Fixing Our Eyes on Christ: A Purposeful Journey
Summary
In our journey through life, it is crucial to maintain a clear and focused vision, as emphasized in Proverbs 4:25: "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee." This passage serves as a reminder to guard every aspect of our being, particularly our eyes, which are the windows to our soul. Our eyes must be vigilant, ensuring that what we take in is light and not darkness, and that our outward glances do not lead us into sin or foolishness.
Many people live in a state of spiritual slumber, seeing the world through a veil of dreams and illusions. They are unaware of the true life and its profound realities because they lack faith, which is the true sight of the soul. It is time for such individuals to awaken and let their eyes look right on, focusing on the path that leads to eternal life.
A life without purpose is like an arrow that never hits its mark. We must have a clear aim and pursue it with determination. This life is but a preface to a more divine existence, and we must regard it as such. Our eyes should be fixed on the path that God has set for us, a path that leads to Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. By choosing Christ as our way, we can confidently look forward to the end of our journey, which is life and glory with Him.
To follow Christ, we must not only accept Him but also strive to know Him more deeply and obey His commandments. Our lives should reflect His image, and we should seek to glorify Him by bringing others to Him. This requires a focused and unwavering gaze on Christ, avoiding distractions and secondary aims.
In conclusion, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Let us not be swayed by the world or our own introspections but remain steadfast in our pursuit of Him. By doing so, we will find the peace and salvation that only He can provide.
Key Takeaways:
- Guarding Our Vision: Our eyes are the windows to our soul, and we must guard them vigilantly to ensure that what we take in is light and not darkness. This requires a conscious effort to focus on what is true and righteous, avoiding distractions that lead us astray. [01:27]
- Awakening from Spiritual Slumber: Many live in a state of spiritual slumber, unaware of the true life and its profound realities. Faith is the true sight of the soul, and it is time to awaken and let our eyes look right on, focusing on the path that leads to eternal life. [02:22]
- Living with Purpose: A life without purpose is like an arrow that never hits its mark. We must have a clear aim and pursue it with determination, recognizing that this life is a preface to a more divine existence. [04:18]
- Following Christ as the Way: Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. By choosing Him as our path, we can confidently look forward to the end of our journey, which is life and glory with Him. [08:04]
- Striving for Obedience and Transformation: To follow Christ, we must strive to know Him more deeply and obey His commandments. Our lives should reflect His image, and we should seek to glorify Him by bringing others to Him. [16:23]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to Proverbs 4:25
- [00:29] - Guarding Our Nature
- [01:13] - The Importance of Watching Our Eyes
- [02:08] - Awakening from Spiritual Slumber
- [03:18] - The Dangers of Aimlessness
- [04:02] - Living with Purpose
- [05:32] - Choosing a Straight Path
- [07:35] - The Way God Made for Us
- [08:04] - Jesus as the Way, Truth, and Life
- [09:14] - Invitation to Follow Christ
- [10:08] - Accepting Christ
- [12:55] - Knowing Christ More Deeply
- [16:23] - Obedience to Christ's Commands
- [19:04] - Bearing the Image of Christ
- [21:08] - Glorifying Christ and Winning Souls
- [24:09] - Setting Our Eyes on Christ
- [31:42] - Walking on Water with Faith
- [37:18] - Looking to Christ Alone
- [41:56] - Continuing in Faith and Seeking Christ
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Proverbs 4:25: "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee."
- John 14:6: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
- Hebrews 12:2: "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
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Observation Questions:
1. What does Proverbs 4:25 suggest about the importance of our focus and vision in life? How does this relate to the idea of guarding our eyes? [00:29]
2. In the sermon, what are some consequences mentioned for those who live without a clear purpose or aim? [04:18]
3. How does the sermon describe the state of spiritual slumber, and what is the proposed solution for awakening from it? [02:22]
4. According to the sermon, what role does faith play in truly seeing and understanding the realities of life? [02:35]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon interpret the phrase "Let thine eyes look right on" in the context of living a purposeful life? What does this mean for a believer's daily walk? [05:32]
2. What does it mean to follow Christ as "the way" according to the sermon, and how does this align with John 14:6? [08:04]
3. The sermon emphasizes the need for obedience to Christ's commandments. How does this obedience reflect in a believer's life, and why is it important? [16:23]
4. How does the sermon suggest believers should handle distractions and secondary aims in their pursuit of Christ? [37:18]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current focus in life. Are there distractions that prevent you from keeping your eyes on Jesus? What steps can you take this week to minimize these distractions? [31:42]
2. The sermon speaks about awakening from spiritual slumber. Are there areas in your spiritual life where you feel asleep or complacent? What practical steps can you take to awaken and engage more deeply with your faith? [02:22]
3. Consider your life's purpose and aim. Do you have a clear spiritual goal that aligns with God's path for you? How can you pursue this goal with more determination? [04:18]
4. In what ways can you strive to know Christ more deeply and obey His commandments in your daily life? Identify one specific commandment of Christ that you can focus on this week. [16:23]
5. The sermon encourages believers to bring others to Christ. Identify one person in your life who may not know Jesus. How can you engage them in a spiritual conversation or act of kindness this week? [21:08]
6. How can you ensure that your faith is not based on feelings or circumstances but solely on Christ and His promises? What practices can help you maintain this focus? [37:18]
7. Reflect on the idea of living with purpose. How can you align your daily activities with the eternal perspective of life with Christ? What changes might you need to make to live more purposefully? [04:18]
Devotional
Day 1: Guarding the Windows of Our Soul
Our eyes are the windows to our soul, and it is essential to guard them vigilantly. Proverbs 4:25 reminds us to keep our eyes focused on what is right and true. In a world filled with distractions and temptations, it is easy to let our gaze wander, leading us into darkness and sin. By consciously choosing to focus on what is righteous and pure, we protect our inner being from corruption. This requires a deliberate effort to filter what we allow into our minds and hearts, ensuring that our vision remains clear and aligned with God's truth. [01:27]
"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23, ESV)
Reflection: What are some specific things you can do today to guard your eyes and ensure that what you take in is light and not darkness?
