1. We can’t win the prize if we don’t finish the race
RUN WITH ENDURANCE
We can’t win the prize if we don’t finish the race

2. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
The writer of Hebrews compares our life as a Christian to a race.
Not a sprint but rather a race that requires endurance. It’s a long distance race.
It’s a long distance race with hurdles.
Heb 12:1 ¶ 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,

3. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
The writer describes this as a race with an audience.
We are surrounded by a large crowd.
It makes me think of a large stadium filled with spectators.
Competitors many times look to those they know in the crowd for support and encouragement.
Among the spectators of this race are people who should be very important to us.

4. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
We have more than just family and friends to look to for strength and encouragement.
In this crowd we have some of the greatest people to have ever lived.
Hebrews Chapter 11 tells us who is in this crowd of witnesses.
People like: Abel, Noah, Abraham
Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

5. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Heb 11:18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"
19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
This great crowd contains others like: Joseph and Moses.
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,

6. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Heb 11:25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
Men like Samson, David and Samuel are a part of this great cloud of witnesses.
Each one of these have overcome the hurdles of sin to become champions of living by faith.
They have already done what we are trying to do. That is to “live by faith”.

7. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Listen to some of the “hurdles” that some of these men and women overcame.
Heb 11:32 ¶ And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

8. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Heb 11:34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.

9. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented--
38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

10. RUN WITH ENDURANCE These overcame the Hurdles of being:
Thrown into the furnace to be burned alive
Thrown in with the lions to be eaten
Who gave up their own lives to defeat the enemies of God
Who were stoned to death
Who were tortured
Who were thrown into prison
Who were sawn in two.
These are a part of the crowd watching us run the race of being a Christian.

11. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
The Hebrew writer tells us how to be successful in running this race.
Hebrews 12:1 …let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,…
The runner gets rid of all things that may hinder him from running his best.
Heavy coats, clothes or heavy shoes that may weigh him down
The Christian is to rid himself of all things that will keep him from living the Christian life. Namely Sin!

12. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
To carry this thought of Christian life being like a race a little further, I believe we can compare these sins and trials we face to hurdles.
Running the race would be easy if there were no obstacles to overcome.
The fact of the matter is that there are problems, trials and sins we must overcome in order to be pleasing to God.

13. WHAT HURDLES ARE WE NOT OVERCOMING?
SIN

14. WHAT WILL KEEP ME FROM FINISHING THE RACE?
WORSHIP

15. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Is missing worship services going to keep us from going to Heaven?
Heb 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

16. WHAT WILL KEEP ME FROM FINISHING THE RACE?
FRIENDS

17. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Are the wicked friends we keep going to keep us from going to Heaven?
1Co 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
If we have these evil friends we better wake up and see what road they will take us down.

18. WHAT WILL KEEP ME FROM FINISHING THE RACE?
WORK

19. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Am I engaged in a career that will keep me from getting to Heaven?
Is my career wicked and sinful in nature.
Bartender
Casino employee
Thief
Does my career prevent me from doing things that God requires like attending services on a regular basis

20. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
When it comes down to the decision of having to obey our boss or obey God, there really is no decision to be made.
Ac 5:29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.
This is the rule in every single case. Obey God and let man do what he wants to about it!

21. WHAT WILL KEEP ME FROM FINISHING THE RACE?
Language

22. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Will the way we talk keep us from making it into Heaven?
Do we use filthy or vulgar language?
Col 3:8 ¶ But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Corrupt from Greek word Sapros: Rotten

23. WHAT WILL KEEP ME FROM FINISHING THE RACE?
Love

24. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Will my love for people or things of this world keep me from making it into Heaven?
Our love for God must be stronger than our love for others
Lu 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
27 "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

25. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
The Greek word for Hate is “Miseo” and one of its definitions is to “Love Less”.
We must love the people of this world, even those closest to us, less than we do Christ.
This can be a difficult hurdle to overcome but we must ask ourselves “who do I love the most?”
Is it family and friends or God?

26. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
God knows that these things can be challenges for us to overcome but He still expects us to do it.
He has given us plenty of examples to prove that it can be done
Remember those spectators who are in the crowd?
Many of them overcame hurdles much greater than anything we will face in our lives.

27. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
The Hebrew writer gives us an even greater example to follow than these.
Heb 12:1 ¶ 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 endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

28. RUN WITH ENDURANCE Jesus is the perfect example.
He was willing to endure the cross because of the joy that was waiting for Him.
The joy of saving men’s souls and the joy of sitting at the right hand of God
If Jesus was willing to endure this cruelty for us then there should be nothing we would not be willing to endure for Him.
Is there a hurdle we are not willing to overcome?

29. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Heb 12:3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
When we begin to think “I can’t do it” we need to consider the example of Jesus.

30. Conclusion
We need to stand up straight and be strong spiritually so we can overcome any hurdle we may face
So that we might ultimately finish the race and receive the prize of that home in Heaven.
Lets not be like the Rich Young Ruler and allow one hurdle to keep us from going to Heaven.

31. Conclusion
Lu 18:20 "You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"
21 And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth.“
He had overcome all of these hurdles in life.

32. The Rich Young Ruler
Adultery

33. The Rich Young Ruler
Steal

34. The Rich Young Ruler
truthful

35. The Rich Young Ruler
Defraud

36. The Rich Young Ruler
Parents

37. Conclusion He still lacked one thing.
Lu 18:22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

38. The Rich Young Ruler
Money