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Sep 07 '08
(A Series of Sermons on Following Jesus)
Rev. Erik O. Garthe, Pastor - Edgemere Baptist Church
Message #3 ... September 7, 2008
“Open Your Eyes”
John 5:17-20
In 1863, a newspaper editor in Harrisburg Pennsylvania traveled thirty-five miles to the battlefields of Gettysburg where 10,000 died, with over 6,000 in the span of three hours, in one of worst battles in history. The editor went to hear President Lincoln pay tribute to the men who gave their lives and to encourage a nation to embrace the concept “of a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people.” The editor of the Harrisburg paper was not impressed, nor was he inspired by the President Lincoln. The following quote appeared in the paper, “We pass over the silly remarks of the president; for the credit of the nation, we are willing that the veil of oblivion shall be dropped over them and that they should no more be repeated or thought of.” That reporter missed what is now known as one of the greatest speeches ever made—The Gettysburg Address.
• Far greater than missing the significance of a presidential speech is missing the divine activity of God:
Native Americans had a rite of passage for all boys when they turned thirteen. On the night of their first teenage birthday, they were blindfolded and taken several miles from camp. The warriors would leave this new teenager alone in a dense, dark forest. He would be forced to stay there and fend for himself throughout the night. The darkness seemed endless as wild animals would howl, the wind would make strange noises, and the rustling of leaves would sound like an approaching enemy. After enduring a night without rest or sleep, the dawn would finally begin to break. The young teen would see the forest as it really was . . . flowers blooming, tall majestic trees swaying in the breeze, wildlife scurrying for food. To his utter surprise, though, he would come to see an imposing male figure just a few yards away. Unbeknownst to the scared warrior, his father had been there the whole time and he was ready to protect his son against any wiles of the forest. No matter what experience we undergo, God stands there with us, even when we’re unaware of his divine presence and protection. [Learn to Dance the Soul Salsa, Leonard Sweet, 2000]
Henry Blackaby, the author of Experiencing God, identifies the failure of recognizing divine activity as one of the great tragedies of Christianity. “Right now God is working all around you. One of the greatest tragedies among God’s people is that, while they have a deep longing to experience God, they do not know how to recognize Him.”
We need to consider a couple of principles that can help us to see the hand of God and experience His presence in our lives. Turn in your Bible to John 5.
I. We Need to Anticipate Divine Activity, Vv. 17-18
17 Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” If you don’t expect to see God, you won’t. See Proverbs 8:17
17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.
Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened unto you.” (Matthew 7:7)
Notice that Jesus said the Father is always working. He worked in the past. He will work in the future, and He is working right NOW. Jesus’ followers should look for His activity as we seek His will. To increase anticipation of God’s activity, we should take two steps:
a. Review His Victories, (33, 36-37, 39)
33 "You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth … 36 But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me … 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”
Jesus states that there is a testimony that has greater weight than the testimony of John the Baptist, which is the Holy Scripture. By studying the Scripture, we see the hand of God in the history of His people:
God called Abraham to a new land.
God chose Moses to lead His people out of bondage.
God used David to defeat giants.
God sent Elijah to lead Israel to repentance and to follow the Lord.
God sent His only Son to be the sinless sacrifice that would atone for the sin of the world.
b. Refocus Your Vision
Our eyes need to be on God, not on ourselves, in order to see God work. We are often more concerned about God’s will for our life on an individual basis than we are about the will of God.
Again from Dr. Blackaby … we need to determine what is the will of God and adjust our life to fit His will. When Jesus instructed the disciples how to pray, He said to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven:
We know that is the will of God to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
We know that God desires for you to love your neighbor as yourself.
We know that the Bible teaches it is God will for us to give thanks in all things.
We know that it is God’s will that none would perish, but all to receive eternal life.
When we begin to obey God in the areas already revealed, we increase our opportunities of seeing God at work.
II. We Need to Accept Uncertainty, Vv. 19-20
19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
Jesus’ statement that He only does what He sees the Father doing implies that He didn’t know when, where, or with whom God chose to work next.
i.e. It could be at a wedding with no wine, a hungry multitude, a centurion with a sick servant, or a friend who has been dead for four days.
1. We must be willing to accept a change in worship
Too may times we act as if God must work in the rut we have carved over years of complacency, or He can’t work at all. It is a difficult truth to embrace, but God does not always work like I, or you, want Him to work.
Author and professor, Leonard Sweet says, “We miss God because we want planned lives instead of a prepared life that responds willingly and humbly to God’s will.”
2. We must be prepared to sincerely learn to worship
Seeing God work is not a goal that we achieve. It is not a fixed target, but an ongoing process that provokes our worship. Jesus sees the Father working and responds accordingly.
Our response should be to obey at first sight, not weigh the possibilities to see if a better offer comes along. The process or journey may not be one that we would choose.
Ginny Owens is a Christian singer/song writer who captured the concept of following God in a song entitled, If You Want Me To. When she sings, “I’ll walk through the valley, if You want me to,” the words are not a simple metaphor or a rhyme; it is a bold declaration of her faith to see where God is working and follow Him. And … those lyrics take on a deeper significance when you realize that Ginny Owens is blind.
Where is God working? He is working all around you. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart so that you can see Him.
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