Weights or Wings

Notes: Weights or Wings

Hebrews 12:1–2

SPEAKER:

Tony Clark

WORSHIP TEAM:

Harvest Worship Band

Sunday, September 6, 2015 — 8:00 a.m.

There are things in our lives that are either weight or wings. We have to learn if things are holding us back or helping us soar.

The Hebrews that Paul wrote to were going back to their Jewish ways.

Many people today are contemplating going back to their sinful ways.

Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

[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, [2] 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.

To know what a verse means, you have to know what it doesn't mean.

This verse doesn't mean that our family members in Heaven are  looking down on us hoping we make it through today.

When we face giants, we can look back to heroes of our faith to draw strength from.

What ever we face today, God will deliver us from.

He can deliver us out of or through a situation. We don't know which one God will be doing for us.

It's better to be in the fire with Jesus Christ then out of it alone.

"Lay aside" in this verse is used also to describe discarding dirty clothes at the end of the day.

We are to lay aside our sin and the things that interfere with our faith.

What is weighing you down today? It is not necessarily a sin, it could just be a burden.

Mark 4:19 NKJV

[19] and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Riches don't make us happy, we all know that. The desire of other things can weigh us down too. Anything interfering with us running the Christian life race is a weight.

Sin is the obvious, what are the other things? If it is making us miss the mark, then it could be sin. To sin means to miss the mark.

The world likes to call the sins of the world a disease. We need to call it what God calls it, a sin!

Ensnaring us means to trap us in every direction. Sin easily traps us.

Endurance requires patience.

Life is a marathon, it requires endurance for the long haul.

The motivation is to be "looking upon Jesus".

Jesus came here in the flesh to show us how to run this race.

1 Corinthians 11:7 NKJV

[7] For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.

This is saying, your wife reflects you. If you think she stinks, then look at yourself.

We need to fix our eyes upon Jesus.

What you do to gain, you have to do to maintain.

What happens when we take our eyes off of Jesus? Peter sank when he saw how boisterous the waves were. You can't keep your eyes on Jesus when you are looking at what the problems are around you. Peter then prayed by crying out, "Lord save me!"

When we are sinking we need to look to Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 NKJV

[6] being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

We are going to make it, because God is the author and finisher of His work.

Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The fruit of the Spirit is love. All

of the other fruits are a result of love.

Happiness is based on outward circumstances. Joy is a fruit that is within you.

Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame that was within it. After He endured the cross, He sat down and rested.

Your joy will come.