Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sins that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Most of us have heard that Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, who had been chasing Hank Aaron’s career 755 home run record, recently broke that record. As Barry Bonds approached the record, a record number of fans turned out game after game hoping to be witnesses of history being made. Under a cloud of controversy on August 4, 2007, Barry Bonds hit a 91 mile per hour fastball out of the park. Home Run! History was made before a record number of fans.

I invite you to take your lesson from Hebrews and let us learn about another bit of history, a cloud of witnesses, and another race for the record.

Verse 1 says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sins that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses; this is a reference to the promise given to Abraham, that his descendents would be more numerous than the stars in the sky. Realize that the descendents are not just his physical offspring but those who died believing in the promise of a Savior, some before Jesus looking forward to Him, and others after Christ looking back to Him.

If you go back and read what precedes our lesson in Hebrews you will find some of those witnesses are heroes of the faith: Gideon, Samson, David and the prophets – people whose names we recognize, but now read on for there are many witnesses whose names we don’t know, but who also ran the race. They were stoned; they were sawn in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins destitute, persecuted and mistreated. (11.32-37) Even these people, ones whose names that we’ve forgotten, or maybe never knew, finished their race, The Race, and had their names recorded in the record book, The Book of Eternal Life. I would add to that list those who lived their lives believing in the promises of God, maybe it was your faithful aunt or a parent, a neighbor, someone you knew who finished their race with the name of Jesus on the lips of their heart. All of these are part of that cloud of witnesses that surround us, a crowd that serves to encourage us.

In this race, we are to throw off everything that so easily entangles us, and all that so easily trips us up. What is that entangles us? For some it is it discouragement, for others is it loneliness, disease, financial problems, or worldly enticements and wants. For some of us is it the whispers of Satan, for others it is the entanglements of seemingly unanswered prayers. For others of us its all the little compromises we made to get along with an unbelieving world. So what is that so easily entangles us? Worse yet, what sin entangles us, even after we have been set free, we freely creep back to it? Jesus, forgive us. Help us!

Our text reveals that the help is there: 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God. The help is found in keeping focused on Jesus. Looking back in Matthew’s Gospel in the 14th chapter there is story that illustrates the point. The disciples were out on a storm tossed lake and Jesus came to them walking on the water. Their first thought was He had to be a ghost and He says, “Take courage it is I.” Then Peter said, “Lord, if it is You then tell me to come to You on the water.” Jesus said, “Come.” Then Peter got down out of the boat walked on the water and came toward Jesus, but when he saw the wind, (and the waves) he was afraid and began to sink - when he took His eyes off Jesus He began to sink. (14. 22-32) What is it that so easily distracts you and me? What is it that gets us to take our eyes off Jesus?

Jesus knows what will keep us above the deep water of life. He knows what will enable us to finish the race: keep looking right here, focus on Me. Ruth Ann is fond of saying to me, “Focus. I want to see your see your eyes right here.” Some of us need to be like those horses that pull the wagons in the old movies. They have blinders on that focus their vision on what is ahead. Jesus says keep your ears and eyes of your heart focused on Me, every day.

When Peter had taken his eyes off of Jesus, when he began to think I can’t walk on water, this is impossible, he began to sink. Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of him, saving him. Jesus does something else - He also disciplines Peter. Jesus says to him, You of little faith, why did you doubt? It may not sound like much, but imagine God saying to us, “why did you doubt?” How often do we doubt God, even in the little things? We can mumble all manner of excuses, but imagine looking into the face of Jesus, who has overcome the world for us, overcome death for us, and hearing Him say, “why did you doubt?” I don’t know about you, but the thought of that cuts me to the heart.

Our text in Hebrews says, that the Father disciplines us, and understand if the Father does, the Son and Spirit are in agreement. We can’t play one against another.

Sometimes that discipline comes when we suffer the worldly consequences of our actions. Sometimes the discipline happens when the Word of God cuts us to the heart. That happened to me this week. I was in my office preparing for the Wednesday service and as I read the passage I realized what a sinner I am, how much I don’t do what I should- Oh the good I should do I don’t, and the evil I shouldn’t do this I do again and again. (Rm 7.15) It probably would have hurt less had God slapped my hand, but He didn’t. He allowed His Word to pierce my heart.

Sometimes God uses the things that befall all of us who live in a fallen world to teach us, to get our attention and to discipline us. I listened to the story of Joni Eareckson Tada, who at age seventeen broke her neck diving into swallow water. Her story tells of how God could use that terrible accident to get her attention, discipline her, draw her closer to Himself and then help to make use of her tragedy to help others.

As far as the discipline from God, we need to understand that the discipline of God is coupled with love. We are disciplined with a greater good, a more prefect good, in mind. We are His sons and daughters, and His desire is that we finish the race of this life and get safely home to heaven. We may not like God’s correction, retraining, or discipline at the time, but that which we now only seek in part, will one day be clear to us. (1Cor 13.12)

Returning to our text, 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God. Jesus endured the cross. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us. (2nd Cor 5.21) Those who passed by Jesus hanging on the cross mocked Him and heaped insults on Him. (Matt 27.41-44) Being fully God, Jesus could see the victory that was beyond the cross, a victory not for Him, but for us. Being fully man, He could see the physical agony of the scourging and death by crucifixion. Being fully God and fully man He could see the wrath of God against sin poured out on Him in full measure. It would have been better for Him to turn away, to stop the madness of crucifying the long awaited Savior, to not finish the race, to call on His Father and have at His command twelve legions of angels….but He did not. For our rescue, He endured the cross.

How many times do we grow discouraged or outraged at what we are asked to endure or pass through? How many times are we tempted to turn back, crying out this is too hard?

Jesus went to cross and endured the suffering and shame for us, on our behalf. He died earning for us and for all people the forgiveness of our sins; our sins of entanglement, doubt regarding the ways of God, and all manner of sin. It is that forgiveness that comes to us when we confess our sins and hear His Words of absolution. It is that forgiveness that comes to us through baptism and in His Supper.

Jesus endured the cross, passed into death and then three days later He rose up victorious and ascended back to heaven where He sat down again at the right hand of the Father. He finished His race and what is beyond wonderful is that His victory is our victory. He comes along side of all those who believe not just to cheer us on, the cloud of witnesses does that. No, He comes along side us to encourage us, to minister to us and lead by and through His Word and ultimately to carry us across the finish line. I go and prepare a place for you and if I go I will come back that you may be where I am.

A long time ago, I was a jogger, and I would enter those little 10K runs that were so popular 30 years ago. Well, it was a tradition in our area that the first place finisher would go back and run with the slowest runner to encourage them. Well, a friend of mine, someone who had encouraged my walk with Jesus, a man who had cheered me on when I went into the ministry finished his race yesterday. Many of his years had been hard, the last few were especially challenging with Alzheimer’s. Yesterday, Jesus came back for him and brought him across the ultimate finish line. Jesus got him home to heaven. His name is in the eternal record book.

All around us are people who are entangled, running the wrong way, stopping and considering turning back, and who are only seeking to get their names in some earthly record book. They need to hear of the One who finished the race for them, the One who comes back for them, the One who can enter their names in the record book of Eternal life. They, like us, need to hear about Jesus.