5 Ways to Sharpen Your Spiritual Focus

Heavenly Father, we come to you simply as branches in the vine that is Jesus. The vine alone has all things. We can't cleanse ourselves.

We can't heal ourselves. We can't pick ourselves up. No matter how much we try, only you can sustain us.

Only you can cleanse us. I thank you that you are willing. Stretch out your hand, Lord, to our outstretched hand right now and heal us, cleanse us.

We want it. We desire it, but that's nothing. Our desire for this life, a life of rest, a life of freedom from everything of this earth, everything that's not of Christ, especially fear and worry, lack of rest.

Our desire for it is a drop in the ocean compared to your desire for us. It's for your sake that you cleansed us, not even for ours, Lord, and you are willing. So as we stretch out our hands this morning, we believe you'll stretch out your hand, which has power to touch and heal the deepest area of our lives that needs healing, spiritually, emotionally, physically, whatever it might be, Lord.

We thank you. Touch us now, Lord, and fill us with that life that is eternal. We trust you fully in Jesus' name.

Amen. Amen. It is really an amazing thing that God would say that he would cleanse us of our filth for his sake.

It should be for our sake. That's step one. I'm such a filthy, horrible, good-for-nothing sinner that God would touch me and heal me and give me eternal life.

You would think it's for my sake, but when you get to know God and you know his word, you'll see it's, he says, it's for my sake. I don't think I fully understand that. I want to.

I want to know the extent and the fullness of God's love, the length, breadth, height, and depth, far beyond knowing that Jesus loved me so much because I'm such a filthy, wretched sinner. That's pretty big in itself. But then to realize that it was for his sake, somehow he identified with me, the wretched sinner, and said, it's for my sake, I'm going to cleanse you.

I believe we will really fully realize that in eternity. And so like I prayed, and like the youngest children reminded us this morning, Jesus asked him, told him, asked him, are you willing? And he, Jesus said, I am willing, stretched out his hand, touched him, and he was made whole, cleansed completely. I'd like to present and share with you all this morning, and with myself as well, five ways to sharpen your spiritual focus.

And I put them there on slides so that you can write them down. It's something the Lord's been working in my own heart. I hope it's helpful for you all.

If he shows you other ways, that's great. More ways, that's great. But it's very important, dear family, that in these days, as we rapidly approach the return of Christ, that we can't afford for our lives to be dull.

We can't afford to be trying to slice the bread with a dull knife, and it just seems like just sawing away. Nothing's happening. Week after week, toothless, ineffective against the weapons of Satan, ineffective against our own lusts and desires, falling prey to the same old bad habits, same bad moods, same conflict in the marriage at home, same old year after year after year.

We can't afford to continue that dull life. And the Lord's impressing on my heart even more the importance that we sharpen our focus, sharpen our lives. It's a message of personal testimony, but I want to encourage you all through that, that the Lord would sharpen us as men, and sharpen us as women, and sharpen us as children, sharpen our marriages, sharpen our homes, not just that we're hanging on, sawing away, like I said, aimlessly and ineffectively, holding on until Christ comes and finally I'll get to heaven and be done with this miserable life.

The life that God has called you to live after you're born again is not a miserable one. It's an effective, joyful, powerful life. And I don't sit here as one who has attained it, like Paul said.

I'm far from it. I don't speak as one who has attained, but forgetting the things that lie behind and pressing forward to what lies ahead, I run. I say, Lord, I'm willing to do anything that today will be the day that I finally get an effective knife.

My life becomes sharp and pointed. That our children will be as arrows. You know our children are supposed to be arrows? Let's turn to that verse first of all, Psalm 127.

Our prayer for our children shouldn't be that they will grow up and set up their own homes and get married and have enough money to live and have a house and have a car and have jobs and all that. That's secondary, tertiary, way down the list. Far more important is this.

Psalm 127, verse, let's just read the whole verse, the whole chapter, the whole psalm. It's a good psalm. Speaking about sharpening our spiritual focus, making sure that our lives are effective from eternity's standpoint.

Not just going to work on another Monday and go through Friday and enjoy the weekend and then run that cycle again. That's not the life. It's okay if you're not born again.

If you're not a child of God, that's sure, live that circular life. But if you're a child of God, which I hope all of you are here, even children, that life that God has intended for us to live is forward moving. Yes, the earth revolves around the sun and we get Sunday through Saturday and we get to another Sunday.

That might seem cyclical, but every one of those must be a week and a month and a year that's going forward. Those circles must be moving forward towards a goal. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.

Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early and go to bed late because you got to work and you got so much to do to eat the bread of painful labors because you haven't received from the Lord because he gives to his beloved even in his sleep. The work that God wants us to do, the life that God wants us to live is a life of him giving and then there's no anxiety and worry and fretting and restlessness.

There's a purpose, there's a point to every Monday and every Tuesday and every week and every month and every year that goes on. There's a purpose to it because he has given it, not just me in my painful labors. And it's true for our children as well.

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, a heritage. It's a literal word there. The fruit of the womb is a reward and they must be like arrows in the hand of a warrior.

Dear fathers and mothers, you are warriors and your children are the arrows. Are you setting them up to be sharp and pointed? And do you have a target that you're pointing them towards? Are you aiming them at a specific target by training them, disciplining them when they misbehave, when they speak disrespectfully? Have you given them a target? Oh, this is, I feel helpless, dear family, I'll just be honest. I say, Lord, I can't afford to mess this up.

