTE: GOVERNMENT IS NOT YOUR SAVIOR!

 PROVERBS 3:26 "FOR THE LORD SHALL BE THY CONFIDENCE, AND SHALL KEEP THY FOOT FROM BEING TAKEN."

NOTE: THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS OUR SAVIOR!

          3.  KEEP YOUR EARS OPEN TO THE WORD OF GOD!

 2nd PETER 1:19 "WE HAVE ALSO A MORE SURE WORD OF PROPHECY; WHEREUNTO YE DO WELL THAT YE TAKE HEED, AS UNTO A LIGHT THAT SHINETH IN A DARK PLACE, UNTIL THE DAY DAWN, AND THE DAY STAR ARISE IN YOUR HEARTS:"

 NOTE: BELIEVERS HAVE THE CONFIRMED, PROPHETIC WORD, THE BIBLE (KJV).

          THE "LIGHT" IS CHRIST, LIKE THE DAWN, HE SHINES INTO THE BELIEVER'S HEART.

          * HEEDING THE WORD OF GOD WILL KEEP OUR PATH STRAIGHT AND SECURE!

           * WITHOUT HEEDING GOD'S WORD, WE WILL WANDER AND STRAY.

           * MAKE GOD'S WORD A VITAL PART OF EACH DAY!

          4.  KEEP YOUR MIND STAYED UPON THE LORD!

 ISAIAH 26:3 "THOU WILT KEEP HIM IN PERFECT PEACE, WHOSE MIND IS STAYED ON THEE: BECAUSE HE TRUSTETH IN THEE."

 NOTE: THIS VERSE INDICATES A PEACE THAT GOES BEYOND HUMAN COMPREHENSION.

           THIS VERSE ALSO INDICATES THAT WHEN A PERSON DOES IN FACT TRUST THE LORD TOTALLY, THEY WILL LEAN UPON HIM ENTIRELY AND BE SUSTAINED BY HIM ALONE.

 PSALM 104:34 "MY MEDITATION OF HIM SHALL BE SWEET: I WILL BE GLAD IN THE LORD."

NOTE: BEING GLAD IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS A FORM OF PRAISING HIM.

          OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST SHOULD BE THE CENTER OF OUR THOUGHT LIFE!

          5.  KEEP YOUR BODY A HOLY, LIVING SACRIFICE!

 ROMANS 12:1-2, (1) "I BESEECH YOU THEREFORE, BRETHREN, BY THE MERCIES OF GOD, THAT YE PRESENT YOUR BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY, ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD, WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE."

 (2) "AND BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD: BUT BE YE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, THAT YE MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD, AND ACCEPTABLE, AND PERFECT, WILL OF GOD."

 NOTE: THE "MERCIES OF GOD" ARE ALL THOSE GOOD THINGS WE HAVE BECAUSE WE ARE IN JESUS CHRIST.

          THE LORD GOD WANTS THE SACRIFICE OF OUR LIFE, NOT OUR DEATH.

          NOT ONLY IS THE PRESENTATION OF OUR BODIES A "LIVING" SACRIFICE BUT IT IS ALSO A "HOLY" AND "ACCEPTABLE" SACRIFICE.

           SPIRITUALITY IS NOT SOME MINDLESS FLUTTERING OF THE HEART, BUT IS THE PRESENTATION OF AN ENTIRE LIFE TO THE LORD.

          DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM THE THINGS OF THE WORLD WHILE KEEPING YOUR DAILY WALK HARNESSED BY THE WORD OF GOD.

           6.  KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE SKIES AND YOUR HOPE IN HEAVEN!

 TITUS 2:13 "LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE, AND THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST;"

          JUST THE THOUGHT THAT THE LORD MAY RETURN ANY MOMENT CAUSES THE CHILD OF GOD TO FIND ENCOURAGEMENT IN THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD.

          THIS VERSE IS SPEAKING OF THE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE COMING OF JESUS CHRIST.

          HE IS COMING FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR HIM TO RETURN.

          THE "APPEARING"OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WILL BE WHEN HE COMES TO TAKE "HIS CHILDREN", THOSE WHO BY FAITH HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN, SAVED BY GRACE, HOME TO HEAVEN.     YOU CAN READ A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THIS IN 1st THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 4.

          CONCLUSION:

 2nd TIMOTHY 4:8 "HENCEFORTH THERE IS LAID UP FOR ME A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH THE LORD, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, SHALL GIVE ME AT THAT DAY; AND NOT TO ME ONLY, BUT UNTO ALL THEM ALSO THAT LOVE HIS APPEARING."

 NOTE: ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE BORNE THEIR CROSS WILL WIN THE "CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS".     THE CONTEXT HERE SEEMS TO INDICATE THIS CROWN REPRESENTS ETERNAL RIGHTEOUSNESS.

          THERE ARE FIVE CROWNS SPOKEN OF IN SCRIPTURE, (POSSIBLY 6), ALL OF WHICH WE WILL CAST AT JESUS' FEET IN ADORATION ONE DAY, REVELATION 4:10-11.

          *  "CROWN OF LIFE" - JAMES 1:12

          *  "CROWN OF EXULTATION" - 1st THESSALONIANS 2:19

          *  "CROWN OF IMPERISHABLE" - 1st CORINTHIANS 9:25

          *  "CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS" - 2nd TIMOTHY 4:8

          *  CROWN OF GLORY" - 1st PETER 5:4

          ALL BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER'S RECEIVE THE IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST (JUSTIFICATION), AT SALVATION, ROMANS 4:6, 11.

          THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS (SANCTIFICATION), IN THE BELIEVER THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFETIME OF STRUGGLE WITH SIN, ROMANS 6:13, 19; ROMAN 8:4; EPHESIANS 5:9; 1st PETER 2:24.

          BUT ONLY WHEN THE STRUGGLE IS COMPLETE WILL THE CHRISTIAN RECEIVE CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS PERFECTED IN THEM, (GLORIFICATION), WHEN THEY ENTER HEAVEN.

          NOW THAT THEIR WORK ON THIS EARTH IS DONE, THEY ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO STANDING BEFORE THE LORD JESUS AND HEAR HIM SAY, "WELL DONE, THY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT".      WELL GLORY!!!!     WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE!!!!

          WILL THERE BE A CROWN AWAITING YOU?

          AMEN!