Thoughts on Brian’s Sermon Go For the Gold #1: The Race of Faith

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:1-2 (KJV)

This is the scripture Rev. Dr. Brian Germano preached at East Cobb United Methodist Church on Sunday July 29, 2012.  His blog can be found here.  The thing that struck me about his passage when I heard it on Sunday was not Brian’s question of where are you in your “Race of Faith”, which was his finishing question. What struck me was the line, “..and let us run with patience the race that is set before us…” The race that is set before us; do what God has given us, not what we believe or think we should do. We are to focus on the task we’ve been given not what we want. Jesus is our example in this because he didn’t want to go to the cross saying of that task:

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luke 22:42 (KJV)

Jesus did what God had asked him to do; He ran the race set before Him. If we are Christians looking to Jesus the Christ as our leader and example, then we need to identify what God has set before us to be done and do it. “…nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

Here are some questions that occurred to me as I contemplated the race, or path I am on:

  1. Am I walking my path or the path God has set before me?
  2. If I am walking God’s path am I fully glorifying Him with the effort I am giving?
  3. Am I putting my best work into running this race as fast as I can or am I just lopping along comfortably proceeding at a stately pace?
  4. If I am walking my own path why am I not on God’s path?
  5. If I don’t know which path I am on how do I find out which is His path and which is mine?