My children are in my home for a very short time. And in that time, I want to make sure that the arrows are sharp and that I know exactly what the target is. I can't afford to be aimlessly wandering in my own life.

Especially if you have children in the home. Because you have a target. You must know the target.

You must be headed in that target as well. And you must be pointing them. And by the way, when I say you, I put myself as the start of the line.

I point my finger at all five of them, at myself. The fruit of the womb is a reward like arrows in the hand of the warrior. So are the children of one's youth.

How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be ashamed when they speak with the enemies in the gate. May it be so.

So, I'd like us to now look at five practical ways in which we can sharpen our focus. Five practical ways to sharpen your spiritual focus. The first of all is this.

Find your resting place in Jesus alone. Not anything on earth. I've used those words very intentionally.

Resting place where I finally come and settle. Most people in the world are looking for where can I settle in terms of geographical location. Physical location like a house.

Buy some land. Farm if you like to farm. Build a house.

Have some friends nearby or relatives nearby. Have a community. Close to a good school.

Those are the things. I don't have to commute too far for work, let's say. These are the things that people are looking to settle here on this earth.

Find your resting place, your settlement in Jesus alone. Not on anything on the earth. It's one or the other.

If you're looking to find a resting place in something on this earth, you will always be dissatisfied. God will leave you like that. If you're looking for a successful job that you can hold on to till your retirement or some other earthly sense of settlement and resting place.

Dear brother, dear sister, dear children, young people. You will be left dissatisfied. There's a wonderful hymn that has been running through my mind for some weeks now.

And that's really where this message is coming from. And that resting place cannot even be a church community. Some of you have left families, left other places, moved here, or made some sacrifices to be a part of this family that's here.

But even this family can't be that resting place. Do you know that? That if you find a home in this church, which I hope you do. If you live in this area, we hope that you'll find a home in this church.

But for what purpose? That you feel at home here because you're around people who are really only at home with Jesus. Not at RLCF or some friends or my children have companions or Loveland's a nice place to live. No.

Because if that's what is your resting place, you'll get tired of it after a while and want to go somewhere else. If every single one of us at RLCF has found a resting place in Jesus, then Lord bring others who want that resting place as well. My faith has found a resting place not in device.

Device means earthly things. Or creed. We preach this or we teach that.

I trust the ever living one. His wounds for me shall plead. Enough for me that Jesus saves.

This ends my fear and doubt. A sinful soul, I come to him. He'll never cast me out.

I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It's enough that Jesus died and that he died for me.

That's enough. Let your faith, let your life, let your every part of your being find it's resting place there. Now, these are not new words.

I'm not telling you something new. But you know, as I examine my life, I tend to look back. Every Sunday I look back on my last week.

Whether I get up to speak or just sit there and listen. I say, Lord, what's the last week been like? Was there any unrest? I judge myself a lot by the amount of unrest or anxiety or worry or shakiness, shakableness. Day by day, week by week.

I say, look back at the end of my day. Lord, was there anything shaky in my life today? Was there anything shaky in my week? Was there any circumstance that came up that suddenly ruffled me? And disturbed me in some way? And I judge myself by that highest of standard that says, Lord, that means that I have not found my resting place in you. Now, we won't get there overnight.

But my dear family, if you continue to judge yourself by this standard. Judging yourself is not a negative thing. Examining your heart carefully is not a negative thing.

It's a positive thing because it brings you to the place where you say, Lord, I don't care if everybody else around me is satisfied with a life where once in a while they get shaken. Lord, you promised me an unshakable life. Give it to me, Lord.

I long for it. I pray that your faith, your life going forward will find its resting place in Jesus alone. Let's turn to Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians 1 verse 20.

Before I read this, I want to ask you. Who is it that has seated at the throne at the right hand of the Father? You don't have to answer out loud, but just think about that question. Who is it that's seated on the throne at the right hand of the Father? Ephesians, yeah, that's right.

Okay, the little one has it. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 20. In the middle of verse 19.

In these, this power and the riches of his glory, in the middle of verse 19. Ephesians 1 verse 19. Are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might.

He's talking about the amazing power of God for you who believe. If you have faith, this power, this amazing, the strength of his might. I mean strength and might are almost like two synonyms, equal words.

Almost. But when it says the strength of his might, it's almost like the Holy Spirit through Paul wants us to be absolutely convinced of how amazing this power is. Which, verse 20, he brought about in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion in every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

So, that little child was absolutely right. Jesus is the one who's seated on the throne at the right hand of the Father. But it goes on to say, let's turn to chapter 2, verse 4. This is where you understand the richness of God's mercy.

God being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us. It's wonderful that he allowed Jesus, his son, to come down to this earth and suffer death and to be raised up in power from the grave and seated him at his right hand on a throne far above all rule and authorities. That's wonderful.

It's great that he did that for Jesus. But God being rich in mercy towards Santos, put your name there, because of his great love with which he loved you and me even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. Hallelujah.

Praise you Lord. By grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So, if you didn't know it already, I hope you've seen Ephesians 1, verse 20 and Ephesians 2, verse 6 and see that you're there.

