Moving Day 85, Runing a New Race

This is North Way tape number 422. This message is entitled Moving Day 85, Running a New Race. It was delivered by Pastor Jay Passavant of North Way Christian community on August 4, 1985. And as we're doing that, I'm going to ask you to. Just consider one thing. Hebrews chapter 12 as you're turning there. There has been so much help poured out here in the last several weeks. I don't know, kind of weird to put a focus. But I do want to say this much. If I had to give a teaching today based on what I've been seeing and experiencing here in the last few weeks, it would be on personal cleansing and purity because everything in this place has been washed four times. Last night I was here and had some prayer with music ministry, and then I went to study and I went and prepared a cup of coffee. And as I poured it in the cup, it bubbled. That's right. I mean, it was just frothing with these soapy bubbles coming up out of the cup. Right. And I'm afraid, you know, I'm just not sure what's going to happen next. I mean, I'm so clean that I shine if I sit on something. But we've had such an outpouring. And I want to do one thing before we go on and look to the Word this morning. I want to thank a person that's really been working overtime to see this through and has made a sacrifice of lots of his own personal energies to do it. And that's Scott. Where are you, brother? Scott McCabe, stand up. Praise the Lord. Because you, as a church, released him to this ministry. We're here today. I don't believe we'd be here if Scott hadn't been able to give his energies to that. And I praise the Lord for what's happening there. I want to talk with you this morning about something that God is setting before us. When you think of something that's being presented or set before, you think of a meal generally, or some sort of a puzzle or project. But God has got something that he set before his people today. And it is not a religious maze. It's not a puzzle or some sort of a confusing design that he asks us to figure out. It's not something that we are going to be able to sit down and devour in one sitting. Because what God has set before us, beloved, is a race. Now, some feel that the kingdom of God is a playground. Come in, find Jesus, and on we go into glory and everything's wonderful. From here, a fantasy land where all your dreams come true. And God has done everything to make you happy. And it's all here so that you can be happy. But, beloved, I want to say to you this morning, we have a race set that before us. Hebrews, the book of Hebrews, is written to a people who are struggling, many of whom are apostatizing. They're falling away from the faith. And the writer of the Book of Hebrews, who we don't really identify accurately, is writing to encourage those who are struggling and to bring a message of challenge and upbuilding. He's saying to you, don't give up. Don't be deceived. You're in a race. You're in a race that God has set before you. Now, I'm going to depart today, just for today, from the theme of building a life of love that I've been teaching the last few weeks. Pick it up next time, because I wanted to share with you what I believe God is saying to us as we move into this facility, as we take a step, a further step in obedience on this race that God's put before us. And I want you to know, beloved, God has done much, as I said earlier in us, in our hearts, to bring us to this point today, that we stand together and rejoice in this temple that he has created, the temple of living stones inside this structure that he's allowed us to use. But it's a race that God's put us in. And we're not here today as the word that Fred shared has told us. We're not here to rest on our laurels. We're not here to relax. We're not here to say, well, we're finally in the building now, and I can get on doing my own thing. We're here, beloved, because God has a race for us. Andrew Murray says that the greatest danger of life, of the Christian life, the greatest danger of the Christian life is to stand still. I believe that. I believe the moment you stop growing and moving is the moment you begin to fall back and fall away. And I want us to look at Hebrews 12 and take a look closely at what race we're going to run together. Let's read it. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely. And let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. You see, God chooses the race. He sets it there, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne. God. Now, first of all, beloved, who is this great cloud of witnesses? Well, the writer was obviously talking about all those in Hebrews, chapter 11 who preceded us as men and women of faith. The faith hall of Fame, it's called. It says that we're surrounded by them. Now. We can't see them there, but they're there. As the song that Wood's son told us, it's more real than what we can touch and see and feel surrounded by them. The Bible names them all. Moses, Abraham, and David and Samuel. But I want you to turn around right now and look and see another great cloud of witnesses. Go ahead, turn around and look at them. You're surrounded by them right now. These are witnesses, beloved, who are here to say, today God is faithful. God is alive today. And the word witness here means one who gives account of what has happened, a faithful reporter of what has taken place. We're here to say I'm a witness. Rosella was a witness. Barbara is a witness. Jim is a witness that God is at work. And every time you come in this building from now on, I want you to look and see witnesses that God has surrounded you with because of his glory and his goodness, to remind you that he's faithful. Now, beloved, this cloud of witnesses then reminds us that God is going to do what he said. And look what he asks us to do. There's