When you see it

September 10th 2023

Series:

Sermon Title: When you see it

Topic:Journey through the book of Acts.

Key Passages: 2 Kings 6: 8-17

Sermon Blurb: In today’s message we will talk about the reality that sometimes it is hard to see what God is doing around us in life. We will see come to life with a story from the Bible about Elisha. We will also celebrate the AMAZING things God has been doing around our church!

Green in sermons means illustration, something we are looking for a response from, or a picture that goes on the screens.

Yellow means what is yellow will be on the screens and in the handout.

Sermon:

Hello Family Church!

Family Moment –

Dan / Steve we like to try and start our messages with something personal from our family life recently to help people get to know us.

PAUSE

I want to welcome all the guests we have today, because I know we have a LOT today!!!!

Today is bring a friend to church to get a FREE t-shirt weekend!

So, everyone who brought a friend make sure to stop by the table in the lobby after service and get your friend a shirt and sign up for us to get you one as well!

Today is also the launch of our 4th campus!!!

Our Redwood Campus launches today just around the corner from where we are and we are SO excited to have another location to reach more people for Jesus!

Today is also the anniversary of several things!

This weekend in 2019, believe it or not, we launched our first EVER 2nd service and we had only 1 campus!

This weekend in 2021 we launched weekly services at our 2nd campus!

This weekend in 2022 we launched our 2nd service at EB!

And this weekend we now launch our 4th campus!!!!

WOW!!!!

God has been moving in amazing ways here at Family Church!

PAUSE

Let me explain what we are going to do today….

Today we are going to look at a passage of Scripture that, believe it or not, was the FIRST passage of Scripture Pastor Adam preached at this church!

And as we see God teach us some amazing things and we will correlate that to what God has been doing around Family Church….

I want to let you all know that I think today’s message could be life-changing for a lot of us….

PAUSE

So let’s start with a question….….

Who is excited to be here today?

Come on….we can do better than that….

Who is excited to be here today!!!

PAUSE

I titled the message today, “When you see it.”

Because like our title graphic here….

When you see Waldo…

Everything changes!

PAUSE

Just like today….

When you all see what God does today…and what God has been doing…..

It could change your life if you embrace it!

My hope is that today as you to walk out of this building you will look through some new eyes and maybe even you will see some things differently as a result of being here today.

PAUSE

If you have your Bible with you, and I hope you do, would you open your Bible with me today to

2 Kings 6

And as we are all getting there….

I am going to put some pictures up on the screen to help create the backdrop to what we are going to talk about today.

Let’s start with this one (Elephant pic)….

Can anyone see what that is a picture of?

Hint if you have never seen one of these you have to cross your eyes to see it.

Yes!!! An Elephant….

Ok….let’s do one that you do NOT have to cross your eyes to see…..

How about this pic (Giraffe 1)….

Can anyone see something staring right at you?

Yes, go to the next slide (giraffe 2)….see the giraffe….

It was there the whole time….

You just needed help to see it…..

Let’s do one more…..

How about this pic (wolf 1)….

Can anyone see something again looking at you?

Go to the next slide (wolf 2)

It was there the whole time….

You just needed help to see it…..

PAUSE

Here is what I want all of us to understand right out of the gate today and this is the first note you see in your sermon outline:

Sometimes we need help to see what is right in front of us.

Repeat

Today, we are going to read a story and see this exact truth lived out in scripture.

And even MORE powerful that that….

Today, I am going to show every person how you could walk out of this room and have NO reason to EVER be afraid again!

Sound like a big promise???

Come on work with me….

Sounds good to ANYONE to have NO reason to fear again!!!!!

Let me give you a little background 2 Kings Chapter 6…

Because here at Family Church we do not anyone to feel like an outsider or left behind.

In 2 Kings Chapter 6 we are going to read about a guy names Elisha.

Elisha was a guy who lived his life doing whatever God asked him today.

He is an awesome man of God.

One day we will do a whole series on Elisha.

But if you are new to church I want you to know a little bit about this guy before we get into his story.

When we first meet Elisha he was a successful business owner.

He was a farmer.

One day he was out farming and a prophet comes along and calls Elisha to leave EVERYTHING and come follow him.

PAUSE

Now put yourself in Elisha’s shoes.

You own your own business.

You’re a successful person.

You are independent.

You call the shots.