Find your resting place there. Far above all rule and authority. Far above your boss or your neighbor or that other situation that's harassing you or whatever it might be that you're afraid of.

Far above the future. The future is perhaps the greatest source of anxiety and worry and stress in your life, in our lives. I'm sure of it.

I've seen it in my own life. Far above all authority and rule. Have you been ruled by the future and fear of it? God has seated you in heavenly places with Jesus.

Is Jesus worried about the future? Children, somebody tell me, is Jesus worried about the future? Absolutely not. Should you be if you're seated with him? Absolutely not, yes. Wonderful.

Let's turn to Colossians chapter 1. Or chapter 3, sorry. Colossians chapter 3, verse 1. Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ Jesus, which is true, it's not a question. It's a rhetorical question.

That is, it's a statement being asked as a question. Yes, he's told us, I've raised you up with Christ Jesus. I've seated you on a throne with Jesus in the heavenly places at my right hand.

The Father tells us, if that's the case, then what should you do? Now that you're here on this earth, you still have a mind of your own, a will of your own that God's not going to superimpose his will on. He's not going to take away your free will. He's going to give you his promises in his word.

He's given you a Bible in which he has said and he has sworn his word. And now he says, if that's true, now you, given that you have the free will, set your mind on things above. Don't keep seeking the things of this earth.

If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above. The moment you're tempted to think about how difficult your life's going to be or some other situation that's waiting for you next week or next month or something like that, no, refuse to be bound by that thought. The next time you're tempted in that conflict with your wife or your husband to act the same old way like you have been, say, no, Lord, I refuse to do that.

Give me power. I want to seek, set my mind on things above and speak to my wife and speak to my husband and speak to my children, speak to my boss, speak to my brother and sister in the church with a heavenly mindset, with heavenly words. If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above.

Where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, along with who? Put your name there. Set your affection, set your mind on the things above. See, this is what you must do.

He's already done the seating. You're seated there, but your mind tends to still be here down on this earth. That's up to you, brother, sister.

Set your mind. Ask God for the power of the Holy Spirit that you, having been seated, you're already seated there, but your way of thinking is still very earthly. It's still very, ah, I need to do it my way or my feelings are hurt, so I'm going to respond to you like this.

Set your mind on things above. Set your affection on things above, not on the things of this earth. So that point, find your resting place in Jesus alone, not on anything on this earth.

And you've probably heard my dad use that example of a rubber band. See, when we're born, we're born earthly minded. We're born with earthly desires.

That's like a rubber band that's fixed here on this earth. And for many Christians, they're not really born again, I think, sadly. I don't say this judgmentally, and I'm not thinking of how many or what percentage or who.

But the problem is that what's not really changed is where that rubber band is fixed. And so now, before I came to know Christ or became a Christian, for many people who call themselves Christians, this is what it looks like. I was a rubber band fixed on this earth, and I stretched to things of this earth, and I was always thinking about how to make a little bit of money, how to please my sexual desires, how to be popular, how to have a little bit more comfort, how to have a bigger this and a better that, how to make myself more good-looking.

That's all earthly mindedness. But then I became a Christian. I went to a church, and I thought, you know what, this is kind of miserable.

So let me, oh yeah, I guess I want to go to heaven. So I remained fixed on this earth, and I stretched myself to think about Jesus. Oh, He loved me so much.

That's why you get a lot of Christians who are moved tremendously through songs, and they weep tears, oh Jesus, you love me so much on a Sunday morning. And they think they're so holy because of how they think. And then you go, the moment the meeting's over and the song finishes, and you go back to your home, you settle back, the rubber band is released, and it springs back to an earthly mindedness.

And Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, you continue to live this earthly minded life, self-loving life. To be truly born again is to have the exact opposite, where that fixed point is now in heaven. He has translated you from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His marvelous light, made you His child.

That means the rubber band is now fixed in heaven. Yes, you have to go to work on Monday morning, you have to go do your schoolwork, which means you stretch to think about physics, and calculus, and geography, and history, and English literature, and whatever else you have to learn, and whatever else you have to do with your body and your mind to earn a living. You stretch yourself to that, but throughout the day, when that meeting is over, and when you're done with that, you take a break, you're springing back to the heavenly mindedness.

Where are you fixed, dear brother, dear sister, dear children? Where is your mind fixed? God wants to do something, perhaps, that He hasn't ever yet done in your life. Don't look back on the past, don't say, well, does that mean I'm not really born again? I'm not here to make that the point of discussion, but let God change the fixed point in your life today. Ask Him to do it.

Only He can do it. You cannot work your way up a ladder to get to that. This is the fixed point that God wants to do for you, to change your mindset.

And then, you can live that life of a heavenly mindedness. You see this in the story of Genesis chapter 8. Let's go there. At the end of the flood, there were two birds that Noah released from the ark.

One was a raven, the other was a dove. A beautiful picture there that we see all the way back in the first book of the Bible, the first few chapters of the Bible, of the difference between an earthly minded life and a heavenly minded life. I won't tell you the whole story.

You've read it if you've been following the Bible reading plan a few weeks ago. And you probably know the story already. But essentially what we see here in Genesis chapter 8 verse 6, when it came about at the end of 40 days that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.

But that window, if you read the previous passage carefully in the construction of the ark, the window was up high. So I imagine that what that meant was Noah couldn't see. It was like a skylight.

