What Are We Looking For? How Are We Focused? | Bro. Ian Robson

i'm so glad for the opportunity to share what's on my heart with your dear brothers and sisters and uh i'd like you to turn to a woman in the acts acts of the apostles chapter 1 this is after jesus rose from the dead and before he ascended into heaven and when in verse six it says when they had come together they were asking him they were asking jesus lord is it at this time you're restoring the kingdom to israel he said to them it's not for you to know the times for the epochs which the father is fixed by his own authority but you shall receive power when the holy spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses both in jerusalem and in all judea and samaria and even with the remotest part of the earth and after he said these things he was lifted up while they he was lifted up while they were looking on and a cloud received him out of their sight and as they were gazing intently into the sky while he was departing behold two men in white clothing stood beside them they also said men of galilee why do you stand looking into the sky this jesus was being taken up from you into heaven will come in just the same way as you have watched him go into heaven and then they returned to jerusalem and it says they were continually in the temple praising god and uh and they met they were all in the upper room when and the uh when the holy spirit came upon them but what i was on my heart and what god has been speaking to me like uh like these uh disciples they were looking intently into the sky they were they saw jesus going before them taken up by this cloud and and the angel said to them why do you stand looking into the sky this this jesus was being taken up from you into heaven will come in just the same way as you see i watched him go into heaven and i want to ask ourselves what are we looking for what am i looking for and uh in that connection i want you to turn to daniel in chapter 7. daniel in chapter seven it's a i would say that everything in is in a nutshell in this vision this revelation that god gave daniel all that is to happen and has happened and everything that will culminate all in a nutshell if you read daniel chapter 7 and i remember a long many years ago that the two most neglected books of the bible that believers don't give attention to reading is the book of daniel and the book of revelation because of all the symbols and and many things there that we may may not understand but i believe that in the days that you and i are living into that we give more attention to what god revealed to daniel and what god revealed to john these two books the book of daniel and the book of revelation you know sums up everything that has happened and that is going to happen and we are living in those days so i just want you to look there there's something i wanted to point out to you there it says in daniel chapter 7 this is a dream that daniel had and not just a dream but you know a revelation because if you look at uh verse 28 it says at this point daniel 7 28 the revelation ended so it was a revelation that god gave daniel in a dream it's a revelation that god gave the apostle john on the island of patmos it was a revelation that god gave john bunyan when he was locked up in prison and he wrote pilgrim's progress which is the second most popular widely read piece of literature children's progress and that's something that you know we need to read and understand that was a revelation and all all that the christian life is is all there in the revelation that god gave uh john bunyan but in this revelation that god gave daniel i wanted you to see that it's so beautiful this whole what is really going to happen and some encouraging words there verse 2 daniel chapter 7 verse 2 daniel said i was looking in my vision by night and behold the four winds of heaven but stirring up the great sea and we don't have time to read it but he talks about the beasts the great beasts that come up from the sea different from one another the sea represents people the beast you know the the dragon the beast and the antichrist you know the evil trinity come from the midst of the people and that's what happened in the last days some of the things that daniel speaks about there has already happened and he says in verse nine before that he says while he was contemplating and he asked for he asked the angel to give him a meaning of what he saw well we don't have time to look at that and that's not what i want to focus on this evening but is in verse 9 it says there i kept looking until thrones were set up and you read that eight times in this chapter i kept looking i kept looking i kept looking until thrones were set up the ancient of days verse nine daniel chapter seven an ancient of days that is god himself almighty god took a seat his vestibules like white snow and the hair of his head like pure wool his throne was ablaze with flames its wheels were a burning fire a river of fire was flowing coming out from before him thousands upon thousands were attending him millions upon millions were standing before him and the court said and the books were open and uh he goes on to say in uh he talks about the beast there but we are not looking at that in verse 13 he says i kept looking and we read these words again i kept looking i kept looking in the night visions and as daniel looked god gave him revelation something unfolded by the the beasts and you know the different periods of time that uh this they came in upon what's going to happen in the last days but in verse 13 he says i kept looking in the night visions and behold with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man which we just read now daniel prophesied this what happened what we read in acts and and and chapter one daniel prophesied that jesus would go up in the in a cloud to heaven one like the son of man was coming and he came up to the ancient of days and was presented before him to him was given dominion glory and the kingdom and all the peoples nations and men of every language might serve him this dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed and as for me daniel my spirit was distressed within me so many things that he kept saying that times he says as i kept looking as i kept looking and the wonderful thing