Now imagine someone comes along and says…..leave everything you know.

Leave your business.

Leave your family.

Leave your town.

Leave it all and follow me because God said you should.

How many of would just roll with that?

PAUSE

Elisha didn’t do what most of us would do.

Elisha didn’t say…..

UMMMMM….can I get more info on what this means for me?

Elisha didn’t say….

Ok, let me turn my business over to my son or sell it and then I will come.

Elisha when and cut his plow up into pieces.

He set that wood on fire.

He slaughtered his oxen and he roasted them.

Elisha’s actions said, “I am burning my safety net!!!

I am never coming home!

I am not coming back!

I am going to follow this man of God for the rest of my life!!

There is NO turning back!!!!

Can you imagine that kind of faith?

Are you willing to follow God like that?

No matter what God calls you to do….will you do it????

PAUSE

And where we pickup in 2 Kings 6 is MANY YEARS after that event….when Elisha he seen God do amazing things through the man who called him into ministry…

And after MANY YEARS of God doing amazing things through Elisha.

So with that background…… let’s start reading at verse 8…..

2 Kings 6: 8-17 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”

9 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.”

10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

Pause there….in your Bibles….

Let me explain what was going on right here…

The king of Aram was not in full-out war with Israel here, he was just doing some border skirmishes…..

It was during one of these raids that Naaman’s Israelite servant girl was captured as you can read in Chapter 5, for you deep Bible folks.

But this kind of attack required the element of surprise, and this is where Elisha was giving them trouble.

Elisha was divinely informed of the king’s secret battle plans.

And Elisha was an Israelite so he would tell the king of Israel what was coming so Israel could outmaneuver them!

So, the King of Aram kept failing and became enraged.

So logically the king deduces that the king of Israel has an inside man in the king of Aram’s court telling the king of Israel what to expect.

There is no way it is something else…

Because the king of Aram does not believe in a real and living God….

So, if there is no God helping them….

The only other option is a spy…..

Are you all track with me????

Can anyone see what is really happening though????

Verse 12

12 “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

How many of you would be weirded out to hear that?????

Sounds a little creepy there……

This man of God, Elisha, knows what happens in your bedroom!

Aren’t you all glad I don’t know what happens there?!

Verse13

13 “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.”

The king says, “Go get this guy.”

The king decided to eliminate Elisha, thinking this would solve his problem once and for all.

But his first problem was to learn where Elisha could be found.

Let’s keep reading….

The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” 14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

Stop there and picture this…..

In the middle of the night…..

An army surrounds the town Elisha is in…..

And remember Elisha is a guy of BIG faith.

And this is YEARS after he followed the prophet Elijah and then became the prophet after Elijah was taken by God to heaven.

This is a LONG TIME into his ministry….

And now the town he lives in is surrounded and it does NOT LOOK GOOD!!!!

Verse 15

15 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.

Stop there…

Elisha’s servant wakes up and he looks and see’s this:

Roman Army Pic

Do you ever wake up in the morning and instantly feel like you’re surrounded by problems?

By pressures.

By leftover problems from the night before?

Anyone? Anybody?

You wake up…and before your feet even hit the floor you feel overwhelmed!

That is exactly where we find this servant.

The servant wakes up in the morning and probably is going out to get some water and what does he see?

An ARMY surrounding the city!

An army by the way that was sent to KILL or capture Elisha!!

PAUSE

Have you ever been in a place like this in life????

Where you look at your marriage and you see NO WAY for it to improve.

You look at your grades in school and there is NO HOPE.

You look at your bank account and there is NOTHING there.

You look at your business plan and just see DECLINE..

You look at your relationship and have no idea how it got this bad.

You look at your kids and don’t know how they ended up where they are.

You look at your career and just see a dead end….

You look forward to college and just feel overwhelmed….

Have you ever been at a place where you have NO HOPE.

NO idea what to do next….

Have you ever been overcome with FEAR…..

Worry….

Doubt….

Anxiety….

PAUSE

If so you have a lot in common with Elisha’s servant…..and here is what I want us to see today.

When the enemy has a plan to hurt us, God already has a plan save us.

Repeat

I want us to come to the understanding today that even when it looks like we cannot do anything.

Even when it looks like all hope is lost.

That fear is closing in around us!

No matter what is going on in your life today…understand GOD is always around.