You could look out the window, but you can't look down and see what's going on underneath. And so he released a bird, verse 7. He sent out a raven and it flew here and there for a while. It doesn't say exactly how long, but it kept flying around until the water was dried up from the earth.

And it never came back. What was the raven waiting for? Ah, look at all this meat. Could you imagine what a feast that raven had? Could you imagine what life was like for that raven sitting in that ark for almost a year? All it eats is, I don't know what they ate, but it certainly didn't have as good a buffet as was staring at it the moment all the water dried up.

The entire earth was covered with the carcasses of animals and human beings. And the raven had its fill. It says, Aha! I don't care about everybody else in the ark.

This is me. I love this. Aha! Great! The flood has subsided.

Now let me live for myself and feed on the things of this earth. It never came back. Verse 8, then he sent out a dove.

This is a picture of a spiritual life. Somebody was born again. You're born a raven, dear friend, dear family.

We are born ravens. God wants to change our heart. Are you still seeking for the things of this earth? But when God blesses you materially, here's the test.

When God blesses you materially and gives you something that you've worked hard for, some level of earthly success, what's your response? Aha! Thank you, Lord. I'm sure the raven, if it could, would say, Thank you, God. You've given me all this flesh to eat.

And that's what many Christians do. Thank you, Lord. You've blessed me.

We thank you for your many blessings. Earthly mindedness. Verse 8, then he sent out a dove from him to see.

And what did the dove see? The dove saw exactly what the raven saw. The dove's interest was very different. Sent out a dove from him to see if the water was abated from the face of the land.

But the dove found no resting place while the raven did. Resting place for the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark. For the water was on the surface of all the earth.

Then he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark to himself. So he waited yet another seven days. And again, he sent out the dove from the ark.

The dove came to him toward evening. And behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. So no one knew that the water was abated from the earth.

As you go into this next week, and in the days to come, until Christ returns, dear family, ask God to change your perspective. As you look out at your life, and your goals, and your objectives, and where you're pointing your life towards, that target, and where you're pointing your marriage towards, and your children towards, is it with the raven mindset, or is it with the dove? That's the important question to ask. Okay, number two, I'd like to move on to the next point.

Five ways to sharpen your spiritual focus. Number two, grow daily in knowing God. Grow daily in knowing God.

And I want to mention three ways that this happens. I'm not talking about knowing the doctrine, or knowing about Him, but truly knowing Him, because dear family, this is life or death. Literally, life or death.

Not life or death in terms of a physical sense. You know, there's a saying in the world, this is life or death. Like, you make this decision, you'll be alive, or you'll be dead.

That's it, it's life or death. This is life or death where it really matters. Because this is eternal life, or eternal death.

Because John 17, verse 3, Jesus said, This is eternal life, that they may know thee. Know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. If you don't know, truly know God.

I'm not talking about, well, I know Jesus, yeah, He's the one who died for my sins, and I can sing about Him, and all that. No, no, do you know Him? Does He know you? It's not, yeah, I guess I know Him. I'm not sure if I know Him.

You can't afford to get this answer wrong. This is the one answer we have to get right, family. This is the only answer we have to get right.

Not, did you say a prayer? Are you going to heaven? That's not the question. You don't see that in the Bible. Do you know Him? Do you have eternal life that has come as a result of really knowing Him? Dear brothers, dear sisters, and dear children, dear young people, God wants you to know Him.

And this is eternal life. You can't afford to mess it up. And to know God, here I want to mention three ways.

One is by knowing His Word. Matthew 4, verse 4. Grow daily, and I was very intentional in that word as well. God wants you to grow daily, which means since the last time we were here, a week ago in this room, there ought to have been a seven-fold increase, if you will, in knowing God.

It's a good evaluation. Lord, have I grown seven-fold since the last time I was sitting in this chair a week ago? If it's not, don't be discouraged. Don't beat yourself up.

Say, Lord, I'm going to press on. Forgetting what lies behind, I want to press on. This is God's goal for us, that we grow daily in knowing God.

It comes by, first of all, meditating on God's Word daily. Matthew 4, verse 4 says, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that is proceeding out of the mouth of God. If you eat daily, then that is a picture.

Jesus uses the picture of bread, which is food. Have you gone a whole day without eating anything? Yeah, probably. Probably none of you children, but some of you adults, hopefully you've fasted and have spent some time, or you've gone through periods of time.

But you know that feeling when you fast, when you go without food, that sense of, Man, I'm getting hungry. It's a lot of pressure you feel. Inside of you, there's that craving, that pull of your stomach, like, I need something.

Daily, you can probably go with one meal a day, I think. Many of us can probably afford to do that, actually, to get a little healthier, and lose some weight, and discipline your body, not desiring good food. But regardless, if you've gone a whole day without feeding yourself, your spiritual being, do you notice it? Take an effort, dear brothers, dear sisters, and dear children, to feed yourself on God's Word.

Read, memorize, and meditate on it. That's partly why we memorize Scripture. But the ultimate goal on that is to meditate on it, meditate on God's Word, meditate on God's Word every day.

And it used to be, when I was young, I thought it had to be a chapter. And I hope to set any of you who are bound by that chain, it has to be a chapter, because there's nothing you read in Scripture that says it has to be that, as much as you have time for, but it should be at least some portion of Scripture. It could be a phrase.

