Let's begin reading first of all, sorry, chapter 1139 down to Hebrews 12. And these all, chapter 1139, and these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise. We spoke about faith in the Sunday school hour, but listen to the words carefully. Having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise. God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Wherefore, wherefore, because what he just said, specifically what he just said in the last two verses, Wherefore, seeing we also are encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 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. For consider Him, who, Christ, who you're looking to. Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your mind." One object in this text we are to look to. One object. Not the faith of Abraham, not the faith of Isaac, not the faith of Moses. One object. Christ. We are to run this race. Amen, let's pray. Heavenly Father, how we do ask you, Lord, that you'd bless us this morning with the preaching of thy word. Help us, dear God, because we do live in perilous times. And Lord, we have need of thy truth to guide us and direct us. Lord, help us, Lord, as your children. in this race that is set before us by God. Help us, Lord God, to run it, not only with patience, but Lord, help us to learn what it is to lay aside every weight and every sin which does so easily beset us. And while we do that, Lord, I pray that we do it while we're consistently looking unto Jesus, who is the author and finish of our faith, considering him lest we grow faint and weary in our minds. Lord, guide us and direct us, we pray, in all truth. We love you and thank you for all things. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. God having provided, verse 40 of chapter 11, some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. You know, I'm really glad, especially when I studied more further this text, that these two verses end in chapter 11. Because without these two verses, Paul's exhortation unto all true believers to run with patience the race set before them would seem all but impossible and most intimidating. There's a lot of feats of faith in Hebrews 11. Without these last two verses, if Paul just immediately jumped into running the race, I'd have a hard time trying to run the race with people like Abraham and Moses and David. For who wouldn't be intimidated, even greatly humbled, with such a great cloud of witnesses that encircle us, whose faith works so powerfully and affectionately in their lives? I would be greatly intimidated and am greatly intimidated. Yet Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, would remind us that though their faith worked mightily in them, yet it wasn't because of anything in or of themselves, but of God. And though they obtained a good report and though their feats of faith might have been great, yet they had not received the promise. There is comfort in these last two verses in comparison to all that row of faithful followers of God and the patriarchs. There's comfort in that because God is basically simply saying it's not about them. Anybody who makes their faith about them is not followers of God. It's not about them. It's about God. And I'm glad that at the end of all that humongous list of wonderful patriarchs whose faith was great and they did great works, I'm glad at the end of that God said, but don't be caught up with what they did because it's what I'm doing you need to be looking to. And I'm glad for that. I'm glad that we have the words that said they received not the promise. because God has provided some better thing for us. To me that's greatly comforting in the light of so many patriarchs. How could I ever compare myself with Abraham or Isaac or Moses? How would we all fare in comparison to such great patriarchs? I believe most of us would feel so intimidated we wouldn't feel like running a race against such witnesses, would you? So God, after explaining what faith can do, His faith, Jesus, who's the author and finisher of that faith, after explaining all these great feats of faith, God says to comfort us in this race and encourage us in the race, don't be intimidated by these men because this had nothing to do with them, but everything to do with Me. You see, we live in a day and age where many men make their faith about themselves. And that is just totally, totally wrong. We don't do that. It's about God. It's about God. He must be first and foremost. And that's why I really am comforted by God saying, I've provided something better, something better for you, that they without us, now that would encourage me to this race. You see how Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, would encourage us before he tells us to run with patience this race before us? Listen, God has prepared something better for you. I'm glad that's there. Something better for me. You know, we have a problem as Christians so often comparing ourselves with others. Well, not to do that. We should be inspired by others and motivated by the faith of others, but we shouldn't look to them, but to Christ. And when we look to them in their faith, we