Preserving Faith in the Mature HeartHebrews 12:1-2

Encouraged by Those BeforeThe struggling Christian is

surrounded by those who have been victorious

We can look to them and learn the lessons of their struggles

Maturity should bring a better perspective

“Since we have so great a

cloud of witnesses”

Addition by SubtractionThe Ancient Greeks laid aside

anything that would slow themWhatever makes this race

more difficult must be laid aside!

We must have an accurate value system

“Let us lay aside every encumbranc

e”

Addition by Subtraction“entangle” – skillfully surround“…reminds us of the ring of

wild beasts in the jungle that encircle the camp-fire at night each ready to pounce upon a careless victim” (Robertson’s)

We must not love that which would entangle us 1John 2:15-17

“the sin which so

easily entangles

us”

Run with EnduranceThe Christian life is a

marathon not a sprintEndurance – constantly,

perseveringly (Strong’s)This race is not part of our

lives it is our lives

“Let us run with

endurance”

Run with EnduranceWe must learn to focus on the

things which we can affect rather than those which we cannot

It is not for us to lay out the course, merely to run the race

The difficulty of the course is why we must remove all hindrances

“the race that is set before us”

Maintain your FocusThe marathoner must have

extreme focus throughout the race

“looking” – “to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something” (Mounce)

“Fixing your eyes on Jesus”

Maintain your Focus“the author” of faith – the

source or originator of faithJesus authored faith through

his atoning work“the finisher of faith” –

completer, perfecterJesus perfected faith through

His Priestly work as well as taking His throne

“Fixing your eyes on Jesus”

Maintain your FocusAll that Jesus did He did

looking forward to the completion of His goal

“despising” – literally to think little or nothing of something

Jesus was so focused on the result that the suffering was as nothing to Him

“for the joy set before

Him endured the cross, despising

the shame”