Title: Run with patience (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Content A. About patience
1. Patience/Impatience
If you look at people who are usually successful, you can see that they succeeded not because of extraordinary talents or special abilities, but because of the extraordinary endurance that is not found in ordinary people. So, among successful people, there are many who succeed through perseverance.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), a famous German poet and novelist, wrote Faust, which is recognized as the greatest literary work in human history. However, it is said that he started writing this work at the age of 23 and completed it over 60 years until the age of 82.
He did many different kinds of work over the years to complete this piece. He was a jurist, politician, thinker, novelist, poet, painter, director, physicist, botanist, and anatomist.
However, the reason he was able to write such a great work was not because of his genius that allowed him to have such a variety of jobs, but because of his 'perseverance'. Throughout his life, he researched, wrote, and refined, and completed a work of art.
Many people give up easily. Even if you have talent, you cannot use all of your talents. So today, having a lot of talent doesn't make you successful. A good education alone does not lead to success. Being brave alone does not lead to success.
Why? There is only one reason. Because I don't have the patience. Because I have no patience. You don't succeed because everyone gives up along the way. What these people really need is 'patience'.
Patience is also needed to create a happy family. It also takes patience to educate your children well and make them good people. Patience is required to be recognized and promoted at work, and to be successful in business requires patience. The harder it gets, the more patience we need.
In James 1:2-4, the Apostle James said, “My brethren, when you meet trials of various kinds, count them all joy, for you know that the trial of your faith produces endurance. and be prepared so that there is no shortage of anything.” Trials and refinements create perseverance, and all great people are created through perseverance.
2. Description of the background of the text
The main text, the book of Hebrews, is a letter to the Jewish believers who were experiencing a crisis of their faith due to severe persecution.
In the Roman Empire, from A.D. 64, Emperor Nero's great disaster began. Anyone found to be a Christian was unconditionally put to death. In the early days of persecution, they overcame it with the power of faith, but as time passed, more and more people began to appear, giving up their faith and leaving because of exhaustion and fatigue. Gradually, more and more people left the faith, left the church, and abandoned God.
So today's text compares the Christian life to a 'running race' and exhorts believers who are being persecuted. Just as all runners look to victory and run to the end to receive a prize, we are asking believers to run to the end if they have already started running, so that they should be recognized before God, go to heaven, and receive blessings.
Now, the year 2000 is coming to an end. At the end of the year, we need to look back on the past and also think about our future. But these days, more and more people give up because of negative thoughts, bad rumors, failure, frustration, and despair. There are more and more people who are discouraged and tired.
But what can help us in times like these? What we need is 'patience'. We must race with patience. We must believe in the promises that God has given us and have patience. When you pray with patience, you will receive answers.
So today, I would like to share the grace with you with the message, “Run with patience.” First, it was said to ‘put off all burdens and the sins that easily entangle us’. Second, it was said to ‘run with patience’. Third, he said, 'Let's look to Jesus'. Fourth, he said, “Do not become weary and lose heart.”
B. Race with patience
1. Lay off all heavy things and the sins that are easily entangled in them - sins, vices / repentance, put off
“Therefore, since we have a multitude of witnesses surrounding us like a cloud, putting off all burdens and the sins that easily entangle us” (Hebrews 12:1a).
There are ‘a lot of witnesses’ around us. There are many ancestors, family members, unbelievers, and people around us who are watching us. So even if it seems like I'm living my life alone, we need to know that there are many people watching us. They're watching us run like spectators in the stadium.
But what do you need to do to be good at racing? As you read carefully, you must cast off all “heavy things” and “sins that are easily entangled.”
What is 'heavy'? It means 'something you don't need'. How can a runner run well with a load in his hand and on his back and on his head? Anything unnecessary should be thrown away.
In the same way, what are unnecessary in our life of faith? No doubts needed. There is no need for pride. Greed doesn't help either. Desire doesn't help either. Don't be lazy. We must also give up all evil habits. And we must run toward the mission God has given us.
Also, we must cast off all the “sins that are easy to get entangled in”. We need to change our bad habits and take on the tasks that are given to us.
The same is true in our religious life. In order to glorify God and obey God's word, we must cast away bad habits and evil things and cast away our entanglements and sins.
