FOCUS
Facing Opposition Clearly Under Stress
Scriptures: Rom. 8:5-9; 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 5:8; 2 Chr. 34:23-28; 35:20-24
The title of my message this morning is FOCUS: Facing Opposition Clearly Under Stress. If you take nothing else from this message remember this: when we lose our focus we can negate the blessings and promises of God for our lives. God will never override our will and sometimes what we choose to do conflicts with what He is doing in our lives. When that happens, our personal will (if acted upon) trumps His promises. Please remember that!
We often here of the importance of having focus. We tell our kids that if they focus more on their homework they will make better grades. We tell ourselves that if we focus on this or that then we will eventually get better at it. Focus is defined as a “concentrated effort or attention on a particular thing” so whatever you give your attention to is what you are focusing on – good of bad! For example, if you are playing a team sport, you must concentrate on what you’re supposed to be doing as part of the team. Each person has a role to play and together with everyone focusing on their specific roles the team can win. When individuals on a team lose their focus and does not pay attention to what they are supposed to be doing, it hurts the team.
Now think of this from a spiritual perspective. Do you know that our walk with Christ requires focus? Paul wrote the following to the Church in Rome, “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” (Romans 8:5-9) He also said in chapter twelve, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2) Paul makes it clear that when we accept Christ we have to “focus” on something different. We have to renew our minds to a different way of thinking because our enemy desires that we remain the same and continue to think the same way. Why? Because that is his only hope! He has been stripped of his power when Christ rose from the dead so the power that he exercises in this world comes from what people give him and make no mistake about it, he is a very powerful enemy with a very powerful force supporting him! Because we are facing a powerful enemy, we can only experience victory on this side when we are focused on what we are to be doing versus getting sidetracked by our enemy. Remember Peter said “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) Now let me give you a real world example of how when we lose focus we can lose our victory. For those of you football fans you will understand this as some of you may have even watched this game.
In the first round of the 2016 NFL playoffs, the Cincinnati Bengals’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. You had two teams that some believed were evenly matched. But in reality, Cincinnati was the superior team, except at the quarterback position. If you looked at their rosters, position by position and then the depth in those positions, Cincinnati – on paper – was the more talented team hands down. When you listened to the analysts and play-by-play announcers, there was no doubt in their minds who was the better team. They talked about Cincinnati’s receivers, tight ends, running backs, etc. and the speed at those positions and the overall team depth. Cincinnati would win this game even with a backup quarterback. Pittsburgh also knew Cincinnati was the better team and they had a plan.
Cincinnati had two players on defense who played with a great deal of “passion and aggressiveness.” Translation: their emotions would cause them to become reckless and make poor decisions at some point in the game. One player was a young linebacker with a “fuse so short” he could burst into flames if, for example, he felt an opponent’s blocking was illegal and no flag is thrown. Pittsburgh knew that. The other player was a seasoned veteran who played cornerback. Before joining the team, his life was spiraling out of control because of poor off the field decisions. Pittsburgh knew that too. So here you have two very good defensive players who were game changers because of their focus and skills in playing their position. Notice I said they were game changers because of their “focus and skills in playing their position.” Pittsburg knew this.
Now, because Pittsburg understood that these two “very good players” were game changers if left to play their game, they made a plan. (Remember that roaring lion walking around seeking someone to devour? If you knew the lion was after you would you not increase your focus on not being caught?) These two players did not realize that they were the focus of Pittsburg – they would be Pittsburg’s game changers! Throughout the game Pittsburgh’s offensive linemen and receivers blocked and pushed these two players – just a little past the whistle. You could see them “jawing” (raising their voices and probably cursing) at these players – just a little past the whistle. Everyone knows that talking trash is part of the game and I’m sure Pittsburgh “jawed” at all of the Cincinnati players and vice versa. But you could tell by their reactions that, at some point, the two Cincinnati players got fed up with what was happening and starting yelling at the Pittsburgh players and even pushing them – just a little past the whistle. Pittsburg had studied these two players in the film room. Pittsburgh had identified their emotional buttons. Whatever those buttons were Pittsburgh pushed them over and over again throughout the game. Why? They needed one of these players to become so focused on what was happening to him that he would forget about his job and the team’s game plan. Did you hear me? When we begin to focus on what is happening “to” us we lose focus on what we are supposed to be doing.