There is always HOPE in God.

This servant….

He looks with his eyes….and he sees a MASSIVE PROBLEM!

And he says, “OH NO, MY LORD!”

That is probably one of the most commonly prayed prayers.

The raw prayer that just comes out of us. “OH NO, MY LORD!”

Some of you have been there.

Oh No, My Lord, I don’t know what to do with this marriage.

Oh No, My Lord, I don’t know how to answer this question because I didn’t study!

ADD Examples for you:

I said that 16 years ago….. when I found out I was having a baby girl….and I came from a family of ALL boys!!!!

I said “Oh No, My Lord, I don’t know how to be a Dad to a daughter!!!!!”

This was something God said to me in coming to this church plant….

Our church 7 years ago was NOT anything like it is today….

And I felt God say to me…..

Do NOT look at what is….but what could be…..

I had to learn how to look at things through a different lens….

We have all been there at some point in our life…..

Crying out to God…

Not knowing what to do in life…..

PAUSE

And I really want you to listen to how the man of God, Elisha, replies to his servant……

Because honestly, Elisha replies with a response that response that tends to annoy people…..

Elisha says….. verse 16

16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered.

Don’t be afraid…..

Now if you are honest today.

When you are in the MIDST of a BIG problem.

And someone tells you, “Don’t worry about it. You will be fine.”

How many of you just want to slap or punch that person….let me see those hands shoot up!!!!

Come on be honest in church!!! No lying in the presence of God!!!!

PAUSE

But that is what Elisha says right here. “Don’t be afraid.”

But why should the servant not be afraid; right they are surrounded by an army!

Why should they not be afraid….this is clearly a time to be afraid!!!! Death is literally on their doorstep!!!

Why not Elisha????

Is there something Elisha can see that others cannot??????

Is there something the Elisha sees that when others see it…it will change everything…..

Like Waldo behind me…..

PAUSE

Elisha continues….…saying……

“Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

What????

“Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

PAUSE

I can just see the servant looking out there at this army.

Counting all these horses, chariots.

Counting all these armed men.

I can just hear him thinking….clearly Elisha you went to Public School because I know who is in our town and I can see who is out there……

And Elisha we are way outnumbered!

We are outmanned. We are surrounded. We are completely enclosed.

There is NO WAY the people in this farming community stand ANY chance against this trained army!!!

He has to be thinking his master has fallen off his rocker!!!!

PAUSE

His servant is looking around and he clearly sees the problem in front of them….

But clearly…..Elisha sees something else…

Elisha is looking at the same situation.

Elisha is looking at the SAME army.

Elisha knows who is in the town to defend them.

Both of them are LOOKING at the same thing….but somehow Elisha sees something different….

And when you see it….it changes everything!

Both of them are LOOKING at the same thing….but somehow Elisha sees something different….

Verse 17…

17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.”

Death is at their door…..

And Elisha didn’t put on his suit of armor…

He didn’t ring the distress bells….

He didn’t send a pigeon to the next town for help….

He didn’t run and hide.

He didn’t say, “find the weakest point in their formation so we can try to escape….”

He simply…..prayed….and I really want you to take note of his prayer…..

Will you all read his prayer aloud with me?

“Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.”

Repeat

Repeat

I highly doubt this is what the servant was looking for Elisha to do!!!

I mean Elisha is the man of God who did more miracles than anyone else in the Bible but Jesus himself.

I am sure the servant is expecting his POWERFUL leader to do something great here! If I were the servant I would have been thinking:

He will just pray and have us teleported out of here. Or maybe he will call down God’s fire on them. Or maybe he will do something else to save us!

I would think……This is Elisha!

The most powerful man of God ever!

He is going to do something big!!!

I mean he had been telling the king how to avoid this army….so there is NO way he is going to be captured by them…..

PAUSE

But instead, Elisha just prayed for God to open his servant’s eyes….

His eyes that are already open….

I mean the servant is the one that saw the army first!

What do you mean open his eyes????

PAUSE

It goes on to say

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.

All around Elisha is the army of God.

Can you see it????

Chariots of FIRE ALL around Elisha!!!!

Tell the person next to you right now…..open your eyes!

Come on….tell them!!!!

Here is the point:

It is not your situation that determines your courage…....it is how you see your situation that determines your courage.

Let me say that again.

It is not your situation that determines your courage, it is how you see your situation that determines your courage.