It could be just a memory verse for the week. It could be a verse, whatever. But something, you must eat something spiritually every day.

So every day, meditate on God's Word. I thought about it like this. Are you ready for prison? Because I believe, my heart, that the time is coming when we will face prison for being followers of Jesus Christ.

Certainly, if you're still alive around the time when Jesus Christ comes, that's in your future, Jesus said. And there are believers around the world already facing that. Are you ready for prison where you won't have a Bible, you won't have a phone? What will you feed on then? Will there be enough of God's Word locked away in your heart, in your mind, that the Lord can refresh you through that? Or are you going to starve to death in prison? And I wonder if there were some people who were locked up in prison, who didn't spend enough time knowing God's Word and meditating on it, that when they got there, their faith failed.

We don't want that to be true, but any one of us. This is the time. This is the time of sowing.

The time is coming. The winter is coming when the Bible will be taken away from us. I hope you believe that.

God has given us the privilege of having this book in our hands for a period of time, and it's going to be taken away. Night is coming when you won't be able to work, that phone will be taken away, the Bible app will be forbidden. I believe it, personally.

You won't be able to get the Bible app anymore, and you won't have a physical Bible. And then what? Then I say, Lord, I'm starving. I'm here where I need spiritual nourishment, and the temptation is, and they're tempting me, and they're pressuring me.

This is the time, brothers, sisters, children. This is the time to hide God's Word in your heart. Secondly, seek daily to be filled with the Holy Spirit, because this is the only way you can really know God.

Many people are trying to know God, even through a theological or a mental application and study of God's Word. That's not enough. Let's turn to 1 Corinthians 2. There's really only one way that God allows for us to know God, and that is through His Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2, verse 10. The only way, please listen to this carefully, dear family, the only way you can know God, I already said that, that second point, sharpening our spiritual focus comes through growing daily in knowing God. And the only way you can know God is not read the Bible enough, and apply your mind, and think about it enough.

No, it comes through the Holy Spirit, because there's only one person who knows God. The depths of God. If you've known God, let's say, I would put it this way, if my knowledge of God, knowing Him, has not grown in the last week, because they say, well, I think I know God.

I know everything that there is to know about Him. That clearly means that I'm not filled with the Holy Spirit. Because my knowledge of God has stagnated, if you will.

It got to a point where it's like, yeah, I think I've reached the capacity. I've read the Bible a couple of times, and I think I know everything there is to know. Yeah, you know everything there is to know about doctrine, and you perhaps maybe even know the Bible verse, but the only way we can really know God, and continue to grow every day, think about it, that from the day we were born again, God's goal for us was that every day I'd be knowing a little bit more of God, a little bit more of God, a little bit more of God, a little bit more of God.

The only way that can happen, for it to continue down that path, until I see Jesus face to face, is if I'm filled with the Holy Spirit. Because, 1 Corinthians 2 verse 10, For to us God revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. Because, he uses the example of men, If you really want to know me, you could, even my wife, could spend years with me.

You could watch me, scrutinize me, and observe me, and put a camera behind me 24-7. You would still know quite a bit about me, but you wouldn't know everything about me. The deepest part of me is in my thoughts, where you can never know me.

And that's what the Holy Spirit through Paul uses as a picture of how do you really want to know God? And the only way you and I can really know God is if the Spirit reveals Him to us. Verse 11, For who among men knows the thoughts of a man, except the Spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, the thoughts of God, the depths of God, everything about God, no one knows except the Spirit of God. So, if you haven't been filled with the Holy Spirit, whatever you know of God is not really God.

You know something about God. You've observed Him. You know that He blesses you.

You know that He's forgiven your sins. You have some kind of assurance that still is through the Holy Spirit. And you know the Bible a fair amount, but you don't really know the depths of God.

This has convicted me deeply, brothers and sisters. And the end result of that ought to be, Lord, fill me with your Spirit. If I was filled with the Holy Spirit yesterday, and I got to know you that much, now, Lord, you must fill me more that I can know you even more.

And how dare I think that I can know you a little bit more today by coming to a meeting, or listening to a sermon, or even reading the Bible, if it's not through a complete, utter dependence on the Holy Spirit. You hear a lot, we hear a lot in this church family about being filled with the Holy Spirit and seeking for it. I still find that for many Christians, we need to be reminded, Hey, have you prayed for the baptism of the Holy Spirit? No, I haven't really thought about it.

Last time I prayed was a couple of months ago. It means that we have no passion, no desire to know God. And we think, yeah, I know what it means to be a Christian.

And the longer I've been a Christian, walking with Jesus, the closer I walk with Jesus, the more I seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit, the more I realize I thought I knew God a couple of years ago. I realize I don't know Him. I was in a pool, and thought I'd circled the, it was a big pool, sure.

I thought I circumvented, circumnavigated, just went the whole distance of the pool. It's a big pool. I got the whole thing down.

Then I realized, God is not a pool. I thought He's a big lake. You can still go around the whole lake.

We realize that God is an ocean, deepest ocean there is. That ought to bring a passion in our lives. Say, Lord, the only way I can really know you is through a continual filling of the Holy Spirit.

A lot of people argue about, do you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit? I've stopped getting into arguments with them about it. To me, if somebody doesn't have a continual desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit, it clearly means they have no passion to really know God. They have a passion to know the doctrine, and impress people with their ideas, and want to have a ministry, and want to do this, and want to do that.

But dear family, let's be, at least at RLCF, a people who want to know God. And the only way we can is through the continual filling of the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, in this growing daily in knowing God, that third aspect of growing daily in knowing God, is seek daily to take up your cross.

This is still point number two. Growing daily in knowing God, seek daily to take up your cross. Jesus said in Luke 9 verse 23, Luke 9 verse 23, If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily.

The only way you can know God, today, is if you have taken up your cross, and you have taken up your cross daily. Paul put it this way, in Philippians chapter 3, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4, that he was transformed daily into the image of Christ. He experienced this.

Every day a little bit more knowing God, and transformed a little bit more. Read it in 2 Corinthians 4. Why is that? Because Paul had, in Philippians chapter 3 verse 10, He had a passion to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. That means he saw Jesus dying, and it wasn't enough to just say, Oh Jesus, thank you that you died for me.

He says, I want to die too, because I want to know you. And for many Christians, they know Jesus as the one who is over there, dying on the cross. Jesus said, are you satisfied with a far away Jesus, where you see Him there in Calvary, dying on the cross for you? Thank you Lord that you died for me.

He says, if you want to follow me, if you want to be with me, if you want to know me, you're going to have to get on your cross as well. And there, hanging next to me, you will find fellowship. And you'll know the depths of Jesus.

This was Paul's passion. And that's why, because he was dying daily with Jesus, taking up his cross daily with Jesus, he knew Jesus every day. He woke up with a passion, Lord, I want to know you.

And Jesus said, yep, get on your cross Paul, you'll know me. You'll know me in my death, and you'll know me in my resurrection. What does it mean to take up your cross? That means in that situation, in your home, with your wife, your husband, your children, in the workplace, in your relationship with brothers and sisters in the church, you're going to have to deny yourself.

That, what you like to do, and those words you like to say, and those thoughts that you like to think about others, and your way of doing things needs to die, needs to be crucified, if you want to know God, if you really want to know Him. I thought about it like this, when visitors walk in the door at RLCF, I want them to see, I pray that they will see a spiritual vision of a bunch of people hanging on crosses like Jesus was. For most churches, they have a crucifix there, and Jesus is on that cross.

We don't have it here, at least I don't think we do. But what do we want them to see? Here's a bunch of people who are crucified. Here's a bunch of people who really don't want to do their own will.

And when they share, during the sharing time, and when they go down to eat lunch, and when they speak with each other, it's not about themselves. It's not about me telling you what a great idea I have, and what's going on with me and my problems, and me sharing something that will impress you. No, I want Jesus to be exalted, because I've died with Him.

And it's not self that's alive. This is the only way we can know God, is if we are dying with Him daily. Grow daily in knowing God.

Number three, invest in the lives of others. Invest in the lives of others, in the church and in your everyday life. Proverbs 11 verse 25 tells us that, He who waters others will be watered.

Proverbs 11 verse 25. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered. It doesn't say the rich man.

The generous man. You don't have to be rich to be generous. And it's not talking about giving money either.

As you know, we never ask for money in this church. It's if you want to. Can you do it cheerfully? Sure.

But do you have a generous mindset? Dear brothers, dear sisters, dear children as well. What does it mean for a child, who maybe doesn't even have their own bank account yet, to be generous? It means that you're wanting to give. You're wanting to have that heart that gives to others.

That gives of your time, and your energy, and your emotion, and your thoughts, and your money, if the Lord leads you that way. But a generous man, a giving man, the one who waters others, will himself be watered. What about if you're in a period of dryness? You're feeling like, I'm in a dry season.

That's the time to give, brothers, sisters. You're going through a period of dryness. Maybe emotionally, you're dry.

Maybe you feel dry because of something you've gone through. Physically, you're tired. Because you're going through a physical ailment perhaps.

Maybe spiritually even, there's something that's pressing you. There's something going on in your family, or your personal life. In that moment of dryness, maybe you're defeated in some area in your life.

And you're crying out to God for power. That's the time to be generous. And I've often pictured it like this.

You've probably heard me say it. Let's say I look at my garden that's dry and dried up. And I've got this little hose.

But I see my neighbor that needs some watering. And I go over there and say, Lord, I leave it to you to take care of my garden. I'm going to go water that person.

And even though I have burdens that I'm carrying. And even though, like I said a few weeks ago, I must tell Jesus about my burdens. I say, Lord, let me carry the burden of somebody else today.

I set my burden aside at your feet. And carry that person's burden. And water their garden.

You know what happens when you turn on the hose and water their garden? God sends the rain over yours. He who waters others will be watered. By who? By God Himself.

God will send the torrential rain. The showers of heaven over your life. Seek to invest in the life of others.

In the church. And in your everyday life. Why do I say in the church first? Let's turn to Hebrews chapter 13.

I often hear many people in Christendom sending out a call for missionaries. Either go and serve in the mission field. Or give us your money for this cause.

Or for those poor children that don't have enough to eat. And these missionaries that are out there. Nothing wrong with that.

I'm not here to judge anybody. But what we are told in scripture. First of all I want you to see is Hebrews 13 verse 1. Let love of the brothers and sisters continue.

