In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my soul. This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when striving ceases. My comforter, my all in all, here in the love of Christ I stand. 

In Christ alone, who took on flesh, fullness of God in helpless babe. This gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones he came to save. Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied. For every sin on him was laid. Here in the death of Christ I live. 

There in the ground his body lay, light of the world by darkness slain. Then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave he rose again. And as he stands in victory, sin's curse has lost its grip on me. For I am his and he is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ. 

No guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand. Till he returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I stand. 

No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand. Till he returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I stand. 

Beautiful day out there this morning, so we enjoy the sunshine. I was thinking last week that I was really sad that we were finished with chapter 11, because it's been such an encouraging study to go through each of the great testimonies of the Saints chronicled in this wonderful chapter of faith. 

But then I realized as I was studying this first four verses of chapter 12 that this is really an extension of chapter 11, an exhortation based on all those great testimonies, those examples of faith. So we're going to consider this morning the first two verses and see a tremendous application for our lives each day in Christ. 

However, the main intent of this passage and the context and flow out of chapter 11 is really specifically addressed to the Hebrews to which he is writing. You remember that the audience of this letter is a group of Hebrews, some of which were believers in Jesus Christ, some of which who were merely intellectually convinced of the truth of the gospel, who had left Judaism and joined the congregation but had not yet gone on to faith in Christ. 

All of those who had made a confession of faith in Christ were enduring persecution and pressure from their Jewish friends, family, and the community in which they lived. And the author says that they were leaning back toward Judaism. Even some of the true believers had started to wonder, to doubt their confession because of the pressure and were flirting with some of their old religious practices. 

So what we see throughout the epistle is an encouragement to the believers to hold fast to Christ, to remain steadfast in their faith because Jesus and his sacrifice and his priesthood and the new covenant which he instituted in his blood is far superior to the old. 

And mixed in following these doctrinal sections would show that Jesus is better than all things associated with the old covenant law are warnings to those who had not yet come to faith in Christ. We see this pattern all the way through the epistle. 

In chapter 11, we've noted that the intent is to show these Hebrews that righteousness through faith, justification by faith, is not some new doctrine but rather this has always been the way that God has brought men into a right relationship with himself and the way that he's worked through them in their lives. 

Justification was by faith for Abel, for Noah, for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, all the way down the line. It is vital that these Jews understand that no one has ever been justified by works so that they might see that justification by faith in Jesus is consistent with God's salvation plan from beginning to end. From the pictures and the shadows of the old to the fulfillment, the reality in Christ in the new.

I know that Hebrews 12:1 to 2 will preach. A man can make a great sermon about how this is all about us today in our time, and it is about us. There's great application here, tremendous application, but primarily this text is addressed to this same group of Hebrews that the author has been addressing all the way through the letter. 

And it's important that we keep this context and intent in mind as we seek to understand and rightly divide and apply the words before us this morning. 

Let's look at those words in Hebrews 12:1 and 2. He writes, "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 ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, 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."

I've given you five points on your outline this morning. First, we see great examples of faith. Second, the example of faith. Third, the way to life. Fourth, the way of life. And fifth, winning the race.

Well, first in our text we see again examples of faith. He says, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses." Well, who is the cloud of witnesses? The word here for cloud speaks of an encompassing sort of cloud, like a fog, that kind of cloud, not a clearly defined puffy cloud in the sky, but something that surrounds and encompasses. 

So what witness is he talking about? Well, the word therefore certainly points us back to the previous chapter, and clearly the witnesses are all those great saints of faith listed in Hebrews 11. But what exactly is the author saying? You may have heard it said that all these saints are in heaven watching us run our race, like in a stadium, where we are down on the track running our race, and they're all up there watching and perhaps cheering us on. 

I don't think that's what the author is saying here. The point is not that they are watching; they are not watchers; they are witnesses. These are witnesses speaking to us. How? Through their life and testimony of faith. And that's the very point here. 

Therefore, looking back to what we saw in Hebrews 11, the fact that all these gave testimony of a life of faith, of salvation by faith, but also a life of faith which allowed them to conquer, to persevere, to do great and mighty things, and even to face death. 

He's saying look at all these examples of faith. Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, all the patriarchs, Joshua, Daniel, Rahab, all the heroes of the Jewish faith in the Old Testament, they all lived by faith. They are witnesses to us that a life of faith is the life that pleases God and produces patient perseverance and fruit for His glory. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. These witnesses, these lives of faith that we've been studying for several weeks in chapter 11, are a testimony to us, an example to us of how to live the Christian life. And so we see the exhortation, let us lay aside every weight. 

