3-1-2009
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Thanks, Dean and Donald, the song was beautiful! I guess we just have a houseful of musicians in our Church! This is one of my most favorite songs… “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” And tis true, for when you have your eyes on Jesus it is really hard to see anything else! Yes, you all might have noticed I did not post last week’s sermon, and for that, I do ask you forgiveness. I had a couple of sick little ones who dearly needed their momma at every waking moment.
Welcome visitors! I am just plain thankful you guys feel welcome here. It is just an awesome feeling to walk into the house of the Lord and fellowship with His children.
VernacularToo many times we have become used to, desensitized, just plain numb to some words or phrases in our vocabulary, words that really should stir up great feelings and emotions within us, words that should hold important meaning in our lives.
Take the word “Christian” or “Christianity”.
The New Testament gives a simple answer to the question who a Christian is:
“Whoever claims to live in Him [Jesus] must walk as Jesus did.”
1John 2:6The American Heritage Dictionary defines a Christian as “one who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus; one who lives according to the teachings of Jesus.”
Simply stated a Christian follows the example of Jesus’ life in thankful obedience to God's will. However, we hear this word many times by or about people who do not truly hold to its meaning! We have become just used to hearing it and assume it just means these people go to church, when the meaning is oh so much more than that! It has just become a vernacular.
How about “Born Again”
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
John 1:12-13How many times have you heard this word when used in reference to Christians, or used by Christians to explain their rebirth in Christ. Yes, it is a wonderful word with the most of important aspects of my relationship with Jesus, however it is a word that is tossed around and I am afraid the meaning and the reverence that should be associated with it are “lost in translation”. A Vernacular.
But When Our Eyes are On JESUS!!!
These words “Christian” and “Born Again” mean so much more, more than just a vernacular, when you have a relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Son of God! Moreover, when you become a Christian, by being born again and accepting Jesus as your savior there are important aspects to you, your spirit, that are an evident proclamation of Christ to others!
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life - the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”1John 1:1-46 Distinguishable Aspects of Spiritual Maturity
A Christian who is truly born again.
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”1John 1: 5-10
1. Spiritual Deportment: conduct or behavior of our spirit.
- LOVE
- Cannot hate
- Abiding by God’s Will
“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” 1John 2:1-6
2. Spiritual Desire. - Desire God’ s Will
- Desire Not to practice habitual sin
- Desire to abide in Christ
- Desire to love one another
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”
1John 3:1-9
3. Spiritual Disposition.- Unconditional love for one another
“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”1John 3:16-234. Spiritual Discernment.- Must know and believe that Jesus is the Son of God!
- Keep His 2 Commandments
• Love the Lord
• Love one another
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”1John 4:1-115. Spiritual Deliverance.- Faith
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”1 John 5:1-5
6. Spiritual Dominion.- Confidence in Christ
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”1John 5: 13-20“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”
1 John 5:21
Just Serving JESUS by Keeping Our Eyes on HIM!!!
Thank you Lord for your word and your instruction.
Thanks, Brother Larry for your service.
