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e e e e e e e e e e e welcome to everyone it's good to be back in the house of our God this evening for our call to worship you can turn with me to Psalm 124 Psalm 1124 I'll begin reading in verse one a song of a sense of David if it had not been the Lord who was on our side let Israel now say if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they would have swallowed us alive when their wrath was kindled against us then the waters would have overwhelmed us the stream would have gone over our soul then the swollen Waters would have gone over our soul blessed be the Lord who has not given us as prey to their teeth our soul has escaped as a bird from the Fowler or From The Snare of the Fowlers the snare is broken and we have escaped our help is in the name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth amen will please turn with me in your hym books to 152 152 we'll stand as we sing together his all theal we PR for PR through the de show take away our s and Sh all our Earthly and may we rest in all my to praise let us th presence here may th glory in of our [Music] Ting all PR for all all our till we join let us pray our gracious God and Holy Father we thank you again for the privilege to gather in your house tonight we acknowledge that you are the most high and we love you and we praise you and we bless you we thank you for your graciousness and your mercy to us in the gospel and as we gather together tonight we pray that your name would be hallowed that you would be exalted and enthroned on the Praises of your people here that you would be glorified and honored and as we receive your word may it be a means by which we would respond with Glory GL and honor given unto you we ask as well Lord that you would just be pleased to bless the Saints in this local church we thank you for all of the brothers and the sisters here we thank you for all of the children and the young people that you have given to us we pray that you would help us God to to draw near to you and to draw near to one another and may you be glorified in the churchmanship that is that is exhibited in this place we ask you would forgive us now for all of our sins and unrighteousness we pray for cleansing in the Precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we have that great exhortation or encouragement from the Apostle my little children I write these things so that you may not sin but if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous so we confess those transgressions now trusting in the power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to purify us to wash us and to present us before you and God we pray for any and all who are dead in their trespasses and sins that through the power of the Holy Spirit you would awaken them that you would convict them that you would show them that Jesus Christ Alone is the remedy for guilty Sinners we thank you God that you are in that that that that business as it were of saving Sinners and we know as we read the book of Revelation there is a great multitude assembled on that great day from every tribe and tongue and people and nation and for what we pray for our own congregation we pray for churches throughout Canada and to the uttermost parts of the earth we pray for your blessing to be upon the proclamation of your truth the Lord Jesus Christ Bears witness to the truth and he comes through that word to save guilty Sinners and to strengthen needy Saints we just pray that you would bless that word as it goes forth tonight as it has gone forth throughout the world today and may it indeed redown to your praise and glory we ask that you would be gracious and merciful to our brothers and sisters that suffer for the cause of God and Truth in other countries we are reminded on a regular basis of of what is happening in other lands and we just commend them to you and to the word of your grace and pray that you would indeed bless your people with strength and with perseverance and may they know and may they continue to look through these things to that Eternal weight of Glory that awaits them as well our father we pray for the church in sui and in Armstrong and in dren we pray for the local churches in our own Community here blessed pastor cman and the Brethren at the free reform church we ask God that you would just continue to prosper them spiritually cause them to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior and God we just thank you for this time again we pray that you would continue with us in worship that you would be glorified and we ask in jesus' name amen will you can turn with me again in your hym books to Psalm 48 Psalm 48 stands as 4-6 we'll stand as we sing together 48 4-6 [Music] holy be the wers of your praise your sing your praise where your name is your and all with of [Music] K all to the children after glor to for God as God forever will be [Music] God you can turn with me in your Bible to the Book of Joshua Joshua CH 4 for our scripture reading this evening Joshua 4 Joshua CH 4 I'll begin reading in verse one and it came to pass when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan that the Lord spoke to Joshua saying take for yourselves 12 men from the people one man from every tribe and command them saying take for yourselves 12 Stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan from the place where the priest's uh feet stood firm you shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight then Joshua called the TW men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel one man from every tribe and Joshua said to them cross over before the Ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan and each one of you take up a Stone on his shoulder according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come saying what do these Stones mean to you and you shall answer them that the Waters of the Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord when it crossed over the Jordan the Waters of the Jordan were cut off and these Stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever and the children of Israel did so just as Joshua commanded and took up 12 12 Stones from the midst of the Jordan as the Lord had spoken to Joshua according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there then Joshua set up 12 Stones in the midst of the Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests Who Bore the Ark of the Covenant stood and they are there to this day so the priests Who Bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak to the people Accord according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua and the people hurried and crossed over then it came to pass when all the people had completely crossed over that the Ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people and the men of reuin the men of GAD and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel as Moses had spoken to them about 40,000 prepared for war crossed