Genesis 35 tells the story of when Jacob was in danger of going to war with the Hivites. With no hope of winning, Jacob became terrified of war. So I decided to go up to Bethel, build an altar before God, and pray. And he said to the people and family with him
“Put away foreign gods, purify yourself, and change your clothes.”
When we go before God, we must cast away all idols. We must have a repentant heart that purifies ourselves. Change your clothes and go out clean. When we come before God, we can offer living sacrifices and living worship only if we have perfect faith. That is how we glorify God.
The Apostle Paul also said in Ephesians 4:22-24, “Put off your old self, which is corrupt according to the lusts of temptation, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, being created according to God in righteousness and holiness of truth. Put on a new man.” Paul told us to be new people. But how did you say you become a new person? He said that we should give up the bad habits of old people.
A man immigrated to the United States in 1981. There he built an auto repair shop and made a lot of money. Although he was originally brought up in a Christian family by earning money and becoming a career in a foreign land, he soon fell into a life of debauchery. I like alcohol, so I've always been drinking.
Then one day, due to poor health, I went to the hospital, and my liver was full of water. At that moment, he said, ‘I am being judged by God. I will pay for my sins. ’ I thought. Even he thought he was ashamed of his past.
He went to the church he had left for a long time, prayed and thoroughly repented of his sins.
‘God, I repent. Please help me. give me health ’
For three months, I prayed every day and night, with morning prayer in the morning and all-night prayer in the evening.
‘God, if you save me, I will now live for you. ’
So, God gave him power and power, and his body, which was dying from disease, was healed and renewed.
‘God, who gave me health, from now on, I will live for you. ’
He merged an auto repair shop and a sales company to create an automobile company and said, ‘God, this company is God’s company, and I am a worker and an employee of God’s company. May God hold you and help you. ’ and prayed. And after that, I gathered the staff and worshiped and prayed every morning.
By doing this, God blessed me, so I succeeded in business and received many material blessings. So, in order to repay the blessing of wealth from God, he even started missionary work in various countries in South America.
A proud person and a person who falls into disobedience will surely be judged before God. get rebuked. If you commit a sin, you must pay the price for that sin. However, if you repent before God, God forgives you and saves you. Even if you get sick and die, please believe that God will restore you to health.
2. Race with patience - patience, race / impatience
“Run with patience the race set before us” (Hebrews 12:1b).
Running races require patience. In long-distance events like marathons, there are uphill and downhill courses. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to die of shortness of breath. There is a temptation to give up. So usually the pros go all the way, but the amateurs don't.
Our lives and our religious lives are like long-distance marathons. There are times when you feel discouraged, there are times when you want to give up, and there are times when you become lazy. Sometimes I don't even want to go to church. But you should never give up. This is because when you give your life to God with perseverance and faithfully and dedicate yourself to God, God will bless you and give you grace through your faith and faith.
1 Corinthians 9:24 says, “Do you not know that in the field all runners run, but only one wins the prize? Run in the same way that you may win.” Who are the people who are rewarded by God, and who are the people who are blessed? God grants rewards and blessings to those who run to the end.
In James 5:7-8 it says, “Therefore, brothers, be patient until the coming of the Lord. It is near.”
No matter how hard a farmer sows a seed, does he not have to wait patiently to reap the fruit? Not only farming, but also running a business, raising children, and everything in our lives requires patience to bear fruit. Even if we pray before God, even if we have perfect faith, if we do not persevere, God will not fulfill His promises. In the Bible, there are many accounts of God's blessings on those who persevere. Psalm 37:9 says, “… Those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.” God gives earthly blessings to those who persevere to the end. Also, those who persevere will be saved (Matthew 24:13). Hope comes true (Romans 5:4). You will see the fulfillment of the promise (Hebrews 10:36). There will be no shortage (James 1:4). Not only that, you will also receive the crown of life (James 1:12).
The American businessman, Steel King Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) said, “The most important thing in winning a match is perseverance. ” he said. He also said, “If you persevere, you will surely have a chance. ” he said.
In order to get ahead of others in the battle for survival, more than anything else, perseverance is required. When we live with a heart of perseverance, fruits will surely appear. Those who study make a difference by studying, those who set goals and work hard...