one28 Podcast2006-07 Theme: Look Only to Christ
The ability to look (and I don’t mean “look good,” though that comes more naturally to some of us) is an important skill. To “look” is to direct one’s gaze toward someone or something in a specified direction.
There are a number of English phrases that involve looking. We talk about looking back and that refers to remembering the past. We talk about looking forward and that means we’re excited about something still to come in the future. When we look up to someone that conveys that we have a high opinion of them. And when we look down on others we show contempt and disrespect. We look something over when we examine and try to determine its value. We look out when we’re alerted to danger. And we look after our responsibilities when we take care of and keep an eye on things we must do.
How you look, to what you look, and even more specifically, to whom you look will be a watershed in your life. And the theme for the one28 2006-2007 school year relates directly:
The need to look in the right place is as ancient as the Old Testament.
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Isaiah 45:22 [KJV]
The Hebrew word translated “look” in the KJV is pana. Many of the modern versions translate it as “turn,” and as such it involves much more than just the eyes. To “turn” in verse 22 is to turn the heart toward God, to clear away obstacles from one’s view, and to position oneself in order to look directly at God Himself. And even though this is an OT passage, we understand based on the progressive revelation in the New Testament that we are specifically called to look to God in Christ. Look only to Christ.
Everything in life points to Christ. For example, creation shows off Christ. Colossians 1:15-17 reveals that everything was made by Him and through Him and for Him. History centers on Christ, not only in the events but even in its divisions. Years that are BC are those “before Christ” and AD abbreviates anno Domini, “in the Year of our Lord.” The Bible is all about Christ. The OT history books establish the lineage of Christ, the Writings reveal His wisdom, and the Prophets look to His coming. In the NT the Gospels describe His life and message, the Epistles reveal the requirements of Christ for His church, and the book of Revelation describes the culmination of His eternal, universal reign. Even the other members of the Trinity have a special interest in Christ. The Father planned from eternity past to honor His Son and give Him the name above every other name, and the Holy Spirit likewise does not bring His own message, but He bears witness to the Son. And certainly the cross is about Christ. In the gospel we see the holiness, the humility, the patience, and the love of Christ. In the resurrection we see His power and His authority.
Creation, history, Scripture, the Gospel, and God Himself direct us to consider the glory of Christ.
Looking to Christ is the essence of salvation. There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved. All of us have sinned, we deserve eternal wrath, and no amount of good we do can please God. Christ alone is perfect and His sacrifice on the cross satisfied God’s wrath for everyone who would ever look to Him in repentance and faith.
Looking to Christ is also the essence of sanctification. Our union with Him frees us not only from the penalty of sin but also from the power of sin. Christ in us is the source of increasing righteousness. The Spirit is conforming us daily to the image of the Son. So even though right now we do not see Him, we love Him. And though we do not see Him, we believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and full of glory. As we abide in Him we bear much fruit.
Yet so many who take His name and call themselves Christians look so many other places. We look to our stuff. We look to the world and its entertainments. We look to the comfort of our friends and family. We look to our own efforts to make God pleased with us. We look to our education, our strength, our position to make the difference. But we must look only to Christ.
My prayer is that as individuals we will all be fixed on Christ. And as we endeavor as a ministry to look only to Christ this year it will involve three different aspects. May we look only to Christ:
- away from the world. We will continue our Sunday morning series in Ecclesiastes where we’ll be reminded that everything under the sun is vanity and striving after wind. Life is meaningless, empty, and void without Christ. The things of this world are passing away. Its pleasures are like cotton candy: it may taste good for a moment but provides no true nourishment. Let us enjoy the process looking to Christ.
- along with each other. Just because our gaze is to be fixed on Christ, it doesn’t mean we’re to do that all by ourselves. In Christ God has made us to be part of His Body. No man is to be alone in the battle, but we are to love and serve with each other. So our Wednesday night series throughout the year will be on the subject of Small Groups. On the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month you will participate in small groups as we already have scheduled. But on the corporate nights we will talk about the motivation for small groups, the value of small groups, the expectations you should have and the opportunities you should take advantage of in your small groups.
- against error and half-truth. For those in high school this relates to the 07SR. Last year our snow retreat was “For the Love of God – The Religious Affections of Jonathan Edwards.” And this year:
Contending for Christ: The Love and Loyalty of Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Many of you already know that Phil Johnson (of PyroManiacs fame) will be our speaker. We will certainly be saying more about Phil and the retreat over the next few months. For those with uber-Spurgeon interest you might want to look at Phil’s other site spurgeon.org.
Spurgeon’s life and ministry were devoted to Christ. Here is a taste of his strong message concerning where we ought to be looking:
Remember, sinner, it is not your hold of Christ that saves you–it is Christ; it is not your joy in Christ that saves you–it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that is the instrument–it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not to your hope, but to Christ, the source of your hope; look not to your faith, but to Christ, the author and finisher of your faith; and if you do that, ten thousand devils cannot throw you down…. There is one thing which we all of us too much [obscure] in our preaching, though I believe we do it very unintentionally–namely, the great truth that it is not prayer, it is not faith, it is not our doings, it is not our feelings upon which we must rest, but upon Christ, and on Christ alone. We are apt to think that we are not in a right state, that we do not feel enough, instead of remembering that our business is not with self, but Christ. Let me [urge] you, look only to Christ; never expect deliverance from self, from ministers, or from any means of any kind apart from Christ; keep your eye simply on Him; let His death, His agonies, His groans, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercessions, be fresh upon your mind; when you wake in the morning look for Him; when you lie down at night look for Him.The Forgotten Spurgeon, p.42
So Christ is to be our focus. He should be the one we aim to please, He should be the reason for what we do, the subject of our conversations, and the motivation for our attitudes toward others. Christ is to have all our faith. We must trust Him alone for our salvation and depend on Him solely for our sanctification. And most important, Christ should absolutely dominate our affections. May we love Him more than we love anyone or anything else.
Let us look only to Christ!
Listen to the audio file of “Look Only to Christ” here
See other themes: 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09