should honor and glory God for their faith, not for them. Big difference. Paul wanted to make that clear before he encourages us to run the race, because I believe nobody would have run a race with that cloud of witnesses. You'd be discouraged before you even started on the starting line. Before the starter gun even went off, you'd say, I'm not running that race. But thank God in his mercy and grace, he says, I've prepared better things. What better thing could there be from what they did? You know what that better thing is? Christ. And even though they had great feats of faith, it said they had a good report, and that's good, but they didn't receive the promise. God having provided some better thing for us. Thank God for that encouraging word after such a wonderful list of faithful patriarchs. To inspire us, yes. To encourage us, yes. But not to look to them. I love how he ends up by bringing it back to God. Yes, Abraham did this. Yes, Isaac did this. Yes, Noah did that. Yet Moses did that. But I'm telling you, all their great feats of faith, and they were great, and they were marvelous and wonderful. It was still, it was still, it was still God. They didn't receive the promise. because God has provided something. Only God could surmount that. God's provided something better. Because all feats of faith, listen to me, all feats of faith, though they be wrought in and through us, like in the patriarchs, it is all because of Christ, not ourselves. It's all because of Christ. We heard that in Sunday school. We live in a world today where people make their faith about themselves. Hogwash. It's not about them. It's about God. It's not about the patriarchs. Be inspired by them. But God has provided something better. It's all about Christ, who alone is the author and finisher of our faith. To Him and to Him alone, Paul says we must look. You know, our brother Greg mentioned it before, like the transfiguration of Christ on the mount. Moses and Elijah shows up. Peter, James, and John is there. Moses and Elijah, two of the most important patriarchs of the Old Testament. Again, I don't know how Peter, James, and John knew who they were. There were no photographs. But they knew it was Moses and Elijah. Maybe the Holy Spirit told them. I don't know. It doesn't matter. They knew it was Moses and Elijah. Yet Peter sought to build three tabernacles. Moses and Elijah, by doing that, he was placing Moses and Elijah equal to Christ. That's what he meant. He didn't say, let's build Christ a bigger one. He said, let's make three. That displeased God. God said, no. Moses and Elijah might be great men of faith, but they're not my son. Christ said in the latter days, many shall come professing to be Christ, or to know Christ, or say Christ here and there. He said, you be careful. You don't do that. A bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice cried out from out of the cloud, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him. When I preach, I don't want you to hear me. I want you to hear Him. Are you following me? Paul said, I didn't come with you in wisdom of men's words that your faith might be stand in the strength of men, but I came into the power and demonstration of the Spirit that your faith might be in God and Christ. God says, no, Peter, you don't put any man equal with Christ, not my son. Regardless of how great their faith was, no man is equal to my son. And immediately they fell down and were so afraid. And only after Christ spoke to them, and this is what I like, the sermon of itself, they stayed on the ground until Christ said, arise, be not afraid. And when they lifted up their eyes, like our brother said, three wonderful words, they saw no man. That's the goal of every preacher. That when they're finished, they saw no man, but they saw Christ. They saw Christ. They saw no man save Jesus only. Though this great cloud of witnesses encircles us, let us only look unto Jesus. Be careful, beloved, look only unto Jesus. Not under your brother's faith, not under my faith, look only unto Jesus. For he it is that is the author and finisher of our faith, and he alone. Look solely unto Jesus. Now, Hebrews 12, verse 1. Wherefore, seeing we are also 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. The runners in this divinely appointed race set before them, and being inspired by this great cloud of witnesses, is exhorted, first and foremost, to lay aside two distinct things that easily beset them. And he says that before they can run this race with patience. Before you try to run this race in patience, there's two things you need to realize that a runner has to do. First, he says, and we looked at this last week, he said, there must be a laying aside of every weight. Anything that hinders you, bothers you, entangles you, weighs you down. And we looked at only one last week, and that was the cares of this world. If those things weigh you down, he says, lay it aside. You take it off and you lay it aside. It's amazing the wording of scripture by the Holy Spirit. It says, lay it aside. You've got to take it off and lay it aside. Get rid of it. And secondly, and that's what