Looking Unto Jesus – Part 11 | Sunday Service | October 18, 2020

We welcome you all to the house of our living God. Today is a beautiful day and yet another day that God has allowed us to praise and worship Him.

Today again we will continue with our ongoing series, “Looking unto Jesus“, part 11.

And there is no better way to begin today’s message other than a story excerpt from John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim Progress” (135. The End of Ignorance).

The attitude of “Ignorance” (one of the characters in Bunyan’s story) here is presumptuous; he automatically assumes that he will be invited into heaven, even though there is no reason to think he is truly saved. Throughout the book, he has assumed that a conventionally “good” life, exemplified by conventionally “good” works, will save him. He still fails to understand that he cannot “earn” his way into heaven or that anyone “deserves” entrance into heaven. Ignorance seems to assume that simply because he has attended church and participated in the ceremony of the holy communion, he is entitled to enter heaven. He also assumes that simply because he has listened to God’s teachings, he is similarly entitled. Ignorance can present no convincing evidence that he actually knows God or is genuinely, legitimately acquainted with him. Because Ignorance has neglected or rejected knowledge of God, God rejects Ignorance. Ignorance, like Satan before him, is cast down into hell. He has misused his life by failing to find the right way to salvation and by failing to heed earlier efforts to help him know the right way. His pride has led him to assume (falsely) that he could come to God on his own terms.

At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,  and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.  Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,  but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

The Bible talks about obedience from Genesis to Revelation. When we disovey God, we generally say, “This work was essential”. Yet, deep in your heart you know how important it was and whether have you disobeyed God?

Slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

There never yet was a man, who had not reason to lament his strong corruptions, and his secret dislike to the will of God. Therefore this chapter (i.e. Romans 1) is a call to self-examination, the end of which should be, a deep conviction of sin, and of the necessity of deliverance from a state of condemnation.

Enemy will always try to give you alternatives, yet you are losing.

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

We all need to be on guard people of God and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, otherwise we will lose on our blessings.

I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;

The Gentiles came to seek God, and find him, because they were first sought and found of him. Often he meets some thoughtless trifler or profligate opposer, and says to him, Behold me; and a speedy change takes place. All the gospel day, Christ waited to be gracious. The Jews were bidden, but would not come. It is not without cause they are rejected of God. They would do what most pleased them. They grieved, they vexed the Holy Spirit. They forsook God’s temple, and sacrificed in groves. They cared not for the distinction between clean and unclean meats, before it was taken away by the gospel. Perhaps this is put for all forbidden pleasures, and all that is thought to be gotten by sin, that abominable thing which the Lord hates. Christ denounced many woes against the pride and hypocrisy of the Jews. The proof against them is plain. And let us watch against pride and self-preference, remembering that every sin, and the most secret thoughts of man’s heart, are known and will be judged by God.

What happens when your eyes aren’t fixed upon Jesus?

When we obey God, we will never be disappointed as God has promised us. If we obey, blessings will follow. There are many verses in the Bible which talk about obedience.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

When we listen to satan, it will always be costly as it will come with a price. But, obeying in God will bring you blessing and there is no price to pay, only eternal life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Jesus who died on the cross of the Calvary, is willing to forgive you and all your sins will be forgiven. But you must first take a step of faith. God has never planned trouble for his people or suffering for His children. Trust and obey is the only way and nothing else.

Are you willing to lose on blessings? If your answer is a “No!” then all you need to do is come to the feet of Jesus, trust in Him and obey Him.

To conclude and sum this all up, there is a beautiful hymn written by John H. Sammis in 1887…

People, God is in control. Irrespective of the situation, be it a pandemic or any other situation. All you need to do is fix your eyes upon God and look unto Jesus.