Look to Jesus

Key Passage: Hebrews 12
Date: June 7, 2024

That’s kind of like what the preacher said they’re trying to raise money for that bus. He’s got good news and bad news. He said, good news, we got all the money we need for that bus. The bad news is still in your pocket.

So I’m teasing, of course. I got you nervous on that one right there, you know.

But we’re in the Bible, Hebrews chapter number 12. Hebrews chapter number 12.

But we have been doing this series on Sunday morning dealing with baggage. It is not the most pleasant subject to deal with or to preach on, a lot of heavy subjects, if you will. But it is so needed in our day and time.

I’m amazed, even yesterday on the phone, I think twice maybe yesterday on the phone. Just, just, I want you to listen to that. It is so just real in our day and time. And all of us, in some ways, deal with baggage, some more than others.

The first Sunday we talked about walking in the land of triggers. And it could help you from… maybe not getting a black eye, amen, instead of fighting with your wife or husband. You don’t need a black eye, you know, just listen to that.

And I might explain both ways, by the way, and help you. I mentioned someone yesterday, I’m convinced a lot of times we’re just fighting over surface stuff without getting to root issues. And I’d encourage you to listen to that.

Then Sunday after that, we titled it, just deal with it and dealing with those things. Yesterday I was talking to one of them on the phone, and they said, I’ve just kind of had a bottle up for 12, 13 years, and it came out at its own time, the wrong place, and he said, I apologize for how it came out. I said, no, no, I’m just glad it came out. It’s a good thing. Maybe not the best time in front of the right person, but it came out. Dealing with it’s going to come out some way; better to deal with it the right way, at the right time, the right place, with the right people.

And then last Sunday, a deeper healing. And twice in the Bible, someone was healed and came back and got a deeper or more complete healing: one of the ten, and then the blind man. And we’ll talk about that.

And today, just a very simple—we won’t dive into a lot of issues, if you will, this morning. But I just want us to focus. A very simple sermon this morning on keep looking to Jesus.

And I want to say if you’ve got problems, by the way, we all do. I got my whole hand up on that. We all got a problem. I’m there. And you’re not going to get everything right tomorrow. Can I just encourage you from the get-go? Keep looking to Jesus.

You’ve been through divorce and you said, “My life, I never thought I’d be here.” Can I encourage you: keep looking to Jesus?

If you have some issues you can’t overcome and you say, “I’ve been battling.” There’s something in our church. He’s been battling something for, I don’t know, I would say 25 years. And he’s not here this morning if he’s watching online, which he is a lot of times. I keep looking to Jesus.

Wherever you’re at, what’s going on in your life, you say, “Man, I’ve messed up about a million times and I don’t know if there’s any hope for me.” Can I encourage you: keep looking to Jesus?

You say, “I’m discouraged, ready to quit, and I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Keep looking to Jesus.

I hope we say that so many times this morning you go to sleep tonight, you try to snore, and you got that, “I can’t sleep because I got that stuck in my head”—keep looking to Jesus. You know, I wanted to be like that. And I pray the Lord does that in your heart.

Our young people here, I praise the Lord, God worked in your hearts at camp. That was exciting. Last Sunday night was just a blessing to me, and those that weren’t able to make it. Our young people, can I encourage you throughout your life, keep looking to Jesus. If life takes turns and you end up having issues and problems in every dream you’d have, can encourage you: keep looking to Jesus.

Our young single department, praise the Lord, we got that class goal and God’s working in there. And I, Keely—am I saying right? Keely—I said, we average about 10 or so in there, you know? And I said, praise Lord for that and whatnot. Can I encourage our young single people this morning, keep looking to Jesus?

Young couples, you’re raising children, trying to raise children for the Lord in 2023. That can be challenging, amen, you know. Can’t encourage you: keep looking to Jesus.

Middle age, you’re losing some, you know, becoming empty nesters—that’s good and bad, all at the same time. But all that going on and changing a life, can I encourage you: keep looking to Jesus.

Our senior saints, someone said the other day, “These golden years aren’t so golden.” I tell you what, you know. And if you’re there, can I encourage you: keep looking to Jesus.

And you said that’s not the most complicated message in the world. It’s not going to be. You won’t complicate it. Come back some other time, and I won’t even know what I’m saying on those Sundays. I may, you know. But this morning, we’re going to keep it simple: Keep looking to Jesus. I want that to be stuck in your brain, your heart. Keep looking to Jesus.

I’ve said this throughout this series here, it’s very important: you get the infection out. My wife, Ms. Tabitha, their nurses, works in the wound care clinic. They’ll come in there with all kinds of wounds. And the doctors will come in, if there’s any dead skin, they’ll cut it out. Don’t get too graphic, you know, I understand. And sometimes they’ll have to—the doctor will have to come in there and lance it back open again. And all that’s important for healing. But after all that’s said and done, the doctor will sew them up.

But no doctor can heal you; only Jesus can. And keep looking to Jesus. He’s the only one that can bring healing.

You say, “I lost…” I was looking over my notes about a man that I’ve dealt with. It’s been years, but it’s a good man. He’s in church today, not our church, married and doing pretty good as far as I know. But if I remember, his dad left him when he was a little boy. And then Mom remarried, and his stepdad got shot right in front of him when he was nine, I believe, maybe seven. Then when he was nine, his mom died, overdosed. And he went to live with his biological dad, and there were all kinds of issues there. And if you’ve been through things like that, can I just encourage you? And praise the Lord, that young man is middle-aged now, still looking to Jesus. Keep looking to Jesus.

He’s got all the answers, and he can heal you like nobody else. Nobody can bring that healing.

