Alright, open your Bibles if
you would to the book of Hebrews chapter 12. And I want to actually
go back to verse 2 before we move on. I want to lay the foundation
for what we've been looking at and what we're going to look
at this morning. Look here what it says at verse 2. Looking unto
Jesus. You notice the word is looking.
It doesn't say look. It says looking. And that's what
the Lord is trying to instruct us. In chapter 11, we see this
great cloud of witnesses that Paul mentions here in verse 1
of chapter 12. But chapter 11 is this whole
great cloud of witnesses who ran their race. They did their
time on earth. Our brother Cass Hodgson has
ran his race, and the Lord has taken him home. My brother Bill
Silva ran his race. Don Fortner ran his race. All
of our brothers and sisters who have gone on before us ran their
race in faith, believing, believing, therefore looking to Jesus, the
author and the finisher of their faith. We like to think that
we're spiritually strong. Oh, yeah. I don't have any problems
turning away from sin. I'm strong. I've got a good,
strong will. We like to think that about ourselves,
don't we? Fully capable of doing what we
ought to do, but that's not the case for God's people. God's
people, we know. We know that we are weak like
sheep. That's why when we read the words
in John, Chapter 10, the Lord says, My sheep hear My voice. He calls us His sheep. He says,
I came to save the sheep, the weak ones. I know that I'm a
sheep. If you're a child of God and
you've been brought to understand the depth of your sin against
the thrice holy God and the love of God for His people in sending
His Son to be their payment, to be their substitute, to be
their propitiation for their sins, Then you know, you know
how weak you truly are. You see it in yourself every
day. You get up and you look in the mirror and you see your
weakness. Oh my goodness, that thought just went through my
mind. Oh my goodness, that anger just raised up within me. Oh
my goodness, I just doubted God. That's why we simply spend our
days asking the Lord for forgiveness and looking to Him. looking to
Him alone. He draws us in that very way. He brings, as we saw last week,
as we talked about last week, the trials that come our way
to remind us of just how weak we are. Weakness is common in
sheep. Look at verse 12 with me if you
would here. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and
the feeble knees. Now remember, we're talking about
running a race. Lift up the hands, which hang
down in the feeble knees. You know, when you're running
or walking real fast, they say the best way to do that is to
swing your hands. Get your hands in a motion of
swinging. It works your heart up. It keeps your heart pumping.
It gets you along down the road. Remember the passage which speaks
about believers as they're running the race? When a runner's hands
are dangling at their sides, when their knees begin to wobble,
it's not likely that they'll proceed much further. In fact,
it gets more and more difficult, doesn't it, to run. And this
is precisely the condition that David, the great psalmist of
Christ, found himself in, in Psalm 73. Listen to what he said,
he wrote in Psalm 73, he wrote, You think it's tough for you
to walk this walk with Christ? You think it's difficult? You think you're overbearing
and that you're slumping down? Your arms are starting to slowly
drag a little bit more? Your knees are hurting? Listen
to David. A man after God's own heart.
A mighty king of Israel. Listen to his words. He says,
my feet were almost gone. He almost couldn't even walk.
He said, my steps had well nigh slipped. Can we not say that
about ourselves? Oh, I pray that you can. I know
I can. How weak our hands are, how feeble
our knees are, how sluggish and inactive we are in prayer. Do you have to force yourself
to pray? I do. You know what, every person
I know that I believe knows the Lord has said the same thing.
I know very few people who have prayer that just comes to them.
There was one, I gotta share this with you, her name was Virginia
Mayer. Remember her? Remember Virginia? She would
call me up. This is even before I began singing,
leading the singing, before I had anything to do in church. She'd
call me up. I think as soon as she got the,
packet that gives everybody's phone numbers out. She goes through
and finds somebody to call. She called me up. She said, I
just wanted you to know the Lord was leading me to pray for you.
That's not the way most people are that follow the Lord. Most
of us are very sluggish about that. Most of us struggle with
this race. We're sluggish in prayer. We're sluggish in hearing the
Word of God, are we not? Do you ever fall asleep in church? You ever feel sluggish in your
worship? I just don't feel like going in church today. I gotta
tell you something, it was nice to take two weeks off on Friday
night. I was relaxed. When Friday came again for us
to start back up and have Friday night service again last Friday,
I was excited about it, because I had taken some time off, and
that was due to my sluggishness. What about holding fast to our
profession of who the Lord is? Are we not sluggish in that?
