Scriptures:
Psalm 121
Jude 1:24-25
Colossians 3:2-3
Galatians 2:20
Psalm 24:3-4
Philippians 3:7-14
1 Corinthians 13:12
1 John 3:2
Ephesians 3:14-21
Points:
1. The Path: Jesus is the Journey
2. The Promise: Held by Grace
3. The Prize: Knowing Him
The Big Idea: Faith is not a hill to climb – it’s a gaze to fix.
Have you ever felt like your spiritual journey is an uphill battle? Like you’re constantly striving, measuring, and grading yourself against an impossible standard? What if I told you that the path to a deeper faith isn’t about climbing higher, but about shifting your gaze?
As we embark on our journey towards Easter, we’re invited to look up and see beyond where we stand. Just as God called Abraham out of his tent to count the stars as a picture of promises too vast to number, we too are being called to lift our eyes and trust that our journey is leading us somewhere extraordinary.
The big idea here is simple yet profound: Faith is not a hill to climb; it’s a gaze to fix.
This truth is beautifully illustrated in Psalm 121, a song of ascent that pilgrims would sing as they made their way to Jerusalem:
“I lift my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)
This psalm reminds us that the same God who calls us upward is the one who sustains us along the way. He doesn’t slumber or sleep. He watches over our coming and going. He is our shade and our keeper. We are held by grace every step of the journey.
But how often do we live like this is true? Many of us have created spiritual ledgers, constantly tallying our wins and losses, trying to prove our worth to God. We strive and strain, hoping to be “more this side than that side” by the end of the year. But in doing so, we miss the heart of the gospel.
The truth is, if you are in Christ, your life is hidden in His perfect performance. When Jesus said “It is finished” on the cross, He didn’t just mean His work – He meant yours too. The gift of salvation isn’t just rescue; it’s relocation. Your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
This means that clean hands and a pure heart are not the price of God’s presence – they’re the product of it. We don’t walk as people of promise trying to apprehend God’s promises; we walk in the growing awareness that they’re already ours. The power isn’t in our reaching; it’s in our revelation.
Consider the story of a premature baby in the NICU, unable to breathe on his own or even be held. His parents could only stroke his head with two fingers, whispering their love and pride. The baby wasn’t trying to earn his place in the family or prove his worth. He was simply there, held by grace. How much more does our Heavenly Father love us, even in our weakest moments?
This is the gospel preached to us over and over again. We are not held by our feelings or our performance; we are held by grace. And that means we can come to our Father every time, again and again, lift our eyes to Him, and find rest, confidence, and security in who He is.
The Apostle Paul understood this deeply. Writing from a prison cell towards the end of his life, he declared:
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” (Philippians 3:7-8)
Paul’s conclusion never changed: Jesus was worth it. Jesus is worth it. Jesus will always be worth it. Not because he simply decided so, but because he had seen Him.
This is the upward call – not just to believe in Jesus or serve Him, but to know Him. To be seized by the power of a great affection. To press on towards the goal of seeing Him face to face, knowing that when we do, we will realize it was always Him, and it was always worth it.
So, what does this mean for us today? It means we can stop measuring our spiritual progress and start resting in our spiritual position. It means we can come to our Father not with our scorecards, but with open hearts ready to receive His love. It means we can lift our eyes and expect to see His countenance of delight, not disappointment.
Perhaps you’ve had your head down for too long – not in defiance, but in exhaustion. Maybe you’ve been wondering if God even sees you in your struggle. Or perhaps you’ve held it together for so long that you don’t know how to be held anymore.
Wherever you are today, know this: God has enough on the inside of who He is to handle what’s on the inside of you. You stand beneath a grace and love too vast to know, too deep to understand. This isn’t a moment to work anything up; it’s a moment to receive.
There is a fullness, a power, a love, and a grace that you have yet to taste, and it’s yours to receive today. Whether it’s your first day with God or your millionth, there is more for you. That stirring inside, that hunger you feel – it’s not just longing, it’s invitation.
So today, lift your eyes. Take another step. Open your arms again. Shift your gaze from your struggles to your Saviour. For He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.
Faith is not a hill to climb; it’s a gaze to fix. And as you fix your eyes on Jesus, you’ll find that the journey itself becomes the destination, and every step brings you closer to the heart of the Father who has loved you all along.
Discussion Questions
- How might shifting our gaze from our struggles to God’s promises change our perspective on life’s challenges? What does it mean to you personally to ‘lift your eyes’ in faith?
- ‘Faith is not a hill to climb, it’s a gaze to fix.’ How does this perspective challenge or affirm your understanding of faith and spiritual growth?
- Reflect on a time when you felt caught up in ‘spiritual scorekeeping.’ How did it affect your relationship with God, and how might embracing grace change that dynamic?
- The sermon emphasizes that Jesus is ‘the saviour long before he’s the example.’ How might this truth impact the way we approach following Christ and living out our faith?
- Consider the phrase ‘seized by the power of a great affection.’ How would you describe your own experience of God’s love, and how has it shaped your faith journey?
- The message shares a personal story about her father’s love. How does this analogy help you understand God’s desire for relationship with us, especially in moments of rebellion or struggle?
- How does the concept of our lives being ‘hidden with Christ in God’ (Colossians 3:3) challenge or comfort you in your daily walk with God?
- Reflect on Paul’s statement that he counts everything as loss ‘for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.’ What might it look like in your life to prioritize knowing Jesus above all else?
- The sermon suggests that ‘the greatest reward of our faith is not heaven, it’s Him.’ How does this idea reshape your understanding of salvation and eternal life?
- In what ways might you be keeping your ‘head down’ spiritually? What would it look like for you to lift your gaze and expect to see God’s ‘countenance of delight’ toward you?
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