Eyes Fixed on Jesus: Walking Unshaken with Christ

Last week, I spoke about, I've been, God's put it on my heart to preach messages

where I can actually send you out to go, to go.

And last week, I spoke about going and fixing our eyes on what will last forever.

And that is eternity. If you didn't know that, forever is eternity.

And eternity is being provided to us by Jesus himself. So this week,

I'm preaching about sending you out, going, and keeping your eyes on Jesus.

Keeping your eyes on Jesus. So I started the service this morning from Psalm

Psalms 16:8

16, verse 8, and that's where I'm going to start this message this morning as well.

So Psalm 16, verse 8 says, I know the Lord is always with me.

Psalms 16:8

I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

Now, I don't know if you've ever done this before, but has anyone ever tried

to walk in a straight line while looking over your shoulder?

If some of our nephews were here, I'd probably get one of them up right now

to give us a demonstration on walking a straight line while looking over your

shoulder because it's nearly impossible.

It's nearly impossible to keep a straight line while looking over your shoulder.

You'll stumble, you'll drift off course, and sooner or later, you'll trip.

And why is that? It's because your eyes aren't fixed ahead.

Your eyes aren't fixed ahead. And you know what? Life works the same way.

Many people try to move forward while looking backwards, caught up on past mistakes or regrets or pain.

Others are so distracted by the chaos of the present.

Or paralyzed by the fear of the future that their steps are unsteady.

But the psalmist David reminds us, I know the Lord is always with me.

I will not be shaken for he is right beside me. And when your eyes are fixed

on him, your steps are steady.

You have steady steps and your path is straight. And that's not wishful thinking either.

It's not a motivational poster. If you You could picture a poster.

This is an unshakable truth that's anchored in the eternal presence of God,

fulfilled in the person and the work of Jesus Christ.

Today, I want us to see that when our eyes are fixed on the Lord,

we can walk through the storms of life with confidence, with courage,

and with peace, and with peace.

Again, the psalmist says, I know the Lord is always with me.

Now, in this verse, David is using the Hebrew word shiviti,

which means to set, to place, or to keep before, to level or to align, or to focus or regard.

In other words, David is saying, I continually set the Lord before me.

Okay it's not just

knowledge either it's a deliberate act of focus

and orientation much like fixing

your eyes straight ahead when walking so some bible's translations such as the

english standard version say i know the lord is always with me while others

stick closer to i have set the Lord always before me.

Do you see a bit of a link there? I know the Lord is always with me because

that's where I set him. That's where I set him.

Always with me means at every moment. Do you need to know that?

Always with me means all the time, at every moment, not just in times of worship,

but in the battlefield, in the palace, in the wilderness, in despair and in joy.

He is always with me.

Why? Because that's where I set him.

I will not be shaken uses the Hebrew word mot, M-O-T, meaning to slip, to be moved.

It conveys the image of a foundation that will not crumble.

No matter the storm, it's the language of stability and security,

like a house on a rock foundation that can't be moved.

Other examples of this word mot, which means always with me,

can be found in other Psalms.

Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you. He will never permit the righteous to be moved.

That's Psalm 55 verse 22. When you give God your weight, He holds you steady.

Psalms 55:22

Psalm 62 verse 2, he alone is my rock and salvation, my fortress.

Psalms 62:2

I shall not be greatly shaken.

So it's an image of a fortress, immovable and unshakable.

Psalm 112 verse 6, for the righteous will never be moved.

Psalms 112:6

There's that word mot. He will be

remembered forever, A life rooted in righteousness has eternal stability.

Psalm 125, just one more, verse 1.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved.

But abides forever. God's people

are as steady as the mountains around Jerusalem. They cannot be moved.

So in Psalm 16 verse 8, when David says, I will not be shaken,

Psalms 16:8

he has confidence that echoes all through the Psalms.

God's presence makes his people unshakable, for he is right beside me.

This is language of intimacy right there.

He is right beside me. David understands that God is not distant,

but is near, personal, and present.

And friends, in Jesus Christ, the truth is magnified because Emmanuel means what?

God is with us. Jesus' name, Emmanuel.

God is with us. So we've heard from the Psalms, the Old Testament,

and the Old Testament brings us the assurance that God is always with us.

He's always with us, beside us.

But the New Testament actually brings some fulfillment to that as well.

David, as I said, declared, I know the Lord is always with me.

I will not be shaken for he is right beside me.

