SundaySermon
How to keep on moving forward in your Christian life
By Ptr. Vince Alcaide
Scriptural Reference: Hebrews 12:1-3

Introduction:
The Bible often describes the christian life as a race to be run or fight to be fought. Nowhere in the Bible are we promised that the christian life is going to be easy. The problem is many wants only to have enough of christianity to make them feel good about God but not enough to make them commit to living the life when time gets tough.

As expected of any athlete competing in a marathon race, one will be striving to win the race. However during the training period as you are preparing for the race, because of the difficulty not many are able to endure the training. There is a big temptation to quit for a while . This is my concern- I want to help you stay in the race running for the finish line and be cheered on by our Lord God thereafter. To do so, 3 things are necessary for you to keep moving forward in your christian life.

STEPS TO TAKE

I. We must make proper preparations ( v 1 )

A. Consider the Saints

1) The Heroes of Faith mentioned in Chapter 11 (starting from Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and a lot more)

2) They are the great assembly of witnesses being mentioned here in chap 12:1 who ran the race they had been given

a) They have finished their race – They did not run perfectly but they ran. They did not quit until the race was finished. They endured unspeakable suffering and pain , but still they ran. Now they are seated in the
grandstands serving as an encouragement and a challenge to all of us. If these people could run and finish their race, then so can we. They were not extra- ordinary people but only common men and women just like you and me . If they could live obediently for the Lord then you and I can as well.

b) They have revealed that God is reliable- The greatest Encouragement that we can derive from these Old Testament saints is the fact that they are all bearing witnesses of the faithfulness of the Lord our God. If God took care of them, honored their faith, sustained them, kept them ,used them, blessed them, then He will do the same in your life and mine. He will be with you just as He was with Moses, Abraham, David or any of the great heroes of faith. GOD IS ABSOLUTELY DEPENDABLE .( Heb 13: 5)

B. Lay aside all weights

Things which slow down our spiritual progress

a) These are anything that does not build us up or make us stronger in the Lord. It could be spending too much time on the television instead of reading God’s Word or procrastination or lack of personal discipline. Seeking entertainment instead of fellowshipping and communing with God. Giving so much attention to the things of this world instead of seeking God. They are a weight and a hindrance that should be given close guard and checked in our life.

b) Such things make our running the race difficult and will not keep us moving forward.

C. Lay aside all sins

Things which slows the pace in the progress of our faith in God

a) Not only confined to grave sins like lust, murder, having illicit affairs etc. but also includes sins which we ourselves labeled as petty sins such as unbelief, unforgiveness, indifferent attitude, impatience, pride, lying and a lot more.

b) Such things can easily entangle us and affect us like a cramp in the leg so they must be stripped off. They will prevent you from finishing your race. (Rom 6:12)

II. We need to have endurance ( v 1 )

A. Endurance is a necessary quality

“ run with endurance the race that is set before us” means not allowing the momentary difficulties and distractions to hinder our progress, not giving up but overcoming all difficulties and setbacks by moving on towards reaching our goals through discipline and exercising self-control.

B. 3 things to remember as we are running our race - that will help to keep us moving forward in our christian life.

1) We each have our own race to run - what I mean is you cannot run in my lane and I cannot run in your lane. You cannot do the running for me and I cannot do the running for you. However there are some who refuse to ran in their own lane and they end up hindering everyone around them.

2) We are not in competition but we are on the same team. My goal is not to outrun you. My goal is to run for Jesus, the race that He has planned for me to the best of my ability. The same way with you and for the rest of us here, we are not to outdo each other and say for ourselves we are better than others, we are much spiritual than others, we are more gifted than others.

Many people stop because there’s no one telling them to go. Few people see beyond the danger and tell those who are on the edge, “go for it”. Instead of helping and encouraging each other we are trying to outdo each other.

What’s the reason why some cannot move forward in their christian life? Aside from the weights and sins that we are not willing to lay aside, the so-called “ instant christianity complex” are being carried by some of us without we realizing it. By “instant christianity” mentality I mean that by one act of faith knowing we are already saved and therefore there is little reason for us to seek God and dig into His Word for us to have a Bible-grounded faith. Because of this wrong notion, it has made our desire for spiritual progress static and in plateau. We fail to understand that we are a living organism just as a child needing nourishment and discipline to be assured of normal growth. We need to undergo spiritual training, the necessity of forming right religious habits and the need to wrestle against the world and our own fleshly desires in order to move forward in our faith and christian life.

3) Our course has been individually designed - The race you are running has been prepared just for you. The best thing you can do is run your race to the best of your God- given ability.

THOSE WHO QUIT AT THE SELL OF DIFFICULTY ARE FORGOTTEN BY HISTORY, BUT THOSE WHO PERSEVERED DID NOT ONLY SURVIVE TO OUTLIVE THEM BUT MADE THE GRATEFUL WORLD BETTER FOR THEIR DEEDS.

ILLUSTRATION :
Martin Luther refused to buck down when the church threatened to excommunicate him.
Papa Ten Boom gave a hiding place for the Jews persecuted by Hitler and risked his own life.

Our problem is the lack of perseverance and not willing to go for it. In anything you do, put God first and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success. (Prov 3:16)

III. WE MUST GUARD OUR PRIORITIES ( v 2 )

“ Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith”

A. Why do we need to focus only to Jesus as we run our race?

1) If we look around and see others – we will only be discouraged, stumbled If we look at our circumstances – we may get disheartened and lose sight of the proper perspective, we will be distracted and defeated. If we look within ourselves – we will only be dismayed if we see how little we are progressing.
So we need only to look up- to be delivered (Col 3:1-2) Our eyes are to be focused on the One who will greet us at the end of our race.

B. What made Jesus able to endure and run the race victoriously?

“ for the joy that was set before Him” (v 2)
Where is the joy in running a race filled with many oppositions? Where is the joy in going to be nailed at a cross? Where is the joy in dying like a criminal, to be hurled insults and mock by people? Where is the joy in being rejected by people you love? Compared the sufferings you have encountered to that of our Lord Jesus? What we have encountered is not even half of what Jesus suffered. The joy that inspired Jesus was the privilege of being with God the Father (v 2 ) For us, the joy would be in what would happen when we finished our race are as follows:
- the day when we would be in New Heaven and New Earth with the rest of those who were redeemed worshipping the Triune God
- the day when salvation would be ultimately completed, sin forever destroyed, Satan forever doomed, and perfect righteousness would rule in every heart
- the day when we would receive our reward and praise from Jesus- the victor’s crown ( 2 Tim 4:8)

But while still on earth as we are running our race, we need to

C. Guard our priorities

WHY? Because our priorities will affect the way we think and act. If not carefully guarded, we will not succeed in finishing the race we are running and will not be able to receive the reward if we only have set right our priorities.

A good way to test what are our priorities are is to analyze what we do with our “free time” – those hours of the day after our working hours, how and where are we spending mostly our time? Is seeking God your 1st priority or your last priority? You may have been a christian for 5 years, 10 years already, let me ask you. How is your race progressing? Is the excitement of knowing God still there? Or is it fast fading? The longer you have been a christian, the more alert you must be to keep guarding your priorities in life.

CHALLENGE: How many are running the course with as much enthusiasm as when they are just starting?

We need to remember that
OUR GREATEST GLORY IS NOT IN NEVER FALLING, BUT IN RISING EVERY TIME WE FALL.

You may not be the greatest champion of faith – but keep the faith with all your heart and keep it until the end of the race.

Summary:

To keep moving forward in your christian life, there are 3 things you need to do :

1. We must make proper preparations

A. Consider the saints- the clouds of witnesses serving as our encouragement and challenge to us who have finished their race and have attested of the faithfulness of the Lord God how He kept them, sustained them, and took care of them.

B. Lay aside weights and sins that only hinders you from moving forward in your christian life. Let the Bible help you examine what are these things that should be lay aside.

2. We must have endurance. Compare the sufferings you have already encountered to that what Jesus have suffered for you and me. Jesus left heaven, lived on earth, held nothing back, went for it all the way to the cross. He who has given his life for you and me so that we may have eternal life. Have you suffered to that degree? That is why we are told to compare our sufferings with His when we feel like giving up. He endured until the end so that we might be saved. Therefore let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

3. We must guard our priorities. We must see to it that our first priority is always to know Christ and seek Him in our life. Every accomplishments, every single cent of possessions , every business is all but temporal . The fame, the power , the money all vanishes leaving nothing but a sad legacy of an empty life.