Run With Perseverance | Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (ELCA) Manchester MO

Pastor:

Pr. John Gerike

Sermon audio:

Sermon: Run with Perseverance

Hebrews 11:29-12:2; Luke 12:49-56

August 14 and 15, 2010

I was doing a web search,

looking for insight on our Hebrews reading for today,

when I found one article that proposed

that there was too much lettuce

in Hebrews 12:1-2.

You know—lettuce, like a salad.

So that captured my attention,

and I read further.

Really, what he was talking about

was “let us”.

And he was saying in the original language,

there is only one “let us” in Hebrews 12:1.

Would you read Hebrews 12:1 with me?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,

and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us…

We’ll get to verse 2 in a little while—

--but did you notice that there are two “let us’s”.

Which one is in the original?

Let us run with perseverance.

The other one is a part of what you do

to run with perseverance.

The emphasis is on running.

Let us run with perseverance.

Last Sunday afternoon,

after getting home from church,

I turned on the TV to watch the Cardinals game.

But that was the day it rained in Florida.

And rained…

So, I left the TV on,

waiting for the rain delay to end—

--and did some chores around the house—

--checking every once in a while to see if the game was on.

The game never happened.

But somewhere along the line,

as I walked through the family room

and checked the TV,

I was caught by highlights

of the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii.

You know what that is?

A 2.4 mile swim.

112 mile bike ride.

Followed by running a marathon—26 miles, 385 feet.

Talk about running with perseverance.

And I started watching.

And hearing the stories of the participants.

They showed the winners.

But they also showed other stories.

The man who had had a heart transplant.

And had been training so hard to come back.

Everyone starts at 7:00 am.

You have to finish the swim by 9:20 or you can’t continue.

He missed the cutoff by 7 seconds.

Someone who had lost his legs,

but was still running with perseverance

with his artificial legs.

He made the swim deadline,

but you had to finish the biking portion by 5:30 in the afternoon.

He didn’t make it.

And they showed a woman,

Who had a stroke 2 years ago.

You had to finish the run by midnight.

Remember—you started at 7:00 am.

She made it just before midnight.

They showed people exhilarating in completion.

And they showed people suffering along the way.

Those who succeeded and those who failed.

Running with perseverance.

It’s hard.

And you don’t know what will happen.

Hebrews tells us to run with perseverance.

And the verses we read tell us what it’s like.

Sometimes it works the way we hope.

Look at verse 33 and 34:

“…who through faith conquered kingdoms,

administered justice,

obtained promises,

shut the mouth of lions,

quenched raging fire,

escaped the edge of the sword,

won strength out of weakness,

became mighty in war,

put foreign armies to flight.”

And there’s one more at the beginning of next verse,

“women received their dead by resurrection.”

But then,

others who were faithful.

This is a list of those who were faithful.

The same faith—

--and what happens?

“Others were tortured,

refusing to accept release,

in order to obtain a better resurrection.

Others suffered mocking and flogging,

and even chains and imprisonment.

They were stoned to death,

they were sawn in two,

they were killed with the sword;

they went about in skins of sheep and goats,

destitute, persecuted, tormented…”

You run with perseverance.

And sometimes that running is joyful—

--and you see the wonders.

And other times that running is painful—

--and all you see are the struggles.

That’s why we need to run with perseverance—

--because it’s not easy.

The Gospel reading from Luke tells us that.

When Jesus comes,

he brings life and salvation and joy.

But he also brings fire and division,

families divided,

challenges all around.

Are people in the Ironman because it’s easy?

Hardly.

They know it’s hard.

And they race with perseverance.

God calls us to do no less

in the journey of our lives—

--as we follow him.

And yet in the midst of the unknown,

there is someone for us to turn to,

to hold onto,

to trust—

--someone worthy of our faith.

This is where we get to Hebrews 12, verse 2.

Would you read that with me:

…looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,

who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross,

disregarding its shame,

and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

How do you continue to run with perseverance?

Not by your own strength.

But by keeping your eyes on Jesus.

One of the things that leads us to do

is back in verse 1 again.

Lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely.

I have to admit,

I’m not sure why I thought of fishing waders.

But once the image was in my mind,

it wouldn’t go away.

It’s the image of running a marathon

in these chest waders.

And for me,

that’s the opposite of

laying aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely.

It’s not impossible, I suppose.

But if I was getting ready to run a marathon,

putting these on is not where I’d start.

Yet,

we hang onto our sin.

We try to figure out how we can follow Jesus,

but just hang onto certain parts of our lives

that are sinful,

that are problems,

that hold us back.

We want to follow—

--but can’t we just hang on to our anger?

We want to keep our eyes on Jesus—

--but can’t we just hang on to greed?

Can’t I have both?

We want to run the race of faith—

--but God, you’re not really serious about forgiveness—are you?

That’s just too hard.

We want to follow—

--but we’d prefer to do it on our own terms,

hanging onto control and the weight of sin

that clings so closely.

And it’s like running in these…

Not impossible.

But not what God has in mind.

And who pays the price?

Well, we all do---because we’re a community of faith.

But mostly, the one who pays the price,

is the one running in the waders.

So, when you’re running,

lay aside every weight

and the sin that clings so closely.

And really,

you do that by turning your eyes again and again to Jesus.

Not so much by focusing on the sin.

But focusing on Jesus—

--the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

Whose faith?

Jesus is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

I never noticed that before.

He’s not just the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

But our faith.

Jesus blazed the trail for our faith.

Jesus lived and died for our faith.

And we follow—

--not by our own strength,

--but by the strength of Jesus.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

I heard a preacher talking about Martin Luther.

As you know,

Martin Luther disagreed with some key teachings

of the Roman Catholic church.

And, after a series of theological debates,

he was excommunicated.

In that time and place,

being excommunicated not only meant

that you couldn’t receive Holy Communion.

It also meant that anyone who wanted to,

could kill you with no penalty.

Your life was in danger.

Fortunately, Luther was protected by Elector Frederick of Saxony

and the rulers in that part of Germany,

who whisked him away into hiding.

Someone asked Luther one time,

where would you be if the princes didn’t protect you.

You know what he said?

He said:

“I’d be right where I’ve always been,

safe in the hands of God.”

Whether our race of life and faith

brings happiness or sadness,

joy or grief—

--we are always safe in the hands of God.

When a loved one dies,

you are still where you’ve always been,

safe in the hands of God.

When you suddenly lose your job,

you are still right where you’ve always been,

safe in the hands of God.

When the doctor’s report comes back and it’s not good news,

you are still right where you’ve always been,

safe in the hands of God.

When the future is unknown,

and looks bleak,

you are still right where you’ve always been,

safe in the hands of God.

And when life is full of joy and peace and hope,

you are still right where you’ve always been,

safe in the hands of God.

So let us run with perseverance

the race set before us.

looking to Jesus.

Always looking to Jesus.

Who lived for you.

And died for you.

And rose for you.

And always, always loves you.

Run.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen