A certain man was a rising star in church circles. He was creative, skilled in the pulpit, energetic, hard working, and had lots of charisma. His church, which he had started in the suburbs, was growing in leaps and bounds.

Years later, however, things had changed. This man, once considered a spiritual dynamo and who had been on fire for Christ’s cause, was now struggling. He was even thinking of leaving the ministry. His church, which had plateaued in growth, was doing alright, but he certainly wasn’t. People who knew him intimately just scratched their heads and wondered what happened. He started so strong, but he seems to be finishing so poorly. His ministry is in crisis.

A certain young lady was on fire for Jesus. She gave her life to Christ at a Young Life camp, committed herself to following him the rest of her life. She was enthusiastically involved in her church and talked often about her faith.

But, years later, you’d never recognize her. She had grown lukewarm about her faith, was not connected to a church community, was living with a guy, and was not sure who she was any-more or what she really believed. She started so strong, but now . . . What happened?

These stories of strong starts and poor finishes are not uncommon in the life of the Christian church. We read in the New Testament of this being addressed to the Hebrew church. People in this church were passionate and on fire for the Lord Jesus. But, from what we read in the letter, they had slackened a bit and grown weary in their faith life. Their old love for Christ Jesus had cooled.

How do these things happen? As we study the book of Hebrews, we find the answer. Although they started strong, they stopped growing in their faith walk. As you read through this letter, you find they were still babies in the faith and they did not really seem to care about learning and maturing in their discipleship walk with Christ.

A few years ago, a leadership expert and author, Robert Clinton, wrote a book in which he listed six reasons why leaders in this world start strong but often don’t finish well. He pointed to pride, abusive power, abuse of finances, sexual failures, problems in the social base, and plateauing. They had stopped growing in their lives.

Scripture consistently tells us that God intended for Christ’s followers to grow and mature in their relationship with Jesus. When we don’t, it can lead to some spiritual disasters in our lives. The writer of the book of Hebrews is attempting to get the people moving again. He is encouraging, admonishing, exhorting them, much like a coach would do. Come on, Come on, keep at it. Let us do this. Don’t quit; there’s more to be done. In today’s reading, he even tries to inspire them by using an athletic image to describe their life of faith with Jesus. It’s like running a race. Let’s keep at it; let’s finish!

So how do we grow so that we can finish well? First, the writer points out to people of faith who ran their race and finished well Ð like Moses, Abraham, and Sarah. He encourages the people to hold them up and remember their stories. Let their stories of how God used them and took care of them inspire you.

The writer then goes on to say that, having this as our background, let’s keep running our race. And the first thing we need to think about doing is losing the weight. When Olympic runners in those days ran in the marathons, they traveled lightly; in fact, they didn’t carry anything at all.

In our race of faith, we must travel lightly in order to run a good race, stay strong, and grow. “Lay aside every weight,” he says. Things in life clamor for our attention. These things, though they may not be sinful in themselves, distract us and drain our energies and time when we give them top priority in our lives. What are those things that need to be let go or looked at from a different perspective in the light of your relationship with God? Let us lay aside those things, put them in their proper place, and run the race lightly.

We also need to let go of the sin that clings to us and entangles our lives. Take an inventory and find what it is that is messing you up. Is it drinking, pride, a lack of self control? Do these priorities take the place of God? Lose the weight and travel lightly.

The second bit of instruction he gives is to run with perseverance. The word literally means with endurance. He’s talking about running with an attitude of endurance and patience that bears up even under tough challenges. It’s like the marathon runner who’s running a long course. He knows he is going to hit some hills, but he’s determined to complete the race. The race of faith Ð following Jesus Christ Ð is not a sprint. It’s more like a marathon requiring the sustained effort of a long-distance runner who keeps on with great determination over the long course of time.

In one of John Piper’s books, he writes, “We need to be coronary Christians, not adrenal Christians. Not that adrenaline is bad. “It gets me through lots of Sundays, but it lets you down on Mondays. The heart is another kind of friend. It just keeps on serving through good days and bad days, happy and sad, high and low, appreciated and unappreciated. It never lets me down. It never says, ÔI don’t like your attitude, Piper; I’m taking a day off.’ It just keeps humbly lubb-dubbing along.

“Coronary Christians are like the heart in the causes they serve. Adrenal Christians are like adrenaline, a spurt of energy and then fatigue. What we need in the cause of racial injustice and justice for the unborn are coronary Christians. Marathoners, not just sprinters. People who find the pace to finish the race.”

Finally, the Hebrews writer tells them to not only travel lightly and with a spirit of perseverance and endurance, but also to keep looking to Jesus as we run, the pioneer and perfecter of our race (the original runner,) who for the sake of the joy set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame and went the whole distance for us.

We look to Jesus, first of all, for inspiration. Fix your eyes on the Lord Jesus. We look at what he went through and how he handled it with faith. We remember how God then raised Jesus on Easter and now sits exalted at the right hand of God in power. The same God who took care of His Son will lift you up to be exalted as a Child of God to be raised to be with him in eternity.

Look to Jesus for strength. As you look at the cross, consider what Jesus Christ endured in order to make you, a sinner, his own. Paul writes in the book of Romans, “God is for us. He who did not hold back his own Son, will he not also with him give us everything else?” We turn to that Son, Jesus, look at that cross and say, My how he loves me! I am loved. We find strength in that love and grace.

Finally, we look to Jesus for help. We remember that he’s the Risen One, that he’s with us, and that we can look to him as dependent children look to a loving father or mother, and call upon his name.

In the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, a runner from Great Britain, Derrick Redman, was in the 400 meter race. He had trained hard to win this race and get that gold medal. He was running a good race and it looked like he was going to realize his dreams. Then, as he entered the back stretch of that race, Derrick Redman was sent sprawling across the pavement by the gripping pain of a torn hamstring muscle. By an act of sheer will, he struggled to his feet in his pain and began hopping toward the finish line. Suddenly a figure came out of the crowd, broke past the security guards, and ran onto the track. It was Derrick Redman’s father. In a voice choked with emotion, he threw his arms around his son and whispered, “Come on, let’s finish this together.” The crowd cheered and wept as they watched this father half carrying his wounded son jerkily down the stretch and across the finish line.

That is a picture for us: Jesus Christ as the one who comes alongside. As we finish this race, let us finish it together as we call upon him.

To fix our eyes on Jesus is to call upon him in prayer. To fix our eyes on Jesus is to get to know him as we read those narratives over and over and over again. As I tell my congregation, “Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Ð get to know Him there!” You’ll be amazed at how close you’ll get to feel toward Jesus.

Keep using your mind to imagine that finish line, and the One at the center of the crowd of witnesses waiting to greet you there Ð Jesus Ð saying at the end, “Good run, good and faithful servant.” The writer then finishes his thought by saying, as you run lightly, as you run with perseverance, as you look to Jesus, you will not lose heart, you will not grow weary, you will finish well.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, may you finish well by traveling lightly, running with perseverance, and keeping your eyes fixed on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.