FOCUSING ON WHAT MATTERS
Ephesians 1:17-18; Romans 8:28; Ephesians 2:10; Romans 12:3; 1 Peter 4:2
Read at beginning of service:
Ephesians 1:17-23 (NIV)
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
INTRODUCTION
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The United States Women’s Softball team won the gold medal in Atlanta’s 1996 Olympic games. They lost only one game but from that loss came a remarkable story about perseverance. In the fifth inning against Australia, Danielle Tyler hit a home run over the center-field fence. The American third baseman floated around the bases with a rush of adrenaline. When she was greeted by a swarm of well-wishing teammates at home plate she let the excitement distract her focus and she did not touch the base. When all of the yelling subsided, the Australian team quietly appealed to the umpire who dramatically called Tyler out.
Rather than scoring a run, Tyler’s blast over the fence netted her team an out. As it ended up, had the lady slugger stepped on home plate, her team would have won 1-0. Instead, after seven innings of regulation play the game was tied at 0-0. In extra innings, Australia emerged with a 2-1 win and the U.S. team took their only loss of the Olympics. (Autoillustrator.com, PERSEVERANCE)That disaster on the diamond teaches us the importance of focus and not just focusing on anything, but focusing on what matters. You see, Danielle Tyler had hit a home run and as she crossed the third base her focus shifted from finishing the home run to celebrating with her teammates. What mattered was that she stepped on the home base but she lost focus.
I’ve only golfed maybe four or five times in my life and I’ve got to admit that I’m not much of a golfer! There is one event that really stands out in my mind from all the times I’ve golfed. No, it’s not a hole in one – I get excited when I can get a bogey on a hole. It’s not a long drive down a fairway. No, the event that I remember most happened during my first golfing experience.
I don’t remember what hole it was but what I do remember is hitting the ball out of a sand-trap. Being a very observant person I had noticed that courteous golfers will rake the sand after hitting their ball so that it is ready for the next golfer (I guess it’s a fact of life – sooner or later every golfer hits their ball in the trap!). So I went and got the rake and ever so carefully and neatly raked over the hole I had dug trying to get the ball out. Then when I was done I dropped the rake picked up my putter and walked over to my ball on the green and started setting up my putt.
But then, my attention was diverted by some laughter! I looked around for the source of the distraction and noticed my wife’s brother-in-law was bursting with merriment. I wondered what was so funny and he pointed to the sand-trap I had so carefully raked over just a moment before. There, running from the rake I had dropped was a line of footprints right through the center of the freshly raked sand. After my careful effort I had walked right through what I had just raked!
You see, the problem was, I had shifted my focus from what mattered to something else. Now, in this case walking through the sand only bruised my ego a bit and provided good entertainment for those I was golfing with – but when this illustration is applied to our lives it becomes much more important. You see, focusing on what matters often means the difference between success or failure, joy or sorrow, contentment or uneasiness, and even in some cases life or death.
For the last few weeks we’ve been talking about Supernatural Transformation. We’ve looked at scripture and endeavored to discover the heart of Christ and in the process uncover the transformation the Father would work in our lives as we let him replace our heart with His heart. We’ve learned that Jesus has a heart of forgiveness, a heart filled with compassion, and last week – a heart that listens. Today, I’m going to talk about how His heart was focused.
One of the incredible abilities of Jesus was to stay on target. His life never got off track. You never find him walking over the sand He had already raked. You don’t find him missing the home base. Jesus didn’t have any money, or computers (how did He ever survive!). There weren’t any cars or jets. He didn’t carry a day-timer, or a palm pilot yet Jesus did what many of us fail to do. He kept his life on course!
How many of you look at your life and wish that you had more direction – more stability – more focus? How many of you have ever gone through a period where you feel like everything is off kilter and that nothing seems to be getting done? Maybe you’ve had an experience where there have been so many things screaming for your attention that you’ve literally froze – not knowing what to do… William H. Hinson tells us why animal trainers carry a stool when they go into a cage of lions. They have their whips, of course, and their pistols are at their sides. But invariably they also carry a stool. Hinson says it is the most important tool of the trainer. He holds the stool by the back and thrusts the legs toward the face of the wild animal. Those who know maintain that the animal tries to focus on all four legs at once. In the attempt to focus on all four, a kind of paralysis overwhelms the animal, and it becomes tame, weak, and disabled because its attention is fragmented. (quoted in Autoillustrator.com, PRIORITIES/FOCUS/PURPOSE/PERSPECTIVE, from Developing the Leader Within You, by John Maxwell)
And this is exactly what happens when our focus is fragmented. Our life is in disarray and we are disabled.
