The race of life (Heb. 12;1-3)

The race of life  Heb.12;1-4 

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. 

Last week, Winter Olympic ended in Vancouver Canada 

Winter Olympic had games like ski jumping, speed skating, figure skating and ice hockey and so on 

As it says it is all bout winter games 

And I watched speed skating in the TV 

And they came almost together in the finish line 

The Korean player put his leg forward in the finish line so he won 

Today I’d like to share the word of God entitled the race of life 

In today’s passage, Our Christian life is compared to a Race 

And there are many kinds of race, like sprint, long distance and obstacle course  

And I think our life is a race as a marathon 

Our race is not only 100m, 200m but it is like marathon because we should run for whole life 

Beside Sometimes our race is like obstacle course because there are many difficulties and suffering along the way 

Our race is not always in a highway but also in rough roads  

Apostle Paul says 1st Corinthians (9; 24) Christians are like runner in the ground 

And 2nd timothy chapter 2 says “he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.”

  

Meaning ,As Christians, 

Now we are already running, whether we realize it or not. 

we are racing to the heaven amen? 

(Turn to the person next to you and tell them, “You are in a race”.) 

The issue is not if we are running but how we are running 

Then how to run our race of Christian life 

1st throw off everything that hinders 

Today’s passage verse 1 says “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” 

When you are running, we do not carry something 

Then we can not run very well 

For example, If you carry a hollow block, you can run fast? 

Even though you are a good runner, if you run with a slipper 

Maybe it is mahirap to run with slipper 

In the Bible when the David fight with Goliath 

he put on King Soul’s coat of armor and a bronze helmet 

and it is too heavy for him to walk 

and David said "I cannot go in these," 

"because I am not used to these" So he took them off. 

And he got his sling and five stones and he defeated Goliath 

So like this for our Christian life of race 

we also need to throw off what hinder us from our race 

for example you like to watch TV 

so you watch TV on Saturday until midnight 

watching “Maala ala mo kaya.” (마알라 알라 모 카야) 

And on Sunday morning, you cannot wake up 

You cannot even go to church 

If your watching TV hinders you from going to church on Sunday 

then you have to throw off watching TV on Saturday night 

I have high school friend in Korea 

And he is drunkard 

He drinks everyday 

And he is Christian 

He goes to church on Sunday 

And he pray “father I’m sorry what I drunk yesterday” 

One time I told him 

You chose one 

Stop to drink or stop to go to church 

Brothers and sisters 

Sometimes we have it both ways 

Our eyes are facing to Jesus 

But our legs are chasing the worldly things 

We have double mind,  

In this case we cannot run the race properly 

Bible says Ephesians 4; 22 

‘To put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” 

We cannot put on new things unless we put off old things 

New wine must poured on new wineskins 

So throw our old self, and renovate our mind 

Bible says in Rome 13;12 

“let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” 

So I encourage you this morning brothers and sisters 

Be determined to put off everything that hinders our Christian life amen. 

Today’s passage says, 

it is SIN which hinder our race of the Christian life 

We have to put off these sins 

You know sin is like yeast 

Leave it alone, spread all over 

And sin is like a cancer cell 

If it is not treated at once, it will infected all 

So every time we have sinned we need repent 

When confess our sin to the Lord we will be cleansed by the blood of Jesus  

Bible says in 1st John chaper1 and verse 9 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” 

Sin is the heaviest hindrance in our race  

So we need to be sensitive about sins 

So I want all of you be holy through Jesus’ blood everyday All the time and No 2 

Run with perseverance

in Korea there is story about rabbit and Turtle 

they both agreed to have race, 

whom do you think won the race? 

The story goes like this 

They started to race 

And of course, as expected, the rabbit ran faster than Turtle 

so the rabbit ran for a time and turned back and checked the turtle 

and he said, wala pa, mabagal siya 

the rabbit said to himself, even if I sleep for a while I could win 

so the rabbit slept under the mango tree 

(no in Korea we don’t have mango tree let say apple tree) 

Maybe the Turtle is so slow but he run with perseverance 

He was racing without ceasing 

And finally the turtle won the race 

In this story, there is point 

Victory belongs who is perseverance 

Brothers and sisters 

Maybe you know Thomas Edison, the king of inventor 

When Edison invented the electric lamp 

He failed more than 2000 times daw 

yet he was not discouraged instead he continued to invent with patience  

finally, he invented electric lamp 

And we know that most of the great men in the bible 

they run with perseverance 

And overcome many difficulties and suffering 

And finally they had victory  

Bible says in James 1;2-4 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

And James 5;7 

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. 

