Focus

Why is it that a medium powered laser can cut through metal in a matter of seconds, but the world’s most powerful spotlight only makes that metal warm? Would you believe the answer lies in unity? Let me explain.

The laser light is described simply as a bunch of excited molecules with mirrors at each end. Some molecules die, and in that process, they release something called a photon – or a particle of light. Now this is where it all starts coming together.

As that newly released photon moves along, it comes in contact with other molecules, which prompt them to release their photons. These photons always seem to play follow-the-leader. So very quickly, three is a huge army of photons following each other. It is this unity that gives their focus such awesome power.

A spotlight on the other hand has just as many photons, but they are all going in separate directions. As a result, they are unfocused, and this causes most of their energy to be wasted, because there is no focus.

So we can say that a small laser is much more powerful than a larger spotlight all because of its singular focus.

How would you like this church to be that focused? Can you imagine what all we could do for Jesus if we were that focused? For that matter, can you imagine all the things you could do in your walk with Christ if you were that focused?

That would be awesome, but we have trouble doing that, don’t we? We get distracted by the things of this world and that causes us to turn our focus away from Jesus and onto other things. And those distractions can be very dangerous.

Studies have shown that if a car is going 70 mph, just the few seconds it takes for a driver to open his cell phone and glance at the number, can cause him to hit something in front of him, or to go off the road completely – BEFORE THEY REALIZE WHAT IS HAPPENING! So, even the smallest, or the least amount of time being distracted can have fatal consequences.

Would you want a surgeon to be distracted, even for one second, if you were the one being operated on? Certainly not! You would demand that surgeon be fully focused.

Last week I talked about vision, and the need to have a Godly vision in our lives. And today, I want to talk about something else that we need. I want to talk about focus. The first thing we need to do is …

1. START FOCUSING ON GOD

We all know that the Great Commission is found in MATTHEW 28:19-20 is to go into all the world and make disciples and to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And then we are told to teach them everything we have learned. And to let them know that Jesus will always be with them.

In JOHN 15:5 Jesus tells us that He is the vine and we are the branches, and that if we stay in Him, He will stay in us. That means that if we never leave Jesus, He will be with us no matter how far we travel or where we are.

But to have that depth of relationship with Him, we need to focus on Him. That does not mean to occasionally think about Him, or just acknowledge that He exists. That means to focus fully totally on Him above everybody and every thing else. There is a passage that tells of a Pharisee asking Jesus what the greatest commandment was. Jesus answered him in …

MATTHEW 22:37

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

That is a pretty tall order, isn’t it? We are to think about God all the time! We are to love God all the time. We are to depend upon Him in every situation we find ourselves in, and we are to submit our will to His in a full and complete manner. We are to desire nothing more in life than to do God’s will, and see others come to Him.

Research has shown little correlation in a church’s location and its growth. Studies show that the only real thing that is involved in a church’s growth is getting back to basics through teaching and living Jesus Christ. Now, the teaching part, most churches have down. It is the living part that churches have trouble with.

The churches that grow do not need everyone to come in and sit down each Sunday, enjoying their time. It needs people who are so interested in living for Jesus that they will literally go out and advance the cause of Jesus through the people they come in contact with.