Thesis
Drawing from the faith hall of fame in Hebrews 11 and the story of Noah, Pastor Bill argues that citizens of heaven are called to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus rather than expending their energy trying to repair themselves, others, or society. Just as Noah obeyed God in building an ark for things he had never seen, stayed faithful in the dark silence before the flood, and responded to a post-apocalyptic world with worship rather than worry, followers of Christ are called to run their God-given race with obedience, faithfulness, and thankfulness — all rooted in the grace God initiates toward us.
Key points
- 1
Faith means the future becomes the present — we live now according to where God is taking us, seeing what others cannot see.
- 2
We must fix our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith, so we do not grow weary and give up.
- 3
God's grace came first for Noah — he found favor (the Hebrew word for grace) before he was righteous, blameless, and walking with God. The gospel pattern is the same today.
- 4
Fix our eyes on obedience — Noah obeyed God's commands for things that had never happened before, spending 55–75 years building a boat for rain and a flood he had never seen.
- 5
Fix our eyes on faithfulness — Noah and his family sat sealed in the ark for seven days before a drop of rain fell, and endured 375 days total, staying faithful even in the darkness while the world mocked.
- 6
Fix our eyes on thankfulness — when Noah stepped into a post-apocalyptic world, his first act was to build an altar and sacrifice to God, declaring that God is the provider, not his own resources.
- 7
The church's mission is to point people to Jesus, not merely to alleviate earthly suffering; making social relief the primary mission means helping people live more comfortably until they die eternally apart from God.
Outline
Introduction — Getting Distracted
Pastor Bill opens with a baseball story about being tagged out because he was distracted by gum stuck to his hand, illustrating the sermon's theme: when we take our eyes off the right thing, we lose. He introduces the series on being citizens of heaven.
Big Idea and Hebrews 12:1-3
The big idea is stated — fix our eyes, not fix our world — and grounded in Hebrews 12:1-3, where believers are called to strip off every weight and keep their eyes fixed on Jesus, who endured the cross by living out the same faith He calls us to.
Hebrews 11:7 and Historical Credibility of Noah
Pastor Bill reads Hebrews 11:7, introduces Noah's story, and addresses skepticism about the flood narrative — citing Jesus's treatment of it as real history, worldwide flood evidence, and mathematical feasibility of the ark — before diving into the three-part structure of the story.
Part 1 — Fix Our Eyes on Obedience
Noah found grace (the first use of the Hebrew word for grace in the Bible), which gave him right standing and wholeness, leading him to walk closely with God. Out of that grace-rooted relationship, he obeyed God completely — building an ark for rain, a flood, and a boat none of which had ever existed.
Part 2 — Fix Our Eyes on Faithfulness
God told Noah to board the ark a full seven days before the rain began. Sealed in darkness while the world mocked, Noah stayed faithful. Pastor Bill challenges listeners to remain faithful to God even when they are sitting in the dark and nothing seems to be happening.
Part 3 — Fix Our Eyes on Thankfulness
When Noah exited to a devastated, post-apocalyptic earth, his first response was to build an altar and sacrifice to God. Worship is our weapon against worry — it declares that God is the provider and shifts our focus from the problem to the answer.
Mission of the Church and Closing Application
Pastor Bill ties the message to the church's mission: loving people like Jesus means pointing them to eternal life, not merely making them more comfortable. Using a CPR analogy, he argues that the most loving thing is sometimes the most counterintuitive — and that fixing our eyes on Christ is the only way to truly love a broken world.
Memorable moments
fix our eyes, not fix our world
Worry only focuses and fixates on the problem. Worship fixes its eyes on the answer
Some people say I'm too worried to worship. It should be the other way around. When I'm really worried, I should worship more
If you keep your eyes fixed on him, what you look at is what you move towards
If you accept the grace of Jesus, He's the one that puts you in right standing. He's the one that makes you whole
We can't leave out the mission
Application
Pastor Bill's call to action flows directly from Noah's three movements. First, receive the grace God has already fixed on you — you do not earn it, you accept it. Then ask honestly: where is God calling you to obey Him in something that makes no sense to the world around you? Second, stay faithful in the dark. When you have obeyed and nothing seems to be happening, resist the voices that say you are wasting your time. Third, choose worship over worry — especially when things look their worst. Give God your time and your money first, not as a tip but as an act of trust, and watch Him provide. Finally, keep the mission clear: love people enough to point them to Jesus, not just to a more comfortable life. That is what it looks like to be a citizen of heaven living on mission in this world.