In the performance of those things, are we not sluggish as well in
the gospel of Christ and how it is to be adorned, loved? We are easily wearied and fatigued
with the weights and the burdens of sins, the burdens of afflictions. We're faint, fearful because
of unbelief. Because we don't trust God as
fully as we should? Because we don't trust His goodness,
His grace, His love? Maybe we don't trust the promises
that He's given us? Are we not sluggish, each and
every one of us? Well, this is who God is addressing
right now through His Word. This is the Lord's exhortation
to you and I, who find ourselves at times sluggish towards Him. Lift up the hands which hang
down and the feeble knees. And I remind you again of verse
2, looking unto Jesus. Have you ever sat there once
or twice and thought to yourself, oh, I don't even know if I'm
saved. How could somebody who is so
sluggish towards the Lord be saved? Look to Jesus. Look to Christ. Take your eyes
off of the mirror of self and look to the Lord. He's our strength. I quoted this a moment ago from
1 Corinthians chapter 1, and we're going to look deeper into
this. And that's why it comes to my
mind so quickly in our next message. But that no flesh should glory
in his presence, but of him are ye in Christ, who of God is made
unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
He's everything to us, folks. He's all we need. He doesn't
need that weak John Reeves to help him in salvation. Salvation
is of the Lord and of the Lord alone. He doesn't need John Reeves
to help him in taking me through that race. All I need to do is
keep looking to Him. And thankfully, it's because
of Him that I do. It's because of Him that any
of us do. If I look to Him at all, I know it's not John. I
know it's Him that is drawing me to Him. I have loved you with
an everlasting love, He says. Therefore, with loving kindness,
I draw you continually, drawing us to Him. He's calling us to
patiently bear every burden that He puts before us. is calling
us to look to Him for help and strength and protection. And
to share with others what it is that we're looking for. Let
me share an example of that with you, of what Paul is saying here
in this verse, verse 12. Lift up your hands. It's not
just lifting you up, but it's lifting up those brothers and
sisters who also are going through the very same thing. Lifting
them up as well. Listen to this. On January 1st,
8 a.m., 8 o'clock in the morning, New Year's Day, I read these
words, however we have the opportunity, let's contribute to the best
year ever and receive with gladness whatever falls out before us
because our Lord Jesus Christ controls all that is. Mike Lovelace. Our brother Mike
Lovelace put that out at 8 o'clock on Wednesday morning. Folks, he struggles. He's not
just struggling with the age of the body. He's struggling
with physical problems as well. It's difficult for him. And I
don't want to get into those details and embarrass him in
any way, but it's difficult for him right now. Not just with
the age, but with the physical problems that he's dealing with
as well. And here he comes out on January 1st and says to you
and I, however we have an opportunity, let us make this the best year
ever. Receive with gladness whatever falls out before us because our
Lord controls it all. That's Mike's statement. That's
his way of helping the weak. The very one who's struggling
to run the race himself reminds you and I that our Lord is in
control. Our text is a call for us to
help one another in such times of need. Eliphaz commended Job
because God's servant Job had been such a helper to his weak
brethren. Listen to these words. from Job
4, verses 3-4. Behold, thou hast instructed
many. This is Elbaz speaking of Job
himself. Behold, thou hast instructed
many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have
upholded him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the
feeble knees. We know that Paul is primarily
referring to and urging us to help one another because Hebrews
12.12 is a quotation from Isaiah 35, verses 3-4, where the admonition
cannot be mistaken, it's very clear, it says here, to strengthen
ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. That means
lift them up, give them strength, encourage them. Say to them that
are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not, behold, your God will
come with vengeance, even God with recompense, He will come
and save you. That's the Lord instructing each
and every one of us. That's what Paul was doing there
to the Hebrews. He was instructing them, lift
up your arms, run the race. When our brethren are weak, when
it appears that they are ready to quit, And I've seen some of
you. Get a load of this. My pastor
friends have seen me. My wife has seen me when I'm
ready to quit. I need the admonition of the
brethren just as much as you do. I've walked away from this
pulpit at times thinking, what in the world am I doing? Where
do I get off thinking I have The ability to preach. Where
do I get off thinking I have the right to stand before others?
