Thank you for listening to the media ministry of the Puritan Reformed Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. If you are blessed by what you hear and would like to help keep our little church going as a ministry partner with your cheerful gifts, please listen for instructions at the end of this message. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1, Please keep your Bibles open, as you probably do anyways, but we'll also look at verse 2 a little while after. Hebrews 12 verse 1. We will not read anything from chapter 11, but that's very, very much what verse 1 is referring to. So you might just keep a look at it and take a glance at it as we go. But Hebrews 12 verse 1 is our scripture for this evening. Hear now the word of the Lord. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race. that is set before us. Let me read that once more. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us. And let us run with patience the race that is set before us." And the phrase of the text, certainly the context will matter, but the phrase that we're focusing on this evening, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us. So as we're on our race, as we're going on our Christian witness for the Lord Jesus Christ, there are things that can hinder that. And we want to think about laying such things aside tonight. And that's what we'll be looking at. Well, as you know, you're having to be preached to by a cherry tomato this afternoon, this evening. And we were on a bike ride yesterday, and four or five hours later, I was kicking myself to have neglected to bring sunblock for us. So hopefully by next week the aloe vera will come in and I'll be my normal Paisley White for you. But yesterday we did the Bayshore Bikeway. And it's the first I think I've paid enough attention, I had to look it up again on my pictures on my phone. But it's called the Bayshore Bikeway. It's a 24-mile bike path that goes around most of San Diego Bay. It doesn't quite cover all of it. It doesn't go all the way to where it connects to the ocean. We start on Coronado. Usually, we drive over and park near Glorieta Bay and ride through some amazing neighborhoods and a golf course in Coronado and take a left near Hotel Del and get on the path, go all the way down Silver Strand. go around the bottom of South Bay where it's more of a marshland and that's where it's fun to see a lot of the animals and make our way by the salt mines. Sometimes stop at the bike store as we did and then pick it up and keep going. We get to Chula Vista. We took a detour into both parts of the Chula Vista Harbor and then make our way up Past the New, by the way, there's an enormous Marriott Resort being built at the Chula Vista Harbor. It's incredible, and it's going up fast. So, took a gander at that, and then get into the city area, where there's a lot more of going around, and eventually you get into National City, go by some marinas, and then make your way up. Finally, you're getting closer, and take a break by necessity for some shade and recovery under the Coronado Bridge. Then go as fast as you can to try to get yourself up Mount Petco, which I always exaggerate and make a mountain of a mohill, but it's kind of the one sort of thing you got to get up, and it's towards the end of the ride the way we do it. So try to get up there, stop there, get a picture of Petco Park behind us, and then it's easy sailing, cruising from there down the hill through downtown to the Embarcadero. sit on the ferry, put your bikes on the ferry and go back over the bay to Coronado and a little bit of a ride from there around the beautiful shoreline and the beautiful city of the bay and the city and the bridge back to where we parked and head home from there. And that's what we did yesterday, Abraham, Isaac and Mr. Lemon and myself. That's my sixth time actually. And I've always enjoyed it a lot, and I always tell everybody, it's really not very tiring. It is 24 miles, but it's mostly flat. And it's a very, very lovely ride. And yet yesterday, it was a totally different experience for me. The first stretch of the ride, I was dying. I mean, I was huffing and puffing. I was not having fun. And bear with me what I'm going to say next. But it was due to Elder Renner's bike that he gave me. I'll explain. But I could not keep up. Now, I had never ridden the bike and I knew maybe for such a ride, wait, go with what you know until you have a chance to try something else. But I didn't. And I could not keep up. And again, this is the first time in six rides that I was exhausted and I was not in the lead. Usually, I'm always waiting for others to catch up with me, not that I'm so athletic or have this most amazing bike, but that's usually my experience. I never really feel tired. I was really struggling. I mean, I was actually afraid I couldn't make it. At the first stretch, I'm like, if this is the first stretch, I'm done for. I told them, I'm going to have to link my, I'm going to get some bungee ropes and tie them to all your bikes, and you're going to pull me, you know? And little Isaac, I thought he was going to struggle. He was way ahead of me. Now, at the first stop, we started at the Silver Strand, San Diego Beach, the bay side part where we usually do like to stop. And I said, guys, I'm dying here. I don't know what's going on. I said, maybe I need to inflate the tires. And in