Now when Jesus looked across the horizon of his future, he could see many targets. There were many forks in the road of his life that He could have pursued. He could have been a Guerrilla freedom fighter. He could have been a national hero. He could have been content to be a teacher or a physician. But every step Jesus took in his life reflected His resolve to be the Saviour and save people.
Luke 9:51-56 (NIV)
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them, 56 and they went to another village.
Luke 19:10 (NIV)
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
Mark 10:45 (NIV)
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
From the day Jesus picked up his traveling robe and set down the tools of a carpenter Jesus was relentlessly focused on one task – the task that mattered – the cross of Calvary. He was so focused that his final words were, "It is finished" (John 19:30).
Jesus said those words in spite of the hungry that were still without food, the sick that still needed healing, the ignorant who still needed instruction, and the unloved who still needed love. Jesus could say those words because He had completed His designated task. His purpose was fulfilled. The job was done.
But what about us? One glance at the average person and you’ll discover that there are many unfulfilled dreams, unfulfilled plans, unfulfilled intentions. Is it any wonder? Our lives tend to be scattered. We get excited about one trend only until the next comes along. We easily fall prey to the latest craze or quick fix. We find ourselves starting one project and then going to another. We make promises to ourselves about what we’re going to do to get back on track and then those promises are quickly forgotten in the midst of the crunch of our daily agenda.
So how do we get on track? How do we hit the targets of life? How do we experience life with the fulfillment of purpose? By staying focused, and more importantly, staying focused on what matters. But then the question immediately surfaces, "How do I know what matters?"
The answer, my friends, lies in a very simple, yet profound, statement. You know what matters when your focus is not on your life but HIS life!! Folks, the only one who can bring order and clarity to your life is Jesus Christ! The ironic thing is that a person goes through the exact opposite to get there. You see, switching your focus from your life to the life of Christ is no easy task. It involves more than mere mental assent – it requires complete surrender. If your focus is divided between God and yourself or is upon your life only you will never fulfill what you were meant to do and you will always feel like there is something left undone.
It’s no coincidence that Paul wrote in Ephesians,
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The question is, are you more concerned about what you accomplish in your life than what God wants to accomplish in your life? And this brings us to three steps we can take that switch the focus from our life to His life giving us the ability to know what matters… realize that God has a plan, and YOU are in it!
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV)
9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
If you are in the habit of marking your Bible I’d like you to circle two words in these two passages. "Called" and "purpose". The first step in focusing on the life of Christ is to realize that God has a PLAN and YOU are in it. The catch is, God’s plan for your life will only unfold completely when you want to be part of it.You see at the heart of God’s plan for you and me is His plan for the whole world. God’s plan is to save people.
2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Even more, it is God’s desire to have an intimate relationship with people. That is the heart of God’s plan. That is why there is so much focus in the Bible on the redeeming work of Jesus Christ – which makes it possible for this plan to unfold in the lives of everyone. If THEY CHOOSE.
This is where our part of God’s plan comes into play. For those who don’t know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, God has given you the freedom to make the choice of life or death. Life with Christ, or death without Him – plain or simple. You see, God’s plan was beginning to unfold in your life from the moment you were conceived – but it reaches a halt when you are confronted with the reality of sin in your life and your need for God. Then it’s up to you to make the choice to follow Him or making your own decision. Hear me – God’s plan for your life will never be completed until you choose to follow Him. NO one can make the decision but you.
But what about those who have given their lives to Christ – who have said yes to a relationship with God?
2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)
20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
If God’s goal is the salvation of the world, then our goal should be the same. The details will differ from person to person, but the big picture is identical for all of us. We’re Christ’s ambassadors – we represent Him to the world around us – and God speaks through our lives to those around us!
If you are not sure about your future as a Christian, one thing is certain: God wants YOU to tell others about His love and desire to be reconciled with them.
But exactly how are you to contribute? What is your specific assignment? The answer is found in the next step.
recognize that He EQUIPS for what He PLANS!
Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV)
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
The truth of the matter is that God equips us for our part in HIS plan. But the key is, His plan can only be carried out by His strength, His power, His wisdom. That is why it is not a matter of what WE do, but what HE does through US!
"So how is that supposed to help me know what to do?" You may be asking! Simple, before God can do anything through you, you have to be willing to submit ALL your plans, ALL your hopes, ALL your life to HIM. Then, once you’ve done that pay attention to the desires you have. God’s desires will begin surfacing in your life and it is at the intersection of those desires and God’s plan that you find your assignment.
