Set Your Focus On Jesus

A. Last week we talked about “Setting Your Focus On God.” Today about “Setting Your Focus On
Jesus.” Heb. 12:1-2. The focal point of the Christian race is Jesus the Son of God. We are told to make Him the focal point of that race. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus.
1. Everyone knows the value of looking at the target. Hunting, Basketball or plowing. Fix your eye on the target, goal, end of the field. Take your eye off of the focal point and you have a problem. In 1954, the 4 minute mile was broken by Roger Banister in England. Banister claimed to be the first man to break the 4 minute barrier. Immediately, John Landy, in Australia, claimed, "I did it 1st." Big dispute. Decided to have a new race between Banister and Landy. Race held in Canada. John Landy broke out into the lead and was ahead until the last Quarter Mile. He heard the crowd suddenly break out into a loud roar. Landy turned to look back and see what was happening. He lost his stride and Roger Bannister passed him. John Landy lost the race because he took his eye off the goal and He was never able to regain his stride and didn’t come close to catching up.
a. This true, life story illustrates one of life’s most important facts. Never take you eye off the goal.
The victory’s of life are not won by looking backward. They are won by looking forward, toward
the objective you are trying to accomplish. Looking backward to make an assessment of your
past is not something you do while you are being victorious in the heat of the battle. Looking
forward and looking backward are not things that you do at the same time. This concept is so
important that God inspired His spokesman to teach this to us in Heb. 12:1-2, “Fix your eyes
on Jesus.” Fix is the word “AFORAO.” and It means, “Ignore everything else and fix your
stare, concentrate your gaze, your thoughts and attention in one place.”
(A) When it comes to Jesus you must understand that He is the only One who died to
purchase and make possible your salvation. It is exactly as the apostle stated in Acts
4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to
men by which we must be saved." Jesus is the only one who sits at God’s right hand
interceding for you. Therefore, you need to see Jesus as more than just a Savior,
Deliverer, One who Intercedes for you. I want you to see Jesus as One who cares about
you every day of your life. He longs for you, worries for you, hopes for you. You need to
see Jesus and you need to understand why you need to fix our eyes on Him. And never
take them off Him.
(B) In Jno. 4, a nobleman from Capernam has a son who is very sick and He’s tried everything possible, yet no one can heal him and he’s about to die. The man finds Jesus in Jno. 4:47-53. This Jesus, the Son of God, Deity made flesh is concerned about a
man's son.
(1) On another occasion in Jno. 5:1-6. The man says “Yes.” Then In Vs. 8, Jesus said
to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." Jesus cares about a man who can't
walk so He stops and takes the time to heal him. On another occasion, as recorded
in, Jno. 6:1-13, Jesus is teaching a huge crowd of 5,000 people out in the country
side. They get hungry and have no food. Not talking about a Sunday morning pot
luck with 30 or 40 people. Do you know how much food is required to feed 5000
men plus all the Women and Children who were there? That's what I want you to
see. a Lord, a Saviour who cares and responds to your needs no matter what they
are and no matter who you are.

(2) Jno. 11, a friend of Jesus named Lazarus died. Vs.20-27, "When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord, she told him." They weep over the death of a loved one and Jesus wept with them. “Come forth!” He shouted.
(C) I want you to see this Jesus Who healed the son of a wealthy nobleman. Who healed a poor man crippled from birth. Who feeds hungry people. Who restores a brother, who is the only bread winner of two sisters. But He does more than that.....He stills the fears of the apostles, mends broken hearts, restores what life's worst experience have stolen away. That's the Jesus I want you to see. He loves you, cares for you, understands when you fear and hurt and when your life and dreams are shattered. But, He does not just feel sympathy for you, and says, “I’m so sorry.” and then forgets and walks away feeling good about himself because he expressed his sympathy in empty words. He actually responds to your needs. Fix your eyes on Him.
b. But how do you do that? How do I fix my eyes on Jesus? You choose to do it. You have to choose Jesus to be your only source of love, strength, power and salvation for life and eternity. It is a deliberate choice you make in life. The choice you make above all other choices. Martha chose to fix her eyes on Jesus. She knew He was the ONLY HOPE for her dead brother. Jesus asked one her one question, "Martha do you believe?" That's the starting point for everyone. Do you believe? If you claim you have fixed your eyes on Jesus, but, you don't believe, you are fooling no one but yourself. For in reality, you do not believe.
(A) Did nobleman fix eyes on Jesus? Yes he did. How do you know? He made the journey to find Jesus. That’s belief in action. And when he found Jesus, he did what Jesus told him to do. When Jesus told him what to do, he did not say, “I don’t want to,” or “I’d rather do something else.” He did exactly what Jesus told him to do. Anything less than that would have been unbelief.
(B) The secret to successful living is in finding salvation. And the secret in find salvation is in doing whatever Jesus tells you to do. If you loose this race, you loose everything. The only way to not loose the race is to keep your eves fixed on Jesus. This Jesus longs for you and your salvation. He came to this earth for just one reason----To seek you and to save you personally. He’s on you side. Fix your eyes on Him, believe in Him, take Him at His word, Do what He asks, Put your life in His hands, and you will be saved.
(C) Acts 20:32

Spur - 08/17/03 am