Looking unto Jesus (i)

[0:00] Depending upon the Lord for help, I'll direct your attention to Hebrews chapter 12 and reading verse 2.

[0:19] Hebrews chapter 12, verse 2. So, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is sat down at the right hand of the throne of God, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

[1:10] As subject Wednesday evening, we spoke of all these died in faith.

[1:25] And truly, those that died in faith, they died looking unto Jesus, who was the author and finisher of their faith.

[1:38] And so, if in mercy, the Lord is with us, leading us forth by the right way, then we also will be found with the beginning of our faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord, which will essentially end in Christ Jesus alone.

[2:04] So, the apostle encourages the church, so to be found looking unto Jesus.

[2:18] For there is no other direction for a poor and needy sinner to look in. There is no other way for the church of God to look to other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

[2:41] We see everything in decay. We see everything falling away around us. The principles of God, not the word of God making the principles of man, examining the principles of man, and trying the principles of man.

[3:11] So, we find Zion in a solemn decline. Make no mistake about that.

[3:23] The theory often is, well, we must stop this decline, that we must make things lighter, we must make things easier, we must compromise with all around us.

[3:41] But I say, oh, does not this make Satan himself smile when we speak of compromise? Because he knows indeed, the church are not looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ, but they are surely looking unto him.

[4:06] But in looking at the chapter, we would notice the beginning of this chapter, where the apostle says, wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witness, and it is good indeed, that God has left to the church today a witness in his most holy word.

[4:38] And what is that witness? It is the witness of the salvation of sinners through Jesus Christ.

[4:50] The witness of his mercy. In saving for sin. A great cloud of witness. It does not matter where you look in the word of God.

[5:07] It is like a great cloud of witness. Oh, today we might look, this morning we might look around and say we seem to be under a cloud everywhere.

[5:20] It is to the west, to the north, to the south, or we look upward. It's the same cloud. But my friends, so you can say, with regards to the word of God, wherever you look, it's the same great cloud of witness.

[5:41] witness. It's not that cloud, the fiery pillar, the cloud by day, and the fiery pillar by night. No.

[5:53] But the cloud of witness, the testimony, of the Lord's people, in times past. In the book of the Revelation, it's put in another form.

[6:13] He shows John the great company of people. And he said, these are they that have come up out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

[6:33] The cloud of witness that the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.

[6:44] The great cloud of witness that the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, it never loses its power. It never loses its value.

[6:57] It is ever able to remove all our sin. It is a point, surely, of great encouragement, a cloud of witness.

[7:15] In that reference I've made to Revelation, remember the word says that the Revelation is spoken to the things past, the things present, and the things to come.

[7:33] So in that wonderful vision that is shown to John, I assume that this was the entire church of God that was shown to John in this way and manner, that without exception, all were cleansed, all were saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

[8:05] Revelations are good in their place and position. salvation. But I say the thing that really matters with me and the thing that matters really with you is our own souls as salvation, is our own troubles, our own difficulties.

[8:30] Yes, those fierce temptations without and within. for the Apostle says, let us lay aside every weight and every sin which does so easily beset us.

[8:50] There may be one here this morning who comes like the hymn writer who said, O Lord, how vile am I, how sinful and undone, how can I dare to venture nigh with such a load of sin?

[9:15] Why, he looked and said, he could not hardly bear this wretched heart of mine. How evil, then, it must appear to those pure eyes of thine.

[9:31] Fred, looking unto Jesus. Who is it, then, that causes a poor sinner to look unto Jesus?

[9:43] We are sure of this, that he looks down upon us and he sees us exactly as we are. He cannot look upon us with admiration according to our merit, how good we are and we have been.

[10:06] He cannot look upon us approvingly in that sense. But, friend, God Almighty can only look upon us as he, through Jesus Christ, his only son.

[10:24] O, what a mercy, if we can say with Paul that I may be found in him, not having mine own righteousness.

[10:40] Therefore, with these few comments, we would bear this in mind, that we have nothing in and of our self to bring, as is a dire and hopeless case out of Jesus Christ.

[11:00] And if God should look down upon us in our fallen state and nature, I say, where shall we be found when God does call us from earth away?

[11:15] there is but one place, and that's not two, is it? One place, looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of your faith.

[11:34] I believe I said on the past evening that we have living faith because God in his mercy has quickened us in to divine life.

[11:53] We haven't, we do not have a divine life because we have believed. That is not correct.

[12:06] But no, as Paul says to the Ephesians, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

[12:22] There is a great question presented here to each one of us. Hath the Lord quickened us?

[12:33] Are we born again? how are we to know that we are quickened? And how do we know that we are born again?

[12:47] I say what change has there been found in us? Is there any change whatsoever?

[12:59] What change is there with desire to the sins of this world and the pleasures of this world?

[13:11] Has there been a change? What change is there to your outlook concerning eternity?

[13:22] Is it still something that does not matter or something that you have felt you'll leave to some further date a more convenient season as said one king?

[13:39] No my friend if quickened by God to stand before thy face Lord make indeed that change in me looking unto Jesus us we may be very very religious in our outlook we may indeed be very interested in many good books as men might term them but that still does not make us a child of God I say many people are interested in history but they never lived in those times in those places and neither do they want history revived again in their life but you know the child of God those that are born again will they not be looking up heaven would would they not look up and say

[14:54] Lord there is this great cloud of witness they traveled through trial and tribulation Lord they made many dreadful mistakes they sinned against thee yet Lord thou did pardon and forgive their sins thou did bring them to thy feet thou did communicate with them and cause them to commune with thee I say they were brought looking unto Jesus and so the soul today are they not brought to that place to be found looking unto Jesus there is a hint of teaching is there not about which speaks about well all you want

[15:55] God for is when you are in a time of trouble I say as Job speaks with regards to the natural man as man is born as sparks fly upwards so man is born to trouble and I say as men are born again so indeed real trouble indeed is shown to them and the only answer to their troubles is looking unto Jesus troubles my friends that are beyond our reach and beyond our power troubles that stem back to our own sin and to our own shame troubles indeed that need pardon and forgiveness from

[16:58] God almighty oh the great cloud of witness they are a point of encouragement meant to us for the Lord had mercy upon them he delivered them out of all their troubles they called unto them the God in their distresses and the Lord heard them heard them looking unto Jesus oh blessed is that soul today my friend who has got nothing but this a hope that Jesus will look down upon them and have mercy upon them looking unto Jesus but my friend he couldn't even look naturally though seemingly he was on earth and had that advantage that men could look upon

[18:09] Jesus with the natural eye yet the man was blind oh how typical oh often of us of the Lord's people oh especially when it comes to living face oh could I but believe then all would easy be ah some it seems such an easy trivial matter to believe but do not the Lord's people find it at times hard and difficult or they enter into conflict in this matter why is it the discovery of the hardness of their heart the discovery of the enmity in their soul to all its good why is it oh the old man of sin striving with the new man of grace well who will win my friend looking unto

[19:32] Jesus there cannot be any losers can there because my friend Jesus has said that none shall pluck them out of his hand no I say what a hand is that is that the hand that you are looking unto then surely he is the author of your faith very believing that Jesus Christ is able to save you that Jesus Christ is very able to kindle the spirit of prayer and supplication in your heart I say very believing that Jesus is the eternal son of

[20:32] God looking unto Jesus was not this the the words of John the Baptist as he introduced Jesus to the great company behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world we're not told how many looked and believed and neither is it necessary and vital for us to know but what is necessary what is vital for us to know do we look and say behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world looking unto

[21:37] Jesus the awakening call the power of the Holy Spirit that takes of the things of Jesus and reveals them unto us do we not see that great cloud of witness that woman of Samaria coming out with her water pot to draw water it was not by chance no it was by divine appointment do not let Satan cheat us this day and say oh that was all by chance he loves to hear us say that but no it was by divine appointment he devised the very place and the means and where he should meet with you poor sinner looking unto

[22:44] Jesus Jesus spoke to the dear woman and you say well it wasn't a very orthodox way was it it was rather unusual it begins by means and circumstance of the past it opens up questioning with her about her past life I say has the law drawn your attention unto him by asking you questions about your past life those things you'd hoped were forgotten and finished forever oh she was known in Samaria you may be known in Samaria you may be saying but they don't know everything about me no but Jesus does

[24:05] Jesus has seen and Jesus has heard all that you have said and knows all you have done looking unto Jesus why my friend she didn't say come there's a man out there I don't want to see anymore I want you to drive him away no he had truly captivated and fixed her heart and mind on him isn't that true and living face true and living face is not something that is bottled up and restricted forever no my friends she said come see a man that told me all that ever I did why she would share these things with others she could not do it herself we know that but all we the testimony of those Samaritans they believed not because what she had said but what Jesus had spoken and to them also this is the wonder of it it brings us here to another point and that is the power of his word what do we know of the power of his word oh many we see indeed are shutting their ears to his word they do not want to know they reject it and like those who turned back from Jesus and said this is a hard saying who can hear it they went back and walked no more with him friend looking onto Jesus is the evidence of divine life is it not looking onto

