목양연가(牧羊戀歌)

Hebrews 12:1-3  “The Runners’ Attitude”

The writer of the book of Hebrews that we read today portrays a believer as a runner in a stadium.  In other words, faith running is not like an enjoyable walk on a warm spring day.  It means we must live like runners who run with all of their strength in a stadium.  It is not a run of 50 meters or 100 meters, but is a run for life, like a marathon.  We run a marathon which requires endurance.  We all stand in formation of faith and run, however the problem is that we are not all running well in the sight of Jesus Christ, Who is our judge.  Some run well but some don’t run appropriately in Jesus’ sight.  In this aspect, since we have already made a decision to believe in Jesus and started running the race, I believe we need to be runners in Jesus.  Therefore we will receive grace in a sermon titled “The Runners’ Attitude.”  May God’s grace overflow in our hearts.  Then let us think about what attitude the runners should have.

First, we must lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us.  Let’s read verse one of today’s text (Hebrews 12:1), “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”  There are no individuals who run in a race dressed in heavy clothes.  For example, think about this.  How would football players play with hats on their heads while wearing heavy long pants and coats?  They would have to lay aside every weight and obstructive things so they could run in light weight clothing.  Wouldn’t they?  For example, when I was a boy I could not go to school wearing shorts and a T-shirt.  I had to wear long pants with a uniform shirt in summer and winter.  However on school sports day I was allowed to wear shorts and a T-shirt.  Since I was allowed to wear a simple outfit my body felt so light.  On top of this I put on running shoes which cheered me up and I felt like I could run all day long.  It is the same in our spiritual life.  We must lay aside every weight and sin which so easily ensnares us.  Then we can run well.  Lay aside all weighted and obstructive things.  Then what are those things and how are they?  It can not be all the same, but basically it is the sin which ensnares us and disturbs our life of faith.  For David and Samson, lust was the weighted sin which easily ensnared them.  It made their lives difficult and was a fatal blow to them.  And for some people strong greediness caused them to stumble.  Achan in the Old Testament was greedy as well as Gehazi, the servant of Elisha.  It is the same for the people of today.  There are so many with ensnared sin which keeps them from growing further.  For example, a certain person had a dream.  He saw a tall stairway that reached up in to the sky.  And beyond the stairway there was bright, splendid heaven.  So many people were going up toward heaven.  He was with them.  Then he saw them closely, their ankles were chained.   Since the chain was not long in the beginning it was no problem going up the steps of the stairway.  So they went on.  However as they went on the chain grew longer and longer.  In the middle some of the people cut the chain off because it was too heavy.  But some of the people were still struggling with the chain as they went up.  The person dreaming also was struggling with the chain without thinking to cut it off his ankle.  Half way up the stairs the weight of the chain caused him to fall from the stairs.  He shouted in fear and woke up and realized it was a dream.  At that time he understood the meaning of his dream and he cut off his wrong doing and got back on the track of living by faith.  Likewise, we too have things to lay aside.  It is sin which is so heavy and easily ensnares us.  To someone it can be greed or lust.  To someone else it can be pride, doubt, jealousy, hate, laziness, or fame wanting to be higher than others.  All of these are fearful chains which drag us down on our way to heaven.  Beloved saints!  How are we?  Are we being obstructed and ensnared by sin in our life of faith?  If so, I pray for us, that we will have spiritual wisdom to put down all of that at the foot of the cross before Jesus.  Then I pray our Lord will help us.

Secondly, runners must run looking clearly to the goal.  Let’s read verse 2 together, “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.”  Yes, this is it.  Someone said that a person forms and finalizes their character according to what he looks to.  It seems so true.  For example, look at the Taliban force, which has given America difficulty since 9-11, 2001 up to today.  Afghanistan and almost all the nations of the Middle East seem the same.  The problem is so great because they have wrong faith from the beginning.  Because they believe in Allah, they kill people of other faiths to bring glory to Allah.  It is a ridiculous act of religion and a foolish cult.  However Jesus was not like this.  Jesus, Himself, died on the cross to save others.  He sacrificed Himself to save those who were dead in their sin and made them children of God.  He opened the way of salvation that whoever believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will not perish but have eternal life.  According to what a person looks unto, his character is formed and finalized.  In this aspect we must look unto the great love of Jesus Christ.  The people of Jesus Christ need to look unto the love of the cross to be more like Him.  The partiality and negative views will never lead us to heaven.  There is a saying that worshippers follow after who they worship.  We believe in Jesus Christ and worship in praising God.  We must look unto Jesus and be like Him.  How is Jesus?  He fixed His direction for the future, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.  Those who look unto Jesus can fix their direction on the future.  What are the things we do today that will exert influence upon our children?  I believe we should think about this as we conduct ourselves and look unto our future.  Christians should not only look at the things on earth but also look unto the glory far beyond, which is God’s kingdom.  We must fix our eyes on the glory in heaven and live with strength.  Today so many people live only for things they see.  This is a big problem. 

Beloved saints!  Do you want to be beautiful saints who receive praise from God and rewards from the Lord?  Then, look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith – and then run!!  I believe when Jesus is our goal, our steps will be unimpaired.  This kind of person will never be discouraged or disappointed in the hard and difficult circumstances of this world.  I believe our running goal, for you and I, is only Jesus Christ, Who overcame this world and brought victory.  I bless you in the name of our Lord that you all become blessed saints who run the race in creative life by trusting in God’s power and in His strength.

By, Rev. Samuel Choi.