1 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:04,640 I'm going to ask you to forgive me in advance. 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:07,760 My throat is not in the strongest condition. 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:11,400 It's a little weaker than it usually is, and so I'll resist 4 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,560 the temptation of straining it. But if if that means anything 5 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:17,600 for you, just lean it a little bit more. 6 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:20,960 And I trust that the Lord will use it, because He promises us 7 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,400 that His power is made perfect in our weakness, so we give Him 8 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:28,240 glory for that. My prayer for you today, for all 9 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,400 of us today, is that the result of what you would hear from the 10 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:36,600 Word is that you would have a sincere cry from the depths of 11 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:41,560 your soul, and that cry would simply be, Oh, God, open the 12 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:47,360 eyes of my heart, please. I see, but I want to see more. 13 00:00:48,160 --> 00:00:51,440 I perceive, but I want to perceive more. 14 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,470 Please, Lord, if this is available, I need you to touch 15 00:00:55,470 --> 00:00:58,390 me again. So I'm telling you in advance 16 00:00:58,390 --> 00:01:00,670 that that is the aim. That is the goal for all of us 17 00:01:00,670 --> 00:01:03,270 today is that we each individually, would be able to 18 00:01:03,270 --> 00:01:07,990 have that sincere petition before the Prince of Peace. 19 00:01:08,190 --> 00:01:13,430 Lord, please open my eyes again. So we come to Mark 8, where we 20 00:01:13,430 --> 00:01:17,590 get that truth, where we get that exhortation, And Mark 8, 21 00:01:17,590 --> 00:01:34,380 verse 22, Mark 8/22. And they came to Betsaida, and 22 00:01:34,380 --> 00:01:38,220 some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to 23 00:01:38,220 --> 00:01:41,300 touch him. And he took the blind man by the 24 00:01:41,300 --> 00:01:43,580 hand and let him out of the village. 25 00:01:44,260 --> 00:01:47,660 And when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he 26 00:01:47,660 --> 00:01:53,590 asked him, do you see anything? And he looked up and said, I I 27 00:01:53,590 --> 00:01:58,390 see people, but they look like trees walking. 28 00:01:59,710 --> 00:02:03,430 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again, and he opened his 29 00:02:03,430 --> 00:02:07,750 eyes. His sight was restored, and he 30 00:02:07,750 --> 00:02:12,670 saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, 31 00:02:12,670 --> 00:02:16,550 saying, Do not even enter the village. 32 00:02:18,110 --> 00:02:24,900 Lord, we Revere you here. We fear you, Lord, even reading 33 00:02:24,900 --> 00:02:29,220 these verses, we tremble, realizing that this is the voice 34 00:02:29,220 --> 00:02:32,740 of Almighty God. And while we pray that you would 35 00:02:32,860 --> 00:02:37,340 grant us the grace to know what your heart is for this passage 36 00:02:37,980 --> 00:02:41,540 and what we can do, so that we can honor you through it. 37 00:02:41,980 --> 00:02:45,220 And so, Lord, may there be a special touch upon the delivery 38 00:02:45,220 --> 00:02:47,860 of this word. And Lord also a touch on our 39 00:02:47,860 --> 00:02:51,680 hearts, so that we may receive it, receive it the way you 40 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,920 intended us to receive it. We give you honor in advance, 41 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:59,080 and we trust that you will guide us in thought and an affection 42 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,840 to make that heart cry. Open my eyes. 43 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,000 I want to see more. In Jesus name. 44 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:11,080 Amen. Whenever Jesus performed a 45 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,240 healing miracle, it was always instantaneous. 46 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,970 It was always immediate, whether it was a fever or whether it was 47 00:03:18,970 --> 00:03:22,650 leprosy, every kind and any kind of disease was helplessly 48 00:03:22,650 --> 00:03:26,210 subject to the demands of the Lord Jesus Christ and the 49 00:03:26,210 --> 00:03:29,690 highlight reel of the masters. Compassion and power throughout 50 00:03:29,690 --> 00:03:33,370 the gospels testifies of that consistency. 51 00:03:33,610 --> 00:03:39,610 No infirmity was ever able to resist the authority of Christ. 52 00:03:40,970 --> 00:03:43,530 But for the first and only time, we come to this passage and we 53 00:03:43,530 --> 00:03:45,210 read something quite interesting. 54 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,200 We look here and we learned that there is a healing that is 55 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:53,320 taking place, but the results are not what we are used to. 56 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:59,160 This is unusual. This is a healing that takes 57 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,840 place in stages. It's progressive. 58 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:04,960 It's not something that happens right at the moment. 59 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,160 It's not something that happens right when the command was 60 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,240 given. You and I are used to seeing a 61 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:14,640 single touch or even a brief word bring about the complete 62 00:04:15,460 --> 00:04:18,660 result of a man's restoration. That's all it took for the 63 00:04:18,660 --> 00:04:22,660 impossible to be made possible. But this time we read about the 64 00:04:22,660 --> 00:04:28,300 Lord reaching out and touching a man not once but twice. 65 00:04:29,500 --> 00:04:32,180 And for the quick reader, he might be tempted to make this 66 00:04:32,180 --> 00:04:34,740 mistake. And that mistake is this, to 67 00:04:35,140 --> 00:04:39,340 perhaps be persuaded that okay for the first time now Jesus has 68 00:04:39,340 --> 00:04:43,230 finally met his match. Here is a component of our 69 00:04:43,230 --> 00:04:47,750 fallen world that was capable of resisting the will of God. 70 00:04:48,910 --> 00:04:50,030 Or maybe you're not thinking that. 71 00:04:50,030 --> 00:04:53,310 Maybe the thought is, well, here's Jesus and his humanity. 72 00:04:53,510 --> 00:04:56,790 Yes, at this moment doing something supernatural, but 73 00:04:56,870 --> 00:05:00,630 because of the complexity of his nature, he was perhaps 74 00:05:00,630 --> 00:05:03,830 unprepared for the challenge that awaited him in Besada. 75 00:05:04,470 --> 00:05:07,110 And now he is taken by surprise that there is something that's 76 00:05:07,110 --> 00:05:12,240 actually putting up a fight. Any speculation, please be 77 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,440 careful. Any speculation that attempts to 78 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:19,320 undermine the character and the capability of the Lord Jesus 79 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:24,200 Christ is off base. It's to be dismissed completely. 80 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:29,680 What we need to understand here is that you know Christ enough. 81 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:34,160 The Bible testifies enough to be confident that the Lord is 82 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:38,630 always able and that there is no rival in any dimension, whether 83 00:05:38,630 --> 00:05:42,190 that dimension is physical or spiritual, that can resist him. 84 00:05:43,230 --> 00:05:47,830 He is irresistible. But the question still stands 85 00:05:47,830 --> 00:05:49,470 when we look at this text, right? 