And John makes it clear. How can you say that you love God if you don't love the brother whom you see? And I want to tell you this. I really see this often whenever I hear the evangelistic call.

Or we get emails almost every week. If not twice or multiple times a week. Saying can you send us money? Or can we come to your church and do a presentation on supporting our ministry? Because we are in town.

Those sorts of things we get. And yet what I see is important. What I see here is let love of the brethren continue.

Because I'll tell you honestly. It's easier to send a bunch of money overseas. And say I love those people over there in that poor country.

And those missionaries that do that great thing. And not love my own brother. Not love my own sister.

Not love my own wife. Or my own husband. Or your children.

Let love of the brethren continue. And it begins with your love for the local expression of the body of Christ. It's an honest question to your family.

I want you to ask yourself. I know you consider yourself, most of you, part of this local family. How is that love expressing itself? How are you practically living out your love for the church that God has placed you in? You hear often people who join our meetings online or on Zoom.

And say I wish I could be that RLCF. I would leave my job. I would do this if God could plant me there.

That's not necessarily the answer. But for those of us who God has given us the privilege of this church. Do you value it? Are you investing in the lives of others here? Or are you only thinking of yourself when you're a part of this church? I want to make it plain.

The members of this church are the ones who are investing in the lives of others. With their time, with their money, with their prayer. With interceding for others.

And in your immediate circle. Like those around you. And I'll tell you it's easier to think about being a missionary.

Or to send money to support a mission field. Than to go to the neighbor next door. And be a witness to them.

Or to the co-worker who sees me every day. I believe this with all my heart. I'll tell you.

In my flesh. Please listen carefully. In my flesh.

It's a lot easier for me to go on a mission trip. Even for a month. To some far off country.

And think that I did some great deed. Than to day by day. Week by week.

To be a bold witness to my co-worker. Whom I'm going to live with. And work with.

Or to my neighbor. Whom I'm going to live next to for a while. Or that person I interact with in the community.

It's so easy to go. Please understand. I'm not here to mock.

There are many people doing God's work in the mission field. Facing difficulties and trials. But I know in my own flesh.

There's a part of me that says. Yeah I could do that. Yes there will be some sacrifice involved.

But don't be in a rush to go to the far off country. When there's a need right next door to you. Right in that cubicle next to you.

Right with that co-worker of yours. Who needs the gospel just as much as the far off country does. Invest in the lives of others in the church.

And your everyday life. And that's why he says in verse 2. Don't neglect to show hospitality to strangers. Probably by this some have entertained angels.

Without knowing it. Show hospitality. Not just physically.

Invite them to your home. And don't beat them over the head with the gospel. Invite them to your home and say.

Let them see your life. Let them see how you speak to your wife and your husband. Let them see how God fearing the children are raised.

And how they dress modestly. And how you avoid bad habits in your conversation. What is that like? And ask God for an opportunity through that invitation.

To say Lord will you give me an opening to mention. That Jesus Christ is the center of this home. And they may be Christians.

They may call themselves Christians. Who go to other churches and they think that they're Christians. But let them see the life through that hospitality.

Don't neglect to show hospitality to those around you. They may be strangers to you. Is your neighbor a stranger? Is your co-worker a stranger? It's time to obey Hebrews 13 verse 2. Okay.

Point number 4. Learn about and intercede for your persecuted family members. Learn about and intercede for your persecuted family members. Remember we're thinking about ways to sharpen our spiritual focus.

Do you know that you have a brother? You have a sister who's being persecuted right now. At this very moment. Your brother, your sister, your child, your father, your mother.

Learn about. Have you taken an effort to learn about those who are being persecuted. Right now at this very moment.

Your family members. Verse 3 Hebrews 13 verse 3. Remember the prisoners as though in prison with them. Or I would say as though it was your own brother, your own sister, your own father.

Think about it. Just stop for a moment. And this is what the Holy Spirit did for me.

I read this verse a few weeks ago and the Holy Spirit said pause. Don't skip over it Santosh. How would your prayers be different today? What would occupy your mind? If it was your own father there in prison right now.

Getting beaten for loving Jesus. And you don't get news about it. You just know they're locked away.

Last you heard they were in that prison and they're getting beaten every day. You haven't heard anything since. You don't know if they're alive or not.

And then you go to work and your boss says hey no raise for you today. No promotion for you this year. Will that affect you that much? When you know that your dad is over there getting beaten for the gospel.

And it's your child or your brother, your sister. That's exactly what the Holy Spirit asked me. I said Lord I have been so self-centered.

I thought I was Christ-centered. Help me Lord to know. And it takes effort.

I encourage you to read. Start with Fox's book of Martyrs. Where you learn about how people were tortured and tormented because they loved Jesus.

Read Martyr's Mirror. Both of those books will take you quite a while to get through. But then read what's going on.

From reliable sources. Reliable Christian organizations that report on what's going on in the world around us today. And what they're facing.

I do that often. I have that as reading material in our restroom. So I sit there and or even at my table I have some and I read that.

And every time I read one of them. Now I say look for reliable sources. There are unfortunately people that make up stories if they're asking for money and such.

But there is persecution going on in the world today. And I repented of times when I have allowed that to just come. Like yeah I guess I'll pray for them every now and then.

Remember them as if they were your own. So learn about it. Take time to learn what's going on in the world today.

