Sermons

The Letter to the Hebrews

Dangers We Face On The Race

Hebrews 12:12-17

Let’s turn to Hebrews 12.  If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring one to you.  Hebrews 12 is on page 1009 in the Bibles we are passing out.

Jan and I will be seeing my parents this coming week.  My father spent years teaching pastors how to study the Bible.  And he says one of the most important things to do when studying the Bible is to understand not just individual verses, but the author’s flow of thought through those verses.

So here’s a picture of what the author has been saying leading up to today’s passage.  In ch.11 he listed men and women who lived by faith in God.  He described how they trusted God, were forgiven by God’s mercy, fought temptation, obeyed God, and suffered for their faith – and how through it all God was faithful to them, God comforted them and strengthened them so they could press on for the reward of seeing God.

 Then, in ch.12 vv.1-2, he says therefore, because we have all these men and women testifying to God’s faithfulness, we should run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We should lay aside sin, set our eyes upon Jesus, and run this race.

 Then in vv.3-11 he wants to make sure we understand that we will face trials on this race.  And to help us with our trials, he tells us that every trial we face involves  the discipline of the Lord – it’s loving training given to us by God which will bring us greater joy in God now and forever.

Then in today’s passage, vv.12-17, the author describes five dangers we face on this race, and tells us how to deal with each of them.  So let’s take a look at each of these.

First, the danger of becoming discouraged by trials so we stop running.  Look at what the author says in v.12 –

12            Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,

Here’s the picture.  We can be running this race, trusting Jesus, loving others, making disciples – but then you get laid off from your job.  Or you are shunned by people at work because of your witness.  Or your child rebels.  Or you lose a loved one. 

And that can make your hands droop and your knees buckle – and we slow down in our running, and even stop our running.

So the author says --

12            Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,

The most important word in that verse is “therefore.”  Because the word therefore gives us reasons for why – even though we face trials -- we can lift our drooping hands and strengthen our weak knees.

Why can we do that?  Because of what the author told us in the previous verses – vv.3-11.  So you’ve been running, but then you’ve hit trials, and now your hands are drooping and your knees are buckling.  What should we do?  Lift up your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees.  Why?

It’s because of what we read in vv.3-11.  It’s because every trial we face involves God’s loving training.  It’s loving, because it flows from God’s compassion for us.  And it’s training, because God’s purpose is to have that trial so strengthen our faith that we have more joy in God now and forever.

So when you face trials, pray over the truth that every trial is loving training from God.  Pray over that truth until God uses it to lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees.  And then keep running.

So that’s one danger.  Here’s the second -- the danger of allowing obstacles to hinder our running.  Look at what he says in v.13 –

13            and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Back in v.1 he talked about how while running the race we can pick up extra weight – like an innocent hobby that ends up taking all our time – or how we can get caught in sin which ends up entangling us.  And in v.1 he urged us to lay aside extra weight and entangling sin.

And here in v.13 he’s talking about the same thing with a different metaphor.  He’s talking about how the choices we make can cause our race path to be either straight or crooked.  Let’s say you’ve been running the race well – trusting Christ, loving others, making disciples – but then you get into a business venture without asking for guidance from God.

So there you are in this business venture, and it’s much more involved than you thought it would be.  You’ve got meetings, and financial pressures, and extra stress – and you’re wondering why you’re having a hard time running the race.  It’s because you’ve made your path crooked.  It was straight.  But taking on this business venture outside of God’s will has made your path crooked.  And there’s other things that can make our paths crooked – certain relationships, certain sins, certain activities.

So in v.13 the author says – make straight paths for your feet.  Maybe that means quit the business venture, step out of the relationship or that activity.  So make straight the paths for your feet.

But then notice the reason he gives to motivate us – read all of v.13 --

13            and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

So what is it that is lame?  Some commentators think that what is lame is other people who are struggling and that as you straighten out your path you will help them.  That is certainly true, but I don’t think that’s what the author is saying here.  I don’t think it’s other people who are lame.  I think it’s we ourselves that are lame. 

And the reason I think that’s his point is because in vv.12 and 13 the hands and knees and feet are your own hands and knees and feet.  And so what is lame would most naturally be your own body.

When you let sin make your path crooked your legs become lame – less able to run.  And if nothing changes that sin could make your lameness become worse so your legs are pulled out of joint.  But if you will bring this sin to Jesus, plead for his help, trust His promises, and turn your heart from it – your path will become straight and you will be healed.

This is beautiful news.  No matter how crooked your path has become due to sin – if you will turn to Christ and repent – He will free you so your path will become straight.  And as you move ahead on that path, you will find that your lameness is being healed.

 Then third -- the danger of developing conflicts with others who are running.  Notice what he says in v.14 –

14            Strive for peace with everyone…

Maybe he’s talking here about striving for peace with everyone you know – believers, people who don’t yet believe, everyone.  But because in vv.15-17 he’s talking about those who are running the race with us, I think he’s talking about everyone who’s running the race with you.  I think he’s talking about fellow believers.