over before the Lord for battle to The Plains of Jericho on that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel and they feared him as they had feared Moses all the days of his life then the Lord spoke to Joshua saying command the priests who bear the Ark of the testimony to come up from the J from the Jordan Joshua therefore commanded the priests saying come up from the Jordan and it came to pass when the priests Who Bore the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord had come from the midst of the Jordan and The Souls of the priest's feet touched the dry land that the Waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before now the people came up from the Jordan on the 10th day of the first month and they camped in gilgal on the east border of Jericho and those 12 Stones which they took out of the Jordan Joshua set up in gilgal then he spoke to the children of Israel saying when your children ask their fathers in times to come saying what are these Stones then you shall let your children know saying Israel crossed over this Jordan Jord on dry land for the Lord your God dried up the Waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea which he dried up before us until we had crossed over that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord that it is mighty that you may fear the lord your God forever amen well one of the things that we see emphasized here is on remembering what God had done obviously this choice of stones was for that purpose and as well or in addition to that we see that the emphasis on the adults teaching and passing on this information to their children and to the subsequent Generations was absolutely essential to keep before them the fear of the Lord so when Paul in Ephesians 6 says fathers do not provoke your children to wrath but rather bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord he's not a pioneer he's not embarking on some new theme but rather he basically rehearsing something that had been common place in the Redemptive religion of God most high I think Dale Ralph Davis makes a good observation he says the greatest enemy of Faith may be forgetfulness in other words when we forget what God has done when we forget to remember what the Lord has accomplished that does damage our faith and that's one of the reasons why we are at church and we hear preaching one of the reasons why we come to the Lord's table we need to be remembered uh uh need to remember rather what God has done so that we can return praise and glory and honor I love the way that this ends the Declaration of God's servant in verse 23 for the Lord your God dried up the Waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea which he dried up before us until we had crossed over that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord that it is mighty that you may fear the lord your God forever so there's certain cly a declaration to the nations of the Earth but there's a specific declaration to the children of God that they may indeed fear Him and walk in obedience to him well let us pray our gracious God and Holy Father there are many things from Genesis to Revelation 31,000 verses the contents of which you are the author where you have revealed to us who you are and what you have accomplished I pray that you would help us to receive that word and may it feed our faith faith comes by hearing hearing by the word of God let us never forget this may it always be the case that we seek that word each and every day may it be the case that we instruct our children and our grandchildren concerning the mighty Deeds of God most high and as a church may we never shrink back from declaring the whole counsel of God from insisting upon the sacraments as you have called us to and doing all that we can to continue to grow in our faith in our great and glorious glorious God we praise you and we thank you for this and we ask your blessing upon the rest of our service together and we pray in Jesus name amen will you can turn finally with me to s uh hymn number 403 hymn 43 we'll stand as we sing together [Music] God he can be broken for Sal allround of lival son and and [Music] all God toe see the glory and that the Lord is [Music] the pr high c gra of the World by I will glor in [Music] you can turn in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 12 Hebrews chapter 12 I thought this might be a helpful sort of supplement to what we looked at this morning in John 15 our Lord jesus' emphasis on us as branches being connected to the vine and seeking by God's grace to Bear much fruit well the emphasis here in the first part of chapter 12 is on the necessity for the people of God to persevere to endure to go forward in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy spirit so our text is going to be chapter 12 only verse 1 but I want to read beginning in verse 1 all the way to verse 11 so Hebrews 12 beginning in verse 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 ens snares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us 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 at the right hand of the Throne of God for consider him who endured such hostility from Sinners against himself lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls you have not yet resisted to Bloodshed striving against sin and you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to Sons my son do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him for whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives if you Ure chastening God deals with you as with sons for what son is there whom a father does not chasen but if you are without chastening of which all have become partakers then you are illegitimate and not Sons furthermore we have had human fathers who corrected us and we paid them respect shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father of spirits and live for they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them but he for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present but painful nevertheless afterward it yields the Peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it amen well let us pray Father in heaven we thank you again for the written word we pray now for the ministry of the Holy Spirit who gave us that word to guide us to encourage us to strengthen us and help us to endure to run with endurance the race that is set before us help us to do so always being mindful of that great cloud of witnesses help us do do so always looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith and help us to do so understanding the the the father fatherly love and care and even discipline that you you give to us Lord be glorified in this time again fill us with the spirit forgive us for all of our sin and we pray through Jesus Christ the Lord amen well in this particular chapter as a whole we see this emphasis on running the race of Faith specifically in verses 1 to 11 he then calls them to renew their Vitality in verses 12-1 17 