========================================================================
  DON'T GIVE UP!
  by Anton Bosch
========================================================================

Summary: This sermon from Hebrews chapter 12 emphasizes the importance
of endurance in the Christian race, urging believers to lay aside every
weight and sin that hinders them. It highlights the need to focus on
Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith, who endured the cross for
the joy set before Him. The message encourages believers to keep their
eyes fixed on Jesus, despise the shame, and run the race with endurance,
knowing that He has already secured the victory for us.

Topics: "Endurance in Faith", "Focus on Jesus"
Scripture References: Hebrews 12:1, Hebrews 12:2, Hebrews 12:3, Hebrews 12:6, Hebrews 12:7

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This sermon from Hebrews chapter 12 emphasizes the importance of
endurance in the Christian race, urging believers to lay aside every
weight and sin that hinders them. It highlights the need to focus on
Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith, who endured the cross for
the joy set before Him. The message encourages believers to keep their
eyes fixed on Jesus, despise the shame, and run the race with endurance,
knowing that He has already secured the victory for us.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hebrews chapter 12 and we're going to read verses 1 through 6. Hebrews
chapter 12 reading verses 1 through 6. Hebrews 12 verse 1, therefore we
also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay
aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us
run with endurance the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the
author and the finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God for consider him who endured such hostility
from sinners against himself lest you become weary and discouraged in
your souls you have not yet resisted to bloodshed striving against sin
and you've forgotten the exaltation which speaks to you as to sons my
son do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor be discouraged when
you are rebuked by him for whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges
every son whom he receives let's read verse 7 and if you endure
chastening God deals with you as with sons for what son is there whom
the Father does not chase so we're in verse 1 of chapter 12 one of the
things that I need to remind you of again is that one of the biggest
problems we have in reading the scriptures is chapter numbers and so I
know how it goes we read chapter 11 and we get to the end of chapter 11
we say okay that's it close the book tomorrow we'll read chapter 12 but
that's not how it works and so you see that verse 1 begins therefore so
it's connected to what he has just said therefore we also so he has just
spoken about the heroes of faith what we call the heroes of faith the
great men of the Old Testament of Abraham and beginning with with Abel
of course and going through Abraham and Moses and all the others and the
ones that aren't even mentioned and then he says we also so he is now
connecting us to them remember we said at the right at the very
beginning that the writer is a preacher he is not he is not an author in
the sense that today there are Christian authors who can write very well
but they don't preach too well there are others who can preach but they
can't write this man is a preacher he happens to write very well but he
is writing the way that he preaches and he preaches in an expository way
so he does the Old Testament in chapter 11 and now he's going to bring
the application so we've always got to be careful that we don't get so
involved in the history and the grammatical context and everything else
that the scripture says and we forget that there is an application and
that that application has to do with how do I now live how do I apply
this in my in my daily living one of the famous proponents of expository
preaching in America says that it is not his job to bring application he
says that's the work of the Holy Spirit all he has to do is say well
that's what the text says that is the grammatical historical context
that's what happened that's what it says no our job is to bring
application and to say this is how it applies to us and that's what he
is doing so he's setting us an example for those who aspire to be
preachers he is setting us an example he's saying this is what the
scripture says in the Old Testament in his case in our case Old
Testament and New Testament and now this is how we apply it this is what
it means to us so we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses so he's now using the picture of a race you'll see the end of
the end of the verse let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us obviously those days they had the old version of the modern
Olympic Games they had these big stadiums in which they would run and
there would be the audience the people who would watch the runners that
is obviously the picture that he is drawing but we have to be careful in
saying does do the witnesses and obviously the witnesses are the Old
Testament Saints the ones that we've just spoken of in the Old Testament
beginning with Abel going through the Old Testament do they watch us run
because that seems to be the inference from the text because he's got
the picture of the audience the witnesses and those who are running the
race now the commentators and the theologians are divided on the issue
