Topic: Focusing on the right place
Topic: Focusing on the right place
Preacher: Pastor(Dr) Otive Igbuzor
Text: Matt 6: 24; 33
Date: 5/7/23
Introduction
In line with our anchor for the month, the title of our sermon this evening is Focusing on the right place . Many people are distracted in life because of focus on wrong goal, purpose, ambition or desire. Many people focus only on how to make money and situations in the world (property, energy, political power, elections etc) and they miss the battle of life:
• For the mind and soul
• That is unseen with your natural eyes.
• That is unknown by most people.
• Not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers.
Matt 6: 24- “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (NIV)
Matt 6: 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (KJV)
To live abundant life pleasing to God, one must have the right focus or priorities in one’s daily walk. Life can go in one of two directions. It cannot go in both.
The Right Things to Focus Upon
Right purpose in life: Know why you were created by God and the purpose God has for you. Know that you are not an accident and God has a purpose for your life.
Right Calling: Know that God has called you from darkness into His marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9. -But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; (KJV)
Every child of God is called. There is a general call. Some others have specific call.
Right Ambition: Do not have selfish ambition like the mother of the sons of Zebedee who wants his children to be in high positions on the left and right of Jesus Christ (Matt 20). But be like Paul with holy ambition to spread the gospel Phil 3: 10- That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (KJV)
Right desire: If you have a right desire and focus on God, your desires will be met. Ps 37:4-Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (NIV)
Prov 10: 24- The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted. (NKJV)
Right faith: Have faith in God. Have the right kind of faith and you will move mountains. Matt 17: 20-And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. (KJV)
Right Career/Business: There are some careers and businesses that born again children of God should not engage in e.g. manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages.
Right place of worship: The bible enjoins us to teach sound doctrine. If what you believe is a lie, then that is how you will live.
2 Tim 4: 2-3 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (KJV)
Right location: There is a place that God has designed for you to fulfil destiny. There is a country and a town that God has designed for you. Discover it and live in it. Acts 17: 26 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. (NIV)
Right company of friends: Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character. 1 Cor 15:33.
Challenge
Are you focusing on the right place? Have you discovered your purpose in life? Do you know your calling? Are you motivated to do things by holy ambition or by selfish ambition? Do you delight in the Lord? Do you have the right desire? Do you display the right kind of faith? Are you doing business that will lead to destruction? Are you worshipping in the right place? Are you in the location designed by God for you to fulfil destiny? Are you surrounded by the right king of friends?
Conclusion
If you do not focus on the right place, you will be distracted, fall into error and live a wasted life. If you focus on the right place, you will fulfil destiny and bring glory to God.
We live in the flesh but worship God in the spirit (John 4: 23-24 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (NIV)
In this new month of July, I challenge you to have the right focus on the purpose of God for creating you, your calling, holy ambition, right desire, right career/business, right place of worship, right location and right company of friends.
God created you for good works and has equipped you to fulfil destiny and bring glory to His name. Focus on the right place and bring glory to God.
Prayer points
- Almighty God, help me to fulfil the purpose why you created me.
- Lord Jesus, open my eyes to know your calling upon my life.
- Father, give me holy ambition that will bring glory to your name.
- Father, increase my faith.
- Almighty God, scatter any career or business that will take me away from fulfilling destiny and missing eternity.
- Almighty God, locate me in a Bible believing Church and grant me the discerning spirit to run away from false teachers.
- Father, locate me where you have planed for me.
- Lord. Grant me grace and empower me to avoid bad company
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