Messages to myself

I'm giving a sermon tomorrow at the religious chapel at my school. It's usually a small group (like 20 or so), but I don't feel very prepared (especially since I forgot that it was this week until the notice went out to campus yesterday!). So prayers are appreciated!

I opened up a sermon I gave last November to check the format, and it was one of those, "I wrote this??" moments--definitely a message I needed to hear...and maybe others do too. So here it is:

I started my Christmas shopping last week, but I skipped Black Friday. Instead, I hit the internet…and bought my brother (and myself) an entry in the Indy Mini-Marathon. I ran it last year, and it was a great experience—there were lots of spiritual analogies in it for me, and I now better understand some biblical principles because of it.

One of those passages is in Hebrews 12, verses 1 to 3:

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. 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 opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Love this passage—it’s so visual. You can just see someone casting off their backpack, fixing their eyes on the finish line, and running hard. Let’s take a closer look at it, using some examples from the mini-marathon.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses

• Running with 35,000 people there are lots of witnesses!
• You have lots of witnesses—the “therefore” is referencing the long list of faithful in the previous chapter.
• You also have lots of real life witnesses—those who are around you.
• Cheerleaders on the side, but real encouragement from those running next to you
• Who can you cheer on?

Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles
• Being a mom, I tend to be part sherpa—rare is the day when I’m not hauling a ton of stuff. A typical morning includes me carrying a school bag, purse, three lunches, and a gym bag.
• Mini—Fedex trucks where you could check your “stuff”. You can do the same thing—check it with Jesus
• 1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you," but sometimes I think I'd rather carry them myself and focus on them rather than looking to Jesus at the finish line--my burdens seem more immediate. But when I was in gymnastics, I learned a trick—if you want to do a full turn, the key is to fix your eyes on a spot, like the end of the beam), and keep your eyes on it while you rotate.
• What kinds of things hinder? Worry, anxiety guilt; bad habits like procrastination. Not sins, but things that distract you from the task at hand. There might be things that are good, but get in the way—Does this help me run my Christian race?

let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us
• Faith is an active thing—running isn’t passive
• It’s an endurance race—requires perseverance, no quitting! While the race had a sag wagon that picked up stragglers, no such thing
• Look for the water stops—Jesus
• Midpoint of the minimarathon, on the Indy 500 racetrack, Bon Jovi was playing over the loudspeaker – whoa, living on a prayer, whoa, we’re half way there…Prayer is a requirement
• Sometimes it’s an act of will

fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith
• Mile 12—getting tired, but could see the finish line—and the clock. Focusing on that helped me overcome my tired legs.
• Easy for us in our spiritual race to get distracted from the goal—looking at the obstacles or at others in the race.
• Instead, we’re supposed to fix our eyes on Jesus
• faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
• it starts and ends with Jesus—faith begins and ends with Him
endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God
• Jesus as an example—he fixed his eyes upon the goal and persevered
• It is finished—he has sat down and is done.
At the finish line, you couldn’t just sit down—you had to turn in your timing chip in exchange for a medal, and there was a virtual banquet of water bottles, bananas, cookies

So how’s your race going? Do you feel the support of the great cloud of witnesses around you? What can you do to encourage others in the great race? Are there burdens that are slowing you down or sins that are tripping you up? If so, check them with Jesus. What are you focused on? Are your eyes on Jesus, or are you busy looking at the obstacles or others in the race?

God, give me the endurance and faith to press on when the race feels very long.