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e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e welcome to everyone it's good to be in the house of our God on this Lord's day uh just by way of reminder our service this evening is at 5:00 pm. no Wednesday night bible study for July and August and then one new announcement is that Isaac siarto has moved to Su and he is in the process of transferring membership from our church free Grace Baptist Church here in chilak to the sui Reformed Baptist Church there so we can continue to pray for our brother and hopefully we will see him I'm sure we will in the not too distant future so with our call to worship now you can turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 8 Psalm 8 a good reminder concerning God's creation and His glory manifested in the creation Psalm 8 beginning in verse one to the chief musician on the instrument of gath a Psalm of David oh Lord our Lord Lord how excellent is your name in all the Earth who have set your glory above the heavens out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants you have ordained strength because of your enemies that you may silence the enemy and the Avenger when I consider your Heavens the work of your fingers the moon and the stars which you have ordained what is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you visit him for you have made him a little lower than the angels and you have crowned him with Glory and Honor you have made him to have dominion over the works of your hands you have put all things under his feet all sheep and oxen even the beasts of the field the birds of the air and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas oh Lord our Lord how excellent is your name in all the Earth amen we please turn in your hym books to Psalm 99 Psalm 99b as in bravo will stand as we sing together all the Earth glorious all na the holy might all rightous and worship is the holy [Music] allous all the Lord and worship the holy let us pray our gracious and our Wonder wonderful father we thank you for this beautiful day we thank you for your goodness revealed to us in the created order we thank you for that power and that wisdom and that that kindness manifested when we look around us on a beautiful day like this as well God we know that all things happen according to your Sovereign plan and purpose we know that we're not governed by chance or fate or luck we know that you are in absolute control over all things and we rejoice in your Providence we see that same wisdom and power and goodness revealed in that but God as we come on the Lord's day we are reminded of the Gospel we are reminded of re uh uh Redemption in that wonderful category wherein you save us from our sins we know it's not because of our works we know it's because of what Christ has accomplished and we bless you that in the fullness of the times you sent forth your son born of a woman and born under the law to redeem those under the law we thank you for that life that death that resurrection of the Son of God who for us men and for our Salvation came down from heaven we thank you for that great salvation that you have given to us we you're Justified freely by your grace not by a combination of our of our works an addition to Faith but it's by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone and that to the glory of God alone so we rejoice as we remember what Christ has accomplished on our behalf we express our gratitude to you in public worship we pray for the presence and the power of the holy spirit that we would approach you with that reverence and that awe that is consistent and and due to such a one that is glorious and wondrous and worthy to be praised May that as well be mingled with great joy as We Gather here God as we reflect upon the Lord Jesus Christ May our hearts be drawn out in love and joy and worship and adoration and may you be enthroned upon the Praises of your people here we ask that you would indeed be merciful to any and all who've come here this morning that are dead in their trespasses and sins we pray that you would awaken them by the power of the spirit you would convict them of their sin and show them that Jesus Christ Alone is the one in whom there is forgiveness and a righteousness that avails with you God we pray that you would forgive all of us now we ask that you would cleanse Us in the blood of the Lamb we thank you that we do have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous we do confess that we are prone to wander and prone to leave the god that we love so we ask for that Mercy that Grace that fountain that is open for sin and uncleanness God we rejoice in all of your kind provision to to us at the spiritual level in terms of all these blessings at the temporal level we Rejoice with the lot family we thank you for the healthy birth of this new baby we pray for this little one that she would be healthy and well and one day by Grace born again by the power of God the spirit we are reminded also of the the dun family the pastor in Flemington we just commend him to you his family to you in the word of your grace in this time of tragedy this time of trial and difficulty we know that under your government God there are good things that befall us there are difficult things that befall us but your purpose always stand you work all things for good to those who love you to those who are the called according to your purpose and we rejoice in that we ask as well God that you would look with favor upon other churches here in our community we praise you and thank you that we're not alone and seeking to call Sinners to repentance and faith we ask God that you would bless those churches richly and prosper them under your Mighty hand we pray for the church in sui that you would look with favor upon Pastor Mike as he preaches today we pray for our brother Isaac as he transfers membership there we pray that you would bless this young man as well God we pray for the church in Armstrong we thank you for Ryan and his labors in that Community we thank you for the work or the church plant in in Northern Ontario just ask that you would bless those men cause them to be faithful and persevering in the work of the ministry and God we pray for the church and Elder at we thank you for naft for Moses for Remy we thank you for the work they're doing there we pray for that Nation as a whole as we know there's been unrest there with reference to government and and people we just pray God that you would bring calm to Bear upon that land and continue to use the Grace Baptist Church and Elder the Grace Baptist Church and kumu to continue to preach Christ and him crucified be with our dear friends in Honduras as well we thank you for the churches in sigu toek Bless The Men Who labor in word and Doctrine and use them for your glory and God we know as well there is a great vast number of persecuted uh Believers we know that not all countries afford the Liberties that we presently enjoy we just pray for your people in Peril your people in prison your people in trial and affliction and hardship that they would nevertheless run with endurance the race that is set before them and God bless the situation in Myanmar for Peter who's done things or had to do things that that in his lifetime or in the lifetime of of most pastors will never experience we just pray that you would uphold this brother bless the council given him by the The Hamiltons and continue with them and just be glorified in that situation and finally we pray for our civil government the Apostle reminds us to pray for kings and all who are in Authority that the Church of Christ may lead a Peaceable and a quiet life while we