January 21st, 2002
Hebrew says in 12:1f "Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 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."
The witnesses referred to are the great heroes of Jewish history from Abel of the Old Testament to Judas Maccabaeus of the intertestament period.
But let’s reflect on the witnesses of our day, those that surround us and those that we surround. You can pick every aspect of life and find those who help us find the faith of Jesus. And these witnesses are not required simply for our initial commitment to running the race of the Jesus life but for every incidental step along the way. But the important challenge is, what kind of a witness are we? Are we helping or hindering the run with and towards Jesus?
When I look in the mirror this is the question I need to ask myself, and as my goal is to help each of us along our spiritual pilgrimage it is a sobering thought. But we all need Martin Luther King’s dream that it can be done. That we can overcome. That we can indeed in the words of Hebrews, "lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with perseverance the race that is set before us."
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
201 Oak St.
Mauston, WI 53948-1333 608-8474555
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