See, we don’t run this race alone.  We are the family of God, the body of Christ, with deep love for each other.  And when we are trusting Christ’s work on the Cross for our forgiveness, and setting our eyes on Jesus, and running this race of trusting God and loving others – we will be at peace with each other.

We will have so much joy in Christ that if someone bumps you, or jostles you, or hurts you, you’ll be able to forgive.  And the result will be peace – we will be at peace with everyone else who’s running.

But sometimes we take our hearts off Christ, and start relying on other things to satisfy us, and our hearts become empty so when others jostle us, or bump us, or hurt us – we don’t forgive.  Instead we get bitter.  We get distant.  We let divisions creep in.

And this can have tragic results.  Here’s what happened to Hudson Taylor’s band of missionaries in the late 1800’s.  God had raised up 16 missionaries to leave England and go to China.  And they got on the boat for the trip which would take many months.  And sailors on the boat saw their love for each other, heard their worshipful singing, heard the good news of Jesus, and every couple days a sailor turned to Christ.

But all of a sudden that stopped.  And for a long month no sailors were saved.  Why?  What happened?  Here’s what Hudson Taylor said was happening –

Little criticisms, little coldnesses, little jealousies had brought in disunity which led to serious results.  Prayer was hindered; and to the grief of all concerned, the work of the Holy Spirit was so checked, that for one whole month no souls were saved.  (The Growth Of A Work Of God, p.78).

So what did they do?  They met together and talked about it.  They confessed their little criticisms, coldnesses, and jealousies to the Lord and to each other.  And they pursued peace with each other.  And the unity returned, the love returned, and the salvations started happening again.

Is there anyone on the race you are not at peace with?  If so, that’s a serious problem.  That will quench the Spirit in your life, and in the life of our church family.  So take steps to confess, forgive, and restore unity and peace.

The fourth danger is that of forgetting why it’s so important to keep running.  Read all of v.14 –

14            Strive for peace with everyone and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

We are called to strive for holiness.  Holiness means desiring Jesus more than anything, and for Jesus’ sake loving others sacrificially.  That’s holiness.  And we are to strive for holiness.  Strive to desire Jesus more than anything, and for Jesus’ sake to love others sacrificially.

So why must we strive for holiness?  It’s because if we don’t have holiness, we won’t see the Lord.  That’s talking about heaven, and it would be infinitely tragic to miss heaven.  Because the joy you were created for is the joy of seeing the Lord.  But if we don’t have holiness, we won’t see the Lord.

But this could be terribly misunderstood, so let me try to explain.  We are not saved by being holy.  We can never be holy enough to make up for our sin.  We must be forgiven through Christ’s death and clothed with Christ’s holiness.  And that happens by faith alone.

But -- many people think that you can have genuine faith in Christ, and then go on sinning.  But that’s not true.  Because if your faith is genuine it will make you more and more holy.

 When we look to Jesus Christ with genuine faith, the Holy Spirit will so satisfy us in Christ that we desire Him more than anything, and for His sake love others sacrificially.  That’s holiness.  And genuine faith always produces holiness.

So if there’s no holiness in us, that shows we don’t have genuine faith.  And if we don’t have genuine faith, we are not saved.  And if we are not saved, then we won’t see the Lord.  Which is why if there’s no holiness in us, we will not see the Lord.

But don’t think holiness means perfection.  Remember the thief on the Cross? 
A moment’s faith in Jesus saved him, changed him, and started producing holiness in him.  By faith in Jesus he started becoming holy, and the moment he died he went to heaven and saw God.

So don’t think you need to be perfect to see God.  You can’t be perfect.  But you must have faith.  And genuine faith will result in holiness.  So pursue faith, and by faith pursue after the holiness without which you will not see the Lord.

Fifth danger -- ignoring those who turn aside from the race.  Picture yourself running along with others who love Jesus.  But what if someone next to us starts to slow down?  Or stumbles?  Or trips?  One danger is to think – That’s between them and God.  Who am I to judge?  I don’t need to do anything.  I will just trust Jesus to take care of them.

 But that’s not what the author of Hebrews says.  Look at vv.15-17 --                               

15            See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God

We want to be careful that no one slows down in the race, that no one falls behind in the race, that no one turns aside from finishing the race.  That could mean they fail to obtain the grace of God.  So see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God.

15b          [See to it] that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled

A “root of bitterness” is a phrase taken from the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy and refers to a person who has bitterness in their heart which will end up defiling others.  So if someone has bitterness in their hearts – pray for them.  Humbly go to them.  Humbly help them turn from their bitterness back to Christ.

16-17       [See to it] that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.  For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

If someone turns from the race, and starts to pursue willful sin, that’s serious.  It could mean they were never saved to begin with.  And if they continue in sin, their heart can become so hard that they will not be able to repent. 

So we must love each other.  We must do all we can to keep each other from turning aside to sin, because eternity is at stake.  So let’s pray for each other, encourage each other, point each other to Jesus, and keep each other running the race.

Every day the finish line is nearer.  Every day the reward of seeing God is closer.  So run the race, and don’t let anyone stop running.