Run The Race With Endurance Heb. 12:1-3

The exhortation to be faithful and avoid sin is based firmly on the life and work of Jesus. As we run our endurance race of Christianity, we look to Jesus.  In distance races it is illegal to have someone set the pace for you.  You compete on your own. Once a Cuban racer fall far back off the lead, then as his teammate was about to lap him he sped back up and set a strong pace for the first man who was now tiring. This encouragement helped his teammate to run at near record time, but it also got them both disqualified.  Fortunately we don’t run the Christian race alone. God’s rules permit a pacesetter.  It is Jesus. He has run this same race — a life of service, faith and devotion to God here on earth.  

The exhortation to be faithful and avoid sin is also based on the death of Jesus. Jesus’ struggle against sin was a mortal one. The Hebrews were “growing weary and losing heart.” (vs. 3) They were giving up to soon.  Consider all that Jesus gave up.  He gave up heaven then suffered cruelly for us. If we are still living, our struggle hasn’t yet cost us our lives as it did Jesus. We are like the Hebrews, “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.” (vs. 4) Jesus suffered the shameful cross because He saw the goal - being seated at the right hand of God. If we want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant...enter thou into the joy of thy lord”  and “receive the crown of life,” we will have to do the same things.  

In order to “run with endurance,” live like the faithful, not the faint. Look to Jesus, not th

He Served God In His Own Generation

Acts 13:35-27“Therefore He also says in another Psalm, 'THOU WILT NOT ALLOW THY HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.'

36For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers, and underwent decay;

37but He whom God raised did not undergo decay.”

What a marvelous epitaph that would be for any of us, that we “served God in our own generation.” While we know that Christian duty and faithfulness is an unchanging standard, we recognize that each generation faces unique challenges and problems that test our faithfulness and devotion to God.  

The only thing that will guarantee our faithfulness in the future is faithfulness day by day until we get to and through it. Standing firm on the troubles of today does not necessarily mean that we will stand firm on the troubles of tomorrow. 

If we are to attain to the stature of David, that we “serve the purpose of God in [our] own generation,” we must be faithful to the end.  The old king faced much different temptations after 40 years in the royal palace than he did when hiding in desert caves from Saul as the anointed, though as yet uncrowned king. But David stayed faithful through each transition, or repented and was restored when he did not. Let us recognize that times change, new issues come, and troubles shift as the years roll by. And, like David, let us always have the humble mind to repent when, through the tides of time, we inadvertently drift off course.

The Majority Chose The Wrong Side

In one of the most organized threats to the God given order and leadership of Israel, Korah, the leader of a large family of Levites, and other men of renown in Israel, challenged Moses right to lead the people.

Numb. 16:1-3 “Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took action,  2 and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown.  3 And they assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”

This rebellion was one of most dangerous that Israel faced because 1.) of the great influence that these leaders had over the people, and 2.) the success of their propaganda. Even after God destroyed the leading rebels by having the earth swallow them, and rest by fire directly by His hand, the people still sided with them. The leaders of rebellion were selfish (as Moses insightfully asked Korah, “And are you seeking for the priesthood also?” (vs. 20)), but they completely fooled the people. “All the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘You are the ones who have caused the death of the LORD’S people.’” (vs. 41) even after God directly destroyed them.  Korah and his men were obviously very popular, even after their execution. But popularacclaim didn’t save them or their followers, or make them right.