Look From the Top
Rising above the world through spiritual elevation and seeing it from the side of our great reward is the key to victory and ultimate fulfillment.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the importance of maintaining a spiritual elevation to gain clarity in our lives, comparing it to a traveler who finds his way from a hilltop. He encourages believers to rise above worldly concerns through prayer and faith, allowing them to see the path to their true home and the rewards that await them. By focusing on the hope of their calling and the glory of their inheritance, Christians can overcome the temptations of the world and find fulfillment beyond earthly desires. Simpson urges the congregation to keep their hearts set on their heavenly home, transcending the trivial pursuits of life.
Text
Yes, our perplexities would become plain if we kept on a spiritual elevation. Often when the traveler quite loses his way he can discern it again from some hilltop where all the winding paths on which he has come appear behind him, and the whole homeward road opens before. So, from the heights of prayer and faith, we too can see the plain path and know we are going home. There is no other way in which we can gain the victory over the world. We must rise above it. We must see it from the side of our great reward. Then it will look like earthly objects do after we have gazed upon the sun for a while.
We are blind to them.
When the Italian fruit seller finds that he is heir to a ducal palace you cannot tempt him anymore with the paltry profits of his trade or the company of his old associates. He is above it all. They who know the hope of their calling and the riches of the glory of their inheritance can well despise the world. It is the poor starving ones who go hungering for the husks of earth. We are born from above and have a longing to go home. Let us go forth today with our hearts on the home stretch.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Spiritual Elevation
- The Need to Rise Above the World
- The Hope of Our Calling and the Riches of Our Inheritance
- Knowing our inheritance gives us the power to despise the world
- We are born from above and have a longing to go home
Key Quotes
“We must rise above it. We must see it from the side of our great reward.” — A.B. Simpson
“It is the poor starving ones who go hungering for the husks of earth.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- Make a conscious effort to keep your heart and mind elevated through prayer and faith.
- Recognize your true inheritance and the riches of your glory to gain a higher perspective on the world.
- Despise the world's attractions and focus on your ultimate goal of going home to your heavenly Father.