some say that they do watch us and if we have to go by popular culture
today they are watching us every unsaved celebrity is up there watching
us now we don't form our theology based on popular culture we need to
base our theology on the scripture it seems from the picture he's
drawing that we can say they are watching the problem with that is that
we have no other scripture that confirms that they are aware of us we
don't fully understand the state of the departed what we do know is that
they're in the presence of the Lord what we also know is that they are
not omniscient in other words they don't know everything or see
everything the way God knows and sees everything you with me we will
know all things when will that happen at the resurrection not at death
the scripture is very clear that at the resurrection we will know all
things even as we are known until then it does the scripture gives no
indication that the dead believers of course have the ability to see
everything or to know everything there is as I said no scripture that
other scripture other than this verse and this verse is not making a
clear statement it's it's inferred if you if you're going to come to the
conclusion that your dead ancestors and I'm using that in a positive
sense my mother who I have loved dearly and who I miss still is watching
me I don't believe she can see me I would love for her to see but I
don't I cannot find support in scripture for that so what does he mean
then why does he say that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses and
obviously the word cloud means a vast number many many many when you
have two or three people you can identify the faces when you have as
many as we have here we can see people as individuals and as faces when
you look at large gatherings of people think for instance the
inauguration of the president as the thousands gather on the mall you
don't see faces you just see a mass of people you just see a crowd you
just see a cloud so he's speaking about this large number of witnesses
so what does it mean that they are witnesses if they are not watching us
and cheering us on then what are they doing well they are witnesses of
God's goodness and of God's grace how did he use the names of those men
in chapter 11 he used them as witnesses look at how Abel lived his life
look at how Enoch looked look at how Moses looked look at all of these
men how they endured how they continued to trust God and so one of the
commentators says that this way and I think that that he is correct it's
not that they are looking at us but we are looking at them we are
looking at them and that's confirmed by the next verse because he then
says and looking unto Jesus so how do I run the race I run the race by
looking at Jesus but I also run the race by looking at those who have
before and how did they run how did they endure how did they overcome
and by looking at them I can be encouraged that I'm not alone in this
race that I am not the only one who's having to endure the things that I
have to endure that I'm not the only one whose face is being tested I'm
not the only one who sometimes begins to doubt because when I look at
the witnesses they're all saying yes we are weak we are men but God is
faithful and God is true and so that's the sense in which they are
witnesses I think that they are also witnesses in the sense that on the
day of judgment they would be silent witnesses to the way that we have
run the race you see because here's the problem it's easy to find
excuses for failure now remember we said last week it's not all about
success there are times of hardship there are times that we are
discouraged there are times that we are defeated and there are times
that we will suffer but when we have failed because of our own weakness
it's easy to find excuses and say well you know nobody understands how
hard I was pressed and nobody has endured what I have to endure do you
know my situation but these men are witnesses and there is nothing that
we have to deal with that these people did not endure a deal with and
whatever situation you find yourself in today doesn't matter what it is
there is someone else maybe alive today but certainly of those who've
gone to be with the Lord who has been in exactly the same situation as
you are I don't want to minimize the the difficulty that that you are
dealing with and that each one of us deals with but one of the
encouragements are and and I know that may be not the kind of
encouragement we want but is really you're not unique we tend to feel
you know I'm the only one who has to deal with this kind of stuff I'm
the only one who has to endure this pain I'm the only one has to deal
with this alienation or whatever it is this temptation no others have
dealt with it as well and their witnesses that you can overcome you can
live victoriously in the midst not over your troubles but in the midst
of your troubles and so they are witnesses to say it can be done it can
be done and so we are surrounded by this cloud of witnesses let me warn
you that the clock has been unstable so if we get to supper time and I'm
still preaching just warn me I think I think it's good but all right so
we surrounded by this cloud of witnesses so now I need to run the race
in running the race he says we need to do two things well a number of
things but immediately here two things lay aside every weight and lay
aside the sin which is in snares us now notice that there are two things
the weight and the sin he's not saying sin is the weight no there is the
weight that needs to be laid aside and there is the sin that needs to be
laid aside the Sun is easy to understand because Sun is Sun and
hopefully we have some understanding of what that is Sun is not keeping
the rules if you've never heard that definition before in the context of
the race so if you take a shortcut and remember this race is not a
sprint it's not a hundred meter a hundred yard dash it's not 440 yards
of 400 meters this is a marathon and it's a marathon that can last 70
years and it's not a matter of whether you can get out of the starting
blocks faster than anybody else it's a matter of whether you can make it
to the end the Christian walk is hard and I shouldn't have used the walk
word walk it's not a walk it's a race and it's not racing against
everyone else we'll come back to that but it's a marathon I I read a
couple of weeks ago maybe last week about a woman who and I've forgotten
who she is and where she is but who ran a hundred and fifty marathons in
a hundred and fifty days I can't imagine that I can't even imagine
running one marathon let alone a hundred and fifty but that's the
Christian race it's not just one day it's not just one week it's not one
year it's not ten years it's year after year after year plodding on and
making it to the end and so let's get back to the sin sin is not abiding
by the rules one of the things that you can do to cheat in a marathon is
to take a shortcut because sometimes a marathon goes through the woods
and through the fields and if you know the area maybe well you know you
can take a shortcut over here and meet up with the guys on the other
side well that disqualifies you and so there are sins we're going to
come back to that sin again in a moment when we speak about that which
easily ensnares us but what is the weight well the weight is simply
things that are legitimate they are not sin but they hold you back as
far as I know there are no rules against running a marathon with gum
boots is that the word you use here military boots or combat boots
there's no rules against that there's no rules that this says you can't
have a backpack and five bricks in the backpack it's quite legitimate
you can do it if you want to you can have a great coat on if you want
you can have a helmet on if you want no rules against that but you're
not going to get very far that way and for this is I believe he's
concerned as he's writing to these Christians who are giving up many of
the people in this church that he's writing to have already given up and
others are seriously considering giving up and others are just saying
well you know this is just too hard let me take on board this let me get
involved in that let me get go over here do this do that and he's saying
yeah those things may be quite legitimate but they're gonna hold you
back and folks there are many many many things and I'm not going to get
specific because if I get specific and I don't mention your issue then
you think well you know you escaped you know the things that you do that
you're involved with that take your time that take your energy that may
be a hundred percent legitimate they're not sin but they're hindering
your race they're hindering your walk with the Lord and he says let's
lay those things aside one of the things about running the race and when
you look at Olympic athletes is that they lay everything aside not just
on the day of running but their whole life is geared to one thing and
that is to run that race they won't take emotional things on board
that's going to affect them they won't take on eating habits that's
going to affect them they're not going to take on a lifestyle and yet as
Paul says elsewhere they do that for an earthly crown we're running for
an eternal reward and yet we will compromise and we will take on board
all sorts of baggage that holds us back and that slows us down and that
hamstrings us so that we can't run the race effectively and so may I
appeal to you this morning lay aside not just some because maybe this
morning as I'm speaking to you that there are a number of issues there
may be a whole bunch of things in your life that are quite legitimate
but there are hindering your relationship with the Lord there are
hindering your effectiveness in serving him it's okay I'll deal with
this one thing no no he's saying lay aside every weight I don't know how
long your list is but whatever is on that list lay it aside because it's
going to hold you back it's going to affect you and it's going to
prevent you from achieving what God has in mind for you and so let's lay
aside notice let us remember he does the same thing in chapter 10 let us
hold fast the profession of our faith he says there let us consider one
another to provoke to love and to good works and so let us as a make
assembly as a congregation individually as families lay aside the weight
and the sin which so easily ensnares us notice the sin that ensnares us
that's the problem of sin sin ensnares entangles I think the King James
may use the word entangles sin gets you in its web and gets you all tied
up in knots and entangled you see that's the nature of sin soon as not
it's not a thing that you can you know it's just it's not a singular
thing so yeah do this thing end of the story no the moment we engage in
sin it becomes entangling it becomes it invades us and it begins to suck
us in begins to control our thinking begins to control our actions he