two things that we need to do to prepare for this race that's before us. Here's the first one. To lay aside every weight. To lay aside every weight. How many of you like to lay aside? About £20. All right. Well, you know something? It's no easier to lay aside a spiritual weight than it is a physical weight. In fact, it's more difficult. Those who struggle with diet and try to bring their weight down into a place where it's correct for their body size. Beloved, it's no more easy to lay aside the weight or encumbrances that are here before us. Most of you have seen runners around north park, or perhaps you saw the Great Race or something like that. What kind of clothes do they wear? Very little. You ought to see Fred in his running outfit. I mean, he has a pretty big body and a really little shirt. It makes him look really imposing. I mean, if he stood up here and preached and that you'd listen to. Them. After you were done laughing. That's right. Yep. But runners wear the least they possibly can because they don't want any weight, they don't want any encumbrance around them. They don't want anything to hold them back. Now, beloved, you know what weights are in the spirit, in my opinion, and I believe this is accurate and faithful to the text. I believe there are attitudes. I believe there are things that we take on as attitudes, as weights on our spirit. We hold on to something that we think is right, and that's the only way it's going to be, whether it's a judgment toward a person or an attitude about the way something ought to be conducted. And sometimes those attitudes develop into sinful habits, habits that can bind us up. But I believe mostly that they have to do with things that we don't want to let go of. We have an attitude about it, and that's just the way it is. And that is an encumbrance, a weight to running the race. And then we're told, once we've taken care of our weights, our attitudes, the things that. That we know we have as problems toward people or circumstances, then the Bible says, lay aside every sin that clings so closely. Have you ever walked in the woods and gone through some cobwebs and found yourself, or maybe you, in your basement? But you notice how those. When they get on your skin, you just don't shake them off. You've got a really work at it. How many find sin like that? You don't just shake that off, do you? When you have a problem with sin, you find yourself working to get that off of you. You've got to deliberately appropriate the blood of Jesus in order to be freed from sin. Well, the writer here is saying we need to lay aside the sin also. We can't run this race, beloved, if we are locked in sin. And the definite article is in the Greek, by the way, the sin. What is the sin that clings so closely? I believe if you have to pick one thing, you know what it is. It's unbelief. That is the sin that clings so closely. It's not trusting that God is going to do what God said he would do. That is the sin that would keep us from being able to complete the race that God set before us. But beloved, if we'll just come and allow the encouragement of the surrounding witnesses and the spirit of the Lord to release faith in us, then we can run this race. So we've laid aside the encumbrance, the weight of attitude and habit, and we've laid aside the sin that clings so closely. And now we're ready to run this race. And I want to say something. I don't know what the race is for you. You see, I believe this is representative of the course of your life for which God created you. And I want to speak today about a race that God has called this fellowship, this church, this body of believers, to run together. But this applies to your life personally as well as to our life corporately. I don't know what it is, but I believe God's going to make it clear to you as you take the word and set your mind on it. Now, it says here to run this race that is set before us. Let's take a look at it. Three things are going to be true about this race for all of us together, as well as you individually. The first one is, it is a race of obedience. Look at verse two, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. And here is the race that he ran. It was a race where he endured the cross, beloved. The cross of Jesus Christ is the picture. It's the symbol of ultimate obedience. Philippians 2 tells us he obeyed the will of the Father, suffering the death of the cross. You know, Ephesians chapter two says to us that those who are outside of Christ are called. You don't need to look it up. But listen to it. Sons of disobedience. Isn't that an interesting name for the lost sons of disobedience? In other words, the spirit of which they are born is a disobedient spirit. How many of you would say that you recognize that in you is an urge always to disobey the law of God. That's another name for original sin. How many of you, when you see a 35 mile an hour speed limit, feel that disobedience rising up in you? You know, a little child, a little child manifests that spirit of disobedience, doesn't it? I mean, it just loves to do what it's told not to do. I mean, if you say, don't you get up on that chair, it'll circle around that table 40 times until you're not looking. And up it crawls. Because in it is the spirit of disobedience. And all who are outside of Christ are called sons of disobedience. And so you see, beloved, because the heart is deceitfully wicked above all things. And who can know it, as Jeremiah tells us, there's no way, there's no way that we can go on and run this race unless we learn the grace of obedience in our lives. Every race will involve obedience to the will of the Father. You know, Jesus, the Bible says, always did what was pleasing to God. Can you imagine that? John 8:29. I always do what's pleasing to him. He said, I came to do