“Maintaining Focus”
1 Jn. 2:15-17 & Phil. 3:1-14
A young woman is taking her final exam. She’s excited and relieved because the teacher asked the right questions and she really knows the answers. But part way through the test she looks out the window and sees her boyfriend chatting with another girl – a popular, good-looking girl. She can’t help but keep an eye on him. Before she knows it, the class time is up and she has not finished her test. She lost her focus. A young man is driving home from college for the holidays. He becomes engaged in a prolonged, exciting cell phone conversation with his girlfriend. He can’t stop talking to her – after all she’s saying things that excite him. Suddenly he careens off the road and crashes. He lost his focus.
Each of us, like Christian, is on the journey of a lifetime. As long as we are in the midst of our journey in this world, we are subject to distractions – temptations, the lure of human pleasure, and ridicule for following the straight and narrow path. With all the distractions life throws at us, how do we maintain our focus? The scene from Pilgrim’s Progress depicted it graphically. So John, in 1 Jn. 2:15 ff. wrote: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For everything in the world …comes not from the Father but from the world… BUT IF YOU DO THE WILL OF GOD, YOU WILL LIVE FOREVER.” We are not to love or focus on the ‘world,’ the system of life opposed to God. As Evangelist said, “The people there are enemies of the truth and will try hard to put you to death. It is a place of murder, falseness, cruelty, and deceit. Beware – no good is there.”(1) In order to help us maintain our focus, so we can pass the exam of life and stay on the road to heavenly blessing, we must surrender our wills. But just what does ‘surrender mean?”
We discover, first, that to surrender is to ADOPT A SOBERING ATTITUDE. John knew that when we fall into the world’s trap of sensuous, self-serving living, we, in fact, live out of control – subject to both what others say is good and wonderful and to what we feel. We are slaves of others and our passions. WE ARE POWERLESS TO DIRECT OUR LIVES. Listen to Paul’s description of the results of living out of control: (Gal. 5:19-21): “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
Paul also said, however, that we can combat this because WE CAN SURRENDER TO A POWERFUL SPIRIT OF POWERLESSNESS. Surrender begins when we admit we are helpless. Surrender begins when we recognize that we cannot fight the battle alone and win. Surrender begins when we admit, before God, that in ourselves we do not have what it takes to survive the journey. Surrender begins when we admit our need for, and dependency on Jesus Christ. Consider Paul – he had been the master persecutor and murderer of Christians, all in the name of his Jewish religion. He was in charge and in control. Then He met Jesus who appeared in a brilliant light. He was blinded for three days. By the time God gave him further instructions, Paul was ready to listen. Why? He had a sense of his own helplessness. As he later wrote the church in Philippi: (Phil. 3: 4f. NLT): “I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless … I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage…”
Until we recognize and confess our total helplessness and powerlessness, we will never be able to do the will of God and rise above the world. As that classic hymn states, “Nothing in my hands I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling…” Have you faced up to your powerlessness lately? Or are you still convinced that life is what you make it and want it to be?
We also learn from John that we must APPROPRIATE A SOLITARY AMBITION. What is it that excites you? What drives and motivates you? What stirs your spirit? What do you want above all else? For what would you put your life on the line? When the storms whip up what holds you together and on course? When we’re honest we understand that WE ARE SUBJECT TO A CONFLICTING SET OF DESIRES. Remember the Rich Young Ruler who came to Jesus and asked, “What should I do to get eternal life?” This young man had it all and knew it all. He was, basically, a good and respected man. If ever there was a successful man who had unlimited potential, this was that man. Yet when Jesus said to him, “You lack only one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me… the man’s face fell, and he went away sadly because he had many possessions.” His desire for the things that this world offers was in direct conflict with his desire to follow Jesus. Misplaced desires destroy us.
But WE CAN SURRENDER TO A CONSTRUCTIVE SINGLE-MINDED DESIRE. In Pilgrim’s Progress Evangelist says to Christian, “Let the kingdom of God be always uppermost in your mind, and believe steadfastly concerning the things invisible. Let nothing this side of heaven possess your soul. Guard well your hearts against all lusts and vanity, for, ‘the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked’ when not kept by divine grace. Set your faces like a flint toward your destination, for you have all power in Heaven and earth on your side.”(2) It points to the very first commandment that we shall have no other gods – no other masters, no other priorities before God. Listen again to what Paul said (Phil. 3:8 ff. NLT): “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.” Paul’s single ambition was TO KNOW CHRIST AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION.
