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| Hebrews 12:1-2: Let Us Run (begins at 21:20 minute mark) |
“I want to run.
I want to run fast.
And I don’t want you to hold back ...
He pushes me.
I trust him with my life."
+ Catching Kayla
+ Catching Kayla
Creation, Crisis, Covenant Community,
Christ, Church, (New) Creation
(1) Creation
Samuel John Stone, 1866 A.D.
The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is His new creation,
By water and the word;
From Heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
Elect from every nation,
Yet one o'er all the Earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With ev'ry grace endued.
'Mid toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forever more;
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee;
There, past the border mountains,
Where in sweet vales, the bride
With Thee, by living fountains,
Forever shall abide!
(2) Crisis
Prayer of Confession + Assurance
Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner ...
Almighty God, in Jesus Christ You love us.
You have opened your heart to us.
You have given us all things ...
but we have grieved You
and caused hurt to others
by what we have done and
by what we haven't done.
Have mercy on us, O Lord,
Lord, have mercy.
Pardon us through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.
(We turn to Jesus) He will wipe away every tear from our eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away. And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new ... these words are trustworthy and true.” + Revelation 21:4-5
(3) Covenant Community
Michael W. Smith, 2002 A.D.
Jesus, I've forgotten
the words that You have spoken.
Promises that burned within my heart
have now grown dim.
have now grown dim.
With a doubting heart,
I follow the paths of earthly wisdom.
Forgive me for my unbelief.
Renew the fire again.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy on me.
(Repeat)
I have built an altar
Where I worship things of men.
Where I worship things of men.
I have taken journeys
That have drawn me far from You.
Now I am returning to
Your mercies ever flowing.
Your mercies ever flowing.
Pardon my transgressions,
Help me love You again.
(Chorus)
I have longed to know You
And Your tender mercies
Like a river of forgiveness
Ever flowing without end.
I bow my heart before You
In the goodness of Your presence.
Your grace forever shining
Like a beacon in the night.
(Chorus)
(4) Christ
Sermon Video
(Minute Mark: Begins at 21:20)
Sermon Scriptures
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Sermon Quote
in a moment of darkness and desperation,
Sam turns to Frodo:
It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy. How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened. But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something … (Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?) … There’s some good in this world and it’s worth fighting for.
(There’s One good in this world,
and He's worth running with.)
Sermon Saints
Celebrity culture demands, "Look at me."
Saintly culture whispers, "Look to Jesus."
These saints continue to say,
"Fix your eyes on Jesus.
Keep running with perseverance
the race marked for you.
He is with you. We are with you.
You can run. Don't hold back."
Sermon Story
In 1922,
“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”
was released,
written by Helen H. Lemmel,
inspired by the life of Lilias Trotter
based on a poem Lilias wrote:
Lilias was an artist in London,
felt called to reach the lost,
spending late nights to rescue prostitutes.
Then God called her to Algeria ...
Helen H. Lemmel, 1922 A.D.
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Thro' death into life everlasting,
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion —
For more than conqu’rors we are!
(Refrain)
His Word shall not fail you
— He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!
(Refrain)
(5) Church
Rend Collective, 2012 A.D.
Come, set Your rule and reign
In our hearts again.
In our hearts again.
Increase in us, we pray.
Unveil why we’re made.
Unveil why we’re made.
Come set our hearts ablaze with hope
Like wildfire in our very souls.
Holy Spirit, come invade us now!
We are Your Church.
We need Your power in us.
We seek Your Kingdom first.
We hunger and we thirst.
We hunger and we thirst.
Refuse to waste our lives
For You’re our joy and prize.
For You’re our joy and prize.
To see the captive hearts released,
The hurt, the sick, the poor at peace,
We lay down our lives
For Heaven’s cause.
For Heaven’s cause.
We are Your Church.
We pray, “Revive this earth!”
Build Your Kingdom here!
Let the darkness fear!
Let the darkness fear!
Show Your mighty hand!
Heal our streets and land!
Heal our streets and land!
Set Your Church on fire!
Win the nations back!
Win the nations back!
Change the atmosphere!
Build Your Kingdom here!
We pray!
Build Your Kingdom here!
We pray!
Unleash Your Kingdom’s power,
Reaching the near and far!
Reaching the near and far!
No force of Hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts!
You made us for much more than this!
Awake the Kingdom seed in us!
Fill us with the strength
And love of Christ!
And love of Christ!
We are Your Church.
We are hope on earth.
We are hope on earth.
(Chorus)
(6) New Creation
Benediction
Let us run the race with perseverance
the race marked out for us
with all the saints and witnesses,
fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the Author and perfecter of our faith.
He who has called us is faithful.
He will surely do it.
More Messages:
Christ is all,
Rev. Mike "Sully" Sullivan