fact, they really weren't that deflated. And I looked at them. I considered pumping them up before we left. I said, it doesn't look too bad. I think I'll be all right. Normally I always do. And I don't know if this will make that much difference. I mean, it wasn't that much. It was like night and day. And I was so thankful, brother, that you had a bike pump on that bike, or I probably would have been calling you, can you please bring me your electric bike? I'm dying here. And so thankfully, because of that pump, I was able to get those wheels nice and strong. And it was like a whole different bike. I mean, it still was limited by the rider, but the bike was a whole different bike. It felt normal. It was a huge difference. That being said, even though that's the case and it made the rest of the ride much more doable, I still noticed that this bike would be better for riding around the church hills and ditches during work breaks. I like to try to keep a bike here at church to encourage me to take a break and go get some exercise. And I think I'm going to use that there because it seems like the gears and different things and the, not the piston, what do you call it? The, um, Shocks. I'm not used to riding shocks. When I first started riding them, whoa! But there were a couple places I was really glad for those shocks. A couple areas we had to go over some rocks and stuff to get off a path onto another one. Or I wasn't paying attention and I went off a curb, and I was sure glad for those shocks. So there's different things for different needs. But I noticed that even though I had improved it with inflating the tires, I think the other bikes I have are a little bit more made for the kind of thing I was riding, road bikes, a little more of a hybrid road bike. I just could still notice a difference. I couldn't get the speed going or different things like that. And this is what makes me think about it. We need to consider what do we need to be able to bike our path or run our race as best we can. There are things we can do to improve, our race, our riding in this case, by what we need to do. In this case, well, I didn't get rid of the flat tires, but I got rid of them in the sense of inflating them properly. And that was the huge thing. But it was just such a reminder that Sometimes it may seem like little, but there's things that can make such a difference in our ability to continue. Let alone make a good pace and do well. Sometimes it is just, it depends on what you need and what tool you need. Different things are made for different needs. And you need to properly set yourself up for success. That's the thing I'm thinking about. Setting yourself up for success. Choose the best bike match. Road bike? Semi-mountain bike, where are you going to be racing? Where are you going to be riding? Inflate those tires. Or possibly off-road, you want to deflate the tires. And if you're going out for four or five hours in the sun, remember your sunblock. I can't tell you how tired I am from the sunburn. And remember your travel snacks. We were getting a little weary, but thank you, Mr. Renner, or Mr. Levin, who reminded us if Mr. Renner came prepared and nourished some of us back to health when it looked almost we were going to have to throw them in a boat to get them back. Minimize your challenges and maximize your improvements so you are most naturally able to continue on the trail and finish the course. And that's what's being said to us tonight here in verse 1 of Hebrews chapter 12. With the example of the enduring faithfulness by faith of God's people waiting for Christ in earlier generations, we Christians must remove obstacles to best run our lap of the church's relay witness race. I give that to you as the idea of the text. With the example of the enduring faithfulness by faith of God's people waiting for Christ in earlier generations, we Christians must remove obstacles to best run our lap of the church's relay witness race. keeping in mind the witness that we're passing ahead to future generations, and that we hope the same could be said to them as us. Look to them as your examples cheering you on now. So we have the word therefore starting out the verse, or wherefore, and you know that's pointing us to a reference before. In this case, it's all of chapter 11, a long chapter. We often call it the Hall of Faith. of the faithful, that is, those who never give up to suffering by their remarkable faith. It's by faith that they're so faithful to continue and give up the things of the world because they're waiting for a city built by God. That's the whole reference. Wherefore, wherefore, with all those as our great cloud of witnesses, cheering us on, if you will, who have already crossed the finish line, with their example to follow, Because you want to cross the finish line. You want to finish the race. That's what it's referring to. They're unwilling to let the world and its temptations keep them from the prize. What would keep them from the prize? Or risk such? The weight. The weight. Lay aside every weight. Drop the weight. Drop the weights. Cut the bags. Whatever's heavy. You know, sometimes if, see in movies at least, if a plane can't get up and they got to get up before something horrible happens, throw weight out. Throw weight out of the plane. More, more. Get it out or we're not getting up. We're not getting out of here. Drop