The Supernatural Dimension: Supernatural Sight

The Supernatural Dimension • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Intro:

Today, we will continue our series entitled [The Supernatural Dimension]. The subject of today’s message is, [A Supernatural Sight].

If we were to look in our hymnal at the various songwriters, we would find nineteen songs attributed to Fanny Crosby. Some of her songs include, Blessed Assurance, He Hideth My Soul, I am Thine O Lord, Redeemed, or In the Twinkling of an Eye.

Her life story is interesting. She was born in 1820. At six weeks of age, she got sick. A visiting doctor gave bad advice and she was struck blind.

One author wrote of the blind:

A person born blind can experience the warmth of sunlight on his face, but the beauty of a sunset can only be experienced with the eyes. She can inhale the aromas of a garden but the words red, yellow, purpose, and green are meaningless to her. He can hear the crashing surf and even taste the salty air at a seaside resort, but the panorama of a briny, blue-green ocean with massive waves meeting gleaming white sand is beauty he will never know. These rich experience would be lost or diminished without he ability to see, yet those who are born without sight literally do not know what they are missing. (Swindoll, commentary on John, p. 190).

She did not complain about her physical ailment. She never saw anything on earth. She had a lifelong confidence that Jesus would be the first face she would ever see.

At the age of 71 she wrote a song entitled, My Savior First of All. Listen to the words:

When my life work is ended and I cross the swelling tide. When the bright and glorious morning I shall see. I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side, and His smile will be the first to welcome me.

I shall know Him, I shall know Him, when redeemed by His side I shall stand. I shall know Him, I shall know Him, by the print of the nails in His hands.

It is difficult to comprehend her feelings having never had the ability to see. Even with my poor eyesight, I can still see what is going on around me.

However, there is another type of blindness many people possess. It is not natural blindness, but being blind to the supernatural. Some may believe it exists, other may discount it as mere folktale.

But the fact is this, there is a real supernatural dimension. When we come to Christ, we join a supernatural Kingdom, led by a supernatural King.

We have hope in a supernatural place called heaven. We trust in the supernatural power of God. But the fact is, few of us have actually seen into the supernatural.

We are unable to unless God opened our eyes and allows us to have supernatural sight. This occured on the Day of Pentecost. We read of the divided tongues as of FIRE that rested on each of their heads.

As we study the Day of Pentecost, I want us to remember its relevance today. Some suggest the Day of Pentecost and the supernatural events of the New Testament were for a unique time in history.

They do not discredit their significance, only that we cannot expect such supernatural occurences in our lifetime. I would argue the opposite.

Throughout scripture, we see God’s supernatural dealings with His people. Let’s review what we’ve discussed:

Supernatural silence- many times we pray and do not receive an answer. It almost seems that God is silent. But we saw through there are times where God’s silence is really an opportunity for us to pray even more.

Supernatural sound- when God’s people pray and praise, they release the sound OF heaven. As our prayer and praise collects in heaven, eventually God pours out His Spirit, with a Sound FROM heaven.

For ten days God was silent, but when the Day of Pentecost came, they HEARD a sound from heaven. But what about the tongues as of FIRE?

In scripture, fire is a symbol of God’s presence of something divine in origin. Fire accompanied many Old Testament encounters with God.

As we’ve done each week, let’s look at an Old Testament story to show the supernatural as displayed on the Day of Pentecost was not an isolated event.

Please turn to , have three points, [A Serious Situation], [A Sincere Servant], and [A Supernatural Sight].

Let’s begin

1. A Serious Situation

2 Kings 6:8–12 NKJV

8 Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” 9 And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.” 10 Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice. 11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 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.”

In the Old Testament, God worked through prophets to speak to the Kings of Israel and Judah. The prophet in this instance was Elisha.

At this point in history, Israel was at war with the Syrians. Israel was not as strong at this point as it was in the times of King David. They split with Judah. They were prone to backsliding.

But in this instance, God worked on their behalf. The Syrians went to war with them, but the could not seem to get ahead. Every time they made a plan, Israel seemed to know their battle plans.

At first the Syrian king might have thought it was a fluke. But it did not happen once, or even twice. Every time they went to battle, Israel was ready for them.

Over

He smelled a rat. He assumed one of his military leaders or fighters shifted their loyalty to Israel. He called all of them together and find out who sold out the Syrians.

This accusation was treasonous. Had it been true, the culprit would have been killed. Therefore, he called them out with a simple question, who is for the king of Israel.

The answer?

2 Kings 6:12 NKJV

12 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.”

After some silence, someone was brave enough to answer. The Syrians were not to blame. It was Elisha the prophet in Israel. The king might have wondered, “what in the world do you mean, Elisha? How could he know?”

He did not know because of some sort of special intelligence. Notice the supernatural activity of heaven. God would reveal every move of the Syrians to Elisha.

Then the the prophet would go to the king and inform him of the Syrian’s moves. Nothing was kept from God, not even the words spoken in the privacy of the Syrian king’s bedroom.

So the Syrians faced a serious situation. They wanted to stop the Israelites, but they always were one step ahead. So they opted to trick Elisha and kill him.

2. A Sincere Servant

2 Kings 6:13–15 NKJV

13 So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in Dothan.” 14 Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

The king decided they were after the wrong target. Israel’s armies were not the problem, Israel’s prophet was. They decided to find Elisha.

