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Introduction [1-3]
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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he 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 sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
I have always wanted to run a marathon. In high school, I was a long-distance runner. I could run 5k in under 20 minutes. I wasn’t the fastest on the Cross Country running team, but I was fast enough to make it to the high school provincial race when I was 14.
That race was the last time I ran that fast. I’m not sure I’ll ever do it again, but at this point, it’s not so much about running fast as it is about completing the race.
What is holding me back is my weight. Over the last 20 years, I have struggled with maintaining a healthy weight. I’ve tried various diets and lost some here and there. Four years ago, I came the closest to being where I would consider ideal. I lost 45 pounds and completed a 5k run in under 25 minutes.
I thought I was on the right track. Then, the weight slowly started to come back. Although I can still complete a 5k run at a slower pace, I don’t think I could run a marathon in my current condition.
The only way I can achieve my dream of running a marathon is if I lose weight. That’s the hard truth. I am taking a risk this morning, telling you that my goal is to run a marathon next summer. It is a risk because I could fail and look foolish.
But, I am counting on what Hebrews 12:1-3 is talking about. I am counting on being surrounded by people who will encourage and challenge me to keep going.
The witnesses referred to in this passage are those listed in chapter 11. We are not on this faith journey alone. We are a part of a kingdom full of people who want us to succeed. They are surrounding us with their testimony of God’s faithfulness and provision.
And ahead of us is Jesus, the one who ran the race perfectly. He is our model for persevering. As we go through this passage, there will be some challenging statements. You might, as I have this last week, feel convicted.
We will look at three themes of perseverance. Discipline, accountability, and what it means to be citizens of an unshakable kingdom. These are three things that will help us in our marathon of faith.
Discipline [4-13]
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
We have all seen and perhaps judged the unruly child on the playground and the unattentive parent. Maybe some of us have even been those children or parents.
The child runs around, hitting, pushing, and throwing rocks. The parent, face down looking at their phone or immersed in a book, completely unaware or unconcerned about their child’s behaviour.
This is not a picture of our heavenly parent. He is attentive and will discipline the unruly. We all want the parent in the playground to discipline the child. We know what sort of people those children become if they are not disciplined.
So, why do we not expect our perfect heavenly Father to overlook or tolerate our bad behaviour? Being a good parent, he does not overlook it. He disciplines those he loves.
But his discipline is not like any earthly parent. Let’s take a close look at this word: discipline. I have Tamera to thank for drawing my attention to the meaning of this word.
It is the word paideuō, which means “learning through companionship.” The discipline we receive from God is not that of a distant and angry father but that of a close companion and guide. One who will walk with us as we face the difficult nature of discipline.
It implies the upbringing and handling of a child growing up to maturity. The child needs direction, teaching, instruction and a certain measure of compulsion in the form of discipline or even punishment. Paideuō is the journey of education and cultivation which has to be travelled and the goal to be attained.1
Psalm 94:12-13 says, ”Blessed is the one you discipline, LORD, the one you teach from your law; you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.”
C.S. Lewis famously wrote, “We can rest contentedly in our sins and in our stupidities; and anyone who has watched gluttons shovelling down the most exquisite foods as if they did not know what they were eating, will admit that we can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”2
In the fall of 2009, Lynn and I were living on an acreage which we thought would be our home for many more years. But I was so busy building my marketing business, and Lynn had her hands full with three toddlers we had no time to take care of the property.
We were wrestling with the future. We were convinced I should one day be a pastor, but we didn’t know what to do next. So, we decided to go ahead with the plan of moving into town. We had plans drawn up for a house, picked out a lot, and made an appointment with the Realtor to sell our property.
The day before the appointment with the Realtor, both Lynn and I were working, and the kids were at daycare. I came home after work to a flooded house. The entire main floor was a pool of water. The basement was several feet deep.
I discovered a pipe had broken loose and was pouring water into the house. I turned the water off and called our Realtor, who was also a close friend and would know what to do next.
Needless to say, our plans changed. During the winter months, waiting for contractors to make repairs, we prayed. God spoke to us in our pain. He said, now is the time: go be a pastor.
There is more to the story which I won’t take time to tell now. The point is, that God was good to us that winter. We were headed down a path that was not aligned with God’s calling. Through the pain, we heard his voice.
There is never an easy answer to pain. One of the worst things we can say to someone in pain is, “Something good will come out of this.” We must be careful not to assume to be the voice of God in the midst of someone’s pain.
Instead, we can come alongside them, acknowledge the pain, and be companions as they journey with God through the experience. Perhaps God will use you in the journey, but that is up to him.
Whatever pain you are going through, know that God is there with you. He is not absent. Ask him what he is doing in the midst of the pain. Cry out to him. He will hear you.
He is not angry with you but he does want to teach you something. He wants to bring you closer to holiness, to his good and perfect vision for your life.
Accountability [14-17]
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
Have you ever had a moment of madness? You made a decision in the heat of the moment and immediately knew it was a terrible decision?
The story of Esau contains a moment of madness. He was starving, desperate for food. His brother, Jacob, had just finished making a mouthwatering pot of stew. Seeing this as an opportunity to take advantage of Esau’s weakness, Jacob made an offer: a bowl of stew in exchange for Esau’s rights as the firstborn son.
Esau didn’t hesitate. It was a moment of madness. In the end, Jacob became the heir of the blessing of God through their father, Isaac, and the founder of the nation of Israel. All for a bowl of stew.
There are more and less severe moments of madness. It could come in the heat of an argument, and you say something you regret. It could come late at night when you’re tired and lonely, and you watch something you shouldn’t watch. It could be a spontaneous purchase or even a social media post or comment.
This is not just a matter of personal discipline. The instruction here is about communal holiness. “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God.” This requires keeping an eye on each other.
We need to be wise with this instruction. Accountability starts with personal transparency and a willingness to be vulnerable with one another. Knowing now that I have a goal to get in shape to run a marathon, you have permission to call me out if you catch me taking a second slice of pie at a potluck.
But, holding each other accountable is more about knowing each other well and desiring the success of each other than it is about pointing out each other’s sins.
We want to be the sort of community that grows in holiness together, which includes being patient and gracious with one another. Accountability will be most effective when it happens between people who have each others’ backs through good and hard times. People who love each other well.
There will be more on this theme of loving one another next week. Let’s continue along the theme of holiness as we look at the final section of chapter 12.
Our Citizenship in Zion [18-29]
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 such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written 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. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from 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 also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
This section seems like an abrupt transition. But it is actually directly related to the previous section because both are about holiness.
In the times of the Tabernacle, the holiness of God was terrifying. No one would dare go near the presence of God because he was too holy for ordinary and impure people. Approaching God required purification.
But now, through Christ, the holiness of God is welcoming. He cleanses us as we approach him. He heals our brokenness as we enter his presence. Holiness still matters but is no longer a distant or dangerous reality.
I mentioned verse 22 last week, which contains this idea of a future city, the heavenly Jerusalem. It says, “You have come…” three times. This is being written in the present tense. Those who live by faith in Christ have already, in a sense, arrived at the heavenly city.
We belong, as citizens, to God’s kingdom. We can already approach God in worship and with requests. We are not yet living in the actual heavenly Jerusalem, yet we are citizens of that kingdom.
It is a kingdom that cannot and will not be shaken. Heaven and earth will be renewed and be made up of the eternal things that can never pass away.
Consider what remains after a natural disaster. What happens? People start rebuilding. Why do they do this? Consider 1 Corinthians 13:13. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
When everything else is shaken, the things that remain are what propels us to pick up the pieces. It is our faith that what we envision for a place can actually be made real. Hope that the best is yet to come. Love for those who will benefit from our efforts.
The kingdom of God is made up of people who bear the fruit of the Spirit. This is what will remain. Our faith will persevere and outlast the shaking of heaven and earth when we strive to eliminate that which hinders us and strengthen that which can never be taken away.
Conclusion
A few months ago, I learned about a man named Rich Roll. When he was the age I am now, he was in a similar position. He felt physically unhealthy. He wanted to be better. So he started running.
He learned about Ironman and Ultraman competitions. He started training for them. He surrounded himself with people who would help him accomplish his goal of being an Ultraman competitor. The Ultraman is a 3-day, 515-kilometer event which takes place on the Big Island of Hawaii. It involves 10km of swimming, 276 km of biking, and 84 km of running.
Rich Roll not only achieved his goal, but has become one of the top Ultra athletes in the world and now writes, speaks, and coaches people to do the same.
Many aspiring Ultra athletes look to him for encouragement, advice, and inspiration. Why? Because he did it. He overcame the barriers preventing him from accomplishing the goal.
You will fail if your goal is only to live a life free from sin. It’s not enough. The goal is to do what Jesus did: finish the race, accept the discipline, strive for holiness, persevere, and meet him at the finish line, the city of Zion, our eternal home.
In the process, you will shed the weight of sin, of anxieties about trivial concerns, ambitions to use the gospel as a means of self-advancement, resentments toward other people, and lust for satisfying bodily appetites.
As you persevere, you will reduce the burdens that hold you back. You will overcome the obstacles that make you want to quit. You will do this because your vision is the glory of the finish line.
We will do this only if we do it together. Just as I aim to accomplish my goal of running a marathon with the encouragement of others around me, we will finish the journey of faith with the encouragement of one another.
This is not a solo race. And it is not a competition against one another. It is a pilgrimage journey that we will finish only if we travel together and only if our vision is life with Jesus in our eternal home.
1 Georg Bertram, “Παιδεύω, Παιδεία, Παιδευτής, Ἀπαίδευτος, Παιδαγωγός,” ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 596.
2 C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (HarperCollins 2001), pp. 88-89.
Hebrews Series Bibliography
Allen, David L. Hebrews. The New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2010.
Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Rev. ed. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990.
Guthrie, George. Hebrews. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998.
Lane, William L. Hebrews 1-8, vol. 47A, Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Inc., 1991.
New International Version Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016.
Wright, Tom. Hebrews for Everyone. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004.