is the most encouraging you know when we read a book sometimes you know you like to see how it ends and so you read all this and all that's going to happen and you know it says that that the antichrist would persecute the saints it says then verse 21 of daniel chapter 7 and uh before that he said he will uh he will make war against the saints so there will be a time of persecution and in verse 21 he will wear down the saints for three and a half years but he will be judged his dominion will be taken away annihilated and destroyed forever and finally you know daniel's revelation ends with jesus ruling the earth we see that right the end in verse 27 before that in verse 26 the court will sit for judgment and his dominion will be taken away that's the antichrist annihilated and destroyed forever we know the end of the story and it says that then the sovereignty the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven listen to this will be given to the people of the saints of the highest one his kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom and all the dominions will serve and obey him at this point the revelation ended we know the end of the story so we don't have to fear persecution and it says that the antichrist will wear down the saints and make war against the saints but we know what the end is going to be like and that's that is something that should encourage us you know the end and whatever happens between the beginning and the end that we don't have to fear and what should i be looking for like daniel as he looked he saw something and you know titus in chapter 2 if you if you look at that word in titus chapter 2 verse 11 he says the grace of god has appeared bringing salvation to all men instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly righteously and godly in the present age looking for here we see that word again looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great god and savior christ jesus who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for himself a people for his own possession zealots for good deeds and this tells us there in this in these few verses the holy spirit through titus tells us how we you and i should be living how we should be living in these days before the return of jesus and that is very near my brothers and sisters nearer than even you and i can ever imagine and it says the grace of god has appeared bringing salvation to all men so i have to see that the grace that i have received instructs me to deny ungodliness and worldly desires it's not just say i'm saved by grace and i sit back in an easy chair no god has given me grace has given you grace to instruct us to deny all ungodliness and worldly desires to live sensibly righteously and godly in the present age you in dubai me here in in india in bangalore wherever god has put us and we're looking for something we're looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great god and the savior christ jesus who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for himself a people for his own possession sell us for good deeds that is what the gospel does the gospel of the grace of god and peter says you know in his letter it speaks about this grace that even when we go through trials and persecutions that grace is that we can receive this grace and at the end of his letter in 1 peter 5 he says this is the true grace of god stand firmly in romans chapter 5 it says we are justified by faith through jesus christ and we are introduced by faith into this grace in which we stand what grace the grace that instructs me to deny ungodliness and worldly desires to live sensibly righteously and godly in this present age for what reason i'm looking for i'm looking for something i'm looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great god and savior christ jesus who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify himself of people for his own possession sell us for good deeds that is god's will for you and me my brothers and sisters and i hope that we are living under that grace this is the true grace of god peter says stand for a minute a grace that will help me not just to get a testimony in the church or for others to know that i am a godly brother or your godly sister or you're a humble brother in humbleness means nothing grace that instructs me to live sensibly righteously and godly in this present age then i can look up with confidence i will not have to shrink back in shame i can look up with confidence for the return of jesus i will not have to pull back in shame like john says that with confidence i'm waiting for his return what are you looking for that's the question i want us to ask ourselves this evening what are you looking for you're looking to make more money you can come back to india pay all your debts build a house and live comfortably retire comfortably is that what you're looking for there's no there's no nothing wrong in that nothing wrong to earn to clear your debts nothing wrong to earn to build a house to have what you need to have for to live in this present age but that should not be all that i'm looking for you're looking for a better job there's no sin in that looking for a better job or to get a better salary yeah you can like john wesley said earn all you can save all you can and give all you can and so there's no sin to take up a better job you get a better salary but is that all that you're looking for is that all i'm looking for i built a house and people put their family name on it and they're so happy now i built my own house i have my own house and my family name is on it my ancestors name is on it so what are you looking for you're not happy there in dubai you know you want to go somewhere else you look to see yeah if you can go to some other country where life is more comfortable where you think uh you know that you will not be persecuted is that what you're looking for my brother's sister so many people looking for they just they just want to get go to the us they want to go to this country wanted to go to that country and then perpetual unrest that's all they're looking for what did daniel look for when he was looking he saw something and the apostles what did they look for most of them lost their lives in following jesus so all these things that i i i i was