Open Your Eyes

Intro

Today we are wrapping up a series we have been in called Greater!

We have been looking at the life of an old testament character names Elisha to give up a template to pursue the greater life that God has designed for each of us.

Everyone wants their lives to be better.

Better than it is right now.

But God doesn’t just want us better, he wants to transform us into greater.

Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us

God found Elisha in a place that looked very normal and he called him in to greater.

Last week my amazing wife preached an incredible message about gather the jars. Go back online and listen.

Ever heard someone say this, You gotta come see this!

Hurry you gotta check this out.

You won’t believe it!!

I remember one time my brother coming and saying something similar.

Of course I’m intrigued. What could it be! It’s gotta be amazing. Too good to just believe. I have to see it.

And then he shows something unexpected. Something he found while digging for gold. (yes picking his nose)

As impressive as it was, not quite what I was expecting.

Some things, it’s just like you gotta see to believe.

To believe how awesome, how beautiful, how stunning.

Question for today:

Can you see it?

What you see determines so much about how you live, it really matters what you see.

When you don’t see it, it can be disastrous.

At my house we have backed into multiple cars in our driveway...

We have back up sensors and a backup camera on both vehicles, yet, we’ve still done it multiple times. WE didn’t see.

Let’s check out how seeing matters to living our greater life.

Let’s go to a 2 Kings 2:6.

2 Kings 6:8–12 (NIV)

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.”

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

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?”

“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.”

Imagine this scene!

I picture world war 2 generals at the map. Every time they plan a way of attack, the enemy is one step ahead.

Who’s the trader!!

Elisha had special insight. Said he even heard things spoken in the kings bedroom. Crazy!

He told the King of Isreal and they changed the war plans based off of what he saw and heard.

WHAT WE SEE CHANGES THE STRATEGY

We all have a strategy that we live by.

maybe a budget you have for finances.

The way you plan for meals. (BTW isn’t the question, what to make for dinner one of the most stressful!)

Often our strategy is just to react to things as they happen!

Wouldn’t our strategy for how to drive changes when we see that something is in the road. Get in the other lane up here to avoid it...

Strategy changes based on what we see.

Problem: our seeing is limited.

I have pretty good eyesight. But I can only see so far, can’t see around corners. over certain distances. places that are hidden.

That’s how life is.

We can’t plan the path of our lives based off what we don’t see, only what we do, but I can see much.

trusting in our own sight and insight

Our see may be limited, but God’s not.

Our God sees everything, knows everything, is everywhere.

He sees completely and clearly.

Elisha didn’t have cameras in the kings house, he had encounters with the King of Kings.

God would show him what he saw.

Seeing comes from seeking.

The more you seek God the more we can see as he does.

I think of a story in Genesis.

There is a lady named Hagar who feels hopeless, abandoned and forgotten.

God comes to her and gives her a promise for her life.

Genesis 16:13 (NIV)

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

She called him in Hebrew, El Roi - The God who sees.

He’s the God who sees.

He’s not blind, hasn’t forgotten or overlooked you.

What if we could begin to see ourselves the way God sees us.

The people around us the way God sees them.

Situations the way God does.

It would change the strategy of how we live!

2 Kings 6:13–16 (NIV)

“Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

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.

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

They are surrounded. The army has come for them.

Sometimes it can almost feel like doing right, living right has led to trouble coming to my doorstep.

(I’ve been faithful God!)

Servant panics.

Elisha is calm.

Listen man, I don’t know what you’re seeing or smoking, but there is a whole army and its just you and me.

(Base life off of what we see)

2 Kings 6:17 (NIV)

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.

There was more than what he could see!

There was greater on his side, he just didn’t have the eyes to see it.

WHEN WE SEE, IT CHANGES THE SITUATION

Everything changed in a moment, because he could see differently now.

He opened his eyes to see what God ALREADY had in place. There army was there.

OPEN OUR EYES!

God didn’t eliminate the enemy, he illuminated his presence!

1 John 4:4 (NIV)

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Greater is with you and in you already!!

So often we hear this scripture and we know what it says, but we still just see everything else. We don’t see it.

The problem and solution is perspective.

We need a divine perspective.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Wait, how can you see what is unseen!?

It’s Divine perspective.

It takes faith.

natural eyes can’t see heavenly things without God’s help.

(view master illustration)

Anyone remember these. This was the kindle before the kindle.

insert a disc and flip this lever and you change what you see.

Ah that’s cool, so realistic, Wow its like im really in the safari!

Can you see it?

of course not, you don’t have the lens.

Faith is the lens that helps us to see in a way that God sees.

As we trust and follow after him, our faith changes things.

yeah we may still see the struggle in front of us, but is presence is illuminated around us.

Divine perspective changes everything.

It’s all over, to I am victorious.

I’ll never get past, to God always makes a way.

I’m all alone, to God you’ve always been there.

Elisha had peace the servant was panicked.

the only difference was perspective.

Are you panicked, no peace, lack of hope, discouraged, feel over looked and abandoned, no joy?

We need a new lens. (Church here is our problem, we love not seeing any differently than the rest of the world)

God open our eyes. his presence changes perspective

For too long we have only been seeing the wrong army, the army of:

Reasons why you aren’t good enough.

People who are against you.

Odds stacked against you.

Pain that keeps haunting you.

You past failure that persist.

There is more than what you see.

If we only get a glimpse of what God sees.

Ephesians 1:18–21 (NIV)

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

eyes of your heart may be opened to KNOW. the hope. the power, the riches. inheritance you have as a child of God.

God you haven’t left me or abandoned me. You have me surrounded.

2 Kings 6:18–20 (NIV)

As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.

After they entered the city, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.

HOW WE SEE CHANGES WHERE WE GO

The Armean army thought they had it in the bag.

The could see that there was no way Elisha had a way out.

God simply showed them naturally how blind they really were.

They had been dictated by and trusted in what they could naturally see.

Without a faith perspective, we’re more blind than we realize.

(Sin corrupts sight)

Often we have so many things that we are looking to and focused on that we can’t see what God has.

We can get so distracted by and trusting in things we see that we lose sight of what God is wanting to do in our lives.

What are some things you need to stop looking to?

many times we are headed in the wrong direction in life because we’ve been looking to and reacting to the wrong things.

God, open our eyes. let him show us a different way

Help us to see you.

Show us what you see.

Don’t leave here seeing the same way, sometimes we hear a good sermon, but do nothing.

Salvation.

Open our eyes prayer.