The Race Marked Out for Us

The Starting Line

'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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.'

- Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV

The Race

'And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? '

- Hebrews 12:5-7 NIV

'No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. '

- Hebrews 12:11-13 NIV

The Finish Line

'You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” ‘

- Hebrews 12:18-21 NIV

'But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. ‘

- Hebrews 12:22-24 NIV

Fully Known Yet Fully Loved

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“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

- Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

It's also man's innate longing to be fully accepted and fully loved. But real love can only be experienced when you are fully known.

“Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives…’”

- Ephesians 4:8 ESV

3 L’s That We Need to Apply in Order to Live Victoriously

1. Let Go

“…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…”

- Hebrews 12:1 ESV

2. Look to Jesus

“…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…”

- Hebrews 12:2 ESV

“…by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

- Ephesians 1:6 NKJV

3. Look Ahead

“…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

- Hebrews 12:2 ESV

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar…”

- Hebrews 11:13 ESV

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

- Colossians 3:2 ESV

Faith Moves

Faith was made to move.

'By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.' 

- Hebrews 11:8-10,17-19 ESV

How does faith move?

Faith responds.

'Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went... ' 

- Genesis 12:1-4 ESV

Faith releases.

Faith reckons.

'He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. ' 

- Hebrews 11:19 ESV

Faith remains.

Faith receives.

'These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar…. ' 

- Hebrews 11:13a ESV

Substance

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

- Hebrews 11:1-7 ESV

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

- Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

Know Him.

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain

- Hebrews 11:4 NKJV

Walk with Him.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

- Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

Act on what He says.

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark…”

- Hebrews 11:7 NKJV

A Faith that Pleases God

'Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. '

- Hebrews 11:1-6 ESV

'...Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated…'

- Hebrews 11:35b-37 ESV

Faith that pleases God focuses on God.

Don’t see God’s goodness through your circumstances. See your circumstances through the goodness of God.

Forgiven. Flawed. Formed.

'And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” '

- Hebrews 10:11-17 ESV

We are completely forgiven.

We’re still flawed.

'For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. '

- Romans 7:18-20 ESV

We’re being formed into the image of Christ.

'For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.’

- Hebrews 10:14 ESV

“I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds.”

- Hebrews 10:16 ESV

We can partner with the Holy Spirit to become more like Christ.

'For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.'

- Romans 8:3-4,13 ESV

Recognize

Renounce

Return to God

Curtain Call

11 So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. 13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

- Hebrews 9:11-15 NLT

The Barrier

8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing

- Hebrews 9:8 ESV

The Breakthrough

12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

- Hebrews 9:12 ESV

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

- Matthew 27:50-51 ESV

The Belief 

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

- Hebrews 10:19-22 ESV

Patterns that Point

'They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”

- Hebrews 8:5 ESV

A pattern was established.

“For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper…”

- ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV

God desired to dwell among us.

'And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.’

- Exodus 25:8 ESV

God’s holiness must remain separate from sin.

Sacrifices taught that sin had a cost.

The sacrifices were insufficient.

God had a plan.

'For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah…” 

- Hebrews 8:8 ESV

God’s purpose was fulfilled.

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

- ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV

Jesus came to dwell among us.

'And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. '

- John 1:14a ESV

He remained holy and unstained by sin.

Jesus paid the full price for our sin.

His sacrifice was sufficient.

The path is open. 

'And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.’

- Matthew 27:50-51 ESV

Beyond Religion

Religion is the work of man. The Gospel is the work of God.

"Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands."

- Hebrews 8:1-2

Jesus, our High Priest, is still at work.

"There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle..."

- Hebrews 8:2

The first covenant was our teacher.

"If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it."

- Hebrews 8:7

Everything leads to the New Covenant, but only the mature embrace it.

"But this is the new covenant I will make with the people... I will put my laws in their minds... I will write them on their hearts... I will be their God... I will forgive their wickedness... I will never again remember their sins."

- Hebrews 8:10-12

"When God speaks of a 'new' covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear."

- Hebrews 8:13

The Mystery of Melchizedek

'This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.'

- Hebrews 7:1-3 NIV

Who is Melchizedek?

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

- Genesis 14:18-20 NIV

The mystery of Melchizedek teaches us about the ministry of Jesus Christ.

'Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. '

- Hebrews 7:23-27 NIV

The mystery of Melchizedek reveals who we are in Christ.

…the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”

- Hebrews 7:2b

'We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.'

- Hebrews 6:19-20 NIV