we'll look at this morning for a few moments as well, there must be also a laying aside of the sin which so easily besets us. He says these things must be done if we're to run with patience the race that is set before us. Why? Well, because these things hinder or entangle us in a race and our running in this race cannot be entangled by these things, our running, and our patience, because he said run with patience, and our patience cannot be disturbed by them. In other words, for both the runners, heart and mind must be fully fixed and focused on the race before him. A runner can't have his mind occupied with anything else except the race. Have you ever seen a runner or even somebody who's fixing to start in a sport, boxing or whatever it might be? I don't do a lot of watching of sports anymore, but they prep themselves. They get themselves in the right state of mind. Even coaches will tell you that, get in the right state of mind. They try to hype them up and why? Keep your mind focused on the game. So our running can't be entangled by these things, nor can our patience be disturbed. A runner has to have his heart and mind fully on the race. So Paul says, get rid of those things. And he says, the sin which doth so easily beset us. Now, if you notice in our text, Paul says, and read it with me, he said the latter part, and the sin which doth so easily beset us. He doesn't say sins. With the weights, he said plural weights, every weight, so more than one. But here he says the sin. Now there's a mixed opinion about what sin he's talking about. Some say it's the sins of the flesh, some say it's the sin of this or that or whatever. But it seems as though Paul's referring to that particular sin. Follow me. That particular sin that continually and so easily besets us in running. In other words, that particular sin that the runner himself is very much acquainted of that's hindering him. And I think by saying that, Paul's saying this isn't a particular sin that generally fits everyone, but every runner knows there's a sin in his life that is particularly hindering him. So I believe Paul's kind of basically by saying the sin, he's basically saying each runner consider what sin that is. And I believe each runner can also basically come down to the point to say, you know, I'm almost sure what that sin is. It's a particular sin. Look at Lamentations chapter 1. Let me show you an Old Testament passage here. Lamentations chapter 1. in verse 14. Here's what he says, "...the yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand. They are wreathed and come upon my neck." Something's weighing him down, his transgressions. "...he hath made my strength to fall The Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up." In other words, he's saying there's a particular sin or transgressions that are weighing me down. It's keeping me down, causing me to fall. Paul says, the sin that thus so easily beset us. The rich young ruler, you remember when he came to Christ? What must I do to inherit eternal life? The Lord could have given him a whole list of things, but the Lord said this. He said, you lack one thing. Now, I'm sure there was a multitude of things he lacked, but there was only one thing keeping him. Isn't that amazing how the Lord defines, there's one thing. It's amazing how one sin can cause so much trouble. One sin, one particular sin can hinder us in that race. And you and I know what that sin is. Paul says, lay it aside because it's so easily besetting you. In fact, you're not giving it any opposition at all. You're letting it do it. He said, easily. One sin. One thing. You know, when David committed sin against Bathsheba, he cried this in Psalm 32. And listen to me. I acknowledged my sin. Let me tell you something. David did more than one sin. He lied. He murdered somebody. And the list goes on. I think there's four distinct things he did. He did more than one sin, but David acknowledges only one sin. Why is that? I'm getting ahead of myself, but it's often by the mortifying of one sin, the laying aside of one sin, that a number of other sins are also cut off. You following me? It's almost like you cut the head of the snake off and the body dies. So I believe what Paul is saying here by not specifically saying many sins, that would be probably overwhelming because we'd sit there and be counting them all going, there's no way I've got time in this lifetime to get rid of all these things. Paul said, no, there's a particular sin in your life and it could also be a sin that leads to other sins. You cut that one off and you'll stop doing the other ones. Did you ever look at sin like that? If we stop sinning in one, it might have a domino effect on other acts of sins we're doing. Well, if I stop doing that, then it just leads to, I'll stop doing that, stop doing that, stop doing that. So Paul says, and the sin, and the sin, which so easily besets us. We know what that is. We don't have to ask other people. We don't have to spend a long time asking the Lord. We know what it is. Paul says, lay it aside. Get rid of it. And in doing so, you might be getting rid of other sins that will hinder