Enduring Faith: Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus

 

Summary

In Hebrews 12, we are reminded of the profound journey of faith that we, as Christians, are called to undertake. This passage encourages us to lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely, urging us to run with endurance the race set before us. Our focus must be on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him. This endurance is not just a passive waiting but an active perseverance, a call to live counter-culturally in a world that often opposes the message of the cross.

The reality of our Christian walk is that it is fraught with challenges, both from within and without. Many have lost their way, not because they accidentally wandered off, but because they deliberately chose paths that deviate from the truth. This is a call to return to the old paths, to the foundational truths of our faith, and to resist the temptation to conform to the world’s standards. We are reminded that the church is not full of hypocrites but of sinners who acknowledge their need for a Savior. Our authenticity as Christians is not in our perfection but in our brokenness and our reliance on God’s grace.

The author of Hebrews paints a vivid picture of a cloud of witnesses, those who have gone before us, cheering us on in our race. This imagery serves as a powerful reminder that we are not alone in our struggles. We are part of a larger story, a grand narrative of faith that spans generations. Our perseverance is both a personal journey and a communal one, as we draw strength from those who have run the race before us.

Ultimately, our endurance is rooted in our gaze upon Jesus. He is not just the initiator of our faith but the one who leads us through every trial and triumph. By fixing our eyes on Him, we find the strength to persevere, knowing that He is with us every step of the way. This is the essence of our Christian journey: to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and to run the race with endurance, knowing that He is our ultimate hope and help.

Key Takeaways:

1. Endurance in Faith: Our Christian journey requires us to lay aside every weight and sin, running with endurance the race set before us. This endurance is not passive but an active perseverance, rooted in our focus on Jesus, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him. [00:43]

2. Authenticity in Brokenness: The church is not full of hypocrites but of sinners who acknowledge their need for a Savior. Our authenticity as Christians is found in our brokenness and reliance on God’s grace, not in a superficial facade of perfection. [12:18]

3. The Cloud of Witnesses: We are part of a larger story, surrounded by a cloud of witnesses who have gone before us. This imagery reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles and that our perseverance is both a personal and communal journey. [18:06]

4. Counter-Cultural Living: As Christians, we are called to live counter-culturally, resisting the temptation to conform to the world’s standards. Our way is contrary to the way of the world, and we must hold fast to the foundational truths of our faith. [09:38]

5. Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus: Our ultimate hope and help are found in fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He is not just the initiator of our faith but the one who leads us through every trial and triumph, ensuring our perseverance to the end. [47:19]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - Introduction to Hebrews 12
- [00:43] - Running the Race with Endurance
- [01:21] - The Discipline of the Lord
- [02:15] - Striving for Peace and Holiness
- [03:12] - Prayer for Guidance
- [04:20] - The Great Commission
- [05:42] - Christians Losing Their Way
- [07:22] - Deliberate Wandering from the Faith
- [09:38] - The Offense of the Cross
- [12:18] - The Church and Hypocrisy
- [14:38] - Persecution and Perseverance
- [18:06] - The Cloud of Witnesses
- [25:33] - Laying Aside Every Weight
- [39:23] - Jesus as Our Pioneer and Leader
- [47:19] - Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Hebrews 12:1-17

Observation Questions:
1. What does Hebrews 12:1-2 say about the role of Jesus in our faith journey? How is He described in these verses? [00:43]
2. According to the sermon, what is the significance of the "cloud of witnesses" mentioned in Hebrews 12:1? How does this imagery encourage believers? [18:06]
3. What are the specific challenges mentioned in the sermon that Christians face in their walk of faith? [05:42]
4. How does the sermon describe the church's authenticity in relation to sin and grace? [12:18]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of "laying aside every weight and sin" in Hebrews 12:1 relate to the idea of living counter-culturally as discussed in the sermon? [09:38]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the church is often misunderstood by the world, and how should Christians respond to this perception? [11:04]
3. How does the sermon explain the dual role of God's preservation and our perseverance in the Christian faith? [16:10]
4. What does it mean to "fix our eyes on Jesus" according to the sermon, and how does this focus help believers endure trials? [47:19]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a personal "weight" or sin that you need to lay aside to run your race with endurance. What steps can you take this week to address it? [25:33]
2. The sermon emphasizes authenticity in brokenness. How can you be more transparent about your struggles with fellow believers, and why is this important? [12:18]
3. Consider the "cloud of witnesses" in your life. Who are the people that have inspired your faith journey, and how can you draw strength from their example? [18:06]
4. In what ways are you tempted to conform to the world's standards, and how can you resist this temptation to live counter-culturally? [09:38]
5. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to fix your eyes on Jesus more intentionally. What practical steps can you take to keep your focus on Him? [47:19]
6. How can you encourage someone in your community who may be struggling with their faith, drawing from the sermon’s message of perseverance and hope? [23:33]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt alone in your faith journey. How can the imagery of the "cloud of witnesses" change your perspective on community and support? [18:06]

Devotional

Day 1: Active Perseverance in Faith
Our Christian journey is likened to a race that requires us to lay aside every weight and sin, running with endurance the race set before us. This endurance is not a passive waiting but an active perseverance, rooted in our focus on Jesus, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him. The challenges we face, both internally and externally, are opportunities to exercise this perseverance. By keeping our eyes on Jesus, we find the strength to continue, knowing that He is with us every step of the way. [00:43]

Hebrews 10:36-37 (ESV): "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, 'Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay.'"