Farmer plant seed and till get harvest, they wait long 

If not they could not harvest much 

Prophet proclaimed the word of God and they waited long until they fulfill the work 

Job overcome difficulties disease and sufferings with patience 

And God blessed him double. 

So brothers and sisters 

We should run our race with perseverance 

These days we call it “the age of speed “ 

Everybody say dali dali 

There are many instant food 

Instant Noodle, instant coffee, and instant girlfriend 

And instance confession  

로마카톨릭 성도 문자보내기 

In korea if they do not deliever Pizza within 30minites 

No need to pay, it becomes free 

But brothers and sisters 

Faith is waiting 

Without patience we can not follow the will of God 

As you know King Saul had no patience 

he couldn’t wait Samuel and so he offered the burnt offering 

because of walang patient God withdrew blessings  

Brothers and sisters make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness ;(2 peter1;5-6) Amen 

When Elijah prayed for rain to come 

he climbed the top of a mountain bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees 

and prayed 7 times 

Prayed with patience 

God answered his prayer 

So brothers and sisters I want all of you to have a race with patience in your life and No3 

Focus our attention on Jesus 

The final word is this, 

we must focus our attention on Jesus. 

Notice what he says, 

Today’s passage verse 2 -4 

“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.” 

Brothers and sisters 

for the joy set before him! Jesus endured the cross. 

Jesus paid the price for the sin of mankind, 

so that through Him we can come to God 

and have a relationship with our ABBA Father. 

and one day we will meet Jesus in heaven 

praise God 

So in our journey here in this world 

In our race here in this world 

Focus all our attention onto Jesus Amen 

When peter saw Jesus walking on the water, 

Peter said Lord if it is you let me come to you on the water 

And Jesus said Come  

Then Peter got down out of the boat, 

walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 

But when he saw the wind, 

he was afraid and, began to sink. 

When Peter saw the Jesus he could walk on the water 

But when he saw the wind he began to sink  

So brothers and sisters 

Do not see our situation 

Do not see our surrounding 

But only focus on Jesus 

2 Chronicle chapter 20 there is king Jehoshaphat 

He followed the way of God 

And his heart devoted to the lord 

So that God is with him and blessed him 

But one day he faced a serious crisis 

Because Moabites and ammonites came to attack them 

In this emergence 

He proclaimed a fast for all Judah 

And he prayed to God 

“O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."(2Cronicle 20;12) 

And God gave them victory 

There is an answer in Jesus 

There is happiness in Jesus 

And there is victory in Jesus amen 

When we fix our eyes on Jesus, 

we are strengthened and encouraged. 

When we fix our eyes on Jesus 

we stay focused, we stay on course. 

We do not wander to the left or right, 

Because our eyes are fixed on Jesus. Amen 

I will conclude the sermon 

our Christian life is like riding a bike 

if we stop to pedal a bike 

Bike will fall down 

Like this, if we do not continue the race in our Christian life 

We will fall down 

You pray today so you will not pray tomorrow? 

Of course we should continue to pray 

Meaning continue 

Step by step day by day 

We have to continue to run our race Amen? 

You know, one month ago there was an earthquake in Haiti 

Thousands of people died 

And few weeks ago, another earthquake hits Chili 

More than eight hundred people died 

One week ago, there was even an earthquake in the Phils, in Tugegarao. 

And yesterday, there was lindol in Taipei 

What does these happenings trying to say to us? 

Remember, the Bible says in Matthew 24:6-7 

There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 

All these are the beginning of birth pains. 

Meaning the time is near brothers and sisters 

so its time for us to be awaken Amen? 

Focus upon Jesus and continue to race 

Continue our race to the heaven amen 

No1 throw off everything that hinders 

No2 run with perseverance 

No3 pocus our attention unto the Jesus 

And through these steps, I want all of you to have a victory and get a crown of life in the finish line Amen 

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