Endurance Hebrews 12 1 17 Endurance Audience Suffering

Endurance Hebrews 12: 1 -17

Endurance • Audience – Suffering Persecution (10: 32 -34) – Not Yet Martyred (12: 4) – Some Habitually Not Assembling (10: 24 -25) – Needed Encouragement (13: 22) • Outline of Section – Endure the Race (vs. 1 -3) – Endure Discipline (vs. 4 -11) – Endure Community (vs. 12 -17)

Endure the Race (vs. 1 -3) • Instructions – “Let Us” Lay Aside Every Weight & Sin • What Are Some Differences Between Weights & Sins? • Weights & Sins “Cling Closely” to Us (Must Be Diligent) – “Let Us” Run With Endurance • Endurance is Possible When Weights/Sins Are Removed • The Race Is More Important Than “Precious” Weights/Sins • Encouragement – The Great Cloud of Witnesses • The Faithful of Ch. 11 Provide Encouragement (Faithfulness is Possible) • “Surrounded By” Reflects Coliseum Imagery – Looking to Jesus (The Finish Line) • Something the Faithful of Ch. 11 Couldn’t Do Like We Can • Jesus Endured “Hostility” (Considering This Encourages Us) • Jesus Was Motivated By “Joy Set Before Him”

Endure Discipline (vs. 4 -11) • The Nature of God’s Discipline – Momentarily Painful, But Lasting Benefit (vs. 11; cf. 11: 25) – Stems from God’s Love (vs. 6 -9) • Existence of “Discipline” Sign of God’s Love (Not the Opposite) • Varieties of God’s Discipline – Struggling Against Sin (vs. 4) – External Trials (10: 32 -34) – “Disciplines” of Christian Living (Prayer, Study, etc…) • The Purposes of God’s Discipline – To Make Us Holy (vs. 10) – To Make Us Bear Fruit (vs. 11) • Response to Discipline – Vs. 5 – Do Not Regard it Lightly (Failure to Consider Importance) – Vs. 5 – Do Not Be Weary (Temptation that Comes From God’s Discipline) – Vs. 7 – Endure (Don’t Justify Sin / Keep Bearing Under the Pressure)

Endure Community (vs. 12 -17) • Lift Hands & Strengthen Knees (vs. 12 -13) – Allusion to Isaiah 35: 3 • Israel Went Through Hardships, But God Will Reverse It • Audience Is Going Through Trials, But There Is a Reward – Applies to Individual or “Body” of Believers • Various Instructions (vs. 14 -17) – Pursue Peace With Everyone (Don’t Retaliate) – Pursue Holiness (What Discipline Helps us Attain) – Root of Bitterness • NLT – “Look Out For Each Other” • Cutting Limbs Isn’t Deep Enough – Don’t Be Like Esau • Opposite of Chapter 11 • Bartered Future Blessing for Momentary Pleasure • No “Repentance” In Hell Will Change our Destiny