Questions

1. Fill in the blanks below from Hebrews 12:1-2. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of ___________, let us also lay aside every ______, and ____ which clings so closely, and let us run with ___________ the race that is set before us, 2 looking to ______, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the _______, despising the shame, and is _______ at the right hand of the throne of God.
2. TRUE or FALSE: The Westminster Confession teaches that true believers will persevere to the end.
3. The letter to the Hebrews repeatedly proclaims that Christ is:
4. A prophet among many
5. Greater than what came before
6. A reformer of Judaism
7. Equal to angels
8. As long as Christ remains __________ of us, His saving work remains of no value to us.
9. TRUE or FALSE:  You can admire Christianity without surrendering to Christ.
10. The remedy for all three “runners’ who were drifting away from the race is to:
11. Try harder
12. Join a group
13. Look to Jesus
14. Study theology
15. It is possible to:
16. Be saved without faith
17. Attend church and not belong to Christ
18. Enter the race accidentally
19. Be neutral toward Jesus
20. TRUE or FALSE:  The only power strong enough to break attachment to idols is a clearer vision of Christ.
21. “As long as _____ remains outside of us, all that He has done for ________ remains of no value to us.”

Discussion

1. To prepare to answer this series of questions you can review this section of the message in this link to the video: Over the past several weeks, (Timestamp Start to 3:10)
2. Why is it important that theology connects to our Monday morning struggles?
3. Read Hebrews 12:1-2 and note the language of our passage: “lay aside”, “run”, “endured”: What about this language in this passage connects with your experience of the life of faith in Christ?
4. Discuss the following questions in this link to the video: Run The Race with Endurance (Timestamp 3:11 to 7:46)
5. What “weights” might not be sinful in themselves but still hinder endurance?
6. Discuss how did God’s faithfulness demonstrate how He perseveres His people?
7. The Westminster Confession of Faith 17.1 says “They, whom God has accepted in His beloved, effectually  called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally, nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but they shall persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved.”
8. Discuss how Heb 12:1-2 and this Confession of Faith gives us hope that we are not alone in our struggle against sin and the distractions of the world- in Christ and with each other.
9. To prepare to answer this series of questions you can review this section of the message in this link: Look To Him as Your Example (Timestamp 7:47 to 11:28)
10. How does focusing on Christ strengthen endurance?
11. Why must Jesus be more than merely a moral example?
12. Hebrews 11 recounts the faith of many of the heroes of the Bible. What heroes of faith have inspired you in your walk of faith in Christ… a friend, a pastor, a missionary?
13. To prepare to answer this series of questions you can review this section of the message in this link: Listen Very Carefully to The Encouragement (Timestamp 11:29 to 18:33)
14. How do the three forms of drifting (sideways, inward, backward) reflect patterns seen throughout Scripture? What are some examples for Scripture that might reflect these patterns?
15. Taking the example of the three runners in Pastor Adcock’s message, which direction are you most tempted to look—sideways, inward, or backward?
16. Pastor Adcock encourages that us that our attachment to “lesser loves” is broken by “our deeper sight of His beauty and glory”. Discuss how we can encourage each other in this.
17. To prepare to answer this series of questions you can review this section of the message in this link: As we close, (Timestamp 18:34 to end)
18. What is the difference between admiring Jesus and surrendering to Him? Why is it dangerous to admire Christ without surrendering to Him?
19. If someone has not yet entered the race, what should they do?
20. How would you describe to someone who does not know Jesus as Lord, what the difference is in running the race with and without Him?

Sermon Outline

Over the past several weeks, (Timestamp Start to 3:10)  the shadow-weaving pattern on the wall has quietly framed our worship. Shadow weaving uses alternating light and dark threads which when woven together, create the illusion of depth through contrast. You might think it’s simply beautiful décor—but it makes a deeper point. Those interwoven threads mirror the patterns we see in the letter to the Hebrews, where Christ follows the shadows and copies of earthly things and is proclaimed to be greater—greater than angels, greater than Moses, offering a greater atonement as our great High Priest, mediating a better covenant built on better promises, bringing better power and a better presence.

But what difference does that rich theology make when Monday morning comes? How does a greater vision of Christ steady us when we battle depression? How does it strengthen us in the fight against lust, laziness, or dishonesty? How does it keep us moving forward when we feel weary or tempted to turn back? That is our task today. And to answer it, we turn to Hebrews 12:1–2.

