c. Giving our attention to things like music, television shows, movies, etc that do not focus our minds on the Lord. WebThe aim of the message today is, God wants us to stay in the race! 2:16ff, 7. He took the burden of our sins and placed them on himself at the cross. John the The secret to winning the race, to truly live a Christlike life, is to order our lives around those activities, disciplines, and practices that were modeled by Christ, in order to accomplish through training what we cannot now do by trying. It, too, becomes the central focus of your existence. Jesus is the creator and sustainer of the universe. o Strongholds - re-occurring destructive habits that ultimately lead to our demise. But in a long distance contest such as a marathon, endurance is the key. Stay in the Race! A daily regimen of prayer, worship, reading Gods Word and examining our lives for impediments will help. 1:6-9), GODS JUDGMENT OF THE RELIGIOUS MAN (Rom. Liddell tangled feet with J. J. Gillies of England and tumbled to the track. When the gun sounded, there was a lot of shoving to get in front to the inside land, the advantageous position. He never lost sight of the goal and He never quit running until the goal had been achieved. The first few steps felt easy, and my way was clear and bright. Get in the race. In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado(PDF), D1. Nazarene. This merely teaches us that the Christian runner has endurance. That translates into more than 7,000 hours of training for an event that may last less than sixty seconds. Step 2: Consider Self, (As we run this race and look to Jesus, the author goes onto tell us several things about His race that we are to look to that will help us as we run the race we have been assigned.). (1015). The one who selected unattractive, unlikable, and unreliable men to be his followers and loved them to the end. A Popeye singing, "Im strong to the finish" Hebrews 12:1-3 1 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. b. We Must Run With Patience Here the picture is of a runner settling in for the long haul. Are you more like Jesus today than you were yesterday? In many respects we race not against opponents, but against ourselves. The writer of this text uses the illustration of a race to You picture yourself mingling with the elite athletes of the world. stumbled and fell, severely injuring both his knee and ankle. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus, who stands at the finish line waiting for us to complete the race. Hebrews 12:1-4, Denomination: Family can be a distraction. 12:1-3 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, As a believer in Jesus Christ, you run a race. August 19, 2007. Please see below for details. The one who selected unattractive, unlikable, and unreliable men to be his followers and loved them to the end. B. 12:2 Msg). Stay In The Race Contributed by Stephen Robinson D on Apr 29, 2007 based on 14 ratings | 25,394 views This sermon helps one to look at the good and bad and understand no matter what they go through in life they have to Stay in the Race. The Bay to Breakers footrace is an annual event in San Francisco. Right at the tape he passed Gillies, stuck his chest out, won the race, and collapsed to the track in total exhaustion. 38:17-20), TRAVELING THE HEAVENLY HIGHWAY (Isaiah35:8-10), SOME TEARS OUR LORD WILL WIPE AWAY (Isaiah25:8-9), WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT? In the spiritual arena, this refers to anything that hinders our walk with God. The activities of prayer, Bible Study, worship, service, evangelism, stewardship are among the needed the disciplines for running the spiritual race. You can do this. WebRunning The Race Hebrews 12:1-3 Home Back to Sermon List Now there are some of the same things which are essential to being victorious in a race are also key to being given to someone else. When we set our eyes firmly on him, we will not grow weary in the fight against sin and in the race to persevere in faith. Get in the race. He goes forth and runs at trouble. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. By focusing on that joy we can endure. You are the church, and Lifeway is here to serve you with biblical resources for everything life brings your way. As you endure day after day, Satan will whisper to you as he did to Job: "The righteous don't suffer. 15. Maybe life has thrown you some curve balls. He was charged with demon possession Mark 3:22, 14. Sermons on Staying the Course. The single most important principle for running the race toward becoming a spiritual champion is: Spiritual transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but of training wisely. from Ethiopia had won the race, and all the other Medical personnel had to assist him off the track that day. This refers to sins which cling to, distracts, entangles and trips the Christian runner. It is what you live for. INTRODUCTION They could not be further from the truth! Verse 2 tells us He is the founder of our faith. 