As You Run the Race

Please turn in the Word of God to Hebrews 12, the 12th chapter of Hebrews. Thank you to those who prayed for my trip to Canada. I got away safely. It was a long day on Thursday. I was up at 4 a.m. and didn’t see my bed, didn’t see the backs of my eyelids—at least not until about 2 a.m.—so it was very long, but it was good. The fellowship was good. It was good to get to know some that we’d never met before.

Minister of the Word on Thursday evening. I came back on Friday and—well, I’ll not say too much—United did their best to keep me in Washington longer than was planned. But I was thankful I was able to get another flight to Charlotte. I wasn’t able to get to GSP on Friday night, but I got into Charlotte, courtesy of American Airlines rather than United. So glad to get back home. That was a good trip. I am thankful for the opportunity, for encouraging the saints there. There are many of God’s people in various places. I’m always glad to meet new folks who love the Lord. I spent the time with a couple—their children are all grown up, they have grandchildren—and I spent time with the couple in their home, talked with them, and just enjoyed that kindred spirit. A real love for the Lord, an appreciation for Christ and His word, a desire to live for His glory, for His honor. These are people of commitment, people who back up their Christianity with obedience; their profession is very much evident and on display, and we’re thankful for all who live godly for the Lord.

This morning we continue in Hebrews. We will look at the opening of Hebrews 12. So Hebrews 12 is where we are. I’ve titled the message, “Five Considerations as You Run the Christian Race.” There was another announcement as well—congratulate Kim and Danny on another grandchild. I heard that news also; I rejoice with them. Number nine, I think it is, as far as the grandchildren. So, thank the Lord for these tokens in our families and in our church family too.

But this morning I’m going to deal with what I’ve titled, “Five Considerations as You Run the Christian Race.” We’ll see this from the opening language of Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12, let us read the word of God. Keep the reading short this morning:

“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. But let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. 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.”

We’ll end the reading there at the close of verse 2. What you have heard is the word of the eternal God that you are to receive. You are to believe and you are to obey. And the people of God said, “Amen.”

Let’s pray.

“Lord, help us this morning in Thy Word. We have prayed that Thou wilt teach us Thy ways. Keep us, O God, in Thy way. In all the changing seasons of life—and all how they change, how uncertain they can be—we plead, Lord, let us not be governed by our emotions, nor even by what our eyes see in terms of the material, but governed by the unseen yet very real hand of God, kept and hedged in by divine providence and obedient to every command of Scripture. Bless us then with the peace of walking with Thee and knowing Thy presence and living for Thy glory. Whether we are on the mountaintop or in the valley, today we pray, give a Word—a Word that will ring true, a Word from God. Fill me then with Thy Spirit. Come and descend in mercy despite the frailty of man. May Thy Word run. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

In Australia, sometimes you may hear the saying—though not too often, just depends on the context and whether it applies—but you may hear the term “doing a Bradbury,” doing a Bradbury. And you may not have heard that, but the saying goes back and originates from the 2002 Winter Olympics. A man by the name of Stephen Bradbury was competing in the short track in speed racing—the ice skating, the speed skating that they do. And he was a competitor, yes, but he wasn’t exactly the one everyone was believing was going to win gold that year. In fact, he came second in the quarterfinals. When it came to the semifinals, he got through because there were two who crashed out and one was disqualified. So when it came to the final, he wasn’t exactly the one that people were expecting to win, and he knew it himself. Bradbury hung back, keeping far enough away from the four that were competing and jostling for first place. And as it came near the end—as they jostled and tried to get over the line and get in front—all four of them became entangled and crashed out in the race. And Bradbury just sailed as smooth as you like, past them all, crossed the finish line, and got gold.

And so they refer to “doing a Bradbury” as an unlikely win—in which everything is against you and yet still you come through. We learn then, again in our own life as well, that there is a sense in which we are all engaged in a race and the outcome is not as predictable as we might hope. And even in the Christian life, the reality is that we don’t know how everything is going to end. We are not in control of all the details, and we don’t know exactly how the story is going to finish. The believer is called not to a short track speed skating race, but to a long, marathon-like race. And the older saints here are well aware already—if you’re to run your mind down through a list of names of those you know who once claimed to follow Christ, who have crashed out or walked off or been in some way disqualified before they crossed the finish line—you know them. And in fact, if you were to sit down and really think about it, you might be shocked at just how many you could list that you once saw run for Christ, and yet do not do so today.

Races can have unexpected results, and the Christian race is no different. The odds are that some of you will not make it. You will not make it to the finish line. You will not make it in the sense of right to the very end, still professing with even more confidence your love for Jesus Christ. It is not my desire that any year should fall, but life has a way of teaching us that we might expect some will not make it. The examples we have in Scripture—like Demas and Judas—are not one-off. And we learn that there are others who join with them in betrayal or, through love for this world, do not make it to the end, finishing the race well.

In Hebrews 12, having given us a list of those who had given themselves to the race and, by faith, had experienced a victory—as it were, getting to the finishing line, still believing, still trusting, still hoping, having not received the promise—the apostle then turns his attention to his audience:

“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, looking on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”

The apostle would have his audience tighten their sandals, gird up their loins, and keep pressing forward in this race. They were facing resistance—yes. The challenges were many. The temptations were not a few. But they needed to keep going on. And what we will see here are five things that he brings to the forefront of our minds to consider in order to help us in this race that you are in. You can’t profess faith in Christ without being in the race. You can’t be substituted without losing it. You’re in the race. You must be in the race to the end and cross the finish line. There’s no passing the baton. There’s no getting a substitute like in a team sport. You’re in the race. You must make it to the finish line, or else.

So I trust God will bless His Word, and I hope you will give your best attention now as we consider the language that is before us. There are five things—these five things I want us to consider—that the Apostle, under inspiration, gives us to consider. First, the encouragement around us. There is the encouragement around us. We’ll find also the entanglements beneath us, the endurance within us, the expectation before us, and the emphasis above us. Those are the five things that will help orient our thinking around the text that we will consider with the Lord’s help.

First, the Encouragement Around Us.
“Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.” This race that you’re in is not run in isolation; you’re not just out there with no one around. There are people by the sidelines—individuals cheering you on, voices of support. We are not lone pilgrims stumbling through a barren land. We are compassed, encircled, surrounded by the testimony of those who’ve already run the race—who know exactly what it’s like to be where you are, who know the pain, who know the need for digging deep to draw out more stamina, to keep pressing forward. They know it. And they are looking upon you; they are standing before you, cheering you on.

This is Hebrews 11. These individuals, who have left a legacy—a testimony of their many trials, their many triumphs, their toils of faith and endurance before God—now stand as a gallery of the faithful, encouraging you to carry on in the race, not by mere grit of will but by faith. The Greek word for witnesses, as we’ve considered recently, speaks not of mere spectators, but of those who bear witness; who testify. Again, they have gone before, and though they are not called into the very presence of our lives, their lives testify. They bear witness; they speak through their own consistent and faithful living, their perseverance to the end, and they also speak of the unchanging faithfulness of the God who sustained them. So we learn as we look at them—and you’re meant to. You’re meant to take your Bible; you’re meant to read about these individuals; you’re meant to consider their lives, their hardships and difficulties. You’re meant to feel your own heart resonate with what they went through and to be taught of God in your own being. What does Abel have to teach me? What does Adam have to teach me? What do these other saints listed have to teach me?

“Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.” The language—the metaphor of a cloud—has significance for these Hebrews. I was pondering this and trying not to strain it too much as I thought about how these Jews might, in some way, think of another cloud significant to those who went before them. In this very book earlier on, the Apostle draws heavily from the wilderness experience—those who wandered in the wilderness. And on that occasion, they had a cloud before them, a cloud that led, a cloud that testified, a cloud that uttered of God’s covenant presence—a cloud that encouraged them as they walked and meandered for years in the wilderness; a cloud that was a symbol of God’s nearness to them, encouraging them to keep going on.

