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Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 2 * PART 3 * BOOK 52
Hebrews 11:24 – 12:17
I’ve got a couple of letters that I’ve been carrying in my Bible, and I just ask people, "Can you believe this?" Okay, Hebrews chapter 12, we only just got a little start in verse 1 on the last program so we’ll just pick up as though we never even started. And the verse says:
Hebrews 12:1a
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,…" Making reference of course, to all these that have been mentioned in this great faith chapter 11. Horror of horrors! Let’s go back to John’s Gospel chapter 1, where John the Baptist is a witness of the ministry of the Lord Jesus. John’s Gospel chapter 1, starting at verse 6.
John 1:6-7a
"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (this is John the Baptist) John the Baptist wasn’t sitting there in an amphitheater watching Jesus perform His miracles. Hebrews 12:1a
"Martyras." Like John the Baptist, who is confirming that the God of Scripture is real. The witnesses have proven it. All right, now the other term as I’ve already made mention of is "autopisis" and that is used in II Peter chapter 1. Now let’s look at it here in II Peter chapter 1 verse 16, where Peter writes:
II Peter 1:16-17
Now verse 18, "
II Peter 1:18
All right, now that being the case, let’s read on:
Hebrews 12:1b
"…let us lay aside every weight,.…" Now, you know, this is another reason I think Hebrews is written by the Apostle Paul. What does Paul constantly refer to in his illustrations? Over and over – running the race; beating the air like a boxer, see? An Olympic runner. All right, that’s what we’re to do as believers. Now let’s read the next part of the verse.
Hebrews 12:1c
Unbelief. I can never forget my dear old mother shortly before she died, we were talking about the Rapture and I’ll never forget her question. Faith tells us what? Unbelief says what? Deal with these weights that tend to slow us down. Deal with unbelief. Deal with an individual weakness - and then now finish the verse,
Hebrews 12:1d
"…and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," How did Paul put it? 7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:"
I have finished my course." Now what’s he talking about? The race. See? The course for the race. I have run the race, "I have finished my course, (I have gone the prescribed way that God laid out for me.) I have kept the faith." Now listen, go back with me to II Corinthians chapter 11, and in this passage, Paul isn’t bragging. You remember that? All right, II Corinthians chapter 11 and I’ll just jump right in at verse 22. And remember, he’s defending his apostleship. We’ll follow Peter or we’ll follow Christ." II Corinthians 11:22-23a
"Are they Hebrews? II Corinthians 11:23b
All Twelve of them just stayed right there at Jerusalem for the most part. They didn’t go out into the Roman world. Hey, they stayed in Jerusalem. II Corinthians 11:24
"Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one." Scar tissue on scar tissue on scar tissue. Read on.
II Corinthians 11:25a
"Thrice (three times) was I beaten with rods, (and that is despicable. All for the sake of the Gospel.
II Corinthians 11:25b
Now verse 26. Now I just told somebody at break time, we travel a lot. For the sake of the Gospel. II Corinthians 11:26-28
"In journeyings often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, (that’s why the Jews had beaten him and had scourged him those five times) in perils by the heathen, (the non-Jewish world) in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27. All right, so back to Hebrews chapter 12. Now move on to verse 2, as we run the race, as we fight the battles of life, we are to be:
Hebrews 12:2a
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;…" Now in another place in Hebrews it’s referred to as the "file leader." And if you’ll remember way back, several months ago, my how long have we been in Hebrews? Now, of course, Paul says, that he’s right behind Him, and then we follow behind Paul. All right, so we look unto Jesus, up there at the front, leading us on into eternity "and the finisher of our faith." Hebrews 12:2b
All right:
Philippians 2:5-6
"Let this mind be in you, (think as He thought,) which was also in Christ Jesus: 6. Who (speaking of Christ) being in the form of God, (He was God. Never anything less than God.)Now verse 7:
Philippians 2:7-8
There is so much more there than meets human understanding - we’ll never comprehend it until we get to eternity; how that God laid all the sin and guilt of the whole human race on Him. All right, Luke 18 verse 31. Luke 18:31-33
Read that next verse.
Luke 18:34

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