thirdly he calls them to be reminded that they have come to Mount Zion according to verses 18 to 24 and then not to re uh refuse the God who speaks from heaven in verses 25 to 29 I assume Pauline authorship I think Paul wrote this epistle I think he wrote it prior to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in ad70 and as a result he is writing to uh uh Christians Believers that are being tempted that are being tested that are being pressured to turn back from Jesus and the New Covenant to go back to the old Covenant to Moses to the Levites to the to the temple and to the sacrificial system it was still standing certainly the pressure would have been strong for the people of God to to hear that from others from friends family business associates you need to stop with Jesus you need to come back to Moses you need to come back to the sacrifices so this this letter as a whole is written to exhort them to encourage them to strengthen them and to help them in their resolve to go forward with our Lord Jesus Christ as I said our focus is brief tonight it's only on verse one and I want to look first at the believer's race and then secondly the believer's help we're kind of going to kind of dive into the middle of the verse for the believer's race and then take up the first part of the verse in the believer's help first though note the believer's race dropping down a couple of lines in verse one notice it says let us run with endurance the race that is set before us now this is common parlament in the hand of the Apostle Paul in terms of the Christian Life looking like a race he says this in 2 Timothy CH 4 when he says he has fought the good fight he has finished the race he has kept the faith and he's confident that the Lord of righteousness has a crown of righteousness waiting for him but it's a recurring theme in the book of Hebrews as well again the apostasy passages in chapters 6 and 10 suggests that there's pressure being placed upon the professing people of God and the Apostle does not want them to apostatize he doesn't want them to depart from or defect from New Covenant religion and so let's look at several of those passages which highlight the need to persevere and endure go back to chapter 2 spefic specifically at verse one therefore we must give the more Earnest heed to the things we have heard lest we drift away the Apostle doesn't want them to drift away what's the antidote to drifting away giving more heed giving more Earnest heed to the things we have heard notice in chapter 3 specifically at verse 14 for we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence Stead fast to the end while it is said today if you will hear his voice do not Harden your hearts as in the Rebellion notice in chapter 4 at verse 1 therefore since a promise remains of entering his rest let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it and then in 4:14 seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the son of God let us hold fast our confession it's hard to miss the emphasis along the way in the book of Hebrews on Paul's insistence that the people of God who have professed saving faith in Jesus Christ persevere that they endure that they continue steadfast that they go forward notice in chapter 10 specifically at verse 23 summarizing or rather applying what he has said doctrinally in concerning the high priesthood of our Lord Jesus we'll just pick up in verse 19 therefore Brethren having boldness to enter enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a New and Living Way which he consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh and having a high priest over the house of God he then gives three exhortations notice in verse 22 let us draw near with a true heart and full Assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water notice in verse 23 let us hold fast the confession of Our Hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful there's that emphasis perseverance endurance holding fast being steadfast the third is in verse 24 and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works 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 look over at chapter 10 specifically at verses 35 and 36 therefore do not cast away your confidence which has great reward for you have need of endurance so that after you have done the will of God you may receive the promise so by the time we get to chapter 12 and verse one and the Apostle emphasized let us run with endurance the race that is set before us that doesn't come out of left field we're already prepped we're already expectant we already understand this is a significant and major theme in the book of Hebrews obviously the overarching theme is the superiority of Christ and New Covenant religion but a central theme Al Another theme alongside that Central one is for the people of God to press onward to run with endurance the race that is set before us notice as well in the book of First Corinthians you can turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 9 First Corinthians chapter 9 just to see that this is not an isolated use of the running metaphor or the race metaphor with the Apostle Paul 1 Corinthians chapter 9 specifically at verses 24 to 27 do you not know that those who run in a race all run but one receives the prize run in such a way that you may obtain it and everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things now they do it to obtain a perishable Crown but we for an imperishable ground therefore I run thus not with uncertainty thus I fight not as one who beats the air but I discipline my body and bring it into subjection lest when I have preached to others I myself should become disqualified and then Philippians chapter 3 a similar use of the race metaphor pH Philippians chapter 3 specifically at verses 12 the 14 he says not that I've already attained or am already perfected but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me Brethren I do not count myself to have apprehended but one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus so back to our text specifically the believer's race we have a duty stated that is simple let us run the race that is set before us but as well we have OB obstacles identified if you're going out to run a race it was on a flat track this wouldn't be much of a big deal but if you were going to run a race in some rocky terrain you'd want to know what the obstacles were you'd want to know what possible threat there was to your well-being with reference to that course and so Paul identifies two notice again in verse one let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ens snares us now I think that what he's doing is showing us that there are those things that may not necessarily be sin but they're not necessarily helpful for us in the running of a race I suppose some could read it this way let us lay aside every weight that is the sin which so easily snares us but I don't think that's what he's doing I think he's making a differentiation