It would appear—and I hope I’m not stretching it too much—that what the apostle does here in making reference, he doesn’t talk merely of an audience; he uses language that depicts and specifies a cloud. And I wonder if he has in his mind that, in addition to the very presence of God, there are these voices that surround us, voices of those who have already gone through the journey, who have already experienced all that life throws at you. And now they stand around, as it were, where the glory of God is known. Their voices and their lives speak and communicate to every believer to keep going on. There’s an additional presence, if you like—an additional witness. It is not just God and His presence; it is not just His covenant promises that keep them going on. They had promise. They were going forward based on promise. They kept on because of the promise. That’s the emphasis of Hebrews. That’s what they’re holding on to. God has given His word, and they’re holding on to that word of promise.

Now, believers, you living can look back and see the lives of those recorded by the Spirit of God in Scripture. And they supplement—they do not supplant, they do not remove—but supplement the testimony of promise. They encourage you to keep going on. They lived and died without receiving the promise. That’s what verse 39 says: “Ye receive not the promise.” Yet they kept pressing on, believing God’s Word and running faithfully. And here we are, post the cross, with so much of it in terms of the assurance of the promise. You can think of it this way: the assurance that the promise would be fulfilled, the assurance that God’s Word would come to pass, hinged on the Messiah completing His work. And now these saints—and you and I—are after the completion of the work. God has sent His Son. He has lived for His people. He has gone to the cross. There, on Calvary, He laid down His life. He became sin for us. He bore the curse. He became a curse. And He is judged in our place, being the substitute for the guilty. Cries of victory, as we were reminded this morning already—it is finished. The work is done, and that word echoes and says, no, the promise is definitive. There can be no doubt it must come to pass because here blood was shed that ratifies. Here is One who rises from the dead, guaranteeing, securing, giving absolute confidence to all His people that what has been promised will come to pass.

So we have no excuse. These saints did not lose hope; they were looking to that promise, and the Messiah must do His work. The Messiah has done His work. Now the everlasting is secure. He has gone before. Humanity has entered into heaven, received up—they saw Him go away out of their sight, as in Acts 1, ascending into the heavens. They see Him at the right hand of the majesty on high. And that had not happened before. So while they could take God’s Word and what He is promising—and they could see it and believe it—what confidence is given then? And these saints then surround and cheer you on, saying, “Look, look—how can you give up? Why would you ever?” We looked, believing, seizing upon, resting, trusting in this promise, seeking for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. We believed there was something more than a mere earthly Canaan. We trusted Him for more than this. We believed that it was laid up and would be brought to pass. The Messiah has come now—you see Him there, dying for you, rising from the dead, ascending to heaven. Oh, how secure is this promise today. They cheer you on. They cheer you on. What a tragedy that, having received more encouragement than they, we should be brought to be ashamed, not persevering. Oh, they did not falter. They kept going on—and so must you.

So that’s the encouragement around us, this great cloud of witnesses.

But they’re also pointed out here are the entanglements beneath us: “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” No, you see, there are challenges here. You are resisted. There is friction; there’s pushback. The apostle is not ignorant of it—men do not float into heaven. That’s not how it works. You don’t just glide along without resistance. And when we think of a cloud of witnesses whose lives cheer you on and encourage you, they’re not the only lives. There are other lives. There are other witnesses, other words—but they’re witnessing to something else. They’re testifying to something else. They’re saying, “Why? Why give your life to this? Why sacrifice what this life may promise for something unseen?” The path to glory is uphill all the way. Oh, make no mistake: it is uphill all the way. And you’ll never get that moment—like Steve Bradbury, where you can just glide across with a little effort and get gold at the finish line. It’s not gonna be that way. You’re gonna have to sweat, as it were, the entire way. And you must strip yourself for the race because there are things that hold you back, things that make it difficult—yeah, at times impossible—to cross the finish line.

So you’re given here a warning. And we’ll look at them in just a moment, but let me just underline this for you, as a professing Christian: you are called to a duty to mortify, to mortify the deeds of the body, to put to death whatever is hindering you, and to vivify that which is helpful and an aid.

There are those who will be baptized very soon, God willing. We often think of that language in Romans 6—that they are raised to walk in newness of life. Newness of life, walking in newness of life—but to walk in that newness of life requires the crucifying of the old, the putting to death, like an intentional putting to death of that which does not belong. And as I say, vivifying, encouraging, putting life into that which is good, giving ourselves to the means of grace, seeking the Lord.

