LOOKING UNTO JESUS FOR GRACE AND MERCY II

TRINITY HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH
SUNDAY SERVICE
16TH JANUARY, 2022

SERMON
TOPIC: LOOKING UNTO JESUS FOR GRACE AND MERCY II
TEXT: Hebrews 11:13 – 16
PREACHER: Rev. Ebenezer Olawuyi

MESSAGE
Sing: I look to you,
You are my Healer,
I look to you,
You restore my soul,
I look to you,
Jesus Redeemer,
And all who look to you
Will be made whole.

Prophetic Words: This year, as you look to Him, God will complete all that concerns you; your joy will be full. I stand in His presence, under the authority of His word and say to someone who believe, this year, your joy will be full. Amen. Your testimony will break forth. In 2022, the Lord will make a difference between you and the wicked in Jesus Name. You will dwell in peace. When others are saying there is a casting down, for you, there will be a lifting up. In the midst of insecurity in the land, you will dwell safely, in Jesus Name, Amen. In 2022, everything you lost in the past year will be restored to you; this year shall be a year of restoration. The Lord will restore to you every lost opportunity. You will recover all – your health, finances, your business. Your delayed promotion will come this year. God will do a new thing in your family. There shall be no embarrassment for you. You will eat in plenty and be satisfied. You will dwell like the children of Israel in Goshen. The Lord will restore to you every good things that you have lost. For everyone having health challenges, this year, the Great Healer will touch you.

Welcome to Church this morning, it is a happy day! Last week, we began looking at the topic: “Looking unto Jesus for Grace and Mercy” in 2022. We read from Numbers, and I told you how foolish the instruction God gave the children of Israel looked and that it takes self-determination to obey it. We also looked at four things that looking unto Jesus means: to focus on Him, to depend on Him, to be patient with Him and to believe and have faith in Him.
Today, we will continue from where we stopped last week, still treating what it means to look unto Jesus.

WHAT IT MEANS TO LOOK UNTO JESUS
5. Spend more time in His Presence (Isa. 30:15): One of the ways to show that you depend on Jesus is to not joke with your prayer life. Ps. 146:3 urges us not to put our trust in man. Show that you depend on Jesus by your prayer life, therefore, do not joke with prayer meetings. Another way to show that you depend on Him is to spend time in God’s presence. Luke 10 tells us the story of Martha and Mary, Martha complained that Mary wasn’t helping her, but Jesus rebuked her, saying that Mary has chosen one thing that cannot be taken away from her. Nobody has more than 24 hours per day, you just have to discipline yourself to stay in His presence. If you don’t determine to spend time with Him, you can never have time for Him. You can make a new year resolution not to spend less than an hour in God’s presence each day.
After the servants of Mephibosheth had lied against him before King David and Mephibosheth has explained, David wanted to make amends but Mephibosheth told David not to bother about any other thing because being in David’s presence alone is enough for him. This year, set it as a goal to stay in God’s presence. Increase your time with God, if you spend 10 minutes before, grow to 30 minutes and so on. Determine to look at Him, and when you look at Him, your face will be radiant; He will shine on you. Your business will do well when you stay in His presence; if you are a student, decide to stay in God’s presence and you will do well, He will give you an excellent spirit; if you are a wife, taking care of children is not an excuse, discipline yourself and stay in God’s presence. Rearrange and re-order your program to have time with God, this definitely will make your life have a turnaround for good. A number of us give excuses, however, one minute with the Lord will add value to our day; you trivialize it because you do not know the importance. Make a resolution to stay with the One you love. When you see couples who do not enjoy staying with each other any longer, then something is wrong. This year, enjoy staying in God’s presence and as you look at Him, your face will be radiant.

6. To Seek Help from Him (Ps. 34:5): This year, I say to somebody, as you live on the integrity of God’s word, you will not be ashamed. People who look on God are people who come to Him to seek help; they say, “Lord, I am seeking help from you.” In 2 Kings 6:25 – 27, there was famine in Samaria and a woman in Israel cried to the King who was walking on the wall – you don’t cry to man, cry to God – however, the King told her that he cannot help her, only God can help her. Looking unto God is saying you are seeking His help. This was what that woman of Canaan told Jesus and even though the disciples asked Jesus to send her away, she still remained. Jesus did not answer her too, saying He wasn’t sent to her, but to the lost sheep of Israel, still the woman did not go and remained, asking Jesus to help her. Again, Jesus told her that it is not good for Him to cast the bread of the sons to the dog, yet she remained because she knew Jesus is her last bus-stop. This year, look unto Jesus!

7. To Learn from Him: Because His ways are not your ways, neither His thoughts your thoughts; as the heaven is higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our own ways. For there is a way that seems right unto man but its end is destruction.
When you look unto Jesus, you are saying, “Lord, teach me your ways”. You need to look unto Him to ask for the way to go. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus tells us to look unto Him always. You only need to look at Him, you will be at rest and you will be encouraged. Hebrews 12 tells us that seeing that we are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and every sin that easily besets us. There is a race that has been set for everyone of us; in the name of Jesus, by the grace of God this year, you will not fizzle out. Amen.
Why He says we should look at Him is that this race is not your race, but the race that He sets. He has a standard for it; you are not the only one running, some had run before you and are now the “cloud of witnesses” looking at us. There is an expectation of how to run the race, “…everyone who runs in the race is temperate with all things”. How can you know the expectation then, except you go back to the person who sets the race because He is the author and finisher of the race. Ask him how to run the race, run your family, relate with colleagues at office, etc. He will tell you. Look at Him regularly, learn from Him and He will teach you on a daily basis so that you will not derail from the path.
Proverbs 1:32 – 33: “For the turning away of the simple shall slay them… but whoever listens to me will dwell safely and will be secure without fear of evil.” Listen to him for direction; there are some things that look really good but are not good. Sometimes, he will just tell you to keep quiet and not talk and that quietness will bring the miracle you wanted. Sometimes he will tell you to move fast. He will teach you and give you direction. The cloud of witnesses are praying for you not to fail, because if you fail, you won’t have any excuse even though it is a challenging time, when people are wishing God rewrites the bible to fit into our time. God will not rewrite the bible, you are the one who will re-arrange your life. God will not change the bible to fit into my life, I need to change my life to fit into the bible. Everyday, you have to ask Him, so that you will not fail. This year, you will not turn away, you will not be complacent. If you are lukewarm, neither hot or cold, He will spew you out. Come to Him and let Him give you direction for your life. Looking unto Him means allowing Him to run the race of your life.

How to apply these steps into your life?
Answer the questions posed by each points by yourself. Take specific steps to see that you do all that has been said. Determine to depend on Him, focus on Him, spend more time with Him, learn from Him, have faith in Him, be patient with Him and to also seek help from Him. Determine to grow and utilize these words that you have heard. This year, as you look unto Him, you will live. Amen. Rise on your feet!

Declaration:
I receive grace for you this year to apply these words to your life. This year, your face will be radiant and God’s glory will be seen in your life. Joy will be found in your tabernacle. This year, you will live and you will not die physically or spiritually. You will fulfill your days. In the midst of this economic recession, you will not beg for bread; you will never suffer loss. The Lord will keep you alive and sustain you. Amen! Those who look to Him end well, you will also end well, Amen. I receive grace for you to make an adjustment in areas you are failing in in your walk with God. Amen!