Fixing Your Eyes On Jesus
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“Fixing Your Eyes On Jesus”
“Fixing Your Eyes On Jesus”
Let us start of tonight with a word of prayer.
In the recent weeks, we’ve been talking about the basic doctrines of our Christian faith. We’ve talked about:
The attributes of the Holy Spirit.
What scripture says about prayer.
The biblical meaning of faith.
God’s perfect word, the bible.
What is the gospel?
Earning and Honoring.
And last week: Understanding Grace.
This week we are going to change gears from basic doctrine, just before we get into the Christmas season, and focus on what we need to do, when we start letting the worries of this world, and the stress of the holidays that most of us experience, and even our everyday life get the best of us. And that is to, Fix our eyes on Jesus.
Everyone that’s present here tonight has gone through a time, or even possibly going through a time, when life throws us a huge curve ball. We’ve all experienced that. Some more than others of course. When those things happen to us, and we all know that they will happen, what do we do? How do we deal emotionally with that stuff? Some people just shrug it off because they’re not concerned about anyone else in the world, except themselves. While others may become angry, either at their circumstances, or even angry with God. However, most people become afraid and discouraged. The Lord warned Joshua about this in Joshua 1:9. The Lord says:
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Did you know, the devil’s two most lethal weapons against the Christian are fear and discouragement. These two fangs of the serpent satan will paralyze us if we allow them too. The logical question here then, is how do we keep that from happening to us? And for the Christian, there should be just one logical answer. “Fixing your eyes on Jesus”. I’m sure your thinking, right “Chip”, that’s easy for someone to say that’s not going through hard times, or bad health, or when they start getting our age, having to go through the fact that the end of life here on earth is creeping up on us. And this is true. But that’s why the writer of Hebrews says in Heb 12:1-2 right after the “Great Faith Chapter”, chapter 11, He says:
Hebrews 12:1–2
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
When we start getting older we find it gets harder to focus on the things we know we ought to, (can I get an Amen to that?) but if we keep our mind on what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for each and every one of us, it makes our circumstances that we’re going through right here, right now, seem miniscule compared to what Jesus went through for us on that cross. The apostle Paul writes in 2 Cor 5:21:
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
When we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, a peace comes over us that we just can’t explain. There are no words in the English langue that can describe it. Paul writes in Phil 4:6-7:
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Notice, Paul says don’t worry about anything, but through prayer and thanksgiving ask God for help. Well Paul, just how are we suppose to do that? How are we suppose to be thankful for our eyesight getting worse by the day? And these hearing aids that don’t work half the time. And the insurance that’s refusing to pay for the medicine the doctor says we need to stay alive. And all these aches and pains we have to live with on a daily basis? Tell us Paul, how are we suppose to be thankful for all this stuff. Well, he does tell us just that in 2 Cor 12:7-10. This was right after the Lord had temporarily raptured Paul up to the third heaven and given him a glimpse of Glory, things that he couldn’t even talk about:
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Fixing our eyes on Jesus can give us the same strength as it gave the apostle Paul, taking pleasure in our troubles knowing that in the end we will be spending eternity with Jesus in heaven. By Fixing our eyes on Jesus, we will be able to tell Him, that His grace is sufficient for us, because we are going to remain focused on the inexpressible joy that comes from knowing, that the final curtain call for this life on earth will last forever.
To delight in God’s presence, Fix your eyes, your heart, and your mind on Jesus. Never take your eyes off of Him. Spend every minute of every day in His presence and you will find a supernatural peace, serenity, and security, no matter what your facing in this life. If you want to stay discouraged and frightened, focus your eyes on other people. Chase their acceptance, emulate their success, critique their weaknesses. I had a Pastor friend of mine, that I really respected, say one evening during his message, if you want to stay discouraged and frightened, just fix you eyes on church leaders. The bigger they are, the greater your fall. I’ve never forgotten that. We can’t emulate and focus on other people. We have to stay focused and fix our eyes on Jesus.
No matter what direction you take, or what temptations you may face in life, we have to fix our eyes on Jesus. Paul tells us, concerning temptations, in 1 Cor 10:13:
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
The Bible gives us crystal clear instructions for success and victory in this life. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Never forget those words of Hebrews 12:2:
Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)
2 Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Look to Him alone as your example, your guide, and your moral standard.
How do we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus? By allowing Him to be the number one influence in our daily lives; not finances, not fear, nor the approval of others. Just Jesus. And as you do that, He will fill you with joy inexpressible. In Psalm 16:11 David wrote:
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
So, “fix your eyes on Jesus” !!
Let’s pray together:
Lord, thank you for your word that reveals to us your awesome character and love. Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus as your word instructs us to do, for our good, and for your delight. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
As we are singing our last hymn tonight, and we’re reflecting on how to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and if you’ve never honored God by asking the Lord Jesus to come into your heart and be your personal savior, this would be the perfect time to do just that. God has made that so easy for us, all you have to do is JUST DO IT. The Bible says it’s fool proof. The Bible says that anyone, and I do mean anyone, who calls on the name of the Lord WILL BE SAVED. It doesn’t matter what your past may look like. Remember the apostle Paul, before the Lord saved him on that road to Damascus, how he persecuted the church, and King David who commited adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered. Those two men of God commited terrible sins. All the Lord cares about is your future. And He wants all people to spend that future with Him in eternity, in that place called heaven. Don’t wait another second. If you have any doubt at all about your eternal security, or what’s going to happen when you die, I beg you to settle it. Get it taken care of right now, right here. Right where you are sitting, quietly, with heads bowed, and your heart’s toward God, just pray a little prayer like this..............