Well, the Holy Spirit tells us here to “lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” So you have weight and sin—weight and sin. The word “weight” signifies something bulky or burdensome. And it may be taken in different ways as to exactly what the apostle is dealing with here, but we can think of it this way: there are things that hold you back, put simply. Things that hold you back make you slower, right? There’s some here who like to go rucking—so part of that, of course, is to put more weight. Those of you who are in the military—you don’t need to go rucking; you already do it. You have that as part of your training: you put a big, heavy weight on your back and you’re made to walk, march, sometimes jog with this weight on you. And it holds you back. When you take the weight off, you can feel like you can float. It’s almost like there’s this ease with which you can move when you take the weight off.

And what the apostle here is saying is that there are weights you need to be divested of—these are distractions. They are unhelpful. They may not be crimes, but they are encumbrances; they’re making it harder for you. You’re not running as swiftly as you might; you’re not pursuing as readily as you could. These things might be bound up in how you spend your leisure time, how you engage, or what relationships you give time to—all sorts of pastimes and comforts and various other things that may be legitimate or certainly not explicitly sinful, but they are holding you back.

Listen, young people—you have a long way to go, God sparing you. You have a long way to go, and you have this long race in front of you. I want you to see it in your mind’s eye—I want you to see: this isn’t even a marathon; this is beyond that. This isn’t something that you do well when you finish in under four hours. This is a multi-year effort. Multi-year. I don’t get to take a break from this. Every day I wake up, this race is there. I keep having to keep going on. It doesn’t stop. And you’re hoping to live a long life, but that hope, that desire, brings with it the very danger that somewhere along the way, you’ll give up.

So I want you to look at your life now, because it’s important, right? All the weight you carry now has a compounding effect on how you’re running the race. It’s affecting you not just in the present, but in the future. The entanglements now are governing and shaping how you will proceed in that race. You know this; some of you know. You’re aware enough of exercise and racing and competing. You understand it. Preparation—how crucial is preparation? How crucial that I have what I need to cross the line so you have the proper footwear. And again, even that is measured. You see people who get into cycling and they buy these expensive bikes. It’s amazing to me just how much effort they will go to shed a few grams off the weight of the bike. And sometimes you look at them and say, probably a whole lot easier—and certainly cheaper—if you just shed those few grams off yourself than off the bike. But it’s true: they spend thousands and thousands of dollars. I went to school with a guy who competed at All-Ireland in racing, and he was at a level where the brand giant would give him a custom frame. That was part of their marketing—they’d take the young people who were doing well and customize a frame just for him so he could compete in the All-Ireland Championship. And yet, everyone else was just competing with normal steel frames and maybe spending a couple of hundred dollars on things. And now you have amateurs who are spending $5,000 on a bike. They’re not competing in any way, but they’re spending all this money. You think of how diligent they are to shed that weight.

In the Christian life, this is no amateur race. It matters. And you need to shed the weight. You need to give up steel for aluminum, give up aluminum for carbon fiber—as it were—you need to be shedding the things that are holding you back, or you may not make it.

So what are these weights? If I was to ask you, are there weights in your life? Think: what does the Spirit put His finger on? Weights that are holding you back—they’re not sinful. You could come before me and say, “Pastor, there’s nothing wrong with X,” and I would say, “Sure, there’s nothing sinful about it.” But ask yourself, is it a weight? Is it holding you back? That’s the question you need to answer before God—not before me.

And so we are encouraged: the Spirit of God is speaking to you, saying, “Young man, young woman, older person, more mature believer, that weight”—putting His finger on it—“says, enough is enough.” And you might not feel its full encumbrance right now. You might think, “I can cope with this; this isn’t really holding me back.” But day by day, it’s just breaking you down and wearing you in a way that’s gonna hinder you from finishing well.

