Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of [a]witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, 2 [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [b]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work]. (AMP)

-3 Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (the Message)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.[a] Because of the joy[b] awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. (NLT)

Since we are surrounded by so many examples ⌞of faith⌟, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. 2 We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Now he holds the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. (Gods Word Translation)

Have you ever been in a race? What happens in a race? You run until you reach the finish line as fast as you can depending on the type of race. The writer of Hebrews 12:1-2 talks about running a race that requires endurance. Endurance denoting or relating to a race or other sporting event that takes place over a long distance or otherwise demands great physical stamina. We are not talking about a physical strength in this text but God wants us to have a spiritual strength and that comes from/through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Endurance - Some races are to be finished quickly but other races are like a marathon that you have to go a long distance in order to get to the end so you have to pace yourself, train yourself, and prepare yourself so that you can endure and get to the end. What does the race of faith look like? How do we run the race of faith. Too many start this race but don’t finish. Too many quit, give up, or walk away because they are tired. Why are you not in the race? Where is your focus right now? Are your eyes fixed on Jesus.

A Victorious life requires Great Focus

We should be running for Christ not for ourselves or anyone else.

Know Where you are headed

What are you focused on right now?

Are you looking backwards or forward?

The one thing that can slow us down in our progression in God is lack of faith and the other is sin.

* You cannot run a race and win it looking behind you. You have to look forward. You have to look at Christ.

* You should not run a race carrying baggage. You have to let go of the baggage because it will slow you down and diminish your ability to focus.

* Trauma - emotional hurt

* Wounds - pain

* Fatigue - worn out, tired

Know Heaven is Cheering you On.

You are going to Win! You are surrounded, circled by God

Sometimes in a race you need to know that there is someone in the crowd cheering you on to get to the end. (heaven is cheering you on today but also God places you in relationship with folks who provide support, encourage, and prayer when you feel like quitting and giving up.

Know your areas of weakness and strip off the thing that is slowing you down

* What weights are you carrying? Lay them aside so you can run. What is hinder you? What is slowing down your forward progression in Christ?

* Focus on Jesus will keep you from carrying around the weight of sin.

* We can run the race that God has for us if we lay down things we are carrying which SLOW US DOWN, KEEP US FROM HIS BEST/Keep us Away from Him.

When you look at Christ, everything else in your perspective will begin to change, once you study, learn, and begin to grow in him, the things that have burdened and worried you will no longer because you understand that

Know Christ has already Won

Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith. We must keep our eyes on Jesus!

* Author/Authority - HIs story rewrites our destiny. Our future is in Him.

* Perfecter - We are imperfect in that we are born into sin but he perfects us by His blood and makes us in right relationship with the Father.

The cross was a place of rejection, humiliation, judgement, death but at this same place it reversed the curse of the law and sin that was on us and so it was with great joy that he saw past that experience to a resurrection and victorious defeat of satan’s strategy against us.

Why should we focus/fix our eyes on Jesus?

* Jesus Christ is the perfecter of our faith because he endured the cross. HE HAS ALREADY WON YOU the VICTORY YOU JUST HAVE TO WALK IN IT.

* Jesus is setting at the right hand of the father now. The right hand is a symbol of approval, acceptance

* seated at the right hand of God means that He shares God’s:

* Strength - It is the highest place and the highest honor possible.

* Authority - all other things and other beings are under Him. Psalm 110:1 predicts, "The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool'"

* Blessing - Romans 8:34 teaches, "Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." Acts 2:33 shares a portion of Peter's sermon on Pentecost that includes, "Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of tthe Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.