The Sight that brings you Peace
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Intro and tension
Intro and tension
Remember these; Squinty Picture - See something. Autostereogram
Road to Emmaus - Jesus Resurrection;
Didn’t Recognise - Jesus right there.
And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
We see Physical - God wants us to open eyes to Spiritual.
Title: The Sight that brings you peace
*Prayer*
New Series: My Peace I Give to you
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Not Temp or Psuedo Peace | Working through 2 thieves - Worry and Anger.
Working through worry.
Week 1; Rejoice always in the Lord - how? Trading what if, for What is
2: But in Everything - Cast your anxiety on Him - How? giving it to Jesus
Today - Being Calm, how? By opening our eyes.
Key passage;
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Concentrate on;
Philippians 4:5 (ESV)
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
Unpack + 2 Stories + 2 Points + 1 Application = Go home - Take notes - This is for someone today.
Reasonableness = Epiekes - Gentle reaction, Steadiness, evenhandeness, Fairness.
the spirit of willingness to yield under trial which will show itself in a refusal to retaliate when attacked
1962 - Chief of staff - Vasili Arkhipov - Going to Cuba - Hurricane - 3 weeks to get to destination - Followed by Americans - assumed under attack - suggested talk before acting -
Why matter? You might be fighting something - tempted to press red button.
“Known to everyone” = People notice = Contagiously Calm | Reminds others “God is in control” = Expands Kingdom.
Why? Because you know something - Lord is at Hand.
Both Lord is near you in situation and coming - Dual meaning.
Question is HOW? How can we, in middle of Worry - walk in state of absolute Calm and surrender- How do we know Lord is at hand?
Ok 2 stories, 2 points.
First thing to know;
The Lord Sees through you
Story in NT | Jesus with Disciples and great Crowd - going to Nain.
Luke 7:12 (ESV)
As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.
Context | Widow = If Only Son Died - Terrible to loseson - no husband - don’t know what happened - Massive Grief - about to face more grief. Beg, or Sell body.
And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”
You can see things - without seeing them | Men - you know.
Truly believe - Jesus not only saw grief - Saw THROUGH her - Future, pain, suffering - had compassion.
What ever your situation - Diagnoses, issues, attack, - God see’s through - Start, End, Everything.
Last week
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
Jesus sees through you - but there is an issue;
Do you see Jesus seeing you?
2nd Story - 2nd Point;
May our eyes be open to see
Venture back to OT | Elijah = prophet, heard from God - Carried to Heaven - Gave Double Blessing to Elisha | at time = Isreal was at War with Syria - There was a problem;
Every time - King of Syria would have plan - God would tell Elisha - Elisha would tell King of Isreal and they’d move.
Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.”
So King of Syria - Greatly Troubled | Said to his Council - Who is spying?!
And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”
I mean = dumb plan? think about this = God is telling Elisha where you are - Your plan is to sneak up on that man.
So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
This is what feels like sometimes? When we worry, things against us? Enemy is working at night - All of sudden - Find yourself in a battle didn’t think you’d be in.
When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
Could you imagine walking out to this? Who is facing something right now? Facing army? Maybe you’re own mind? Diagnoses? Mother in laws?
He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
ummm - Elisha - Look around?
Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
This is our prayer - Open, Our, Eyes | Not physical eyes - Spiritual. The LORD opened HIS EYES.
Friend can’t open eyes, brothers, only Lord to see what you need to see.
What did servant see? God’s angels around Elisha - The Lord is at hand. and because He now knows the LORD IS at hand, HE CAN WALK IN CALM - Epiekes.
remember key verse;
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
The Lord is at Hand | Open our eyes to see what YOU see in this situation | I see with physical - Let me see with Spiritual - See you, and that you see me.
Jesus; “Let him who has ears to hear”
The truth of God is Spiritual - Spirit in Nature | Can’t see without the Spirit. Without the Spirit > the Word of God is foolish.
So what happens? Elisha prays blindness on warriors - Dulness over them occurs - leads to isreals camp - Lord opened their eyes - They freak out.
King of Isreal says;
As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?”
Mad man - No Epeikes here - No he says -
2 Kings 6:22a (ESV)
Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.”
Ekeikes - the spirit of willingness to yield under trial which will show itself in a refusal to retaliate when attacked - Why? Because He had eyes to see, that the Lord is at Hand - In Situation and will take care of situation.
Not absent of boundaries etc.
The Lord Sees through you
We need to pray;
Lord, open my eyes.
but;
Maybe you need one touch!
Back to first story for second | Jesus saw Widow | Through her Situation | HE see’s through YOUR Situation right now | Has compassion - said to her- do not weep - That’s not the end of story.
Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Counter-Cultural - Can’t touch dead thing or become Dead - Jesus crossed this line to bring Life | That rule is still real - Stop touching dead things to try become Alive (the bottle, the world!)
Reach out to the one who is Alive who can bring you Alive.
Jesus is saying to YOU - Surrounded? Fallen? Hurt? Worried? Anxiety? Not end of your story.
Young Man - Young lady, old man, mature, immature - I say to you ARISE.
Need to know - Jesus Sees You.
Let our prayer be;
Open my eyes to see you - When I see you - Help me to fall to my knees in submission.
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
We can walk in Epeikes - and everyone will know - Because the Lord is at Hand - In this Situation, but in every situation.
Just as He took care of every sin.
**Prayer**