Now the phrase "let us" is used 12 times by the author of Hebrews, and it is typically used to encourage those who had not yet come to faith to believe Jesus. In chapter 4, he said, "Let us be diligent to enter that rest." In chapter 6, he said, "Let us go on to perfection," leaving behind, remember that word leaving, utterly forsaking and abandoning the old, and then he lists those points of the Old Covenant, the Old Testament, and he says, "Let us go on to faith in Christ." 

Consistently, these two words are used as an exhortation to that group of Hebrews who had not yet believed to go on to faith. And I think the use here is consistent with that intent. 

So what is the weight that he speaks of? The word means mass or flesh in excess. A good translation would be bulk. He's using the metaphor here of running a race, and what he's talking about is conditioning. He's talking about taking off the bulk in order to run the race more effectively. 

So what would that be in this context? What would the weight be that they needed to lay aside that was holding them back? I think the primary idea here is speaking to the Jew who was wavering between the old and the new, and I think the weight that was holding him down was legalism as a means of righteousness. 

The persecution, the pressure was to go back to the temple sacrifices, to the rites and rituals and feast days and all that the law entailed as a means of righteousness. This was the weight that held them down that prevented them really from even entering the race. 

"Let us," he says, "lay aside the heavy weight of legalism and the sin which so easily ensnares us." It's interesting to note that the word sin here is in the singular. It speaks of a specific sin. What is the specific sin that was ensnaring these Hebrews? 

What is the opposite of faith? It is doubt. It is unbelief. Whether you want to specifically apply this to the unbelieving Jews or even to the believing Jews, the sin they were dealing with was doubt and unbelief; not trusting God and His Word, not trusting Jesus alone, but doubting and wavering, considering going back to legalism and the Jewish rituals. 

The author is saying, "Look at Abraham, look at Isaac, look at Jacob, look at Moses and Joshua and Daniel and all the rest. They lived by faith. Now cast away your works. Forget about your religion and put all your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Stop doubting. Stop giving in to the sin of unbelief and trust Jesus. Hold fast to Him." 

This is the very testimony of Paul in Philippians 3. Let's look at those words in Philippians 3, verse 1. Paul gives us his testimony as he chose to do this very thing, to lay aside the weight and to release himself from the sin that entangled—the sin of unbelief. 

Philippians 3:1, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation." Now this would be the legalistic Jews he's referring to here. 

He says, "For we are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I also might have confidence in the flesh, if anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law, a Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." 

Look what Paul says in verse 7. "But what things were gained to me, these I I have counted loss for Christ; yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and I count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ." 

Now look what he says, verse 9, it's so clear: "...and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." 

These things I have counted loss for Christ, Paul said. I want to be found in Him, not seeking to establish my own righteousness through works and rituals and sacrifices in the temple, but I want to receive His righteousness imputed to me through faith in Christ alone. 

This is the meaning of our text, my brothers and sisters, lay aside the weight that encumbers that prevent you from running the race, the sin of doubt and unbelief, and let us run with endurance the race set before us. You see, they had need of endurance. He'll say so—well, he did say so back in chapter 10. "You have need of endurance." 

The believers were under pressure; they were under persecution from the legalistic Jews to go back to forsake Christ. The unbelievers as well were being pressed to conform to religious ways. What they needed was endurance. What they needed was to hold fast to Christ. They needed to run the race set before them. 

I'd like for you to turn over to 1 Corinthians 9 as we see Paul use this same illustration. First Corinthians 9 at verse 24, speaking of the Christian life, Paul says, "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; self-controlled is what that word means, temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 

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." 

This metaphor of a race is very descriptive of the Christian life. And this race is not a sprint, it's not a dash. It's like we go to some conference and hear some motivational speaker and get all worked up and run a hundred-yard dash. That's not the Christian life; it's a marathon. It requires endurance, it requires perseverance, it requires focus and discipline. 

And the question is, how do we run this race with endurance? How do we lay aside every weight, every encumbrance and avoid fear and doubt and unbelief? And the answer is in verse 2 of our text: looking unto Jesus. 

We've seen in chapter 11 and in verse 1 of our text examples, witnesses of a life of faith. But in verse 2 we see the example of faith, ultimate trust in God the Father. 

Hebrews 12:2, "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 the right hand of the throne of God." 

Now we need to spend some time unpacking this verse. The key phrase, the answer of how to enter the race and how to run the race is looking unto Jesus. And we're going to come back to that for application, but I want to explore the phrases describing the life of faith of Jesus the Christ, the premier example to us of faith. 

These Hebrews were suffering; they were under pressure. What should we do when there is persecution, when there is reviling, when there is accusation against us? Well, the answer is in 1 Peter 2, turn over to 1 Peter 2, such a pivotal text for understanding persecution and how to respond, and Jesus is the example. 