talking about like a good job or having your own home or or going to another country there's no sin in that but if that's all that you're looking for then you're going to be really disillusioned you look at luke chapter 2 and you see yes here's an old man simeon you know that when we get old and we think yeah now i can retire i can sit back sit back i have enough money in the bank and uh i'm okay my children are all married they're all settles but what was simeon looking for if you look and look too you know when the joseph and mary brought jesus to dedicate him in the temple it says that simeon was looking for the consolation of israel that's what he was looking for he turned to luke chapter two and then he i like that i was thinking that is how we are to live not to live a comfortable life in and look for retirement and simeon it says the inverse yeah there was a man in jerusalem verse 25 whose name was simeon this man was righteous and devout looking for the consolation of israel and the holy spirit was upon him for it had been revealed to him by the holy spirit that he would not see death before he has seen the lord's christ that's what simeon was looking for that's what he was waiting for and he he lived a devout life he wanted to see the christ god had promised him that he will not see that and then you know he breaks out in this in this beautiful uh prophetic words of praise he says lord now you let the let thy servant depart in peace according to your word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou has prepared in the presence of all people a light of revelation to the gentiles that you and me that i can get revelation not just knowledge but i get revelation daniel look and he got revelation john got revelation and when i go to god's word it's not just i read my bible because i want my day to go well that nothing goes wrong i want revelation i i want to see the glory of jesus i don't want to just read read the scriptures like i read some other story book i i asked god give me revelation and i thank the lord and as i've gotten older and even after vic is going home to heaven i find that god has drawn me jesus has drawn me closer to him he gives me revelation and that's what it says you know in if you turn to this word it's another favorite word of mine in second second corinthians and chapter 2 corinthians chapter 4. i like this word every time i go to the toilet it's there a little devotional book and every time i go i i this word right on the cover catches my eye second corinthians and chapter four it talks there in verse five we do not preach ourselves but christ jesus as lord in our and ourselves as your born servant for jesus sake and this is the word listen to this for god who said light shall shine out of darkness is the one who was shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ i want you to read that again read it carefully that god who said light shall shine out of the darkness in the beginning god said let there be light there was light separated the light from the darkness is the one who was shown in our hearts your heart and mind to give us the light of the not the knowledge of god listen read carefully the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ that is the light that god shines in our hearts i want to ask ourselves have you received that light the light of the no not the knowledge of god that'll puff that'll be up here but the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ that's here in your heart i thank the lord that i've begun to see more and more the glory of jesus christ the glory of god in the face of jesus christ that is god's will my brothers and sisters then i tell you nobody need tell you to be ready for the return of jesus nobody even tell you to look for his return you will be eagerly waiting for him to return you live in such a way because you see the glory of god in the face of jesus christ and it goes on to say in verse seven we have but but we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the surpassing greatness or the power may be of god and not from ourselves the surpassing greatness or the power will be of god and not from ourselves when does that happen when i have the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ that i can know him face to face and walk every day knowing him face to face and then no matter what happens like it says there we are afflicted in every way was hate but we are not crushed perplexed but not despairing persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not destroyed always carrying about in the body the dying of jesus that is what what it means and that is what god that's how we you and i should be living we read again in in luke chapter 2 if you turn back there luke chapter 2 we read about anna here is this this elderly 84 years widow she lived seven years with her husband luke chapter 2 was 36 to 38 and then as a widow to 84 years and night and day fasting and praying she never left the temple and when mary and joseph brought jesus as in as a baby to the temple to dedicate him she came in that moment and and seeing him kept giving thanks to god began speaking to all those looking for the redemption of jerusalem that's what she was looking for and not just for herself but she began speaking to all those who are looking for redemption that is how it must be with you and me i've seen something if i've seen the glory of god like simeon like anna then i want others also to see and she began speaking to all those looking for the redemption of jerusalem and if you turn to luke chapter 21 luke chapter 21 and verse 6 you know it's good sometimes to not read just read scripture you know without really seeing what the holy spirit wants to reveal to us there luke chapter 21 you know is about the last days before jesus returns and uh when he says there in verse 8 jesus and verse 7 he says there are some teachers well where all these things mean what will be the sign when these things are about to take place and uh and he said take heed that you do not be misled so many will come in my name but before that i want you to notice that and this is in verse they were all they were all putting their gifts verse one into the treasury and he saw a poor widow putting in two coins and he said you know she had all the others