Today's scripture reading takes us to Hebrews 12. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let 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. Consider him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons. My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives. Endure suffering as discipline. God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more submit to the Father of our spirits and live? Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your limp hands and weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many. See to it that no one is sexually immoral or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He could find no ground for repentance, though he sought the blessing with tears. For 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 a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken. For they could not bear what was commanded. If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned. The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, I am trembling with fear. Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn enrolled 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. See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, How much less will we escape if we reject him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven as well. The words once more signify the removal of what can be shaken, that is, created things, so that the unshakable may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude. And so worship God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. And this is God's Word. The point of yesterday's Hall of Faith chapter, Hebrews 11, was not to exalt believers of the past. It was to encourage us to keep following God just as they did, even when following God is painful, difficult, and costly. Verse 1 here in Hebrews 12 draws the experience of the believers in chapter 11 to our life when it says, 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. But just so we don't get our attention diverted from one of these great believers or to anyone else, the author of Hebrews wrote, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. That's verses 2 and 3 here in Hebrews chapter 12. When we focus on the cost of discipleship to us or to others, it is easy to get discouraged. When we focus on Jesus and all that he endured and accomplished for us, it gives us strength to keep going. No one else on earth will ever suffer as much for Christ as Christ himself suffered for us. And no matter how much you have suffered in this life, the author of Hebrews reminds us that in your struggles against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood, as we saw in verse 4. The rest of this chapter encourage us to remember that many of our trials in this life are God's work of discipline, that's verses 5-13. To fight sin with our lives so that we will become holy like God is, that's verses 11-17. And to remember that our experience of God is not fearful like it was for the ancient Jews leaving Egypt, as we saw in verses 18-21. but joyful because of all that God has done for us in Christ. We saw that in verses 22 through 24. Given all that God has done for us already, and all that he promises for us in his future kingdom, we should listen to God's word, as we saw in verses 25 through 27, and be thankful, worshiping God with awe, as we saw in verse 28. I don't know what struggles you are facing in the circumstances of your life today, but don't quit on God. Turn to Jesus and consider him for the strength you need to keep trusting and obeying the Lord. And I'll see you next time.