Paul had learned from Jesus. Listen to Jesus, (Matt. 6:24): “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other (Lk. 14:25 ff.): “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” What is the one, supreme, overruling desire of your life? Be honest. What is it you desire above all else? What is it that excites you? What drives and motivates you? What stirs your spirit? For what would you put your life on the line? When the storms whip up, what holds you together and on course? Is it to know Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection? How well do you know Jesus? Are you willing and ready to give up everything to be Jesus’ disciple? Everything? Anything less and you’ve lost your focus.
This brings us to a third element of submission: we must ACKNOWLEDGE A SUPREME AUTHORITY over our lives. We are not in charge. WE DO NOT CALL THE SHOTS. We do not run our lives. Being labeled ‘independent’ and being told “Congratulations! You certainly are your own person!” leads us to believe we truly are independent and our own. We then begin to think we have an inalienable right to do what we want when we want to do it, and to have what we want when we want to have it.
But the Bible reminds us that WE CAN SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF JESUS. It’s a choice we can and must make. Surrender empties our heart of self-will. Consider Jesus and His purpose: (Jn. 6:38) “For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want.” (Jn. 8:28-29) “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will realize that I do nothing on my own, but I speak what the Father taught me…For I always do those things that are pleasing to him.” (Jn. 10:17-18) “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." Consider Jesus in Gethsemane: on the evening before his death, He prayed three times – while sweating drops of blood – “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.” And consider Paul (Phil. 3:12 ff.): “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” This is voluntary surrender to authority.
While standing at attention during a parade, a private began waving to someone in the audience. The drill sergeant barked, “Jones, don’t ever do that again!” But a few minutes later he waved again. After the parade the sergeant started screaming at Jones. He pointed out the dangers of disobeying a superior and gave a few severe threats. Finally he asked, “Boy, aren’t you afraid of me and what I could do to you?” Jones replied, “Oh, yes sir! But you don’t know my mother!” That’s respect for authority! How well do you know Jesus? At the conclusion of his Gospel, Matthew records these words of Jesus: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” We must YIELD ABSOLUTELY TO CHRIST’S ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY. When Jesus speaks, listen; when Jesus says, “Do”, do; when Jesus commands, go; where Jesus leads, follow. When Jesus invited the disciples to “Follow me,” they had to leave their fishing nets, money tables, families, and whatever else had been occupying their attention and time. Are you ready to do as much? Do you want to do so?
Here’s THE KEY TO SURRENDER. Listen carefully, because once I offer you the key, you will have to make a choice. Are you ready? 1 Jn. 2:15 – “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him…The world and its desires pass away, but (if you do) the will of God (you will live) forever.” Our problem, quite frankly, is that WE LOVE THE LORD TOO LITTLE AND THE WORLD TOO MUCH. I have on my wedding ring. In 44 and 1/2 years of marriage it’s only been off my finger once when it was being resized (smaller, I might add!) and perhaps once or twice when I’ve had surgery. I love my wedding ring. But to love my ring more than I love Barb, who gave it to me, would be to despise Barb. It would be to reject the very meaning of the ring as a token of love. Likewise, loving the world more than we love God the giver despises God! That’s why Jesus said that not everyone who called him Lord would enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Talk is easy – but how’s your life? Would your co-workers be surprised that you’re a Christian? Would your neighbors? If you shared your testimony in church, would your family believe your testimony? We must fully submit to Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. We must love the Lord above all else.
IT IS ONLY AS THE LOVE OF CHRIST FILLS US AND THE WILL OF GOD MOTIVATES US THAT WE CAN REMAIN FOCUSED ON THE JOURNEY. C. S. Lewis spoke appropriately wrote, "If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next." He continued, "It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this one. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth thrown in: aim at earth and you will get neither." Where is your focus? Where is your aim? Evangelist said to Christian, “…when you have come to the town and shall see fulfilled what I have here related, then remember your friend, and the Lord Jesus, and deport yourselves like men, and commit the keeping of your souls to God in well doing, ‘as unto a faithful Creator.” (3) As Hebrews 13:14 states, “…this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come.”
Today you have a choice: “Will I live for the present only, grabbing all the gusto I can, and live forever apart from the blessing of God – or WILL I LIVE IN THE WILL OF GOD, SURRENDER TO JESUS, AND
LIVE FOREVER IN THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM?” God loves you enough to let you choose– no one is forced to follow Jesus. As with Christian and his friends, we all make the choice. God simply offers us the Promised Land, full of blessing, glory, honor, and power – full of Himself. It’s up to us to choose. As Jesus said, "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” (Lk. 42:2f.)
Do you want everything God has for you? Then maintain your focus. Will you surrender this morning to Jesus?
(1) From ‘On Our Way to the Celestial City’, Reformed Worship 55, p. 14
(2) John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress in Today’s English, Moody Press, © 1964 by Moody Bible Institute, p. 88
(3) John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress in Today’s English, Moody Press, © 1964 by Moody Bible Institute, p. 89