Run The Race with Endurance (Timestamp 3:11 to 7:46)

What difference does it make to the writer of Hebrews that Jesus is greater? It makes all the difference. And for us this morning, it means at least three things. First, because Jesus is greater, we are called to run the race set before us with endurance.

Hebrews 12:1 – ¹Therefore, 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.

Why did these Christians need such strong exhortations? Because some of them were growing weary and tempted to give up. The cost of following Christ was beginning to feel too high. The familiar path of Judaism—without Jesus—was pulling at them. Hebrews 10:32 reminds us that they had already endured significant suffering for their faith.

Hebrews 10:32 – ³²But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings.

By recalling their earlier sufferings, the writer seeks to strengthen and encourage them: you’ve endured this far—don’t stop now. He compares the Christian life to a long-distance race.

In 490 B.C., when the Greeks were at war with the Persians, a soldier named Pheidippides fought in the Battle of Marathon. As victory seemed near, he noticed a Persian ship turning toward Athens. If the city believed in a false report of defeat, it might surrender, and triumph could turn into disaster. Seeing the danger, he ran to Athens—casting aside weapons, armor, even clothing to move faster. According to legend, he burst into the assembly and cried out, “We have won!” before collapsing in death from exhaustion. From that story, the marathon race was born.

In order for the Greeks to be saved, he had to run to the very end. In the same way, if these Christians are to be saved, they must keep running and refuse to give up. Like that ancient runner, they must lay aside everything that would hinder them from reaching the finish line.

Hebrews 12:1 – ¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely...

We must throw off the sin of unbelief and anything else that would lead us toward defeat. You might ask, is this a message of salvation by works? No. Or is it suggesting that a true believer—one who truly has the Spirit of God—can ultimately be lost? Absolutely not. Instead, we stand firmly on the confession of our faith, the Westminster Confession, which our denomination holds as its doctrinal standard.

They, whom God has accepted in His beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally, nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but they shall persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved. - Westminster Confession 17.1

We must remember that we are called to run the race faithfully all the way to the finish line.

Look To Him as Your Example  (Timestamp 7:47 to 11:28)

If Jesus is greater, then not only must we run the race with endurance, but we must also look to Him as our example. That’s the second truth in this passage. How will they stay motivated? How will they persevere when the road becomes hard? Every athlete needs someone to look up to—a model who proves that the goal is attainable.

When Jordan Stoltz won the 1,000-meter and 500-meter speed skating titles at the Milan Winter Olympics, he spoke about the influence of former champion Shani Davis. Watching Davis dominate the sport for years showed him that it was possible—that an American could rise to that level. “He showed me the path,” Stoltz essentially said.

And that’s the point for us as Christians. We, too, have a Champion—One who has gone before us, who has run the race perfectly, and who shows us the path to follow.

Hebrews 12:1 – ¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses...

Here we should ask, “What’s the therefore there for?” The writer is pointing us back to everything he has already said—especially to chapter 11, what we often call the great “Hall of Faith.” We don’t have time to unfold it all, but there we are reminded of Old Testament saints such as Abraham and Moses who lived and died in persevering faith.

These believers are surrounded not by just a few examples, but by a great cloud of witnesses—a phrase that emphasizes the sheer number and weight of those who have gone before. Does this mean that saints in heaven are leaning over the balcony of glory, cheering us on as we run? That’s a beautiful image, and many Christians have found encouragement in it. You may even think of someone who modeled faithful endurance for you, and the thought of their example strengthens your resolve.

But the writer’s main point is not what they see in us, but what we see in them. Their persevering faith testifies that the finish line is real and that endurance is possible.

Yet even with this great cloud of witnesses, the Christian ultimately has one true Champion, one supreme role model. So how will they—and how will we—find the strength to endure to the end? Now we must look to verse 2. We are called to run the race, to lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely—especially the sin of unbelief—and to fix our eyes on Him.

Hebrews 12:2 – ²Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith...

They must fix their eyes on Jesus—the One who authors and perfects their faith, who begins the work of salvation and brings it to completion. The victory has already been secured, and the reward will be shared with all who persevere to the end. Because Jesus is greater, we are called to run with endurance and to look to Him as our supreme example.

Listen Very Carefully to The Encouragement (Timestamp 11:29 to 18:33)

Because Jesus is greater, we must pay even closer attention to this word of encouragement and press this into our lives today. There are some who are tempted to leave the race.

One of the most painful realities of following Christ is this: not everyone running today will still be running tomorrow. Looking back, nearly 40% of my own seminary class no longer appears to be walking with the Lord. Some of them were close friends. They once ran strong, and now they are no longer on the course.