86 00:05:49,830 --> 00:05:54,910 What is happening here? Why is it that the Lord didn't 87 00:05:54,910 --> 00:05:58,150 achieve his goal from the first attempt? 88 00:05:59,630 --> 00:06:02,230 And we can be spared for much confusion when you establish 89 00:06:02,230 --> 00:06:06,770 this simple fact that Christ's method here, not just the 90 00:06:06,770 --> 00:06:10,290 healing but His method, including the progression, is 91 00:06:10,290 --> 00:06:13,570 totally intentional. This is not being done 92 00:06:13,570 --> 00:06:16,170 unknowingly. This is being done purposely. 93 00:06:16,330 --> 00:06:20,210 This is being done with a different goal in mind, a deeper 94 00:06:20,530 --> 00:06:24,450 goal in Christ's mind. So understand that the Lord is 95 00:06:24,450 --> 00:06:27,850 just as much as control and control here with this process 96 00:06:27,970 --> 00:06:30,650 as you would be with any kind of miracle where things happen 97 00:06:30,650 --> 00:06:34,130 right there. And if that's true, then I want 98 00:06:34,130 --> 00:06:36,530 to know, okay, then what's His intention? 99 00:06:37,010 --> 00:06:39,650 What? Why is the Lord doing this in 100 00:06:39,650 --> 00:06:41,850 stages instead of doing it right there and then? 101 00:06:42,090 --> 00:06:45,770 Why waste the time? Why give people the idea or the 102 00:06:45,770 --> 00:06:50,890 possible temptation to question you concerning your ability and 103 00:06:50,890 --> 00:06:53,010 the Lord's not intimidated by our questions? 104 00:06:53,570 --> 00:06:58,090 The best way to understand the best way to find clues is to do 105 00:06:58,090 --> 00:06:59,250 something that you should always be doing. 106 00:06:59,250 --> 00:07:01,410 When you read something that seems challenging, look at the 107 00:07:01,410 --> 00:07:04,910 context. Look at the surrounding terrain, 108 00:07:05,550 --> 00:07:08,110 pull up the rearview mirrors and say okay, What is it that 109 00:07:08,110 --> 00:07:09,270 happened to me before? Maybe. 110 00:07:09,310 --> 00:07:13,390 What happens next that might give me some indication And give 111 00:07:13,390 --> 00:07:16,390 me some answers here? Because when you get the answer 112 00:07:16,390 --> 00:07:19,510 to the question that I just presented to you, there you will 113 00:07:19,510 --> 00:07:25,350 find gold Golden Revelation, the beauty of Christ's mind and his 114 00:07:25,350 --> 00:07:28,630 wisdom and his power. And so you were here in the past 115 00:07:28,630 --> 00:07:30,070 two weeks. But just in case you weren't or 116 00:07:30,070 --> 00:07:34,640 you forgot, let's look back. Look here in verse 14 down to 117 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:39,240 verse 21 at the same chapter, Jesus feeds the 4000 and he and 118 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:41,760 his disciples get into a boat and they are headed for their 119 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,360 desired location. And while they're in the boat, 120 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,480 Jesus cautioned them saying watch out, beware of the 11 of 121 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:49,480 the Pharisees in the 11 of the of Herod. 122 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:53,400 We talked about that last week. So here's Christ warning his, 123 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,600 his own disciples about the influence and the impact that 124 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,000 the false teachings of these parties can bring about in their 125 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,480 own faith. And what did the disciples do? 126 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:05,640 What the disciples do best, They don't even engage with it. 127 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,680 They don't inquire. Further, the the idea of leaven 128 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:10,400 springs up. And what comes up in their 129 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:12,160 conversation with one another? Bread. 130 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:15,040 They're talking about bread in verse 16. 131 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:16,880 They begin discussing with one another the fact that they had 132 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,280 no bread. Yeah, Andrew, you forgot bread. 133 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:21,160 Did you freak? Peter, where'd you where they 134 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:22,640 begin to just talk. And here's the Lord. 135 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:24,880 Stanley, you just completely miss what I'm saying. 136 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:30,040 And as they're discussing and as they're arguing maybe hear the 137 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:33,919 Lord, aware of this in verse 17, does what he needed to do and 138 00:08:33,919 --> 00:08:36,080 what a good teacher will do from time to time He rebukes them, 139 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:39,080 and this is what I want to bring to your attention. 140 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,480 Look here in verse 17. And Jesus, aware of this, said 141 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:46,440 to them, Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? 142 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:49,440 Do you not yet perceive or understand? 143 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,460 Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see? 144 00:08:53,460 --> 00:08:57,300 And having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember when I 145 00:08:57,300 --> 00:08:59,660 broke the five lows for the 5000? 146 00:08:59,660 --> 00:09:01,980 How many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? 147 00:09:01,980 --> 00:09:06,260 They set them 12 and the 7th. For the 4000, how many baskets 148 00:09:06,260 --> 00:09:07,780 full of broken pieces did you take up? 149 00:09:07,780 --> 00:09:13,460 And they set them seven. And he said to them, Do you not 150 00:09:13,460 --> 00:09:18,540 yet understand? The last question Jesus asks 151 00:09:18,540 --> 00:09:23,420 before we are introduced to this blind man is do you not yet 152 00:09:23,420 --> 00:09:27,940 understand? Now you you just scroll back and 153 00:09:28,100 --> 00:09:32,020 reexamine his his diagnosis. Here, reexamine what he is 154 00:09:32,020 --> 00:09:34,780 saying. Notice especially verse 18 155 00:09:35,380 --> 00:09:41,900 having eyes. Do you not see, which means the 156 00:09:41,900 --> 00:09:47,060 same thing as verse 21? Do you not yet understand? 157 00:09:47,700 --> 00:09:51,750 The eyes are often a metaphor for understanding, and Christ is 158 00:09:51,750 --> 00:09:54,030 drilling that into the hearts of his disciples. 159 00:09:54,710 --> 00:09:57,590 He's saying here, you're not getting it yet, are you? 160 00:09:59,110 --> 00:10:01,590 He's communicating that although the disciples had their eyes 161 00:10:01,590 --> 00:10:04,550 open to an extent, they did not have it completely opened. 162 00:10:06,070 --> 00:10:07,990 And and to what extent were their eyes open? 163 00:10:07,990 --> 00:10:11,590 The disciples, at this point in Jesus ministry understood enough 164 00:10:11,590 --> 00:10:14,190 about Christ to love him and to abandon everything, to follow 165 00:10:14,190 --> 00:10:17,390 him. And yet the perception of deeper 166 00:10:17,390 --> 00:10:21,590 truths was still unclear. And so Jesus here, in other 167 00:10:21,590 --> 00:10:24,630 words, is giving an honest diagnosis of the spiritual 168 00:10:24,630 --> 00:10:28,270 perception of his closest followers at this point, and 169 00:10:28,270 --> 00:10:31,550 assesses this very boldly and courageously, but honestly and 170 00:10:31,550 --> 00:10:34,830 lovingly, that they suffered from partial blindness 171 00:10:36,070 --> 00:10:41,030 concerning 2 main things. His teachings and his character. 