I look out and see people that grandchildren have been molested and all the rest of that, and that’s the day and time we live in. Can I encourage you, encourage your grandchildren? Keep looking to Jesus. He’s the only one that can bring life to a broken world.

And this whole series, we’ve tried to deal with major issues and try to help you in dealing with. That’s all important. But at the end of the day, Jesus—he’s the only one that can heal the broken heart. He left heaven to heal the broken heart. He said that. And just look to Jesus. Can I encourage you? So many just look out and see broken hearts and lives. But Jesus, he’s bringing healing to you. And he’s the only one that can.

And I encourage you: keep looking to Jesus. We’re going to just focus on that for a bit this morning. We won’t get out at 2 p.m. today. Somebody say amen right there. It’ll only be 1:45 p.m., amen, you know. But I don’t think it will be long. I’m going to try to keep it just simple. And on this thing, keep looking to Jesus. I hope that just gets burned into your heart this morning.

Hebrews chapter number 12. We’re going to look at verse number two. Hebrews 12, verse number two. Would you please stand?

As we read God’s Word together this morning, Hebrews 12 and verse number two.

Hebrews 12, verse number two, you’ll get that after a while, amen. We’ve got to be patient for some of these slower people here this morning, you know. I agree. Hebrews 12:2, here we go: looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

He set the pattern. By the way, he’ll be the one that finishes. It won’t be me and all that other stuff. It’ll be him. And if we make it and we serve the Lord and we become healed and what we ought to be for the Lord in this sin-messed-up world, it won’t be us. Self-reliance really doesn’t get you very far. It’ll be him.

He’s the author and he’s a finisher of our faith. He finished it. That’s why on the cross he said, “It is finished.” Amen.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.

Was it wonderful for him that he just looked to delight? Did he look all happy about that? What he looked forward to after the cross? By the way, you finished your course. You said, “Preacher, I got so much baggage. I could make an elephant drop to his knees on my baggage. And I’m trying to make my marriage work and all these things going on. Man, I’m just, I can be so defeated.”

Can I say this? Hey, look beyond. You keep living for the Lord. Keep that marriage together. And one day you’re going to sit down in the kingdom and you’ll have joy.

I never forget—I’m just a little different this morning, I hope you forgive me—but I was preaching a funeral for a lady, a widow at that point. Her husband just died. And at the visitation, we walked up to the casket, and she said, “Preacher, I did it.” I said, “What do you mean, you did it?” And she told the story about what all she had gone through. But she did. She said, “I did what I said I would do. I said ‘till death do us part,’ and I have made this marriage work.”

And she’s going to get to heaven one day, and she’s going to have joy. I did what I said I would do. I didn’t just walk away because everything wasn’t what I thought it should be. And Jesus, he looked beyond the cross. He endured the cross.

So how was it for Jesus on the cross? He was enduring. Sometimes in the Christian life you live for the Lord, it’s not going to be all hunky-dory. Being honest, don’t listen too much to those TV preachers. You live for the Lord, you’re going to be a millionaire and drive a certain car and have this house. Talk to the apostles about that, friend. There’s going to be times in the Christian life you just endure. And that’s not the fun part, but you endure. And what? Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

And Jesus, he endured the cross. Look at the rest: this despising the shame. I think there’s so much there. I think with the sins of mankind, I think that’s the most shame. I mean, the Bible says, “He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” It’s amazing to me that says he became sin: the murder, the filth, the trash, the junk. Sometimes you deal with things in life. When you get done dealing with it, you just feel dirty. It’s such a dirty situation. And Jesus took all that on him. He became that sin. And the sin and shame of the world was placed on him, despising the shame.

Even God the Father turned his back on his only begotten Son, and Jesus cried, “My God,” but he hadn’t turned back on the Father. He still said, “My God, my God.” He wasn’t walking away bitter. He still called him “my God,” but he said, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Because that eternal joy and fellowship they had was separated because Jesus took my sin and your sin on him. And he’s despising the shame of that. The dirt and filth of the world, he became it. That’s amazing. So much he loves you. And he was willing to do that, who gave himself for us. Well, it’s over there in Galatians 2:20, because he loved us and gave himself for us. He did that for you because he loved you.

Despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He finished. Author, Father, I’ll go, I’ll bear their sins. Finisher of our faith. He sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. Just looking to Jesus, just a bit, just a bit, looking to Jesus. We’re going to focus on that this morning.

And would you pray that God would just burn that in our hearts this morning?

Hebrews chapter number 12. We’re going to look at verse number two. Hebrews 12, verse number two.

As we read God’s Word together this morning, Hebrews 12 and verse number two.

Hebrews 12:2, here we go: looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

He’s the author and he’s a finisher of our faith. He finished it. That’s why on the cross he said, “It is finished.” Amen.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.

By the way, you finished your course. You said, “Preacher, I got so much baggage. I could make an elephant drop to his knees on my baggage. And I’m trying to make my marriage work and all these things going on. Man, I’m just, I can be so defeated.”

Can I say this? Hey, look beyond. You keep living for the Lord. Keep that marriage together. And one day you’re going to sit down in the kingdom and you’ll have joy.

I never forget. I’m just a little different this morning. I hope you forgive me. But I was preaching a funeral for a lady, a widow at that point. Her husband just died. And at the visitation, we walked up to the casket, and she said, “Preacher, I did it.” I said, “What do you mean, you did it?” And she told the story about what all she had gone through. But she did. She said, “I did what I said I would do. I said ‘till death do us part,’ and I have made this marriage work.”

Despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He finished. Author, Finisher of our faith. He sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. Just looking to Jesus, just a bit, just a bit, looking to Jesus. We’re going to focus on that this morning.

There was a young man. He was 15 years old. And he was not saved. He wanted to be saved. He was burdened about it. He had been reading his Bible. And God was convicting him. But he wasn’t sure how to work it all out. He’d been around some religion. And by the religion mentioned the Bible, if I remember right, seven times, five of them negatively. And he didn’t know the plan of salvation. And he was trying to figure it out. And he had heard so much about being good enough and doing all these things. And this phrase really just captured his mind: “How to obtain forgiveness of my sins.” And that was weighing him down. He was just burdened: how to obtain forgiveness of my sins. He wasn’t what we would say, a horrible young man, but he was like all of us; he was a sinner. And that was just, he couldn’t get over how to obtain forgiveness.

Forgiveness of my sins. And he was trying to figure that out. He’s burdened and praying and looking. And in fact, he read or he heard that verse, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” And that one stuck in his heart and his mind. My younger brother is here today, and I don’t know if I remember, but Mom—praise the Lord for Mom—was good at quoting that verse, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” I mean, you can tell I was convicted over that, amen, you know. And it’s a good thing. Pray the Lord for a good, godly mom.

But this young man thought, “How can I obtain forgiveness of my sins?” And he couldn’t figure it out. How do I do that? And he was burdened about it. He had read that verse or heard that verse, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” And he thought, “Well, I’ve sown some wild oats. How can I obtain forgiveness of sins?” It just was dominating his life.

And he had made a plan. He said, “I’m going to visit all the places of worship in my area. I’m going to go to them all.” And he had planned that Sunday morning to go to a certain church. But Saturday night, there was a storm, a snowstorm.

And he could not get to the church he wanted to. But he said, “I’m going to go to church somewhere.” A lot of churches were closed because of the snowstorm. But he said, “I’ve determined I’ve got to find out how to obtain forgiveness of my sins.” And so he was walking in the snow, trying to find a church that was open that he could go to. And he said, down that little alleyway here, there was a little Primitive Methodist church.

Now, the old-time Primitive Methodists were a far cry from what some of these are in our day and time, you understand? And they stood for the Bible, they stood for what is right, they stood for a wonderful heaven and a hot hell, amen. And there’s a God that oversees, and God’s rules arranged, and there’s a right and wrong; there’s a lot of “thou shalt” and “thou shalt not” in the Bible, amen. Back in the day they stood, and it was when these little primitive churches, they stood for something.

And he said this: he said, “I heard that church that were singing going on in there.” And he said this: he said, “They sing so loud in those little Primitive Methodist churches back then. He said, ‘They’ll give you a headache.’” Literally, that’s what he said.

He said, “But if I can learn how to obtain forgiveness of my sins, I’ll put up with a headache. I’m going to go to that little Primitive Methodist church.” So he went down the alley, and he went to that church, and there was just a handful of people meeting there. In fact, the pastor was not even there because he lived across the bridge, and there was a snowstorm, and he couldn’t get to the church. And a handful of people said, “We’re going to be faithful to the house. It’s the Lord’s Day, so we’re going to go to God’s house on God’s Day if it’s all possible.”

And they were there, and a deacon got up. He said, “Well, I’m not a preacher, but I’ll get up the best I can do.” And he got up and he read Isaiah 45:22, where the Bible says, “Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”

And like just a simple deacon in an old little Primitive Methodist church, and he just kept saying, “Look to Jesus, look to Jesus, look to Jesus, look, look and live. Look to Jesus.”

And the Holy Spirit kind of dawned on him. It’s not what all I can do. All I have to do is look to Jesus. And he’s the one that saves me. And Charles Haddon Spurgeon got saved that morning. He’s often called the Prince of Preachers. I think he’s the most read preacher that’s ever probably ever been besides the non—you know, guys that aren’t in the Bible. I mean, just… Most preachers, if they preach anybody’s sermons, they’ve preached Charles Spurgeon’s sermon back today, you know. I mean, that’s where I get all my—no, I’m joking about that, you know. But that’s why he was saved.

And Frank, and I just encourage you to look to Jesus this morning. That’s where your answers will be found.

You said, “I’m having financial problems.” Can I encourage you to look to Jesus? He’s the answer to your financial problem. I’m having marriage problems. Look to Jesus. He’s the one that can heal that marriage like nobody else’s business.

I think of people in our church; they’ve had some major problems with the marriage. And you just let your imagination—major problems—but can I say Jesus is bringing healing to so many, and they’re doing good today because of Jesus.

I thought about the Dempsey’s, Tim and Mary Dempsey. They’re already moving two hours away, and they’re going to make a special effort to be here tonight. How many know the Dempsey’s in our church? I’ve been there 23 years, the Dempsey’s, and we’ve moved to Ms. Mary, and she said, “You’re going to help us move.” And she said, “You helped us move all the other times.” I think I’ve helped them move four times, amen. That’s why I might have back problems today, amen, you know. But I thought about the Dempsey’s, and I thought about when Brother Tim had leukemia.

And he’s not here this morning. This is bad on me. I’m telling stories he’s not even here. I’ve told him before, so I don’t think I’m too bad. By the way, it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Amen, you know? You know what I’m saying there?

But I remember Brother Tim when he was on that—at one point, something happened. I don’t know. He got a little emotional. And he said, he started tearing up. Big old Tim, Vietnam vet, that guy, you know. He used to be a little bit bigger, you know. And Brother Tim said, “Man, I’m so emotional. All this medicine. I feel like a woman anymore, you know.”

And he was out cutting the grass. He cut the grass around here, and he had on shorts and, you know, a T-shirt, of course. And, and, but he’s losing his balance because of all that medicine. He came to my office—he had already fallen when he came to my office. And he said, “I fell,” and he fell, you know, getting on or off that lawnmower, I don’t know. And he had strawberries on both knees and both elbows, you know.

And I said, “Man, maybe Brother Tim, we need to get somebody else to cut the grass.” And he said, “Man, Pastor, I’m going through all this. I can’t do much. Don’t take from me the one job I can do, you know.” What do you do with a guy like that? But I thought about that. Mrs. Mary going through cancer several years ago and all they’ve been through. And praise the Lord, Tim and Mary are still looking to Jesus. That’s the key.

You’re not going to score 100% in everything. He’s not going to turn out like you think. You’re not going to be the best Christian in all the world. I always said there’s nobody, no Christian with an S on their chest. If there is, it’s a sinner saved by grace, not Superman. Amen, you know. But it doesn’t matter. Just keep looking to Jesus. That’s the key. That’s the key.

I thought about Brother Anthony’s family and what a wonderful job they did here. And I thought about when they moved down here, moving that little apartment behind Brother Frank and Miss Juan and the garden they had over there, you know, and all those things. And they came as a young couple, and now they have four children. Well, that’ll make you look to Jesus. Amen.

And they’re leaving, so experienced and so ready to serve the Lord in West Virginia and all that. And, hey, praise the Lord, all these years, they’re still looking to Jesus. And can I say, I don’t know where God will have them in 10 years or 12 years, whatever God does, but keep looking to Jesus. That’s the key. That’s always the key for it.

You’re going to fall and you’re going to mess up here or there in life, but can I encourage you: just keep looking to Jesus. You’re going to get knocked down. Sometimes you’re going to say, “I think I’m knocked out, and I’m just knocked out. I don’t know if I can get back up.” Can I encourage you? Look to Jesus. That’s always the key, friend, looking to Jesus.

Now for just a moment, can I say this? You say, “All right, all right, you got stuck up ahead looking into Jesus. All right, you’re going to go to the restaurant.” First of all, you’ll be mad at the pastor when you get there because you said he kept you too long, and he said he wouldn’t. And the Presbyterians have beat me at the restaurant, and I’m getting here late. And you’re going to bow your head and pray for the food. And you’re going to say, “Thank you, Lord.” And you’re going to say, “Thank you, Lord. I’m going to look to Jesus.” It’s stuck in your head. Amen. That’s what I hope happens, you know. It’s just going to be in your head like looking unto Jesus.

But you know what you’ll find when you look there? When you look to Jesus? Can I for just a moment talk to you about what you’ll see when you look to Jesus? Would you look over in chapter 4? Hebrews 4. You’re in chapter 12. We’ll look at Hebrews 4. And I want you just see this just briefly. What will you see when you look to Jesus? What will you see?

Hebrews chapter 4, and look in verse number 15 right there, verse number 15: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities…” By the way, it doesn’t say that he cannot be touched with your infirmities—that’s your weaknesses. It doesn’t say he cannot be touched by the feeling of your infirmities, just the feeling. I’ve been adequate.

The feeling of your infirmities. Does he care about your feelings? Yeah, he can be touched by the feeling of your infirmities. “We have not a high priest which cannot be touched by the feeling or the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Years ago, I started thinking about Jesus, and we often hear that Jesus is our perfect example in every area, and I thought, “All right, he’s perfect in every area.” And I thought about that verse, “He’s tempted in all points like as we are in all points.” And at that time, I thought, “Well, what about family? Did he ever have family problems?” I mean, he kind of had Mary and Joseph; I mean, just everything was kind of perfect in his world. Surely Jesus didn’t have family problems. And a lot of people have some major wounds. Sometimes Satan uses those people closest to us. And surely Jesus didn’t have family problems.

And about that time of life, I was reading through the Bible. And I read over there in Luke chapter number two. That’s when Jesus was 12 years old. They went to the temple. Remember that? And the first time Jesus got to go, and Jesus went over there, and he was talking with the scribes and the chief priests. And his mom, Mary, and his stepdad, Joseph, they left. And it was three days before they came back. Now, ladies, moms out there, help me out: if you had left your son and you missed him, you’ve been looking for him, and it’s been three days, what would you do when you saw your son?

I imagine you’d grab him and hug him and say, “I missed you,” and probably cry and tear up. And, “Boy, I can’t believe… I’m sorry we left him. And I’m glad you’re okay.” But can’t I read for you what happened? This is not what often people would think of. But can’t I just read it for you? Luke 2:48: “And when they saw him, they were amazed. And his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.”

Now, wait a second. Isn’t that a little twist? Y’all out there? Instead of Mary saying, “Man, I’m so sorry we left you. I love you. You know, we missed you. Let me give you a hug,” she said, “Why have you been doing this to us?” You’re grown adults. You’re okay. It’s your son that’s been gone, you know, been alone, 12 years old.

And it started dawning on me: Jesus understands. Oh, he’s had family problems galore. There were many, many issues there. I read over there, Mark 6:4: “But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” And it began to dawn on me more and more: Jesus had family problems.

Oh, he understands. You look to Jesus on the cross; do you understand what my family’s like? Yeah, he does. I thought about his half-brothers. And they didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah. They turned on him.

And, oh, there was all kind of family. I thought about when Jesus was in the house and they couldn’t get in there—Mary and the half-brothers—and they stood outside. Surely, I bet surely one of them could have gotten there, but they stood outside. “Hey, Jesus, come out here to us.” And Jesus said, “No, no, these that do the will of my Father, they’re my brothers and sisters.” There’s something to doing that stuff for him. And I’m simply saying, and Jesus, you look to the cross, he understands family problems.

