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Family Research Council is serving in the kingdom of God by championing faith, family, & freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
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Running the Race of Faith 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Alright. Today, we have an amazing passage. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for0:21 the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Now in chapter 11, we read about0:33 those in the faith hall of fame. Now it's our turn. How can we possibly overcome the opposition, the difficulties, and the discouragement of this life, and successfully0:45 run the race of life and win the prize? Well, here it is. Look to Jesus. Now look how this chapter begins. Verse 1. Therefore, we also Now this is a continuation0:57 of chapter 11 and the faith hall of fame because they live by faith overcoming and accomplishing great exploit exploits for the kingdom of god. Therefore, we also.1:09 Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight in the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. These great heroes of the1:21 faith that we just read about in chapter 11, who endured all these difficulties and overcame. Well, now they're sitting in the stands watching us run this1:33 race. Look at these instructions just in verse 1. We are to put off every weight. I went a runner, and I I was a sprinter in high school. You know, we we wore, you know,1:44 light shorts and tank top shirts in these these very, thin shoes, spikes, running spikes. They're not very comfortable at all. In fact, they're uncomfortable, but they're lightweight.1:56 You you did not want extra weight. You wanted as light as possible. And and and this is and the sin that so easily ensnares us. That is unbelief. And so2:08 we're to run with endurance. We're we're to be in it for the long haul. Alright? We don't we don't stop halfway around the track. So we we put off every weight, every obstacle that would hold us2:20 back. We, we put aside the the the unbelief that would cloud our thinking and our judgment, and we run with2:32 our eyes upon eternity. Look what he said about Jesus. He, looking unto Jesus. Alright. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the2:44 joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, has sat down at the right hand of the throne of god. You see, his focus was beyond the cross. He knew2:56 he had to endure the cross and the shame to accomplish the mission that god had sent him upon. We, the father, god the father, sent him on. And and and and we, when we're3:08 getting weary and we're tired, we need to look to the example of Jesus. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in3:19 your souls. You have not resisted to bloodshed striving against sin. Now if you're reading this, the author is saying you've not been martyred, so don't complain.God's Loving Discipline 3:32 The next portion shifts from persecution to discipline. And God uses both to to mature us and to grow us and shape us into the sons and daughters of God that he has3:44 called us to be. All of these things work to to bring us to perfection, to maturity, which is god's goal. His goal is not our com comfort. Right? It is to bring us to to3:55 perfection, to maturity that we can bring honor and glory to him. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons. My son, do not4:07 despise the chastening of the Lord nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him. For whom the Lord loves, he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives. If you endure chastening,4:19 God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all had become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not4:30 sons. You know, as a as a father who now has 5 grown children and, grandchildren, you know, I I corrected my children. I didn't correct other people's kids. I just4:42 never I know some people do that. I I just was not that was not me. But I was on top of my kids. I would correct them and guide them because they were mine. I wanted them to make good choices. I wanted4:54 them to to be I wanted them to be the very best they could be walking with the Lord. And I'm grateful for all 5 of my children who are walking with the Lord, and the Lord is using5:06 them. And so that was my heart. And so if my heart is that way as a father, God's heart for us as his children is even so much more. He he is correcting us. He5:17 is disciplining us. He is maturing us to doesn't mean that necessarily that it's it's punishment, and we're gonna talk about that in a moment. But it it it is it is perfecting us. It is bringing us5:29 to maturity. Alright. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the5:41 father's spirits and and live? And just just what I was saying. For they indeed, for a few days, chastened us as seemed best to them, but he for our profit, that5:53 we may be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful. Nevertheless, afterward, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those6:05 who have been trained by it. Now as as I was saying, the the discipline of the lord and and and this is not to be seen just as punishment for something that is done wrong as god works6:17 to improve us and to grow us through discipline. In other words, discipline is not always punishment. Sometimes, yes, it is, but it's not always. The discipline of the lord is designed to6:28 accomplish the following things in our lives, produce the fruit of righteousness in our lives, prepares us to partake in the eternal glory of god. It produces obedience to god, and it6:40 proves, don't miss this, it proves we are his children. Next, we look at, practical guidance for this journey that will include persecution andPractical Guidance and Warnings 6:52 or discipline, which can discourage us and those around us. Look at verse 12. Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down in the feeble knees. There are times when we need7:04 to encourage ourselves. No 1 else is going to do it. We need to encourage ourselves in the lord. Look look at what David did. First Samuel chapter 30 verse 6. Now David was7:16 greatly distressed. This is when they came back and, the the camp had been, basically attacked while they were7:27 out, in in battle, and all of the people, the families, all carried away. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of7:39 all of the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord. This is when they were in Ziglag, and they came and they carried everything away, and and everybody7:51 turned against David, and he had to encourage himself in the Lord. To help, we need to choose the proven path. Look at verse 13. And make straight paths for your8:02 feet so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people in holiness without which no 1 will see the Lord. Pursue peace with all people8:14 and pursue sanctification before God. We need to be on guard against apostasy and the falling away from the faith, which can produce not just bitterness toward god and man, but a root of8:26 bitterness that will affect many. We need to be very careful what we're listening to, what we're believing, what we're feeding our soul with. Looking verse 15, looking carefully, lest anyone fall short of the grace8:38 of God, lest any root of bitterness spring up, cause trouble, and by this, many become defiled. And that's leading to what Esau did in profaning the gift of god. Look at8:50 verse 16. Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for 1 morsel of food sold his birthright. Will you trade what god has promised to us for all9:02 of eternity for a morsel of food? You know, where it says about Moses that he he rejected the pleasures of the moment. He he didn't partake of that. He rather chose to9:14 follow god. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.From Sinai to Zion: An Unshakable Kingdom 9:26 Now in verses 18 through 29, there's a comparison of the old and the new by contrasting Mount Sinai and the law with Mount Zion and the gospel of grace. And there's a9:38 call to listen to the word of the Lord. I choose to listen. Look at verse 18. For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire9:49 into blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore, for10:01 they could not endure what was commanded. And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow. And so terrifying was the sight10:13 that Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and trembling. But you have come to Mount Zion, alright, the comparison here, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable10:25 company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God, the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator10:37 of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse him who speaks. Listen. For if he did10:49 not escape who refused whom who spoke on earth, much more shall not escape if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven. Alright? Those who11:01 rejected the the the word that was spoken on the earth at Mount Sinai, There was there were consequences. Well, even more so as God speaks through Jesus11:13 Christ, the definitive word. God has spoken from heaven through his son, Jesus Christ. We need to be listening. Verse 26, whose voice then shook the earth, but now he has promised11:24 saying, yet once more, I shake not only the earth, but also heavens. Now this, yet once more, indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken11:36 as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we11:48 may serve god acceptably with reverence and godly fear. There is 1 more shaking to come with the return of Jesus,12:00 and all that which is not within the kingdom of God will be shaken. You know, while we live in the, you know, the the generous dispensation of12:12 grace, there is still a judgment coming that will fall upon all who have not looked to Jesus as the author and their finish and the finisher of their faith. Final verse.12:24 For our god is a consuming fire. We need to listen and heed the voice of god. As we've looked, you know, as we read about that hall of faith, by12:36 faith, they acted in obedience to god. And today, we need to, by faith, act in obedience to god, to what he has12:47 called us to do. Father, thank you for your word. May we be listening, and may by faith we respond in obedience to you as those who have come before us, as12:59 we will read even tomorrow that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Your word does not change. Your character does not change. And so, lord, the call13:11 to us does not change, and that is to be obedient by faith, trusting you and obeying you. Guide us this day, lord. Use us for your purposes and kingdom. We pray in13:23 Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. A couple of things. A reminder that beginning next month in January, we start fresh. Stand on the word will begin in13:35 Genesis, and this is a great opportunity to invite friends and family to join you on this journey. Hope you'll sign up and join us again. Text the word bible to 6 7 7 4 2.13:47 That's bible to 6 7 7 4 2, and you can also share that information, with friends and family. Also, coming up this Saturday night, for those in the Baton Rouge area, you can join us for our monthly,13:59 Stand on the Word. In fact, it's our final Stand on the Word Bible studies. We look at Jude. And you can join us on the Stand Firm app if you're not in Baton Rouge, and this will be the last14:11 time that we have our Saturday night Stand on the Word Bible study. Alright. Until next time, keep standing on the word.14:22 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you14:34 can read through the entire bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Running the Race of Faith3:32 God's Loving Discipline6:50 Practical Guidance and Warnings9:26 From Sinai to Zion: An Unshakable Kingdom
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