But they’re not only the weights—they’re the sins. And if the weights dull our edge, then the sins, certainly, are problematic. “The sin which doth so easily beset us.” Isn’t it interesting how He speaks in the singular? “The sin, the sin.” What does He have in mind? Well, I imagine, within context, that what He primarily has in mind is the sin of unbelief. That’s the temptation to these believers—the sin of unbelief. And I say unbelief, not just in terms of general unbelief, like denying the existence of God; it is unbelief pertaining to Jesus Christ. Is He really the Messiah? Is He really enough so I can give up all the ceremonies that God had appointed? There are sins. Maybe it is unbelief. Unbelief is never far away from all other sins. I mean, think about it. Think about it—why do you commit any sin? Think of any sin: a man commits adultery; lurking under the act is the sin of unbelief. He doesn’t really believe the consequences of his actions. He doesn’t really believe how awful what he is doing is before God. Unbelief lurks under every other sin. And so it applies. You may think of it in terms of the specific besetting sin in your life—the general application, though, or the contextual truth of it is that unbelief lurks under it all, and then it is expressed by you in various ways because you have besetting sins. We all do. Particular sins hold us back, prevent us from finishing the race.

Oh, believer, hear it—hear what the Spirit is saying today. Hear it and receive it readily. This is not me, this is God. God is putting His finger in your conscience. He is working; He is warning; He is chiseling away with weights and sin. And you say, “Pastor, what am I to do?” Mortify it. It’s what we said already: mortify it. The weight and the sin—you need to put them to death. Kill them, kill them dead, right? You don’t say to yourself, “I’m gonna let sleeping dogs lie. I think I’ve got victory over it; it’s there, it’s not really a problem—just let the sleeping dog lie.” No, it is gonna wake up and tear you apart. You need to kill it. How do you kill it? It depends on what it is. Are there practical steps you might take? Think about it—are there practical steps you might take in relation to these weights and sin? No doubt: if it’s always happening within a certain context, avoid the context, if at all possible. If you struggle with a certain sin that happens late at night when the will is weakened by the body’s weakening, you find yourself looking upon and giving yourself to things that are wrong—well, there are practical things you can do, one of which is just to go to sleep earlier. The weakening of your will is telling you you should be asleep anyway.

Weights and sin—they must be put to death. You’d reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin. It shouldn’t have power in your life; it shouldn’t be governing. Sin is not to have dominion over you. You still wrestle with it. You still fight it. It’s right here. If anyone thought that sin was dead and gone when you’re converted, look at it here. The apostle is addressing believers—professing believers. He is saying to them, “You need to lay these things aside.” There needs to be intentional Christian living that puts away sin; it doesn’t just happen. You don’t just cry out to God for mercy, and then there’s no battle against this whole environment or tendency to sin. You need to fight it. And you’re going to feel like Paul sometimes: “The good that I do, I do not; and the evil that I would not, that I do.” And you find this law in your members—when you would do good, evil’s present with you, and so on and so forth. And you just feel that constant tension. It’s a battle. And we are all battling. If you’re not battling, if you’re not fighting it, what does that say about you in the race? Are you really in the race? Are you taking a nap at the side under a tree in the shade there? You may not have entirely given up, but you’re not in the race. And if you’re not running, you’re not gonna finish. Confess it, forsake it, name it.

We live in a time where there are expressions of temptation—publicly known, that’s always been there—publicly known are tendencies to things that are contrary to nature. And the argument is, “It’s just the way I am. I’m same-sex attracted.” No, you’re same-sex tempted—the same way other people are tempted in other directions. That’s a temptation you have. How does one gain victory over it? How does a man who has a tendency within his nature “to be a perpetual fornicator and adulterer” marry and remain faithful? By killing every thought—the very thought. Like Job, who made a covenant with his eyes, saying, “I will not look upon a maid.” He puts it to death. Whatever the sin is, whatever the tendency, you need to be killing it; naming it before God, naming it and saying, “God, give me grace. Put this to death in my heart and life. Take it away. I abandon it. I give it all up. I want nothing to do with it. Change me. Let Christ be formed in me.” So while you’re running the race, you’re fighting, and you’re running the race with this sword in your hand. And there are demons and distractions that are running after you, trying to trip you up. And your tendency is to look that way and be distracted by them—to trip up and fall. You take one swipe at this and keep running. Kill it.