confess God we see things to be concerned about we nevertheless pray for your your peace and your blessing to be upon those in high places we pray that you would restrain them from the lawlessness and the evil that they so quickly engage in we ask God that you would redeem those who you have you have chosen in your grace to do or remove them from that place of political influence such that we can enjoy a Peaceable and a quiet life we pray against those sins of sexual perversion and euthanasia and abortion we see the lawlessness of our age it it imitates what Isaiah spoke to when he said that that they good evil and evil good and so God we cry out to you that you would indeed have mercy you would bless the proclamation of your truth today that it would run swiftly and be glorified in this land and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen we can turn with me again in your hym books to Psalm 1 Psalm 1B as in bravo and we'll stand as we sing together 1 B [Music] bless stand for see [Music] God for is [Music] highest his are [Music] and will [Music] all [Music] you can turn to Mark's gospel for our morning scripture reading Mark chapter 2 we'll pick up reading in verse 13 Mark chapter 2 Mark 2 beginning in verse 13 then he went out again by the Sea and all the multitude came to him and he taught them as he passed by he saw Levi the son of alfus sitting in the in the tax office or at the tax office and he said to him follow me so he arose and followed him now what happened is he was dining in Levi's house that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and his disciples for there were many and they followed him and when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eating with the tax collectors and sinners they said to his disciples how is it that he eats with or eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners then Jesus heard it he said or when Jesus heard it he said he he said to them those who are well have no need of a physici but those who are sick I did not come to call the righteous but Sinners to repentance the Disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting then they came and said to him why do the Disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast but your disciples do not fast and Jesus said to them can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them as long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast but the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them and then they will fast in those days no one SWS a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment or else the new piece pulls away from the old and The Tear is made worse and no one puts new wine into old wine skins or else the new wine bursts the wine skins the wine is spilled and the wine Skins are ruined but new wine must be put into new wine skins now it happened that he went through the grain fields on the Sabbath and as they went his disciples began to pluck the heads of grain and the Pharisees said to himl why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath but he said to them have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry he and those with him how he went into the house of God in the days of abiathar the high priest and ate the showbread which is not lawful to eat except for the priests and also gave some to those who were with him and he said to them the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath therefore the son of man is also Lord of the Sabbath amen am men well we have in that first section the conversion of Matthew the tax collector of course Matthew records this as well in Matthew chapter 9 and it's intriguing because he was sitting in the tax office he was sitting there before his loot which I think at least in some degree represents his particular sin as a tax collector he was looked down upon upon or or by the by the nation as a whole he worked for Gentiles he handled uh coins that had pagan icon iconography on it and he was just utterly despised and yet Jesus comes and says follow me and it's always intrigued me that he doesn't deliberate about it he doesn't say well I really haven't felt my misery yet or I really need to get my household in order or I need to go get some good works in so I can complete this it says he rose immediately and follow Jesus now the gospel is preached here with that sort of a hope that when you hear that Christ lived Christ died Christ was raised again and that whoever believes on Christ will have everlasting life be a Matthew do this immediately Look to Him and live just as Moses lifted up the serpent so must the son of man also be lifted up the particular call was to look at that Brazen Serpent and you will live so of course Matthew was converted by the grace of God as is often the case the Pharisees complain about that they were the Perpetual winers they were the Perpetual Negative ncies they were the guys that whenever they saw Jesus do good things they had something to complain about and of course Jesus relates this or rather answers or responds to this by simply saying the physician goes to the sick your particular objection is that I've come to tax collectors and sinners that's like saying a physician is wrong because he goes to sick people this is the mission of the son a man he did not come to call the righteous but Sinners to repentance so it necessitates his coming to Sinners then physically according to his Humanity in person locally present but now he comes in the preached word he comes by the spirit to needy Sinners he doesn't say well clean up your act out in the parking lot and when you come in and get yourself fit and ready then I'll come to you now the gospel come uh call comes and the emphasis is on believe on him immediately and then we'll skip that Center section but that last section deals with the Christian Sabbath or the Sabbath now there are some that would argue that no longer in the New Covenant is the Sabbath abiding is it it's not Perpetual the dispensationalists think that that the law The Ten Commandments were only given to the nation of Israel they're not operative in the Gentile Church new covenant theology says well Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath law so therefore there's no longer an abiding Sabbath that's like saying Jesus fulfilled the Commandment do not commit adultery so therefore we can go commit adultery no that's not it but if you notice how Jesus argues here he argues with reference to precedent when they are over fastidious about Sabbath observance notice that Jesus goes to precedent and he doesn't go to SI he goes to the Garden notice in 2:27 and he said to them the Sabbath was made for man not Jew not Israelite at sin but man it's articular that means it has the article so it could mean the man which suggests which man Adam that is only confirmed when you look at Genesis 2: 1 to3 what does God do after the creation week when he makes everything in the space of six days and it's all very good what happens on the Sabbath God takes his place upon his throne and he sabbaths that's what we look to in terms of the fourth Commandment there is the Precedence in the in the garden for Sabbath keeping not in a legalistic way we do it we get saved but out of a heart of gratitude to our living and true God as blood-bought children of God conquered by Sovereign Grace it is a joy and a delight for us to get to cease from our labors and to enjoy the good things that the Lord affords to us and children that's how you should view the Lord's day it's not I don't get to do this ah but you get to do all this you get to go to the house of God you get to go and worship in the public place you get to hear the