I think that there is a weight that is certainly cumbersome and one that you wouldn't want to take on a running race but might be appropriate in another situation the fact is is that not every weight is a necessar is necessarily a sin the fact that some things are though not sinful a challenge with reference to running the Christian race it's not wrong to have non-Christian friends but if those non-Christian friends are constantly weighing you down and keeping you from running the race with endurance then it might be time to cut bait it's nothing wrong with having a a certain activity perhaps on a Monday through Friday that you shouldn't or Monday through Saturday that you shouldn't necessarily engage it with reference to the Lord's day as well money for instance I'm going to invoke a text in just a moment money's not bad B money is aoral it's not that money goes out or causes you to go out in sin it's the love of money that's the root of all kinds of evil but consider our Lord in Matthew 13:22 he says now he who receives seed among the Thorns is he who hears the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes unfruitful we cannot escape the cares of this world we cannot get our minds away from the cares of this world but we take Jes Jesus admonition in Matthew chap 6 to deal with them accordingly and properly so that we don't get weighed down by it so that we don't get to the place where we're crushed and we can't run with endurance the race that is set before us and then he moves on with reference to sin Let Us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ens snares us the fact is is that all sin does ens snare us there might be some weights not necessarily sinful in and of themselves that nevertheless are cumbersome but all sin definitely has that rotting effect upon the soul wherein it does kill to some degree that running with endurance the race that is set before us the fact is is that all sin does easily hinder us from running the race that's why when we consider sin we need to deal radically with it this is why Jesus taught us cut off your right hand if it causes you to stumble pluck out the right eye if it causes you to stumble it's better to enter uh life maimed than hell whole it's better to go into heaven and Glory as having dealt radically with sin now it's just here that I should say we're not saved by the way that we deal with sin we are not saved based on how well we run the race we're saved by God's grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who lived for us who died for us and was raised again for us but as we saw this morning there is an inextricable connection between regeneration and justification and then subsequent to that sanctification the god of Heaven and Earth who has saved us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ has called us to live in a particular way he has made provision when we don't if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness but John says my little children I write these things so that you may not sin but when you do sin remember you have an advocate with the father even Jesus Jesus Christ the righteous we are to let our conduct be worthy of the Gospel we are to understand that weights that weigh us down and keep us from running that race with endurance or those sins that we indulge or those sins that we're not killing they're going to kill us with reference to running the race with endurance as Owen says be killing sin or sin will be killing you Philip Hugh says one of the chief problems with the Hebrew Christians to whom this letter is addressed is that they have set out on the race but after a good start are now slackening in the will to persevere their effort is decreasing sin is holding them back they need to recover their intensity or purpose to shake off the sluggish mood into which they have fallen to regain their confidence and their competitive Spirit but then notice under the believer's race we've got a duty we've got the obstacles we've got the manner notice let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ens snares us and let us run with endurance endurance or perseverance in other words the Christian Life and the race that we have to run is going to be hard it's not a walk in the park it's not without its problems it's not a Disney movie there's bluebirds not or there aren't bluebirds coming down and you know filling our pathway with rose pedals so that we can skip our way into heaven the Christian race demands on the part of the people of God the recognition that it may be tough that more often than not it is tough and that we are going to run it with endurance with perseverance but I want to make this observation we're not supposed to divorce this from the rest of the Bible this running with endurance isn't just a gritting and bearing it sort of a thing we still find ourselves in the orbit of the Apostle Paul's writings to Rejoice always in other words this running with endurance isn't a grin and Barrett it isn't a knuckle under it's with that joy and that Thanksgiving and that gratitude expressed to God most high for the goodness that he has bestowed upon us in saving us from our sins so the Christian race must be run with endurance now interestingly that's what the Apostle demonstrates in chapter 11 and we're going to look at that in just a moment in chapter 11 what do you see the emphasis on faith but faith in a myriad of circumstances I always try to encourage people to read your Old Testaments read the Old Testament it's the Christian Life lived I'm not suggesting that the New Testament isn't but the various narratives the various Stories the various persons the various places the various things going on in the Old Testament all of us can connect with and I hope to show that to you or demonstrate that to you in just a moment so you've got Endurance manifested by the Saints in chapter 11 by faith they ran the race with endurance they laid aside the weights they laid aside the sins again not always not in every instance we see their their stumblings we see their difficulties we see their their sins we see the fact that they have blemishes and warts and they don't always do the things that they should have done but God is faithful and as well this endurance is manifested by the Lord Jesus Christ look at verse two looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him same word endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God look at verse three for consider him who endured such h from Sinners against himself lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls and then dropping down to verse 7even if you endure chastening God deals with you as with sons what does this suggest this suggests that when the tough times come we don't have the warrant from God to abandon ship when the tough times come we don't have the warrant from God to say well these are tough times I'd rather not I'll just go take a vacation I'll go sit on the beach and hopefully all those things