My Faith Looks Up To Thee

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Song 425 in the Songs For Worship And Praise Songbook

Notes
Transcript

Introduction

Greetings...
Our first song comes from number 425 in our book.
Please turn to that song and keep it handy as we will be doing things a bit different for the next several Sunday night lessons.

Faith Longs For Purity

Faith Longs For Purity

True purity can only be found in Christ.

Those that have not obeyed the gospel cannot be pure.
John 14:6 ESV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
2 Thessalonians 1:8 ESV
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 John 1:7 ESV
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 Peter 2:2 ESV
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—

True faithfulness will long for purity.

Purity of mind (intellect)
Philippians 4:8 ESV
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Purity of heart (emotions)
Matthew 5:8 ESV
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Summery

Faithfulness to God desires purity in our lives.
This type of purity takes a zealous love though.
In our song hear the words concerning such zealous love.

Faith Longs For Zealous Love

Love is an action not an emotion

We have talked much about this but it bears remembering that emotions are simply by products of love.
describes love as “patient, kind, not envious, boastful, arrogant, irritable, or resentful which are all actions towards others in either the positive or negative.

Zeal is a burning eagerness.

This is found in the different ways it is translated out of the sixteen times it is found in the N.T.
The word zeal is a word that means “a fire inside.”
John 2:17 ESV
His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Romans 10:2 ESV
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
Of those in the ESV it is translated once as fury.
Hebrews 10:27 ESV
but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
Heb
James 3:16 ESV
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
Nine times it is translated jealously.
James 3:16 ESV
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
Six times it is translated zeal.
John 2:17 ESV
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Jn
One time as fury.
Hebrews 10:27 ESV
27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

Faith longs for zealous love.

A love that is pure devotion to God.
2 Corinthians 11:3 ESV
3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
A love that is based on facts and knowledge not ignorance and assumptions.
Romans 10:2 ESV
2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Summery

Biblical zealous love isn’t haphazard or ignorant...no it’s based on a knowledge and understanding of Almighty God.
“For I bear them witness that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”
This is why a pure zealous love for God longs for guidance from God.

Faith Longs For God’s Guidance

The faithful know they need God.

We are a “poor and needy” people who need their God.
Psalm 40:17 ESV
17 As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!
Without God we are nothing with God we are at best “unworthy servants.”
Luke 17:10 ESV
10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ ”

Faith longs for God’s guidance.

A pure zealous love seeks God’s guidance at every turn because that kind of love for God understands how much we need God.
We need God to have the best life on earth.
2 Peter 1:3 ESV
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
We need God to have the best life after this earth.
Matthew 7:21 ESV
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Summery

The faithful and true long for a pure, zealous love that is guided by God’s Word because they know the end results of such devotion.
An ETERNITY with God!!!

Faith Longs For Eternity

There is nothing wrong with wanting to live on this earth.

The apostle Paul struggled with this very thing.
Philippians 1:22–24 ESV
22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
Php 1:

The faithful long for eternity over this earth though.

We should be being pulled much greater to heaven than this earth, otherwise what are we doing here?
Can we honestly say I’m working toward heaven if I’m longing for something other than heaven?
Some seem to think we will miss our family members that are not with us but that suggests “pain and sorrow” which don’t exist in either place.
Look again at what Paul writes the brethren at Philippi.
Philippians 1:22–24 ESV
22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Summery

The faithful and true long for a pure, zealous love that is guided by God’s Word because they know the end results of such devotion.
An ETERNITY with God!!!

Conclusion

My Faith Looks Up To Thee...
Does your faith look up to God and long for purity, zealous love, God’s guidance, and eternity?
Invitation
Invitaiton
Isaiah 59:1–2 ESV
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
Philippians 2:6–7 ESV
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
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