the weight. The Greek word for weight, you could translate it impediment. Lay aside every impediment toward your faith and your walking with Christ and following Him and running your race and Christianity. Miriam Webster's dictionary, defines impediment, or the idea for weight, drop the weight, something that prevents, excuse me, something that prevents or interferes with a process, power, or right. An impediment or this weight is something that prevents, interferes with a process, in this case, running the race with and for Jesus and making it to the finish line. Let me explain by giving some explanation from John Calvin and Matthew Henry. First, John Calvin. Speaking of this text, now there are various burdens which delay and impede our spiritual course, such as the love of this present life, the pleasures of the world, the lusts of the flesh. Heard a lot about that in our series, right, of what to follow after. Run away from the lusts. worldly cares, these are weights, riches also, and honors, and other things of this kind, whosoever then would run in the course prescribed by Christ, must first disentangle himself from all these impediments, or weights. For we are already of ourselves more tardy than we ought to be, so no other causes of delay should be added. He says we always show up late anyways. especially for spiritual things. Let's not let anything else be added to our own sinful tardiness. Let's not get entangled. We need to disentangle ourselves from things that are gonna usually get in the way of showing up for devotion, showing up for worship, showing up for fellowship, showing up for studies. Get rid of the things. Cut them, drop them, leave them in the trash can, throw them in the fireplace. We need to get rid of such things. They entangle us. Think of just being entangled by all these things that keep you from being able to walk in liberty. Matthew Henry also on the text says this, every weight that is all inordinate affection and concern for the body and the present life and world. inordinate care for the present life or fondness for it is a dead weight upon the soul that pulls it down when it should ascend upwards and pulls it back when it should press forward. It makes duty and difficulties harder and heavier than they would be. Let us lay aside all external and internal hindrances. So you see these weights are on the outside, literally sometimes, and they're also on the inside. Notice how much affection, inordinate affection, this desire, these lusts for things that hold us down and slow us down. But there's also things on the outside. But notice how much the emphasis was on present life. Some people can't get their eyes off the moment, let alone the day, let alone the week, or a month, or a year. And have no ability to look forward with any kind of vision, with spiritual things. Their eyes are only on the world. Their eyes are only on the present. And they're certainly not on Jesus and heaven. And they get weighed down. And they weigh others down. with a concern only on now and this world. Why are they weights? Well, in particular, they are sins. So there are things that are weights just because they can be unprofitable for us. although they may be permittable, as Paul speaks elsewhere. But why are they weights? Because they are sins. Lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us. Or at least some of them are sins. It's added, and the sin. So it could be that the weights are not always sins, but they are not profitable. They are weighing us down. They may be nice. They may not be necessarily wicked, but they need to go. But in particular, They are simply distracting. Besetting sins. The Greek for besetting sins. Besetting. They're distracting. You've got to slow down or you're going to really get in trouble if you're just looking all around you. You've got to look straight. You've got to keep focused. Your eyes on Jesus. And it's just so easily distracting, these weights. You know? Those flat tires, that's all I didn't know was the flat tires. They were slowing me down. I couldn't focus on anything else because of their effect until I got rid of them, so to speak, by inflating them into full tires. They slow us down. They weigh us down. That word patience there. Run with patience. Keep that in mind. We're on a marathon. We're not on a sprint. We're on a marathon. Run with patience. But that Greek word again is hupomine. It's that idea of bearing under the weight. But you don't want to be adding more weight than necessary, you see. That's one of the things with bike riding, of course, with anything. Running, you hear about sports people. I got a dietician. I got an advisor. I lost a lot of weight. I am quicker and faster. I'm doing way better this year. And even with riding, there's a few factors that can affect your speed and your ability. Sometimes it can be wind in the back. Certainly the bike you're riding, what kind of bike. Obviously, whether your tires are inflated properly. But it also has to do with the weight of your own body. Obviously, the less weight, the faster you can go. If you don't, you're risking giving up. You're setting yourself up for failure with such weights. Taking the easier, broad way that leads to death where most run. Or the exit ramp that doesn't actually end up going anywhere, except in circles in a downward spiral. Cut the cords, drop the weights as you pick