Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus: Knowing Christ's Resurrection Power

A persistent call urges believers to fix their eyes on Jesus as the center of faith and life. Worship and prayer frame that calling, reminding that joy and righteousness do not come from outward circumstances or personal achievement but from union with Christ. A hymn story about Helen Lemmel illustrates spiritual sight: though physically blind, she fixed her soul’s vision on Jesus and composed a chorus that strips worldly comforts of their glamour. The reading from Philippians 3 reframes identity, exposing how pedigree, law-keeping, zeal, and reputation function as false securities that masquerade as righteousness.

Paul’s testimony provides the pivot: everything that once counted as gain became loss compared to knowing Christ. The text insists that true righteousness arrives not by human effort but by faith in the righteousness that comes from God. That faith presses toward intimate knowledge of Christ, the power of his resurrection, and participation in his sufferings so that believers may share in his life and hope of ultimate resurrection.

Grace emerges as the operative reality for weakness. Divine power perfects human frailty; God’s sufficiency does not cancel struggle but transforms it into an avenue for dependence on Christ. The thorn-in-the-flesh motif reframes persistent difficulty as the setting in which grace works, calling for endurance and reliance rather than quick removal of hardship.

The call to follow issues practical demands: repentance as a change of mind and action, disciplined effort described as “beating the body into submission,” and consistent spiritual exercise—practices that move faith from knowledge to lived power. The text challenges any posture of passive expectation and exhorts pressing on, forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what lies ahead. Finally, an assurance anchors the exhortation: nothing in creation can separate believers from the love of God in Christ Jesus, and that reality grounds hope, courage, and perseverance amid trials.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Fix the eyes on Jesus Turning attention away from fleeting wins and losses opens spiritual vision to Christ himself. Fixing the eyes on Jesus means refusing to let achievements, pains, or reputations define identity and instead cultivating an ongoing, personal knowledge of the Lord. This posture reorders desire so that worldly glamour dims in the light of Christ’s glory and grace. [02:25]
• 2. Righteousness comes by faith alone Righteousness does not rise from pedigree, law-keeping, or moral achievement but from God’s gift received through faith. Embracing this truth dismantles pride and drives the soul to seek intimacy with Christ rather than credentials. This shift transforms duty-driven religion into a faith-rooted life that rests in God’s declaration. [38:29]
• 3. Grace is sufficient in weakness Divine power shows up most clearly in human frailty; weakness becomes the stage for God’s strength to operate. Rather than insisting on removal of every thorn, acceptance of weakness invites dependence and reveals the sustaining work of Christ. This reframes suffering as a context for encountering God’s enabling presence. [39:50]
• 4. Discipline fuels spiritual growth Faith requires exertion—repentance, resistance of fleshly patterns, and regular spiritual practice—so growth does not happen by sentiment alone. “Beating the body into submission” describes a persistent, heart-level struggle to refuse impulses that hinder obedience and intimacy with Christ. Such discipline, empowered by grace, yields the resurrection power and perseverance Paul sought. [57:25]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:25] - Turn Eyes Upon Jesus
• [28:36] - Helen Lemmel's Hymn Story
• [32:35] - Singing "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"
• [36:41] - Reading: Philippians 3
• [39:50] - Grace Is Sufficient
• [48:06] - Consider Loss for Christ
• [50:34] - Damascus: Blindness to Sight
• [56:21] - Righteousness by Faith
• [57:25] - Beat Body Into Submission
• [63:06] - Press On Toward Christ
• [72:02] - More Than Conquerors

Bible reading: Philippians 3:1-14 (ESV)
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Observation questions

1. What are the specific things Paul lists as his former reasons for "confidence in the flesh"?
2. What strong, contrasting words does Paul use to describe his change in perspective regarding his past achievements?
3. According to the sermon, what was the story behind the hymn "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" and what was the author's physical condition? [28:36]
4. What does Paul say is the source of the righteousness he now desires, and how is it obtained?

Interpretation questions

1. Why would Paul consider his impeccable religious pedigree and zeal to be a "loss" and even "rubbish"?
2. The sermon mentions that "Jesus is for losers" and that "God helps those who can't help themselves." [48:39] How does this idea connect to Paul's statement about putting no confidence in the flesh?
3. What does it mean to "know Christ" in the way Paul describes, beyond simply knowing facts about Him?
4. How does the concept of "beating the body into submission" [57:25] relate to Paul's overall goal of knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection?

Application questions

1. What is one thing you have been holding onto—a success, an identity, a pain, or a struggle—that you have allowed to define you, and how can you begin to consider it a "loss" compared to knowing Christ? [44:20]
2. Righteousness is a gift from God received by faith, not something we achieve. Where are you most tempted to try to earn God's favor or prove your own worth through performance, and how can you actively rest in Christ's righteousness this week? [54:29]
3. Everyone has a "thorn" or a persistent weakness. How can you shift from praying only for its removal to asking God to show you how His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in that specific weakness? [39:50]
4. Spiritual growth requires discipline, like "doing reps" at a gym. [57:53] What is one specific, practical "rep" you can commit to this week (e.g., a prayer, a scripture, an act of service) to train your spiritual eyes to stay fixed on Jesus?
5. Paul says he forgets what is behind and strains toward what is ahead. What from your past (a failure, a sin, a success) do you need to forget so that it doesn't hinder you from pressing on toward Christ today?
6. The ultimate assurance is that nothing can separate us from God's love. How does this truth provide the courage and hope you need to press on through your current challenges? [01:12:02]