had given out of this surplus but she had given out of poverty all that she had to live on and look at this so while some were talking about the temple that it was adorned with beautiful stones and water gifts he said as for these things which you're looking at the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down so many times you know people take glory in buildings they build a you know a beautiful church and they think that that's what god wants they please with all these beautiful buildings but that's a beautiful building always just a heart the main thing whether god is there but what jesus was saying you're looking at all these beautiful stone but not one stone is going to be on upon one another everything will be torn down and in in the in the job that i was doing i had a furniture and interior decoration business many times when i turned out something beautiful we made some very inquisitive uh pieces of furniture and uh some of my clients sometimes are very happy i can i think of different pieces of furniture i made but one particular piece that was so inquisitive because it turned out so well and my client was so happy but i remember the lord saying to me when i looked at him i was so pleased that we had done such a good job and the lord said this tool is for the fire and everything after that even if when it turned out so well i was reminded that this tool is for the fire so whatever you're doing i don't know what your profession is i don't know how good you are in your job you probably are but to remember that everything is for the fire we read that nation's toils for fire so whatever i may do on this earth i'm trolling for fire everything is going to be burned up peter tells us very clearly everything so i may build a beautiful home like i said there's no harm in building a beautiful but one day it's going to be burned up one day not one stone is going to be put on on another so if i'm only finding my satisfaction and joy means this thing i'm going to be terribly disappointed so i have to see where my focus is it talks about abraham abraham was looking for a city it says which had foundations you read that hebrews chapter 11 verse 10. he was looking for a city which had foundations was builder and mecca was god we read about moses in in hebrews chapter 11 verse 26 that he considered the reproach of christ greater riches than the treasures of egypt for he was looking for the reward to consider the reproach of christ maybe you know your your your reproach is heaped on you maybe your your relatives despise you because you follow jesus but moses consider the reproach of christ greater riches do i see that and whatever approach we have to bear as a church or as those who follow jesus we see it as greater riches like moses than all the treasures of egypt than anything that all the money he can earn in this world because he was looking for the reward and so the holy spirit commands us through ii peter i want you to look at that word now i'm i'm trying to help us to shift our focus away from whatever we're looking at which is not in the right direction i'm trying to help us to look in the right direction and peter tells us then ii peter in chapter 3 second peter chapter 3 verses 12 to 13 it says there that we are to look for and hasten the coming of the day of god because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning and the elements will melt with intense heat but according to his promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells that is what we should be looking for looking for in in verse 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of god many times that word has come to me do you know that you and i can hasten the coming of the day of god that's what the holy spirit tells us through peter in verse 12. says we are looking for and hastening the coming of the day of god because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning and the elements will melt with intense heat like i was saying everything is meant to be burned up all the works even all my best efforts but if am i looking for the new heaven and earth he said which according to his promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells and then verse 14 he says therefore beloved when you therefore beloved since you look for these things since you look for these things be diligent to be found by him in peace spotless and blameless and regard the patience of our lord our salvation just as also our beloved brother paul according to the wisdom given him wrote to you and again it says in verse 17 ii peter 3 verse 17 you therefore beloved knowing this beforehand be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness but grow in grace and the knowledge of our lord and savior jesus christ to him be the glory but now and to the day of eternity amen that is what how we should live my brothers and sisters we see that again and again the holy spirit you know like i said to you in the beginning what are you looking for what is your focus set on are you looking for like peter says not only look for but to hasten the coming of the day of god he says what sort of people are out you to be in all holy conduct and godliness so if i live godly and i live a holy life that's pleasing to god i will hasten the return of jesus you believe that i believe it and think that if if we determine that that's what i'm going to be looking for that's what my focus is going to be set on i want to be able to receive in good confidence when he comes i don't want to shrink back in shame so i'm going to live godly so that i can please him and like john says he who has his hope purifies himself even as he is pure and if you and i keep doing that we will hasten the coming of the day of god we will hasten the return of jesus and that's what he says there so since you look for these things verse 14 and 15 be diligent to be found by him in peace spotless and blameless to be found by him in peace so important you know jesus said that when speaking about his return and when he comes one will be taken the other will be left two people will be working in the field one will be taken the other will be left and i thought of that sometimes there's no time to go down into the house if you're on the rooftop you'll be taken straight from no time to go down to say