preached word you get to sing praises to God and notice the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath in that Pharisee structure the Sabbath was a command out there God made the man so that man could fulfill the Sabbath whereas Jesus says no Sabbath is a gift it was made by God for the man that is a unique feature of the Christian religion where our God takes our rest seriously and so we ought not to Bo at that we ought not to reject it we ought to receive it as the gift that God intended it to be well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ the salvation of Matthew the teaching here on the old wine and new wine skins and on this emphasis with reference to the Sabbath we love you we praise you we thank you that you give good gifts we thank you for the gift of Salvation in our lord Jesus and the gift of the Lord's Day wherein we get to cease from our Earthly labors and enjoy the people of God and the house of God on the day of God and we praise you through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well for our final hymn before the preaching you can turn to 275 27 five will stand as we sing together sa in Mighty his precious to we on calary PR for for for for for hising voice I he glor I noer I I you can turn with me in your Bibles to Hebrews chap 12 Hebrews chap 12 we've come to a natural break in the upper room discourse there in John chapter 15 I'm going to to be taking a few weeks off cam Porter will be preaching over the next few weeks and I thought we'd finish this particular section that we started on Sunday night last week we looked at chap 12 verse 1 this morning God willing we'll look at verse two and then God willing tonight verses 3 to 11 try to like to tie things up in case I die on vacation you're not left hanging as to where the series was going to go so I want to read the section uh Hebrews 12 beginning in verse 1 to verse 11 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 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 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 endure 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've had human fathers who corrected us and we paid them respect should 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 SE 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 well let us pray Our Father we thank you again for the written word and we pray for the Holy Spirit who gave us that word now to guide to illumin to teach and instruct and to help us to reflect upon what you call us to In this passage in terms of running with endurance the race that is set before us help us as well to ponder the incentives the blessed reasons uh how we are able to do that and just guide us now forgive us again for all sin help us to receive these things with thankful hearts and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen now this study of course is somewhat connected to John 15 remember the function of the vine dresser with the branches in John 152 he cuts out the old branches the dead branches that represents in that passage old Covenant apostate Israel and with the new branches what does he do he prunes them that they bear much fruit that's the purpose of the father you see it in Romans chapter 8 Those whom he fornew these he predestined to be conformed to the image of his son other words when he saves us freely by his grace he justifies Us by faith we believe we're forgiven we receive a righteousness positionally legally by which we're accepted into uh uh by God we are then adopted sons and daughters in the family of God therefore we need to live and image and demonstrate that we are members of that family not so that we may be saved but rather because we are saved you probably as parents have told your kids maybe with a shaked finger in their faces now represent the family well as we go out today if you lose your mind on the floor in the in the mall that's going to reflect poorly on our on our family well that's the emphasis that we find in what we call sanctification we're supposed to live in a manner that is consistent with our High calling in Christ Jesus Now by way of context the chapter as a whole is filled with three specific uh four specific charges first they're to run the race of faith our section in verses 1 1 to 11 secondly they're called to renew their Vitality in verses 12 to 17 third to be reminded that they have come to Mount Zion according to verses 18 to 24 and then ultimately a warning to not refuse God who speaks from heaven in verses 25 to 29 so as I said our section is to run the race of Faith so last Sunday night we considered first the duty the exhortation the responsibility placed upon us which is almost to the end of verse one not us notice let us run the uh run with endurance the race that is set before us and then notice that word endure throughout the context verse two Jesus endured the cross verse three consider him who endured such hostility verse seven if you endure chastening so what God calls us to is not to be a flash in the pan but to be consistent to be steadfast to be persevering and enduring in other words the Christian life isn't a 100 yard dash it's more like a marathon you're in this for the Long Haul and so one of the aims of the Apostle is to encourage them in the long haul with these specific exhort patience so the duty is clear we're to run with endurance the race that is set before us Paul uses the imagery in 1 Corinthians 9 he uses it when he's talking about his own death in second Timothy chapter 4 he has finished the race so he most likely well I would argue absolutely knew about the games that were being played in terms of Athletics and that sort of thing as a Tent Maker it might have been a place for him to sell his services and his wees so he understood Athletics he understood the race and so he uses that bib or that imagery brings it into a Biblical context and Likens the Christian Life to a race you don't win the race unless you run the race you don't win the race if you bow out Midway through you don't run uh win the race if you throw up your hands and say well it's just too difficult it's just too hard that's simply not an option when you confess faith in Jesus Christ you must run with endurance the race that is set before us he says we're to lay a aside the weights that bring us down we to lay aside the the sin that so easily entangles Us in other words get rid of the obstacles in your running of the race if you're a a particularly sized man don't throw a 200 lb vest on and try to run with that to the very end I mean you might do Sprints with that for good health and all that sort of a thing but you don't want to lay unnecessary weight and you certainly don't want to bring sin into that race and then Paul giv gives three incentives three helps as it were to Runners along that way the first we considered last Sunday night this cloud of witnesses in fact that's how the text starts in verse one therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses now it's connected intimately to Hebrews chap 11 all those great men and women of the faith that are indicated in Hebrews chap 11 they function as The Cloud of Witnesses now their witnessing isn't of us running with endurance the race other words Abraham and and Isaac and Samson and Jaffa and Rahab the Harlot they're not up in the amphitheater looking at you and I running with endurance the race that's not what a witness is a witness isn't a spectator a witness provides testimony a witness Witnesses so what is it that Abraham and Isaac and Samson and jeffa and Rahab are witnessing too God is faithful so we have this Amphitheater of persons who have gone before us out of the periphery we see them or we hear their witness testimony that God is faithful whatever your circumstances you got a difficult family life so did Abel you got a diff difficult Society here in Modern Day Canada so did Noah not Canada but he had a difficult situation you've got difficult tests or hardships in your life so did Abraham you've got persecution so did the prophets you've got oppression so did the prophets you've got trials and challenges in your own Empire so did the Apostle Paul so what do these these men and women all testify by way of witness testimony is that God is faithful but then he addresses the mission of Jesus and tonight we'll consider the purpose of the father but the mission of Jesus so we see them out of our periphery we hear their Witness testim ony that God is faithful but our focus is to be on Jesus Christ that's what Paul says here specifically in verse two notice he says therefore verse one 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 and endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God so I want to notice two things here first the specific activity looking unto Jesus and then secondly the particular Focus what about Jesus are we supposed to be looking unto in other words it's not General and undefined but it's concrete there in terms of what we're supposed to be looking unto when it comes to running with endurance the Christian Life specifically relative to our Lord but in terms of the activity notice it's a simple phrase looking unto now again we need to qualify that that's not physically it's not with the naked eye looking up to heaven all the time Christians aren't supposed to wander around through life always like this the looking unto means represents signifies faith faith is walking by Things Not Seen and so the Apostle directs us to look unto Jesus it means to look away from one thing and concentrate on another to look away to and when we're looking way to what does that help us to do I would suggest it helps us to get the focus off ourselves that seems to be a Perpetual enemy in the Christian Life you may have some rest from the devil you may be on an island in the Pacific somewhere and not have the world breathing down your throat but that Perpetual persist enemy or Foe or opponent is ourselves we're very narcissistic we're very self-absorbed we are very consumed with me myself and I the Unholy Trinity in terms of of life and so when we're looking unto Jesus guess what we're not focused on my issues my problems my afflictions my hardships my my difficulties this is great admonition on the part of the Apostle for runners in the race if you're running in a race and we're just assuming that everybody has it one time or another maybe if you're 35 or 45 or you did it when you were four if all you're focusing upon is how this hurts my cardiovascular system certainly isn't as developed as it ought to be and you're obsessing with all of the enormities of the task at hand you're probably not going to make it but if you're fixated on the prize you're fixated on the win you're fixated on the the Victory and again all biblical imagery Paul says that in 1 Corinthians 9 I fight thus I run thus so that I may win the prize so this focus upon Jesus is absolutely crucial in running the Christian race the believer is instructed not to look specifically at Abraham and and Isaac and Samson and jafta and Rahab yeah out of the periphery yes listen to their witness testimony that God is faithful but we're to look at Jesus Owen says looking in scripture when it respects God or Christ denotes an Act of Faith or trust with hope and expectation and Brethren I I changed up the title or the head of this point I call it the mission of Christ because technically it is example but it's more than example the pattern of Jesus is bad things run through them get good things but that's not the main emphasis here the point isn't simply bad things run through them get good things it's all done by virtue of our Union with Jesus Christ our faith in him as the object of saving faith and he gives the power and the impetus and everything that we stand in need of to be able to run the race so yes he's an example but he's more than an example he's the very object of our faith fath as we run this race with endurance so we need to make sure we've got that Owen again says wherefore the Lord Jesus is not proposed here unto us as a mere example to be considered by us but as him also in whom we place our faith trust and confidence with all our expectation of success in our Christian course without this faith and trust in him we shall have no benefit or Advantage by his example it's a bit of a subtle distinction but you need to understand the emphasis of the text isn't go out and tell unconverted people to be like Jesus Jesus had a hard life Jesus was crucified as a criminal for crimes that he never did but you know in the end Jesus was Victorious and in the end Jesus went to heaven to be with his father go be like Jesus there's a sense where an unbeliever or a pagan could appreciate that story there is a sense where it resonates with people go through the bad and get the prize at the end and that's certainly part of the emphasis here is that Jesus trajectory is going to be the trajectory of the the believer but for us it's much more Jesus is the reason Jesus is the purpose Jesus is the focus Jesus is the sustainer Jesus in the language of the Apostle is the author and finisher of our faith Jesus is the very rationale for the being in this Christian race to be begin with so we don't run with endurance the race that is set before us by looking at our performance looking at our goodness looking at our past accomplishments know every step that we take it is done by faith in Jesus so he is basically saying what Jesus says in John 15 abide in me and I in you when Jesus says in John 15 apart from me you can do nothing a good question is well how do we abide in Jesus by faith how do we strengthen that recognition by scripture by Prayer by Church attendance by feeding our minds and giving our consciences that understanding of who God is and what he has done for us in the person and work of the Lord Jesus much of our Christian Life Brethren is very much dependent upon how much of the Bible we know here comes the guilt manipulation phase of the sermon read your Bibles more how do we we navigate how do we run with endurance the race that is set before us without knowing of Abraham without knowing of Isaac without knowing of jeffa without knowing of Samson all these are just empty words if you don't read the Old Testament Hebrews 11 likely makes no no point or makes no impact on you it's just a collection of names that lived a long time ago and did interesting things these were interesting names who lived a long time ago ago that were attached to specific persons in specific difficulties very much like the very the things that you and I go through and so when we run this race with endurance we we see the the amphitheater out there we see it in our periphery but we're looking under Jesus by faith we're going forward in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy spirit so the specific activity is faith in Christ and then second the particular Focus the particular focus and I think the Apostle says five things here first the person of Christ second the work of Christ third the mission of Christ fourth the suffering of Christ and then finally the exaltation of Christ in other words while we run with endurance the race that is set before us we're to consider all that scripture says concerning all that Jesus is see if we have a little truncated view of Jesus we're probably going to have just a little bit of depth in our