“Life can be exhausting. But God gave us brothers and sisters in Christ who fight alongside us every step of the way.”
John Piper
Passage
1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1–2 (NASB95)
"You Are Not Alone" by rockindave1 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Background
Quote- John Stephen Piper (born January 11, 1946) is an American New Testament scholar, Baptist theologian, pastor, and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Piper taught biblical studies at Bethel University for six years (1974–1980), before serving as pastor for preaching and vision of Bethlehem Baptist Church (Converge) in Minneapolis for 33 years (1980–2013).
Piper is the founder and senior teacher of desiringGod.org, named for his book Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (1986), and has written a number of award-winning books, including ECPA Christian Book Award winners Spectacular Sins, What Jesus Demands from the World, Pierced by the Word, and God's Passion for His Glory, as well as bestsellers Don't Waste Your Life and The Passion of Jesus Christ.
Passage- The book of Hebrews is a General Epistle (Apostolic Letter). It was written mainly to the Hebrew believers. The author is anonymous, although either Paul or Barnabas was traditionally accepted as the author. It was written approximately 67 A.D. Its purpose was to present the Lord Jesus Christ as perfect and superior in comparison to anything Judaism and the old covenant had to offer. The author was writing to a group of Christians who were under intense persecution and some were contemplating a return to Judaism. He admonished them not to turn away from their only hope of salvation.
Lesson Notes
Ask: “…let us also lay aside every encumbrance….” What is an “encumbrance Paul suggests we lay aside?
Point: It is something that impedes or hinders our journey to grow closer to God.
Ask: Is everything that impedes our growing closer to God sin?
Point: Paul lists “encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us…” separately in verse one, so no.
Ask: “…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us….” What is “the race?”
Point: Life.
Ask: How do we “run with endurance?”
Point: Please read the following:
3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
Hebrews 12:3–4 (NASB95)
Ask: What does that passage tell us about running “with endurance?”
Point: The answer lies in who we are considering in “…consider Him.”
Ask: Who is it we are instructed to consider?
Point: Jesus.
Ask: What should we be considering about Jesus that helps us “run with endurance?”
Point: The answer is in verse four, that we have not yet been moved to the shedding of our blood for our convictions. Jesus died on the cross for His.
Ask: What were Jesus’ convictions that He died for on the cross?
Point: Please read the following:
6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
John 14:6–7 (NASB95)
Ask: How does Jesus being the way, the truth, and the life as the way to read God give us strength and endurance?
Point: Please read the following:
3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 5:3–6 (NASB95)
Ask: How does me individually knowing Jesus died for my sins and me individually enduring the troubles of life to build perseverance turn into not doing IT alone?
Point: We are all part of the “great cloud of witnesses” who “surround us.”
Ask: What is “IT” and what responsibility does being part of the “great cloud of witnesses” put on each of us as Christian brothers and sisters?
Point: IT is life and we should help each other with it.
Closing Statement
What does it mean to “help each other with IT?” That is running with endurance. That is perseverance. That is giving each other hope. Lending a hand to shoulder the burdens of our brothers and sisters in the faith lightens their load. Doing good things for others lightens our load too, though taking on something else when we have so much ourselves seems counterintuitive. We are not meant to be alone. Adam was not created to tend the garden of Eden by himself, and we aren’t intended to carry our burdens by ourselves either. But remember, not everyone is able to help. Their help is not a reflection of their or your faith, love, or level of caring. However, the only way our brothers and sisters can help is if they know their help is needed. Put the pride down. Accept the assistance and walk with the great cloud of witnesses at your side.
Questions for the Week
Question 1 What do you need help with? Make a list if it is more than one thing.
Question 2 Make a list of all the Christian bothers and sisters you think could help with each item if they knew.
Question 3 Do they know you need help?
Question 4 Make a list of those you know need help.
Question 5 Next to each name you know needs help decide if you have anything that can help in your talents, time, or treasure.
Definitions
encumbrance
en-kuhm-bruhns
noun
something that encumbers; something burdensome, useless, or superfluous; burden; hindrance: Poverty was a lifelong encumbrance.
a dependent person, especially a child.
Law. a burden or claim on property, as a mortgage.
encumber
en-kuhm-ber
verb (used with object)
to impede or hinder; hamper: Red tape encumbers all our attempts at action.
to block up or fill with what is obstructive or superfluous: a mind encumbered with trivial and useless information.
to burden or weigh down: She was encumbered with a suitcase and several packages.
to burden with obligations, debt, etc.