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Where are You Looking?
Zechariah 12:10
10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
John 19:37
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
Introduction:
All of us are looking toward something or someone.
We have to make sure we are looking in the right direction.
If you are driving down a highway at 70 miles and hour and are trying to sight see along the way while driving, that might not be too good of an idea. It could be a very dangerous thing; it may even cause you to lose your own life or take someone else’s life. You need to keep your eyes straight ahead when you are driving or the consequences may be very serious.
We need to look in the right direction or there is great danger and risk.
Let me give you another illustration. If you are walking down main street, with all of its stop lights and cross walks, it would not be a good idea to walk down the street while looking straight up above your head at the same time. That might be the last day you may talk a walk on planet earth!
In what direction are you looking in a spiritual sense. Are you looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb.12:2)?
You never go wrong when you look in the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am talking about a matter of faith. I am glad I looked his way, for forgiveness and salvation over 62 years ago. You can rest assured, I have no regrets when I looked his way.
Let’s take a few minutes today to look at some of the “looks” or the “lookings” of the Word of God.
I. Look to the Cross
Zechariah 12:10
10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
John 19:37
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
A. Pictured in the Brazen Serpent
Notice what God told Moses:
Num 21:8-9
8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
To verify this was a type pointing to Christ, Jesus quoted it in the New Testament in regard to Calvary.
John 3:14-15
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life
Have you looked to the cross to be spiritually healed from the poisonous effect of sin in your life? It is God that designs the method by which on can be healed and saved from the bite of sin upon our souls.
B. Encouraged By the Writer of Hebrews
Hebrews 12:2-3
2 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 set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
He is saying we are to look away from everything else and focus our attention upon the Lord Jesus.
If the believer focused his attention on troubles and heartaches he or she may get disheartened or depressed, but never when he looks at the Lord Jesus.
“Looking unto Jesus” ought to be a constant practice for us in our daily lives. Rather than being spasmodic or occasional like a nerve twitch, looking toward Jesus ought to be a way of life.
I am so thankful that by faith, I have been to the cross for forgiveness and redemption.
I still keep going to the cross now that I am saved, because that is where I get the spiritual help I need.
Look to the Cross
II. Look to a Christian (example)
Acts 3:4, “And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.”
Why did Peter want them to look on Him and John?
A. They had a message to give
That through Jesus there is victory to all who come unto him. The man before Peter and John needed healing and they had just the message that he needed to hear.
B. They had an example to show
It was the desire of Peter and John to be an example to those. We are to be examples to those around us. We are to show them what a Christian ought to be like. If we live poorly spiritually, then we become a hindrance to the cause of Christ instead of being an asset to the work of the Lord.
1 Thess 1:6-7
“And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.”
“Ensample”=
The same word is translated “pattern” in another New Testament verse. It means to “show by example.”
It is our responsibility to show others how to live by example, not by just our verbal instructions. In other words we do not say “do this” but “do as I do.”
Without a good example our words have no weight.
What are you going to show people when they look at your life?
SOMEONE SAID, “WHAT YOU DO SPEAKS SO LOUD I CANNOT HEAR WHAT YOU SAY.”
III. Look To Our Comrades
Philippians 2:4, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
By comrades I refer to other people around us. We are living in a selfish generation that do not care about those around them. One writer wrote, “Concentration on self inevitably means elimination of others; and the object of life becomes not to help others up but to push them down.”
There was a day when if someone were doing the best they could do, and they needed some help in finances or in other things, people would be there to help them.
So many people today are looking out for themselves and just for themselves.
Illustration:
Two friends went camping out in the woods. They woke up the first morning and were standing by their tent having their first cup of coffee for the day when they suddenly spotted a grizzly bear heading for them at full speed.
Quickly, the one man teached down and grabbed his tennis shoes and started putting them on. The other man looked at him and said, "What are you doing? Do you think you can outrun that grizzly bear?"
And the first man said, "No, and I don't need to. All I need to do is to outrun you!"
THAT WAS JUST A LITTLE SELFISH AND SELF CENTERED!
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Someone wrote: “Others, yet Lord others, let this my motto be, help me to live for others, so I might live like thee.”
IV. Look to Our Constancy
2 John v.8 says, “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.”
The Bible says, “Look to yourselves” means we are to take guard or take care of two matters.
1-Losing things we have wrought
2- Receiving a full reward.
How do we lost what we have wrought. It has reference to losing what we have worked for or those things we have accomplished.
Let me explain:
Losing one’s salvation is not in view at all in this verse. It does not teach losing your salvation but losing your reward. The warning is about forfeiting the reward for our labors for Christ while we were upon the earth.
Colossians 2:18---"Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.
God saving us is not a “reward”—instead it is a free gift given to underserving sinners. We do nothing but repent and believe to have salvation as a gift.
Salvation is not a reward, it is a fee unearned gift.
Ephesians 2:8-9 states:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Colossians 2:18 makes it clear that somethings we do can cause us to lose our reward. It is one thing to lose reward and a different matter to lose your salvation.
People who are filled with pride operate for themselves and thus if what we have not done for the Lord that means we stand to lose reward that could have been ours in Heaven.
What we need to do is live a consistent Christian life. We are not to be up and down like a yo-yo, but faithful to the Lord’s work inside and church and outside of the church.
It is that person that lives consistently for the Lord, day in and day out, that will receive a full reward when they stand before the Lord in the world to come. Let’s not live in a slid-shod manner for our Lord.
IV. Look to a Coming
Philippians 3:20
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Hebrews 9:28
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Titus 2:13-14
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
John 14:3-
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Are you looking for Jesus to come?
Those who are not living for Him do not want him to come back, but those that love Christ do welcome and year for His return.
I want Jesus to return so much, it troubles me when I hear someone sing, “Wait a little longer please Jesus.”
I have people to ask me when I think Jesus will come back? My answer is when He is ready. That day and hour is unknown among angels. None of them know the exact time Jesus will come back to earth to take His bride out of this present world.
He would already have been here but the time he has designated in eternity past has not come yet.
Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with promises of the Second Coming of Christ. There are 1,845 references to it in the Old Testament, and a total of seventeen Old Testament books give it prominence.
Of the 260 chapters in the entire New Testament, there are 318 references to the Second Coming, or one out of 30 verses.
Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. The four books that do not include three which are single-chapter letters written to individual persons on a particular subject. The fourth is Galatians which does imply Christ's coming again.
For every prophecy on the First Coming of Christ, there are 8 on Christ's Second Coming.
Would you be ready if Jesus came today, or would you be left behind to face the horrors of the tribulation period?
Jesus is coming in the near future so you had better be ready.
When you are ready to meet Christ you can look to the future and with John the Apostle say, “Even so come Lord Jesus.”
I am not looking for an alien spaceship invasion, brother and sister, I am looking for Jesus to return to take us to our heavenly home.
There are many signs of His coming we do not have time to go over this morning, but Jesus Christ is coming again. If Jesus doesn’t come tomorrow, I will be looking for Him the next day. It is a fact that He will fulfill his promise to return for His own.
Are you looking toward the sky for His return?
VI. Look to a Contemplation
Revelation 4:3
3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
There are many Greek N.T. words that can be translated look. This particular word in Rev. 4:3 is the one (hor/ah’/o) that means “to deeply contemplate or to gaze upon.” It is not a glance, it is a gaze. It is the picture of a person who is awestruck and cannot take his eyes off something or someone.
The sight is so wonderful John cannot take his eye away from what he is seeing, right before his eyes.
Look at the picture in Rev.4:3. It is a heavenly scene after the door opens in Heaven. There is one sitting upon a throne. Of course, we know who that is. He is the only one worthy of ruling the heavens and the earth.
It will be a blessed thing to see the Lord Jesus. I cannot imagine what it will be like when we finally are able to see Him.
We cannot even imagine what it will be like when we see Jesus……It will be a day like no other day in our existence.
These earthly eyes will become heavenly ones and we will look upon the Son of God in all of his glory and brightness…. THE GOOD THING IS WE WILL BE IN HIS GLORIOUS, MANIFESTED PRESENCE FOREVER AND EVER.
WHAT A GLORIOUS, WONDROUS FUTURE GOD’S PEOPLE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
1- We will see the throne with jasper and sardine stone
2- There will be a rainbow around the throne.
3- Best of all we will see Jesus upon the throne.
The appearance of the One on the throne is so glorious and majestic that He is indescribable. No human shape or form can describe Him. God is described in terms of light, the dazzling light of the most precious gems and jewels of that day. He is seen in all of His brilliance and dazzling splendor (Psalm 104:2; 1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 1:4; cp. John 12:35-36).
The jewels chosen to describe God proclaim a marvelous message to the hearer. They were considered the most brilliant and the most valued, precious, and desired gems on earth. Thus God is seen and described as the most brilliant and valued, precious, and desired Being—a Being of indescribable glory and splendor.
