This part of Peter's sermon that he preaches after Pentecost sums up for us this journey we as a church are on and what we need to do. Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call. 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Yes I realize it takes a different set of eyes to see the devastation the church is in as most in the church do not feel they need to repent by asking what have I done? Most will not admit to being a corrupt generation. Every denomination thinks they have the truth and will not turn from their beliefs. Their version of repentance is to join them. Through their own eyes everything is okay with no worries. Every man or women, denomination or independent group will tell you we are doing the work of the Lord but it is only through their own eyes they say that. In most cases what they are doing does not line up with scripture, so it can’t be God’s eyes they are looking through. When you look at your situation everything looks different if you see it through God’s eyes. When we go out in our strength, we accomplish what our hands can make and then we look at it with human eyes and say all is good yet there is no power. Most are quite content with those results and really don’t expect anything more. When you look through God’s eyes the word of God becomes a light that reveals so much more and power goes out. Exodus 34:10 “Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you. 11 Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. 13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
The church is not seeing that kind of power because it has not obeyed God’s word. For example Israel was told as we see above that they would take the land and they had nothing to fear as no one would stand against them and everywhere they set their feet would be theirs but if you look through your own eyes everything looks different than what God is seeing. Numbers 13:33 “We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” This is the exact opposite if what God saw. Rahab said later, Joshua 2:9 “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” By looking with our own eyes we go our own way and we end up disobeying God. Those who did not believe died in the desert. The church has built what their hands and minds could make and then admired it with their eyes but as Jeremiah said, Jeremiah 13:10 “Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Psalm 36:1 “I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Isaiah 2:11 “The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” The church must come before God and repent.
When we repent and humble ourselves before God, everything changes. We are given a completely different set of eyes when we realize how blind we really are. Isaiah said, Isaiah 6:5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Once God revealed himself to Job, Job 42:1 “Job replied to the LORD: 2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” If we want eyes that see, there is no better place to be than humbly on your knees with a repentant heart. We ask that God would open our eyes to see. Psalm 119:18 “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” When the two disciples were leaving town after hearing the news of the empty tomb and hearing Jesus was alive, Jesus himself approached them and went to stay with them, Luke 24:30 “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.” If we want what Peter was talking at in Acts 2:38 “And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call,” we must believe.
Unfortunately for the church because of our disobedience we don’t have eyes that see and we have become just like Israel. Paul said in Romans 11:1 “I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day.” 9 And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. 10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.” After Isaiah answered the call to go, God told him Isaiah 6:9 “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ 10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” 11 Then I said, “For how long, Lord?” And he answered: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, 12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. 13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.” Paul reminds us there will always be a remnant just as Isaiah was told.
Because of our disobedience the church has also been devastated and left in desolation. We did not adhere to the gospel Jesus taught us but went our own ways. We were told Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” Because of this disobedience Deuteronomy 29:4 “to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.” Jesus had said in John that he would send us the Spirit of truth. John 14:13 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” The church has not obeyed and turned from the truth to go their own way; therefore God has turned His face. These two passages based on the Isaiah 6 passage above reveal what has also happened to the church. Matthew 13:10 “The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” 11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” Paul said to the Jews in Acts 28:25 “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet: 26 “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” 27 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. 28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
Like the parables and the Jews, the church doesn’t seem to hear what God is saying through his word. Acts 13:46 “Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.” Sadly the Gentiles listened at first and then did exactly as Israel and went their own way. But when you look through your own eyes you believe the lies satan tells you that everything is okay and in the end you will stand before your king. He makes you believe that you are actually following the truth all the while you have been deceived into following other gospels in vain and as we know Jesus will say to some depart and to others welcome. Our eyes need to be God’s eyes, which means we have turned back to His words and look at everything from the word of the Lord. This is how you test the Spirits. Not with your own eyes but with God’s. Most in the church do not do this as they read the bible through the eyes of their denominational distinctives. Yesterday I talked about a sermon I listened to that did this. This is what this passage means based on what denomination you are and what doctrines you have adhered to. This is happening everywhere and tells us why as Isaiah, Jesus and Paul stated there is no healing in the land. If we turned away from our own ways we would understand with our hearts and God would heal.
It is only through the eyes of God that we see the desolate state of our condition. An enemy who came to capture him surrounded the city Elisha was in. 2 Kings 6:5 “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. 16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” We must continue to ask God to open our eyes to our own captivity. We were told in Deuteronomy 4:25 “After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, 26 I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. (Judges 13:1 “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.” 1 Kings 11:6 “So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.”) 27 The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. (Jeremiah 9:16 “I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.”) 28 There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. (Judges 3:7 “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.) 1 Kings 14:22 “Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done.” 1 Kings 22:52 “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, because he followed the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.) 29 But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. 31 For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.” Though we live in a fallen church, we have great hope of the remnant rising up once again to go out in power, proclaiming the name of the Lord to the nations.
Looking at this world and the power the enemy has is completely different through the eyes of the Lord. God says Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Deuteronomy 11:12 “It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” Psalm 34:15 “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry.” Psalm 19:8 “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”
When we trust what our own eyes can see, we will always fall short of God’s glory. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we live by faith, not by sight.” If we live our lives based on what we can see with our own eyes, we will not be living by faith. If we live by faith and trust God to lead us, we will see what He sees. Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” When we fear God, we will have God dwelling in us and His words in mouth and we will be clothed with His power, Isaiah 11:2 “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears.” Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”