12:1 HCSB, emphasis added). So you can win the race. 2. WebSTEPS FOR STAYING IN THE RACE Intro: Nowhere in the Bible are we promised that the Christian life is going to be easy. Photo credit: Unsplash/Jonathan Chng. Run in your own lane; stay in your own lane. The Greek word means One who begins or originates, and thus it is translated author, founder, and pioneer in different versions. Never give up. There are so many things and people that try and take us from Gods purpose in our lives. The day when salvation would be ultimately completed, sin forever destroyed, Satan forever banished and perfect righteousness would rule in every heart. Run in your own lane; stay in your own lane. The apostle Paul encouraged his young protg Timothy to "train yourself in godliness" (1 Tim. Solomon was a good man. But it is worth it. Your boyfriend can be a distraction. The picture is of a man trying to run a race while dressed in the long flowing robes of the day. I want to share some steps that are given in these verse that will help you and me run this race we are in this evening. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The first one is at the beginning. A short list of things includes: 1. If you have tripped and fallen, don't stay there. 8:20; Luke 9:58, 11. It dominates your mind. 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him I pray that youll finish the race, and that youll finish well. The Bay to Breakers footrace is an annual event in San Francisco. He Is Our Crown The good news is Jesus made us lightweight runners. The Christian race is not easy. 12:1-2 on several occasions Paul likened the Christian life to a race.. **politics,religion,sportsthirst for sportswe are in a race.. not a rest,its a racenot a frolic,its a fightword race is the word we get our word agony from.the discipline of an athelete, and the determination of a championimportant 1 Kings 11:4-11, 1 Kings 11:4, Denomination: Veterans whose memories take them back thirty-five years and in some cases longer in the history of athletics were unanimous in the opinion that Liddell's win in the quarter mile was the greatest track performance they had ever seen.". but to finish that race and make it to the cross where he would pay the price for mans redemption. He was charged with insanity Mark 3:21, 13. Our course has been individually designed! HOLY SPIRIT - The Most Important Person on Earth by Dr Myles Munroe (PDF), Breaking up the Fallow Ground - Hosea 10:12, Don't Waste Your Life by Dr John Piper (PDF Book), Spiritual Warfare Prayers and Sermons (PDF Books), A2.1 Powerful Prayers in the War Room by Daniel B Lancaster, NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS (1 Peter 1:18-25), THE BELIEVER'S SECULAR DUTY (Romans 13:1-10), WHY DID JESUS GO TO CALVARY? But, we must remain focused! Anything that does not build us up in the Lord, is a weight and a hindrance and should be removed from our life. There is something noble and honorable about not quitting - about getting back up and dusting yourself off and continuing to compete. The Christian race is not easy. In the Bible, we can find many stories of those who have stayed the course during difficult times. Solomon was a good man. As the Lord gives liberty, allow me to share with you these Steps For Staying In The Race. Where is the joy in being rejected by people you love? WebRunning the Race That Is Set Before Us Unleashing Gods Truth, One Verse at a Time Since 1969 Listen Now About Broadcasts Resources Store Apps Blog Devotionals Sermons Donate Search Play Add to Playlist Download MP3 Reset PDF Related Series: Also Available: Available to Purchase: Available Translations: Stand With Us You will run the race. The farther we are from sin, the closer we are to Jesus. If you have tripped and fallen, don't stay there. This need for training is not only for athletes; it is required for playing a musical instrument, learning a new language, or acquiring a new skill. That is, you cannot run in my lane and I cannot run in yours! o Strongholds are birthed and dwell in deception (which are lies and false beliefs), so naturally the cure is to bring the truth in God's Word on the scene. read more, Denomination: Rick Ezell is the pastor of First Baptist Greer, South Carolina. Seeking possessions and the things of this world instead of seeking God. It would not be unusual if some who hear me today are on the verge of dropping out. While we run, we must not look at the other runners. Navigating the challenges and joys of ministry life. ( Philippians 3:14) Run the race that is set before you. (Isaiah21:6-10), WHAT WE NEED IN THE DOWN TIMES (Isaiah6:1-8), THE INVITATION TO CLEANSING (Isaiah1:18), FREE TO HELP, NOT FREE TO HINDER (Romans14:13-23), DISCHARGING YOUR CHRISTIAN DUTY (Romans13:11-14), THE BELIEVERS SPIRITUAL DUTY (Romans13:11-14), THE BELIEVERS SECULAR DUTY (Romans13:1-10), THINKING ABOUT THE BRETHREN (Romans12:9-21), JESUS CHRIST : THE BEST FRIEND WEVE EVER HAD (John15:12-17), JESUS CHRIST : THE TRUE VINE (John15:1-11), HELP FOR THE TROUBLED HEART (John14:1-6), BIBLICAL FACTS ABOUT A PLACE CALLED HEAVEN (John14:1-6), JESUS CHRIST : THE GREAT ENCOURAGER (John14:1-31), THE SECRET OF HOLY LIVING (Romans12:1-2), GODS PLAN FOR THE JEW, AND FOR YOU AND ME (Romans11:1-36), BOUND BY THE LORDS PURPOSES (Romans9:6-33), BURDENED FOR A LOST PEOPLE (Romans9:1-5), ABSOLUTE SECURITY IN CHRIST JESUS (Rom. Should be removed from our life footrace is an annual event in Francisco... Be his followers and loved them to the inside land, the closer we are to Jesus joy in rejected! 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