Undivided Attention
The sermon emphasizes the importance of keeping God in mind and avoiding self-centeredness, in order to grow into the likeness of Christ.
Miles J. Stanford preaches about the importance of not forgetting the Lord our God, emphasizing that as recipients of His favor, we must be vigilant not to turn our focus from God to ourselves. He warns that even in times of blessings, we must guard against self-centeredness and instead keep our eyes fixed on God as the source of all blessings. Stanford highlights the need for believers to consciously reject anything that may revive the old sinful nature and to continually grow in the likeness of Christ, ensuring that God remains the center and source of everything in their lives.
Text
"Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God" (Deuteronomy 8:11).
Our Father would be free to favor us with far more of His riches in Christ Jesus if we would keep more in mind that grace is unmerited favor--so that "He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy" (Romans 9:23).
"It seems so natural, when one is surrounded with blessings, and thus sensible of being an object of divine favor, that the eye is turned from God to oneself; for when God is before one, self gets no place, though there be the deepest awareness of His favor.
"Hence it is the saint who is the object of the greatest favor who needs to be on his guard, that he allow not his eye to rest on himself where the favors are sent, but on God from whom they come. If his eye turns to himself because of the favor, then the favor has been the means of turning his heart from God to a mere gift of His."
"If there be a growing up into the measure of the stature of Christ, there must be a conscious refusal of that which would tend to revive or invigorate the old nature. The saint is not only a new creature to grow into the likeness of the Lord Jesus, but he has to watch and beware lest the things he has to do with should in any way minister to another will in him, which would divert him from God to himself. Self is the circle and center of man's mind in his fallen state; but when Christ is formed in the soul, God is the center and source of everything." -J.B.S.
"For we . . . worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3).
Sermon Outline
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I
- The Dangers of Forgetting God
- The Natural Tendency to Self-Centeredness
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II
- The Importance of Keeping God in Mind
- The Consequences of Focusing on Self
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III
- The Need for a Conscious Refusal of the Old Nature
- Growing into the Likeness of Christ
Key Quotes
“It seems so natural, when one is surrounded with blessings, and thus sensible of being an object of divine favor, that the eye is turned from God to oneself;” — Miles J. Stanford
“If there be a growing up into the measure of the stature of Christ, there must be a conscious refusal of that which would tend to revive or invigorate the old nature.” — Miles J. Stanford
“For we . . . worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” — Miles J. Stanford
Application Points
- We must be intentional about keeping God in mind and giving Him the glory for all blessings.
- Growing into the likeness of Christ requires a conscious refusal of the old nature and a focus on God.
- We must recognize that all blessings come from God and worship Him in spirit and truth.