172 00:10:41,830 --> 00:10:45,830 His teachings and his character. And from there this is the this 173 00:10:45,830 --> 00:10:47,670 is the flow of thought. This is what the Holy Spirit is 174 00:10:47,670 --> 00:10:49,750 trying to do. From there, after establishing 175 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:53,440 the impairment of his own, we now come to a man who is 176 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:58,000 physically blind. And being physically blind, he 177 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,080 receives a unique kind of healing, not the one that we're 178 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:06,200 used to. Glorious connection praised me 179 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,080 to his name for the simple discipline of honoring the 180 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,720 context. Here is the link. 181 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:14,680 Think about it. What is taking place with this 182 00:11:14,680 --> 00:11:18,580 miracle is meant to compliment and elaborate the truths that 183 00:11:18,580 --> 00:11:21,500 we've already discovered from the previous conversation. 184 00:11:22,540 --> 00:11:26,860 Have you eyes but do not see, Do you not yet understand? 185 00:11:27,260 --> 00:11:30,300 And then we transition. And here's a man who can't see. 186 00:11:31,300 --> 00:11:35,940 But when he receives the touch from the Lord, it's gradual. 187 00:11:37,500 --> 00:11:41,900 When he grows in his perception, it's progressive. 188 00:11:42,380 --> 00:11:46,390 It's not immediate. There are many messages behind 189 00:11:46,390 --> 00:11:49,710 the miracles of Jesus, and there is a parable with this miracle 190 00:11:49,710 --> 00:11:52,230 especially. And this is the message. 191 00:11:52,230 --> 00:11:54,350 In the same way that this man had partial vision, the 192 00:11:54,350 --> 00:11:57,470 disciples also had limited spiritual understanding. 193 00:11:57,510 --> 00:12:01,390 And yet, in the same way that this man with his physical eyes 194 00:12:01,390 --> 00:12:04,990 receiving healing gradually. Check this out. 195 00:12:05,710 --> 00:12:08,830 The disciples could also expect greater clarity as Christ would 196 00:12:08,830 --> 00:12:14,990 continue to work in them. Not only are you like this man 197 00:12:14,990 --> 00:12:19,630 who cannot see completely, though he should, but I also 198 00:12:19,630 --> 00:12:21,430 will work with you as I did with this man. 199 00:12:24,070 --> 00:12:27,590 That's the object lesson. And many people come to the 200 00:12:27,590 --> 00:12:30,750 miracles of Jesus and appropriately parallel the 201 00:12:30,750 --> 00:12:33,430 experience of the miracle with the experience that you and I 202 00:12:33,430 --> 00:12:36,230 gain at salvation. But this is not a miracle about 203 00:12:36,230 --> 00:12:37,590 salvation. It's not dealing with what 204 00:12:37,590 --> 00:12:39,310 happens to you when you become born again. 205 00:12:40,990 --> 00:12:43,630 No, this illustrates what happens after you get saved. 206 00:12:45,270 --> 00:12:47,790 This is a miracle that points and illustrates your 207 00:12:47,790 --> 00:12:51,350 sanctification. Christ doesn't just open your 208 00:12:51,350 --> 00:12:52,630 eyes when you repent and believe. 209 00:12:52,630 --> 00:12:58,190 Christ longs to open your eyes to see as he sees more and more 210 00:12:58,430 --> 00:13:01,790 and more. And that process is not 211 00:13:01,790 --> 00:13:05,110 instantaneous work. It takes time. 212 00:13:07,890 --> 00:13:10,850 Now, if we're honest, we can all admit that that's a miracle that 213 00:13:10,850 --> 00:13:12,970 we each need every single day. I'm talking to you born again. 214 00:13:12,970 --> 00:13:14,090 Believe it. I'm not talking to the person 215 00:13:14,090 --> 00:13:16,570 who still needs his his eyes to be open at the beginning of all 216 00:13:16,570 --> 00:13:18,570 things. I'm talking about you who had 217 00:13:18,570 --> 00:13:21,330 your eyes open enough to say this. 218 00:13:21,450 --> 00:13:23,690 Jesus. He is who he says he is, and I 219 00:13:23,690 --> 00:13:26,730 want to follow him. Praise God for your eyes being 220 00:13:26,730 --> 00:13:29,410 open to that. But you and I are fully aware 221 00:13:29,410 --> 00:13:33,610 that there is more to see, more to behold, more to comprehend, 222 00:13:34,490 --> 00:13:36,130 and we need the Lord to be able to touch us. 223 00:13:36,130 --> 00:13:39,100 But that's not the main point of this miracle. 224 00:13:39,100 --> 00:13:41,460 The main point is not that. The main point is that the 225 00:13:41,460 --> 00:13:46,020 disciples should have known. They should have had the 226 00:13:46,020 --> 00:13:49,780 knowledge of certain things by now, but they suffered from 227 00:13:49,780 --> 00:13:51,660 seeing as Christ would want them to see. 228 00:13:51,940 --> 00:13:56,740 Christ has your growth in mind, and more than that, he expects 229 00:13:56,740 --> 00:14:00,140 us to be at certain places as we walk with him. 230 00:14:01,300 --> 00:14:04,180 I know we're a grace people. I know we love grace, and I know 231 00:14:04,180 --> 00:14:08,370 we we should love grace. But Christ has through His grace 232 00:14:08,450 --> 00:14:11,970 a growth in mind. And just like His disciples, 233 00:14:12,130 --> 00:14:14,810 when we don't reach certain place, where when we stagnate 234 00:14:14,810 --> 00:14:19,570 spiritually, we're not in the will of God, we're not in the 235 00:14:19,570 --> 00:14:21,850 will of God. And here we see that the 236 00:14:21,850 --> 00:14:24,650 disciples should have been somewhere by now, and they 237 00:14:24,650 --> 00:14:26,450 weren't. And where were they? 238 00:14:26,450 --> 00:14:28,930 Where were they off place? Where were they not where Christ 239 00:14:28,930 --> 00:14:30,130 wanted to be? Again, I said it. 240 00:14:30,130 --> 00:14:34,730 Let me say it again concerning their knowledge of the truth and 241 00:14:34,730 --> 00:14:37,330 concerning the person of Jesus Christ. 242 00:14:37,370 --> 00:14:39,490 Think about it. When he brought up the leaven of 243 00:14:39,490 --> 00:14:44,210 the fair season of Herod, they start talking about bread, their 244 00:14:44,210 --> 00:14:47,610 biblical understanding right their their simple knowledge of 245 00:14:47,610 --> 00:14:50,570 truth that they could not grasp it. 246 00:14:51,290 --> 00:14:53,690 So they were shallow in their understanding of the word of 247 00:14:53,690 --> 00:14:56,330 God. But more than that, we have the 248 00:14:56,330 --> 00:14:59,010 character of Christ. Not only were they talking about 249 00:14:59,010 --> 00:15:00,890 bread when they should be talking about the spiritual 250 00:15:00,890 --> 00:15:03,170 leaven, they now begin to talk about the bread. 251 00:15:03,170 --> 00:15:05,010 Because they were fearful. They were anxious. 252 00:15:05,050 --> 00:15:09,810 We don't have food for this trip, and so that is indirectly 253 00:15:10,770 --> 00:15:14,410 an affront to who Christ is. Christ who not only warned about 254 00:15:14,410 --> 00:15:17,770 11:00, but Christ who earlier materialized food out of thin 255 00:15:17,770 --> 00:15:19,930 air. And they witnessed that with 256 00:15:19,930 --> 00:15:22,450 their own eyes. And yet they could not hold on 257 00:15:22,450 --> 00:15:25,930 to that truth long enough to believe it in a time of need. 258 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,440 OK, are we any different? Have things change with 259 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:33,640 disciples of Jesus Christ today? Is it possible for a Christian 260 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,400 to walk in a certain length of time and not grasp certain 261 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,560 truths yet from the word of God? Absolutely. 262 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,840 Is it possible to walk with Christ and even experience 263 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:46,040 testimonies, personal stories of him intervening? 