SETTING OUR SIGHTS

Carol Lee

The title of my message this morning is "Setting our Sights." The text is taken from Hebrews 11:8 to 10, and Hebrews 13:14:

First, a word of welcome: Welcome back to FEBC for yet another semester of learning, training and growing. How was your school holiday? I trust that many of you have many thanksgiving items to share. I thank God for the month of December when I went on two mission trips.

I attended the Borneo Church Camp in Pontianak (Indonesia) where I ministered to the young people and also visited the church newly established by Brother Peter Yoksan and his wife Pipit, upon their graduation from FEBC.

The Lord also led me to serve Him in Kenya for two weeks. I was at the Bomet Bible Institute and the Africa Gospel Unity Church serving with Rev Michael Koech and Pastor Jonathan Langat who are both alumni of FEBC. It was a most blessed first visit for me to the so-called dark continent of Africa. I thank God for the opportunities to speak at two Youth Camps, taught a one-week course at the Bible Institute, did teacher training, and also spoke to the Young Teens at a DVBS.

As I fellowshipped with and served among our Indonesian brethren and later our African brethren in environments that are not so familiar to me, the Lord impressed upon me one very important reminder: That it does not matter where we are born. It does not matter what the colour of our skin is. It does not matter what we have, or what we do not have, on earth. We, as believers of Christ, are all going to end up in Heaven, to be in God’s presence. We will all walk the same streets of gold, eat of the fruits of the same tree of life.

And, as we have read in this morning’s text, we see that Abraham knows this very well. Hebrews 11:10 says, "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God." Abraham’s life is based on that correct perspective of life. He has set his sights on the city of God. The decisions he makes in his life are guided by that attitude.

Hebrews 11:8 says, "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place … obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Who in his right mind would make such a move? Abraham is able to do that because his life destination is not on this earth. The home he is looking for is not a place that he built (or can build) himself here on earth. Instead, it is a home "whose builder and maker [is] God" Himself.

After Abraham has made the move to leave his prosperous and comfortable life in Ur of the Chaldees, Hebrews 11:9 tells us, "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles." Abraham arrived in the land of promise, but he treated it as "a strange country," not as home-sweet-home. He stayed in tabernacles showing His readiness to move on should the Lord instruct him to. Even in the promised land, Abraham "looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God." His sights are always set on the "city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God."

How about you brethren? What are you setting your sights on? Maybe some of you who are here in FEBC, training to serve God full-time, may say, "I have set my sights on saving souls and building the church of God." Sounds very good. But what happens when God calls you to leave the comfort of your own ministry, the comfort of your own church? Would you like Abraham be loyal to God, obey Him and leave, even though you may not know where you are supposed to go?

Your answer, brethren, will depend on what you have set your sights on. Are your sights set on your church and your ministry on earth? Or are your sights, like Abraham’s, set on a "city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God." Hebrews 13:14 says, "For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come." Are we building our heaven on earth? Or are we seeking the heavenly city that is to come? When we have our sights set on heaven (and not on earth) we will respond like Abraham, we will "obey; and go, not knowing whither we went."

I thank God for the example set by our Principal, who although having served God in Life Bible-Presbyterian Church for more than 50 years, like Abraham, when "called to go out … obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." We may not have known then but we know now that God’s will was that True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church be set up.

No one in a similar situation and with eyes set on the things of earth will do this.

It was not long after that that we in my home church were equally tested. The situation challenged us: Will we remain loyal to God and His Word, obey Him and leave our beloved home church, not knowing where we should go?

If prosperous Abraham obeyed God and left his comfortable home in Ur of the Chaldees, if the founding Pastor of Life B-P Church obeyed God and left the church he spent more than 50 years building up, why can’t I too obey God and steadfastly hold on to His perfect Word?

Are my sights set on my church and my ministry on earth? Or are my sights set on the city of God?

Thank God that He opened our eyes to the "… city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God … For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come."

Praise God that the decision to obey Him and to go not knowing whither we went was met with blessing upon blessing from God. Within a space of less than three months (between October and December last year), the Lord has wrought a great work amongst us who have decided to leave our home church: He Himself established the Truth Bible-Presbyterian Church. And, two days ago, on January 1, 2006, we rejoiced and praised God at the Inaugural Worship Service of Truth.

Brethren, while the Lord gives us life and breath, and wills that we sojourn on this earth, let us not build our own kingdoms on earth, but let us set our sights on the city of God. Let us obey Him, staying loyal to our Lord and His perfect Word, and be willing to go even when we do not know where.

"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place …, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles … For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God … For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come" (Hebrews 11:8-10; 13:14).

May God help us.