Elisha sees and recognizes what is going on around him…

But he also sees what God is doing around him!

Elisha has courage because of how he SEES his situation!

PAUSE

But let me show you something important church…..

Elisha was able to see through situations. He saw greatness where other people saw mediocrity.

He saw potential where other people saw only problems.

But this gift that God gave Elisha; is the same gift that got him in trouble.

Go back to where we started today!!!!!

Why is this army here church? Come on why????

They are here because of the fact God gave Elisha the gift of seeing through situations…..and that gift is what led this army to come kill him today.

PAUSE

Here me in this church…..

Sometimes the gifts that God has given you will cause you to be surrounded by enemies.

Being the star athlete…..also comes with it’s own set of challenges. Are you going to use that gift for good or evil?

Being a successful business owner….comes with another set of challenges…. Are you going to use that gift for good or evil?

Being a stay at home mother…. comes with another set of challenges…. Are you going to use that gift for good or evil?

Every person in this room has been gifted by God differently…..and understand that sometimes the enemy will attack you because of your gifts!

And the question will be…..can you see God in the midst of the attacks of the enemy?

Do you know God well enough…. that in the midst of whatever life throws at you….. you can see God still?????

PAUSE

See this servant was doing life with one of the most powerful men of God of ALL time….

And he wakes up and he sees this army.

And he says, a PROBLEM…..

Maybe that happened to you when

Your spouse said, “I no longer love you.” And your world collapsed.

Or maybe when you got the mail and Calvin or Hope….denied your admission… and your dream was gone…….

Or maybe when you thought you were going to marry this person and then they broke up with you….

Or maybe when you suddenly got laid off….

Or maybe when a sudden heal issue comes up…

Think about your worst nightmare happening…..that is where this servant is and ALL hope has lost…

FEAR has set in…..

PAUSE

And that is why it is so important to have Godly men and women around us to help us understand something.

Elisha understands FEAR NOT.

The most common command God gives us is FEAR NOT.

And Elisha gets this.

Don’t be afraid those that are with us are MORE than those who are with THEM!

The servant sees enemies and Elisha sees deliverance.

Elisha knows what to do…he closes his eyes in order to see!

He closes his eyes and he prays….

God show him what I see!

God show him what you see!

Verse 17 again…..

17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.”

The servant’s eyes were already open…but he couldn’t see!

His spiritual eyes were still closed.

Maybe some of you here today….just need God to open your spiritual eyes.

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.

Now let me keep unpeeling this onion!

It did NOT say when Elisha prayed THEN God SENT horses and chariots!

What does it says….look in your Bibles….

What does it say????

They were already there!

Can I tell you something today? The help that you need

The supply that you need

That thing that you are struggling with and you don’t know how you are going to get by….

It’s already there!

God is already there!

You just need to learn how to see God around you!!!!

God has you surrounded, and God has your enemy surrounded!

Ask the person next to you….can you see it?

The question is not if God sent it….the question is can see it!

PAUSE

And I think I have time to unpack at least one more layer of this onion…..

See when I first looked at this passage I saw the chariots all around Elisha….

So the enemy was surrounding the town BUT Elisha was well protected….

But that isn’t all that the verse says.

Let’s read this again.

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.

Now that gives a whole new picture!

Now we see that the army is the one trapped!

God is surrounding them on the outside and inside!

The hills are outside the city!!!! So, surrounding the army is the army of God! Then inside the city are the chariots of God as well!

The enemy thought they were setting a trap, had in fact walked right into the trap!

Do you see it!

Your help is here!

You have nothing to fear!

Your supply is here!

God is surrounding whatever is surrounding you.

What is surrounding you today?

God wants you to look past your hardship to see his help!

The problem might be that you are looking through your eyes…. And God wants you to see your situation through his eyes!

PAUSE

And let me wrap up by saying something that Pastor Adam said…. literally in his FIRST message to this church….

And I quote….

“I look out at all of you and I see God’s army….ready to go and reach this community!

I look at this building and I see a great foundation laid waiting for a builder to come in and show God’s servants……the promise He has for all of us!

I see so much potential to truly impact this community for Jesus Christ…..

We might be few today…

But God has BIGGER plans than we can imagine.”

****Grace Campus ending….

I want you all to pause for a second….

Everything Family Church is doing started here…. At this campus!

