Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

August 20, 1995

Sources of Strength

Hebrews 12:1,2

The Faith Chapter, Hebrews 11, is far more than just a Hall of Fame of heroes of the faith. The writer of Hebrews fully intended that it would be a help to YOU and ME in our own journey with God.

The words of introduction which lead into Hebrews 11 are a call to assurance:[Hebrews 10:35]

"Cast not away therefore your confidence which has great recompense of reward.. you have need of patience that after you have done the will of God you might receive the promise... and then these great words which fired the imagination of Martin Luther, among many others: "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH!"

[Then comes the roll call of the heroes of faith]

The words which summarize that great Roll Call are the words of our text this morning:[Hebrews 12:1,2] begin:

"Wherefore, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with patience the race that is set before us ..."

The Faith Chapter is there to be a source of personal strength and encouragement to every one of us.

I. FAITH IS

  1. Last week we outlined a practical description of "faith" . We said, among other things, that
    1. A GIFT that makes
    2. COVENANT WITH GOD POSSIBLE; and even more, faith that brings us into
    3. A PERSONAL, LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. There is no more wonderful verse in the Bible than Hebrews 11:6.
  2. Today we add to that description the fact that true faith involves:
    1. OBEDIENCE— putting obedience ahead of prolonged analysis (11:8 "By faith Abraham, when he was called ... obeyed ... and he went ou= t not knowing where he was going")

      Faith in God also always means

    2. REFUSING TO COMPROMISE WITH SIN (11:24 - 26 "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God tha n to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little while")

      And if we are willing to accept the Faith Chapter's description of faith, faith in God ultimately means

    3. PUTTING DAY-BY-DAY FAITHFULNESS AHEAD OF PERSONAL SUCCESS (Hebrews 11:36 "And others ..."

Transition

This description of faith would seem to tell us that faith is dynamic, a relationship; it is not simply believing a list of propositions or accepting the statements of fact about God, salvation, and the Bible.

Faith ultimately is not simply what we know and what we believe, important as that is. The faith that saves and keeps and accomplishes the work of Christ is a matter of WHOM we know, and WHO is willing to walk with us into the good times and the hard times of life where it is really lived.

This kind of faith- living is not automatic. It takes courage. It requires strength— more strength than I have, or you. That is one main reason why the writer of Hebrews gave us this faith chapter. He began it with the admonition not to give up. He follows it immediately with the call to be encouraged and strengthened. I would close this sermon-lesson with several apparent sources of strength from this passage in Hebrews:

II. SOURCES OF STRENGTH TO OUR FAITH

  1. There are important secondary sources:
    1. The EXAMPLE of the ones who have gone before Stephen J. Gould once commented that "in the south transcept of Chartes Cathedral the most stunning of all medieval windows depicts the four evangelists as dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of four Old Testament prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekeil, and Daniel." Gould went on to commend the humility of Isaac Newton, one of the fathers of modern science, I suppose, who was quoted as saying "If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
    2. The EXPECTATIONS of those who have finished their work
    3. The EYES of those running and yet to run

      (When I was young no one had ever run a four minute mile. For years the record was 4 minutes and 5 seconds. Then in May 6, 1954 Roger Bannister, a young physician, Oxford man, ran the mile in 3:59.4. It was astounding! Soon, however, later that summer, actually, that record was smashed. Now top runners regularly break 3.50. The last I heard the record was under 3:45, actually 3:44.39. It was shown as possible ...)

  2. There is, of course, ONE PRIMARY Source: Jesus is the Source of all strength: "Looking to Jesus!"
    1. The AUTHOR: he started the whole thing!
    2. Jesus ENDURED CONTRADICTION The kind of things that hurt us are real— and yet not often are they directed pointedly at us to hurt us. When occasionally we face real persecution it is deeply painful. But Jesus endured the unleashed forces of darkness, directed specifically at Him because He represented total and complete victory for all who would look to Him.
    3. Jesus ENDURED! He is the FINISHER! JESUS ENDURED! he carried through to the end of the race. He finished!