Jesus is on the cross, and he has those seven utterances on the cross, and one of those, he turns to John, his apostle, and Mary, his mother, and he says, “Mary, behold thy son.” And he tells John the beloved, “Behold thy mother.” Well, wait a second, she’s got other sons. She’s got other daughters.

Jesus had half—I think it’s four of them are half-brothers—and at least three half-sisters. There was another family there, but why did Jesus have to say, “Hey, John, you got to take care of my mom”? Because there are family issues, friends. And I’m saying when you look to Jesus, you’re not going to find somebody that doesn’t understand you. You’re going to find a God-man that understands. He was in all points tempted like as we are. He knows what it is to hurt. He knows what it is to shed tears. He knows what it is to have those that are close to you turn against you. He understands all those things. And that’s one of the reasons why look unto Jesus.

When you’re burdened and you’re crying and you’re shedding tears into your bed at night time and you think, “Does anybody care?” Jesus cares. He understands, and you look to Jesus.

Look unto Jesus. He said, “Well, I’ve been through trauma.” Jesus has too.

He went back to his hometown, the place he grew up, Nazareth. And he went back to that hometown to people that were familiar with him. And he came back as public ministry had started. He went to the synagogue and read Isaiah 61, a wonderful passage. And boy, did they accept Jesus as the Messiah? No, they took him out to the brow of a hill—there’s a cliff, if you will. Cliff, cliff, hey, we’re in Tennessee, amen, hillbilly either way. Amen, come on now, you know. Someone said there’s a Spanish person going to visit with us, and then somebody’s going to translate, and they said they might be tough with Pastor. I said, “Yeah, they got to translate from hillbilly to English to Spanish, you know, that’s tough, you know. That’s tough to do.”

And Jesus, they led him out to the brow of the hill, and they were going to push him off. Can you imagine the kids, the friends you grew up with in your neighborhood going to push you off a cliff? By the way, I don’t know—the Bible didn’t tell us—but there was his hometown. I don’t know where his half-brothers were. His stepdad was. I don’t know. But they’re going to push him off the cliff. And praise the Lord, that’s when Jesus, he went through the midst of them. Nobody could stop Jesus.

He said, “Well, I’ve been through so much trauma. Have you ever been strapped by stripes and had a cat o’ nine tails, 39 times?” Well, they would take that old whip across the back of the victim, and they’d take it across there. Boy, this is a sorry excuse for a whip right here, I’ll tell you for sure. Now, you know. Sometimes you’ve got to do what you can. What’s he got, though, you know? And 39 times they’d come down across his back.

Thirty-six and thirteen, or I think there’s some on the back, some on the chest. Typical. And they’d wrap around the body. And woven in the tips of that, they would have rock and makeshift glass and copper. And those things would just grip the body. And they wouldn’t unwrap it. Well, hold still, I’ll unwrap it. You know, they’d do that. Those old Roman soldiers were trained; they’d just pull that whip. And it would fillet the body. Psalms 22, a prophecy about Jesus, talks about how his bones would stare out. You could just see his bones that would fillet a victim. How would you like to look down and see your intestines hanging out? That’s where it was when you’re scourged like that. Huge pull. They say often inner organs would be hanging out.

You look to Jesus, you’re not going to find somebody that doesn’t understand trauma. Oh, he understands trauma. For him, his own country, man, the Israelites, the Hebrew people—not all of them, but that’s the majority of them, not just them. I’m not trying to condemn them. We all condemned him. We all put him on the cross. But it was the chief priests that led the other Israelite people, and they—Pilate wanted to release him—they said, “Hey, crucify!”

And can you imagine the chanting? Can you imagine Jesus is standing there, hearing his own people that he came into? He came, first of all, to the Jewish people. The book of Matthew is all about that, and he heard them chant, “Crucify him! Crucify him! Crucify him! Crucify him!” How would you feel if you heard your own American people say, “Crucify him!” Jesus understands trauma.

You look to Jesus. Look unto Jesus. You said, “I’ve been through so much,” and Jesus says, “I understand. Been there myself.” Can I encourage you to look to Jesus? In all points, in all points. You said, “Pastor, you don’t know all I’ve been through.” No, I don’t, but Jesus knows it all, that he understands. For him, misunderstood, lonely.

At one point going to the cross, the Bible says, “All men forsook him and fled.” He understands that. Satan was… He said, “Oh, the devil’s after me.” Oh, friend, Satan was after Jesus more than anybody. In the wilderness, he departed him for a season after that. He understands. When you look to Jesus, you’re not going to find somebody that’s never been through problems. You’re going to find someone who’s been through suffering. He understands what it’s like. Look to Jesus.

Can I say this? We’ve got to hurry along. I said at the beginning, I think we’re going to be shorter than usual. I should not have said that. My goodness. Every time I say that, there’s a wave of disbelief comes across the auditorium. Now I’m beginning to get on your side here lately. I’ll tell you what. But you’ll find someone that’s suffered too. He understands. And when you look to the cross, can I tell you what you’ll find? You’ll find someone that has forgiveness available. Seven utterances. Let me see if I can get seven without… Seven utterances, all right. Oh, you know.

Jesus said seven things, utterances on the cross, and the first thing he said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” You look to Jesus. I was talking to somebody yesterday or maybe the day before, and they said, “Well, most of my problems, I’ll be honest with you, they’re self-inflicted,” and I appreciate their honesty.

