More effective and worthwhile christian life

Bible Focus

The Race

( 5 ) Do n’t Give Up

Israelitess 11:29-12:2

Today we complete of series on Bible Focus titles The Race. Paul uses the analogy of a race to assist us populate a more effectual and worthwhile Christian life. We have adapted the image and used auto racing as the agencies of acquiring the image and populating the life.

Now we come to Hebrews 11:29, which has something cardinal to state to us in the The Race that life is.

“By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land ; but the Egyptians, when they attempted to make the same, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.”

So it goes on down to versify 38: “And all these, though good attested by their religion, did non have what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should non be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of informants, allow us besides lay aside every weight, and wickedness which clings so closely, and allow us run with doggedness the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the innovator and perfecter of our fait, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, contemning the shame, and is seated at the right manus of the throne of God.”

Remember the narrative about the tramp who by chance fell off a 200 pes drop and found himself suspended over the chasm by a subdivision. Unable to creep up and his strength easy attenuation, the tramp called out, “Help, is there anybody up at that place? ” “I AM, ” is the voice that came back. “Who are you? ” cried the tramp. “God, ” came back the answer. “Can you assist me? ” cried the tramp? “Yes” replied the voice. “Let go.” What? Cried the tramp. “I said Lashkar-e-Taiba travel… you ‘ll be O.K. , swear me, retrieve I am God.” There was intermission and so the response, “Is there anybody else up at that place? ”

I guess the point of the narrative being, religion or “trusting God” means blindly allowing travel. Let me state for the record, this is non faith… Its merely field stupid to allow travel of a subdivision when you are suspended over a 200 pes drop! And God ‘s non traveling to inquire you to make it!

Israelitess begins with the words, “BY FAITH.” It tells us how the Ancientss purportedly lived “BY FAITH.” But I want to cognize how we as a church, can populate BY FAITH in “real time.” If we can acquire this we wo n’t be rushing the auto engine without seting it in cogwheel and acquiring nowhere. Who truly wants to make that?

And Hebrews really gives us some way on this. It suggests:

1st: One of the best ways to maintain traveling frontward is to on occasion, look back.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of informants, allow us besides lay aside every weight, and wickedness which clings so closely… ”

How can we populate by religion? What is faith? If HOPE is the belief that things will acquire better, FAITH is the strong belief that God works in history to do things better! And when we, embrace a greater good than to state “What ‘s in it for us” and we do justice, love clemency and walk meekly with God, so God lives in and through the church. That ‘s what Hebrews calls “BY FAITH” life!

The twenty-four hours is rapidly coming ( it may already be here ) when this church will necessitate to do an of import determination. Are we traveling to honor the Church ‘s primary mission, a vision that says, “We can do it even better.” I, for one, am non content to restrict our church to a individual chapter of any history book!

To be a Christian partially means that we do n’t hold to reinvent the wheel, morally talking. We do n’t hold to do up this religion as we go. The church members of the yesteryear will learn us, if we will listen. And for modern people, it takes a sort of studied act of humbleness to believe that we really have something to larn from the past trusters.

One of the best ways to maintain traveling frontward is to on occasion, look back.

I figure, the Christian community to which Hebrews was directed must hold felt really much entirely. Just a bantam set of trusters hanging on to the peripheries of the great Roman Empire. There had been purgings and persecutions. They were mocked by their heathen neighbors. Just a bantam, undistinguished religious order. How on Earth could they maintain maintaining on? But their faith history reminded them they are non the first to travel this manner. Their ascendants in the religion – Gideon, Samson, David – had journeyed before them. They knew anguish, prison, decease, yet they kept walking in religion, even though none of them received “what was promised.”

But what good is faith when you do non have what is promised?

Dr. Diane Komp is a professor of paediatricss. She writes about a three month old babe admitted to the infirmary. Baby Henry had a malignant neoplastic disease that began in the adrenal secretory organ and spread to the liver. Naomi, the kid ‘s immature female parent, retreated into a room in her place that was a shrine for mending supplication and was progressively alienated from her hubby who did non portion these beliefs and patterns. Drawn in her crisis to seek all possible options that might assist her kid, she was frightened that her hunt was damaging her matrimony. She asked me, “Do you believe in mending? ” I shared with Naomi some of the battles that others have faced with that inquiry. I told her that I hoped that if she prayed for Henry to be healed, she would besides be willing to inquire her hubby to fall in her to set their lives in God ‘s custodies, whether or non Henry lived. That weekend, she and Jim asked a infirmary chaplain to pray for his healing. On Monday, Henry was a small better but Naomi ‘s visual aspect was transformed. She told me of the events of the weekend and said, “I do n’t cognize if Henry will be healed, but I feel as if I ‘ve been healed.” The kid did non last.

Several old ages subsequently Naomi, Henry ‘s female parent wrote to Dr. Komp of a dream she had. “She dreamed that she and the babe were in the kitchen of the church where she grew up. Henry was creeping about on the floor and every clip he got to a certain topographic point in the Centre, he ‘d state, “God! ” It was as though Henry could see God in that empty infinite. The following clip he reached the Centre, his legs buckled under him and he threw his caput back to look up at her one time more and reached out to her. By the clip she grabbed his, he had died.”