Reflection: What is one specific weight or sin that you need to lay aside today to run your race with endurance? How can you actively persevere in your faith this week?


Day 2: Embracing Authenticity in Brokenness
The church is not a gathering of perfect people but of sinners who acknowledge their need for a Savior. Our authenticity as Christians is found in our brokenness and reliance on God’s grace, not in a superficial facade of perfection. This understanding frees us from the pressure to appear flawless and allows us to be genuine in our struggles and victories. Embracing our brokenness is a testament to the transformative power of God’s grace in our lives. [12:18]

2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you tempted to put up a facade of perfection? How can you embrace your brokenness and rely on God’s grace today?


Day 3: Drawing Strength from the Cloud of Witnesses
We are part of a larger story, surrounded by a cloud of witnesses who have gone before us. This imagery serves as a powerful reminder that we are not alone in our struggles. Our perseverance is both a personal journey and a communal one, as we draw strength from those who have run the race before us. Their testimonies encourage us to continue in faith, knowing that we are part of a grand narrative that spans generations. [18:06]

Hebrews 11:39-40 (ESV): "And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect."

Reflection: Who in your life or in history serves as a witness to you, encouraging you in your faith journey? How can you draw strength from their example today?


Day 4: Living Counter-Culturally
As Christians, we are called to live counter-culturally, resisting the temptation to conform to the world’s standards. Our way is contrary to the way of the world, and we must hold fast to the foundational truths of our faith. This call to live differently is not easy, but it is essential to our witness and our growth in Christ. By standing firm in our beliefs, we demonstrate the transformative power of the Gospel in a world that often opposes it. [09:38]

Romans 12:2 (ESV): "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Reflection: In what specific ways are you tempted to conform to the world’s standards? How can you live counter-culturally in your daily life this week?


Day 5: Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus
Our ultimate hope and help are found in fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He is not just the initiator of our faith but the one who leads us through every trial and triumph, ensuring our perseverance to the end. By focusing on Him, we find the strength and guidance needed to navigate the challenges of life. Jesus is our constant companion, and by keeping our gaze on Him, we are reminded of His love and faithfulness. [47:19]

Colossians 3:1-2 (ESV): "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

Reflection: What distractions are keeping you from fixing your eyes on Jesus? How can you refocus your attention on Him today?

Quotes


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. [00:32:10]

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet. [02:06:00]

Many Christians have lost their way because many churches have lost their way because many pastors have lost their way because in truth many of the institutions that are training those pastors have lost their way. The reality of it is that it's not so much a matter of just being lost. [07:00:22]

The reality of it is that the message of Christianity and the message of the cross is an offense to the world, and it's hard to be an offense. But nevertheless, we preach the Cross of Christ, we give an answer for the hope that is within us yet we give that answer with meekness. [09:35:10]

The church isn't full of hypocrites. The church is filled with people who know they're sinners and who repent of their sin. In fact, you have to admit that you're a sinner to get into the church to join the church. That's one of the qualifications you have to come in and say. [12:09:24]

We are a people who are truly humble because we're truly broken by our sin and the grace of God, that we would be a people who would be truly kind, not just kindness with lip service but the sort of people that would sacrifice and give generously and care for those who are truly in need. [13:24:20]

The author of Hebrews is writing to a group of Christians who are suffering, they're being persecuted. Now most of us have never really ever begun to be persecuted in the way these early Christians were persecuted. You have to understand that not only were they run out of their towns. [14:35:24]

The author of Hebrews has just come through, of course, chapter 11 in this Great Hall of Faith naming all of these individuals who have gone on before us Faithfully trusting the Lord and are now somehow described to us as a cloud of witnesses who are in some way almost cheering us on. [18:45:54]

The race of Our Lives is not a race that we chose for ourselves, it's not a path that our parents set us on ultimately. It is ultimately The Sovereign race that God has established for us, the Sovereign race that God has set for our lives and the race that each of us is on. [26:00:56]

The word as being the leader from the beginning or the one who leads at the out front, the one who goes before us is the language that describes someone who's not simply standing at the back. He's not a general sitting upon his horse just sending his troops into battle to fight. [38:50:00]

He is the one who is in front of us, he is our active and engaged leader, he is the one who is fighting in front of us and fighting for us and defending us, he is the one that we follow so that as we live, as we work and as we make our way in this world. [39:36:24]

The Christian way is by fixing our eyes on the one who is the way. He's not just the way to be justified, he's not just the way to be saved, he's not just the way to sanctification, he's the way to our perseverance, he's the way to make it to the end. [47:08:52]

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Transcript
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