the will of the Father. That's all I'm here to do. And we're no different. We're here to do the will of the Father and beloved. When Jesus did that, it cost him everything. Now I can hear in my heart what some of you are thinking, because I think it. Well, that's just the problem with obedience. Jay. I feel if I obey God, what he's going to say to me is give it all up. If I really seek to obey him, what is he going to say to me? It's no longer life on your terms. He's going to say you have a cross. Also, he's going to say you put to death your desires and your plans and your own race that you've set for yourself. He's going to say to me, you forget about your rights. He's going to take away everything so that all that you have left is Jesus. And beloved, I want to say with all of my heart, today, the greatest moment in your life will be the moment that all you have is Jesus. Because once he is Lord of all, he then is free to build a life in you that will far transcend anything you could ever design or build for yourself. He then is free to give you all that your heart really yearns for, but doesn't even know about. And the reason why he was exalted at the right hand of the Father is because he obeyed the will of the Father. The reason why you'll live in exaltation isn't because you employ some kind of principle. The reason why you will exalt in life is because you've obeyed the will of God. And so this is a race of obedience. And you know, day by day, where God's calling you obey. Here, listen to me there, and I will show you. Do this. You see, the whole condition of the Old Covenant was obedience. Deuteronomy 28. If you obey, then I will. In seminary, one of my professors told me the whole of the Christian walk can be summed up in two words. I've told you this before. The first one, pretty obviously is what? Obedience. The second one is faith. Faith and obedience. Those are the two key words to living a victorious Christian life. Now, there's a second part of this race that you're going to Encounter. Every one of you as you run, your race will encounter opposition. The Bible says that Jesus, look at it, despised. The shame. You see, beloved, not only do we have exit ramps of disobedience on this race course that we're running, but from time to time we've got to face the fact that we're going to have opposition. I was talking to a new believer just a few weeks ago, and he was saying, since I become a disciple of Jesus Christ, I lost my job. My family thinks I'm involved in some kind of a weird religious thing. A few of my friends aren't talking to me anymore. I've gotten sick a lot more than I used to. I looked at him, I said, just about right. You're right on course. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? The moment you begin to move ahead in God, you're gonna get opposition. The moment you keep rolling in that racecourse, beloved, you are gonna find resistance. But do you know something? Antagonism. Antagonism is implicit in all growth. We don't grow unless we're pushed against. Do you understand what I'm saying? How many of you are into bodybuilding beside Fred? I'm into it a little bit. Right. There's some people who are really serious about this, though. What's the law of bodybuilding? Resistance against your muscles. Right. Well, you see, it's no different in the spiritual than it is in the physical. Resistance against your spiritual growth is what causes you to grow. It's that way. It's what God's ordained. Those of you who right now are facing the trials of your life, I want to tell you something. They can be in God. The greatest moments you'll ever face, if you go through them with him, you're going to come out the other side stronger than you ever were. We're stronger today than we ever were as a people. I believe because of the trial that we went through to find ourselves in this building. Now, beloved, there are so many ways opposition can come. It can be relationships and usually is. It's usually something, someone that just seems to be in the way that just won't come along. It may be a spouse who doesn't believe. It may be a boss who's just obnoxiously arrogant in his wielding of authority over your life. It may be a financial collapse that you can't understand. It may be a situation in school that you can't overcome. But whatever it is, God has allowed it to be there to strengthen you in the race. And the key is to not sleep into murmuring and doubting God in it. Look down with me at verse three. You see, it says, consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself so that you may not grow weary or faint hearted. One thing that happens to us, beloved, in this race because of the opposition is that we grow weary, we grow faint hearted. We just begin to sense that we're not going to be able to go on. And when that begins to happen is when you most need to see this cloud of witnesses. I was talking to a brother that. Well, most of you know him, and I don't think he'd mind me mentioning. This is Jay McCain because we prayed for him before he left. Jay, are you here this morning? Way over there in the back. There he is. Okay. Jay left a few months ago to go out with United Airlines, right? A week before that strike. Remember that? Back in May. And it was just. I'll tell you something. You talk about confusing circumstances and you talk about seeking to run the race in obedience to God and finding yourself growing weary as one thing led to another and one lawsuit and one threat and all this kind of stuff. And I remember talking to Jay just about a week ago and he said, it's been really hard going on, but the one thing that's helped me is that I've spent time with the saints of God. I've been with brothers and sisters and they've helped hold up my arms that have been hanging down. They've strengthened me in my weak