And somebody will walk out that door after I've given a message
that I am totally ashamed of. I just didn't do it right. I
didn't handle it right. I didn't cover it right. What
am I doing here? And somebody will walk out that
door and say, thank you, brother. That was a message that lifted
me up. We're all weak, folks. We all need help. And the best
help I can give you and the best help you can give me is this,
look to Christ. Look to Him over and looking
to Him over and over and over again. When one of God's children
appeared to be lame, perhaps lame by their own foolishness
even, were to make straight paths for their feet, that they may
be healed. Listen to Hebrews 12 verse 13,
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame
is turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. The
word feet here refers to our walk, our manner of life, both
in the church and in the world. Song of Solomon 7.1 says, These
how beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O princes and daughters. These straight paths are the
old paths, the gospel truths. Look over at Jeremiah 6, verse
16 for just a moment. Thus saith the Lord, stand ye
in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the
good way? And walk therein, and ye shall
find rest for your souls. Psalm 119. The paths are holy
scriptures of old, The Old Testament, Holy Scriptures. Look at Psalm
119, verse 41. Let thy mercies come also unto
me, O Lord, even thy salvation according to thy word. This is
the old ways. This is the old paths. These
are the paths that we're to run. The old paths, the ones that
look to Christ. Let thy mercies come also unto
me, O Lord, even thy salvation according to thy word. So shall
I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me, for I trust
in thy word. You know who that's talking about?
That's talking about John reproaching himself. How can I be saved? How can a man like me be loved
of God? Verse 43, And take not the word
of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in thy judgments,
so shall I keep. thy law continually forever and
ever. And I will walk at liberty for
I seek thy precepts. I will speak of thy testimonies
also before kings and will not be ashamed and I will delight
myself in thy commandments which I have loved. My hands also will
I lift up unto thy commandments which I have loved and I will
meditate in thy statues. The straight path in which we
must walk is the path to the house and the throne of our God. One more Psalm. Look with me
if you would at the first four verses of Psalm 122. I was glad when they said unto
me, let us go into the house of the Lord. This is the path.
This is the path that we're to walk, to pick up our arms, pick
up our knees, continue on the race, looking to Christ, I was
glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the
Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem." Jerusalem
is built as a city that is compact together, whether the tribes
go up or the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel,
to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. We make the path straight for
ourselves and for one another by steadfastly refusing to add
anything to the Word of God. Steadfastly refusing to add any
ordinances, anything to His ordinances, anything to His worship. By taking
care not to neglect that which God has ordained for our souls
as good. Make the path straight for yourself,
make the path straight by deliberate example for one to another. Now
let's talk about the lame. And we'll bring this to a close.
How tenderly the Lord urges us to this business of caring for
one another. It says there in that verse 13,
it says there in that verse, lest that which is lame be turned
out of the way. The word lame is a very strong
word. It means that which is twisted
and broken. Picture if you were walking down
the street and you saw a man who was sitting on the curb with
his leg all twisted up and bent the wrong direction. You knew
it was broken. Would you not have compassion
upon one? Would you not feel sorry? Hey,
is there anything I can do to help you? Well, that's what this
is talking about. Our brothers and sisters in Christ,
each other. This is why we don't forsake
the assembling of together like some do, is we come together
to lift each other up, to exhort one another, to look to Christ. When a brother or a sister begins
to think of themselves more than they should, our best thing to
help them with is, hey brother, hey sister, look to Christ. Look
to the one who is our strength. Look to the one who is brought
these problems into our lives for our good. Who would not pity
a man fallen in the streets whose legs have been twisted or broken?
How much more we ought to pity a lame member of the body of
Christ? How much more we ought to pity
the lame member of our family? Ours is not to judge, or to blame,
or even to diagnose. but it is to heal. It says, but
let it rather be healed. John Gill says this, he explains
it this way, he says, let the fallen believer be restored,
the weak brother be confirmed, the halting professor be strengthened,
and everyone be built up and established upon the most holy
faith and in pure ways of the gospel. Shall we not do for one
another what God has done for us? Look with me, if you would,
at two verses. In Micah chapter 4, we read,
beginning at verse number 6, In that day, saith the Lord,
will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is
driven out, and her that I have afflicted. And I will make her
that halted a remnant, and her that was cast afar off a strong
nation. And the Lord shall reign over
them in Mount Zion from henceforth even forever. And thou, O tower
of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto
thee shall it come, even the first dominion, the kingdom shall
come to the daughter of Jerusalem. One more. Go to the right to
the next book, Zephaniah. Chapter 3 of Zephaniah, verse
19, the last two verses. Behold, at that time I will undo
all that afflict thee. And I will serve her that halteth,
and gather her that was driven out, and I will give them praise
and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
At that time, I will bring you again. Even in that time, I will
gather you, and I will make you a name of praise among all the
peoples of the earth when I turn back your captivity before your
eyes, saith the Lord. How can we heed to this admonition
that Paul is giving the Hebrews and all of God's people? How
can we strengthen our own hands in one another? How can we strengthen
our own feeble knees in each other's? How can we make straight
paths for our own broken legs and one another's? Look again
with me at verse 14. Follow peace with all men and
holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Follow peace
with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Amen.