Hebrews #37: an exposition of Hebrews 12:12-17. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, January 11, 2015.
Intro:
I know this will surprise many of you but I’m not a runner. Running is not my thing. Never has been. Runners are a different breed. Distant runners? They’re just nuts! When I was in school I considered the 40-yard sprint a distance event. While in elementary school I remember playing Park in baseball. We played over off 49th W. Ave. There were several ball fields there. We were on the field furthest south. I was at the plate. I smack a shot to left field. It crossed the field to the north. I hit a ball that traveled the distance of 2 baseball fields. They threw me out at second base! Did I mention I’m not a runner? As I’ve read about running, I read about distance runners “hitting the wall.” Hitting the wall is that point, during a distance event, when the muscles begin to cramp, the runner struggles for breath, their feet are blistered, their bodies are numb and there is 5 miles left in the race. The runner’s body is screaming, “Stop!” Everything in them says you can’t go on. Yet they keep running. Pushing beyond the pain, willing their legs to move. They are not going to win – the goal is just to finish.
The Hebrew church had “hit the wall.” The struggle was too great. The pain too intense. They couldn’t go on but they had to go on. No one would blame them for quitting. It seemed logical. It was the sensible thing to do yet the writer of Hebrews continues to admonish – “Run!” Our text this morning is again found in the 12th chapter of Hebrews.
Text: Hebrews 12:12-17
The chapter opens with this image of the arena.
Because you have all these great examples – run.
Cheered on by the men and women of faith who’ve gone before – run.
Fix your eyes on Jesus and run.
The Christian life is not a sprint it is a distance event.
It is a marathon, a struggle, an agona.
Throughout, the writer’s emphasis is on finishing well.
Anyone can start the race – finishing the race is what matters.
The writer now returns to that theme.
In our text the writer gives us some specific instructions. If we are to finish well there are some things we must do and some things we must guard against.
As we work our way through the text we discover that…
Thesis: Finishing well demands unity, determination and vigilance.
There are three things I want to point out along the way.
- Finishing well demands we strive together toward the goal. (12:12-13)
- Finishing well demands a determined pursuit of peace and holiness. (12:14)
- Finishing well demands constant vigilance against personal sin, corporate unrest and gross immorality. (12:15-17)
Conclusion:
The word to that struggling, first century church and to us is that we are called to finish well. Finishing well demands unity, determination and vigilance. We have a responsibility individually and corporately to strive toward the goal of peace and holiness; while guarding against personal sin, corporate unrest and gross immorality.