will pass by and when I return I'll be able to get right back into my smooth comfortable well-fitted shoes no obstacle race and just run that is absolutely unacceptable God most high calls us to run with endurance put off the weights that'll bring you down put off the sin that is always calculated to bring you down and run that race with endurance and when you're running that race with endurance do it with the joy that is characteristic of the people of God do it with the Gratitude and the thankfulness that is characteristic of the people of God when it's always the case that we're miserable and that everything is bad and we're always sorrowful and we're always down Brethren I think there are times for that as I've said before I think there's a doctrine of bad days in scripture I think there's a doctrine that you know depression or sorrow now I'm not suggesting again if you got a 38 up to your head you may need some help beyond what I'm telling you now but sorrow and depression and Melancholy in the life of the people of God it's to be expected we live in a sin cursed world as we move our way through the upper room discourse in John 15 when we get there Jesus basically well he does he says if the world hates you know that it hated me first we live in a society we live in a country we live in a world that is antithetical to God and His Messiah it's a Psalm 2 situation why do the Nations rage why do the people plot vain things they hate God and they hate his Christ do you think they're going to love you as one who has allegiance to God and his son the Lord Jesus Christ so you see the connection you see the emphasis you see the duty the obstacles in the manner now let's then look secondly at the believer's help or incentives to running the race with endurance God not only gives us commands but he gives us incentives or helps or reasons why we ought to fulfill or seek to fulfill those commands now there are three in the context but as I said we're only going to look at the first one first the cloud of witnesses in verse one secondly the example of Christ in verses 2 to 4 and then thirdly the purpose of the father in verses 5 to 11 run with endurance the race that is set before you because of this cloud of witnesses because of the Paradigm that was set forth by our lord Jesus and because of the purpose of the father in dealing with you as a father which includes and often times necessitates parental discipline for us when we go waywardly so I want to look first at or only at this great cloud of witnesses first of all the imagery notice in verse one of chapter 12 therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses the witnesses surround the runners on Earth sort of like an Amphitheater you've probably seen an Amphitheater and we've got this Amphitheater sort of surrounding us and then all of these Witnesses this cloud of witnesses up in the amphitheater I hope you're not wondering who the Witnesses are because there're the people mentioned in chapter 11 notice how verse one starts therefore there is a close and inextricable connection between chapters 11 and 12 the Great all of faith is populated with the witnesses that are described by the Apostle in chapter 11 so when he comes to get practical with us and tell us to run with endurance the race that is set before us he wants us to look and to see that great cloud of witnesses so that's the metaphor the imagery that's employed secondly what is their function when we look at the fellows and the ladies in chapter 11 what is their function in that Amphitheater what is it that they are doing that the Apostle is able to call them Witnesses well some suggests that we are on the track and doing field or doing track on the field track and field is what I was trying to get at so we've got this Amphitheater and there's Abraham and there's Moses and there's Sarah and they're watching us and witnessing the way that we run the race with endurance that is set before us I don't think that's what the Apostle is talking about I don't think that for a few reasons I would suggest that the witnesses witness to us concerning the faithfulness of God so instead of us running on the track and the witnesses looking at us we're running on the track and we're looking at the witnesses the particular word here does not mean spectator so Moses and and Abraham and and and and Sarah and and and and uh uh Samson they're not watching us as Spectators watch a a race this isn't the Olympics where they're you know just populating this Amphitheater and they're watching the likes of you and I I'd like to think that Abraham in glory and Moses in glory and Abel in glory and Sarah in glory ain't wasting their time looking at me they are beholding the face of the Son of God most high they are in Emmanuel's land why would they look at a slob like me fumbling around on the track below they are witnesses to witness about God that's the imagery that the Apostle employs the witnesses serve on our behalf to manifest the faithfulness of God and to show that God upholds Faithful runners whatever their circumstances may be so they're not watching us we're running the race with endurance and all the while out of our periphery we're looking at these several brothers and sisters and when we're looking at these several brothers and sisters they all have a constant theme and that is simple God is faithful run with endurance the race that is set before you why because God is faithful now when we consider the various persons in Hebrews 11 those Witnesses we then understand that there are several persons in several circumstances that imitate or parallel rather the things that we go through if I were to come to you and I were to say look I know that what's happened to you is bad I know that what you're going through is difficult I know that this is a tough pill to swallow you need to run with endurance the race that is set before for you what might you respond if it's a good day you might say yeah you're right Pastor I'm going to do that if it's not a good day you might say but you really don't understand you really don't know what I'm going through you all look shocked okay I guess it's all the other people I've ever talked to that that have that response it's only everybody out there it's the hivites and the Hittites and the Canaanites and all those Heights well you see the wisdom of the Apostle in Hebrews 11 we're going to just take a quick tour through Hebrews chap 11 in the Hall of faith and remember the theme it's by faith they did what they did and on the heels of that therefore since we have this cloud of witnesses we need to lay aside the weights we need to lay aside the sin and we need to run with endurance the race that is set before us and he's saying use those Witnesses listen to their testimony see them in their circumstances see them in their life experience see them in the E and flow of their Christian Life see them with the difficulties and the trials associated with life in this present