Pittsburgh used a strategy that, when executed properly, has predictable results: get into the opponent’s head and cause him to become so emotionally involved in what is happening to him that he self-destructs and hurts the team. And it worked. With less than 90 seconds left to play and trailing 16-15, Pittsburgh starts deep in its own territory. After getting a first down, the culmination of all the “jawing” and pushing throughout the game pays off and changes the outcome of the contest. Both the young linebacker and seasoned cornerback commit 15 yard personal fouls on the same play. The 30 yards in penalties moved Pittsburgh, with seconds to play, from the Cincinnati 47 yard line to the Cincinnati 17 yard line. Pittsburgh kicks a field goal as time expires and wins the game 18-16. The less talented team had strategically overcome, not defeated, the more talented team. The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t defeat the Cincinnati Bengals. The Cincinnati Bengals lost the game because two players had self-destructed.
Satan works on the body of Christ in much the same way. He knows that “on paper” he has no shot at victory. None! He knows that the life that lives in us is capable of, listen to me, never experiencing defeat. He has to convince us to ignore that life and defeat ourselves – to self-destruct – and too many of us are obliged to do so. This again is his only hope. Some of you may remember “The Flip Wilson Show.” One of the characters he played was Geraldine. When she got caught doing something wrong her response was “The devil made me do it.” But the reality is this: Satan cannot make us do anything if we are a born again child of God. He needs us to hold his hand in agreement. This is Satan’s only hope. He needs our cooperation in order to make the reality he desires for us to become a reality in our life. And he does this by “jawing” at us every day, all day until we open the door to him. He wants us to do what the Cincinnati players did. Because the referee had not addressed “their issues” during the game, the constant “jawing” and pushing and resulting frustration led to the young linebacker and the seasoned cornerback to act independently of the team’s game plan, to play outside the rules of the game and to handle things themselves. The result: 30 yards in penalties.
Our enemy wants us to:
• Act independently of our Heavenly Father’s plan for our life. In this we lose our FOCUS.
• Live outside the rules of the kingdom of God, where we are always the victor. In this we lose our FOCUS!
• Handle our business rather than trust our Heavenly Father to be our father. Again, in this we lose our focus.
Remember what I told you FOCUS stood for? For this message, focus is facing opposition clearly under stress. I know this may sound weird, so let me explain it using more words. We FOCUS when we are facing our opposition clearly while we are under stress. Think about what this is saying. Many times when we face opposition and our stress level increases, we are unable to clearly see what God is doing in our mist. We cannot see clearly because we are stressed and focusing on me versus the Father who lives within us and are handling the situation. This is what the Cincinnati Bengals players did. All throughout the game their opposition jawed at them and picked at them. All throughout the game their stress level increased as they tried to play “their” game. With less than 90 seconds go play, they lost their composure; their focus and ultimately the game. Can you see this process? Sometimes we get in the way of the blessings that God has prepared for us because we lose our FOCUS – our ability to see clearly when we are under stress and facing our opposition. Maybe the opposition is winning. Maybe the opposition has the better plan and we feel weak! Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe! One thing I can tell you is that our victory in Christ is not a maybe – it’s a certainty.
