Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

In one paragraph

Pastor Mark opened Hebrews 12:1-3 by slowing down where he felt he had moved too quickly the week before. He worked through the passage phrase by phrase, tracing the logic from the hall of faith in chapter eleven through to the command to fix your eyes on Jesus. The "therefore" that opens the passage carries the full weight of Hebrews 11. Every name in that chapter, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Moses and...

Read together

1. 1 Timothy 2:5 opening song lyric quoted as basis: 'there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Jesus Christ'
2. Psalm 29:10-11 read aloud between songs: 'The Lord rules over the floodwaters. The Lord reigns as king forever... The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.'
3. Hebrews 12:1-3 main text of the sermon: the cloud of witnesses, laying aside encumbrances and sin, running with endurance, fixing eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of faith
4. Hebrews 2:10 cited to show the word 'author' was already used in Hebrews of Jesus bringing many sons to glory
5. Acts 3:15 cited as one of two other uses of archegos: 'put to death the prince of life, the author of life'
6. Acts 5:31 cited as second other use of archegos: 'he is the one whom God has exalted to his right hand as a prince and a savior to grant repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins'
7. Hebrews 1:1-4 referenced as the opening verses establishing that Jesus sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high
8. Hebrews 3:1 cited for the phrase 'carefully consider the apostle and the high priest of our confession, Jesus'
9. Colossians 3:1 closing benediction: 'since then you have been raised with Christ, set your heart on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father'
10. John 20:31 paraphrased: 'these things have been written so that you may believe and believing have life in his name'
11. 1 Peter 5:10 prayed aloud drawing on its language: 'confirm and perfect and strengthen and establish us'

Talk about it

1. The pastor talked about the cloud of witnesses in two ways: either they are aware of us and pulling for us, or we are the ones paying attention to their example. Which of those pictures is more meaningful to you personally, and why?
2. He drew a distinction between encumbrances that are not sinful and sin itself, saying both can weigh us down and trip us up. What is something in your own life right now that may not be sinful but is still weighing you down?
3. The pastor shared that regularly tracking his weight kept it going down, and compared that to daily attention to our sanctification. What does that kind of daily, accountable attention to your walk with God actually look like for you in practice?
4. He used the story of the two Boy Scouts to show how a long list of religious duties can replace a clear focus on Jesus. Where in your own faith have you seen that substitution happen, either in yourself or in the church culture around you?
5. The writer of Hebrews tells us to consider Jesus so that we will not grow weary and lose heart. When you are weary or discouraged, what does it actually look like for you to turn your attention back to Jesus rather than just trying harder?