This August, we're looking at the truth behind some of Hollywood's biggest hits - and today, we're learning from Ford Vs. Ferrari. In the movie, we learn about the true story of car designer Carroll Shelby (played by Matt Damon) and driver Ken Miles (played by Christian Bale) who come together to build a race car for the Ford Motor Company in 1966. Their goal: Win the 24 hours of Le Mans, the most famous endurance car race in the world.
There are many comparisons we can draw between the car race Le Mans from Ford Vs. Ferrari to running the race of faith with endurance. While the first-century writers of Hebrews 12 in the Bible probably didn’t have modern race cars in mind, the metaphor of a long-distance endurance race symbolizes how Christ calls us to run the race of the Christian life with endurance all the way to the finish line in Heaven. In fact, Hebrews 12 outlines four things we need to do to win the endurance race of the faith. To win the R-A-C-E!
R: RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Endurance is defined as "the ability or strength to continue to last - especially through fatigue, stress, pain, or other adverse conditions." What endurance race has God set before you this year? We all face challenges to living a life of faithfulness to Christ - but we need to remember the goal along the journey is progression, not perfection. We can endure these difficulties with the hope that Christ is molding us more and more into His likeness as we endure.
A: ASSEMBLE YOUR CREW
The next letter in our R-A-C-E acronym is "A" which stands for "Assemble Your Crew." Driver Ken Miles had a whole crew working with him and cheering him on at Le Mans. Likewise, we all need friends, mentors, and trusted teammates to run with us in the race of faith. It takes a team to win! So, who is part of your pit crew? Once you assemble your crew, you'll also want to cut extra weight.
C: CUT EXTRA WEIGHT
One key to high-speed endurance racing is making the car as light as possible. The same thing applies to the Christian life: Anything that impedes your spiritual progress or devotion to Christ has got to go. In Hebrews 12:1, the author says if you're gonna win the endurance race, you must "strip off every weight that slows us down." You can't run a race well if you're carrying extra spiritual baggage like hurts, habits, and hang-ups. So, what in your life has to go to help you win the race of the faith?
E: EYES ON JESUS
Last but certainly not least, everyone in a race is focused on the finish line! If you want to finish the race well, you have to fix your focus on Jesus. He will never let you down. He's the one who started your story and he's writing the ending, too. When you cross the finish line in Heaven, you'll come face to face with your Savior. He's the finisher of our faith - and he's with us every step in-between. Will you look to Christ for the strength and stamina to endure and finish well?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Love exploring the truth behind Hollywood’s biggest hits? Check out these additional messages from Liquid Church’s At The Movies series in 2020: