Sunday, February 6, 2021
Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV “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, 2 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. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
ILLUS: In an Olympic track competition, every runner is given a pre-assigned lane to run in.
There are 8 lanes, each 4 feet wide from start to finish.
Any athlete who runs outside the assigned lane can be disqualified.
With that in mind, Paul is comparing an Olympic race to the Christian life.
Every Christian has an assigned lane for an assigned race.
Listen closely again: “Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
Not just any old race, but THE race.
The Christian race stands head and shoulders above any other race on earth.
Paul describes finishing “the” race as his number one, burning ambition:
“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Phil 3:13-14 NIV).
So the Christian life is a heavenly race rewarded with a heavenly prize!
And what is the PRIZE? It is when we hear the words:
“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matt. 25:23 NKJV).
Now, our text in Hebrews gives us 3 keys to successfully staying in the right lane:
- Get rid of what slows you down—“let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”
- Stay focused on Jesus—“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
- Consider His sufferings—literally, compare your sufferings to His.
Now, I want to talk today about the importance of staying in the right lane by doing these three things.
Remember, if an Olympic runner strays out of his 4 foot lane, he is disqualified
All his training, all his work, all his dreams depend on staying in the right lane.
This is true, says Paul, of the Christian life.
I’m not talking about losing your salvation.
I’m talking about getting sidetracked by going into a lane God didn’t call you to.
You see, once Satan knows he can’t have your soul, his number one goal is to disrupt your race—to get you in the wrong lane, chasing the wrong thing, going the wrong direction in life.
Satan will do everything he can to get you to wander out of your lane into the wrong lane for your life.
It may not be something BAD, but it’s not God’s LANE for you.
Now, the LANE every believer is called to run in is this:
Matt. 6:33 NKJV “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
The Kingdom of God—and the KING of the Kingdom of God (Jesus)—should be the number one focus and pursuit of every Christian.
That’s your LANE!
Seeking the KING of the kingdom, becoming LIKE the KING of the kingdom, bearing kingdom fruit, reaching others for the KING of the kingdom, and using the kingdom gift God has given you to bless others with.
The Apostle Paul clung tightly to the KINGDOM LANE:
Phil 3:13-14 NLT “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
—And we know he succeeded by his final words to Timothy just before being martyred:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7 NIV).
Now … Do you think the disciples ever struggled with staying in their own lane? They did indeed!
For instance, Peter got out of his God-given lane after his denial of Jesus.
The Bible says that, discouraged and ashamed, he returned to his old profession of FISHING.
“I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them (the disciples). ‘We’re coming with you,’ they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing” (John 21:3 HCSB).
But this wasn’t his lane!
Peter had earlier been summoned by Jesus: “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17 NKJV).
So, being in the wrong lane, he caught nothing all night long!
And that’s how it generally goes when a believer gets out of their God-given lane—life becomes frustrating, unfulfilling, and unfruitful.
But watch this! The next morning, Jesus appeared on the seashore and invited Peter to join Him for a fish fry.
Three times He proceeded to ask Peter if he loved him, three times Peter said yes, and three times Jesus said—“Feed My lambs, take care of My sheep, feed my sheep.”
In other words, “Peter, your assigned lane for your assigned race is to feed my sheep, to minister to my people, to shepherd my flock—So GET BACK IN YOUR LANE!”
Now, I’m going here today because I believe a big slice of the American church has gotten out of its appointed lane.
Let’s face it, in the year 2020 it wasn’t hard to do!
2020 was a year of debilitating distraction.
- First there was COVID—EVERYTHING became about Covid.
ALL EYES were on Covid—the infection count, social distancing, shutting down businesses, closing the doors of the church, wearing masks, what worked, what didn’t, and so on. - Then came the tragic killing of George Floyd, followed by the totally understandable, national protests.
- Then came the not so justified riots—cities burning, killing, looting, and so on.
- Then 2020 ended with a heavily contentious election.
And adding to the mix, many high-profile, self proclaimed prophets with national social-media and television followings predicted—in the name of the Lord—that Trump would win a consecutive 2nd term.
Even now some of them have chosen to die on that hill by insisting it’s still going to come about somehow.
Now, whatever you think and believe, I want to suggest that prophesying over a presidential election—with those prophecies coming under the glare of a national spotlight—AND REMAINING FIXATED ON THAT, is not the lane the church is called to run in!
Should we care about and take a stand for national issues like pro-life, favoring Israel, moral sanity, and God-given rights to self-protection? Yes!
I’m not IN ANY WAY stating we should not be involved in voting for candidates that best stand for Biblical issues.
But we should never allow a political race or candidate to replace the front burner purpose Jesus gave to His church—“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to ever creature!”
- The PRIMARY LANE Jesus has called us to run in,
- The HILL we’re called to die on if need be,
- The MESSAGE we’re called to proclaim—is the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified!
If the world PERSECUTES me, let it be for THAT cause!
If I am DENOUNCED, let it be for lifting Him up, not a politician.
If I GIVE MY LIFE for something, let it be for the One that gave His life for me!
So I’m throwing out today a word of exhortation—it’s time for the church to get back in the gospel lane.
So I encourage every child of God today to:
- Get rid of what slows you down
- Stay focused on Jesus
- Consider His sufferings
Let’s:
- Run to get the PRIZE!
- Run with all of your MIGHT.
- Run through the STORMS—Run through the HURTS—Run through the SETBACKS, Run through the BATTLES!
- Run to the END when we will finally hear the longed for words, “Well done!”