Keep Your Eyes Focused On The Rock

KEEP YOUR EYES FOCUSED ON THE ROCK!

Adapted from a sermon by Richard L Thetford

•Isa 43:1-3a 1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour …

•1 Cor 10:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

•SONG: "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand"

•The story is told of two men crossing a rugged mountain range on horseback. •As they came to a large and swift-flowing river, the older and more experienced man said to the younger,-- "As we get to the deepest and swiftest part, be sure not to look down and from side to side at the swirling water around you, it will only make you dizzy." •"Listen to me," the older man continued sternly, "see that big rock on the other side? Keep your eyes focused on that rock!" •"OK" said the younger man.

•As the men then crossed, they quickly approached the swift and turbulent midstream waters. •The horses began to panic, the spray of the icy waters splashed against the men’s faces. •The young man Got Nervous and began to Look on the waters swirling angrily around horse and rider. •Becoming dizzy-headed, he began to struggle to remain on the saddle. • The older man looked back, and noticing the young man Struggling, hollered out,è"Keep your eyes focused on the rock! Keep your eyes focused on the rock!" •The young man, barely able to hear, desperately and with great difficulty Focused His Eyes On The Rock. • Soon his head began to clear, and in a Few Moments they were on the Other Side Safe And Sound.

1. Life Is Filled With Daily Struggles In All Shapes And Sizes. • We all Experience Difficulties and Problems in Life. Sometimes our Problems are as Nagging Irritations and Aggravations, sometimes they are much Bigger and seek to overwhelm us. We Experience Sickness or Disease, Hardship, Financial Problems, Legal Problems, Family Problems.

My body felt horrible Friday morning, after playing football with the kids on Thanksgiving. My 53 year old body just cannot take the running, jumping, and getting knocked around like it used to take.

My son Justin hydroplaned on a wet street Wednesday night and slid into a curb … a $400 repair bill hit us square in the face.

•There are many Storms of Life that come against us that seem like they are About To Sink Our Boat. • And Sometimes people do Sink Under the Storms of Life.

•As Christians, we Recognize that Satan is Against Us and is Trying to Destroy us. • We know that Everything that Steals, Kills, and Destroys is the Work of the Thief, the Devil. •He is our Adversary. • He hates God but cannot hurt God, so he Strikes out against that which God loves, People.

Peter says: •1 Pet 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Then he says to Resist him with your Faith.

James 5 tells us to Submit to God, then Resist the Devil, and he will Flee from us.

God is not our enemy, the Devil is!!! Christians Must yield and submit to God and stand against the Devil, the Adversary, in order to overcome him and win in life.

2. The Devil Desires That We Focus Our Attention On Our Problems. • But if we do that, it will Cause us to Fail. • We will Lose in the Game of Life. • We will Fail because when we are Focused on Our Problems and Troubles, we Lose Sight of Christ, His Grace and Power. • We Limit God because we Do Not Trust in Him.

3. He knows that If We Focus Solely On The Swirling Waters Around Us, We Will Lose Our Proper Perspective In Life and become Out of Balance. • Then we will Fail in Fulfilling God’s Purpose for our Lives. Some Christians fall into Despair and Depression, and they blame God for those things that the Devil is doing to hurt and destroy, and sometimes get bitter toward God. They are not Focused on the Rock.