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; 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. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (Hebrews 12:1-3) *1/ What is a witness? 2/ Who are these witnesses and what did or do they witness? 3/ The effect that these witnesses should have upon us.* *This sermon was preached at Oakington Baptist Chapel* **Sermon summary:** The sermon centers on the profound encouragement found in the 'great cloud of witnesses' described in Hebrews 12:1—faithful believers from Scripture and history whose lives testify to the reality of God's faithfulness and the power of Christ's redemptive work. These witnesses, spanning Old Testament saints, prophets, apostles, the Triune God in heaven, and the visible signs of grace on earth such as baptism and the Lord's Supper, collectively affirm the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the sole foundation of salvation. This cloud of witnesses calls believers to lay aside every weight and besetting sin, to run the race of faith with patience, and to fix their eyes on Jesus as the author and finisher of their faith. We are never alone, for we walk in the footsteps of those who have gone before, and in turn, we are called to become living witnesses of God's grace in our own lives.