says lay aside the sin that so easily ensnares us how long does it take
to develop a bad habit couple of days couple of days it's so easy we
know some of the street drugs they say if you have the right kind of
disposition just one shot and you're hooked there are those here who've
experienced the entrapment that comes as a result of that but it's not
just street drugs there are so many other things that we get hooked on
and you can get hooked just like that but you get off it to give up that
addiction and I'm not just talking about chemical addictions that
emotional addiction that psychological addiction the many ways in which
we become entangled in sin become so hard so the answer is don't get
entangled to begin with in South Africa we have a a bush and if we if I
have to translate the name into English it's a hook and stick or hook
and prick bush because the thorns have hooks and others have points and
you get stuck in that you you get near that thing and it grabs you and
the harder you fight you try to get out of it the more entangled you
become that is sin now I know that there's a there's a way in which we
can interpret this to say that there is a particular sin so when we use
this word or when it's this word is what this phrase is normally used
the sin which is so easily ensnares or the King James says that so
easily besets us people talk about a besetting sin so they say well
what's your besetting sin what is that one sin that hooks you that grabs
you now that that may be true and each one of us have our areas of
weakness for some it's this and some it's that and there are certain
areas in which each one of us is particularly vulnerable to getting back
into the same bad habits over and over again but I don't want us to to
get sidetracked by that because while that may be true it's not the
whole story because you say well you know I have a problem with
pornography so I've dealt with that I've overcome that that's my
besetting sin so I'm good no you don't understand sin you don't
understand the devil because you can get victory over that pornography
but he'll get you on gaming or he'll get you on shopping yeah shopping's
a problem I said I wasn't gonna mention name sorry you see it's my
besetting sin had to go there you know you know I've overcome my
besetting sin no sin by definition is besetting in snares and it doesn't
matter you can get victory in one area he'll get you on another and so
let's lay aside those and let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us so here's the key word endurance perseverance King James says
with patience remember that word patience has changed its meaning over
the years so endurance it's no good starting well and ending badly
there's no good running for 60 years and giving up one year before the
end we must endure and endurance speaks of hardship you see you don't
have to endure a good meal you don't have to endure a vacation I guess
there's some people who have that problem but but you have to endure
hardship and folk the reality is and of course we've spoken so much
about the the many errors that have come from the prosperity message
which seems to say well you know it's it's easy it's great just become a
Christian all your problems will go away it's gonna never you it's a
it's a cakewalk it's a cruise it's wonderful no it's hard it was hard
for the witnesses in the Old Testament it was hard for Jesus and it's
going to be hard for us yeah you can have a you can you can do a
marathon on a motorbike and just ride along but that's not how it works
endurance don't give up remember this is this is really the message
while the book of Hebrews focuses on Jesus on one end and he's going to
come back to Jesus in in the next verse the whole background is don't
give up don't go back to Judaism he's saying to these people who want to
go back to Judaism don't go back to the world don't give up endure hold
on see it through a folk we've spoken about the great falling away many
many times and as the days go on and as the years go on for these last
few years we're seeing more and more people going back in many many ways
churches closing down Christians going back to the world or simply just
sitting by the wayside and watching the race go by don't give up don't
give in excuse the other South African saying but when I was in the
military we had a saying which translate to bite fast referring to the
old days when someone was operated on without anesthetic they would give
him something to to bite on to a piece of wood and it became a saying in
the military when things are hard bite on grit your teeth it's hard but
hold on run with endurance the race that is set before us you see I
can't run your race and you can't run my race each one of us has a
different race to run the goal is the same but the race is different
some of us have to battle this thing others have to battle something
else the temptations one faces is not the same as what the other faces
each one of us has his own race for the thief on the cross the race
lasted a few hours for others the race will last for our beloved brother
Henry the race lasted something like 80 years from when he got saved
until the Lord took him home you need to run your race the race that is
set before you that God has asked you to run and you need to run that
race don't try and live my life don't try and live your husband or your
wife's life or trying to try and run their race you run yours and you
run it faithfully and run it with endurance now time looking unto Jesus