For some, you’ll find yourself with the desire to feed the poor. Others of you may be feeling the desire to work with children. Others may sense the desire for singing, or holding the hands of the sick or counseling the confused or helping people understand the things of God. Some of you, may have the desire to host people at your home – to spend time with people. Whatever the desire is that surfaces, each of us has been made in a unique way and as His desires surface in your life you’ll begin to see how HE has EQUIPPED you for what HE PLANS!
Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV)
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
You are a custom design; you are tailor-made. God prescribed your birth. Regardless of the circumstances that surrounded your arrival, you are not an accident. God planned you before you were born. (Just Like Jesus, by Max Lucado, p. 96)Now this is where you start to get focus in your life. But it is also where you can start focusing even more. Ask yourself, "What are the desires that seem to override everything else?" Evaluate them. Determine – if I was to act on these desires would it contribute to God’s plan or take away from it? As you weed out your desires you are starting to focus on the things that God wants to do through you and find your part in HIS plan.
Remember, not only can you not do anything but you also can’t do everything. That is why so many times in the Word of God is the church referred to as a body. FOCUS on God’s DESIRES in your life and His EQUIPPING for what needs to be done!
A lighthouse keeper who worked on a rocky stretch of coastline received oil once a month to keep his light burning. Not begin far from a village, he had frequent guests. One night a woman needed oil to keep her family warm. Another night a father needed oil for his lamp. Then another needed oil to lubricate a wheel. All the requests seemed legitimate, so the lighthouse keeper tried to meet them all. Toward the end of the month, however, he ran out of oil, and his lighthouse went dark, causing several ships to crash on the coastline. The man was reproved by his superiors, "You were given the oil for one reason," they said, "to keep the light burning." (quoted in Just Like Jesus, by Max Lucado, p. 97)Don’t worry about everything – but focus on what God wants to do through you!
GET OUT OF THE WAY!!
The third step is probably the most important one of all. It is here that our focus either becomes razor sharp or rock blunt. It is here that what is begun is carried on to completion or is halted in its tracks. It’s another very simple step yet, I’m sure to many of you it will seem most illogical – GET OUT OF THE WAY!!Yes, you heard me right! Get out of the way! I’m sure most of you were thinking, "Okay, I think I know where this is leading – I need to realize that God has a Plan and I’m in it, I need to recognize that God has EQUIPPED me for His plan – and now the Pastor is going to say that I need to REALLY start DOING what I’m supposed to do!" NO!!! You don’t believe me? Let’s turn to a passage that is maybe a little bit familiar to some of you,
Luke 9:23-24 (NIV)
23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
Again, highlight a couple of words with me. DENY HIMSELF and TAKE UP HIS CROSS. Folks, Christ made it clear that following Him involves putting our "self" – that is the part of us that always places self-preservation first, that always cries out me, me, me – on the cross. Deny it, leave it, say good-bye to it. "Getting out of the way" involves getting your "self" out of the way. Instead of saying, "What can I do for God" you instead say, "What does Jesus want to do through me?" Instead of saying, "How can I live for God", you start saying "How does Christ want to His life through me?" You see the focus now shifts from our "self" to Christ. It shifts from wanting to save our life to wanting to have His life. It shifts from what WE do to what HE does.
Please don’t misunderstand me – this is not about saying good bye to your personality – or your uniqueness as an individual person. It is about saying as Paul said,
Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
It is not about what we do for Jesus that is important – it is about who we are IN him that is important! Because out of WHO WE ARE Christ is able to flow into what HE wants to do in our lives!!
You see when you understand the principle of getting out of the way it shifts the focus off what you are doing and onto what Christ is doing. You start to realize that it is Christ who is working through your life and you can start asking yourself am I getting in the way or am I letting Christ do what He wants to do through me? Every decision, every thought, every action take captive and say is this Jesus or is this me? As you do this, you’ll find that it becomes easier to recognize the things God is doing and wants to do through you. GET OUT OF THE WAY!
CONCLUSION
Friends, if anything we can know that Jesus Christ had a life that was extremely focused. Oh, there was a lot to distract Him from His purpose but the truth is it didn’t. He stayed focused, He remained focused, He kept focused on what mattered. God wants to supernaturally transform your life into a life that is focused. Focused on what He wants to do through you. And it CAN happen! All you have to do is realize that God has a PLAN and YOU are part of it; recognize that God EQUIPS for what HE PLANS; and say "YES" to God and "NO" to your self, in effect, "GET OUT OF THE WAY". Then you will discover the things that matter and not worry so much about the things that don’t.
This sermon was preached by Darren Ethier at Hanover Pentecostal Church on February 4, 2001. This message is Part 5 of the sermon series: Supernatural Transformation. It is recommended that the book, Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado be read as it served as the inspiration for much of this series. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, Copyright © 1873, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