Should I look to Jesus when all my problems? Most of them are my sorry fault? Why shall I look to him? Because you’ll find forgiveness. Maybe you say my trauma is not that I’ve been cheated on. Maybe I cheated on someone, and I just can’t get past that. Can I say look to Jesus? There’s forgiveness there.

I’m not condoning any sin, but I’m saying, friend, you look to the cross, you’ll find forgiveness. I’ve got to hurry along, but I think about a lady years ago. What a lady, she’s a good lady, but she had had a past like we all do. She had an abortion years ago, years before she got in this church. Boy, the old media, they’ll twist that lie, and those mothers suffer guilt, shame for years. You check it out. The most involved activists on pro-life typically are someone that’s had an abortion years ago. They’ve lived that nightmare of just conviction and guilt for years, and while they’re doing all the kids, trying to make up for it. You check that out. And that lady and her husband came to them all, but she couldn’t get past it.

Years and years ago, and praise the Lord, I say, “Hey, look to Jesus. There’s forgiveness in Jesus.” Hey, Jesus, he’ll forgive you. He’s looking down on the cross, and he’s saying, “I’m paying the debt. Forgiveness is coming.”

Praise the Lord, that lady looked at Jesus. Can I say we’ve got one of the great ministries in our church? That lady started it because of that incident in her life. Years and years later, it’s still going. Friend, you look to Jesus. There’s forgiveness there. Looking unto Jesus, you’ll find… you’ll find someone that suffered too. You’ll find forgiveness there.

Can I say this? You’ll find someone who’s a master at bringing good out of tragedy in a sin-messed-up world. Look over real quickly. Romans 8:28. We’re going to close it out here pretty soon. Within the hour, I promise you. It’s amazing how God can bring good out of messed-up situations.

You know the verse, many of you. It’s a great verse, great promise. Romans 8:28. I’d encourage you, memorize it if you have it. Romans 8:28. Here we go. If you know it, would you say it out loud with me? Here we go: “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

And we know, and we know that all things work together. It’s not saying every single thing in your life is wonderful. No, no, no, no. It’s not saying that. When that wicked man and that wicked person did that wicked thing, it’s not saying that’s wonderful. Oh, no. By the way, he doesn’t even say it’s the best it had to do. But he’s saying, “Hey, and we know that all things work together for good to the end of God.”

Can I encourage you, don’t get bitter. See, I got so much trauma in my life, don’t get bitter. Don’t turn away from God; turn to him. Here’s the sad thing: if you turn away from—if you don’t love him, you get bitter at him—you lose Romans 8:28. That’s so sad. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. You’re fulfilling His purpose for your life. God is a master at bringing good out of messed-up lives.

He’s dealing here recently with a situation. I’ve talked to the husband. I’ve heard his side of it. The wife called this week, and I heard her side of it. You ever hear a story like, “Whoa, which one is right? What’s true here?” you know? It’s so messed up. Hard to know sometimes what the truth is. Somebody told me the other day, “Well, you’ve been counseling with people for 30 years or whatever, you know, you probably can see right through us.” I’ve been counseling long enough to know you can’t always see through it, amen.

But I was able to say, “Hey, you know what? God can take your messed-up situation. God can make something out of it.” If you turn, you look to Jesus, you put your marriage and your life in the hands of Jesus, you do right. God knows the truth of all that, and God is a master at bringing good out of messed-up lives. And God can bring that marriage together and heal the broken heart and get the truth out, get the infection out, and get things set in the right direction. He might put a cast on that thing for a life, but God can get you set in the right direction, and God can bring healing in that marriage like nobody ever dreamed could happen to that marriage. Jesus. You look to him, you’ll find somebody can make something good and bring good out of messed-up situations.

I thought about the thief on the cross. At one point the Bible calls him a malefactor. That means someone that’s been in and out of jail. Yeah, you know, they’re in jail right now. Yeah, they’re out tomorrow. Well, let’s see how long they’re out, you know. Anybody have been there? That was this man. Messed-up life, thief on the cross. And yet in the last seconds, minutes of his life, he looked at Jesus and said, “Remember me today when you come into your paradise.” And Jesus said, “Hey, put in. Hallelujah. Hey. Forgiveness. Today thou shalt be with me in paradise.” Amen. Now I thought about that all these years, how God has brought good out of that messed-up life.

Just this week, Brother Glenn Schrader went, and his brother was having heart surgery and didn’t know his brother would make it, and he was able—and some family had said, “Baptism saved.” No, no, no, no. And how he was able to say, “Hey, what about that thief on the cross?” By the way, he went and witnessed to his brother’s brother praying. He used to save him, by the way. Praise over that. All these years, God has used that testimony. Messed-up life that God’s used that thief on the cross, and say in the last minutes of his life. I’m just saying, you turn, you look to Jesus, he can bring good out of messed-up situations. He’s a master at it. He can do it like nobody’s business. You think there’s no hope for me, no hope for them? Oh, there’s always hope in Jesus.

Can I say there will be scars? I think, unless the Lord changes, I think this will be the last sermon on this series. So bear with me just a second. But if you’ve got major trauma, there are probably going to be some scars.

I thought about—has anybody ever read the book Tortured Faith by Harlan Popoff? Some of you read it, amazing book. Amazing book. The man’s in Romania, I believe it was, behind the Iron Curtain. And they just—I think 12 years he was in prison. They make him stand two inches from a bright white wall, just bright, you know, two inches from it. And if he closed his eyes, they would literally hit him. And you stand there all night long, and how your legs swell up and your feet swell up, and you’re trying to just stand. And if you close your eye, you’re going to get pounded. You don’t know what side it’s coming from because your face is to the wall. Your ears have just been ringing. And they got soft-soled shoes so they could walk and you wouldn’t hear them coming up. And he went through that for 12 years. By the way, he was a preacher, and he didn’t commit any crime. The only crime was preaching Jesus Christ is what saves and against communism. And, of course, he got to live through that, wrote the book Tortured Faith. Amazing, but it was so good for me as a teenager to read. I’m so glad God led me to do that. It’s a great thing, parents putting those things in front of me.