Thirdly, the Endurance Within Us.
“Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” I say again, the older saints are going to know a list of names of those who have not run with patience. The call here is not just to start the race, but to finish it. You must finish it. The Christian life demands patience. What does He mean by that? Patience means steadfast perseverance, unmoved constancy, long-suffering endurance. It is the grace to say, “I will not quit—ever. Quitting is off limits. It’s not on the table. It’s not part of the negotiation. I’m in this race, and there are no exit doors. I’m here. I’m gonna run.” To run with patience, know that this race that is set before you is not something passive—it is active. It is pressing forward through opposition, through fatigue, through sorrow. It is learning from those saints in the previous chapter and all their challenges. So when God calls you to wait—and in the disappointment you’re waiting—like Abraham, you keep on believing. You stagger not at the promise of God through unbelief; you’re strong in faith, giving glory to God, and you carry on like Moses.

And the world promises you everything. You say, “No, no, no, no. This isn’t part of the race. This is not what God has for me.” So this running with patience—the race that is set before us—is underscored by a few things. This endurance is faithfulness to Scripture. The race that is set before you is not self-chosen; it is set for you, sovereignly assigned by God’s Word. And so it’s based on truth. The race you’re running is one that is in accordance with Scripture. You’re enduring in a particular direction—constantly setting your feet in Scripture, one day after the next. You plod on, step after step, moving forward in obedience to the revealed will of God. What’s the next thing for me to do, preacher? Whatever God’s Word says for you to do—and you keep going forward. That’s the race. You’re not inventing it. You don’t have to be cute here; just keep doing what God’s Word says. You’re not self-choosing the course; it is sovereignly assigned, given by God’s Word. So obey it. Never turn aside. Keep obeying. Don’t invent your own path. Don’t make it easier. If you try to make God’s given path and mold it to be easier, you’re making a new path, and it will not lead to the same end. That’s what false religion is, isn’t it? False religion is making a different path. And people may endure that race and get to the end, but when they get to the end, all their sincerity will do them nothing—nothing. So, be faithful to Scripture, enduring in it, never deviating. This is noble—walking, plodding, staying the course even when it’s hard. Don’t change the route; don’t change the path. It is fueled by future joy, not only faithful to Scripture but fueled by the promise of future glory. And I don’t want to say too much here because it leads into where we will go next. But in the next verse, verse 2, it illustrates our Lord Jesus, who had the joy that was set before Him. So there’s something anticipated, something before us. Part of the encouragement to the Christian to endure is the recognition of future glory, of honor. There is a rest ahead, a reward ahead, a resurrection ahead—the believer looks to all of that: the final rest, the reward when our works do follow us, and the resurrection when this vile body will be transformed and made like unto His glorious body. We’re looking for these things. We anticipate them. Oh, it’s hard when you’re young. It’s hard when you’re younger—because you’re looking at your body, and it seems invincible. Then you get older, and things don’t quite work and function the way they once did. You begin to realize, oh, what a day that’ll be—made new, with no more of the weary afflictions of a fallen world. And how are you going to endure? How do you run with patience? Again, it’s not sheer effort; it’s not in the strength of the flesh—it’s not stoic determination. We’ve gone over this, so I don’t need to say too much more. And of course, it culminates in verse 2: “looking on to Jesus.” It’s the grace that sustains—Him bestowing grace, looking to Jesus, who is bestowing upon you the strength that’s needed. He’s giving out the fresh water along the path like those who run a race—grabbing onto bottles along the way without missing a step, reaching out and taking a swig to keep going on, keeping their electrolytes up and so on, so they can finish the race. And our Lord Jesus is that One. All the witnesses testify; they encourage us to go on. But they have nothing in their hand—nothing that they’re communicating on a daily basis. It is our Lord Jesus, our Lord Jesus, that we constantly look to because He supplies what is needed for every day. It’s all by grace.