1 Peter 2:18, "Peter's been talking about honoring the king, being submissive to authority, he picks up the illustration here of servants or employees to masters and he says, 'Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if when you are beaten for your faults you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.' 

Look what he says in verse 21. Have you thought about this? 'For to this you were called. Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow His steps. What was Christ's example in suffering? He committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth, who when He was reviled did not revile in return, when He suffered He did not threaten, this is the key, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously, who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed, for you were like sheep going astray but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.'" 

Jesus is the example of faith because He did not defend Himself, He did not revile in return, He did not threaten. What He did was this, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges righteously. He trusted and believed God. He did not waver in doubt; He committed Himself to God. 

And this is exactly what verse 2 of our text says as well. First, we see that He is the author and finisher of our faith. 

Now I think this is a really poor translation. The author...what's that make you think of when it says the author and finisher of our faith? I think the Calvinists really would like that word, wouldn't they? He's the author of our faith. 

It's not speaking of our own personal faith, first of all; the definite article before the word faith means it speaks of the faith, of absolute faith. This is not speaking in any way of Jesus creating our personal faith; rather the word translated author is archegos. It literally means the forerunner or the leader. Remember it's the same word back in chapter 2 at verse 10 where it's translated forerunner or captain of our salvation. 

It means that He went first. The idea is that He's the leader, He's the premier example of faith. The word translated finisher does not speak of bringing our personal faith to consummation; rather He is the perfecter or completer of the faith. 

The whole point here is that Jesus is the preeminent example of faith, of trust in God. Thayer comments on these words saying, "Jesus is the one who in His own person has raised faith to its perfection and so set before us the highest example of faith." 

Jesus is our great example of fully trusting God and that is why we look to Him in seeking to live a life of faith. Let's look at the next phrase in verse 2 explaining why He is the greatest example. It says, "who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." 

And I want to look specifically at the phrase, "who for the joy that was set before Him." Again, the context here is all about looking to Jesus as the example of faith, trusting God. What was the greatness of Jesus' faith? 

I read four different Greek grammar word studies on this phrase: Wiest, Vincent, Thayer, and Expositors, and they all agree that the word joy here refers to that which Jesus possessed before His incarnation. It's much like John 17 where Jesus prayed, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth, I have finished the work for which You have given Me to do. Now listen to verse 5. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." 

Vincent comments, "the joy was the full divine beatitude of His pre-incarnate life in the bosom of the Father, the glory which He had with God before the world was, and in exchange for this He accepted the cross and the shame. The heroic character of His faith appears in His renouncing a joy already in possession in exchange for shame and death." 

In Philippians 2:5 it says, "Let this mind be in You which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. 

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." So the idea here is that all of the saints in Hebrews 11 are examples; they are witnesses to us of a life of faith, but the premier example of faith is found in Jesus, the Son of God who possessed the glory of God in perfect communion with God from before the world began. 

But in His faith and obedience to God, He was willing to leave that glory and come to earth, to take on flesh and become a man and be obedient to God even to the point of death on the cross. And thus, having been raised from the dead, God has highly exalted Him and set Him on His throne at His right hand, restoring Him to that rightful place of glory. 

Jesus is the ultimate example of faith, and that is why we should look to Him. 

So what is the message that these Hebrews, that we should take from this exhortation to look unto Jesus, the very explanation of a life of faith? Well, the word looking is very interesting here because it literally says, to look off and away from. 

To look off and away from. This is a great lesson here, the great application to our Christian life, the running of the race, and that is looking off and away from. And as I was pondering this, I couldn't help but think of how opposite this is to much of what has crept into the Christian church today by way of human wisdom and philosophy, where we're continually encouraged to look to ourselves, to focus on self, on self-love, on self-fulfillment, on self, self, self. 

The Scriptures say that anyone who looks to Him will not be disappointed. But I guarantee you that looking to yourself will disappoint you every time. We are not to look to self, we are not to look within ourselves or any of the rest of that psychobabble nonsense. We are to look off and away from ourselves and to Jesus. 

And this is the only way to life, and my friends, it's also the only way of life. There's a fascinating story I'd like for you to look at with me all the way back in Numbers 21. If you turn back towards the beginning of your Bible to Numbers chapter 21, we'll look at verse 4. 

It says, "Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses. Now this is in light of all we've looked at in Hebrews 11. You remember those great stories of how God delivered them from Egypt and how He brought them on dry land across the Red Sea, how He dried up the Jordan and they went in and the walls, you know what I mean? All of this provision of God and His grace for Israel, and here's where they are. 

Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there's no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread. So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people. And many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. 

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole, and so it was that if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. 

Now Jesus referenced this picture, this type concerning the bronze serpent and looking to it to be saved in John chapter 3. In John chapter 3 at verse 14 He said, "And as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, even so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." 

You see, looking is synonymous with believing. "Look unto Jesus." Look unto Me and be saved, the Lord said to Isaiah. Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent and anyone who looked to it would be saved, so Jesus was lifted up and anyone who looks to Him, that is, believes on Him, will be saved. 

Justification is by faith, my friends, just as we saw in all those great examples in chapter 11. So we see that looking unto Jesus, off and away from ourselves and our works and our religion and our legalism, off and away from ourselves and looking to Jesus, that is the way to life. 

That is the way to salvation. And that is what these Hebrews needed to understand, especially the ones who had yet to look to Him. But the great and important application for us in these verses, in this wonderful phrase, "looking unto Jesus," is that looking unto Jesus, believing Him, is the only way of life as well. 

Looking to Jesus is how we come to life, to salvation, and it is also how we live life one day at a time. Faith is the victory. Faith is the way of life. The just shall live by faith. 

In Galatians 2:19 Paul said, "For I through the law died to the law, in order that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. In the knife that I now live, in the flesh I live by faith, in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness, righteous living, comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." 

Just as all those saints of old are examples, just as Jesus, the greatest example, we must live by faith, we must walk by faith. And this can only happen, my brothers and sisters, as we look unto Jesus, as we keep our eyes, our focus not on ourselves but off and away from ourselves and on Him. 

This is the way of life. This is the only way that we can run the race of the Christian life and bear fruit for His glory and bring others to faith in Him. Back in chapter 3, verse 1 of Hebrews, the author said, "Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus. Consider Jesus. Look to Him. Think on Him. Set your mind on Him. Hold fast to Him." 

When a runner runs a race, he must be focused. Just as Paul described the Christian life in 1 Corinthians 9, "I don't run aimlessly. I'm not just getting charged up and taken off. I'm focused. I have to look at the prize. I have to look at the finish, at the tape. I have to focus." 

The Christian life is one of focus, of discipline, of self-control, but the focus is not on ourselves. It's not on our works and our accomplishments, but it's off and away from ourselves and focused on Jesus. Just as the runner cannot focus on himself and his position or place in the race, or can look down at his shoes, or he cannot look around at other runners, or he'll fall behind, or he'll fall down, just the same Christians today who are focused on themselves or on the law or on other Christians are going to be distracted from the prize, from the finish. 

And they're not going to be effective running the race. The key to running the race is to focus on Jesus, to keep our eyes on Him and hold fast to Him, to faith in Him, who He is, what He has accomplished, what He has promised. 

We must think on the gospel. We must set our minds on the great truths and promises concerning the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, His life in us, His promise to never leave us or forsake us, to come and take us to be with Him forever, to rule and reign in a thousand-year kingdom, to create a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 

This is the example of all the saints of old listed in Hebrews 11, and this is the premier example of Jesus Christ who trusted the Father, who always did what the Father commanded, who always did what pleased the Father, who was willing to leave glory in heaven with God, to come to this earth, to condescend, to become a man, and to die a death on the cross, which He did not deserve, to pay a debt He did not owe, to save me and to save you and to save any man who will look to Him, to believe Him. 

Jesus said in John 14, "The Father who dwells in me does the works." What an insight that is for us. He didn't do the works, but He trusted the Father who dwelled in Him to do the works. 

This is the abiding life of faith, just as we abide in Jesus today, one day at a time, as He dwells in us and does the works, as He lives His life through us. And the secret of the Christian life is to look to Him, to believe Him, to follow His example of faith that we might run with endurance the race that is set before us. 

Well, I close this morning with Paul's words to Timothy. 2 Timothy 2, verse 3 says, "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also, if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. 

Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains, but the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This is a faithful saying, for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. 

If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself." 

And listen to chapter 4, verse 6, Paul said this: "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing." 

This race of the Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint. But we, like Paul, can keep the faith. We can finish the race. But only if we look off and away from ourselves, from this world, from all that encumbers us, and we look only unto Jesus. 

Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we're so thankful that You keep teaching us, You keep encouraging us and renewing our minds to the truth that this Christian life can only be lived by Jesus. And we thank You that He lives in us, that He works through us, and that through faith in Him, by abiding in Him, we can see fruit for Your glory, Lord. We can see You working through us. We can see Your power. We can see the witness and salvation of men and how You're here for us every day as a good Father. Thank You for the book of Hebrews. Thank You for these good words. Help us to understand what it means and to apply this truth of looking unto Jesus each day. 

It's in His name we pray. Amen.