Enduring Joy: Running the Race of Faith

I come to you uh in total allegiance to the word of God the Bible this is my authority and I don't expect you to believe anything I say in fact I would discourage you from believing anything I say because I say it okay are we if you see it here if I can show you it's here then you should die for it okay so don't I don't have any presumption that in myself I bring any wisdom or any Authority. [00:00:50]

I exist to spread a passion if you don't like the word passion use the word zeal that's the Biblical word so I exist to spread a Zeal intense Awakening animating Zeal or passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples with an s on the end peoples so he prayed for the Nations I'm here for the Nations I'm everywhere for the Nations I hope the ripple effect in everything I do is to get the Great Commission done come Lord Jesus. [00:01:15]

God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him it changed absolutely everything he said I wrote a lot of books they all say the same thing you you don't need to get any of those books one would be nice I don't take any royalties just and what you're going to find is God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him that's a radical statement because it means if you are going to live for the glory of God you must live for your joy in him not in stuff house family job reputation in him not primarily his gifts even. [00:03:40]

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 I think that's the main point of the verse of the passage even run view your life as a marathon right let us run with endurance how old are you I'm looking here this is okay I see some young folks right you're young you have 80 years young lady probably you have 80 years to live probably but I'm looking at a few others of you like me you don't you don't but we're going to run are we not we're going to run all you grhe heads we're going to run you do not you don't get a pass on running doesn't matter what age you are you do not get a pass on this we run till we hit the tape. [00:07:41]

Looking to Jesus the founder and perfector 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 so our focus is going to be in verse two on the phrase for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross but before we zero in on that explosive phrase let's get the context clear okay so chapter 11 previous chapter you all know is the one that celebrates all these Old Testament Heroes of Faith by faith Abel by faith Abraham by faith Sarah by faith Moses and right on through dozens of them live by faith that's the cloud CL of Witnesses in verse one therefore since we're surrounded by that cloud of witnesses. [00:09:06]

I want you to ask the question I got a marathon to run for Christ how can I so eat how can I so train how can so dress how can I so sleep how can I so get up in the morning that I maximize my ability to run this Marathon as great as I can run it not just whether to wear a coat or not I guess not just whether to do stupid things or not just whether to avoid sin but what are the things that would maximize my power in prayer maximize my boldness in witness maximize my love for other people maximize my Zeal for the Nations maximize my ability to sacrifice for others what what would make you a great Runner. [00:15:09]

The joy that Jesus was looking forward to was not at your expense just the opposite everything that was going on here as he suffered was to include you in that Joy that's the whole point of all this suffering all this ransoming all this purchase he is dying to bring people out of Destruction and hell and misery into the enjoyment of himself in the age to come so it's just not I mean if you define selfishness what would it sound like my definition of selfishness would be I'm a selfish person if I seek my happiness at your expense I don't really care about you I'm just stepping on you to get what I want that's selfish just don't give a rip about other people. [00:23:14]

If you are freed from selfishness like Jesus was you're going to love people you're going to be free to lay down your life for the good of others and the third thing that will happen is that that Joy sustained love will make Jesus look really satisfying like how do you make Jesus look supremely satisfying to people around you it's it's not by being chipper and enjoying the same things they enjoy that that that that doesn't take anything spiritual it's just like them but if through suffering through loss they see you're not shattered because you have a rock and you have a treasure then they say Jesus must be really valuable to him. [00:42:52]

Get to know Jesus so well that he's your treasure like that get to know go deep with the vastness of his wisdom go deep with the vastness of his power go deep with the Majesty of the Lord Jesus go deep with his tenderness and kindness go deep with his uniqueness no man ever spoke like this man go deep with his patience go deep with his love and suffering go deep with his mercy and touching lepers and putting ears back onto soldiers who attack him go deep with Jesus until he becomes such a treasure to you that you can say for the joy that is set before me I'll endure anything to love people here. [00:40:33]

Your joy even in sufferings will overflow most people in the world correlate circumstances with joy horrible circumstances no joy Christians do not Christians attach their joy to Jesus Christ crucified risen reigning coming and as their treasure circumstances are horrific and we will weep our eyes out we call it at Bethlehem serious joy and we love 2 Corinthians 6:10 where Paul says I am sorrowful yet always rejoicing I mean that's a miracle it's a paradox do you experience that I have I mean almost every day I'm sad there's a lot in my life to make me sad if I couldn't have joy at the same time that I'm sad I would die I couldn't be a Christian they have to go together in a world like this they have to go together your joy cannot be attached to the horrible things that happen happen to you it has to be attached to Jesus. [00:41:52]

I think those two things wait and sins lay them all aside means be the best runner you can possibly be and you're all running you don't get any choice in this you are running your life's race how are you running it how do you even think about running this Marathon run train eat think dress in order to maximize your running ability now the goal of running if verse two is any clue which it is is how to live my life how to run my Marathon how to finish my course in a way that loves other people best and magnifies Christ most those two things and verse two is the answer to how to do that. [00:17:00]

So Jesus is pictured as running his his race his race lasted his Marathon lasted 33 years and the last 100 yards mile was horrific it was a gauntlet right he ran a gauntlet he ran with Nails in his feet he ran with Nails in his hands he ran with a crown of thorns on his head he ran while they slapped him they spit on him they mocked him they threw things at him and they finally speared him and he finished the race so that's the picture that I have and and the question is how do he do that and it is remarkable that this verse tells us us exactly how he did that and holds it up as the model for how we do it that's the most amazing thing middle of verse Two for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross. [00:17:00]