Fourthly, the Expectation Before Us.
I need to be very quick on this. The race that is set before us has an expectation. I want you to understand two things really quickly here. First, that this race—set before you—is governed by sovereignty in every step. Yes, it is God’s Word you’re living in, but every step of your life, the path that you’re on, is guided by God. You’re not free to run in an open field; He is guiding and guarding every ascent and every valley—every favorable experience and every hardship. He is ordering your race. So there’s nothing wasted. Get that into your heart—there’s nothing wasted. Think of the most difficult thing you’ve come through; put yourself right back there, and I say, believer, it’s not wasted—not a tear, not a trial, not a triumph; it is all assigned by Him.

However severe, it is individualized for every person. Not just sovereignty in every step, but individuality for every person. It’s for you, right? Your race is your own. It doesn’t need to underline that you’re not called to run Peter’s race, or Paul’s race, or even your pastor’s race—you’re running your own race. So don’t look over and say, “I wish I was on that path.” No! You’re questioning the goodness and wisdom of God. You’re on the path He has set for you. Don’t grow discouraged looking at others, wondering, wishing. You’re not called to mimic their lives, but to follow Him, obey Him. And He’s called you; He’s tailored something specific for you, fitting you for usefulness in His kingdom. Don’t look over and say, “I wish I had that gift, then I could walk that path.” Don’t do that. You are where you are; you are what you are, and thank God for it. Just stay on the path. Be grateful. You may feel at times like the Jews in the wilderness—wandering around aimlessly—but you are not. He’s leading and guiding you. And again, He’s just as true. There may not be a pillar of cloud you can see or fire by night, but He is guiding every step of the way, every single day. He is guiding and guarding, and He’s going to finally—listen—He’s going to finally lead you to the Canaan above, most surely.

And Finally, the Emphasis Above Us.
I may have to come back to this, but let me just mention it because it really all hinges around the beginning of verse 2: “looking on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” This is the emphasis above us. This is the most important aspect: looking—not glancing, but fixing our gaze—on Christ. You’re in a race. You’re in a race, and these sprinters are told time and again, “Don’t look, don’t glance, not for a fraction of a second at either lane on either side. Have tunnel vision until you cross that line.” And that’s how you run the Christian race—tunnel vision. That vision is filled with the glory of the God-man, your Redeemer. He’s gone before you. He cheers you on; He calls you to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Oh, I need to close. I must—I will come back to this, I promise you, because there’s much encouragement in seeing Him in the way He is designated as the author and finisher of our faith, but I will not do it justice right now. Let us just keep this in mind, this final aspect, this fifth consideration: You’re looking on to Jesus, Christian. Listen, you will not finish the race if you take your eye off Him.

So what are you to do? Every day, as you are in this race—every day you’re hearing His fresh commands, every day you’re filling your heart with His promises—sometimes He will come to you and say, “There’s a weight there. Have done with it.” And you’ll say, “Thank you, Lord Jesus. You’re right. I need to get rid of that. It needs to go.” Then some days you’ll feel like giving up, and you’ll think that you’re too awful to ever be saved. You’ll think, “I might as well go and live in the world, for I am a useless Christian. What can I do for God? I’m a waste.” Negative thoughts will come, and you’ll think about giving up. But then you pick up your word—this Word, God’s Word—and He says something like, “I have chosen you. I have called you by name. You are mine.” And you melt in that fresh recognition. Yes, I may not value myself; I may feel like I’m the biggest waste of space to ever occupy a place in God’s kingdom, but He says, “I am His.” And you keep going on. Run the race, Christian. Wherever you are today, keep running in the race.

May God bless His Word.

Let’s bow together in prayer.

“Lord, we ask that Thou wilt forgive us for making allowance for weights and sins, and we pray for grace to put to death anything and everything that may cumber us so as might threaten us finishing well. May our objective be very clear in our minds that whatever we succeed at in life will be nothing if we do not finish this race. May it clarify and give us help in making decisions and ordering and arranging our lives. May we be prepared to lose much in order to stay in this race—like Moses, tempted with all the wealth of Egypt, but considering the reproach of Christ as greater riches. May we make such assessments and glorify Thee with our lives. Bless us then, for there may be something we must deal with this very afternoon, or something we are going to face tomorrow in our place of work that will require a fresh determination to do what is right. Give us strength to follow through. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of God our Father, and the fellowship of the Spirit be the portion of all the people of God, now and evermore. Amen.”