Good News Week 46. I Want To See

We live in a time of mental health crisis, political upheaval, toxic worldviews, sexual confusion, injustices, inequities, the devaluing of human life, technological curiousity and transformation, dispare, the collapse of institutions - religious, education, political, media, a growing distrust of leaders of all spheres of society, war, refugee crisis, genocide, violence, fear, and a growing view that Christianity, specifically American Evangelicalism is part of the problem and not part of the solution.

So what is the Church to do?

What are Christians to do?

I think the answer is to get back to the Jesus of the Gospels.

That’s why we’ve journey through Luke for a year.

That’s why we’ve not gotten into a hurry.

That’s why we’ve not rushed thru the Scriptures.

I believe my job as your pastor is to equip you to live in the present evil age, not as warriors against the world but as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God and His Christ.

The posture is difference.

A warrior views everything thu the lens of war.

An ambassador views everything thru the lens of a representative.

Now, we are at war against the forces of darkness in this present evil age, but it’s not a war against flesh and blood.

An ambassador perspective is a perspective of discernment.

And ambassador perspective understands that flesh and blood, people, are the invitees into the kingdom that the forces of darkness are trying to kill.

An ambassador perspective lives from the place of Jesus’ victory over the principalities and powers and sees the lost as captives to be freed and not captors to be crushed.

The captor was crushed by Christ on the cross.

My job as your pastor is to help you see the difference between captor and captive, and to equip you to live as an ambassador of Christ- a Kingdom Representative that demonstrates and proclaims to better way of the new Kingdom.

And I believe that to help us be the ambassador that we are we need to know the King and His Kingdom Good News.

We need to see Jesus.

Because as we see Jesus we understand how this Good News changes not only the sinner but also the saint.

We see how the Kingdom challenges our hunger for power, and sex, and money.

We see how the Kingdom offers us a way of peace and hope and a better story that what we see around us.

We see how the Kingdom Way of Jesus offers us a wholeness this world cannot.

We see how the Kingdom Way of Jesus gives us strength even in our weakness.

We see how the Kingway Way of Jesus challenges our self-righteouness and gives us a path of humility.

We see how the Kingdom Way of Jesus shows us who to live in Truth and Grace.

We see how the Kingdom Way of Jesus make the weak strong, the least the greatest, the last the first.

We see how the Kingdom Way of Jesus reveals the fullness of the love of God.

We see how the Kingdom Way of Jesus lifts up the broken and who all are invited to the joy of this Kingdom.

So we journey through Luke because we need to see Jesus, meek and lowly and also high and lifted up.

Because thats the only way we can learn to better way.

So not only will we finish our Journey thru Luke’s Good News, we will also start the year in prayer and fasting and scripture reading.

21 days.

Wednesday evening will be prayer meetings.

Saturday mornings at 9 will be an hour of prayer.

There will be guided scripture readings, prayer guides, and fasting plans.

Why?

So we can see Jesus more clearly.

I believe this year is a year of presence For this church.

A year where we passionatly pursue the presence of God and passionately practice the presence of God.

We need a fresh vision of the Ancient of Days.

I Saw The LORD

Isaiah 6:1–8 CSB

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth. The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for. Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who will I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me.

We could talk about Uzziah.

We could talk about the uncertainty of the people because of his death.

We could talk about the LORD and the train, his robe filling the temple and His rule and reign being certain even though the earthly king had died the KING of KINGS still sat enthroned with all power and wisdom and glory.

We could talk about the presence of God shaking the house.

We could talk about the sinfulness of Israel and Isaiah, and fire of purification that cleanses our lips, our witness, our voice, our message, our life, our hearts, our spirit.

We could talk about the angelic messenger.

We could talk about the confession of Isaiah.

But what I want you to see this morning is that Kingdom message cannot be delivered until there is a messenger willing to go “Here I am. Send me.”

Heat me this morning… It took Isaiah seeing the LORD high and lifted up for Isaiah to say here I am send me.

It took Isaiah seeing the LORD high and lifted up to be willing to confess his sins and the sins of his people.

It took Isaiah seeing the LORD high and lifted up to be willing to have the fire from the alter touch his lips and cleanse him of his sin.

It took Isaiah seeing the LORD high and lifted up to be willing to be the prophet he was called to be.

Until we allow ourselves to be in a position of seeing the LORD we won’t be willing to be cleansed, called, and commissioned.

Until we get a fresh vision of KING Jesus we will walk in fear and confusion and unsteadiness.

Isaiah had to get a fresh vision of the KING of Heaven and Earth to be the ambassador of the Kingdom.

We need a fresh vision of Jesus.

We’ve been distracted.

We’ve been confused.

We’ve been afraid.

We’ve been busy.

We’ve been uncertain.

We’ve been prideful.

We’ve been idolatrous.

We’ve been tempted.

We’ve been tried.

We’ve been hopeless.

We’ve been lost.

We’ve been angry.

We’ve been unsteady.

We’ve been hungry but not satisfied because we’ve been eating poisoned apples.

We’ve been thirsty but not satisfied because we’ve been drinking dirty water.

We need a fresh vision of Jesus.

You will not be satisfied until you hunger and thirst after the Righteouess One.

It time to start the year by pursuing and practicing the presence of Jesus.

You can’t, you won’t, fulfill your purpose until you see the LORD high and lifted up.

Then you will say, woe is me. Everything I’ve chased after is meaningless and vain.

Woe is me. I’ve looked for water in empty wells. I’ve looked for meaning in worthless idols. I’ve looked for joy in pits of dispare. I’ve looked for eternity in things that pass away. I’ve looked for purpose in the mirror. I’ve looked for God in temporary pleasure.

Woe is me. I need Jesus.

I need to see Jesus.

I need a fresh vision of Jesus high and lifted up.

I neeed to be reminded that His is still on the throne.

I need to be reminded that His thoughts toward me are good.

I need to be reminded that the way of the cross is the way of abundant life.

I need to be reminded that Jesus is the conquering Lamb.

I need to be reminded that tho all hell has attacked me and sin entangles me and temptation pursues me, I am more than a conquered thru the High and Lifted up Jesus who gave himself for my freedom on the cross.

For us to say, in the face of all fear and doubt and uncertainty, Here I Am Send Me, we need a fresh vision of KING JESUS.

I Was Blind Now I See

Which brings us to our Luken Text this morning.

Luke 18:35–43 CSB

As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening. “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him. So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him. When he came closer, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see.” “Receive your sight,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has saved you.” Instantly he could see, and he began to follow him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

If we are going to get a fresh vision of Jesus we have to be willing to do something.

1. Recognize Your Need

Of course the blind man recognized his need.

He couldn’t see.

But listen to me, many of you in this room know there’s something missing but you haven’t allowed yourself to admit it.

Like the old hymn says, “I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but know I see.”

You can't see until you first admit you are blind.

2. Recognize Your Answer

We the blind man heard that Jesus was passing by, he knew Jesus was the answer to his need.

He knew Jesus was the one who could heal him.

He knew Jesus was the hope.

He knew Jesus was the promised Messiah.

He calls him the Son of David - a Messianic title, a Kingdom title.

Recognize that your answer is King Jesus and His Kingdom.

3. Cry Out

Don’t be ashamed.

Don’t be embarrassed.

Don’t worry about what others will think of you.

Don’t worry about what others will say.

Don’t listen when they say be quiet, or chill out, or calm down.

You need to see.

Cry out.

Seek Jesus.

Pursue Jesus.

Practice the presence of Jesus.

Don’t be silenced by fear or doubt or your own blindness.

Cry out for your vision of Jesus.

The Jesus of the Gospels.

The Jesus of the Kingdom.

The Jesus of the Scriptures.

Cry out for Jesus.

4. Come Near And Confess Your Need

Don’t be afraid of Jesus.

Don’t be afraid to come near.

Don’t be afraid to confess your need, your sin, your fears, your doubts, your blindness.

Come near and confess.

I’m going to come back to this confession in a moment.

5. Believe

Jesus said your faith has saved you.

His faith was evident.

His faith wasn’t some mystical thing he had in his mind.

He faith was something he proved by the crying and praying and shouting and the proclaimation of Jesus as Messiah.

It was faith, belief that Jesus was the Promised One.

It wasn’t faith that Jesus was merely a miracle worker or prophet, but it was a faith that Jesus was the Anointed One who had come into the world to free it from the curse of sin and set us free to righteouness.

Believe Jesus.

6. Receive and Rejoice

As you press in you will see a fresh vision of this Jesus and by the you will see everything else.

The blind man couldn’t see anything until he saw Jesus.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see everything else.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see the world.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see the lost.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see the broken.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see the marginalized.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see the powerful.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see sin.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see the church.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see marriage.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see wealth.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see yourself.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see your purpose.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see life.

A fresh vision of Jesus changes how you see God.

And that fresh vision of Jesus causes rejoicing because everything becomes clearer after we see Jesus.

How long has it been since you gazed upon the beauty of the Christ?

How long has it been since you beheld the wonder our cross?

How long has it been since you looked at the wonder of Jesus?

7. I Want To See

I want to see.

I want to see Jesus because I want to see everything else with new eyes.

I want to see Jesus because I want to see everything else with a Kingdom perspective.

I want to see Jesus because I want to see myself from Jesus eyes.

I want to see Jesus because I want to see others from Jesus eyes.

I want to see Jesus because until Jesus heals my eyes everything is darkness.

I want to see Jesus because I’m tired of walking around in darkness.

I want to see Jesus because I’m tired of stumbling on my journey.

I want to see Jesus because I’m tired of the doubt and confusion and fear and hopelessness.

I want to see Jesus.

I shared this CS Lewis quote a few weeks ago but its worth repeating, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” ― C.S. Lewis

I want to see Jesus because I want to see the world according to what it’s meant to be, what it will be, what Jesus is renewing it to be.

I want to see Jesus because I want to see.

I want to see.

Apart from Jesus I am blind.

Apart from Jesus everything is darkness.

Apart from Jesus nothing gives me hope, or purpose, or reason, or peace, or love, or truth, or beauty.

I want to see Jesus because I want to really see.

That was the confession of the blind man, “I want to see”.

And that’s my confession.

I pray its our confession.

God visit this church.

Jesus we want to see you.

Jesus, high and lifted up.

Jesus, cleanse us.

Jesus, heal us.

Jesus, be our vision.

Jesus, Be Our Vision.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art Thou my best thought, by day or by night Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise Thou mine inheritance, now and always Thou and Thou only first in my heart High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art High King of heaven, my victory won May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun Heart of my own heart, whatever befall Still be my vision, O ruler of all

Jesus, I Want To See You

Jesus, I Want To See

Church, would you join me in seeking the presense of God this year.

Of crying out for a fresh vision of Jesus.

In our church, in our homes, in our lives.

We need to see Jesus so that we can see everything else.

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