Acres of Diamonds

Intro

Intro / honor

I want to tell you a story. I heard this story about a couple of years ago by a preacher named Jentzen Franklin and it’s just been so impactful to me and eye opening to me.

Because I believe God wants to open our spiritual eyes today

- OPEN MY EYES!

There is going to be a perspective shift in the way we see

Let’s pray this verse

Psalm 119:18 ESV

18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

READ AND PRAY

Paul’s whole prayer for context.

IT CAN’T MEAN SOMETHING TO US THAT IT DIDN’T MEAN TO THEM

Ephesians 1:15–23 ESV

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Our focus today is going to be verse 18 …

The importance of this letter is so that the Christians in Ephesus would SEE the importance of THE CHURCH.

Big city / port town / wealthy town

A meteor fell from the sky, set in the middle of the town - they worshipped it.

Huge temple. Worshipped Diana. Temples connected to the city’s bank.

The temple of Diana took 250 years to build! It was beautiful and massive! And if you were a Christian - you were ostracized.

Timothy was the pastor. Apostle John attended. Church probably around 25,000 people.

Paul is writing so that they would have perspective of how great the church is!

So he’s writing - PRAYING - that they would SEE, that their eyes would be opened to see the immeasurable greatness, the riches of our inheritance in Christ…

The story of Ali Hafed

1869

Ali, a Persian farmer — Had a large farm, family, he was content. BLESSED.

Until a priest told him about the possibility of diamonds.

The next day he begged the priest to tell him where to find them

Priest answered “if you find a river between high MTs that runs through white sands, in those white sands, you will always find diamonds.”

So, Ali sold his farm, kissed his family goodbye - and chased after diamonds. He said, “when I come back we’ll be fabulously wealthy.”

He went everywhere - East Africa - No diamonds

Palestine - No diamonds

Europe - No diamonds

Finally, after consuming all of his money — he crawled his way to Spain

Reaching such despair he ended his life. Threw himself off a cliff

“There are no diamonds”

The new owner of Ali’s farm … hit a rock while plowing the field

It was the same camel, the same ox, same house, same farm, same field, same plow

But has he began to work the field, he would hit more and more of these rocks — so much so that he had piles of them in his yard

The next day, the same priest who had told Ali Hafed about diamonds stopped by. As he was talking to the new owner, the priest paused abruptly in mid-sentence. His eyes had fallen on the black rock sitting on the mantel. Pointing to the stone, the priest exclaimed, “That’s a diamond!” The farmer shook his head. “Nothing of the sort. It’s just a stone.”

The priest followed the farmer to the garden by the stream. When they stirred up the white sand with their fingers, countless diamonds appeared, bigger and shinier than the first. The man who had bought the farm from Ali Hafed had inadvertently discovered the diamond mine of Golconda, the most magnificent diamond mine in history.

All the crown jewels worn by royalty all over the world, including the Queen Mother in England, come from this very mine.

… from the same land, the same garden, the same stream and with the same camel that Ali Hafed had left behind.

Everything Ali was looking for he had all along.

So often, we can feel like Ali — my life is worthless, pointless

Where you live is worthless

Your spouse

Your job

You may undervalue what you have

HEAR ME — There is hidden potential where you are RIGHT NOW

the waiting game never ends

The “just waits” — wait until your married, 1 kids, 2 kids

Some people cannot fathom the unsearchable riches of Jesus that they are living in right now.

They keep looking for something greater.

They keep believing that there is something out there better than what they can experience in Christ.

Notice how the psalmist said “laws” — we can be such a experientially driven bunch. Always in search of an experience.

“Laws” not love, not experience, but boundaries

The beautiful of Christianity is its boundaries

I am here to tell you today if you are living in Christ you are living in Aces of Diamonds!

Let me tell you a scary 4 letter word that will change you life and defy all of culture: STAY

The grass is not greener on the other side. Grow the season you are in now! We need a RIGHT NOW FAITH

40% in transition

Lots to complain about - I’m not going to do Benjamin an INJUSTICE because diapers are expensive and babies are a lot of work

I’M LIVING IN ACRES OF DIAMONDS NOW!

Don’t squander the season!!

Quit jumping from relationship to relationship.

Quit running from church to church every time something happens you dislike.

Quit hopping from job to job because you think it isn’t giving you what you believe you are worth.

If you leave, you may be giving up something that somebody else would give anything to have.

Have you ever thought that you will finally be happy when you get such and such or when this or that happens?

When I get that house, then I’ll be happy.

When I get my breakthrough, then I’ll be happy.

When things settle down with my children, then I’ll be happy.

When I finally get that promotion, then I’ll be happy.

You don’t realize your greatest treasure is right here, right now—Jesus.

We must have a sense of urgency

God’s best is not in the past, and it’s not in the future. It’s now.

The miracle for tomorrow starts today! Live by faith NOW!

“Perception without love is a sin.” Jim McNeish

You have to clean your eyes before you get them focused on anything that belongs to Jesus

You don’t get to judge what isn’t yours.

If God is the one who placed you here — then maybe we should trust that He knows what He’s doing

Why do you think you can see your situation better than God can?

Paul is writing, he is PRAYING” — “Oh that you would see yourself the way God sees you!”

18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might

There are acres of diamonds in the job you’re tired of.

There are acres of diamonds in the spouse you’re annoyed with.

There are acres of diamonds in the children who get on your nerves.

There are acres of diamonds wherever you live

Quit waiting on somebody to give you a miracle, and recognize that you are sitting on acres of diamonds right where you are.

When you are stuck in a mentality of complaining, whining or making excuses, you are not in a position to discover diamonds.

It is time to start praying, “God, open my eyes. Open my eyes to opportunities.

Open my eyes to potential.

Open my eyes to the relationships I have now.

Open my eyes to the beauty of the place that You have me in now.”

When you stop undervaluing where God has placed you, you will start to see the hidden potential of where you are—even in the trials.

Even when it’s hard.

Even when the heat and the pressure are on.

God has placed you where you are, right now.

Ask Him to open your eyes and see what is right in front of you.

It is time to start digging in your own backyard.

It’s time to CLEAN OUR EYES, and be faithful to the season God has us in