Wind Watchers: Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus in the Last Days

In a world saturated with voices demanding our attention, we face an even greater challenge: keeping our spiritual eyes focused on what truly matters. This powerful message uses the story of Peter walking on water to reveal a profound truth about our Christian journey. Just as Peter stepped out in faith and walked miraculously on the sea, our walk with Christ is supernatural—it defies natural laws and requires divine power. But here’s the critical moment: Peter began to sink when he saw the wind boisterous. He became a wind watcher. How often do we do the same? We start our faith journey with eyes fixed on Jesus, but then we become distracted by the storms around us—whether personal trials, global events, conspiracy theories, or even doctrinal debates. The message challenges us to examine what we’re really watching. Are we obsessed with tracking every movement of the enemy, every prophetic sign, every current event, thinking this makes us spiritually awake? Or are we looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith? The Laodicean church believed they could see clearly, yet Christ said they were blind. True spiritual awakening doesn’t come from knowing what the devil is doing—it comes from faith in Jesus Christ. When we behold Him, we are changed into His image. When we behold darkness, we become dark. The call is clear: stop being wind watchers and become Christ watchers, especially now when the winds of strife are blowing stronger than ever.

Key Points:

  • Satan presents many “mirages” to divert our attention from following God’s Word and Spirit, our map and compass through this desert world
  • Just as Peter began to sink when he looked at the boisterous wind instead of Jesus, Christians sink when they focus on circumstances rather than Christ
  • There are multiple forms of “wind watching”: obsessing over trials, current events, conspiracy theories, the work of Jesuits and elites, or constantly seeking new doctrines
  • Knowledge of what the devil is doing does not make us spiritually awake; by beholding we become changed, so focusing on Satan’s work transforms us into his image
  • Many Adventists are particularly susceptible to wind watching due to their emphasis on Bible prophecy and end-time events
  • The Laodicean message reveals that despite thinking we are awake and knowledgeable, we are actually blind and need eye salve
  • True awakening comes not through knowledge of conspiracies or events, but through faith in Jesus Christ and awakening to righteousness
  • We should be aware of the times but not obsessed with them; our focus determines our spiritual trajectory
  • When trials increase and winds blow stronger, we need to be MORE determined to keep our eyes on Christ, not less

Scripture References from the Sermon

Explicitly Mentioned or Quoted:

  1. Hebrews 12:2 – “Looking unto Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith”

  2. Matthew 14:22 – Jesus constraining disciples to get into a ship after feeding the 5,000

  3. John 6:15 – “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force and make him a king”

  4. Matthew 14:24-31 – Peter walking on water (the ship tossed with waves, wind was contrary, Peter seeing the wind boisterous and beginning to sink)

  5. Revelation 7:1 – “After these things I saw the four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor the sea, nor any tree”

  6. Ephesians 4:14 – “That we should be no more children tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine”

  7. 2 Corinthians 3:18 – “But we all with open face beholding in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”

  8. Revelation 3:17 – “Knowest not that thou art blind” (Laodicean message – wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked)

  9. Revelation 3:18 – “I counsel thee to anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest see”

  10. Matthew 9:27-30 – Two blind men coming to Jesus (“Believe ye that I am able to do this?… According to your faith be it unto you”)

  11. 1 Corinthians 15:34 – “Awake to righteousness and sin not. For some have not the knowledge of God”

Relevant Supporting Verses (Not Explicitly Mentioned but Align with Themes):

  1. Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (theme of spiritual vision)

  2. Psalm 121:1-2 – “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills” (looking to God for help)

  3. Colossians 3:2 – “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”

  4. Matthew 6:22-23 – “The light of the body is the eye” (spiritual sight)

  5. John 3:8 – Wind/Spirit analogy (wind blowing where it will)

  6. Isaiah 26:3 – “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee”