Getting a Right Focus
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Turn to and read Ephesians 1:1-14.
While it is important that we meditate in the Word of God, it is equally important that we know what to focus on when we meditate in the Bible. The Bible has so many topics and subjects that it’s hard to know what we should look for when we read it?
On what are we to focus when we meditate in the Word of God?
On what are we to focus when we meditate in the Word of God?
Allow me to suggest several topics to consider. Should we focus on:
Holiness
Holiness
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
It’s a command. It’s important. So, should we focus on holiness as we meditate in God’s Word?
What about..
Love
Love
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
It’s a command. It’s important. So should we focus on loving God and loving others as we meditate in God’s Word?
What about...
The Word of God
The Word of God
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.
With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee.
It’s a command. It’s important. In fact, here, in the 21st century it’s never been easier to study God’s Word. So should we simply focus on knowing God’s Word as we meditate in God’s Word?
What about...
Rules & Regulations
Rules & Regulations
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
It’s a command. “…That thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein...” There’s even a promise that goes along with that: “…For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
All of these are important. However, none of them is to be our focus. They are not the purpose for which the Bible was written. That begs the question:
Why was the Bible written?
Why was the Bible written?
Any ideas?
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
The purpose, for which the Bible was given, is to reveal God to man!
Now, to place all of this in its proper context, we need to go back to the basics and ask one of the most foundational questions of all human existence:
What Is man’s ultimate purpose in life?
What Is man’s ultimate purpose in life?
What say you?
Man’s ultimate purpose in life is to glorify the Lord and to please Him in all we do. Let’s look back at Ephesians chapter 1:
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
I could preach an entire message on the importance of glorifying the Lord; and perhaps if we have an invitation, many of you would come forward and say: “That’s what I want! I am committing myself to glorify the Lord!” Then you would leave, determined to glorify Him. But at point you would become frustrated. Why? Because you don’t know how to glorify Him. This leads to another question...
How do we glorify the Lord and please Him?
How do we glorify the Lord and please Him?
What say you?
We glorify the Lord by being holy. (Turn to and read Ephesians 1:4-6.)
But what is holiness? Is it not going to the movies, cursing and not being immoral? Is it going to church, witnessing and praying? No! These are mere outward deeds that we often mistake for holiness.
True holiness is within. It is what you are - your motives, your attitude, your heart.
Notice that Ephesians 1:4 says that we are to “be” holy, not just do holy things. Further, we are to be holy “before Him.” Actually, this means we are to be holy under His penetrating gaze. That is, when God looks at us, He doesn’t focus on our outward actions; He looks through us and sees us on the inside. He sees our hearts and our motives. If our hearts and our motives are not right, all the outward “holiness” in the world will not bring God any glory!
We could preach on “holiness” until we all came under conviction, came forward, and declared, “Starting now, I’m going to be holy!”
But, that brings up another question:
How do we get to be holy on the inside?
How do we get to be holy on the inside?
We can’t just “talk ourselves into it.” Just because we go forward in church and make a decision to be holy doesn’t make us holy on the inside. We can change our outward actions, but what about our spirit, our attitudes, our motives, our heart? How did I reach inside and change them?
The answer is: by falling in love with the Lord.
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
What are the last two words of that verse? “In love.” We are to be holy before Him (in His sight) “in love.” That is, it is love for Him that causes us to become holy on the inside.
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
As our love grows, we are able to grow pure and holy and filled with the fruit of righteousness. Thus, love produces inner holiness.
Thus, as we fall in love with the Lord, we become holy. And as we become holy, we glorify Him.
So, does that mean the we should just concentrate on trying to love Him? I could preach on loving God until we all fell under great conviction and said: “That’s it! Starting today, I’m going to love the Lord!”
But that raises another question...
How do we fall in love with the Lord?
How do we fall in love with the Lord?
Can we simply “will ourselves” to love God? What about this question: “How can I love someone whom I cannot see?”
What say you?
The answer simply is: to know Him is to love Him.
When an individual first puts there faith in Jesus Christ, their love for Christ is based upon what He has done for them - He saved them! He forgave their sins! He’s made them a child of God! He has given them an eternal home in Heaven! Why wouldn’t an individual love Him!?!?
However, our love for Christ must continue to increases. Beyond salvation, our love for Him is based upon our knowledge of Him. The more we get to know Him, the more we will admire Him and love Him.
Notice, again, Philippians 1:9-11:
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
This is the reason why there is so much emphasis in God’s Word to growing in our knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
But this brings us to another question:
How do we get to know the Lord?
How do we get to know the Lord?
This also brings us, now, full circle to where we started. God’s Word was not given primarily to make me holy or to cause me to love Him. Rather it was give to enable me to get to know Him, that I might love Him, in order that I might become holy, so that I would naturally glorify Him.
Thus, the bottom line of the Christian life is knowing God by meditation on Him in the Word and in His works in our lives.
So...
How does all of this work?
How does all of this work?
But we all, with open face beholding as 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.
I am to focus on the Lord in His Word.
As I do so, I am changed into the likeness of the one I’m focusing on in the Word.
This happens gradually (“from glory to glory”) day after day (not overnight). I gradually become like the Lord as I keep my focus on Him in the Word.
This is all accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works with and through the Word of God. As I focus my attention on the Lord in the Bible, the Spirit starts doing a gradual work of transformation in me. Without even realizing it, I start becoming like the very Lord I am focusing on.
This is a principle in life. A person becomes what they focus on. This is especially true in Charlotte!
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
As we close this evening, I want to give you an example of what I mean.
Take for example, the book of Esther. As you read that book of the Bible, you will note one thing: the name of God is not mentioned at all in the book of Esther. Does that mean that we cannot grown in our knowledge of God by reading the book of Esther? Of course not.
As one Bible teacher said about the book of Esther, “…in no other book of the Bible is [God’s] providence more conspicuous.”
As we daily read, study and meditate in God’s Word let our focus be on Him, and everything else will take care of itself.