Keep Your Eyes On Jesus - Part 1

HEBREWS 12:1-2 “KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS” – PART 1

A) The great golfer Arnold Palmer recalled the final hole of the

1961 Masters tournament.

* He told of how he had a one-stroke lead and had just hit a very satisfying tee shot.

* He felt he was in pretty good shape ... As he approached his ball, he saw an old

friend standing at the edge of the gallery.

B) He motioned Palmer over, stuck out his hand and said, “Congratulations.”

* Palmer took his hand and shook it, but as soon as he did, he knew he had lost focus.

C) On his next two shots, he hit the ball into a sand trap, and then put it over

the edge of the green – He missed a putt and lost the Masters.

* Palmer said, “You don’t forget a mistake like that; you just learn from it

and become determined that you will never do that again.”

* “I haven’t in the years since.”

D) All the failures in the Christian life can be traced to losing our focus

or taking our eyes off of Jesus.

* On different occasions in the book of Hebrews, Paul speaks to us about keeping

our eyes on Jesus – We read in Hebrews 3:1 .......

E) The word “consider” is the Greek word “katanoeo” (kat-an-o-eh’-o)

and means “to observe fully.”

* The idea is to fix and keep your eyes on Jesus, the High Priest of our profession.

F) In our text, Heb. 12:1-2, Paul speaks to us of the importance of keeping

our eyes on Jesus.

* He admonishes us to keep, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”

* The word “looking” is the Greek word “aphorao” (af-or-ah’-o) and means

“to consider attentively,” and carries the idea of fixing your eyes on Jesus.

THE WRITER SPEAKS OF JESUS AS THE PIONEER OF OUR FAITH

A) The word “author” is the Greek word “archegos” (ar-khay-gos’).

* It suggests such concepts as “leader, originator, founder, and pioneer.”

* The term was used for those who cut a path for their followers.

B) The word is translated in Hebrews 2:10 as “Captain of our salvation.”

* As the pioneer of our faith, Jesus is the originator of our salvation, and has

cut the trail that we are to follow.

* As the author of our faith, we are to keep our eyes upon Him.

C) The writer also speaks of Jesus as the perfecter of our faith.

* He is not only the author of our faith; He is also the finisher of our faith.

* The Lord Jesus is both the originator and consummator of our faith.

D) What He started, He will finish.

* He not only cut a path for us to follow, but will also lead us every step home.

* As we follow Him we must keep our eyes on Him.

E) As we look at our text, I want us to notice what happens when we take

our eyes off Jesus.

* The writer takes the picture of a runner running in a race and certain dangers

that are faced if we take our eyes off Jesus.

* First, taking our eyes off Jesus is:

(1) THE SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL DEFEAT

A) v.1 tells us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth

so easily beset us.”

* The writer is reminding us of the possibility of being hindered

or hurt as a runner.

B) His words are a reminder of the danger of being spiritually defeated.

* Notice with me how the writer describes that we should be:

A VICTORIOUS RUNNER

A) He tells us to “lay aside every weight.”

* The picture is of a runner taking off his clothes, removing every hindrance so that

nothing will hinder or slow him down, enabling him to be a victorious runner.

* The Greek scholar A.T. Robertson said that every “hindrance that handicaps” is laid

aside and there is, “No trailing garment to hinder or trip one.”

B) There are many things that can hinder or trip us from either running

in the race or running a race well.

* There are the hindrances that handicap us, those trailing garments that slow us

down and even trip us ... Let me just mention a few.

C) Doubts About Your Salvation Can Defeat You.

* There is no misery like the misery of having doubts about your salvation.

* I have seen many a Christian defeated by the uncertainty of knowing they were saved.

D) Unbelief Causes Many To Stumble.

* The fear of taking God at His Word, trusting Him with certain things and at certain

times has caused many to stumble.

E) Many have missed the will of God because they would not trust God.