Running the Race of Faith with Endurance

Since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us let us run so the first motive is this cloud of witnesses what does that mean who are they and what is their witness here's my answer to those two questions they are the Saints of chapter 11 the witnesses that have just been described in chapter 11 Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Sarah Moses and all those judges and Prophets of whom the world was not worthy are the cloud of witnesses and the many Saints who have died and gone before since then. [00:69:24]

We're all running a marathon in the Christian Life these Saints Moses and David and uh Abraham and Sarah and Enoch they have run the race and they finished it and they came around and stood on the sidelines as we're running and as they are there they're holding out their wounds and testifying about the choices that they made which we read in chapter 11 and Moses says to us I did it by faith I chose against the wealth of pharaoh you can do it you can do it John. [00:183:28]

All these having gained approval through their faith did not receive what was promised that's an amazing amazing statement all these who died in chapter 11 did not receive what was promised because God had provided something better for us so that apart from us they should not be made perfect therefore run now do you get it you get the the therefore at the beginning of verse one since none of them obtained the promise because God had provided something better for us so that they wouldn't be made perfect without us therefore run. [00:351:80]

God is postponing the consummation of the universe for you to finish the race that's what it says is that what it says all these did not receive what was promised so here is Sarah Moses David Elijah Abraham spirits of just men and women made whole but no Resurrection body yet no new Earth yet yet no destruction of evil in the universe yet no world filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea yet the Magnificent fullness of the promise of God Waits and we Gran and you know what in heaven they grown. [00:417:199]

If that doesn't lend importance to your race this fall what can there's a race to be run and God says I'm going to bring you all in it together nobody's going to get there first there's going to come a trumpet blast an archangels shout and the dead in Christ will rise first then we who are alive will join them and the consummation will happen together and everything is waiting for that one great climactic consummation and moment so when you sit there and you have your little tablet and you list off the fight that needs to be fought remember there's a waiting. [00:509:599]

Look to Jesus the author and perfector of your faith look to Jesus down there at Lake Nomas your backyard by the river look to Jesus before Labor Day because there's going to be your whole flesh rising up and that whole psychological syndrome rising up and Satan coming down and saying it cannot happen it will not change you've been like this too long you've always been a limper your hands have always been weak the weights have always been there they will never cease you will not be able to run with Jesus this fall in any new way. [00:584:680]

At that moment you must not look to yourself you must not look to psychology you must not look to the beauty of nature you must look to Jesus and when you look to Jesus you must look to him as author and perfector of faith and the whole of chapter 11 said it's by faith that I left Egypt it's by faith that I was swn in two it's by faith fath that I didn't choose Escape it was by faith that my whole value system was turned upside down and where does faith come from who is the author of it. [00:633:920]

Jesus who is the perfector of it none of us has perfect Faith who's the perfector of it Jesus where then shall we look to find faith that Taps into the power of God to fight the weights and the sins so that we can run Jesus we look to Jesus and when we look we say Jesus I know that by faith I embrace you but I also believe that you embraced me for Faith had you not reached down and embraced me and drawn me I never would have reached out to you in faith. [00:670:320]

Fixing your eyes on Jesus the author and perfector of Faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross for the joy set before him he endured the cross so you get you get your list there in front of you and and a little voice is going to say this looks like a lot of loss and not much gain this looks like a lot of loss I medicate very successfully with this every night so that I don't have to talk to her if I lose this I don't know what I'll put in that void. [00:751:120]

How did he do that for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross so the answer is yes it's going to be loss but I promise you on the authority of God's word the Christian Life Is Gain it's just a matter of timing if you have the eyes of God you see your life Life as a vaporous breath and then eternity and if the losses in this life are extensive and many of you have lifelong losses to deal with collapse it down to a Vapor's breath if you want to be realistic let's be realistic this morning now 80 years is a vaporous breath compared to 80 ages of Millennia. [00:839:160]

The sufferings of this life are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to me and so I will lay aside every weight and I will lay aside every sin and I will run this fall with Jesus let's pray father we're still before you for just a moment before we we pray this song prayer we want to run the race that is set before us we have seen what it costs we have seen the kinds of things that are in the way and we have seen three or four very significant motives that you give us. [00:906:759]

Holy spirit I pray that you'd come and work work it before this day is over before the small group meets tonight or before people go to bed tonight may they plan their Fall Run With Jesus Lord come and grant us that even as we sing I pray this is light and Truth God centered preaching to help you see Christ clearly and treasure him Kim truly I'm your host Dan kru thank you for listening on our next episode John Piper begins a 13-part series titled faith that justifies I hope you'll join us for more resources visit desiringgod.org. [00:956:120]