FIX YOUR EYES
Early on the morning of Feb. 17, 1994 James Rich got into his new twin engine Piper Seneca airplane at an airport near Louisville, KY. The plan was to make a 30 minute flight to Crossville, TN to visit a friend. But he hadn't slept much the night before. So as his plane left the runway he was pretty tired. After climbing to 3,500 feet he put the plane on automatic pilot. Then he went to sleep. When he woke up -- three hours later -- he was in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico 200 miles from land -- and he was running out of fuel. The engine sputtered, then crashed into the Gulf. The plane sank in 45 seconds. Rich -- who could not swim -- was pulled under by the undertow. The only thing that saved him was two discount-store cushions he clutched under his arms. When they found him he was alive, embarrassed, minus one $70,000 uninsured airplane, and still holding those two cheap cushions under his arms. There are times in life when you can feel like that guy. You are on your way but asleep at the wheel. You have no clear sense of vision or direction in life.
Heb 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Like most sports, running involves keeping your eyes open and fixed on where you are going. Have you ever tried running by looking at your feet or looking behind you? It does not work very well because you can't see where you are going. The same is true in our faith. In order to be and do what the Lord wants us to we need to keep the proper focus:
If you want to be distressed -- look within.
If you want to be defeated -- look back.
If you want to be distracted -- look around.
If you want to be dismayed -- look ahead.
If you want to be delivered -- look up!
Psalms 25:15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.
Jesus understood this principle well. He knew the power of proper focus. The night before he went to the cross we see that he understood this principle:
Joh 13:1-3 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
Jesus understood that He had come from God and that He was returning to God. He knew where He had come from and where He was going. How about you? Do you understand this truth as well?
1. Our AUTHOR – who am I
The word used here is ARCHEGOS which comes from the word ARCHE which means “beginning” and AGO which means “to lead”. Together they mean a person who “takes the lead, acts an example, a predecessor or pioneer”.
Jesus is our author which means we are His creation. Books do not write themselves. They are born in the heart and mind of their author. God created us. Jesus was with us at the starting line and put us into this race.
Many people today struggle with self-worth. This is because it is in our nature to compare ourselves with the people we see around us. This starts when we are just children. From the moment we enter school we begin comparing our abilities with others. In school you are graded and judged by your performance and you are taught to measure yourself against the abilities of others.
This has nothing to do with worth. We have worth and value not because of what we have done but because of who we are in God's sight. You are valuable to God because you are His creation. He has made you! Your value is based on who you are and not what you have done. There is nothing you can ever do to make God love you anymore than He already does and there is nothing you can ever do that will make God love you any less.
The worth of an individual is not ascribed by law . . . it's endowed by the Creator. Acceptance of one's intrinsic worth is the core of the personality. When it collapses, everything else begins to quiver. -- James Dobson
A nurse named Melanie was on her way to work when something in the trash bin caught her eye. She was immediately taken with the possibilities in the discarded treasure. It was a cello. It was old and slightly cracked in several places, but nonetheless a discard of character, a piece charming to the eye. Her boyfriend, who is a cabinetmaker, also saw the cello’s potential. Together they thought it could be turned into a beautifully distinctive CD holder. The discarded cello was indeed old and it had been abandoned, though authorities are not sure why or how it ended up in the trash that day. But a most shocking revelation to the nurse (and arguably to the thief as well) was the fact that it was not merely an old cello. It is one of only 60 like it in the world made by master craftsman Antonio Stradivari in 1684. The 320-year-old masterpiece, valued at 3.5 million dollars, was stolen from a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra just weeks before it sat rescued in Melanie’s apartment with dreams of becoming a CD holder. In the music world ‘Stradivarius’ is an untouchable description. Neither scientist nor musician understand the difference between the ‘voice’ of a Stradivarius versus the voice of modern violins and cellos, but the distinction is real — and costly. They are the most sought after musical instruments in the world, works of art in their own right, coveted by collectors and players alike. To be in the presence of a Stradivarius is to be in the presence of something great — whether it is recognized or not.” The thief put it on the trash pile, and even Melanie did not see the splendor of what she was holding. That is the way your life is. It has enormous value. The spiritual thief and enemy of your soul wants to dump you on a trash pile. Perhaps you don’t see your value either, but your life is especially precious to the One who made you.
I am as my Creator made me, and since he is satisfied, so am I. -- Minnie Smith
If the value of an article is dependent upon the price paid for it, Christ's death made our value skyrocket. Let no one say we are worthless. God is not a foolish speculator; he would never invest in worthless property. -- Erwin W. Lutzer
Never forget that Jesus is the author of your faith. You have value and worth no matter what the world may try to tell you. I lived for 10 years in Kuwait. It was a very racist country. People were openly judged by the color of their skin and the country they came from.
No matter who you are or what you have done I want to remind you this morning that you have worth and value because you are a creation of God. God is our author. Never let anyone or anything ever tell you different.
2. Our PERFECTOR – where am I going
The word used for finisher is used only once in the New Testament and is the word TELEIOTES (tel-i-o-tace) which means “one who has gone before in perfection.” Jesus is not only with us at the beginning of the race but He is there with arms open waiting for us at the finish line. We have a destiny that is sure and fixed. We have an inheritance which is waiting for us. Many people today struggle because they cannot see what their future holds for them. They have no idea of where they are going. However, as believers in Christ our future is fixed and sure.
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal
Jesus, our finisher, has gone on before us. We can be certain of what is ahead because He has already been there. Having this assurance means that we can run boldly into the future knowing that, whatever happens to us in life, God is in control and our hope is secure.
Stuart Briscoe wrote about being in the marines. When they would land on a beach with a cliff they would first shoot us a hook and send a climber up to secure the rope. Then the rest would climb the hill. Jesus has gone before to secure the rope. We know there is nothing ahead we need to fear.
For the Christian, Heaven isn’t simply a destination; it’s a motivation -- Warren Wiersbe
The story is told of the preacher who went to visit an elderly woman from the church, just hours before she passed away. As he leaned over her bed, she whispered something in his ear. The lady later passed away. Those who attended the funeral were surprised to discover that the woman, had in her casket, a spoon, grasped in her hands. When the preacher stood to preach the funeral, he explained. “Shortly before our dear sister passed, she made a special request. She asked me to place a spoon in the casket with her. Then she asked me to explain. You see, when she was growing up, at the end of each evening meal, as the dishes were being cleared away, her mother always told the children to hang on to their spoons because something better was coming. Our sister wanted to be buried with her spoon because she wants you to remember, in the midst of your trials, in the midst of your struggles and pain that “Something better is coming.”
3. Our ENCOURAGER – fix your eyes on Jesus
Jesus is not only at the beginning and end of the race, He runs beside us every step of the way. The race of faith we run is a marathon and it is easy to grow weary and lose heart along the way. There are good days and there are bad days. There are times when the wind is at our backs and everything is perfect. There are days when it is uphill every step and we just want to quit. On days like that Jesus is our help and encourager. We have someone who is beside us cheering us on as we run.
John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
To finish the race we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. We need His strength and support. This passage says “consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart”. To ‘consider’ means that we focus our minds upon it. We fix our attention upon Christ and his sacrifice for us.
On day six of the ill-fated mission of Apollo 13, the astronauts needed to make a critical course correction. If they failed, they might never return to Earth. To conserve power, they shut down the onboard computer that steered the craft. Yet the astronauts needed to conduct a thirty-nine-second burn of the main engines. But how could they steer without the use of the computer? Astronaut Jim Lovell determined that if they could keep a fixed point in space in view through their tiny window, they could steer the craft manually. That focal point turned out to be their destination -- Earth. By not losing sight of that reference point, the three astronauts avoided disaster.
Do you know who the world's best basketball free throw shooter is? It is not Michael Jordan or David Robinson. It is a 71 yr. old foot doctor named Tom Amberry! In Nov. 1993 he set world's record. He shot 2,750 free throws in a row! The amazing thing is that he did not miss the 2,751st shot. They had to close gym for the night. What's his secret? Concentration! "The more I read about it and looked into it, the more I realized the only way you do it is practice. You have to perfect every part of your technique; then it's just focus and concentration. You have to put all other thoughts out of your mind." So he bounces the ball three times, focuses, shoots ... swish!
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday. It remembers the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem a week before the Passover. It was the week that led to his death and resurrection.
Luke 19:36-44 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" 40 I tell you, he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace -- but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."
Jesus understood where He had come from and where He was going. He knew that He would die on the cross. He also knew that there would be some that received Him and others that would reject Him. He saw the destruction of Jerusalem. He saw that it was a choice.
Where are you at today? Is your life on autopilot – are you asleep at the wheel? Fix your eyes on Jesus. Do you understand where you came from and do you have assurance of where you are going? Fix your eyes on Jesus. Have you grown weary in the race? Fix your eyes on Jesus. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
3 sons were playing in the snow. The father called his sons from the house and said that the son who ran in the straightest line would win a prize. The first son looked down, trying to walk in a straight line by placing one foot in front of the other. The next son watched his brother, trying to keep exactly beside him. The one who ran the straightest line was the third son. He kept his eyes on his father.