264 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:49,800 And yet, still, in a time of crisis or need or uncertainty, 265 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,520 we begin to discuss as though he's not in our midst and he 266 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:58,260 hasn't come through before. Those are evidences that you 267 00:15:58,260 --> 00:16:04,340 see, But you see men as trees. You see the silhouette of 268 00:16:04,340 --> 00:16:07,340 Christ, but not the substance of Christ. 269 00:16:07,940 --> 00:16:11,580 You have a a a glaring understanding of His promises 270 00:16:11,580 --> 00:16:16,380 and of his doctrine, but not enough to cause you to know that 271 00:16:16,380 --> 00:16:18,300 this is true, this is applicable. 272 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:20,380 This is a warning. This is an encouragement. 273 00:16:21,780 --> 00:16:24,300 This is a miracle. Not for the unsaved, but for the 274 00:16:24,300 --> 00:16:27,100 saved. And it's a miracle that's 275 00:16:27,100 --> 00:16:30,100 desperately needed. Instead of seeing things 276 00:16:30,100 --> 00:16:33,940 clearly, they saw men as tree walkings themselves. 277 00:16:34,460 --> 00:16:36,580 And I want to just look. I'm not going to take too much 278 00:16:36,580 --> 00:16:39,140 time with this message. I want us just to walk through 279 00:16:39,540 --> 00:16:41,500 to give you an idea just to challenge you. 280 00:16:41,500 --> 00:16:45,140 This challenge me just to look at Paul's language concerning 281 00:16:45,260 --> 00:16:48,940 some of the truths that not pastors, not theologians, but 282 00:16:48,940 --> 00:16:51,860 believers who have access to the word of God should know or at 283 00:16:51,860 --> 00:16:54,900 least strive to know. So let's just do a little survey 284 00:16:54,900 --> 00:17:00,020 here, go to Romans 1125 quickly, let's go to Romans 11/25. 285 00:17:00,020 --> 00:17:01,700 I I'm not trying to elaborate on these verses. 286 00:17:01,700 --> 00:17:05,660 I'm trying to bring you bullet, bullet point form exertation. 287 00:17:06,180 --> 00:17:08,140 So we go to Romans 1125 together. 288 00:17:09,490 --> 00:17:21,500 Notice what Paul says, lest you be wise in your own sight. 289 00:17:21,500 --> 00:17:27,500 I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers. 290 00:17:28,220 --> 00:17:32,100 A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness 291 00:17:32,100 --> 00:17:35,660 of the Gentiles has come in. Keep in mind that phrase. 292 00:17:35,660 --> 00:17:40,020 I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery. 293 00:17:40,020 --> 00:17:44,020 Now come to 1st Corinthians chapter 10, First Corinthians 294 00:17:44,020 --> 00:17:45,500 chapter 10, and look at verse one. 295 00:17:54,810 --> 00:18:01,050 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our 296 00:18:01,050 --> 00:18:05,570 fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea. 297 00:18:05,930 --> 00:18:09,010 There's that phrase again. I do not want you to be unaware. 298 00:18:09,210 --> 00:18:11,770 Go to chapter 12 of the same book, First Corinthians 12, 299 00:18:11,770 --> 00:18:17,210 verse one. Now concerning spiritual gifts. 300 00:18:17,210 --> 00:18:21,410 Brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 301 00:18:22,050 --> 00:18:24,960 Interesting. Now skip over a few books. 302 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:28,120 Go to 1st Thessalonians, chapter four, First Thessalonians, 303 00:18:28,120 --> 00:18:43,150 chapter 4, chapter 4, verse 13. But we do not want you to be 304 00:18:43,190 --> 00:18:46,630 uninformed brothers about those who are asleep that you may not 305 00:18:46,630 --> 00:18:49,110 grieve as others do who have no hope. 306 00:18:49,110 --> 00:18:53,310 OK, I'm just trying to show you by way of example how Paul is 307 00:18:53,310 --> 00:18:55,230 speaking to these different Christians from different 308 00:18:55,230 --> 00:18:57,280 churches and he's saying something similar. 309 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:01,480 I don't want you to be ignorant. I don't want you to remain in 310 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,200 ignorance. I want you to be equipped. 311 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:07,560 I want you to be fully familiar with these truths and what 312 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:09,520 truths I mean think about these different truths, the different 313 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:12,080 shades of truth. When he speaks to the Romans, it 314 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:14,360 says here that he wants them to not be uninformed. 315 00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:16,600 About what? Not generally uninformed. 316 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,120 No, specifically, I don't want you to be uninformed, Romans 317 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,280 about God's sovereign plan for the ethnic people of Israel. 318 00:19:24,260 --> 00:19:25,500 I don't want you to be uninformed about that. 319 00:19:25,500 --> 00:19:27,660 I want you to be fully informed. I want you to be educated about 320 00:19:27,660 --> 00:19:31,100 that certain doctrine. OK, then First Corinthians 10. 321 00:19:31,420 --> 00:19:33,100 I I don't want you to be unaware brothers. 322 00:19:33,100 --> 00:19:34,940 And then what is Paul doing? 1st Corinthians 10. 323 00:19:35,220 --> 00:19:40,060 He uses the Old Testament as an illustration book for new 324 00:19:40,060 --> 00:19:41,980 covenant principles. He talks about the wilderness 325 00:19:41,980 --> 00:19:44,420 journey. He talks about the the plagues 326 00:19:44,420 --> 00:19:47,180 that they experience while they were in rebellion for unbelief. 327 00:19:47,650 --> 00:19:50,210 So what is Paul saying there? I don't want you to be unaware 328 00:19:50,210 --> 00:19:54,330 of how the Old Covenant speaks to new Covenant realities. 329 00:19:54,410 --> 00:19:56,850 I want your eyes to see that those are not just stories. 330 00:19:57,090 --> 00:20:00,050 Those are God's way of exhorting you and encouraging you. 331 00:20:00,050 --> 00:20:02,690 OK, what is he saying for Scrutine Swallow. 332 00:20:02,690 --> 00:20:05,650 This is a controversial one. I don't want you to be unaware, 333 00:20:05,650 --> 00:20:07,690 uninformed about what the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 334 00:20:08,970 --> 00:20:11,170 Now come on, how? How many of us are familiar with 335 00:20:11,170 --> 00:20:13,180 this stuff? I don't want you to be 336 00:20:13,180 --> 00:20:15,980 uninformed about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, how you can 337 00:20:15,980 --> 00:20:19,260 identify them and understand how they are to be utilized. 338 00:20:20,380 --> 00:20:22,580 What about first Ceciline, chapter 4, verse 13. 339 00:20:22,700 --> 00:20:26,180 I don't want you to be uninformed about what the event 340 00:20:26,180 --> 00:20:29,660 of the return of the Lord, the event of the return of the Lord, 341 00:20:29,660 --> 00:20:32,100 and what the hope of eternal life to come. 342 00:20:33,140 --> 00:20:38,060 Now just just gather those exhortations, gather those 343 00:20:38,060 --> 00:20:40,720 topics and reel them in and ask yourself. 344 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,040 I mean, I have to ask myself, how familiar am I about the 345 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:44,520 sovereign plan of God for Israel? 346 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,240 Am I still ignorant in that? How uninformed I am about the 347 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:52,960 gifts of the Holy Spirit? How uninformed I am about my Old 348 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:54,920 Testament? 2/3 of my Bible? 349 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:56,800 Can I look at the That's why what we do, what we do on 350 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:58,760 Fridays. We want people to be informed 351 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,520 about how the Old Testament ties in with the New Covenant. 352 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:04,120 But how many of us know it? How many of us are confident to 353 00:21:04,120 --> 00:21:06,160 go to the Old Testament? How many of us see the value of 354 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:08,400 that? What about the event of the 355 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,500 return of Christ? What about that? 356 00:21:11,140 --> 00:21:13,980 Can we can we explain that? Can we can we give people an 357 00:21:13,980 --> 00:21:16,500 understanding of what to expect concerning the event of the 358 00:21:16,500 --> 00:21:18,780 return of Christ? What about the life to come? 359 00:21:19,540 --> 00:21:21,740 So even from those verses that we just kind of scaled through 360 00:21:21,740 --> 00:21:24,420 right there, we're being even informed. 361 00:21:24,980 --> 00:21:30,820 Don't remain ignorant in that grow advance, be challenged. 362 00:21:32,300 --> 00:21:37,820 So even in those examples in the epistles we can tie it in with 363 00:21:37,820 --> 00:21:39,740 what is happening in Mark chapter 8. 364 00:21:40,470 --> 00:21:44,070 The disciples at that point should have been somewhere, but 365 00:21:44,070 --> 00:21:46,870 they weren't. And in like manner we can come 366 00:21:46,870 --> 00:21:49,230 to these truths and remain ignorant. 367 00:21:49,550 --> 00:21:52,110 And here's the scary part, be content with our ignorance. 368 00:21:53,630 --> 00:21:56,590 Be content with our ignorance when God saying no, I want you 369 00:21:56,590 --> 00:21:59,790 to graduate. I hope you never read those 370 00:21:59,790 --> 00:22:02,830 verses ever the same way again. I don't want you to be 371 00:22:02,830 --> 00:22:06,470 uninformed. Wow, that's not Paul speaking. 372 00:22:06,470 --> 00:22:08,310 That's the Spirit speaking through Paul. 373 00:22:08,930 --> 00:22:11,010 I want you to know what an invitation. 374 00:22:13,290 --> 00:22:15,810 And we think of this, and we can now give you examples not just 375 00:22:15,810 --> 00:22:18,490 concerning doctrine, but concerning the person of God, 376 00:22:19,010 --> 00:22:23,250 his character, how he actually intervenes and supervises your 377 00:22:23,250 --> 00:22:28,450 existence. Am I growing less and less 378 00:22:28,450 --> 00:22:31,170 anxious? Am I growing more and more 379 00:22:31,170 --> 00:22:33,970 confident? Am I actually allowing these 380 00:22:33,970 --> 00:22:37,570 testimonies that I see in prayer with my church, with my family, 381 00:22:37,870 --> 00:22:40,230 with these trials? And do I like Joshua, that 382 00:22:40,230 --> 00:22:45,310 generation established stone memorials, permanent testimonies 383 00:22:45,310 --> 00:22:48,790 and journal entries in my heart to say I can trust him for 384 00:22:48,790 --> 00:22:52,870 tomorrow I can trust him for Let me give you one example of that 385 00:22:52,870 --> 00:22:54,550 first, John, I got better hurry up here. 386 00:22:55,070 --> 00:22:57,310 But let's go to 1st John quickly for you for you to see an 387 00:22:57,870 --> 00:23:02,830 example of that. Do you want to know if you 388 00:23:02,830 --> 00:23:05,230 really, really see the love of God The way you see you should 389 00:23:05,230 --> 00:23:08,560 see the love of God. If you want to know if you see 390 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:10,720 the love of God the way God wants you to see it, here's a 391 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:16,240 great test in first John and 1st John chapter 4. 392 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:21,240 To measure my experience of the love of God. 393 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:27,280 I can take this test. We're here in chapter 4, verse 394 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:31,000 16. So we have come to know and to 395 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:32,840 believe the love that God has for us. 396 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,080 God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God 397 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,390 abides in Him. By this is love perfected with 398 00:23:39,390 --> 00:23:41,230 us. Meaning the word perfected is 399 00:23:41,230 --> 00:23:44,510 matured. Achieve the IT is achieved its 400 00:23:44,510 --> 00:23:47,430 goal in you. Perfected with us so that we may 401 00:23:47,430 --> 00:23:51,070 have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is, so 402 00:23:51,070 --> 00:23:54,790 also are we In this world there is No Fear and love, but perfect 403 00:23:54,790 --> 00:23:57,750 love cast out. Fear for fear has to do with 404 00:23:57,750 --> 00:24:00,630 punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 405 00:24:00,990 --> 00:24:06,150 If I hear a teaching a sermon about the judgment to come, and 406 00:24:06,150 --> 00:24:09,350 I am fearful concerning that judgment, I know one thing. 407 00:24:09,350 --> 00:24:11,390 God's love has not been matured in me. 408 00:24:13,070 --> 00:24:16,790 It's not I, I I see men walking streets. 409 00:24:16,790 --> 00:24:20,830 I have a blurred understanding. My my vision of the love of God 410 00:24:20,830 --> 00:24:24,950 is fuzzy. You see you, you know it. 411 00:24:24,950 --> 00:24:27,670 You know He loves you. You understand He died for you. 412 00:24:28,350 --> 00:24:30,830 But deeper than that, OK. So when it comes to the 413 00:24:30,830 --> 00:24:35,110 judgment, how confident are you? What's your vision of the 414 00:24:35,110 --> 00:24:36,710 throne? What's your vision of him being 415 00:24:36,710 --> 00:24:39,030 your advocate? And if there's fear in there, 416 00:24:39,030 --> 00:24:41,790 I'm not seeing right. I'm not seeing right. 417 00:24:43,070 --> 00:24:46,110 So, So even in that, concerning the nature and the character of 418 00:24:46,110 --> 00:24:50,790 God, we can be partially blind like the disciples were. 419 00:24:52,070 --> 00:24:53,390 But what does this miracle really teach? 420 00:24:53,390 --> 00:24:56,630 More than that? It doesn't just challenge you, 421 00:24:57,950 --> 00:25:00,270 it encourages you and encourages you in this way. 422 00:25:01,230 --> 00:25:03,470 Yes, disciples, this man you see right here. 423 00:25:03,470 --> 00:25:06,750 And it could be that the the men that this, the, the, the blind 424 00:25:06,750 --> 00:25:08,830 man saw were were actually the disciples. 425 00:25:08,830 --> 00:25:11,390 It could be very well that the people that he saw in that in 426 00:25:11,390 --> 00:25:14,030 that moment were the followers of Christ, were witnessing this 427 00:25:14,030 --> 00:25:17,030 miracle. Disciples indirectly. 428 00:25:17,030 --> 00:25:19,990 What a master teacher. This this right here. 429 00:25:20,070 --> 00:25:23,630 This is you. This is you. 430 00:25:24,350 --> 00:25:26,830 And yet watch. He lays hands on them again. 431 00:25:26,830 --> 00:25:28,710 He sees and he sees clearly and he goes. 432 00:25:28,910 --> 00:25:32,750 This can also be you. This can also be you. 433 00:25:34,310 --> 00:25:36,350 The point is more than just a rebuke. 434 00:25:36,350 --> 00:25:39,310 It's an invitation. An invitation to see more 435 00:25:39,310 --> 00:25:41,750 clearly, to open your eyes more and more. 436 00:25:42,070 --> 00:25:43,990 But that doesn't mean that there's nothing required of us. 437 00:25:43,990 --> 00:25:46,310 Go back to Mark chapter 8. I want you to see what Jesus 438 00:25:46,310 --> 00:25:53,270 does in verse 23. And he took the blind man by the 439 00:25:53,270 --> 00:25:55,230 hand and let him out of the village. 440 00:25:58,210 --> 00:26:00,570 And we had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him. 441 00:26:00,570 --> 00:26:02,290 He asked what a, what a question. 442 00:26:02,290 --> 00:26:05,690 Do you see anything? Do you think Jesus knew? 443 00:26:07,010 --> 00:26:09,450 Whenever Jesus asks a question, it's not because he's looking 444 00:26:09,450 --> 00:26:11,410 for an answer. Never. 445 00:26:12,330 --> 00:26:17,490 He knows, but he wants the man to answer honestly. 446 00:26:19,690 --> 00:26:23,130 Think about this. He heals him partially, though 447 00:26:23,130 --> 00:26:25,810 he could have done it fully. And then he steps back. 448 00:26:28,050 --> 00:26:32,610 Do you see anything? You know what the man could have 449 00:26:32,610 --> 00:26:34,130 said? Because he answers in a very 450 00:26:34,130 --> 00:26:35,290 important way. But he could have said. 451 00:26:38,530 --> 00:26:41,450 I see. Yeah, I can see. 452 00:26:42,450 --> 00:26:45,210 It's a little hazy. But this is good. 453 00:26:45,850 --> 00:26:47,890 This is good. Thank you so much. 454 00:26:48,570 --> 00:26:50,050 You are where they say they are. Thank you. 455 00:26:50,050 --> 00:26:51,210 Thank you. I can live like this. 456 00:26:51,210 --> 00:26:52,970 I can live like this. This is awesome. 457 00:26:52,970 --> 00:26:55,130 Praise be to your name. And he could have walked on his 458 00:26:55,130 --> 00:26:59,180 merry way. He doesn't say that. 459 00:26:59,180 --> 00:27:02,260 He says. I see people, but they look like 460 00:27:02,260 --> 00:27:06,580 trees walking. And there was something about 461 00:27:06,580 --> 00:27:10,100 that where he expressed the need for more. 462 00:27:11,740 --> 00:27:15,780 There was a there was a an attitude of faith in this 463 00:27:15,780 --> 00:27:20,100 confession that drew Christ in to do a deeper work. 464 00:27:22,430 --> 00:27:24,750 Here's the truth. If we want our inner eyes to be 465 00:27:24,750 --> 00:27:27,150 touched by the healer, the demand is no different for you 466 00:27:27,150 --> 00:27:30,190 and I. We must be transparent. 467 00:27:30,190 --> 00:27:32,590 And you and I must be willing to come before the presence of the 468 00:27:32,590 --> 00:27:35,950 Lord with humility and desperation and say I need you 469 00:27:35,950 --> 00:27:40,870 to touch me again. I see, and I'm thankful that I 470 00:27:40,870 --> 00:27:44,150 can see. But, Lord, I'm ignorant here. 471 00:27:45,630 --> 00:27:47,550 I'm ignorant here. I'm still fearful. 472 00:27:47,550 --> 00:27:49,390 I'm still anxious. Okay. 473 00:27:49,390 --> 00:27:50,910 Let Let's make it more personal, right? 474 00:27:51,710 --> 00:27:54,390 Just like this man. How do you see people? 475 00:27:55,350 --> 00:27:58,310 How do you see your wife? How do you see your children? 476 00:27:58,310 --> 00:28:01,030 How do you see your parents? How do you see your local 477 00:28:01,030 --> 00:28:02,710 church? Do you see clearly? 478 00:28:02,710 --> 00:28:06,150 Do you perceive the way God wants you to perceive, or is it 479 00:28:06,150 --> 00:28:08,710 blurry? Are you misinterpreting things? 480 00:28:09,550 --> 00:28:12,070 Are you failing to give it the value that it deserves? 481 00:28:12,350 --> 00:28:15,870 Are you acting in a certain way because you don't see the way 482 00:28:15,870 --> 00:28:17,910 God wants you to see? I mean, if I see people as 483 00:28:17,910 --> 00:28:20,270 trees, I'm going to treat them drift differently than if I see 484 00:28:20,270 --> 00:28:25,770 them as people I'm not seeing. The way I'm supposed to be 485 00:28:25,770 --> 00:28:27,410 seeing in my heart testifies of that. 486 00:28:27,410 --> 00:28:30,810 My attitude testifies of that. My behavior testifies of that. 487 00:28:32,530 --> 00:28:34,530 Lord, you need to touch me again. 488 00:28:35,970 --> 00:28:38,210 I'm not satisfied seeing this way. 489 00:28:38,970 --> 00:28:40,890 And if there is more than pleased that there be more. 490 00:28:40,970 --> 00:28:43,610 And I will tell you the means by which he will touch you. 491 00:28:44,850 --> 00:28:48,810 I will show you how it is that God extends his hand upon the 492 00:28:48,850 --> 00:28:53,430 eyes of your heart and is able to peel off more layers so that 493 00:28:53,430 --> 00:28:56,190 you can understand the way he wants you to understand. 494 00:28:57,070 --> 00:29:00,350 It's very simple. 2 verses two different places. 495 00:29:00,630 --> 00:29:03,750 You combine them together and you will know miracles in your 496 00:29:03,750 --> 00:29:06,390 life. The first one is in Psalm 19. 497 00:29:07,630 --> 00:29:15,910 In Psalm 19, verse eight, we were given a promise about the 498 00:29:15,910 --> 00:29:24,020 eyes of our heart. Psalm 19 eight reads, The 499 00:29:24,020 --> 00:29:26,780 precepts of the Lord are right to rejoicing the heart. 500 00:29:27,060 --> 00:29:30,100 The commandment of the Lord is pure, doing what? 501 00:29:30,180 --> 00:29:35,100 Enlightening the eyes. You can't see better if you 502 00:29:35,100 --> 00:29:38,780 don't know the word of God. If you don't come to the word of 503 00:29:38,780 --> 00:29:43,060 God, this word has power to heal your blindness. 504 00:29:45,980 --> 00:29:50,530 I remember personally when there was a defining moment where I 505 00:29:50,530 --> 00:29:54,650 was able to see the power of the the word of God enlightening the 506 00:29:54,650 --> 00:29:56,130 eyes. When I first got saved, I had no 507 00:29:56,130 --> 00:30:00,250 grit for anything, no grit for church, no grit for sermons, no 508 00:30:00,250 --> 00:30:03,410 grit for denominations. I had no grit for anything. 509 00:30:03,410 --> 00:30:05,690 And I remember I when I was first introduced to a church 510 00:30:05,690 --> 00:30:08,930 service, it was questionable in their approach and it was very 511 00:30:08,930 --> 00:30:11,450 much like the mega church kind of secret sensitive thing. 512 00:30:11,450 --> 00:30:14,810 But I had no grit and so when I was there I didn't have anything 513 00:30:14,810 --> 00:30:17,590 to really discern. I had nothing to work with in my 514 00:30:17,590 --> 00:30:19,950 own heart, so I was just absorbing whatever was there. 515 00:30:19,950 --> 00:30:23,830 I was content to some extent as as a person who who had his eyes 516 00:30:23,830 --> 00:30:28,510 open but not seeing fully. And A and a few weeks would go 517 00:30:28,510 --> 00:30:31,150 by and by God's grace was able to read the Word. 518 00:30:31,150 --> 00:30:34,510 And but something began to happen as I begin to read, just 519 00:30:34,510 --> 00:30:36,790 read the Word just day after day. 520 00:30:36,790 --> 00:30:38,590 Coming to the word not understanding everything, but 521 00:30:38,590 --> 00:30:42,110 just reading it and coming to an asking God for me to understand 522 00:30:42,110 --> 00:30:44,630 it, I began to see things differently. 523 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:47,880 Wait a minute. That's wait a minute. 524 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:50,000 You probably shouldn't be saying that in a sermon. 525 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:54,760 What's going on here? What's happening here? 526 00:30:55,640 --> 00:31:02,440 Enlightening the eyes more and more and more to see what things 527 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:04,760 should really be. And that saved me from a lot of 528 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:06,640 trouble. A lot of trouble. 529 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:09,880 Credit the word credit. Just come to the Bible. 530 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:11,680 Credit. Just trust that this thing 531 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:16,770 vibrates with a force that can rescue you from seeing men as 532 00:31:16,770 --> 00:31:20,690 trees, walking, from seeing a sermon that is not really a 533 00:31:20,690 --> 00:31:25,050 sermon that's laced with heresy, laced with different motives. 534 00:31:25,570 --> 00:31:27,850 Believers who claim to be believers but are actually 535 00:31:28,170 --> 00:31:33,490 wolves and sheep's clothing, convictions and ideas and 536 00:31:33,490 --> 00:31:36,050 arguments that are not based on the word of God, but because 537 00:31:36,050 --> 00:31:37,490 your eyes have been open. Why? 538 00:31:37,610 --> 00:31:42,250 Because this word, this word heals, heals your vision. 539 00:31:43,820 --> 00:31:48,420 And I I praise God that over the years this book is what has kept 540 00:31:48,420 --> 00:31:50,940 me and this book is what will keep you. 541 00:31:50,940 --> 00:31:53,060 I know people that are believing things that you would not even 542 00:31:53,460 --> 00:31:56,060 fathom to believe in their walk with the Lord. 543 00:31:56,060 --> 00:31:58,500 And it's because of one thing they didn't trust that this can 544 00:31:58,500 --> 00:32:03,220 enlight their eyes. But more than that, there's 545 00:32:03,220 --> 00:32:05,140 another thing, and it's an Ephesians. 546 00:32:05,140 --> 00:32:12,370 One verse 16. In Ephesians one verse 16. 547 00:32:12,370 --> 00:32:15,690 Paul prays for this church and he says something quite amazing. 548 00:32:15,690 --> 00:32:17,050 Some of you know where I'm going with this. 549 00:32:18,770 --> 00:32:26,530 Look what he says in verse 16. I do not cease to give thanks 550 00:32:26,530 --> 00:32:29,410 for you remembering you in my prayers. 551 00:32:29,410 --> 00:32:31,170 And I was going to tell him what he's praying for. 552 00:32:31,690 --> 00:32:35,210 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may 553 00:32:35,210 --> 00:32:38,490 give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation and knowledge 554 00:32:38,490 --> 00:32:42,820 of him having the eyes of your hearts enlightened. 555 00:32:44,340 --> 00:32:47,460 Oh, what a man of God he was. When Paul prayed for this 556 00:32:47,460 --> 00:32:49,420 church, he asked that there would be the spirit of wisdom 557 00:32:49,420 --> 00:32:52,700 and revelation for one goal, that the eyes of the hearts 558 00:32:53,180 --> 00:32:55,380 would be enlightened, open further. 559 00:32:55,740 --> 00:32:58,500 Is he talking to the world, or is he talking to the Church? 560 00:32:58,620 --> 00:33:02,620 He's talking to the Church That your eyes, oh church, would have 561 00:33:02,820 --> 00:33:05,290 greater understanding. Having the eyes of your hearts 562 00:33:05,290 --> 00:33:07,890 enlightened in three things. In three things. 563 00:33:07,890 --> 00:33:11,130 Look at this, that you may know what is the hope to which he has 564 00:33:11,130 --> 00:33:14,570 called you two. What are the riches of his 565 00:33:14,570 --> 00:33:16,290 glorious inheritance and the Saints? 566 00:33:16,730 --> 00:33:18,690 Three. And what is the immeasurable 567 00:33:18,690 --> 00:33:21,970 greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the 568 00:33:21,970 --> 00:33:27,010 working of his great might? Oh, I'm begging God nonstop that 569 00:33:27,010 --> 00:33:29,930 You Ephesians, would know the hope that you would see right. 570 00:33:30,130 --> 00:33:32,330 Many of us are asking God to bless us, and that's great. 571 00:33:32,330 --> 00:33:33,810 We should be asking God for that. 572 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:36,520 But what Paul here is saying is I want you to see the blessings 573 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:41,480 God has already given you. You don't feel this way, and it 574 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:43,400 could be not because it's lacking but because you don't 575 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:45,680 see it. So I'm asking that you would 576 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:47,480 know the hope. I'm asking that you would know 577 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:51,560 the the wealth that you have inherited because of Christ, the 578 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:54,560 spiritual riches that are yours because of Christ. 579 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:58,200 I want you to see it. And lastly, the immeasurable 580 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:00,840 greatness of his power toward us who believe. 581 00:34:01,310 --> 00:34:03,670 Look at this according to the work of his great might that he 582 00:34:03,670 --> 00:34:09,030 worked in Christ. Hope, spiritual riches, power. 583 00:34:09,230 --> 00:34:11,870 I want you to see it. And the only way it's going to 584 00:34:11,870 --> 00:34:14,110 come through is not just when you come to the Word, it's when 585 00:34:14,110 --> 00:34:16,790 you pray and ask God for it. Because that's what I'm doing 586 00:34:16,790 --> 00:34:19,830 for you. And So what does this require 587 00:34:19,830 --> 00:34:21,870 for me? How do I, how can I know Christ 588 00:34:21,870 --> 00:34:24,590 giving me a second touch, a third touch, a fifth touch. 589 00:34:25,790 --> 00:34:29,350 When you come before the word of God, the Spirit of prayer, and 590 00:34:29,350 --> 00:34:30,949 you say, Lord, open the eyes in my heart. 591 00:34:32,210 --> 00:34:33,889 I don't want to stay where I was. 592 00:34:34,449 --> 00:34:36,969 I'm not content seeing men walking as trees. 593 00:34:37,530 --> 00:34:39,810 I'm not being. I'm not content looking at you 594 00:34:39,810 --> 00:34:41,570 with an elementary understanding of you. 595 00:34:41,969 --> 00:34:44,650 I want to come to the Word and actually get the Word, and I 596 00:34:44,650 --> 00:34:47,210 want to live the Word, and I want to trust you in this world. 597 00:34:47,330 --> 00:34:49,170 You need to help me and you need to touch me. 598 00:34:51,929 --> 00:34:56,290 Honesty, transparency, but also the willingness to let the hand 599 00:34:56,290 --> 00:34:58,290 of Christ lead you where it needs to be led. 600 00:34:58,290 --> 00:35:00,610 And that's through His Word and through seeking Him. 601 00:35:01,550 --> 00:35:03,310 And what begins to happen. Here's what will happen. 602 00:35:03,310 --> 00:35:06,830 You look at the world, You see all its toys and all its 603 00:35:06,830 --> 00:35:10,830 promises and all its vain glory, and it begins to lose its color 604 00:35:11,830 --> 00:35:15,510 and lose its shine. And something begins to happen 605 00:35:15,510 --> 00:35:17,990 to your soul where now you actually know satisfaction in 606 00:35:17,990 --> 00:35:22,790 God, not just storing up information, satisfaction in 607 00:35:22,790 --> 00:35:24,830 God. You look at your suffering and 608 00:35:24,830 --> 00:35:28,230 now you are comforted and caressed by the sovereign care 609 00:35:28,630 --> 00:35:31,670 of your master. You look at people, you look at 610 00:35:31,670 --> 00:35:34,550 people and and they're not just people for your benefit, people 611 00:35:34,550 --> 00:35:36,670 that are to be used for your good. 612 00:35:36,870 --> 00:35:39,190 No, you look at people the way Jesus wants you to look at 613 00:35:39,190 --> 00:35:41,110 people and you begin to treat them as such. 614 00:35:43,430 --> 00:35:48,070 You look at life through the lens of eternity and you realize 615 00:35:48,070 --> 00:35:49,950 that this is not it. I'm just traveling through and 616 00:35:49,950 --> 00:35:52,110 you begin to feel lighter in this world, and you begin to 617 00:35:52,110 --> 00:35:53,670 feel like you're floating through this world. 618 00:35:53,670 --> 00:35:56,590 And you begin to realize my address is being prepared for 619 00:35:56,590 --> 00:35:58,470 me, and I'm just borrowing some things here. 620 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:05,200 And the best thing you begin to see Christ as more beautiful 621 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:10,320 than he was yesterday, as more precious as more near than 622 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:12,960 anybody else in your own existence, closer than your 623 00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:15,040 wife, closer than your husband, closer than your children. 624 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:17,680 You begin to know something of the manifestation of His 625 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:19,480 presence. Because you've come to the 626 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:23,920 conclusion I'm not satisfied seeing partially open the eyes 627 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:31,100 of my heart. Amazingly, we learned here what 628 00:36:31,100 --> 00:36:32,740 happened before this miracle took place. 629 00:36:32,740 --> 00:36:34,060 But do you remember what happened after? 630 00:36:35,180 --> 00:36:39,780 Go back to Mark 8. This is amazing. 