And, but David Smith preached first. He preached to our “Each One Bring One” Sunday, and I heard—he knew Harlan Popoff. Paul was in heaven. And so we were riding, I said, “Man, tell me about him.” He said, “I’ll be honest. I was a young man. My dad was a pastor, and he said, ‘You know, he came to preach for us.’ He said, ‘But I was a young man. I took care of him. Took him to the motel and took him out to eat and all that good stuff.’” He said, “But I was a young man. I had no idea. I’ve got Harlan Popoff.” He said, “I hadn’t… I read the book at the moment. I said, ‘What did you get anything? I mean, I want to learn from this guy. It’s amazing what all he went through.’” And God used to understand. He said, “Well,” he said,

He said, “I’m not trying to be mean.” He said, “But he was a little strange.”

He said, “It was a godly man, you could tell, but he said, ‘I would take him to the hotel.’ And he said, ‘My dad would say, do whatever. Just give—if we got to change, change rooms, we’ve got to change motels.’ He said, ‘But he would go to a room. And he said, we’d ask, “We want the quietest room in the motel.”’ And he said, ‘All right, this is the best I know.’ We’d go to the room, and he said, ‘He’d stand there for about five minutes. Just don’t talk.’ And he said, ‘And he said, “I hear some trickling water over here. I can’t sleep in this room. You got to give me a different room.”’ And we go to another place, and he said, ‘There’s a light, a certain light coming up, you know, out the window.’ He said, ‘I cannot sleep here.’ And he said, ‘It’s a godly man, but you understand 12 years of torture, it puts a mark on your brain and your heart.’ And though it’s a godly man preaching in the United States years later, telling those stories, he still had the marks from that. He wasn’t trying to be belligerent. He just, you know, there’s certain noise that it took him back to the prison. He was getting tortured.”

And I tell you that story, there’s going to be some remains, there’s scars from trauma. But the key is even when you’re going through those triggers and those issues, keep looking to Jesus. Keep looking to Jesus. We have a member in our church, and they went to a counselor that’s been counseling for years and years, and they said, “In 30 years of counseling, I think yours is the worst story I’ve ever heard.” But praise the Lord, that person is still looking to Jesus. Friend, I’m saying with everything going on in your life and the problems and the triggers and the trauma, keep looking to Jesus.

Looking at Jesus, the author and finisher, he’ll finish it. Keep looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despised the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Keep looking to Jesus till you see him one day.

You’ll find someone that’s suffered too. He understands. And when you look to the cross, can I tell you what you’ll find? You’ll find someone that has forgiveness available.

You’ll find someone’s a master at bringing good out of tragedy in a sin-messed-up world. Look over real quickly. Romans 8:28. We’re going to close it out here pretty soon. Within the hour, I promise you. It’s amazing how God can bring good out of messed-up situations.

And, but David Smith preached first. He preached to our “Each One Bring One” Sunday, and I heard—he knew Harlan Popoff. Paul was in heaven. And so we were riding, I said, “Man, tell me about him.” He said, “I’ll be honest. I was a young man. My dad was a pastor, and he said, ‘You know, he came to preach for us.’” He said, “But I was a young man. I took care of him. Took him to the motel and took him out to eat and all that good stuff.” He said, “But I was a young man. I had no idea. I’ve got Harlan Popoff.” He said, “I hadn’t… I read the book at the moment. I said, ‘What did you get anything? I mean, I want to learn from this guy. It’s amazing what all he went through.’” And God used to understand. He said, “Well,” he said,

He said, “I’m not trying to be mean.” He said, “But he was a little strange.”

He said, “It was a godly man, you could tell, but he said, ‘I would take him to the hotel.’ And he said, ‘My dad would say, do whatever. Just give—if we got to change, change rooms, we’ve got to change motels.’” He said, “But he would go to a room. And he said, we’d ask, ‘We want the quietest room in the motel.’” And he said, “All right, this is the best I know.” We’d go to the room, and he said, “He’d stand there for about five minutes. Just don’t talk.” And he said, “And he said, ‘I hear some trickling water over here. I can’t sleep in this room. You got to give me a different room.’” And we go to another place, and he said, “There’s a light, a certain light coming up, you know, out the window.” He said, “I cannot sleep here.” And he said, “It’s a godly man, but you understand 12 years of torture, it puts a mark on your brain and your heart.” And though it’s a godly man preaching in the United States years later, telling those stories, he still had the marks from that. He wasn’t trying to be belligerent. He just, you know, there’s certain noise that it took him back to the prison. He was getting tortured.

I’m going to ask you to make a commitment this morning. Young people, I hope you’re listening real good, everybody, but I’m going to ask you make a commitment. Would you make a commitment to keep looking to Jesus? No matter what’s going on where you’re at, how life twists and turns and the problems and the burns and the heartaches, I’m just going to keep looking to Jesus. I’m going to make a commitment not to be perfect because you couldn’t keep it. Not to find a life without problems because you can’t find it. But no matter what’s going on, I’m going to keep looking to Jesus. If I backslide, if I, whatever, I’m going to keep—I’m going to keep looking to Jesus. I’m making a commitment this morning by my raised hand that I’m going to keep looking to Jesus. I’m making a commitment this morning. I’m going to keep looking to Jesus. If you’re willing to make that commitment before the Lord, I’m going to keep looking to Jesus. Would you slip your hand up? I’m going to make a commitment. I’m going to keep looking to Jesus. God, many, many hands. Maybe there’s somebody else. I’m going to make a commitment. I’m going to keep looking to Jesus. Anybody else? Would you slip it up? God bless you. Men, so many hands. That’s wonderful. That’s wonderful. Thank you so much. You can put your hands down.