[26:33] Jesus is that which begins and continues continues continues can you say in your heart today I've had enough of religion I don't want any more of it I can discard this face I don't want it anymore then that soul who speaks and says such things is in a sad and solemn place but the sinner my friend who is still found looking unto Jesus surely he is a good place why because it is the Lord that has kept him there it is the Lord that holds them there it is the Lord that fixed them there looking unto

[27:33] Jesus you say I have hoped and trusted I have been there before but I have not received what I hoped and looked for but my friend the great mercy is you are still looking unto Jesus you are brought to come again I like that word again oh I say again and I go a step further if you have received from that deep well of Bethlehem that true and living water and have benefited by it and been revived by it this is the truth after many years you are still coming again to the same well to the same heavenly spring you come in the same prayer

[28:37] Lord fill my heart Lord indeed testify to me that I am thy child you know that is a strange relationship naturally speaking if we do not want to know that the other one loves us still we're never tired of hearing them saying in secret I still love you my friend why it would cause reflections of the past but I say how the Lord's people long to hear the Saviour say say unto my soul I am thy salvation looking unto Jesus there is no other person is there that we can look to this is often where we are this is often where we make a mistake we would seek to commune with something else something other person than

[30:05] Jesus Christ himself well it is good indeed to read good books where we find like experiences and like life within those that are written of or have written them but friends that is not the same as looking unto Jesus where we come indeed to his feet where we humbly fall before him it is no replacement is it for the real thing oh blessed be his name if thus he has brought you down to his feet this morning looking unto Jesus how is it that we have come to keep the

[31:06] Sabbath and his holy day we used to sing a hymn in the Sunday school children why have you come here not to see or to be seen but of Jesus Christ to hear what a mercy if we can say what have we come here for and you can say Lord we are found looking unto Jesus for he and he alone can do for me which nobody else can and that is to cleanse and purge away all my sin have you been looking at your accounts lately I'm not talking about your bank account but have you heard almighty

[32:16] God say to you I am the Lord thy God which teaches thee to profit to profit ah my friends what profit have you found I'm sure of this the only profit that the Lord's people find is looking unto Jesus looking away from Jesus and looking at your account surely you're surely in the red and deep in debt you're left saying this how can I put that matter straight how can I make that matter right ah we can never go backwards can we and what is more we cannot produce anything to recompense for the past but there is one my friend and that is the

[33:23] Lord Jesus Christ yes indeed looking unto Jesus brought like the dear thief on the cross who said remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom friend reconciliation oh dost thou look at thy accounts for at the reconciliation oh to see the fullness of the goodness of the Lord oh such a fullness in Christ oh at the end of the whole matter it is Jesus and he alone that pardons and forgives all our sin looking unto Jesus how amazed how amazed

[34:27] Simon the Pharisee must have been when he turned to her and said Simon seest thou this woman well everybody knew that woman was everybody knew that woman she had a right reputation for herself but what indeed filled Simon with dismay and doubt of the Lord Jesus Christ that he was even a prophet that he allowed her to touch her touch him and to approach unto him he would even relegate the Lord Jesus Christ to lessen a prophet when he was the son of God but that dear woman my friend she elevated Jesus Christ by faith in her heart to his rightful place my friend she looked to him oh not as a prophet but oh as the saviour of sinners the saviour of sinners

[35:41] I say that is living faith isn't it when thus though feeling to be the chiefest of sinners brought behind him weeping all his dear feet washing his feet with our tears and wiping them with the hairs of a head what is the teaching in this my friend oh that which was once our glory we count as nothing and only worthy oh to wipe his dear feet with oh as being nothing but now Jesus Christ had become her all in all my friend she loved the

[36:45] Lord Jesus Christ not as she loved other people of course but she loved him because he loved her with an everlasting love looking unto Jesus friend to know that everlasting love there must be and needs be for his all quickening power to cause us to look to him and him alone how many I say have been really disappointed in looking to him can you name one that has come there and he has said to don't you come here I don't want to know anything about you no all the father has given me shall come unto me looking unto

[37:53] Jesus as the altogether lovely the cheapest among ten thousand the one that is essentially necessary to save their souls from eternal ruin and that burning pit looking unto Jesus but as the time has gone I must leave this matter now but may the Lord bless his word for his great name's sake amen ja to no woman I am going to to come him