Suddenly, God strode in and scooped up Henry. The kid sat in God ‘s weaponries, with a manus on God ‘s shoulder, express joying and clicking with God.” Naomi could see that the babe was all right and happy and he seemed to cognize God good, but she was sad that she could n’t keep her babe any longer. “God saw how sad I was and so God handed Henry to me and said I could keep him for a piece longer. He was in my weaponries but he kept watching God. As God was go forthing Naomi asked, “Will I have other kids I can maintain? ” God stopped and looked at me with so much love, it was overpowering and said gently, in a manner that made me experience particularly cared for, “Everyone ‘s life has a plan.”

In her dream, as she held her babe, cheek to cheek, she tried to calculate out whether God ‘s expression had betrayed any sorrow ( that she would non acquire her want ) or amusement ( that good things were in front ) , but at that place was neither, merely love, overpowering love. That was what mattered and that was what the answer was-not yes or no, but God ‘s love.”

“In the old ages since this cryptic dream was foremost shared with me, Dr. Komp concludes, “I ‘ve tried many times to compose about it. I ‘ve failed to analyse it, but each clip I ‘ve told it, person says that they, like Naomi, were “healed.” The peace and healing of God that defy all human apprehension can maintain our Black Marias and heads, even when they do n’t fulfill our analytical inclinations.”

Faith does non insulate us from loss or hurting ( our Bible tells us that ) . To populate with religion is to believe that in malice of the bad, God can do something good happen.

One of the best ways to maintain traveling frontward is to on occasion, look back.

The 2nd manner we can populate by religion today is to: Move frontward in hope, despite the uncertainties that would maintain us mired in the yesteryear.

“Let us run with doggedness the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the innovator and perfecter of our religion… ”

Make you cognize what a reasonable Christian is? Faith does n’t name the Christian to be reasonable, it calls us to be unsafe! After all, Jesus was unsafe. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, preached the good intelligence. Dangerous material! That ‘s what got him killed!

Even so verse 35 is true, a small difficult to get down: “Some were tortured, Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even ironss and imprisonment. They were stoned, sawn in two, they were killed with the blade ; they went about in teguments of sheep and caprine animals, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated.”

I know what you ‘re believing, “Sign me up! ”

But think about it, some destinies are worse so decease. Which is why through out history, people have died standing up against such unfairnesss as race murder, apartheid, bondage, and oppressive authoritiess and governments.

Faith sees things non merely as they are, but as they can be. It is traveling frontward in hope, despite the uncertainties that would maintain us mired in the yesteryear.

And if you have uncertainties, do n’t worry. Doubt is an reliable facet of the life of religion giving voice to our battle.

A Pastor told me that he was speaking over a cup of java with a friend about how crisis can do people pull closer to one another. He said, “Good things can come out of bad situations.”

If you want to maintain traveling frontward, retrieve to on occasion look back. Then travel frontward in hope, despite the uncertainties that would maintain us mired in the yesteryear.

God has foreseen something better! “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of informants, allow us besides lay aside every weight, and wickedness which clings so closely, and allow us run with doggedness the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the innovator and perfecter of our religion… ”

Do n’t race your auto engine without prosecuting the cogwheels.

Let me sum up all that we need to cognize as we keep traveling in our race for life.

Make you cognize this poetry in Romans 8? “If God is for us, who can be against us? ”

The inquiry is non merely, “Who can be against us? ” You could reply that one. Who is against you? Disease, rising prices, corruptness, exhaustion. Calamities confront, and frights imprison. Were Paul ‘s inquiry, “Who can be against us? ” we could name our enemies much easier than we could contend them. But that is non the inquiry. The inquiry is, if God is for us, who can be against us?

Indulge me for a minute. Four words in this verse merit your attending. Read slowly the phrase, “God is for us.” Please intermission for a minute before you continue. State it out loud. ( My apologies to the individual following to you. ) God is for us. Repeat the phrase four times, this clip stressing each word. ( Come on, you ‘re non in that large of a haste. )

GOD is for us.

God IS for us.

God is FOR us.

God is for US.

GOD is for you. Your parents may hold forgotten you, your instructors may hold neglected you, your siblings may be ashamed of you ; but within range of your supplications is the shaper of the oceans. God!

God IS for you. Not “may be, ” non “has been, ” non “was, ” non “would be, ” but “God is! ” He IS for you. Today. At this hr. At this minute. No demand to wait in line or come back tomorrow. He is with you. He could non be closer than he is at this 2nd. His trueness wo n’t increase if you are better nor lessen if you are worse. He IS for you.

God is FOR you. Turn to the out of boundss ; that ‘s God heartening your tally. Look past the finish line ; that ‘s God claping your stairss. Listen for him shouting your name. Excessively tired to go on? He ‘ll transport you. Too demoralized to contend? He ‘s picking you up. God is FOR you.

God is for YOU. If he had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a auto, your name would be on his bumper. If there ‘s a tree in Eden, he ‘s carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. “I have written your name on my manus, ” he declares. God is with you. Knowing that, who is against you? Can decease injury you now? Can disease rob your life? Can your intent be taken or your value diminished? No. Though hell itself may put itself against you, no 1 can get the better of you. You are protected. God is with you.

Keep racing, looking unto Jesus. . . there is a finish line.