you in the race. You see, the race is not to the swift like we heard last week in Ecclesiastes 9. It's not to the swift. but the patient. Run with patience. You know, countless people have desired to run this divinely appointed race, yet because they refuse to lay aside, to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets them, they begin to grow weary and faint in running because it's hard. Do you ever hear people say this? But brother, I'm really trying the best I can, but it just seems like I'm not getting anywhere. It just seems like my Christian life is just a standstill. It's not going nowhere. Do you know throughout scriptures, the scriptures declare the Christian life is a consistent walking. Like I said, if you look at a concordance, you're going to find at least 15, 20, maybe more verses that refer to the Christian life as walking. Walk worthy of your vocation. Walk this, walk that. Walk in patience. Walk a consistent walk. You've got to keep moving in the Christian life. A race, a runner cannot stop in the race. Do you know that? He's got to keep his pace up. So it's run with patience. And a lot of people profess to be running this race, yet they grow weary and faint and then they merely leave off the race. Because they're tired of it. Maybe because they never started the race in the first place because they were never saved. Not being critical or judgmental, I'm simply saying Salvation is not merely an expression. It's a change of life. It's a change of life. No evidence, no change. And we've met people that made loud professions, strong professions. I have. And I thought, man, they're running this race wildly good, only later on to fall away. You say, how could they fall away? If you listen to Sunday school about this divine gift of faith, that could never happen. We believe in the perseverance of the saints, right? Do we not? And because of the preservation of God, we believe in that doctrine. Then why or how could they fall away? Completely fall away. Never to come back. Had nothing to do with what they professed. It's their life. Your life must bear witness to your profession of faith. That's what James is saying. Wake up, James says. You say you have faith. That's good. You want to see mine? Watch me. That's what faith is. Salvation has a radical, a radical effect upon a sinner. Not a casual, a radical effect upon a sinner. It translates him from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. There's a change that takes place. Progressively, yes, I agree with that, but there is a change that takes place. They leave off the race because the weights that they carry and the sin that so easily besets them, they don't lay aside because they can't. Why? Well, as we'll see in a few minutes, Rundle can only do that as he looks unto Jesus. It's not in his own strength. Isn't it amazing and a blessing at the same time when he talks about laying aside the sin that so easily besets us? He says that also in the context of looking unto Jesus because we can't do that without Jesus. We can't do nothing without Christ. We can't lay down the weights. We can't lay down the sin that easily besets us. We can't run with patience the race. Why? Because we can't see Jesus. You can't see Jesus, you can't run the race. You don't see Jesus, you probably don't know Jesus. Why do we make it so complicated? Those who see Jesus will lay down the weights and they will lay down those sins that easily besets them. Why? Because they're looking unto Jesus. He will perfect that which concerneth me. He performeth all things for me. It is God that worketh in you. Why don't we believe those verses? Don't make compromise of those verses. Don't kind of push them away. Those are biblical facts. If you're in Christ, you're a new creature. So they get rid of those weights, they get rid of those sins that easily beset them. Over in Jeremiah chapter 12, I love this old verse. Jeremiah 12, verse 5, listen to what the prophet says here. It's a good sermon in this text too. If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? What's he saying? Well if you can't run with footmen, how are you going to run against horses? In other words, you profess to be running, but you can't even run with footmen. You can't run the race that's set before you? And if in the land of peace wherein thou trustest they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? In other words, if you don't have the fervency, if you don't have the desire, if you don't have the strength and the vigor to run against the footmen, what are you going to do against horses and the flooding of Jordan? In other words, when afflictions come, what are you going to do? And we'll see that in a few minutes, hopefully, by God's grace, that this race also has its oppositions. Because we're to consider Christ, who endured the sufferings of, endured, you have to endure in this race. If you can't run with footmen, how can you run with horses? Or how shall you do in the swelling of Jordan? You see, we make this too often about ourselves. It's not about ourselves. Like I said, it's God that worketh in you. Sunday school, it's the faith that God's given us, that gift of faith. All of these efforts, the laying aside of all the weights and the sin that does easily beset us, even our running with patience, the race that is set before us, it'll all be in vain like I just said. We're not going to be able to do that if we're not looking steadfastly unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith back in Hebrews chapter 12. You see, all that would be in vain. And hypocrites can do that. Oh, they can say, okay, I'm laying aside the weight. Oh, I'm getting rid of this sin outwardly. They can conform outwardly to a degree. You know how religiously good the flesh can get without grace? Do you know that? They didn't know Judas was in their midst for three years. Still didn't even know. When the Lord even said, that's him. Until later on. Judas, 1 and 12. One old preacher said, that means there's one in 12 professing Christians that are in Judas. They look real good. Deceive people, but not God. So that can happen. So he says, you can't do any of these things successfully if you're not looking steadfastly into Jesus, because he's the author and finisher of our faith. So he says in verse 2, looking. It's a comma there in verse one, did you notice that? Let us run the race before us, comma, looking. See, so you're running the race with patience, and while you're doing that, you're looking unto Jesus. You know what looking is? It's consider attentively. That's not just if I look at Brother Stuart and go, okay, and I'm done. No, it's like a beard. Jealous of the beard. But it's considering attentively. It's not a mere gaze or a glance. It's a serious, careful, humble looking unto Jesus. Not a mere observing of his person, but as the author and finisher of our faith. It's like that song, when I survey, surveying something means looking at every little detail. So when it's talking about looking unto Jesus, we're looking unto everything Jesus is. But in this aspect, specifically looking to him as the author and finisher of our faith. The completer. He who completes or perfects. That's what that means, finisher. He who completes or perfects our faith. You know, there's been doctrine going around a while that we have something to do with perfecting our faith. That's nonsense. The Lord answered that question when Peter said, increase our faith. The Lord said, Peter, if you had faith of mustard seed, you can move a mountain. You see, if we don't have the eyes of faith to look unto Jesus, All your efforts of laying weights aside, laying sin that easily besets you, attempts to run the race in patience is going to fail. You're going to get discouraged, disgruntled, unhappy, discontent, and you're going to quit. Because it's all about the runner looking unto Jesus. It's not about the runner. It's not about the runner. It's not about the great patriarchs. It's not about another man's faith. It's all about Christ. If you cannot look unto Jesus and see him as the author and finisher of your faith, you'll never run the race. But if you do, you will run the race with patience. It is the person and work of this author and finisher of our faith we must look unto. Why? And here, verse 2, again, Paul goes into depths. Who? Now listen to this. Look into Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Who? For the joy that was set before Him. Now what's set before us? The race. What was set before Christ? The joy. So if Christ is the author and finisher, and I'm looking unto Him, He's already, He's already seen what's set before us. Watch what he says, "...who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Isn't that amazing? He's saying that in this race you're going to have a cross to bear, shame. But by looking into Jesus, you're going to follow His example that He saw set before Him the joy. Therefore, He could endure the cross and He could despise the shame. So you see, again, it's all about Christ. Nothing about you and I. It's all about Christ. We look unto Jesus because He is the author and finisher of our faith. That as of Himself and for us in our place, listen to me, in our place, He secured the finishing of a race which is set before us. If He's the beginner of it and the finisher and completion of it, He's already run the race. Do you know that? Christ has already run the race. He's run it for us. You say, well, then what's the sense of me running it? Oh, that's the Christian life. We follow Christ. We follow Him all the way to glory. You see, everything that you and I are going through as Christians, I know it's hard to understand. Christ went through all of it. He said, well, he never had the temptations, afflictions I got. Yes, he did. And more. He knows the course. He's run it. You know that? And he's at the finish line. He's sitting at the right hand of the throne of God. He's at the finish line. So you not only have the witnesses, the cloud of great witnesses, you have Christ at the finish line. You remember the father, the prodigal son? The servants didn't have to come and say, hey, the prodigal that left, he's at the door. The father says, oh, let me go get it. No, the prodigal didn't get halfway up the