up your pace, breathing, riding, walking, running easier. Ephesians 4, 21 through 24, If so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, that ye put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful, what's the word again? Keeps coming up, lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. To put on that new man, you gotta put off the old man weighing you down, slowing you down. risking that you might end up coming to a complete stop before you cross the line. Put off the old, put on the new. Paul says something similarly, but even more important, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. That's who you are in the new man. You put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. Only focusing on this world. Only focusing on things that seem the most convenient and comfortable. Nobody even runs when that's their idea of things. Put off the old. Put on the new, man. Put on Christ Jesus. Or, putting Him before your eyes. Verse 2 of our text. Looking unto Jesus. the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Now that last part, of course, he finished his race. He completed what he came to do. So you can sit with him there, and even now your lives are hid with him in Christ, Colossians 3. But to get there, he was looking at the crown that was set before him, But first he had to endure the cross. Endure. Patience. Looking to Him as your ultimate example. All those before chapter 11, but Christ as was theirs. Ultimate example and strength. And what lighted them up. Lifted them up on His back. Romans 12 verse 2, And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 1 Timothy 4 verses 7 and 8, But refuse profane and old wives fables. And exercise thyself rather unto godliness, for bodily exercise profiteth little. It means it does profit a little. But godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is and that which is to come. 1 Corinthians 9, 24-27, Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I. not as one that beateth the air, but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." And you see, making holy habits with your body, which sets up holy habits with our faith, begins with how you think. And with what you think about, mental preparation, cerebral reps, thinking through and then what do I need, thinking ahead, making a list, having it ready. You know why we didn't have sunblock ready is we didn't pack the night before. You set yourself up better if you pack the night before. And I know a certain elder is struggling not to yell out, amen. You know you are. And that's why you're always ready and often providing for what we have lacked at such traveling, hikings, and bike rides. 2 Corinthians 10 verse 5, See, it really has to start with what you're thinking. Notice if you go back with the other verses that we've looked at, many of them we're talking about our mind and taking our thoughts under captivity to Christ, that we would bring our body into subjection. And of course, we are talking about body and spirit, being devotional, running a race for the Lord. We're particularly talking about running the race of faith, but that involves our body just as much as our mind. We are psychosomatic beings. Our body affects our soul. Our soul guides our body. We have to think about how both can set us up for success. Simply thinking about that tonight should help. As we've talked about a few times recently, and Elder Renner has been the one to help me remember this well, a fail to plan is a plan to fail. Build up your strength. Notice, because there is a race set before us. We have to recognize that. That's not the option. The question is whether you'll run it and whether you'll finish the race. But there's a race set before we Christians. It's called Christianity. It is a marathon of endurance and you need to set yourself up to endure. You need to build up strength to keep going. And you need to get rid of whatever sinfully tempts you to leave the straight and narrow way that leads to life. You need to unpack it before you even start. You need to inflate before you even start. And make use of the best aids to help you make it and make it well. Whatever stretch of the race you're on, Whether you're running or you're riding, set yourself up for success. I hope this encourages you. It encourages me. A lot of times, it's some simple things. I just have to pay attention to it and think about what am I going to do to get rid of hindrances? Because a lot of times, they're the little things, right? Just got to recognize and prepare to get rid of the little things out of the way. Go to bed on time. Get up early enough. And for some of us, keep a balance of that with Psalm 127. Don't go to bed too late and then get up too early. That's vanity. God gives his beloved sleep and he will provide. Get exercise. Eat healthy. When your body feels better, you'll be more inclined to spiritual things. You know, when we're overtired and malnourished, we don't want to think about anything, except maybe eating and sleeping. Keep energy snacks and water on you. And be about it more regularly so that you have attuned your muscles and your spiritual muscles. Exercise thyself unto godliness. Build up endurance with regular spiritual growth. You know, for instance, when we finished that 24 mile bike ride with lots of detours along the way for fun, you should have seen us near the end. I