And Jesus confirms this in Matthew 28 and verse 20, when he says this,

and be sure of this, I am always with you, even to the end of the age.

That's Jesus. So we've got the Old Testament assurance, but then we've got the

New Testament fulfillment of Jesus saying, I am always with you,

even to the end of the age. How awesome is that?

David looked ahead in faith. David was looking ahead in faith when he spoke.

We look back at the empty tomb of Jesus and forward to the returning king. How awesome.

The presence of David trusted in shadows. We'll see you next time.

We now know in fullness, okay?

David just felt the presence of God. We have the presence of Jesus.

We have the presence of Jesus.

So the presence of David trusted in shadows.

Now we know in fullness the living Christ with us by the Holy Spirit.

Here, Jesus, after his resurrection, makes the same promise David clung to.

His presence is constant.

But this time, it's not in a shadow. It's not symbolic.

It's the living, risen Christ who walks with us by his spirit.

In David's time, God's presence, also known as Shekinah, was how he dwelt among

his people, visible in the tabernacle.

But see this, in Christ, God himself tabernacled himself in us, in us.

John 1 verse 14, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us.

John 1:14

Today, by the Holy Spirit, God just doesn't come near to us.

He dwells within every believer.

What David experienced as a shadow of God's presence, we now experience in fullness.

Fullness, the same Spirit who empowered Christ's life, empowers us,

making us unshakable as we walk with him.

Today, many people live in fear. The events of the last few weeks in particular

show us that many people live in fear.

There can be economic insecurity. There can be global unrest.

There can be personal struggles.

Yet Christ's promise stands. He is with you everywhere.

He's with you in the boardroom, if anyone goes to a boardroom.

He's in the hospital with us. He's in the classrooms.

He's on the bus or in the public transport with us. You will never be abandoned.

Max Liccardo actually puts it this way. He says, you'll get through this.

It won't be painless. It won't be quick, but God will use this mess for good.

And Max Licato reminds us the presence of God does not mean the absence of pain

either but the assurance of purpose.

Like David we can say I will not be shaken because I know that God is with me.

Picture a child learning to ride a bike with.

At first, they wobble and they fear falling over. Every turn feels risky.

Every pedal is uncertain. But the moment they feel their father's hand steadying

the seat behind them, their courage rises.

They pedal with confidence, knowing someone strong is right there beside them.

That's us with God. That is us with God.

Life is full of wobbles, isn't it? is full of uncertainty.

But when we fix our eyes on him, when we set our eyes on the Lord before us,

we can move forward with confidence.

His spirit is our steady hand, guiding us, holding us, and keeping us from falling.

So we have an unshakable security in the salvation of Jesus Christ, don't we?

Romans 8, 38 to 39. I don't think I've got this there, Josh,

have I? But anyway, I'll read it to you.

Romans, we all know Romans 8.38 anyway, don't we?

Who can read that out? Who can speak that out to me? What's that, Edge?

I am convinced. I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Okay?

Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today

or our worries about tomorrow, not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.

So the Greek word, Andrew, the Greek word here for convinced is papizmae.

Papizmae. Papizmae. Yeah, that's what I said.

Meaning, which means fully persuaded, which means utterly convinced.

Paul is declaring absolute certainty that God's love in Christ is secure for

each and every one of us. Amen?

It's secure. David's confidence in Psalm 16 foreshadows Christ's victory.

Paul, in writing to persecuted believers in Rome, echoes this confidence.

Our security is not in circumstance, but in Christ's finished work on the cross. You may lose your job.

Your health may fail. Your relationships may falter, but you are in Christ and you cannot lose him.

He is the anchor of our souls. That is Jesus.

When Christ is our treasure, our security does not depend on shifting sands,

but on the rock of his unchanging love.

That is Jesus. During World War II, anyone there then? No?

You were born in the middle of it.

In World War II, the underground church in Europe had to gather in hidden cellars.

They sang hymns quietly, not trembling with fear, but trembling with joy.

Why? Because they knew that no matter what the soldiers might do to them if

they were found, they had Christ in their lives.

Their lives were in his hand and their eternity was secure. This is the same

confidence David expressed in the Psalms.

True faith doesn't eliminate danger or hardship.

It steadies the soul because our hope is anchored in the eternal presence of God.

Keep our eyes on Jesus. Keep our eyes on Jesus.