Maybe you hear this morning you say, “You know, I’ve got my eyes off of him and on my problems, on myself, on my inadequacies.” Satan loves to do that. If you get your eyes on yourself, it’s going to lead to one of two things: either pity or pride. Satan loves you just looking at everything else besides Jesus.

You say, “I’ve gotten… and he’s got me a little bit. I’ve got my eyes off Jesus, but this morning I’m going to get reset. I’m going to get my eyes off of myself and off the problems and all the things, and I’m going to get my eyes on Jesus.” And in a real new way, I’m getting my eyes back on Jesus this morning. God spoke to my heart about that. If that’s you this morning, you slip your hand up. Preacher, in a new real way, I’m getting my eyes back on Jesus. Back on you, anybody else? God bless you, just slip your hand up, just slip it up. I’m going to get my eyes back on Jesus. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. He’s been through it. He understands. He’s found someone who’s suffered. He’s had trauma. He has forgiveness though.

God bless you. God bless you. Thank you so very much. You can put your hands down.

One last question. We’re done. You say, “Preacher, I’ve never been to Jesus for salvation. I need to look to Jesus like that young 15-year-old man did. My sins have not been paid for. I’m not listed in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I’m not a born-again Christian. I need to get saved. I need to look to Jesus for salvation. I need to look and live. I need to look at Jesus. He’s the author, finisher of our faith. I need to put my faith in Jesus. I need to get saved.” If that’s you this morning, no one looking, our heads bowed and eyes closed. But if that’s you, would you slip your hand up? Just slip it up. Slip it up. “I need to look to Jesus.” God bless you. God bless you. Would it be anybody else? “I need to look to Jesus for salvation.” Anybody else? Just slip it up. Just slip it up.

Thank you so very much. You can put your hands down. Thank you so very much. Right now, right there you’re set. Right there you’re set. Would you look to him? Would you go to Jesus? “Jesus, I admit it. I’m a sinner. I haven’t got everything perfect. I know that. I messed up. But Jesus, right now I’m looking to you. Would you pay my sin debt? I welcome your forgiveness. Would you pay my sin debt? Would you redeem me? Make me your own. I’m looking to you, Jesus, to get me to heaven. Thank you.”

If you just prayed that prayer in your minute, you just look to Jesus to live. Just a moment we’re going to stand. We’re going to have a word of prayer. I’m going to pray for you. And I’m going to ask you, there’ll be some men—there’ll be a man standing down front, there’ll be a man standing in the back. If you’re one of those that prayed and asked Jesus to save you, would you come just shake their hand? They’ll take a Bible and from the Bible, make sure and settle it and ask questions. They’ll want to be a help. If you raised your hand and said, “I need to get my eyes back on Jesus,” would you come to an old-fashioned altar? If you raised your hand, “I’m making this commitment to keep my eyes looking unto Jesus,” would you come and make it at an old-fashioned altar? Maybe there’s not enough room, just wherever you can. Just get close to the Lord. Get to your knees and say, “I want to make this commitment. I’m going to look to Jesus,” because Jesus—excuse me—Satan is always trying to get you to look away. And would you make that commitment this morning? “I’m going to look to Jesus.” Would you please stand? All of us will stand. When I have a short prayer, when I say amen, would you just find a place where you can get on your knees and say, “Jesus, I’m going to look to you. I’m making that commitment. I’m going to get my eyes back on you.” Not saving—I’m going to get saved. Would you do that? There’ll be a man down front. There will be a man in the back. Would you come? They’ll help you with this thing, settle this thing. You’re a child of God on the way to heaven. Let’s pray. Would you come? Thank you, Jesus, that we have you. You’re everything to us. Thank you. You’ve been through suffering. You’ve been through trauma. You’ve been through family issues. You’ve been through Satan’s trials. You’ve been through it all. And yet when we look to you, you have forgiveness. You have purpose. You can bring good out of it all. You have forgiveness. Lord, help us to look to you in a special real way in these few minutes. Help us all to do that. One that prayed, I pray to give him courage to come in a special way to look to you. Bless these few minutes, Lord, in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Would you come? Would you come? Just look to Jesus. We won’t be long. That’s right. You come. You come. Don’t wait for anybody else. Make that commitment. “I want to look to Jesus. I’m going to get my eyes back on him in a special real way.” If you’re not saved or you’re settling your faith, come let us be a help. Two men down front, one in the back. Just shake their hand. They’ll be glad to help. If we’re not careful, Satan will get us looking at ourselves, our inadequacies, our problems instead of looking to Jesus. In a real way, would you just look to Jesus during this time? Take that time right where you’re at, look to Jesus. You look to Jesus, you’ll find love, you’ll find forgiveness, you’ll find mercy, you’ll find healing. He’s got it all. Vain is the help of man, but Jesus has got it. Look to Jesus. Look to Jesus. You got a major wound? Would you look to Jesus about that? Talk to him about that. Spend some time looking to Jesus. Would you do that?

Original File: Look to Jesus - Pastor Paul Chisgar Dealing with baggage - Sunday AM 07232023

# Look to Jesus

Look to Jesus