Mental and Emotional Birth

The devotion and my 3-minute talk went well, but the prep for the 10-minute "sermonette" just about killed me. It was a very painful process for me to take the things I learned, the message God put on my heart and to marry it with the text. To you pastors out there who do this week by week... my deepest respect.

Writing and preparing for speaking has always been difficult for me and at times my eyes are filled with tears and in desperate prayer I wait at the Father's feet. This message on Hebrews 12 was no different. At times I was so discouraged that I just wanted to walk away. To give up. To stop running. Yes, I use that term because truly I lived this text as I prayed, processed and prepared the following message. In the end, I was amazed at what God did. When I got up to speak I cried, but then God gave me His strength as I set my gaze toward Him and left the finish line in His hands. I can sympathize with Eric Liddell who when asked how he finished and won the now famous 440 after falling, he said, "The first half I ran in my own strength, the second I ran in God's."

Here's what the Lord produced (or birthed) through this process.
(The picture is from http://chi.gospelcom.net/GLIMPSEF/Glimpses/glmps161.shtml)

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Chariots of Fire. When I hear those words my mind is immediately filled with music from the movie: the brass call, the synthesizers beat and the patient triumph of the piano theme. Then a young man fills the screen in white shorts and shirt, with head thrown back, eyes heavenward and running a race to win, a race of faith. Coupled with the music it inspires me to my core. It fills me with a sense of anticipation and even resolve.

Eric Liddel’s life witness was the subject for this movie. A man who said, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.” Those words really jumped out at me the last time I saw this movie and I pondered them in prayer for quite a while. “Lord, what do I do that brings you pleasure? Do I please you?”

I believe that we please God by fixing our eyes upon Jesus, enduring and running the race He’s set before us. But how do we do this? We consider the examples the Lord has provided, setting our eyes on Jesus we do not lose heart, and we run.

In Hebrews 12, written to early Jewish Christians, we find encouragement towards this:

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. NIV

In this text we find that Jesus is our primary example. He’s the author and perfector of our faith. He originates it. We have faith because He gives it to us. Likewise, the “cloud of witnesses” were able to exercise their faith because He gave it to them. He endured the cross, scorning its shame. He was stripped bare of all dignity and kingly identity, yet it paled in comparison to light of the joy set before Him. The joy of seeing man reconciled to God. Thus by his obedience even death on the cross faith is perfected and he now sits at the right hand of God. He sits down. His joy and work complete.

We also have the example of those who’ve gone before us, as Hebrews refers to it, “This great cloud of witnesses.” These men and women who by faith accomplished mighty things and who endured intense persecution while only beholding the promise from afar. In obedience they were faithful to God even through they did not receive the promise.

Heb 11:39-40 NIV 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

We stand with them, and together in Jesus we are made complete.

Therefore, let’s go! Let us throw off all that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles! The things that hinder us basically sideline us. As I thought through this words like Fear, Pride and Lies came to mind. Can you see in your own life how these things might sideline you from running the race set before you? For me it can manifest in thoughts like, “You’re not good enough,” “You’ve sinned, fallen again, so there’s no hope for you,” “Give up,” “You’re not as good as Sally,” “You’re a failure, you can’t do it,” “God won’t accept you,” and “God doesn’t love you.” Sin also entangles us, keeping us from running the race. As another version puts it, “it clings.” In other words, it keeps us from running in freedom. Hebrews challenges us to throw these off and to run. Because of Jesus we can be free to run.

Yes, it’s a struggle, yet it’s important that we persevere and not give up. This resisting temptation, this struggling and striving against sin, this race before us takes discipline, but don’t lose heart.

Heb 12:4-9 4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."[a] 7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!

Discipline comes from the hand of a loving Father. He is treating us as sons. I remember the first time I read this passage and just what that meant to me. I was going through a very hard time and was discouraged, yet these verses were such an encouragement. God disciplines me because I’m His child and He loves me. To be disciplined means to be punished, but it also means to be trained like a child. God is teaching us. In chastising us he convicts us, corrects us, exposes our sin. He desires that we not stay where we are, but to grow. It’s called discipline not because it’s easy. It’s hard, but we are challenged to endure it.

Embrace the Lord’s discipline. Endure! The Benefits are worth it!

. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

It is for our good and trains us towards holiness. His holiness. Through our obedient submission to the Father of spirits we live. We receive a harvest of righteousness. When I consulted Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, I was fascinated to find that in addition to “moral correctness,” righteousness meant “freedom from guilt or sin.” Think about that. A harvest of freedom from guilt or sin. The definition of peace was quiet, tranquility, harmony, and also “freedom from disquieting emotions or oppressive thoughts or emotions.” Through endurance, discipline, we can run the race, unhindered and completely free!
12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

So Run! Embrace the Lord’s discipline, it’s for your good. And in the process as He exposes your sin, confess it. Don’t let it entangle you. There’s something to be said about confessing it, bringing it out into the light. A freedom. In James 5:16 we are encouraged to confess our sins and to pray for one another that we may be healed. As we run this race together, we are one with the cloud of witnesses. Let us cheer one another on. Let us encourage one another. Let’s not stay sidelined or be kept feeble and weak by hindrances, sin or discouragement. Instead let’s set our face towards the Son, resolve to endure, to run the race!

Eric Liddell was known for his very awkward running style: his head resting back on his shoulders, face towards heaven with arms and legs pumping. His critics were blown away that he could run let alone win the gold! When asked how he managed to find the finish line when he wasn’t even looking at it he said that it was because the Lord guides Him.

As we fix our eyes on Jesus, He gets us to the finish line. As we endure and persevere in this race that He’s set out in front of us, we please Him. So consider the examples of endurance and do not lose heart. And run… with your head back and eyes upon your Savior.