So hear this from my heart, I care about you. I do not want you to leave the race. I offer these words as genuine encouragement. I believe there may be at least three kinds of weary or struggling runners among us. We are in the same race together, and God has a word for you today.

• First, there are those who are drifting because they’ve begun looking sideways. Some lose heart because they fixate on the failures of other runners. Thoughts creep in: Christians are hypocrites. The church has been guilty of abuse. And at times, to our shame, that’s true—and it must be addressed honestly and humbly.
• Others think I had a terrible experience in youth group. I don’t like the politics of this church or that one. And for some, the struggle isn’t just with the failures of other runners, but with the rules of the race itself. Today, the popular term for this is “deconstructing.”
• We might hear—or even say—Christians are too strict about sexuality. They care too much about racial and social justice… or not nearly enough. If it’s not behavior, it may be doctrine: Christians are too narrow about other religions. How can Jesus really be the only way? Can we even trust the Bible? Hasn’t it been misused to justify oppression?
• And perhaps underneath it all is this quiet thought: Maybe I’ve outgrown this. Maybe I’m becoming too sophisticated for all this talk about Scripture and faith.
• Could that be you?
• There are also those who are drifting because they are looking inside. For them, the struggle isn’t primarily with others, it’s with themselves. The questions sound more like this: Do I really have what it takes to finish this race? I’ve barely begun, and already I feel exhausted. Maybe I shouldn’t have started. Maybe I’m not even a real runner.
• Perhaps you feel weighed down by past sins or discouraged by present failures. Maybe you constantly measure your progress against other Christians and always come up short. You find yourself wondering, Am I truly in this race at all?
• Is that you?
• Then there’s a third kind of drifting runner—not looking sideways, not looking inward, but looking backward. One of the first lessons in running is simple: keep your eyes forward. Fix your gaze on the finish line. Perhaps that’s the reminder you need today.
• Maybe you’ve only recently begun the race. You’ve come to Christ, but your old life keeps calling your name, pulling you to turn around. Or perhaps you’ve been running for years. You’ve served faithfully, you’ve been steady, dependable—yet lately you’ve begun to wonder, is it really worth it?
• You might even think, wouldn’t life be easier if I eased up? Wouldn’t I have more time, more comfort, fewer sacrifices?
• But the moment we start looking back, we lose sight of where we’re headed.

The temptation is to ease off, to take your foot off the gas and simply coast. I wonder—could that be you? Are you drifting by looking sideways, looking inward, or looking back?

In reality, all three struggles share the same remedy. The answer is to look up and to look forward. Whenever we feel ourselves drifting, it’s often because our hearts have been captured by something other than Christ. But verse 2 gives us the secret to endurance: fix your eyes on Him.

Hebrews 12:2 – ²Looking 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.

Small groups are valuable. Accountability is important. Prayer and Scripture are indispensable. But above all, what we need most is a renewed and living vision of Christ.

Hebrews 12:2 – ²Looking 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.

Jesus ran His race with joy set before Him—and remarkably, that joy included us. He bore the shame of the cross so that we could experience the joy of the finish line. An old hymn expresses it beautifully:

Hast thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him?

Is not thine a captured heart?

Chief among ten thousand own Him;

Joyful choose a better part.

What can strip the seeming beauty

From the idols of the earth?

Not a sense of right or duty,

But the sight of peerless worth.

The only power strong enough to break our attachment to lesser loves is a clearer vision of the surpassing worth of Christ. It is not merely an obligation, not sheer willpower but a deeper sight of His beauty and glory. And when Jesus asks, “Will you also go away?” may our hearts respond with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

As we close, (Timestamp 18:34 to end)  I want to speak not only to those who feel like quitting the race, but also to those who may never have truly entered it. Is your relationship with Jesus something like my relationship with running? I admire it. I think it’s a good thing. I’ve bought the gear. I’ve read about it. I even have friends who run marathons—so in a way, I participate through them. But I’ve never actually registered. I’ve never stepped up to the starting line.

It is entirely possible to attend church, own a Bible, even be baptized, and still not truly belong to Christ. You can respect Christianity without surrendering to Christ. But here is the truth: Jesus is greater—and you must enter the race. It’s time to step forward.

As one believer from centuries ago wisely said,

“As long as Christ remains outside of us, all that He has done for salvation remains of no value to us.” — John Calvin

So the question is deeply personal: Is Jesus still outside of you? If He is, today is the day to step onto the starting line.