spiritual life if we have just a small fraction of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done then we'll probably just have a small fraction of help when we are destitute and down and in the dungeon remember when uh Dr renahan preached Psalm 88 boy that was a sermon that has lasted or stuck with me that dungeon below the dungeon I got to think that going to the dungeon is bad enough in and of itself but the dungeon of dungeons the place below the dungeon where you're confined and where you can scream and where nobody hears you and where there's all kinds of bad things in a confined space the thought of it terrifies me at the physiological level being confined like that that is an absolutely horrifying thought and the psalmist uses that to describe what his desperate condition in this life as well the psalmist uses that to prefigure the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ who was that Psalm 88 man in the dungeon below the dungeon that's the Christian Life Brethren I'm not saying that to dissuade you or to tell you we don't come to Jesus but I am telling you when you come to Jesus it's not like everything's only ever going to be good it is with Heaven it is with God just to ification by faith alone brings peace brings Joy brings Comfort but it doesn't clean up your environment and I'm not talking about bottles and cans I'm talking about people and oppression and persecution and hardship and loss and sorrow and difficulty Psalm 88 is a reality in the Christian life so if we're not looking unto Jesus or we have that much information about who Jesus is our faith in him our dependence upon him our love for him all those things will be skewed it'll be deficient it'll be not all the way it ought to be so first notice that he specifies the person of Jesus and I think that what he does here looking unto Jesus I think that underscores the humanity of Jesus we've been seeing this in The Gospel according to John John 1:1 in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the Word was God we're told told immediately that the one who saves us from our sins the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world has the unity uh Unity of essence with the Father the word was with God the Word was God the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us so the Son of God assumes our Humanity to it uh uh to himself with all the essential properties and all the common infirmities thereof and yet without sin and I think that when Paul says looking unto Jesus that the emphasis the humanity of our savior the true Humanity of our blessed Lord look at what he went through on our behalf for us men and for our Salvation it underscores that he is the mediator it underscores his state of humiliation we know the prophet announced that he would be a man of Sorrows he would be acquainted with grief Isaiah 53:3 we turn to the pages of the New Testament and that's precisely what we find he's a man of Sorrows he's acquainted with grief he comes to his own his own receive him not and instead of receiving him instead of believing on him instead of worshiping him what do they do they deliver him up to pontious pilate they say away with him away with him crucify him they say regarding barabus who was probably a notorious terrorist at the time we want him to be free but what do you want me to do with Jesus your your king he's not a king we want him crucified on the cross to Die the worst form of death that was in the then Known World so the Lord Jesus according to his Humanity not divorced or devoid from his divinity because you can't do that is the particular Focus here that brings us then to the work of Christ notice it's spelled out very quickly the author and finisher of our faith I think that functions in two ways he's the author and finisher of our faith in the subjective sense and what that means is me or you subjectively believing the gospel right the Bible teaches that we're dead in our trespasses and sins doesn't teach that we're a little lame a little maimed or a little crippled we're dead in our trespasses and sins that same Bible equally teaches that faith is a gift from God Ephesians 2 8-10 Philippians 1 verse 29 it's an act of God's free Grace so he is the author and finisher of our sub objective Faith other words we wouldn't have faith without Jesus having come into this world and doing what it is that he did without the spirit of God Opening Our Hearts giving us new life and giving us The Graces of faith and repentance but I think it focuses on the objective Faith see when we say faith we can mean my belief in Jesus but when we say faith we can mean the objective content of Christianity who's responsible for the objective content of Christianity the author and the finisher of it the one who always did the will of his father the one whose meat was to do the will of him who sent me Jesus is author and finisher not only of our faith in him but of the faith that there is to believe in concerning him so that I think encapsulates his work as a whole why does Christ leave the the bosom of the father not locally but we speak of that when he assumes our Humanity why does he do that in order to bring about what he does and in order to found Christianity as the Redemptive religion of God by which Sinners enter from Darkness into life notice thirdly his mission and the mission is specified there author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set beforeand in other words the fact that something was set before him and all that follows was necessitated by that underscores what we call the mission and again we've seen that a lot in John's gospel temporal missions we've got Eternal processions in God I don't want to get too far a field here God the father is unbegotten the son is begotten by the father and the spirit proceeds from the father and the son that is at intra that's God in himself that's how God is eternally but the temporal missions what God does in the ad extra or outside of himself Works those reveal to us not exhaustively but something of those Eternal possessions so the sending of the son by the father corresponds to the unbegotten of the Father the generation or begotten of the son the day of Pentecost the temporal mission of the Holy Spirit demonstrates that the spirit comes from the father and the Sun that happens in the economy but it's reflective of or revelatory of what happens in the Eternal processions father unbegotten son begotten and the spirit proceeds from the father and the son so the temporal missions give us Revelation concerning who God is in himself and that work of Jesus Christ evidences that the father sent him on a particular Mission the father sent him to assume our Humanity the father sent him to be a man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief the father sent him for a particular task so this idea that Jesus really didn't know what he was doing Jesus just kind of bumbled about through the the Wilderness like a hippie drinking tea and you know calling people to himself that's not it he was under prophetic demand in accordance with the Covenant of redemption made with his father and that's why he speaks resolutely throughout his gospel narratives that I must do the will of him who sent me so the work of the Lord Jesus Christ or the mission rather of the Lord Jesus Christ is where we see that work performed on behalf of people so again notice looking on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him and that's an interesting phrase who for the joy that was set before him again the example would be well Jesus went through bad to get good you therefore be like Jesus go through the bad to get the good again that operates