evil age and then Ponder maybe God does know what I'm going through first of all there's Abel Abel chapter or Hebrews chapter 11 specifically at verse 4 by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain through which he obtained witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and through it he being dead still speaks I think able is a key circumstance that does connect with a lot of people you don't know what my family's like you don't know how difficult they can be you don't know what it's like to run the race with endurance when you're surrounded by the kinds of people that I call brother sister mom or dad Brethren I would just take a bat here and say it's probably not as bad as Abel's he had a vicious murderous brother that ultimately terminated his existence Abel's a great example for anybody going through difficulties in their family situation what about Enoch Enoch is in 11: 5-6 I would suggest though that we turn back to Genesis Genesis 5 because I think Enoch illustrates something in a way that perhaps we may not typically relate well may we may not typically uh appreciate notice Enoch in chapter Genesis chapter 5 specifically at verses 21- 24 Enoch lived 65 years and begat Methuselah after he beg got Methuselah Enoch walked with God 300 years and had sons and daughters so all the days of Enoch were 365 years and Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him now Abel had a difficult family situation the rest of the people that we look at in the Hall of Faith had difficult situations nothing jumps out from chapter 5 21- 24 about a difficult situation but I think what we ought to appreciate is that in the normal EB and flow of Life the normal e EB and flow of being a husband and being a father father you can walk with God Enoch walked with God 300 years and had sons and daughters and all so all the days of Enoch were 365 years and Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him it may be a mercy of God that he takes some of us long before we hit 365 because if it were possible we would get ourselves out of this arrangement in any way we could in the E and flow of having Sons and Daughters what was Enoch known for by faith he walked with God you don't understand how bad my life it's so ordinary it's so normal praise God for ordinary and normal there's probably a whole lot of people out there that would happily trade you for ordinary and normal Enoch walked with God and then he was not Noah Noah look at Genesis 6 while we're there Genesis 6 this is another one it's hard to be a believer in communist Canada it's hard to believe a believer in a society with that is just oppressive and persecutor and after us it's hard to be a believer in a society that celebrates violence that that that that that that celebrates perversion that celebrates Lawless and viciousness and godlessness what about Noah look at Genesis 6:12 so God looked upon the Earth and indeed it was corrupt for All Flesh had corrupted their way on the earth we learned that in this particular narrative the Earth is corrupt and it's exceedingly violent and yet Noah by faith ran with indurance the race that was set before him consider Abraham he's mentioned in Hebrews 11 but we know his story in Genesis uh sections of Genesis Genesis 12 he's called out of er the calans called away from his father called away from his family called by God to come to God what does he do he does it what about Abraham when he's called to take his son his only son the son whom he loves up to mount Mariah and sacrifice him again we have 221 in our Bibles Abraham didn't have that Abraham didn't have an Cambridge goat skin leather Bible that told him oh God's testing me on this morning he didn't know that God simply spoke and said take your son your only son the son whom you love up to Mariah and sacrifice him and yet Abraham does that so for those who say well you don't know how God is testing me you don't know how bad it is and severe these trials Brethren I sympathize I'm not con uh uh condemning I've probably said a lot of these things things myself you know truth be told but there's been no test like that so all of these Heroes of Faith these Cloud this cloud of witnesses are testifying God's faithfulness in the midst of a horrible family situation in the midst of a normal family situation in the midst of a corrupt Society in the midst of corrupt or difficult tests Sarah is mentioned in chapter 11 11 and 12 remember when they're told going to have a lot of children you're going to have a lot of seed what was their response basically are you kidding he's 100 and I'm 99 this just ain't going to work I'm not a spring chicken anymore this is not the way things go and yet she's up there and what is she saying God is faithful keep running you've got Isaac and Jacob and Joseph we call them the Patriarchs along with Abraham again chapter 11 in Genesis 20-22 one specific instance in the life of Jacob in Genesis 353 it says then let us arise and go up to bethl and I will make an altar there to God who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone tried to pray but it doesn't seem to deliver me from this distress you need to look at Jacob as Jacob is up there in that cloud of witnesses he is saying God is faithful God hears prayer and God answers prayer in the day of your distress you've got Moses and the Exodus again highlighted in Genesis chap uh Hebrews chap 11 but we see it in the book of Exodus and then commenting on that particular scene on the plains of Moab in Deuteronomy chapter 1 the people of Israel were complaining about the Wilderness era they didn't like it they did not like it remember in the wilderness they said we want to go back to Egypt we had leaks and garlic and melons and all kinds of stuff we'd like to go back but notice what God says through Moses on the plains of Moab in Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 131 and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son in all the way that you went until you came to this place they interpreted it one way that was bad and that was wrong that was a misinterpretation and then they ordered their lives based on that misinterpretation so God through Moses says no it was just the opposite it was like a father carrying a son it's like a father picking up his son and taking taking him to that place of safety so again Brethren hear Moses God is faithful he will deliver you from your distress Rahab the Harlot it's funny to me how we get hung up on our lie the woman commits treason against her city state of Jericho and deserve the you know death penalty but with reference to uh Rahab what did she do by faith she testifies to us now that the Lord is faithful remember we've seen the reading over the last last couple of weeks in in our St uh uh reading through the Book of Joshua she asks to be spared what do the spies tell her yep you're going to be spared when we get to Joshua 6 in a couple of weeks you'll see precisely that she was spared so what do