Day 2: Awakening to Spiritual Realities
Many people live in a state of spiritual slumber, unaware of the profound realities of true life. Faith is described as the true sight of the soul, enabling us to perceive the eternal path that leads to life. It is time to awaken from this slumber and focus our eyes on the path that leads to eternal life. By cultivating faith, we can see beyond the illusions of this world and embrace the deeper truths that God has for us. This awakening requires a conscious decision to seek God and His wisdom, allowing Him to open our eyes to His eternal purposes. [02:22]
"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:14, ESV)
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel spiritually asleep? How can you invite God to awaken you to His profound realities today?
Day 3: Living with Divine Purpose
A life without purpose is like an arrow that never hits its mark. We are called to live with a clear aim, recognizing that this life is a preface to a more divine existence. By understanding our purpose in God's plan, we can pursue it with determination and focus. This involves aligning our goals with God's will and seeking His guidance in every decision. By living with purpose, we can make a meaningful impact in this world and prepare for the eternal life that awaits us. [04:18]
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV)
Reflection: What is one specific area in your life where you feel aimless? How can you seek God's guidance to find and pursue His purpose for you?
Day 4: Choosing Christ as Our Path
Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. By choosing Him as our path, we can confidently look forward to the end of our journey, which is life and glory with Him. This choice involves more than just accepting Christ; it requires a commitment to follow Him and align our lives with His teachings. By keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, we can navigate the challenges of life with confidence and hope, knowing that He leads us to eternal life. [08:04]
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matthew 7:13-14, ESV)
Reflection: What are some distractions or secondary aims that are pulling you away from following Christ wholeheartedly? How can you refocus your life on Him today?
Day 5: Striving for Obedience and Transformation
To follow Christ, we must strive to know Him more deeply and obey His commandments. Our lives should reflect His image, and we should seek to glorify Him by bringing others to Him. This requires a focused and unwavering gaze on Christ, avoiding distractions and secondary aims. By committing to this path, we can experience transformation and become more like Christ, impacting the world around us for His glory. [16:23]
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you deepen your relationship with Christ and reflect His image in your daily life? How can you actively seek to bring others to Him?
Quotes
It is clear that every part of our nature needs to be carefully watched, lest in any way it should become the cause of sin. Any one member or faculty is readily able to defile all the rest, and therefore every part must be guarded with care. [00:01:01]
Many others are somewhat awake mentally, but they are not looking right on, neither do their eyelids look straight before them. They are staring about them stargazing, wondering what will be seen next, always ready like the Athenians to hear and see some new thing. [00:03:27]
An arrow will never strike the mark if it travels in a zigzag direction, and the man whose life has no aim, whatever, who pursues this and then that and then the other, what will he achieve? Are not many like dumb driven cattle, going they know not where? [00:04:16]
According to divine teaching as gracious as it is certain, we learn that the way of eternal life is Jesus Christ. Christ himself says, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and he that would pursue life after a right fashion must look to Jesus. [00:07:53]
When you have Christ, the next business of your life will must be to know Christ, seek to know more of him, to know him better, to know him more practically, to know him more assuredly. That I may know him, said the apostle, after he had been a believer in him for fifteen years. [00:12:52]
Christian men and women, you did not know your great master yet. Here have some of us been nearly 40 years in his service, and yet we could not describe him to our own satisfaction. Why, we hardly know the power of the hem of his garment yet. [00:13:29]
If Christ be your way, you have further to seek to be like him, not only to do as he did but to be as he was, for as he was so are we in this world. What a man does is important, but what a man is, is all important. [00:19:04]
Now supposing that we have attended to all this, if Christ is our way and our model, there is something more, namely that we seek to glorify Christ and labor to win others to him. Here is a grand field for all our energies, O Christian people. [00:21:00]
Before we win souls, we must live for souls. We need men and women who live to convert others to Christ. The minister had better quit his pulpit if it be not his one burning desire to bring hearts to Jesus' feet. [00:22:45]
Let your eyes look right on and let your eyelids look straight before thee. Thou canst walk the waters all the way to the golden shore if thou canst but stop thine eyes to all things else. Surely I may use the text as an illustration of that closing of the eyes. [00:31:42]
Let your eyes be fixed on following your Lord, and as to any worldly consequences, bring your eyelids into use, keep them fast closed, and go right on in implicit obedience to your Lord. Forget all things else when seeking Christ and when you have found Christ. [00:39:55]
Take care that you continue gazing upon Christ until you have faith in him. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Go on hearing the word of God till faith come thereby. Do you ask me how faith comes? It is the gift of God. [00:41:56]
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