In this passage but I think the bigger concept is is that it was jesus' joy to assume our Humanity to despising the shame enduring the cross why because he had an endgame because there was a Terminus at the Covenant of redemption and you know what that was the glory of his father and the salvation of his people so notice again the text specifically with reference to Mission the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him Owen says herein is the Lord Christ Our great example exle and that he was influenced and acted in all that he did and suffered by a continual respect unto the glory of God and the salvation of the church so again if we're going to look at him as an as an example we have to take into consideration the The Contours of that example the joy that was set before him wasn't simply an obstacle to get to to the end the very obstacle itself was the means to get to the end the suffering things that you and I undergo as we consider them obstacles pains in the neck things that get in our way does it ever Dawn on us that that's the means that God's ordained so that we do get to the end with a degree or modom of Conformity unto Jesus Christ see it's easy to complain about Providence it's easy to whine about the obstacles in the way but then we've not followed Jesus because he considered the joy that was set before him he understood that the glory of God and the salvation of his people were uppermost and that is one of the things that we should focus on as we run with endurance the race that he loves me that he wants me that he's died for me that he's raised again for me it's a blessed and wonderful thing Spurgeon says now this is the joy which Christ felt it was the joy of feeding us us with the Bread of Heaven the joy of clothing poor naked sinners in his own righteousness the joy of finding mansions in heaven for homeless Souls of delivering us from the prison of hell and giving us the Eternal enjoyments of Heaven see before he gets to the the cross he already speaks concerning the joy in other words Jesus was motivated if I can use that language concerning the Son of God by this joy that God is going to be glorified and that these clo uh uh uh homeless Sinners are going to be clothed they're going to be brought into Mansions Above there's an endgame with reference to Jesus and as we run the race with endurance we're supposed to think about that why did the Son of God come into this world well it was for the likes of you and me that when we run with endurance the race that we're running when we Face the various obstacles when we come to the various challenges and trials we don't just say forget it I can't do it he died and and Rose again so that we will do it but then notice fourthly the suffering of Christ we're going to put suffering we're going to throw that first and then look at Cross but notice the shame it says that was before him who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame so let's look at shame and then cross I would suggest shame comes from Cross but there's other things associated with the shame shame there Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief we don't usually like it when people that that are around us don't treat us as great as we think well Butler you're revealing more okay maybe you don't but you know you think you should be at least the degree of courtesy and that sort of a thing but imagine being the Son of God who takes on our Humanity comes to his own and his own receive him not and let me just contextualize his own who received him not they had Genesis to Malachi they had text after text after text after text that should have evoked in them an expectation for the very one who came to his own and received him not these weren't you know Heathen out in the bush that had no concept whatsoever of a messiah these were people tutored in schooled on preached to sung about the Messiah so so he comes to his own and his own receive him not there's shame indicated there the mockery that he faces in his public Ministry the mockery that he faces in his trial the mockery that he faces from the Sanhedrin when when they they slap him on the face these are the religious leaders in Israel and this is where they've degenerated unto he was holy harmless and undefiled pilate three times confesses I find no guilt in this man now his testimony unfortunately because he's a wretch seems to go unnoticed but he confesses three times the Holiness of Jesus the innocency of Jesus and yet the people to whom he came that had the prophetic word that should have had the expectation they slap him they spit on him the shame associated with the Earthly Ministry of the Lord Lord Jesus Christ would be enough to bury most of us like that somebody doesn't smile at us and we're put out of sorts somebody doesn't greet us the way that we should or they should and we're upset imagine coming to your own who should have expected you and who should have known what they were looking for and they don't receive you and it culminates with them crying out a away with him away with him crucify him but then consider this and I don't want to get gory there's no hint of passion a passion play in the The Gospel accounts rboss makes that observation well popi celebrates the passion in all of its gory detail the New Testament documents don't do that they give a Shand he died he suffered he was raised again it doesn't explain in detail 12 Stations of the Cross that you find in a Roman Catholic church but we do understand the suffering and the shame and one of the things that is interesting I read this in Spurgeon many years ago is that when Jesus hung on the cross he was stripped naked and as Spurgeon will mention in just a moment of course the artists always put a cloak cloak over him but that's not what the text says where the text isn't silent we actually change it and put a cloak on him and I'm not suggesting we even picture Jesus that's not my game here but in a sermon on Hebrews 12:2 here were spurgeon's points his shameful accusation his shameful mockery his shameful crucifixion on the shameful mockery he says quote the person of Christ was stripped twice and although our painters for obvious reasons cover Christ upon the cross there he hung the naked savior of a naked race he who clothed the lies had not wherewith to clothe himself he who had clothed the Earth with jewels and made made for it Robes of emeralds had not so much as a rag to conceal his nakedness from a staring gazing mocking hard-hearted crowd he had made coats of skins for Adam and Eve when they were naked in the garden he had taken from them those poor fig leaves with which they sought to hide their nakedness given them something wherewith they might wrap themselves from the cold but now they part his garments among them and for his vesture do they cast lots while he exposed to the pitiless storm of content hath no cloak with which to cover his shame and we don't celebrate it with stations on the cross but it's not bad to consider once in a while because who for the joy that was set before him despising the shame so if we broaden out and we think about those Heroes of the faith in Hebrews chap 11 you know bad family life bad Society difficult tasks oppression persecution governmental false religion all that stuff we have tap roots and Hebrews 11 for God-fearing people that Testify the Lord is faithful what about the shame associated with being a Believer today Brethren if you haven't noticed they hate us people the other day oh I was so surprised what happened in France at The Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics really surprised disgusted sickened and wanting to vomit I get but surprised