knees. And that's what we need. When opposition becomes more than we can bear, God's going to be victorious in Jay because he knew to turn to that great cloud of witnesses for support. And so, beloved, there's obedience in a race. There's opposition. And the only thing that I know that will lead us to overcoming is what I'm going to share with you right now. Overcoming is part of every race. When we do one thing, and here it is, and this is the key for today. There's only one way that I know that we're going to make it as a people here at North Way and please God and fulfill the race. There's only one way that you're going to make it, and that's by looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter, author and finisher. One translation says, the forerunner of our faith. Look at that, verse 2. Would you underline it with your pen, circle it, put stars around it, looking to Jesus, the author and the finisher, pioneer and perfecter of our faith. I want you to know I pray, Lord, what does this mean? What does it mean to set our eyes on Jesus? We're not talking here about putting a picture in your wallet. We're not saying that the way that you overcome in this race is to put an image of Christ on your wall, although there's nothing wrong with that. But that's not what this is talking about. What does it mean to set your eyes on Him? Oh, beloved, I hope you get this because it can change your life. To set your eyes on Jesus means to place the affection of your heart on Him. It means that you determine to put the focus of your life on him, to consciously, consistently consider Him. That's what it means to see Him. Ever been in a conversation or maybe trying to make a deal of some kind? And someone will say to you, well, we need to see eye to eye on this thing, right? We need to see eye to eye. What is he talking about? They're talking about coming to the point of having an inner conviction that's the same as they're having, right? I mean, to see eye to eye on this deal, this piece of furniture is going to cost you $1,000. I don't see eye to eye on that because we don't have the same inner conviction. What we're talking about here is seeing what Jesus wants for our lives eye to eye with him. Now, the Bible says that the eye is the lamp of the body. In Luke, chapter 12, I believe it is. Have you ever read that Scripture and wonder what that meant? The eye is the lamp of the body. And if the eye is sound, the body is full of light. But if the eye is not sound, the body is full of darkness. And how great is the darkness when you think it's light? Just last week we were talking about the fact that Paul wanted us to receive a revelation of love. Hold your place there in Hebrews and turn back to Ephesians chapter one. I want you to see what it means to set your eyes on Jesus. What does it mean to see Him? Look at Ephesians 1, verse 16. I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. That was last week. Verse 18. Having read it with me. The eyes of your hearts enlightened. Read it again. Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened. Ever really think about that before? What is it talking about, beloved? It's the inner knowing. It's the affection of your it's the love of your life. That's the eye of your heart. That's what you see all of life with. And you know where most of the eyes of the hearts of people are? On themselves. Right on themselves. And what? They have eyes. You know the song I Only have Eyes for your. I only have Eyes For Me. That's the one I'm looking for. I won't try it. Don't lie. Fix your eyes not on yourself, not on what's around you, but the eyes of your affection, the love of your life, on Jesus, the author and the finisher of your faith. When you do that, beloved, suddenly obedience as possible, suddenly opposition seems to fall away. You know, I want to use an illustration. I don't know how well it fits, but it's just the only thing I could think of about watching and obeying and pleasing. Most of you know by now from a couple of stories or a story a couple of months ago about our dog Morgan. Remember? One of the big paws? Well, she's grown up into her paws now, pretty much. And one of the things that she's learned to do, not because I've really worked at it with her, but because she wants to please so much, is that when we have a treat, we can put it on the floor, tell her to stay. And now, you know, a dog, especially if it's something reasonable, you know, like a Hershey bar or something, she'll look at that thing and I'll tell her to stay. And I can walk across the room, I can go, and her head will just follow me. You know, if I go back this way, she'll just practically twist it all the way around, watching me. Her eyes won't ever leave my eyes unless I go out of the room. And then she just sits there and I come back in the room. And what we noticed was it wasn't so much a matter of keeping her eye on that thing, not looking around and seeing all the confusion in the room as everyone's saying, look at that. Look at that. It's watching the Master with her eyes fixed on mine. All I have to do is nod my head and she goes right after that. Beloved, if your eyes are fixed on Jesus, no matter what you're going through, obedience is possible. Strength is possible. And most of all, as we read here, overcoming is possible because Jesus was seated then at the right hand of the Father, the throne of God. And beloved, don't ever think that God doesn't want you to be victorious. This is not a message of grit and determination. So that somehow in the end you'll get to heaven. This is a message of day to day victory in the race that you're running. It's not a kind of thing where if you're good for the next 40 years, you'll make it to heaven. God wants you to experience the authority that comes of being seated with him, the