I want to close with a story I read this week about King Josiah. I want to read a few passages of Scripture from Second Chronicles Chapter Thirty-four. Josiah became king when he was eight years old. Josiah was a righteous king and did right in the sight of the Lord. In his eighteenth year as king (at the age of 26) his servants found a copy of the Law of Moses and brought it to him. He had his servant read from the book and when he heard the words he quickly realized that they were not keeping the Law. He immediately tore his clothes and sent his servant to inquire of the Lord what they must do concerning what was read to him from the book. They went to the prophetess to inquire of the Lord. Let’s begin reading at verse twenty-three. “She said to them, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah. ‘Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place and it shall not be quenched. But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus you will say to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel regarding the words which you have heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,’ declares the LORD. ‘Behold, I will gather you to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.’ And they brought back word to the king.” (2 Chronicles 34:23-28)
Now jump down to the thirty-fourth chapter and we will begin reading at verse twenty. “After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco king of Egypt came up to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to engage him. But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, ‘What have we to do with each other, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not destroy you.’ However, Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to make war with him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to make war on the plain of Megiddo. The archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, ‘Take me away, for I am badly wounded.’ So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem where he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.” (2 Chronicles 35:20-24)
This story represents a prime example of someone walking with God and losing their focus which led to dire consequences. King Josiah walked in righteousness before God. When he learned that there was sin amongst them as defined by the book of the Law, he took action to clean things up. He made a covenant with God that he would keep His commandments. God saw his heart and told him that He would die in peace, that he would not suffer the consequences that God had planned for the rebellious Israelites. Josiah had this promise from God at the age of twenty-six. Thirteen years later, Neco, the king of Egypt came to make war at Carchemish. The king of Egypt had no ill will against Josiah and when Josiah came against him he warned Josiah that his actions were not right. The king of Egypt actually sent ambassadors to King Josiah telling him that he was not coming to make war with him. King Neco told King Josiah that he was under God’s orders and asked him to not interfere with God who was with him (Neco). For whatever reason, Josiah decided to keep interfering. He dressed up in a disguise and went out to war with the Egyptians. He was ultimately shot with an arrow and later died.
What we need to understand from this story is that Josiah did exactly what Satan would have each of us to do – to walk in the promises of God to the extent that we believe that God will be with us regardless of what we are doing. In other words, God will be with me when I am acting independently of Him; when I am living outside of His rules; and when I am handling “my own” business. We believe that because we are His children that we are blessed in whatever state we are in and that He will protect us despite our actions. Josiah had a promise from God that God would allow him to die in peace. Being shot with arrows during a war is not dying in peace. Did God lie to Josiah? Was God wrong when He made that promise? Absolutely not! God’s promise was perfect and was fulfilled as long as Josiah kept his focus. Consider this: when Josiah found the Law and instituted the changes, the hearts of the Children of Israel still did not fully commit to God. They still practiced things that God had forbidden – but God never took action against them. Why? He did not take action against their rebellion because of the promise that He had made to Josiah. For thirteen years God restrained Himself because of Josiah. When Josiah decided to make war against the Egyptians, this was outside of God’s will so therefore Josiah was on his own. His actions led to God not being able to fulfill His promise because He could not override Josiah’s will. God, through Kin Neco, told Josiah to stay out of it but Josiah did not listen. He possibly believed that he had God’s protection regardless of His actions. He was mistaken. I want to leave you with this thought, when Josiah heard the words contained in the book of the Law, he consulted with the prophetess of God to find out what God wanted him to do. When the Egyptian army approached, he did not see God’s guidance. Do you see this? He did exactly what he wanted to do and expected that God would still protect and be with him.
This is a sad ending because Josiah was really a righteous king who wanted to serve God. He focused on doing what God would have him to do. Why he temporarily lost his focus we will never know, but through his story we can see the impact of stepping outside of the will of God for our lives and how those choices will impact the blessing and promises that God has given us individually.
I want to close with a final Scripture for you. We all remember the story of Abraham whom God had promised a son in his old age. Although Abraham was approaching one hundred years of age, he believed that God was still able to do exactly what He promised. Romans 4:19-21 says “Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Abraham did not lose his focus even though he submitted to Sarah his wife when she pressed upon him her handmade to bear him a son. Abraham believed God and did not lose his focus. We must be persuaded that what God says He will do, He will do as long as we do not get in His way and mess it up. Confess this with me: “I am fully persuaded – living in boundless faith – that what My Father says My Father will do.”
When we FOCUS, facing our opposition clearly while under stress, we deny our enemy’s influence to cause us to self-destruct because we are no longer focused on the situation and what he’s doing. We have our eyes squarely on Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). We have our eyes on our deliverer, our salvation! Amen!
May God bless and keep you!
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
