Our Scripture today was written by the author of Hebrews around 65 AD, prior to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. The primary message of this book is that Jesus Christ is the completely supreme Son of God and is the ultimate fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about a messiah. In fact, Jesus is greater than any prophet who came before him, any angels, and even greater than Moses and Elijah. The writer laid out the argument that Jesus is the ultimate High Priest, eliminating the previous animal sacrifice system of the old Jewish temple with his one sacrifice on the cross. His new covenant was superior in every way. 

When I was in seminary at the Candler School of Theology, I was required to take a Bible Survey course that covered all 66 books in one semester. When the end-of-semester test was imminent, I created a shorthand for memorizing the major themes of 66 books. My trick for remembering the theme of Hebrews was to break it down into He is Better than the rewst. Its awkward, but it worked. An easier way to remember it is this: any He that likes Brews is a superior fellow indeed. Can I get an amen?

Let’s talk about endurance today.

Hebrews 12 (Common English Bible)

12 So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. 

We are encouraged to run this race with endurance. The Greek word for “endurance” is hypomone, meaning determination, unyielding, and not delaying.  By the way, the Greek word for “race” is agona which running certainly can be at times. Agona means struggle or conflict.

So we understand this verse to suggest that we need a level of good conditioning, proper strategy, and determination to run this arduous race of discipleship. Those things only come about with good training, and so that is where we start our conversation.

Followers of Jesus are called to take their discipleship seriously. 

Let me ask you a question. Do you pursue discipleship like you are in training? As followers of Jesus, we know that we’re automatically in a workout of lifetime learning, growing, and developing the traits and skills of being more like Christ every day. Are you actively engaged in your training right now? 

I’ll never forget something lovely that Rev. Bob Pitsch told me years ago. Bob was a beloved retired pastor who attended our church after serving Colington United Methodist Church for decades. In 2010, at age 91, he signed up to take my Disciple 1 class. I was a little flabbergasted to have a man of Bob’s wisdom and knowledge in a class I was teaching. It would be like having Moses or Paul in your classroom. When I asked him why he signed up, he winked at me and told me that he was “studying for his finals”. Many years later I stood in the pulpit at his funeral as we celebrated that fact that he had indeed passed his finals with flying colors.

We’re all here studying for our finals. This race of endurance is a training program that needs dedicated Bible Study, weekly worship, daily prayer, passionate serving, engagement in a small group, generous giving, and most of all, discipline. 

Trying is not training. I invite you to take your training to the next level and grow deeper in your relationship with the Lord. The race is on!

Determined by Barbara Springfield