Look up, lift up your head, your redemption draws near...

Preached in Glen Aros Christian Fellowship
Sunday 18th January 2009


Let me read from the book “Waiting on God” by Andrew Murray.

‘…You think, too, you know the reason (why things are the way they are). There is too much trust in men and money; there is too much formality and self-indulgence; there is too little faith and prayer; too little love and humility; too little of the spirit of the crucified Jesus.

At times you feel as if things were hopeless; nothing will help…’

‘…let the spirit of the prophet come into you, as you value his words and set yourself to wait on God, on behalf of His erring children…’ ‘…realise your call to wait on God. If others fail in doing it, give yourself doubly too it…’

‘…the greater the self-confidence around you, that knows not that it is poor and wretched and blind, the more urgent the call upon you who profess to see the evil and to have access to Him who alone can help, to be at your post waiting upon God.’

Andrew Murray exhorts:

When we see these things in others, ‘if others fail in doing what is required, give yourself doubly to what is required, to waiting on God, to be ever watchful. When you see all the self-confidence around you, don’t complain. Be more urgent to call upon Jesus who alone can help. Make sure you are found at your post waiting upon God.

Lu 21:28

"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

Your protection says Jesus in these days is to look up.

Now is the time to develop urgently a habit of looking up, and lifting up your heads

The reason?

Your redemption is drawing near. Hallelujah!

Let’s look at Psalm 138:1-8

Ps 138:1 A Psalm of David. I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, When they hear the words of Your mouth.
5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.
6 Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.
8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Look at verse three.

In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.

• When I cried out
• You answered me
• You made be Bold
• With strength in my soul.

As you stand at your post, looking up, lifting up your head, crying out, Jesus will hear you and Make you bold with strength in your soul.

Hallelujah!

Look at verse seven

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.

• Though I walk in the midst of trouble
• He will revive you
• He will stretch out His hand against the wrath of your enemies
• His right hand will save you.

Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father ready to save you.

Hallelujah!

Look at verse eight

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

• The LORD will perfect that which concerns you
• His mercy continues forever towards you.
• He will not forsake the works of his hand.

The mercy that you experience today is an everlasting mercy. It will never end, it will never change, it is yours to day and will be forever!

You are the work of His hand. You were made by Jesus, and for Jesus, and through Jesus, and you are never going to be forsaken.

Hallelujah!

Back to Andrew Murray again for a moment.

‘…What He asks of us, in the way of surrender, and obedience, and desire, and trust, is all comprised in this one word:

‘…Waiting for Him, waiting for His salvation.’

‘… it combines the deep sense of our entire helplessness of ourselves to work what is divinely good, and our perfect confidence that our God will work it all in His divine power.’

• Your inability
• His ability

Focus on Jesus, Look up, lift up your head, be on duty

When you look up and lift up your head you adjust your vision to heavenly things. Your vision is no longer focused on the things of earth.

You focus on your redemption to come.

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Let’s see if you can see something else

Back in the 1900’s, Lillias Trotter penned a Christian tract called Focused.

Let me tell you a little about Lillias. (Photo up)

Lilias was born to Alexander and Isabella Trotter in the heart of the Victorian era in London. Her father died when she was twelve years old.

When Lilias was 23, in 1876 she travelled with her mother to Venice together in 1876, quoting a letter from famous art critic John Ruskin:
When I was at Venice in 1876—it is about the only thing that makes me now content in having gone there—two English ladies, mother and daughter, were staying at the same hotel, the “Europa.” One day the mother sent me a pretty little note asking if I would look at the young lady’s drawings.
On my somewhat sulky permission, a few were sent, in which I saw there was extremely right-minded and careful work, almost totally without knowledge. I sent back a request that the young lady might be allowed to come out sketching with me. She seemed to learn everything the instant she was shown it, and ever so much more than she was taught.
John Ruskin didn't believe that ladies could paint before he met Lilias, he changed his mind after he met her, and believed that if she would give her life to painting she could become the greatest painter of the nineteenth century. Ruskin believed that if she would devote herself to art “she would be the greatest living painter and do things that would be immortal.”--he was unhappy that she was spending so much time on the streets of London, helping with the YWCA when he thought she ought to be painting. (Photos of her paintings)
Lilias, however, decided to give up her career in art in order to serve God. She always remained a good friend of Ruskin's though, and they wrote many letters when she was in Algeria.
About this decision Lilias wrote many years later: Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen good harmless worlds at once—art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on. And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the “good” hiding the “best.”
It is easy to find out whether our lives are focused, and if so, where the focus lies. Where do our thoughts settle when consciousness comes back in the morning? Where do they swing back when the pressure is off during the day? Dare to have it out with God. . . and ask Him to show you whether or not all is focused on Christ and His glory.
Almost a hundred years ago, a lady called Helen Lemmel was a gifted singer and voice teacher. The daughter of a Methodist minister, her family immigrated to America when she was twelve. After music training in Europe, she eventually became a vocal music teacher at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

In 1918, when she was 54 years old, she saw a missionary tract entitled "Focused" by Lillian Trotter who wrote, "So then, turn your eyes upon HIM. Look full into His face and you will find that the things of earth will acquire a strange, new dimness. “Based on these words, Helen immediately penned the chorus along with the music and within a week had completed the stanzas

This is the Hymn ‘turn your eyes upon Jesus’

Let me read you some lines:
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!
Refrain
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!
Refrain
His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!
Refrain
This is an historical testimony of what I want you to see.
It is important where your focus is.
Andrew Murray
Lillias Trotter
Helen Lemmel
All being used of God to give us the word of the Lord, to stay focused.
Lets come up to date now.
Francis McFaul
Ronald McNabb
I am thankful to the Lord Jesus for keeping me focused on Him. Yet I have been frustrated that often I would give something out into the body, and think it had got stuck in the liver, and maybe after a long season it would be found and it would be useful.
I sense that there is a change in the body here.
I had some words the other day and John suggested I pass them on the Francis, saying ‘I got a song back in a week’. Wow! That’s amazing.
At Glen Aros Prayer meeting at the beginning of the month John asked me if I had given Francis the words.
I dutifully gave the words to him, and would you believe it, with in a few minutes the verses were added, the song taught and we all sung it together.
I want to encourage you to give into the body those gifts you have, even though for a season you have thought no one wants to know, give them for I believe this is your time, and you will see quick fruit from your gifting.
God bless you.