Acts 2 verses 25 to 28 is Peter pointing to Psalm 16, the psalm that we've just read.

Acts 2:25–28

Acts 2, verses 25 to 28 talks about it, and it says, King David said this about him.

Acts 2:25–28

I see the Lord is always with me.

I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts with praises.

My body rests in hope, for you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow

your Holy One to rot in the grave.

You have shown me the way of life and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.

Now, Peter is pointing to Psalm 16 as fulfilled in Christ.

David was speaking prophetically, Christ rose from the grave and because he lives, we have hope.

The word hope in Acts 2.26 means confident expectation.

Not wishful thinking, but assured reality.

We live in a culture obsessed with prolonging life and being terrified of death, don't we?

That's our culture at the moment we want a long life and we're scared of death,

The Christian stands firm, however. Death is not the end.

It is the doorway to eternal joy in Christ.

Because of him, because of Jesus, we can face the unknown without fear,

trusting that our steps are guided and our souls are secure.

Here's a quote for you. Have a listen to this quote.

Earthly wisdom is doing what comes naturally.

Godly wisdom is doing what the Holy Spirit compels us to do.

And the Spirit compels us to live not in fear of death, but in confidence of resurrection life.

When Christ is our treasure, our security does not depend on shifting sands.

Josh, come on up for me.

Keep our eyes on Jesus. So David's words, as we've read in the Psalms,

find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

He is the one who faced the cross without being shaken.

He is the one who rose from the grave. He is the one who promises to be with us always.

But here's the truth for you this morning. Here's the truth.

If we're apart from Christ, we are shaken, okay? Sin separates us from God.

Death is frightening because it brings judgment.

Yet Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came.

He lived a perfect life that we could not live.

He died the death that we deserved, that we deserve.

He was buried and rose again, victorious over sin and death.

And the good news is this, today he offers us forgiveness.

He offers us eternal life and his unshakable presence to all who repent and

trust him as their Lord and Saviour.

That's Jesus. That's Jesus.

Will you place your trust in Jesus today? Will you fix your eyes on Jesus?

Will you go this week and fix your eyes on Jesus?

Will you repent of sin today? Will you turn from self today and fix your eyes on Jesus?

You can say with David this week When you go, you can say I know the Lord is always with me.

But that's only if you belong to Christ. We need to make a decision today.

You need to make a decision today to place Christ at the center of your life.

I'm gonna pray a prayer and I would love you to pray it after me.

If you've never accepted Christ into your life, now is your chance. Now is your chance.

So pray after me. Dear Lord Jesus, I am a sinner.

I have taken my eyes off you, but today I repent of my sin and I place my eyes back on you.

Come into my life. Come into my world. I accept you as my Lord and Savior.

Hallelujah.

I want to walk with you, Lord Jesus. And I will do that from this day onwards

in your precious name. Hallelujah.

So if you prayed that prayer this morning, I would love for you to come and

tell me all about it because I want to celebrate with you.

I want to equip you to be able to go this week and to set your eyes on Jesus.

So here's an application for you as i'm sending you out this week this is what i want you to do,

because we live in a shaking world there's no doubt about it so when you go

this week i want you to do this when i anxiety grips you remember that he is with you,

When temptation comes, remember his spirit empowers you.

When death threatens, remember that Christ has conquered that grave.

He has conquered that grave.

You really, you don't really know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. Okay.

I love that. You don't really know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.

So we need to go this week knowing that Jesus is with us.

Don't wait for everything else to be stripped away from your life. Fix your eyes on Him.

Fix your eyes on Him. Let's pray. Come on. Hallelujah.

Lord Jesus, what we do right now is we fix our eyes on you.

We place you at our side, Lord God, because that's where you want to be.

So we, Lord, make a decision right now to place you at our side.

And as a result of that, we know that you are always with us.

So, Lord, take that place.

Walk with us this week, Lord, as we go.

Go, as we go this week, Lord God, we wanna go knowing with the assurance that you are always with us.

So if we place you next to us, Lord, you are always with us.

So we need to go right now. We need to go right now in your vision,

Lord God, and keep our eyes on you.

Keep our eyes on you. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. And so go,

go this week, go and keep your eyes on the Lord.

Walk this week in confidence, knowing that He is with you.

Not because the world is stable, but because Christ is unshakable.

Let Psalm 16 verse 8 be your declaration this week.

Psalms 16:8

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken for He is right beside me. Amen.