Givin’ Them a Show! Part 2

Back to Heb 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Last time we talked about the “Great Cloud of Witnesses”. We discovered that it’s not a bunch a people sitting on cartoon clouds strumming harps but Saints like Moses, Abraham, & many more jam packed into the heavenly bleachers watching & cheering us on. That’s where the title “Givin’ Them a Show!” came in. But now comes the question “What is that show?” Did you watch the summer Olympics? Did you see Jamaica’s Usain Bolt? Many in the world tuned in to see him run. That dude is insane; he is crazy fast. He put on a show and the whole world was watching. I loved it. He was so far ahead of the others that he actually cruised into the finish line. I know everyone watched Michael Phelps, but if you didn’t see Usain run, then try to find it on YouTube. A dude that tall should not have been able to run that fast. The Olympics are long since done but our show continues. Here’s what the show is: Heb 12:1 says we’re in a race; that’s the race of life. Look at what Paul said in 2nd Tim 4:7, “I have finished the race”. What a show Paul put on for those in the nose bleed section. Paul wrote that @ the end of his life, his race was completed. The peeps who are watching in the stands, they finished their races. It’s crazy for me to think that Paul, PAUL, is now watching me run the race of life. Not only is he watching but he’s cheering me on. I’m not getting into Saint Worship here; I’m just saying there are some very powerful people in Heaven watching us do this Life Race.
Heb 12:1-2 gives us 3 keys to running/winning this Life Race properly. Yeah I know; I didn’t include verse 2 till now. Here they are together and I will underline the 3 keys. “Heb 3:1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The 1st key: “throw off”. This first part really has 2 elements, but we tend to focus in on just one of them. We always focus in on the “sin that so easily entangles” but that’s second to throwing off “everything that hinders us”. Some may argue that sin hinders us but look at the script again. “Let us throw off everything that hinders AND the sin that so easily entangles” [emphasis mine]. Looks to me like they are separated. It looks like sin is not the only thing that hinders us. Look at what Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14 (another sport/race reference) “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” I have heard more then a few pastors talk about this subject but it could always be restated. Your past church/life experiences (good or bad) are just that, in the past. Let them go, or like what Heb 12:1 says “throw off” those things. I had some great past church experiences, but they are in the past. I want to press forward toward the goal that God has set for me.

The 2nd key: “Run”, but that’s not alone. It’s really to “run with perseverance the race . . .” The word “perseverance” really caught my attention. Look at how the Amplified put this: “Let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us.” Roller coasters are cool at amusement parks but a roller coaster Christian life style is not so amusing. Something else in the 2nd key caught my attention as well. It’s the fact that the race is marked out for us. We are not running aimlessly and we all have our own race. Usain didn’t win his gold medals on the marathon path or the bike course, but on the track made for the sprint races. Eph 2:10 tells us that God has prepared for us to do good works. In other words, he has prepared a race path marked out for us.

The 3rd key: “Fix” This is so key, no pun intended. While watching the track & field portion of the Olympics, I remember hearing the commentator state how important it was for the runner to keep looking forward. If they looked around then they would slow down. Theologians disagree on who wrote Hebrews. The popular choice is Paul, but I wonder if Peter had some input on verse 2. Remember Peter walked on water; he didn’t start to sink until he took his focus off of Jesus. Look @ Matt 14:29-30 “Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" If you only read the NIV then you would wonder how Peter saw the wind. The Amplified translation states this better by saying “but when he perceived and felt the strong wind”. Now in the water walking story it never says that Peter had his physical eyes on or off of Jesus. Jesus just asked Peter why he doubted. Likewise in Heb 12:1& 2, you can’t really just fix your physical eyes on Jesus, but you can fix your faith on Him. One of my favorite phrases in the Bible is said here in Heb 12:2 “2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith”.
Throw, run, and fix. Sounds like an Olympic event. Sounds like an event I want to win the gold in.

Stay Blessed y’all, it’s your choice.