looking unto Jesus now remember and it's interesting that it's how many
years since the beginning of kovat so this is my first time I'm going
back to Australia since I came back from Australia I came back and the
church was churches were closed down what video was that 21 hmm 20 21 22
3 years and remember when I came back from Australia one of the first
messages I preached and one of the messages that I kept bringing into
all the many of the other messages is let's get our eyes on Jesus forget
about covert forget about the government forget about the world let's
get our eyes on Jesus and folk the message is still the same today it
has not changed and and of course the message didn't start three years
ago it was when the Lord laid that on my heart and I do believe that
that was essential for us individually and as a congregation to survive
these last three years but this is a 2,000 year old message in fact it's
not a 2,000 year old message it's a 6,000 year old message going back to
Abel at the beginning let's get our eyes on Jesus look it's easy to look
at the pain when you're running that race and so on my muscles all
cramping up and my feet are sore and I've got a headache and and
everything is just no get your eyes on the on the on the leader you see
because he has gone before he is the pioneer he is setting the pace and
when we get our eyes off him that's when we get into discouragement when
we get into temptation and when everything begins to fall apart and folk
more than ever before more than three years ago today we need to get our
eyes on Jesus don't look at me don't look at other Christian leaders
don't look at the church look at Jesus that doesn't mean that leaders
don't have to set an example of course we have to do that but folk let's
have let's have our eyes on Jesus I need to move on because I could
spend another 40 minutes on that but he is the author and the finisher
of our faith the initiator the designer the beginner he started it all
at Calvary and he's going to finish it all remember the book of Hebrews
speaks about him over and over as the Alpha and the Omega the first
letter last letter of the Greek alphabet the beginning and the end and
that which he has begun in us he will complete but we need to have our
eyes on him and and what he is saying to us here is of course this
there's this twofold responsibility that we always speak about there's
the part that he does and there's the part we have to do the part we
have to do is to have our eyes on him and to run that race and the part
he does as he finishes the work that he's begun but it's a cooperation
you can't do it without him and he's not going to do it for you in the
sense that you can say well I'm going to sit here on the side of the
road and he's going to pick me up and take me to the goalpost now he's
expecting you to run the race but he'll be there with you he'll lead the
way and he'll finish the work that he has begun Paul says I am persuaded
that he is able to complete that which he has begun in me and so he is
the author and the finisher you see the problem and one of the things I
believe that the author is trying to do here is he's trying to remind us
don't get swallowed up in your immediate circumstances you see because
when we lose perspective when we spoken about this for the last few
weeks in chapter 11 when we lose perspective it's easy to look at my
problems right now and say well it's insurmountable it's never going to
get better this seems to be the end no get our eyes off now and get our
eyes on Jesus and let's get our eyes on the goal because he's going to
come back to that in in a second and so looking unto Jesus the author
and the finisher of our faith so that's why he's saying remember it's
not about today it's about where it began at Calvary and it's about
where it's going to end at the day of the resurrection and so the author
and the finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross it's the goal it's not the now it's not that marathon
runner who's cramping up focusing on his cramps he's focusing on the
line he's focusing on the reward on the medal at the end of the race and
Jesus obviously speaking about the cross for the joy that was set before
him how was he able to endure what he did now remember we've spoken
about this before but it wasn't just the physical suffering it was the
suffering that we cannot even begin to understand of him who knew no sin
taking upon himself the sin of the world we don't we don't have a clue
what that means one day we will but now we don't so how was he able to
endure that and remember the Gethsemane and we'll come back to
Gethsemane in verse 3 which we obviously won't get you today how was he
able to endure because he was reminded of the joy set before him
remember the angel came and encouraged him in Gethsemane what did the
angel do what the angel say well I don't know what the angel said but I
can imagine based on this verse what the angel said is reminded him as
he stands before the cross on the other side at the beginning of the
cross that night as he would be crucified the next day the angel saying
look beyond yes tomorrow is going to be a terrible day as they nail you
to that cross as they spit on you speaks about the shame and as the sins
of the world are laid upon you but look beyond at the joy that set
before you what is that joy the joy is you and I you see when I read the
the authors they they speak about the joy is being that name that he