And I know today is a bittersweet day….

Today, a TON of our church family has left us to go launch the Redwood Campus….

BUT can I encourage you to NOT look at it with sad eyes…

BUT to look at it with a BIG SMILE!!!!

Do you realize what God has done through all of us???

God started this entire movement at THIS campus with just a few people….and back then we had ONE service at 10 AM…just like we do again….

We are back to a smaller amount of people with one service at 10 AM….

And as I stand here with you all today….

I AM EXCITED!

EXCITED to see what God does in the days ahead!

I mean from 2017 to 2023 THIS campus launched 3 more campuses!!!

God gave us an incredible ministry in Kenya feeding and educating THOUSANDS of kids every day!

God gave us an incredible ministry in Brazil bringing clean drinking water and the Bible to indigenous tribal people!

We have given away MILLIONS of dollars to missions!

With God we have done SO MUCH!!!

And today is the beginning of SO MUCH MORE!!!!

Can you see it Grace Campus????

****Ebenezer Campus ending….

I want you all to pause for a second….

I want to help you all see how God has been moving around us…

Two years ago this weekend….in the MIDDLE of a pandemic…. we launched weekly services at THIS campus!

This weekend last year we launched our 3rd service!!!!

And now this weekend we are a part of launching Family Churches 4th campus!!!!

And I know today is a bittersweet in some ways….

Because some of our friends went to help at Redwood….

BUT can I encourage you to NOT look at it with sad eyes…

BUT to look at it with a BIG SMILE!!!!

Do you realize what God has done through all of us???

This Campus started with about 40 people from Ebenezer Reformed church and a hundred or so from the Grace Campus….

Because of how GOD has been working through all of us now the Ebenezer Campus is home to hundreds of people!

And as I stand here with you all today….

I AM EXCITED!

EXCITED to see what God does in the days ahead!

I mean if in two years we have gone from 1 service with 40 people…to now 3 services and 600-800 people a week….

What is God going to do in the next two years?

Where are WE going to plant the next campus?

With God we have done SO MUCH!!!

And today is the beginning of SO MUCH MORE!!!!

Can you see it Ebenzer Campus????

****Redwood Campus ending….

I want you all to pause for a second….

I know today is a bittersweet day….

I know there are a TON of you who are SO excited to be here!

I know there are also a TON of people who are kind of sad…because we are all no longer at the Grace Campus or Ebenezer Campus….

BUT can I encourage you to NOT look at it with sad eyes…

BUT to look at it with a BIG SMILE!!!!

Do you realize what God has done through all of us???

God started this entire movement at the Grace Campus with just a few people….and back then we had ONE service at 10 AM…just like we do again now….

And as I stand here with you all today….

I AM EXCITED!

EXCITED to see what God does in the days ahead!

I mean stop and think about the reality that in just 6 years God has grown this church from one small campus to now 4 campuses in 2 countries!

God gave us an incredible ministry in Kenya feeding and educating THOUSANDS of kids every day!

God gave us an incredible ministry in Brazil bringing clean drinking water and the Bible to indigenous tribal people!

We have given away MILLIONS of dollars to missions!

With God we have done SO MUCH!!!

And today is the beginning of SO MUCH MORE!!!!

Can you see it Redwood Campus????

PAUSE

CLOSING:

Will you all close your eyes for a moment…..

I want you to close your eyes and I want you to think about what I am about to share with your spiritual eyes….

Generations after Elisha…..God decided to release hope into our world in a way that was unprecedented.

God choose to leave the perfection of heaven to enter into our broken sinful world as a baby…..God became flesh and blood in Jesus Christ.

And Jesus came for a very specific reason….

Keep your eyes closed and I want you to think about this not from an earthly perspective but from a spiritual one….

Jesus came because He loved you and me so much that he could NOT imagine eternal life without us…..

Jesus came because you and I have this problem called sin…..

Jesus came so that He could live a perfect life….free from sin….free from fear…..

So that Jesus give up his life and thereby take on your sin and my sin….

So that for once and for all time sin could be atoned for……

So that no matter what you are going through today…..that you can find help!

You can find freedom!

You can find hope!

You can be set free today from ANYTHING through the power of Jesus!!!

If you will call upon Jesus….

Let’s pray and ask Jesus to help us see through HIS eyes….

Let’s Pray…..