sorry to your wife no time to go and run to some brother or sister you offended to apologize be diligent to be found by him in peace to be at peace with all men to see that there is nobody in the world nobody i have bitterness or a grudge or resentment towards anyone i'm at peace i pursue peace after all men as far as it depends on me i pursue peace so be diligent to be found by him in peace it's so important that that is what the holy spirit says be diligent that word means you know that and really take it seriously as i live each day i i've said this you know a few times in in in the recent past i live each day as if it was my last i preach if i had to share the word like i'm doing today even as i thought of today i do it as if this was the last message that i would give that's how i want to live each day i want to encourage you my brothers and sisters to live each day as if it was as if it were your last you don't have to go running to settle something everything has been settled you have short accounts with god if you fail you slip up you ask the lord to forgive you and you press on be diligent to be found by him in peace spotless and blameless and regard the patience of our lord and salvation god is patient with us he's patient with the world he's patient with his people with his church not willing that any should perish and all should come to repentance so so important that we take these words seriously and that we are on guard peter ends that letter beyond god so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness you know and people will tell you yeah that's okay you know that's okay and they condone sin instead of helping you to repent of it beat on god so that you're not carried away by the error of unprincipled men all from your own steadfastness but grow in the grace and knowledge of our lord jesus christ to him be the glory about now and to the day of eternity and just one last word which i feel and we need to take to heart in these days and that's in luke chapter 21. luke chapter 21 and it speaks there you know of all the end times and jesus spoke there all the things that will take place before his return and there we have the warning that we saw in peter take heed verse 8 that no one that you are not misled and many things there your here are wars and disturbances we're seeing all that happen and before that they will lay their hands on you and persecute you verse 12 we looked at that that was in daniel's vision also you don't have to worry what you're going to speak you'll be hated on account of my name by your perseverance you'll win your souls verse 19. and then this is the word i want you to look at in verse 26 it says that there will be verse 25 there will be signs and sun and moon and stars and upon the earth dismay among nations and perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world for the powers of the heavens will be shaken and then they will see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory and that's when we that's how we started this message and the disciples were looking up and the angels said as you see jesus go up in the clouds he's going to return and jesus said there you will see the son of man coming in the cloud report in great glory daniel saw that as he was looking and jesus said this and i want that we take these words here when you when these things begin to take place straighten up lift up your heads your redemption is drawing near straighten up and if you're bent forward you know you're worried about so many things he says in the same passage beyond god against worrying dissipation straighten up that's the word that the lord will speak to us in these days and all that's happening with the pandemic and what's going to happen will i get the coronavirus so will i lose loved ones and the lord says straighten up and lift up your heads stop looking down stop focusing and looking in the wrong direction look up your redemption is drawing near jesus is coming and he said in the last words through john i'm coming quickly and if you and i can say even so come lord jesus then we'll be ready to meet him so i pray that whatever has been making you bend forward in worry and anxiety whatever it is that troubles you like that woman you know who was bent up and jesus healed her and he said that you know shouldn't 18 years she was that all bent up and jesus released her says shouldn't she be released whom satan has bent up for 18 years so i hope that none of us are bent up with whatever problems we may be facing or with any anxieties about the future the lord says to us straighten up lift up your heads my coming is near look in the right direction my brothers and sisters let's look up look forward to the return of jesus so that with confidence we can receive him and be ready to go along with him that is that is how i want to live the days that the lord keeps me on earth i look forward to his return i may not see him return but if he calls me home i must be able to meet him with confidence and not with shame because i've lived every day looking in the right direction looking up being at peace seeking to let the holy spirit work in me to make me spotless and blameless and that i can be presented to jesus without shame at his coming may god bless us and help us to shift our focus away from things where we are looking in the wrong direction so occupied that we would straighten up and lift up our heads and be ready for his return sorry power heads dear heavenly father we we thank you that you love us you've given us light the light of the knowledge of the glory of your glory in the face of jesus and in these last days we want to see that glory more and more so that we look in the right direction that we look up and be ready for your return lord jesus pour out your spirit upon us bless the brothers and sisters in dubai bless the church today and lord give us grace in these last days to live lives that will bring glory and honor to your name we thank you in jesus name amen you

Channel: CFC DUBAI

Views: 313

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: Zac Poonen, CFC Dubai, Blessing, Gods Love, Jesus Christ, Ian Robson, End Times, Jesus Return, Second Coming, Being Ready

Id: fBvzlFBPhfE

Length: 47min 43sec (2863 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 03 2021