631 00:36:40,220 --> 00:36:43,300 I love the Bible. I love the word of God. 632 00:36:44,580 --> 00:36:46,540 Look at verse 27 right? This is the verse that we 633 00:36:46,540 --> 00:36:48,140 haven't read. Immediately after when he tells, 634 00:36:48,140 --> 00:36:49,580 tells them not to enter to the village. 635 00:36:49,860 --> 00:36:53,100 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of 636 00:36:53,100 --> 00:36:56,170 Cicerea Philippi. And on the way he asked his 637 00:36:56,170 --> 00:36:58,330 disciples who do people say that I am? 638 00:36:59,330 --> 00:37:01,690 And they told him John the Baptist and others say Elijah 639 00:37:01,690 --> 00:37:04,890 and others one of the prophets. And he asked them, But who do 640 00:37:04,890 --> 00:37:07,650 you say that I am? Peter answered him, You are the 641 00:37:07,650 --> 00:37:14,330 Christ, you are the Christ. Is that ironic that right after 642 00:37:14,330 --> 00:37:17,290 the person receives his full healing, Peter is asked the 643 00:37:17,290 --> 00:37:20,090 question about the identity of Christ and he gets it. 644 00:37:21,710 --> 00:37:23,750 And Jesus, Matthew says flesh and blood has not revealed this 645 00:37:23,750 --> 00:37:26,030 to you, but this came from the Father. 646 00:37:27,190 --> 00:37:30,030 The fact that you have this insight, the fact that you have 647 00:37:30,030 --> 00:37:34,270 this perception is the result of a supernatural touch from God. 648 00:37:36,470 --> 00:37:39,430 So before they could not understand a miracle takes 649 00:37:39,430 --> 00:37:41,950 place. And right after we have Peter 650 00:37:41,950 --> 00:37:44,550 being asked the question and he asked who do people say to them 651 00:37:44,590 --> 00:37:46,310 and and they are partially blind. 652 00:37:48,110 --> 00:37:51,760 They are blind, misidentifying him, misunderstanding him, not 653 00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:53,920 seeing what the scriptures prophesied concerning him. 654 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,840 And then Peter speaks up and he says, no, no, no, I see you for 655 00:37:56,840 --> 00:37:58,600 who you are. You're the Christ in Jesus. 656 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:02,160 This is supernatural. This is supernatural. 657 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:08,320 And you need the same power as I To know greater revelations of 658 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:11,680 Christ has to be a work of God in us. 659 00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:13,720 And he's given us a supernatural word. 660 00:38:13,720 --> 00:38:16,960 He's given us supernatural access and prayer and oh, you 661 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:18,520 know what's amazing about this miracle? 662 00:38:19,290 --> 00:38:22,850 It's only found in Mark. You won't find it in Luke. 663 00:38:22,850 --> 00:38:25,610 You won't find in John. You won't find it in Matthew. 664 00:38:26,090 --> 00:38:27,370 I'm sure there are different reasons for that. 665 00:38:27,370 --> 00:38:30,970 But I just wonder, meditatively thinking about it, what Mark 666 00:38:30,970 --> 00:38:35,170 felt when he wrote this down when Peter gave him this 667 00:38:35,170 --> 00:38:37,890 account. I wonder what Mark felt when he 668 00:38:37,890 --> 00:38:40,770 was learning about the need for believers to have their eyes 669 00:38:40,890 --> 00:38:43,330 open further and further. Remember, Mark wasn't perfect. 670 00:38:44,530 --> 00:38:48,460 Here's Mark starting on ministry and very early on he says, I 671 00:38:48,460 --> 00:38:50,380 want to go back home and I didn't sign up for this. 672 00:38:51,940 --> 00:38:55,420 And then Paul is given the idea from Barnabas to have Mark 673 00:38:55,420 --> 00:38:56,580 again. And Paul's like, I'm not 674 00:38:56,580 --> 00:38:58,780 interested. I'm not interested in people 675 00:38:58,780 --> 00:39:00,460 just jumping off ship when they don't like it. 676 00:39:00,740 --> 00:39:03,100 I want guys that are in it for life and they get into an 677 00:39:03,100 --> 00:39:04,260 argument and they and they split. 678 00:39:04,260 --> 00:39:06,460 And then you read later in Second Timothy where Mark is 679 00:39:06,460 --> 00:39:10,500 summoned by Paul. Something happened between Acts 680 00:39:10,740 --> 00:39:14,060 and Second Timothy. And I wonder, I just wonder, if 681 00:39:14,060 --> 00:39:19,090 Mark loved this miracle to know the patience of Christ and 682 00:39:19,090 --> 00:39:22,090 willing to work with us, that as long as we are willing to 683 00:39:22,090 --> 00:39:24,770 acknowledge our need and our condition, the Lord is able to 684 00:39:24,770 --> 00:39:26,810 take us places where we never thought we would go. 685 00:39:28,130 --> 00:39:31,890 And so if you felt challenged, be immediately comforted to to 686 00:39:31,890 --> 00:39:35,210 to know that if you, if you see yourself lacking, I mean, we all 687 00:39:35,210 --> 00:39:37,810 do, I get it, we all do. But if you see yourself severely 688 00:39:37,810 --> 00:39:41,850 lacking and more importantly, content in your ignorance, 689 00:39:42,290 --> 00:39:46,920 content in your immaturity, then let this miracle provoke you to 690 00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:51,280 come to the master and say, Lord, you touched me once, I 691 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,960 need you to touch me again. Please don't let me stay here. 692 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,160 I want to see more. I want to see more. 693 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:00,600 But we ask that you help us see you more. 694 00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:05,720 Oh Lord, we pray that the Holy Spirit would bring this goal 695 00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:10,440 about in our lives, that we would be stirred to cry. 696 00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:15,650 I'm not satisfied. I don't want to be ignorant. 697 00:40:19,450 --> 00:40:23,490 I don't want to be sporadic in my trust in you. 698 00:40:24,810 --> 00:40:28,370 And so, Lord, you know precisely what it is that we need a touch 699 00:40:28,370 --> 00:40:30,490 in. It could be a particular truth. 700 00:40:30,490 --> 00:40:33,130 It could be about you and your practical leadership, or 701 00:40:33,610 --> 00:40:35,250 whatever it is that you need to do in us. 702 00:40:35,250 --> 00:40:37,810 We just humble ourselves before you and your presence. 703 00:40:37,810 --> 00:40:40,290 And we say, Lord, open the eyes of my heart. 704 00:40:40,810 --> 00:40:42,570 I want to fall deeper in love with you. 705 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:46,680 I want to love the church more. I want to love my spouse the way 706 00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:49,480 you want me to love my spouse. I want you to. 707 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:52,120 I want you to help me see my suffering the way you want me to 708 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:55,160 see my suffering. I want you to help me see money 709 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:59,760 the way I should see money. Lord, please, if you don't touch 710 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:02,200 us. There is no strength in flesh 711 00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:04,240 and blood. There is no remedy. 712 00:41:04,240 --> 00:41:07,040 There is no hope in themselves and in another man. 713 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:10,470 It must come from the Father. And so Lord, let there be this 714 00:41:10,470 --> 00:41:13,470 insatiable hunger to come to the Word and to trust the process of 715 00:41:13,470 --> 00:41:17,830 healing our eyes. And when we come, Lord, in 716 00:41:17,830 --> 00:41:21,270 prayer, as we drive, as we walk, as we fold our laundry, saying, 717 00:41:21,270 --> 00:41:25,990 Lord, I want more. Touch me again and we believe 718 00:41:25,990 --> 00:41:30,150 that you will. In Jesus name we pray. 719 00:41:30,910 --> 00:41:32,030 Amen. Amen. 720 00:41:32,030 --> 00:41:32,670 Amen.