I. Wherefore – look at everything taught in Hebrews before this verse.

II. Witnesses – compassed (all around us, indicates they are hanging about in the air, on every side of us.)

A. Definition:

1. In a legal sense – they will give testimony as to our actions and reactions.

2. In a historical sense – they are a spectator of anything – people are watching our lives.

3. In an ethical sense – People are watching us to see if we really are Christians or not.

B. Angels. 1 Peter 1:12 – "Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."

C. Heroes of faith in chapter 11.

D. People around us. People are looking to us as an example of Christians and holy living.

E. Jesus Christ is watching us and he is our eternal judge.

III. Lay aside.

A. Put from us two things – things that are not sin, and things that are sin.

1. Put aside anything and everything that will hinder us from running the good race.

2. Many things are not sin, but keep our eyes off Christ.

3. I Kings 12:30 – The two idols Jeroboam made became a sin. (It was not necessarily wrong to make an image of something, but it is a sin to worship that image.)

4. II Kings 18:1-4 – " Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. 2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. 3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. 4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan." (a piece of brass)

B. Weight.

1. A burden, a mass, an encumbrance.

C. Sin.

1. I John 3:4 – Sin is missing the mark.

2. The sin that so easily besets us.

a. Whatever that sin is for you.

b. Every person is trouble with sin, mostly the same kind of sin.

c. That sin that troubles you more than any other.

IV. Run the race.

A. With patience.

1. This race must be run with patience and perseverance.

2. There will be need of patience to encounter the difficulties that lie in our way, of perseverance to resist all temptations to desist or turn aside.

3. Faith and patience are the conquering graces, and therefore must be always cultivated and kept in lively exercise.

B. Run with patience, not in anxiety, not by being troubled, not in a hurry.

1. We are not running against others, but with others.

2. We are not in competition with anybody; we are running our own race.

3. II Corinthians 10:12 – "For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."

V. Look to Jesus.

A. Author - the source of our faith. The word "author" indicates that Christ is the designer of our salvation.

1. He is the one that takes the lead in bringing us to him.

2. The fact of Total Depravity clearly shows that mankind is not only unable to initiate their own salvation, but they have no desire to be saved apart from an inward work of the Holy Spirit.

B. As a means of salvation. A lost person must receive the grace and faith from God to believe on Jesus so they can be saved. They do not have grace or faith within themselves, therefore they can’t believe to the saving of the soul. A lost person would do good to ask God to give them the faith necessary for salvation believing. The following scriptures make it abundantly clear that a lost person believes by the faith of Jesus Christ, not from their own faith.

1. Eph. 2:8,9 – "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God."

2. Acts 26:18 – "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."

3. Gal 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

4. Gal 3:22 "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."

I. Finisher.

A. As a means of living for Christ.

B. It is as impossible for us to keep our salvation as it is for us to get salvation in the first place.

1. Saved people serve God by the faith of Jesus Christ, (that is: a faith given to them by Jesus Christ) not from a faith "mustered up" from within them.

2. A saved person is absolutely totally, completely dependent upon Christ; not only for their physical, and mental existence, but also for any spiritual worship they can give to God.

3. This also reveals that when Jesus judges us, then gives us rewards for our faithfulness to Him, that we will cast those crowns back at his feet, proclaiming that He is worthy, we are not.

II. Joy.

A. Jesus kept looking ahead to the joy he would have, not at his present situation.

B. I Peter 1:4-7 – We have an eternal inheritance in Christ, which causes us to greatly rejoice, even though we are under great tribulation at the present time.

C. Christ is now set down at the right hand of his father.

1. His work is done.

2. Ours is yet to be done.

3. One day we will also be in heaven and our race will be over.