hill. Why? Before the father seen him coming. The father knew he was coming. He knew he'd be back. He knew it. He'd hoped it. The Bible says here he's sitting at the right hand of the throne of God. Do you know one time in the scripture when he's standing? Book of Acts. Stephen was preaching away, preaching Christ. They got mad. They ran at him, started chewing on him with their teeth, gnashing on him with their teeth. Morbid, isn't it? That's before they stoned him. Why they were doing that, it said, he looked up into heaven and saw Jesus standing. Now, standing normally is a sign of reverence, respect. When a king comes in, The judge comes into the court, all stand, sign of respect for the office. When Jesus stands in heaven, when He gets up from His throne, from heaven, it is to welcome a persecuted, enduring saint of God into the presence of God. He stands. Isn't that amazing? I know some might disagree with this, but that's okay. I believe every time a saint of God enters into heaven and has finished his course, Christ stands to welcome and greet him, not out of reverence, but out of love and grace and compassion. You know why? They finished their course. I would really like to believe when William was carried away in heaven, first thing he seen was Christ and Christ stood and welcomed that old Saint of God into heaven because he'd finished his course. That's what I want to see when I go home. I want to see Christ waiting for me at the finish line, weary, tired, and worn. from this race which cost us so much that we finished only because of Christ. Christ stands and welcomes us home. Beloved, I know some of you are suffering a lot of trials and afflictions. The race that you're running is heavy. Some of you are suffering under great illness. persecution and affliction. Christ has not forgotten that. I encourage you to look unto Jesus. Don't look unto anybody else. Oh, Lord, don't look unto anybody else. Look unto Christ, because he will give you the strength to finish the race. By following His example of the joy set before us, we too will be able to endure the cross we are called on to carry. And some of you have a very heavy cross. God ain't gonna let you carry it alone. You know what happened to Christ on His way up to Calvary? His cross got too heavy to bear. You know what they did? They grabbed somebody out of the crowd and said, you carry it the rest of the way. You think that was just for nothing? When our cross becomes too heavy, it won't be another man. It'll be Christ who will help you bear that cross and endure the shame by showing you the joy that awaits you. You see, there's something about the runner seeing the joy that awaits him. He's somehow ignorant or doesn't even sense the weariness of his muscles and his running. He sees only one thing. There's the joy before me. He doesn't even know his muscles are tight and weary. You know, one thing they say a runner must do when he finishes the race is don't lay down. Your muscles will stiffen up. But you know what, in this race, laying down is going to be the first thing we do. And like that old hymn says, all sorrow shall erase one look at his dear face. Man, that's the joy that's set before us. He saw joy. Our joy is Christ. You see, so you can make the race. And I encourage you, continue in the race. Keep going in the race. It will be worth it all when you see Jesus. Look unto Him. Look unto Him. Let me close with this. Verse three, for consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners against himself. Watch this, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. Consider Christ. Otherwise, you'll get weary and faint. He ran the race. He finished the course. And He's waiting at the goal line. Look unto Him. He's the author and finisher of your faith. If you will listen to Sunday School and this service and combine them together, I hope and pray you'll find the encouragement and hope and strength you need to keep in the race. Don't let anybody distract you. Don't let the weights wear you down. Don't let those sins that easily beset you entangle you. Run it with patience, always looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. And you shall, you shall one day cross that goal. You'll cross that finish line. And you'll see Jesus, amen, as he is. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, how I pray that you would help us to take these messages you've given us this morning in Sunday school and this hour. Lord, and help us to look solely to you. Let us not get distracted by the things that try to entangle us in this world. Help us, Lord God, we pray, to lay aside those weights and those sins that so easily beset us. Let us run with patience this race that is set before us, that you have run before us. And while we're running, let us ever look unto you, believing, believing and hoping because you're the author and the finisher, the completer. the full ending of our faith. And Lord, we'll give you the praise, the honor, and glory. Comfort us now, we pray. Go with us. We ask that, Lord, you'd be honored and glorified in all we say and do. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.