How they're being persecuted. And intercede for them. Pray for them.

What they're enduring. What they're going through. And I'll tell you the other thing it does for me is their faith.

When I read these wonderful testimonies. Especially I think for example recently I read two or three stories of women from different countries in the world. Different parts of the world.

Who had lost their husbands. Whose husbands were killed because they were bold witnesses for the Lord. And they struggled.

They were honest and said it was hard for me to forgive. This person who killed my husband. And here's this poor woman.

Widow. With small children. Trying to now make a living for herself.

And yes praise God that the believers around them supported her to some extent. But she's got to survive. She's got to learn how to live.

And she's got to learn how to forgive. I said Lord I'm sorry that I ever struggled with forgiving somebody. When I realized what this lady had to go through.

And how she's walking in forgiveness today. And God is using her as a witness. In that far off country.

We'll never hear about many of them. I think thousands if not millions like this. That we'll never hear about.

But I want to know. And I want me hearing about them. And what they're going through to so change my mindset.

To no longer be earthly minded. And to be heavenly minded. Where I say Lord give me the perspective of heaven.

Where you see. Make me like the head that is aware of the body part. That's suffering.

God will do that. He is doing that for me. And I pray that at RLCF we will be such a people.

For remembering those. And instead of fear. You'll have courage.

When I read that story of that. Of those people even those children. Who withstood the beating with courage.

I say yes Lord. You'll do that for me. It's not a man made courage.

It's a courage that comes through the Holy Spirit. And dear family when I speak about persecution. Which I believe is coming.

I'm not afraid to speak of it. I hope that you receive courage from it. Where you're not afraid to face persecution.

When it comes. You don't have to be. Maybe you feel like Lord I'm not ready for it.

Yes but follow Jesus. Have that mindset of dying to yourself. And when that time comes you will have the courage.

You won't have to prepare in advance. Even what to say. Because God will give you.

The Holy Spirit will remind you. Learn about and intercede. For your persecuted family members.

And the last one. Number five. Speak out boldly about your hope.

Speak out boldly. About your hope. See people around us are full of fear.

And that fear disappears. In the light of hope. When you speak.

Speak boldly. And I fear dear family. That some of us are not bold enough.

In our witness. We're a little bit timid. Even when we speak.

I'm not talking about personality. And natural temperament. I'm speaking about.

A bold like a fire. That's burning inside. When we pass the mic around.

Even for example. During those sharing times. If you're struggling with timidity here.

Oh I'm a little shy to speak. The mic is in front of me. And you speak timidly.

And you're unsure. I'm not talking about personality. Please understand.

But ask God to fill you with his Holy Spirit. Shy Peter who was afraid of a little servant girl. Was transformed.

In a moment when he was filled with the Holy Spirit. And that's what I'm talking about. Where the Holy Spirit comes in.

And makes me a bold witness. You will receive power to be my witnesses. Acts 1 verse 8. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit.

And dear family. I just want to be honest. I'm not rebuking you.

Or correcting you or anything like that. But I do believe we are. In some ways still.

A very timid church. I include myself in it. In many ways we are still a timid church.

And we need to. We need to sharpen our focus. We want to be sharp.

And say Lord I want you to fill me with a boldness. That you want to give me. To be a bold witness.

I mean look at the children when they come up and share their memory verse. Boldly. And I praise God for the bold witness you are children to us.

But adults it's time for us to step up. It's one thing to clap and say Yeah good for you being bold. And I'm just sitting there timid with my mouth being shut.

Week after week. Not just here when we're together. But in the work place.

And in our communities. And when we're sharing with each other over lunch. Be a bold witness.

Speak out boldly about your hope. 1 Peter chapter 3. Why do we have hope? Romans 8 verse 37 tells us. Because God is for us.

He is both sovereign. That means he is in control of all circumstances. And he is our father.

We have every reason to hope. Hebrews 6 speaks about God swearing. Taking an oath.

When he gave us this hope. 1 Peter 3 verse 15 says. Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.

Always being ready to make a defense. To everyone who asks you to give an account. For the hope that is in you.

Yet with gentleness. And reverence. Always being ready.

Paul says in 2 Timothy 4. Be ready in season and out of season. That means whether you feel like it or not. Whether you've got a headache or not.

Whether you feel timid or not. Be ready. Exhort edify and encourage.

That's the gift of prophecy. Ask God and he will fill you with the Holy Spirit. Let's look at those 5 points again.

Before we close. 5 ways to sharpen your spiritual focus. First of all.

Find your resting place in Jesus alone. Not anything on earth. Grow daily in knowing God.

Number 3. Invest in the lives of others. In the church. And your everyday life.

Number 4. Learn about and intercede for your persecuted family members. And finally. Speak out boldly.

About your hope. Constantly. Heavenly Father.

I pray that these won't just be things we think about. Or good points Lord. But we need your power.

Lord Jesus will you come and be magnified in our hearts. Be Lord in our hearts. We sanctify our hearts Lord.

So that for those areas. Where you haven't been Lord in our hearts. Come and fill us O Holy Spirit.

That Jesus Christ will truly be sanctified. As Lord in our hearts. And then Lord you will make us bold witnesses.

Of the life you are working in us. That we can draw others as well into this life. We thank you.

You will do that. In Jesus name. Amen.