Since it is the London marathon on Sunday I thought I would send my notes out by the very first sin I gave a couple of years back at my own church. It had been on the afternoon of the Hastings Half marathon plus I wished to frighten those watching the race which most Christians have been in a hurry, while you're a sporty man or never. It's based upon the passage from Hebrews 1 2 V1
"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."
(Inch ) Encouragement
Let us go through the very first portion of the poetry;"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses" - just what exactly does this mean?
When we start to begin to see the word'Therefore' this usually means that alot was mentioned previously. We come in the centre of some spot the writer is earning. At Hebrews 11 the writer was referring to faith. He moves through a set of the excellent people of faith who've gone ahead. These individuals have conducted their own races also have demonstrated that God is loyal and dependable. They have been inviting us during their case and perseverance.
It's amazing to get encouragement and you're able to see at a hurry the way the runners have been invited by plenty of people cheering on them.
Back in Hebrews 10:24-25 it says;"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Additionally, there are a number of ways individuals could provide reinforcement throughout our church neighborhood;
• Sending a letter or even a email
• A gift/flowers having an email
• Offering to beg for individuals and seeking God to get an inviting bible verse to provide.
• Offering to help somebody virtually.
• Visiting the sick or infirm.
• Remembering to call up people and inquire the way it moved after a test, interviewand hospital appointment .
• Offering lifts to folks who do not possess cars.
• Offering Baby-sitting to some worried bunch who want a Rest plus a few'child free time'
I am positive that you can consider more. The main issue is that individuals'consider' exactly what we do and people really answer a reinforcement. The adage'It's the thought that counts' could be quite true which may make all of the difference.
(2) Getting rid of hindrances
Though it could be cold or pouring with rain, then you won't find any runners using over coats. They don't really want any such thing holding them .
The verse cites'everything that hinders' and the'Sin that easily entangles'.
The most obvious sins are simple to spot, however think about things which interfere with. They could well not even be special sins nevertheless they are matters which may waste our own time preventing us running effortlessly. There are a Lot of Things that could throw us off track but a couple that came into mind are recorded below;
• Habits - Not fundamentally wrong in their own but may occupy our time. Matters like video games, a lot of TV, an interest which takes all of your own time and effort. A suggestion in the bible to consider is just 1 Corinthians 10 v 2-3 at which it says;"I have the right to do anything," that you say-but perhaps maybe not what is favorable. "I have the right to do anything"-but not everything is good." We are free to do these things but we need to use wisdom
• Legalism - It's actually harder work trying to follow rules and regulations. We sometimes default to trying to earn our salvation through good works but this never works. The bible says in Galatians 5 v 1"It is for freedom that Christ has set us all free. Stand firm, then, and don't let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Don't strive by trying to earn your approval it's already been won by Jesus, you could never do it yourself anyway! To use the running analogy it's like running in circles.
• Antinomianism - (Big word alert!!) This is the opposite to legalism, sometimes called licence. People who follow this believe that Christians can do whatever they like because they are not 'under' the law, they can sin as much as they like. But the apostle Paul addresses this very clearly in his gospel to the Romans (chapter 6 v 1-2)"What will we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace might increase? By no way! We're individuals who have died to sin; just how do we stay in it ?" If legalism is running in circles then antinomianism is running in the wrong direction!
We need to strike a balance between the two. This passage talks about'The race marked out to all of people' To use the example of a different style of running it is a lot like running in lanes on a running track.
• Passivity - It takes effort to run a long race, do we look for the easy option? Pressing that snooze button in the morning when we could be spending time with our heavenly father, or missing out on the Sunday evening prayer meeting because we need to prepare for Monday morning. It's helpful to remember those pictures of us fighting in a war. The apostle Paul again had the right idea. Writing in 1 Corinthians 9 v 26-27 he said;"Therefore I don't run just like a man running aimlessly; I usually do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I will be disqualified for the prize" That doesn't sound very passive does it?
• Fear - This can be one of the biggest hindrances to running well. For a runner it would be like running with a limp. Fear can stop us from doing just what God has told us to do and when we don't do as He says we become ineffective. We need to step out and believe God and believe what He says. Don't be afraid of what others may think.
(3) Running with perseverance
If you're not tired and your muscles don't ache, you may not even be running the race at all.
Running the Christian race is not easy, it takes determination and perseverance to run the race right through to the very end.
Many of the runners you will see in a race look super fit, this is because they have trained. They have put in the hours and pounded the streets day after day. How are we to run with perseverance in the race that we run?
• Dying to self daily - Then he said to them all:"If anyone would come after mehe must deny himself and take up his cross each day and follow me" (Luke 9v23) That means we don't do things our own way but we are surrendered to God's will. This is a constant battle. Even Jesus struggled with this in the garden of Gethsemane when he asked if the cup could be taken from him, but he knew in the end it was not his will but the Fathers that he wanted to do.
When you train for a race, you don't just have a little run occasionally. It requires discipline. As you know, Christianity is a relationship, we have a relationship with the best personal trainer who runs every step with us and we also have the best training manual (The bible) with full guidance on how to run the race. This manual also sustains us (like taking supplements legally!)
• Following a perfect example - Jesus is our example. We follow the one who ran the perfect race. He is our pace setter. In the very next verse in Hebrews it tells us to'believe him'. We will not lose our way if we follow him.
• God has called us to a unique race- God has made you for a purpose. You are unique. No-one on this earth is better qualified to do the job you do than you. We are not called to do other peoples jobs for them. Don't be jealous of what other people do (Don't try to run somebody else's race). Seek God for his will for your life and do it to the best of your ability
• We don't run the race on our own - we complement each other. In 1 Corinthians 12 it talks about the church all being members of one body. We cannot work independently, just as a body cannot function without the other parts. You may be an ear, a big toe or a wrist but we all need to work together. Some runners run in teams and they need each other. In some team races you won't win if you don't all cross the line.
• Keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit - We need the Holy Spirit all the time. We would not even be Christians without the Holy Spirit, and we need Him to fill us regularly or we will run out of energy. Thinking about the analogy of the race, it's like running without topping up at regular water stations. The effect of lack of water is dehydration. I looked up on a runners website what the effects would be;
"How much money that you drink affects not merely the level of one's jog, however, also how much you proceed. Exercise-induced overeating reduces endurance, increases body weight, heartbeat, along with your perceived effort, which makes your routine run seem much tougher than normal. Even minimal dehydration reduces performance and endurance, and most effects are more rigorous in summer. A recent study of this investigation showed that individuals who drank water during exercise, workout more. Continuing to operate when dried may cause heat stroke and death"
His divine power has given us all we need for life and godliness. (2 peter 1 v 3)
• Look into the decoration - And just exactly what a decoration. The bible records a number of blessings to anticipate. We have to spend eternity together with all our savior with the lack of despair and pain facing a enormous banquet. There are many verses which will give us inspiration but I have chosen two out;
I've fought the fantastic fight, I have finished the race, so I have kept the faith.
Currently there was in store for me the crown of righteousness, that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me that day-and perhaps not and then me personally, but also to those who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4 v 7 8 )
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have previously been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me personally. Brothers, I don't consider myself yet to have cared for it. However something I do: Forgetting what's behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press toward the goal to get the prize that God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3 v 12 14 )
Whether you're seeing or perhaps engaging in the marathon that weekend, even since you see the runners proceed, do not forget that you are in a hurry and it's the one that's well worth running for, directly during the end.
