Look in Three Directions This Year - Zac Poonen
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Summary
The speaker advises looking in three directions throughout the year, starting with recognizing the Lord as lofty, exalted, and in control of the universe, which prevents anxiety. Secondly, one must focus on Jesus as the object of the Christian race, looking to Him seated at the right hand of God. Finally, the speaker emphasizes the necessity of understanding and cultivating reverence for God's holiness, citing examples from Eden and the cross to illustrate the profound nature of divine holiness.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Seeing the Lord sitting on a throneIn Isaiah 6, the prophet saw the Lord sitting high and lifted up, which is the first direction we must look this year to avoid anxiety and fear.Isaiah 6:1
Running the race looking unto JesusHebrews 12 tells us to run our entire Christian life by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, who hung on the cross and is now seated at the right hand of God.Hebrews 12:1–2
Recognizing the tremendous holiness of GodThe seraphim covering themselves with four wings teaches us to spend twice as much time worshiping God as we do serving Him, recognizing His awesome holiness.Isaiah 6:2–3
The fear of the Lord is the alphabet of wisdomReverence for God is the beginning of wisdom, and biblical pictures like Adam and Eve's expulsion and Jesus' suffering on the cross show that God cannot tolerate sin.
All authority belongs to our LordBefore sending His disciples out, Jesus declared in Matthew 28 that all authority in heaven and earth belongs to Him, meaning He is in control of everything.Matthew 28:18
Seeing our own sin in God's presenceWhen Isaiah saw the holiness of God, he did not judge others like before, but instead cried out 'woe is me' and judged his own sin.
Defining sin as falling short of Christ's gloryRomans 3 states that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God seen in Jesus, meaning anything unchristlike in actions, words, thoughts, or motives is sin.Romans 3:23
Keeping a blameless conscience alwaysPaul stated in Acts 24 that he did his best to keep his conscience blameless toward God and men at all times.
The conscience compared to the eyeJesus compared the conscience to the eye in Luke 11, noting that it is the most sensitive part of our spiritual body and must be kept immediately washed and clean.
Cleansing and commissioning to speak God's wordAfter Isaiah confessed his sin and experienced cleansing from the throne, he heard the Lord asking who would go for Him and immediately volunteered.Isaiah 6:6–8
It is more blessed to give than to receiveJesus taught in Acts 20 that there is a greater blessing in taking what God has given us and sharing it with others rather than keeping it to ourselves.Acts 20:35
The parable of the two seasUnlike the Sea of Galilee which receives and gives out water and stays fresh, the Dead Sea only receives without giving and remains stagnant and dead.
Encouraging one another every single dayHebrews 3 commands us to encourage one another daily so people are not hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, and we can do this simply with one sentence.Hebrews 3:13
Needing the power of the Holy SpiritTo truly fulfill this ministry of looking up, looking in, and looking out, we need to pray daily for Jesus to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire.