right hand of the Father and the throne of God. Read it in Revelation 3:22. It's to him who overcomes. And that's where God wants us. So I just say to you, today we have a race as a people set before us. It's a race of making disciples of all nations. It's a race of ministry to God and to one another and to the world. That's our vision. And I believe that as we fix our eyes on Jesus and lift up his name, beloved, we are going to overcome. And I want to share this by faith with you this morning. I believe as we fix our eyes on Jesus and set the affections of our heart on him, we are going to overcome the burden that this building could be to us. And I will say that I believe that we will pay this building off in 30 months by the grace of God. I believe that we will overcome anything that would be a hindrance to the release of ministry through this people. And I believe that it starts when we determine today to set our eyes on Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. Let's do that together, Lord. Let's lift up our heads and pray. Close your bibles. Thank you Lord. Hallelujah Lord Jesus, you know church, the place it begins is in your will. Your decision to say Lord, I seek your face. I seek your face. Blessed be the name. When I look into your holiness. When I gaze into your loveliness. When all things that surround me are shadows in light. I love you. Let's stand together. When I found the joy of reaching your heart. When. All things. I worship you. I worship you. The reason. The reason. When all things are surround me I shine rose in light of you. Can I count the joy of reaching your heart? When my will becomes rolling your love. When all things that surround me are Shall I worship you? I worship you. I worship you. I worship you. I worship you. The reason I live is to worship you. O lord. Your. Eyes. Ra. Just the men now, O Lord. And when your eyes are on the. Just the instruments now I want you to lay aside every encumbrance right now, beloved. Every sin that clings so closely. Lift your eyes to the Lord. Let your heart see his heart. Sa. Your grace is all I see. Your grace. Jesus. O Lord, great is your grace. Lord. We wait on you. Glory to the lamb. Glory. Glory. Glory to the Lord. For you are glorious. Glory. And you rain and righteousness forever forever. Glory, glory. Oh, you are glorious and worthy to be pray upon the throne. In righteousness forever for all them that dwell on the earth. You are glorious and worthy to be praised. Now upon the throne and you will reign in righteousness forever. Let's do it again. You are glorious, Lord, for you are glorious and worthy to be praised. Glory to God. You are glorious, lord. You are glorious, lord jesus, o jesus. O Jesus. Hallelujah. O Lord. Blessed be the name. Hallelujah. Oh, you are glorious and worthy to be praised. And you will reign in righteousness forever. Let's give the Lord a great praise offering together. You are glorious, Lord. Glorious Lord Jesus. Hallelujah. Glorious Lord. Praise the Lord. You may be seated. Before anyone else leaves today. Now we all have things to attend to. We're going to close the service now. And in my own spirit, this is for many people, the most important time. It's not just the celebration that we've enjoyed. It's not just the upper lift of worship, but it's the time of decision. It's the time of bringing yourself under the dominion of the word of God. I'm going to ask everyone just to stay in your seats now for the last couple minutes. You know, when I consider this great cloud of witnesses, I realize that it's very easy for you to feel well covered, but there's so many here that probably God doesn't even know you're here. He can overlook where you are. And I believe that there's someone here today that's crying out inside for a relationship with Jesus Christ. You don't know that. You think it's a void that hasn't been filled. You think it's some sort of satisfaction that you're going to find another way. I want to say to you today you can come into a relationship with God that will fill that void. We believe that Jesus Christ was sent by God to fill the void that's in your life. For God so loved you that he sent his only son that whosoever would believe in him would not perish but have eternal life. If today you sense the love of God in this place, and I know if you were here today with any sort of openness at all, you sense that love. You sense the reality, the truth of our worship. You sense the care of the people that you were with then. Today you can respond to him. Today you can respond the love of God in Jesus Christ. And here's what I'm going to have you do today. We're going to sing one more chorus, most high. And as we sing that chorus of worship in this place, I'm going to ask our elders to come and stand right over here on the other side of that screen. I want you to come. And if you desire today to establish a relationship with God, maybe you've been at some point in your life, maybe at a camp or some sort of a meeting, you said yes, but you've wandered away. I want you to come and say pray with me today. I want to get my life back on track with God. I want to be on that track. I want to run that race. As we sing this song, I want you to come meet with our elders and have them pray with you. You heard the testimony of how God set one free when she was prayed with. And I want you to come. As you do that, you're going to find release. You're going to find that burden, that heaviness that's been carrying you over, bending your back in this in your spirit that's going to be broken and God's going to release you, set you free. As we sing this chorus church, may. It be to us a cry of our hearts. Lord, let us hear your voice. Let us know your will, confirm in us your ways. Let sing together. You come now most high. Let's all stand together.