received which is above every name no he had that to begin with that he
receded the right hand of the majesty no he had that to begin with he
got nothing out of the cross that he didn't have before except a bride
that's his joy now I just I just prayed that I would be that joy to him
that it's worth it I'm speaking from a human perspective but that is
it's work when he looks at me when he looks at you he says it was worth
it sometimes when I look at me I don't think it was but we know that
he's going to finish what he's begun and so for the joy bringing many
brethren into salvation gaining for himself a bride the church that was
the joy that was set before him and so he looked to the reward and he
despised the shame as they hung him naked don't be fooled by the
pictures you see of him hanging on the cross with a loin cloth as they
spat him as they cursed him as they mocked him hanging in between two
thieves the word despised means he disregarded it you know when you
despise something you say nothing folk here's a great lesson for us
great lesson for me it's hard when people impugn us when people attack
us personally call us names heretic whatever it's hard but learn from
Jesus nothing not that it was nothing but it was nothing in comparison
to the reward remember Paul uses this device several times in his
writings and he says speaks about our our struggles our suffering which
is but for a season in comparison to eternity that is light in
comparison to an eternal weight of glory and so if there are those who
have turned their backs against you if there are those who have said
things about you because you become a Christian not because you did
something else but because of serving the Lord don't worry about it
despise it it's nothing in comparison to those words well done good and
faithful servant enter into the joy of your Lord despising the shame and
he has sat down remember right through Hebrews he's used this example of
the priest in the Old Testament who had to stand daily they could never
sit down because the work was never done but Jesus has sat down having
made one sacrifice for all time done the work sat down the works
finished not only is the work finished but he has sat in the position of
authority at the right hand of the majesty on high and so he has sat
down at the right hand of the threat I remember that the Lord Jesus in
speaking to the church in Revelation promises that we will sit with him
in his throne even as he has overcome and sat down in the father's
throne and so let's get our eyes on Jesus nothing that you are dealing
with today or that you will ever deal with can compare with what Jesus
dealt with and he dealt with it as a man God in the flesh but as a man
and he overcame and God has given them in that name which is above every
name and he's saying keep your eyes on me keep your eyes fixed on Jesus
if he could overcome you can overcome if the Saints in the Old Testament
could endure you can endure and I can endure father we pray that you'd
help us that we may be a continuation of chapter 11 or that we may be
those who if another book of Hebrews would be written our names may be
amongst those who have endured who've overcome who've obeyed who've been
faithful because you are faithful and so Lord we've said many many
things Lord this morning there's so much in these few verses I pray Lord
that you would speak to us that you'd give us time Lord that we may
meditate on these verses and on these thoughts and Lord that the message
may change our lives Lord I know at any time when the word is preached
there are those who are considering giving up maybe not consciously but
I'm just getting tired and all there may be those here present this
morning there may be those watching on video who just had enough it's
just become too hard thank you Jesus that you are praying for us you
said to Peter I'm praying for you that you're living ever living to
intercede for us and that right now you're praying that we don't give up
that we will endure that we will see it through and Lord that would not
just that we will see it through but that we will thrive and come out on
the other end victorious and Lord I pray for each one who is hearing
this message who's struggling right now help us Lord to overcome I pray
Lord for those who have been ensnared by sin and who disqualified in a
sense of running the race because they've become ensnared with sin Lord
I pray that you'd help them to break free through the victory that is
ours through the cross and Lord I pray for each one of us Lord there is
not one of us who's excluded who is not in one way or the other being
hampered and held down and held back by legitimate things but that rob
us of our victory help us Lord to lay those things aside to focus
single-mindedly on Jesus and to run that race with absolute endurance
and single-mindedness that we may finish well that we may together with
Paul be able to say henceforth is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me and not
only to me but to all those who love his appearing make these things
real to us I pray Lord in Jesus name I pray that you'd go with us keep
us protect us bring us together again safely in the week I ask this in
Jesus name amen

========================================================================
Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/8YbGXQamSww.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/anton-bosch/dont-give-up/
========================================================================