Faith Endures: FaithWorks (4)

Hebrews
12.1-3, with Isaiah 40.28-31

“God’s classified” “Wanted: Someone to dream big, dare big,
risk and give everything, just like the heroes and saints of ages past”.
Faith commended to us, faith commending us to God
Faith risks – Abraham
Faith abused – Moses

Today’s theme: Faith endures.

            400 meter
semis
            Derek
Redmond takes the lead, blow hamstring on backstretch
            crumbles to
the track as all others run past him
            medics with
stretcher, gets up and hobbles/hops
            dad, Jim,
in the top of the stands, runs through security and joins him

            we hear “punishment”
and put this into the “fault” category
                        what
did I do to deserve?
                        This
happened because of my sin/mistake
            CONTEXT: an
athletic metaphor (not an explanation for suffering)
                        “Discipline”
– athletic discipline – character revealed thru adversity
                        “Endure
hardship AS discipline” – how we receive and live it
                                    Make
us bitter or better?
            CAUSE: wide
range of biblical reasons given for suffering
                        typically
specific to the event itself
                        many
biblical hardships are unexplained, in terms of cause
                        includes
randomness, and the pervasiveness of evil
                                    That’s
why we ask: If God is good, why?

                        Greek
text echoes “son” in Hebrews 5.8 (Craddock)
“Although [Jesus] was a Son, he
learned obedience through what he suffered”

“For the sake of the joy” (Craddock)
            older
translations, “instead of” – cross OR heavenly joys
            newer
translations, “for the sake”, poses another problem:
                        what
is the relation between the suffering of the cross and JOY?
                        our
salvation, to be both “pioneer and perfecter” of our faith
No matter how tough the road, there is JOY ahead

            the race,
for us … we do not choose the path or the obstacles
            the joy,
for Jesus (and for us who endure)
cancer, grief, mental health, addiction,
financial struggles, HIV, divorce, job loss
No matter how difficult the journey, one who LOVES us
sees ahead

            Jesus as
Model, rare in NT, though not limited here to Model
            twice,
Jesus “endured”; once (same word), us (“persevere”, 12.1)
                        “Hostility”
(12.2)
                        “The
cross” (12.3)
            he is not
simply waiting for us at the finish line, as our goal
            he – who
understands every human weakness – joins us on the track
                        (Jim
Redmond with Derek)
No matter how dark the moment, we are never left ALONE

            If you lost
your focus
            In the
Sacrament
            In your
joys
            In your
struggles

Derek Redmond and father Jim, 400 meters:
http://espn.go.com/espn/espn25/story?page=moments/94
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L0AwASILbo