Title: Is Your Faith Directed Towards Yourself or to Christ? Meta: We are not called to have faith in our faith. There is a different object of faith that the writer of Hebrews is pleading with you... to make the object of your faith. He says, "looking to Jesus" - present, active; continually looking at Jesus Christ. - Jesse Barrington Tags: faith,object,repentance 1 00:00:00,839 --> 00:00:03,002 The other reason that we struggle 2 00:00:03,002 --> 00:00:05,863 in the fitght of faith to endure to the end, 3 00:00:07,099 --> 00:00:10,915 is because we have the wrong object of faith. 4 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:18,281 In verse 2 it says, "looking to Jesus, 5 00:00:18,555 --> 00:00:21,401 the founder and perfecter of our faith, 6 00:00:21,401 --> 00:00:25,179 who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, 7 00:00:25,179 --> 00:00:30,180 despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." 8 00:00:30,380 --> 00:00:37,571 A huge mistake we all make in the fight of faith, in this race that we are all in, 9 00:00:37,571 --> 00:00:41,153 is looking at others around us. 10 00:00:41,402 --> 00:00:46,304 Or maybe being fixated on the examples that were set before us. 11 00:00:46,601 --> 00:00:50,896 You are not supposed to look at the saints of old, and be locked in on them, 12 00:00:50,896 --> 00:00:53,132 and then compare yourself to them. 13 00:00:53,153 --> 00:00:57,526 They are testimonies of what choosing faith will be in the end, 14 00:00:57,526 --> 00:01:02,173 but you're not to stay fixated upon them. But often we read testimonies of old, 15 00:01:02,173 --> 00:01:04,867 or we look at brothers and sisters around us, and we say, 16 00:01:04,867 --> 00:01:08,882 "My faith is weak, not like theirs," and we become discouraged. 17 00:01:10,194 --> 00:01:13,676 One of the problems is the object of our faith. 18 00:01:13,887 --> 00:01:16,938 What other objects do we look at in our faith? 19 00:01:17,942 --> 00:01:19,575 Ourselves. 20 00:01:21,699 --> 00:01:23,285 Ourselves. 21 00:01:23,815 --> 00:01:25,422 "What do you mean by that?" 22 00:01:26,565 --> 00:01:30,349 Because we are given the ownnes and the responsibility, and the command 23 00:01:30,349 --> 00:01:32,876 to endure to the end, to persevere. 24 00:01:34,474 --> 00:01:41,404 Then we look at ourselves, and we try to conjure up enough faith to make it to the end. 25 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:46,300 But you see, when you're the one who's conjuring up enough faith as you look within, 26 00:01:46,300 --> 00:01:49,185 do you know where your faith is lying then? 27 00:01:49,364 --> 00:01:52,353 It's lying in you and your own faith. 28 00:01:52,898 --> 00:01:56,294 We are not called to have faith in our faith. 29 00:01:57,466 --> 00:02:02,658 There is a different object of faith that the writer of Hebrews is pleading with you 30 00:02:02,658 --> 00:02:07,398 here in verse 2 to make the object of your faith. He says, 31 00:02:07,398 --> 00:02:16,080 "looking to Jesus" - present, active; continually looking at Jesus Christ. 32 00:02:16,626 --> 00:02:21,288 If we're going to persevere to the end, we all must be constantly, 33 00:02:21,288 --> 00:02:25,955 continually, and pointedly looking at Jesus Christ, 34 00:02:25,955 --> 00:02:30,887 and removing anything from our lives that distracts this view right here, 35 00:02:30,887 --> 00:02:32,694 or keeps us from it. 36 00:02:32,694 --> 00:02:38,463 He has gone before us as a forerunner. He was perfect in faith. 37 00:02:38,463 --> 00:02:42,768 It says, "for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross". 38 00:02:42,768 --> 00:02:48,922 He is the perfect example and object of faith. One greater than Moses has come. 39 00:02:48,922 --> 00:02:51,723 One greater than Abraham has come. 40 00:02:51,723 --> 00:02:57,190 Do not fix your gaze upon Abraham, upon Moses, upon David, 41 00:02:57,190 --> 00:03:00,315 or upon saints around you, or upon yourself. 42 00:03:00,315 --> 00:03:06,847 Fix your gaze upon Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith. 43 00:03:08,876 --> 00:03:12,270 Jesus has secured all the promises the Father has made 44 00:03:12,270 --> 00:03:14,870 through his Word to his chosen pleople, 45 00:03:14,874 --> 00:03:19,087 through his life, death, burial and resurrection.