mentioned Mount Petco. All right, guys, I'm going to race up that hill. I might have to leave you there because if I don't, I won't get up it. as they all then waited for me to catch up at the top. Even Isaac, I'm like, I can't believe that kid. He won't even switch his gears half the time. And while they were far ahead, I'm going to tell you this. Don't tell anybody I'm telling you this, OK? This is between you and me. This is what it sounded like when I was getting near the end of the race. But don't tell anybody that. No one hears that. No one heard it, OK? But I did get up the hill. I did get up the hill. I'm making a mountain out of a mohill, but I did get up, and it's just at the end, especially. But when we got on the boat, when we got on the ferry ride, we were all feeling it, and I wasn't the only one sounding like an old man, let me put it that way. I know I'm getting older, but it's only been a couple of years ago. I didn't feel like this. But I noticed I wasn't the only one. And here's what was really funny. We were going to sit. We had said, OK, guys, we're just going to sit on the bottom of the ferry to go back over the bay. We've got to stay out of the sun. And then the bottom was full, no place to sit. So we came around to get up the stairs and stopped and saw that advertisement for the ice cream place. Boy, that's strategically placed, isn't it? And then we started to go up the stairs, and we realized how tired were our quads. We were like, whoa, it was like jello. I almost wasn't sure, I can't speak, but I know we were all going like, whoa, trying to go up those stairs. But if we keep building, keep riding our bikes more often, keep exercising, our legs can get to where we can handle it more. And I don't know that we'll be skipping up the stairs, but there might be, less outward expressions of our inadequacies. And so there's this encouragement and growth with it. But it's important to be thinking about how we set ourselves up to run this race well and to finish it well, keeping in mind how our body affects our soul and our soul affects our body. Larger Catechism 135 says the duties required in the Sixth Commandment include, quote, a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labor, and recreations. A sober, a use, a moderate use, what's forbidden is an immoderate use of those things. But we need a moderate use of those things. And what is that commandment? Thou shalt not kill. It's necessary to set ourselves up for spiritual success with our physical being and our physical being thinking ahead with our mind to avoid being in danger of committing murder or unjust murder as Jesus describes it in the Beatitudes. Unjust anger. All these things generally need to be planned on ahead of time to ensure they are made proper use of and we act properly. And we grow in grace and we are strengthening ourselves in the Spirit. Do something. And sometimes the simpler the better. And that often has to do with what we need to get rid of. And don't complicate the matters. Some of us If we can be perfectionists or overthinkers, we end up, I've got to get that and that and that to show up in the mail before I can get started, or I've got to have this and this and this all the way up. And sometimes we get so many tools, they weigh us down. We need to simplify, right? It's necessary to think of those things, but do something. Get started. The simpler, the better. Don't let unnecessary gear weigh you down or keep you distanced. And so, yes, I want to share what I mentioned to you from J. Gresham Machin and some of my studies on the class on Machin at Westminster Seminary this week. First of all, what I shared about with you, an article he wrote, Mountains and Why We Love Them. There is one curious thing about means of locomotion. The slower and simpler and the closer to nature they are, the more real thrill they give. I have got far more enjoyment out of my two feet than I did out of my bicycle. And I got more enjoyment out of my bicycle than I ever got out of my motor car. And as for airplanes, well, all I can say is that I would lower myself by going up in one of those stupid noisy things. I don't know if it was new at the time. But what he's emphasizing is the further you are removed, and the further you are removed from using your own abilities, the less you get out of it. Sometimes you just got to minimize. He says this, the only way to have the slightest inkling of what a mountain is, is to walk or climb it. And by the way, he shares a lot of stories. He did some major mountain climbing, and he would hire people so that he survived that kind of mountain climbing. But that being said, there's an aspect of getting closer to nature and being simpler that best sets up spiritual life, and it can simply be walking. And so another article he wrote is The Benefits of Walking. He says this. By the way, the whole article is almost about mountain climbing still. He just can't stop. He even says, I could keep talking about it. You can't handle me to keep talking about it. But I could keep going on. I won't, for your sake, I'd keep talking about mountain climbing. He just won't stop. But then he veers in, even on his article about walking is more about mountain climbing. But then he kind of connects it. He says, many of the same benefits as them, mountain climbing, Many of the same benefits as them that are obtained in climbing