you haven't seen the trajectory you haven't understood the plan you don't see we're witnessing a Psalm 2 moment in our day and age the Nations the rulers the Kings the authorities they take counsel together against Yahweh and against his Christ Brethren it is going to get increasingly more difficult let me qualify not a prophet nor the son of a prophet just a guy who looks around once in a while and as guy who looks around once in a while it kind of looks like it's going to get a bit more difficult to own Jesus Christ why are churches letting women be preachers why are churches letting people be homosexual why are churches Endor endorsing transgenderism why are churches almost like extensions of the Civil State because it's hard it's tough we we don't like pressure Brethren there is going to be shame if not already associated with your identification with our blessed Jesus now you can move you can live on the moon you can live in wherever and perhaps mitigate that to some degree but if he came to his own and his own received him not and if when we return to John 15 we hear his words there do not Marvel that the world hates you it first hated me Jesus and if it hated me then it's going to hate you so it's going to be increasingly difficult to identify with Jesus to say no against those abuses of Holy Scripture that are operative in churches today to say no we stand upon the word of God our conscience is bound by by God's word and you know in the language of Luther here I stand I can do no other there's going to be threat there's going to be oppression there's going to be persecution there's going to be all kinds of stuff and again not a prophet son of prophet a guy who pays a little bit of attention and it just looks kind of like it's going to go that way well I was afraid to pray in Tim Horton's Brethren that may be a walk in the park in the distance praying and Tim Horton's may be the last concern owning Christ before a Godless Tyrant owning Christ before the beasts of Revelation Revelation 13 and 14 and full disclosure I don't think those beasts are in our future I think they were in the future from the vantage point of the Apostle John and I think it was the Roman Empire that was the beast from the sea and it was the nation of Israel old Covenant apostate Israel which was the beast from the land and that is precisely who persecuted the Earth Church in that first century they had the unbelieving Jews at their heels every step of the way when you read acts who's the enemy it isn't the Roman Empire they're there they're signing off they're they're going along with it but initially at the outset of Christianity the Roman Empire treated it as a subset of Judaism and basically left them alone in fact when you read Paul before the civil government they're like we don't really know this seems like a the ological debate Galileo in Acts 18 seems like an intramural debate in terms of your religion you guys go work this out it's the way the civil government should function toward the Church get out in theological debate but increasingly especially under Nero who John Fox calls Beast the Beast of Revelation again you may differ on some of the details but I think you get the point what did Nero do he got whacked out I don't know how better to you know what kind of parlament to put that in 55 uh when Paul writes Romans he says let every soul be subject to the governing Authority Nero was the emperor but Nero was under restraint he had some decent bright people around him that hedged him in from his Oddities and his weirdnesses and his Cru cruelties by the mid 60s when Rome Burns and Nero needs a scapegoat guess who fits the bill it's these rotten lousy Christians Nero was a disgusting individual a beastly man but when it comes to the reality that we see in that first century generation we will see likewise going forward until we get to the New Jerusalem do you think people and pagans are going to get nicer I don't see that at all I see them a lot more vicious and angry and upset about any semblance of Christianity in in society or or even in our homes it's no longer the case we just want tolerance no we want your submission so when it comes push to shave and when churches and professing Believers are saying well we just got to go along to get along at some point Brethren you're going to have to say no some point you're going to have to say with Luther here I stand some point you're going to have to say with those three young men but even if not I'm not going to betray my God Brethren Jesus despised the shame he endured the cross what does the cross entail I've got one quote we're going to be finished here in just a moment this is a quote I've quoted before and I think it's just a good description of what the cross was this is Da Carson from his commentary on John's gospel because I mean we say that right it's a piece of jewelry in the Western World the cross on the neck what's the cross symbolize well symbolize is Christianity what did the cross symbolize in the first century not Christianity shame contempt capital punishment for the worst offenders in the Empire again Roman citizens usually went crucified even for a capital offense it was too barbaric unless the emperor said yes this Roman citizen can go to the Cross most Roman citizens that were guilty of cap capital offenses did not die by crucifixion it was for the worst the political threats which they put G on Jesus for the terrorists for the persons that were going to bring down the Empire you you'll always know which crimes governments hate the most it's usually those that have anything to do with their power but with reference to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ just an explanation of what's entailed in the ancient world this most terrible of punishments is always associated it was shame and horror it was so brutal that no Roman citizen could be crucified without the sanc uh sanction of the emperor stripped naked and beaten to pulpy weakness now Brethren it's probably the case Jesus was beaten twice probably beaten twice the there was like a two-stage trial there Pilot's trying to profer a deal pilate again in all his Godless heathenism nevertheless tried to come to bat for G I'm not putting pilot in heaven I'm not I don't know maybe who knows what happened to Pilot after the narrative ends but but I find no guilt in this man I find no guilt in this man I find no guilt in this man Matthew's gospel he knew they delivered him up why because of their own Envy remember pilate's wife have nothing to do with this man I had a dream about him other words get away from this man going down this path is not good so to appease the bloodthirsty mob he probably would have had him beat initially but there was always a beating associated with the cross in other words you just didn't go get on the cross you had to get on the cross after you were almost put to death so he says stripped naked and beaten to pulpy weakness the victim could hang in the hot for for hours even days to breathe it was necessary to push with the legs and pull with the arms to keep the chest cavity open and functioning terrible muscle spasm racked the entire body but since collaps me asphixiation the strain went on and on this is also why the sedula prolonged life and Agony that's the little block of wood what's a sedula mom it's a little block of wood you get the idea he's on the cross he's got this little block of wood to put his feet on that's not a mercy Brethren that's to prolong the process right if there's no little block of wood asphixiation happens a lot sooner little block of wood you kind of push up you kind of maneuver you kind of change your position a little