⇒ The countenance of God shone like a jasper stone. The stone referred to was different from the jasper stone of today. The idea is that the stone was some sort of translucent crystal through which light was shining. It was shining so brightly that it was apparently like the concentrated light of a laser. This represents the penetrating perfection and purity of God.
⇒ The sardine stone was a fiery red stone and it represents the justice of God.
⇒ The rainbow that surrounded the throne looked like emerald green. This represents the mercy of God and the new covenant of grace given to man by God. (Cp. the promise of mercy made to Noah. Cp. Genesis 9:11-17.)
That will be a sight of all sights.
A time of all times.
A glory above all glories.
An event above all other events.
Do you look forward to seeing that throne and the One who sits upon it? Thank God, one day we will all because Jesus showed us grace and mercy. Hallelujah!
VII. Looking Toward a Compensation
We wonder if God is ever going to judge unrepentant sinners. At one point, the psalmist had a problem with that issue. He finally went into the house of the Lord, realized their end, and settled the matter in his own heart. Will God judge the ungodly? Yes he surely will.
Hebrews 10:27
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Note a final fact about the warning: a person who has rejected the word of truth and enjoys the practices sinning, has nothing to look forward to but judgment and the fury of wrath.
⇒ By judgment is meant the terrible day when the sins of men will be judged. And remember, there is no sacrifice that covers the sins of this person; therefore, he must bear his sins himself and face God.
⇒ By fiery indignation is meant a fierceness of fire the burning of wrath and indignation ---- a devouring fire and everlasting burnings.
Note:
A fella years ago told me, “I don’t believe there is a hell. I said to him, “If you do not take Jesus as your Savior, one day you will believe there is a hell, because you will have to go there and stay there forever. You will become a believer in hell one day, but if you die it will be too late to do anything about it.”
In closing as we consider God’s wrath, there are five truths we must remember:
1. God’s wrath is just.
God’s wrath is said to be in perfect accord with God’s justice.
Romans 2:5
“But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”
God’s wrath, then, is in proportion to human sinfulness.
“God’s wrath is his love in action against sin.”
J.I. Packer summarizes: “God’s wrath in the Bible is never the capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing that human anger so often is. It is, instead, a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil.”
2. God’s wrath is to be feared.
God’s wrath is to be feared because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
God’s wrath is to be feared because we are justly condemned sinners apart from Christ (Romans 5:1).
God’s wrath is to be feared because he is powerful
enough to do what he promises (Jeremiah 32:17).
God’s wrath is to be feared because God promises eternal punishment apart from Christ (Matthew 25:46).
3. God’s wrath is consistent in the Old and New Testaments.
It is common to think of the Old Testament God as mean, harsh, and wrath-filled, and the God of the New Testament as kind, patient, and loving. Neither of these portraits are representative of Scripture’s teaching on the wrath of God.
We find immensely fearful descriptions of the wrath of God in both the Old and the New Testament.
“God must act justly and judge sin, otherwise God would not be God.”
Jeremiah 30:23
23 Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.
Nahum 1:2
2 God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
Romans 1:18
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Revelation 19:15
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
4. God’s wrath is his love in action against sin.
God is love, and God does all things for his glory (1 John 4:8; Romans 11:36). He loves his glory above all (and that is a good thing!). So, God rules the world in such a way that brings himself maximum glory. This means that God must act justly and judge sin (i.e. respond with wrath), otherwise God would not be God. God’s love for his glory motivates his wrath against sin.
Admittedly, God’s love for his own glory is a most sobering reality for many and not good news for sinners. It is after all, “a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).
5. God’s wrath is satisfied in Christ.
“In saving us from his own wrath, God has done what we could not do, and he has done what we didn’t deserve.”
Here we have the ultimate good news: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).
Because of Christ, God can rightly call sinners justified (Romans 3:26). God has done what we could not do, and he has done what we didn’t deserve. Charles Wesley rightly exulted in this good news:
Conclusion:
Where are you looking today?
Looking to a cross?
Looking to a Christian? (example)
Looking to a comrade? (one who needs help)
Looking to a constancy? Looking to be dependable.
Looking for a coming? Jesus will come again.
Looking for a contemplation? Looking on Gods throne and seeing Him sitting upon it?
Looking for a compensation? God will judge the sinner.
Where are you looking today? The primary place to look is to the cross. It is there you will see light; it is there you will be blessed; it is there you will get help from Almighty God.
Sermon From Dr. Tom Walker
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