may be obtained also without climbing and without the expense of guides. They may be secured through that cheapest and simplest of all forms of exercise, the exercise of walking. I can testify to that from personal experience, for I have been a walker all my life. The more I see of the high mountains, the more I love the simple beat of the woods and hills, and the more I love to walk. What a very simple amusement walking is. You do not need any elaborate equipment. You just up and do it any time you like. Now, one thing you can recognize there is to be able to go mountain hiking, you can't just up and do that, right? You have to have all these things that can keep you from, there's nothing stopping us from walking. Generally speaking, we all may have our different pace, our different distances we could do. He's not talking about walking, you know, to the grocery store or something, right? He's talking about getting into nature, trying to see some things, but the benefit of walking, by the way, you've probably heard they say the new smoking is sitting, if you haven't. The benefit of walking, and you can just do it anytime you like, that aspect of you don't need much. There's nothing really to hinder us from getting out and taking a walk. By the way, right over the hill here, up the hill and then down passing the community center, at the bottom is where the Paradise Hills Gardeners have been making a beautiful area around this walking path. And I try to get there sometimes when I'm like, I don't have any, I got to get out and walk. And I never regret it. I feel like a different person. Or swimming. There was a few weeks ago, maybe three, four weeks ago now, I was particularly stressed. I was particularly discouraged and depressed. And I had the opportunity to help bring the kids to swimming. And I was able to swim for maybe 45 minutes, and I felt like a completely different person. There's something about swimming. It doesn't take much to do that. Just find somebody with a swimming pool and befriend them. Or join the Y, that's what we have done. But it's amazing, just a little something. Don't let lots of things hinder you from even getting started. Now we're particularly thinking about how this relates to growing in grace, our spiritual race. But you see how closely it relates. Sometimes what we need the most is to get started. Put one foot before the other, starting with the first step. Get rid of the snooze button. Put the alarm clock on the other side of your room. Or put it on such a disturbing noise, there's no way you'll go back to sleep after that. Incidentally, there's this funny story in one of the books I'm reading on the chaplaincy and they're talking about how you have to learn certain things and you need to adjust. And one of the examples was a chaplain who was on one of the Navy boats, I guess it was. And he had an alarm, a clock their church or friends had given him. But I guess the alarm that went off was like the sound that goes off when there's an emergency on the ship and everybody jumped out of bed running around. He was reprimanded for that one. Get rid of that clock. But everybody woke up and got out of bed. So whatever it might take, get a rooster in your yard. I don't know. Just get that first foot going. It doesn't hurt to consider, however, the best footwear for the greatest stride, the strongest gait, and the longest mileage. Use the tools best suited to you. Switch as necessary. Use your gears. Learn how to use them. That's one thing that Abe and I keep hollering at Isaac about. Use your gears. We're hitting a hill. Switch to the lower gear so you can move quick and get up the hill. Switch before you hit the hill. You're over the hill. Now we're going flat or down. Get the bigger gears on. Learn to use your gears. It makes an enormous difference in moving along and staying on the path. Road bike or mountain bike, depends on your terrain. Inflate or flatten, it depends on your terrain. You need to determine as you go along the way, but to grow in grace, in body and in spirit, physically and psychologically, prepare and pace yourself on your pilgrimage. And that's the message for you this evening. Prepare and pace yourself. on your pilgrimage. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Beloved, prepare yourself, pace yourself on your pilgrimage. Prepare and pace yourself on your pilgrimage. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, we do thank You that You promised the perseverance of the saints but let us not lose sight of you and lose sight of the means of grace you provide for us to make it along the way. Lord, let us lay aside the weights and sins that hinder us in our pilgrimage for you. Let us look to those before us as our example. of growth and grace, of spiritual strength, of fighting the good fight, and finishing the race, all with their eyes on Jesus. Let us be like we read this evening. When you say, follow me, let us get up and drop it all and follow you. Give us new wineskins, as we read tonight. Give us an entirely new cloth to hold and carry the life across the finish line that You have given us. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and all Your people said, Amen. Thanks again for listening to the media ministry of the Puritan Reformed Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. 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