you think she has to say when she's up in that cloud of witnesses to us she's going to say to us God is faithful notice the text in Hebrews 11 continues you've got the judges Gideon baric Samson and Jeff let's just drop into a few of those particular men over in judges 6 judges 6 judges 6 Begins the Gideon cycle and it continues to chapter 8 at verse 35 actually there's not going to be a specific text that I want to direct us to but just consider Gideon what do you think Gideon would say in that cloud of witnesses to us as we peer up when we're running the race with endurance he'd say God is faithful remember the fleece God answers specifically and gives him the answer that he wants and Gideon says oh but I want to do it again I got to say Brethren if I was God I'd be like once is enough I I've answered you know the particular request you've got enough dat Adda now go ahead and proceed and go beat up the midianites but God gives him that second one what about when God says to Gideon I want you to whittle away all those troops and I want want you to bring bring it down to a manable 300 I I just want a handful of men that are going to go into battle what do you think Gideon's going to say Gideon's going to say God is faithful turn specifically to judges 4 with reference to baric baric is misunderstood here I'd argue that Deborah as she is called in verse four is a propheus and then it says in verse 5 that Deborah uh uh engaged in judgment she's not a judge in Israel the way baric was she's not a judge in Israel the way that anel was the way that Ehud was she's not a judge in Israel the way that Samson was or jeffa was she is a judge more like what we are akin to with reference to judging she's the prophetes that's the emphasis person's trying to make her a co-judge alongside of baric and they give short shrift to baric I don't think she was a judge at all in terms of the judges of Israel but notice what baric says when he's going to go into B battle to fight the enemies of Yahweh verse 8 chapter 4 baric said to her if you will go with me then I will if you will go with me then I will go but if you will not go with me I will not go again persons read the Book of Judges very weirdly there's a there's actually feminists that do you know serious damage in their uh interpretation of the Book of Judges but here specifically beric's got cowardice baric lacks courage baric needs the prophet yes woman power no he needs the word of the Lord what's the function of the prophetes it is to speak and communicate the word of the Lord in essence what baric is saying I'm not going to face the enemy without the word of Yahweh if the word of Yahweh is with me I will go out and Conquer and Conquer he does and then you've got Samson we've considered Samson many times just remember chapter 13 the birth narrative we have it described what he's supposed to do he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines a true type of our Lord Jesus Christ judges 14 we've got Samson and the and the lion we've got Samson and the Philistines we've got judges 15 Samson and the Cowardly Judah sites that deliver him over to the Philistines so that he can be executed by them and then in judges 16 we have Samson and Delila and then Samson ultimately defeating the Philistines through his own death Samson up in that cloud is going to tell us God is faithful and then turn to 11 judges 11 with jeffa Note something interesting about jeffa I was musing on this recently there was that event that happened in uh with with former president Trump and you saw that secret service sort of Team surround him I got to say Brethren I'd want dudes twice my size with scars on their faces and 20 in biceps to be my my sort of guards well these men of Israel were kind of like that look at judges 11:1 now jeffa the gileadite was a mighty man of Valor but he was the son of a harlot and Gilead begot jeffa Gilead's wife bore sons and when his wife's Sons grew up they drove jeffa out and said to him you shall have no inheritance in our father's house for you are the son of another woman and jeffa fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of top and worthless men banded together with jeffa and went out raiding with him you see that they want nothing to do with jeffa he's got bad jeans he's got bad stock his mother's a a harlot they they drive him out until they're faced with the Enemy notice in verse four it came to pass after a time that the people of Ammon made war against Israel and so it was when the people of Ammon made war against Israel that the Elders of Gilead went to get jeffa from the land of toab then they said to jeffa come and be our commander that we may fight against the people of Ammon they wanted guys twice their size with scars all over their face and 20in biceps as well jeffa was a bad dude when it came to killing the enemies of Yahweh what do you think jeffa is saying up in that cloud of witnesses keep running God is faithful you see that's the the point of the Apostle with this cloud of witnesses he then invokes David Samuel the prophets specifically with reference to David consider that twice David affirms David confesses David celebrates the goodness of God to him 2 Samuel 4:9 but David answered ra Raab and Bono his brother the sons of rimon the barite and said to them as the Lord Lives who is redeem my life from all adversity he says that before the bath Sheba incident after the bath Sheba incident remember the sword never departed from his house there were consequences appended to that sin with basba that involved Uriah the hittite but at the end of his life in First Kings 1:29 the king took an oath and said as the Lord Lives who has redeemed my life from every distress so whatever the situation was whatever the difficulty was whatever the hardship was for David this much he understood the Lord is faithful you see the apostles Point you're running with endurance the race that is set before you read the Bible read Genesis read Exodus read Leviticus read numbers read Deuteronomy read the former prophets read the latter prophets read all of scripture so that you can hear with one unified voice the common consent of God's people through all the ages God is faithful and remember at the end of Hebrews chap 11 it speaks of the suffering Saints and it gives us what they endured others were tortured not accepting Deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection still others had trial of mockings and scourgings yes and of chains and imprisonment they were temp uh stoned they were sa in two they were tempted were slain with the sword they wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins being destitute Afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth isn't that interesting therefore since we have this cloud of witnesses run with endurance the race that is set before you don't complain don't Grumble don't murmur but rather understand that God's people throughout the ages whatever their circumstances whatever