Dig Deeper - Sunday 21st June
Sermon Reflection Questions - Courage for the Journey: Courage to Keep Going
Hebrews 12:1-3
Link to service
Dig Deeper notes from Sunday 21st June service:
Having courage to keep going can be difficult, especially in the times where we are tired, weary or feel far away from God. Hebrews 12:1-3 offers us three key directions when we are reflecting on having courage to keep going.
Perseverance.
Perseverance is the active determination to keep going even when you face pushbacks, failures or difficulties. It means being intentional and proactive to overcome obstacles, and when these obstacles are put in front of us, there is a commitment to keep going.
Hebrews 12 starts with the reminder – ‘since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.’
The list of men and women written in Hebrews 11 that have demonstrated perseverance throughout the scriptures. Who have endured impossible things by faith.
Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Noah, Sarah, Rahab.
Each of these people, plus many more will have felt weak in their own strength. But their faith in God gave them the courage and determination to keep going, to keep persevering even through the difficult and rocky times.
The author of Hebrews tells the reader to remember these witnesses to God’s goodness, and then says “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles - and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
There will be many things that hinder our walk with God and the way in which we actively live out our faith. Everyday life is full of distractions. Stress, comparison, laziness – but it is vital to remember who is our Father and creator, and recognising that even through the difficulties and uncomfortable spaces, our strength and determination come from God.
Focus.
The reality of life means that sometimes we will have clear vision and stamina to keep pushing forward, but there will be some times where it feels like you are swimming against the tide.
You may be struggling with exhaustion, grief, battles that others may not see. And when this is the case, it is hard to keep your eyes focussed forward when things look so far away and out of reach.
[8] But the author of Hebrews reiterates the need for focus. It says ‘Fix your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith.’
A pioneer is someone described as a person who is among the first to do something. Jesus is the ultimate reminder of the one who has walked before us and completed the journey we are called to walk.
Fixing our eyes on Jesus allows us to remember who He is, to remember what he went through for us and to gain the courage to keep going.
When we focus on Jesus, we remember the bigger picture. It is through having faith in Jesus that we remember what we are called to do as disciples of Jesus. Jesus began the work of salvation, and until His return, we are here to advocate in His name and to proclaim the Gospel. When Jesus ascended into Heaven, he left us the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is through asking the Holy Spirit to come into our lives that we gain courage to run the race set out before us.
Perspective.
When we consider what Jesus did throughout his ministry, and the things he overcame for us, we then start to reflect on our own challenges.
Jesus Christ was fully human and fully divine. Being fully human means that he lived as we live. He felt emotion, the pain of loss, being mocked and lied about. He understands betrayal, rejection, injustice, suffering. Yet Jesus stayed faithful to God the Father.
“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Take heart that Jesus has endured the cross and conquered death for us to succeed and have a place in heaven.
The author of Hebrews is inviting the reader to remember what Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection means for humanity.
That Jesus’ suffering and death wasn’t in vain nor the end, but it meant that because of His divine resurrection, the work that we do in his name is not for nothing, that through him, we have been given salvation. That death is not a final destination for us.
Questions for reflection and discussion.
1. Read Hebrews 11 – reflect on the names of all those who have stepped out in faith and had courage to stand firm in God’s name. Pray that God will give you courage to stand firm in faith this coming week, even if it feels uncomfortable.
2. Re-read Hebrews 12:1-3 – Is there something weighing heavy and making your walk with Jesus difficult at the moment? Use this time to pray and hand it over to God to help carry the load.
3. What distractions are pulling your focus away from God?
4. What practical steps do you need to take to recentre your focus on God? Pray that God helps you to realign your focus this coming week.
5. What circumstances in life are hindering you to focus on God’s bigger purpose? Pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen and help guide you towards God’s bigger plan.
Prayer.
Heavenly Father, we pray for courage to continue our walk in faith, praying that through the good and the more difficult times, our eyes stay rooted on Your Son, Jesus Christ. We pray that when we feel weak, and that we can’t carry the load ourselves, that the Holy Spirit renew and refresh us to endure and persevere through the storms. Amen
