Lock In: Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

Matthew 14 puts the disciples in a boat that Jesus himself sent into the water. The first storm in Matthew 8 had Jesus in the boat, asleep, and when the disciples woke him, he calmed the wind and the waves. That first storm was a wake up call, and the disciples ended it asking, “What kind of man is this?” The second storm tests whether that lesson has settled in their hearts. Faith trusts the future to the God who has already proven himself in the past, so faith looks backward in order to move forward.

Focus is pictured like a telescope. The problem was not the eyes, but the focus. When the eye was finally put in the right place, what had been blur became clear and marvelous. Locking in means shutting out distractions, ignoring the noise, getting serious, and fixing the mind on what is ahead. To see beyond human limit, faith must focus on the teachings and promises of Jesus, and those promises are found by reading the Bible.

Jesus comes to the disciples walking on the water, saying, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” Peter hears that voice and asks, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Peter’s step out of the boat is not foolishness. Peter understands that it is safer in the hands of Jesus than inside a boat that has been in trouble all night. The other disciples hear the same voice, but they keep holding on to the boat. The story of the man in the flooded river presses the same question: when God says let go, what is still being held as security?

Focus becomes the foundation of progress toward destiny. Peter walks on the water while his eyes are on Jesus. When Peter looks at the wind, fear rises, and the water he was walking on begins to swallow him. The storm is real, but God is real too. The biggest struggle is not the storm, but the lack of focus when the storm comes.

Hebrews 12 calls faith to fix its eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before him, not because suffering was sweet, but because his eyes were fixed on God. Daniel says those who know their God shall be strong and do exploits. Life is a boat being rocked right and left, and even foundations can shake. Yet Jesus still says, “It is I. Do not fear.” The road will be bumpy, but faith must lock in until destiny, Jesus himself, is seen face to face.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Focus turns blur into sight [40:38] The telescope image shows that the problem is not always the eye, but where the eye is placed. Faith can stand near true things and still see nothing but blur when attention is scattered. Clear sight comes when the soul stops moving the instrument around and fixes itself where Jesus has told it to look. [40:38]
• 2. Past rescue strengthens future faith [45:28] The first storm was not wasted, because it taught the disciples something about the man in the boat. The next storm asked them to remember what Jesus had already shown. Faith grows when yesterday’s deliverance becomes evidence for today’s obedience. [45:28]
• 3. Jesus is safer than boats [52:05] Peter’s step onto the water was not stupidity, because the troubled boat was not ultimate safety. The real security was the voice of Jesus saying, “Come.” Many souls cling to what is shaking because it feels familiar, while Christ calls them toward the only place that can actually hold them. [52:05]
• 4. Lost focus makes water swallow [57:05] Peter walked on the same water that later began to pull him down. The difference was not the storm, but the direction of his eyes. What faith can stand on becomes overwhelming when fear becomes the center of attention. [57:05]
• 5. Storms are real, God is real [01:00:59] The wind is not imaginary, and faith does not pretend pain is small. Yet the storm does not get the final word when Jesus is present and speaking. The deeper battle is whether the storm will interrupt the purpose God has marked out.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [25:50] - Opening Worship and Prayer
• [35:03] - Reading Matthew 14
• [38:51] - Lock In and Focus
• [39:15] - The Telescope Lesson
• [43:04] - Seeing Beyond Limits
• [44:02] - Two Storms in Matthew
• [45:28] - Faith Looks Backward to Move Forward
• [50:46] - Stepping Out in Faith
• [54:17] - Letting Go of False Security
• [56:18] - Focus and Progress Toward Destiny
• [60:59] - God in the Time of Storm
• [62:47] - Knowing God and Doing Exploits
• [64:49] - Lock In Through Turbulence

Bible Reading

Matthew 14:22-33
“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” [35:03]

Hebrews 12:1-2
“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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” [01:01:32]

Matthew 8:23-27
“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’” [44:04]

Daniel 11:32
“With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.” [01:02:47]

Observation questions

1. In Matthew 14, what does Jesus tell the disciples when they are afraid, and what does Peter ask Jesus to let him do? [51:23]
2. What are some clear similarities and differences between the storm in Matthew 8 and the storm in Matthew 14? [44:20]
3. In Matthew 14, what changes in Peter between the moment he walks on the water and the moment he begins to sink? [56:34]
4. In Hebrews 12:1-2, what are believers told to do with hindrances and sin, and where are they told to fix their eyes? [01:01:32]

Interpretation questions

1. Jesus is the one who sent the disciples into the boat before the storm came. What does that suggest about the meaning of hardship in the life of obedience? [47:55]
2. The first storm ended with the question, “What kind of man is this?” and the second ended with, “Truly you are the Son of God.” What does that change reveal about how faith grows over time? [49:49]
3. Peter’s step out of the boat is presented as faith rather than foolishness. What makes the difference between reckless action and obedient faith in this passage? [52:05]
4. Peter did not sink because the storm suddenly became real; the storm was already real. What does that show about the connection between fear, attention, and trust? [01:01:55]

Application questions

1. Faith looks backward in order to move forward. What past rescue, answered prayer, or season of God’s faithfulness needs to be remembered right now so that trust can grow again? [45:28]
2. The problem is not always the eyes, but the focus. What has been blurring spiritual sight lately—worry, noise, exhaustion, disappointment, distraction, or something else? [40:38]
3. Jesus is safer than boats. What is being held right now as a false security because it feels familiar, even though it cannot truly hold up under pressure? [54:17]
4. The promises of Jesus become clearer when attention is fixed on his word. What would it look like this week to lock in on Scripture in a more serious and steady way? [43:40]
5. The other disciples stayed in the boat, but Peter moved toward Jesus. Where might Jesus be saying, “Come,” in a way that requires letting go of comfort or control? [55:51]
6. When Peter looked at the wind, fear rose. In the middle of present struggles, what has been getting more attention than Jesus? [57:05]
7. Life can feel like a boat being rocked right and left. When everything feels unsteady—family, health, finances, or direction—what helps the heart hear again, “It is I. Do not be afraid”? [01:04:29]