bit gasp a bit of air the little block of wood is another horrific part of the whole process he says it partially supported the body's weight and therefore encouraged the victim to fight on so let's just bring it back to the text we're running with endurance the race that is set before us we've got this great cloud of witnesses that testify God is faithful but we're be we're to be looking in faith on to Jesus that underscores his Humanity his role as mediator Prophet priest and King we're to understand his work the father sends him to go about the task of saving his people from their sins also known as in a comprehensive term uh Mission the mission of the son of man was not to come and just teach us better things about ourselves and others but to save his people from their sins and then we consider as well the fact that there is this this great suffering that that is engaged in by the Savior but it's put in the context of joy and that's where Paul ends notice after he endures the cross after having despised the shame he has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God so here's the emphasis as far as Paul is concerned on the one hand consider this Jesus the author and finisher of our faith the objective Faith the content of Christianity Life Death Resurrection Ascension on high current session now at the exalted status at the right hand of God most high you need to think on him you need to look to him in faith but as well there is that pattern there is that example what does Jesus teach us that in this world you will have tribul ations but be of good cheer I've overcome the world so another means by which the Apostle holds out the lesson that Jesus gave to his disciples in Matthew's gospel remember in Matthew Chapter 20 The Sons of zebede are jockeying for position oh Lord grant that we may sit on your right and your left when you come in your kingdom what does he say to them you have no idea what I'm going to go through I've got to be baptized I've got to drink a cup are you able to do this they say yes Lord of course' he says you will you're gonna but to sit at my right hand and my and my left is my father's to give what ises he mean when he says you will well James the son of Zebedee is beheaded in Acts 12 John the son of Zebedee ends up exiled on the island of patmas for the testimony of the Lord and the word of God so what is Jesus affirming to them there before you get to the prize before you get to the crown there's going to be a cross there's going to be hardship there's going to be ache there's going to be Affliction and that same lesson is held out here by Paul you're going to go through shame you're going to endure your crosses but you're going to have the exalt exaltation of God most high in that New Jerusalem so the exaltation of Jes Jesus it's not just an appendage it's not just an add-on this is the object or rather the OBC of nature of the Faith Life Death Resurrection exaltation current session second coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead he's the author and finisher of that faith and we're to run with endurance the race that is set before us looking unto him in faith now Psalm 1101 Bears often in the book of Hebrews I think that's the illusion here him being exalted at the right hand of the Throne of God it comes up much in the book of Hebrews but notice the parallel at least in terms of theme or content with Moses look at Hebrews 11 specifically at verse 24 by faith Moses when he became of age refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the p people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin does he do this because he's a stoic does he do this because he can grin and Barrett does he do this because he reaches down deep inside and he Knuckles under and takes whatever hardships this world has no I mean he does but notice esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he looked to the reward so you see a pattern you've got Moses you've got Jesus that's who we've got to be run with endurance the race that is set before us whatever difficulties are there whatever challenges are there whatever heartaches are there whatever hardships are there whatever Affliction and turmoil and and and Sorrows we Face know that at the end of it is the presence of the Blessed God know that at the end of it is residence in the New Jerusalem know that it's habitation in those many mansions that Jesus has gone on to prepare and he has promised that he will return and receive unto himself so the second incentive after this cloud of witnesses is to look unto Jesus his mission his work his person his death his suffering his Sorrows his hardship but his exaltation for us men and for our Salvation he's the object of our saving Faith he is the one as well that graciously has provided for us this pattern or Paradigm that the cross always precedes the crown and it's typical for us to want the crown right now like the sons of Zebedee and forget that we got to run the race not so that we can be saved but because by God's grace we have been saved and we're to run in the manner that Paul specifies so tonight we'll see the discipline or the purpose of the father in this particular pathway we run the race with endurance cloud of of witnesses looking unto Jesus and the father's gracious purpose which even includes discipline why because we need discipline and the final thing I want to say is if anybody here is not a Believer my message to you this morning is not I want you to start running this race just run through the obstacles run through the difficulties and charge Heaven by storm no you don't enter this race I I guess people I should have probably asked when before he he likes to go on these races do you have to pay to suffer yeah I want to pay this money to run this Marathon wait a minute it's kind of like Costco you got to pay for the privilege to shop there there's more benefits at Costco actually I'm going to pay to suffer but but with the Christian race it's not paying well just you know give a hundred bucks or a few hundred bucks and I'll enter the race and I'll run it and I'll show them all it's not by your efforts I can run faster than anybody I'm going to jump into this race and off I go stronger more Valiant better than everybody that I know no this race is entered into by God's grace through the Gospel of Jesus Christ through belief in him who knew no sin who became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him other words we enter the race by looking to Jesus in faith We Run The Race by looking to Jesus in faith we finish the race by looking unto Jesus in faith you hear a common theme here it's all about Jesus and Jesus is a savior for needy guilty damning or or or Hell damning or deserving Sinners believe in him and you'll have everlasting life well let us pray Our Father we thank you for your word we thank you for this simple command let us run with endurance the race that is set before us we thank you for the wonderful incentives that you give us all the Old Testament Saints and the apostles in the New Testament that continually tell us that you are faithful and then of course what Jesus has done on our behalf and the fact that he is the object of saving Faith give us Grace to continually look unto him give Grace to Sinners here to look unto him initially to find that Joy of Salvation that Joy of forgiveness that Joy of acceptance with God and we ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well let us stand and sing 568 docy of praise to our Triune God bless pring All Creatures PR pra father son andly Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all amen will please be seated for a brief time of meditation e e e