You And I - in Christian Ministry

Saints, holy ones, people set apart to God

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Therefore, 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. (Hebrews 11:39-12:1)

Moses, the man who took on Pharaoh by himself, would have made a good American. So would Noah, and Gideon, and Samuel. They didn't need anyone else. Their courage and determination gave them the fortitude to face every challenge head-on, to stand their ground when everyone else ran away. That's what we want to be. Brave, courageous, and independent.

But Moses did not stand alone when he uttered his immortal words to Pharaoh, "Let my people go!" Noah did not work alone as he pounded pegs for one hundred and twenty years. David was not alone when, armed with nothing but a sling and five stones, he took on Goliath. None of the heroes of the Bible faced their challenges by themselves. Listen to David's words to Goliath as they faced each other in battle, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied" (1 Samuel 17:45). Obviously, David had God at his side. Every child in a preschool Sunday school class understands that. Yet there is more. Within David's words to Goliath we catch an insight into the way our Old Testament heroes saw themselves in God's plan. All of them understood that they were a part of something much greater than themselves. When David stood in the name of the God of the armies of Israel, he knew that he was a part of those who came before him. In a very real sense, he was not alone. All of the people of God stood alongside him. With this assurance he could single-handedly take on the Philistine champion and prevail.

Not only were these heroes linked to those who came before them, but they are also linked to you and I. As difficult as it is for us to understand, God's eternal plan joins us together with them and all of His people. Apart from us they are incomplete. Apart from them and the rest of God's family, we are incomplete.

This idea is hard for us to grasp. For one thing, it is difficult to imagine that Abel and Enoch and Sarah spent their entire lives working for something they could never receive in their lifetimes. They were saved, and they are now enjoying heaven's glory, but the one thing upon which they placed their hope in this life was never available to them. God made a promise to them, and they devoted their lives to pursuing it. Yet the promise did not come true until long after their deaths, until the day the One who was promised was born. Now those who looked forward to the coming of Christ and those who live after His resurrection are joined together through the Cross.

Not only are we joined together in the same family in Christ, but those who came before us were serving us through their lives.

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and Samuel spoke of a promise that was fulfilled long after their brief lifetimes. They would have given anything to know the truths we take for granted. They longed to see the Messiah and to understand how God would once and for all solve the dilemma of sin and forgiveness.

All of this should encourage us. We do not walk alone. The work we attempt for the Lord did not start with us. We're standing on the shoulders of all those who came before us. None of us has to start from scratch. Abel did that. He was the first to walk with God by faith. After he died Seth took up the baton. Then Enoch, then Noah, then Abraham, then Isaac, then Jacob. Throughout time the baton is passed from generation to generation. Each one who grabs the baton is dependent on the faithfulness of those who ran before, and those who hand off the baton are dependent on the faithfulness of those who will continue the race. Although we are separated by thousands of years and thousands of miles, we are working together with all of God's people to reach goals that will last throughout eternity. We may feel alone as we take our turn around the track, but we are not. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob runs with us, as do all of those who came before us.

The baton has been passed. Now it is up to you and I to run our leg of the race. All of those who have run before now surround us, cheering us on. Their examples assure us that the finish line can be reached. The hurdles, the trials, can be overcome by faith. If we listen closely we can hear them say, "If I could do it, so can you." We hear Abel call out, telling us that the price of faithfulness is worth paying. We hear Noah's assurance that rest really does await us at the finish line. Somewhere up ahead we hear Abraham and Sarah, telling us to never give up, no matter how long the road may seem. Isaac tells us not to worry while we run the race; God will provide everything we need. Joseph urges us never to be satisfied with the lesser prizes offered to us along the way. David and Samson warns us of the pitfalls ahead, and Samuel assures us that victory is certain. As we read their life stories we hear their voices, always cheering us onward, always encouraging us that we too can finish the race.

Our race is a marathon, not a sprint. If we are to finish we need to free ourselves of everything that holds us back or trips us up along the way. We need to get rid of unnecessary burdens that slow us down. Samson's leg of the race was cut short by the excess weight he carried with him. His example shows us that we cannot run by faith while also indulging our passions. Jacob also struggled as he ran. He never wanted to turn over the sovereignty of his life to God. Much of the pain he endured came as the Lord broke his will in an attempt to turn the schemer into a man of faith. Let's learn from his example by throwing off the weights of pride and self-willed stubbornness. We can't afford to look out for number one or hatch schemes to get what we want out of life. Life is too short and the race is too long. There is no time to waste.

We need to also watch out while we run. Nothing stops a runner faster than tripping over a hurdle or becoming entangled with another runner. During the 1984 Olympics one of America's brightest hopes for a medal in women's track, Mary Decker, lost her race when her feet became entangled with the runner she was attempting to pass. Rather than crossing the finish line in glory, her race ended as she lay on the track in pain. Hebrews 12:1 warns us to look out for the sin that "so easily entangles." I like the imagery of this verse. Sin wraps itself around our legs like vines in a jungle, and before we know it, we cannot move.

The writer of Hebrews warns us that not only can sin entangle us, but it does so with the greatest of ease. David learned this lesson the hard way. All of his work came to a screeching halt the night he looked down from his roof and saw Bathsheba. I think he was surprised at how quickly and easily he could fall. It was as though he never realized what was happening to him. If David could fall, so can you and I. We must not be so naive as to think that we will never give in to temptation. Any one of us could be the next one to bring disgrace on the name of Christ through our actions. All of us are much more vulnerable to sin than we realize.

Therefore we need to "throw off . . . the sin that so easily entangles." The solution to sin goes beyond avoiding sources of temptation. David's trouble did not begin with the sight of Bathsheba taking a bath. The lust that moved him to commit adultery came from deep inside him. As James 1:14 warns us, "Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed."

The sin that so easily entangles us begins inside of us. If we are to be free to run the race we must allow God to exchange our desires for those that flow from His heart. We must constantly allow the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to transform us in the image of Christ. Apart from a radical change on the inside, we will fall with the slightest provocation.

The race we are running can be long and difficult. The track seems to go on forever with no end in sight. Even the bravest of hearts can grow weary. What keeps us going when our legs ache and fatigue drowns out the encouragement of the spectators? Listen to the words of Hebrews 12:2-3: Let 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. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Abraham wanted to give up as his months of waiting stretched into years. Moses' parents wanted to give up as Pharaoh ordered his troops to kill all Hebrew male babies. Moses wanted to give up during his forty years of listening to the children of Israel complain.

But something kept them going. They continued the race because their sights were set on a "city . . . whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10). The prize that lay before them gave them the strength they needed to hold on to the promise by faith.

The Old Testament saints saw only a shadow of what lay ahead in comparison to all God revealed clearly in the New Testament. The prize at the finish line is more than heaven's gates. We are to fix our eyes on the One who will make heaven glorious, the One who will make all of our trials and travails seem like nothing. Our goal is to be with Jesus. The One at the right hand of the throne of God is the One who loved us so much that He gave His life for us. His example inspires us, His love amazes us, and the prospect of finally being with Him keeps us going when we would rather give up. Our goal, the prize we run for, is to be in His presence forever and ever. Now let us run. The baton has been passed.

The race is long and exhausting. In my own strength I will never finish. I pray, O Lord, for the strength and determination to run the race You have set before me. I also ask that my life will build upon the work of those who came before me. Use me to continue the eternal work You began in the lives of the heroes I admire. Take my life and glorify Your name through it. Amen.