They discovered he was in Dothan, which was eleven miles from Israel’s capital in Samaria. The king sent his army to Elisha under the darkness of night.

Maybe they thought coming at night would trick Elisha, catching him off guard. And notice, this was not a few soldiers, this was a great army.

There were not taking any chances with Elisha. They large army surrounded the entire city of Dothan. Early the next morning, Elisha’s servant got up and went outside.

Much to his surprise he noticed the Syrian army surrounded them on all sides. In sincerity and concern he ran to Elisha with a terrible report.

THE SYRIANS SURROUND US ON ALL SIDES, what will we do?

While the servant was pure in his motives, he depicts what many Christians do. When difficulties come and we feel surrounded, our circumstances blind us.

Fear consumes us. Worry overtakes us. And we start to wonder, what will I ever do? How will I make it through this time? There just doesn’t seem to be a way out of this mess?

It is in these moments, when we are in a serious situation, we need God’s help. Thankfully the prophet was not as worried as the servant, for he prayed God to give him...

3. A Supernatural Sight

2 Kings 6:16–18 NKJV

16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then 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. 18 So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

Notice the lack of fear in Elisha’s voice. He understood God’s supernatural help. Therefore, he told said something peculiar, those who are with us are greater than those who are against us.

Absent from the story is the explanation of a large army with Elisha. For all we know it was two against thousands.

If I was the servant I would think Elisha, ARE YOU CRAZY. There are two of us, and last I checked you are a prophet and I am a servant, we are not skilled in the art of war.

Elisha knew something the servant did not. Therefore he prayed for God to open the servant’s eyes. God answered the request. Suddenly, he had a supernatural sight.

No longer did he look at the Syrians. He saw the mountains surrounding them were full of horses and chariots of fire. What did he see? The armies of heaven coming on behalf of Elishah.

Elisha was not afraid, for in his spirit, he knew the supernatural power of God.

Were the Syrians strong? Sure. But God was stronger.

Did the Syrians have powerful weapons? Yes. But God spiritual weapons are more powerful.

Was Elisha outnumbered? On paper yes. But the God of angel armies was on his side.

Elisha knew the promises of God:

Psalm 34:7 NKJV

7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.

Psalm 91 NKJV

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8 Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12 In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. 14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

Psalm 91:5–7 NKJV

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.

Think of that, on the same day God gave Elisha’s servant supernatural sight, He stuck the Syrians blind. I will not read the rest of the story, but let me paraphrase.

He went to the Syrians and told them they were in the wrong spot. The man they looked for wasn’t in Dothan, follow him and he will take them to the right city.

What choice did they have? They were all blind. Elisha led them to Samaria, Israel’s capital to see the king. Think of that, they followed him for eleven miles.

Once they stood before the king, Elisha prayed for God to open their eyes. In a state of panic, they heard the king of Israel ask the prophet if he should kill them.

Elisha prompted the king to feed them and let them go home. He was not interested in their death. He wanted them to understand the supernatural power of Israel’s God!

Close:

Thank God there is a supernatural dimension. But I want us to notice, God’s power is not limited to the Old Testament or the prophets.

How then does this connect to the Day of Pentecost?

Think of the serious situation the followers of Christ felt. Jesus was in heaven. They needed help to navigate the new life of leading the church.

They were to go into all the world and make disciples. How could they do that? As sincere servants they waited UNTIL Jesus sent the Promise of the Father.

After ten days of supernatural silence, they waited in the Upper Room praying. Until SUDDENLY, they heard a sound FROM heaven like a mighty rushing wind.

As they looked around, their APPEARED unto them divided tongues as of FIRE and it rested on ALL of them. W

When the FIRE fell on the Day of Pentecost, they joined the ranks of Old Testament saints who experienced the fire of God’ presence. It was like:

The FIRE that Moses saw when the bush was burning, but was not consumed

The Fire that protected the Israelites from the Egyptians at the Red Sea

The pillar of FIRE that gave the Israelite’s light on their journey

The FIRE that consumed the offerings of God’s people

The FIRE that fell when the Prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal

The Chariots of FIRE that carried Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind

The FIRE that fell when Solomon dedicated the temple and the priests could not even stand the minister

and the FIRE that the servant of Elisha saw when they were surrounded by the Syrians

On the Day of Pentecost their appeared unto them DIVIDED tongues as of FIRE. The saw all-consuming fire of God as Jesus baptized them in the Holy Spirit.

Now, because of Jesus’s work on the cross and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, the supernatural fire of God would not stay an occasional visitor when God showed up to help.

Instead, the Holy Spirit would place within a burning passion to serve Jesus with everything in us. The fire of God still burns today. We may not see it on top of our heads.

BUT we do see it when there

desire to pray

burns within us a deep desire to pray

burns within us a deep deepening in our praise and worship

burns within us a passion to tell others about Jesus

burns within us a hunger for the word of God

And I believe there is a place in God where we can see these supernatural sights.

I want to see signs, wonders, miracles, healings, and salvation.

I want to see God pour out His Spirit one more time before He returns!

So through this journey of life, when we face a serious situation, in deep sincerity, we should not look to the problem. But let’s pray God to give us supernatural sight.

We may not physically see the angels surrounding us, but within our spirits, a fire will burn within us to continue to trust the Lord

ADD something about FIRE shut up within our bones?

While I want to SEE the supernatural, I also want to SHOW the supernatural

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