the situation nevertheless found it to be the case that when they ran Within endurance the race that was set before them God was faithful God was faithful you've got the three uh uh uh uh men in the Book of Daniel couple passages outside of Hebrews 11 that I think are helpful then we'll close uh Daniel chapter 3 Daniel chapter 3 a very important passage I think in many respects but I think it certainly makes our Point here Shadrach verse 16 Shadrach Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king oh nebuch Nezar we have no need to answer you in this matter if that is the case our God whom we serve is able to Deliver Us From The Burning fiery furnace and he will Deliver Us from your hand O King but if not talk about faith He's Able he can we'd like him to but if not it's not going to shake us from our foundation it's not going to cause us to apostatize from Yahweh and go seek out baale it's not going to cause us to to to flee into the arms of the the the the the the Canaanite deities or in this particular instance the Babylonian deities but if not let it be known to you oh King that we do not serve your Gods nor we will We Worship the gold image which you have set up look at the prophet Micah in Micah chapter 7 Micah CH 7 specifically at verse verse one wo is me this is lamentation Micah is lamenting here woe is me for I'm like those who gather Sumer fruits like those who glean vintage grapes there's no cluster to eat of the first R fruit which my soul desires the faithful man is perished from the earth and there is no one upright among men they all lie in wait for blood every man hunts his brother with a net if that's what you think in terms of society look up at Micah in that great cloud of witnesses and say brother what do you have for me God's faithful even in the midst of it so no Godly Fellowship but as well the corruption of society notice in uh verse 3- 6 that they may successfully do evil with both hands the prince asks for bribe uh gifts the judge seeks a bribe and the great man utters his evil desire so they scheme together the best of them is like a Brier the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge the day of your Watchmen and your punishment comes now shall be their perplexity but as well marriage and family had disintegrated it's got no Godly Fellowship in terms of friends you got corruption all throughout society and even in your own home there's nothing but a sort of division Vision do not trust in a friend do not put your confidence in a companion guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom for son dishonors father daughter Rises against her mother daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law man's H enemies are the men of his own household but notice therefore I will look to the Lord I will wait for the god of my salvation my God will hear me I think the point in Hebrews 121 with that cloud of witnesses as we run with endurance the race that is set before us if we're musing about how bad it is we can't find good Christian friends we're musing how bad it is that we live in a corrupt and Godless Society we're musing on on the fact that even in our own home home there is division there's not peace there's not Unity there's not Harmony there needs to be that therefore I will look to the Lord I will wait for the god of my salvation my God will hear me one final Prophet is habach habach chapter 3 habach chapter 3 who basically tells us that everything's going to be miserable I don't know how better to sort of encapsulate that but but this is prior to the destruction of Jerusalem or or or the southern Kingdom uh in 586 is 587 habach writes around 608 605 so we're moving in Redemptive history at this point up to that time when Nebuchadnezzar the servant of God by the way is going to come in and decimate the the southern Kingdom of Judah so basically chapters 1 two and much of three are about yep we're facing some hard times some rough days ahead notice how he ends the book verse 17 though the Fig Tree may not blossom nor fruit be on the vines though the labor of the olive May Fail and the fields yield no food though the flock may be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the Stalls yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the god of my salvation the Lord God is my strength he will make my feet like deer's feet he will make me walk on my high hills you've got the Apostle Paul's testimony in Acts chapter 20 you've got the Apostle Paul's testimony in second Timothy chapter 4 you've got polycarp of Smyrna one of the blessings that we had in Smyrna was our guide said I think that polycarp died probably over up in that region you know there's all houses and everything there now uh they don't have the specific Place marked out but remember polycarp in 8155 as he's about to be burned at the stake and then stabbed because apparently his body didn't die during the burning so they had to stab him 80 and6 years I have served him and he has done me no wrong how then can I blaspheme my king and savior you threaten me with a fire that burns for a season and after a little while is quenched but you are ignorant of the fire of everlasting punishment that is prepared for the wicked paully carp was pierced at uh rather burned at the stake and was pierced with a spear for refusing to burn incense to the Roman Emperor on his Farewell he said I bless you father for judging me worthy of this hour so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ so in conclusion as you run the race with endurance as you do so by laying aside weights and laying aside sins do it with the eye of faith upon these Heroes of the faith that with common consent confess that our God is faithful and if this isn't an argument for us to read our Bibles and to know the men and the women that have gone before us I don't know what is and of course we can't run with endurance the race that is set before us if we have not been saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ so the appeal to the non-believer isn't now start running the race the appeal to the non-believer is to come to Jesus in faith to believe the gospel of the one who lived and died and was raised again and when you by grace are Justified when you by Grace enter into that life of sanctification then run with endurance and look at that great cloud of witnesses well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for the cons consistent testimony of all the people of God throughout all of the ages that you are faithful Lord we confess at times we struggle with with us we confess at times in our distress we don't think you you come to our Aid or rescue perhaps as quickly as we would like God forgive us help us not to think that way help us to be patient help us to know that we are on your time frame and to know that you do all things well for you for your people and God go with us now watch over us in this coming week and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation e e e e e