|
SIGHT UNSEEN TEXT: 2 KINGS 6:8-20 JANUARY 14, 2006
INTRODUCTION Share story Lovelace told about being at Seaworld for the shark display - told all about the sharks… their power, grace, etc - getting fidgety wanting to see something, but was only hearing about them - when the screen slid away, realized they were surrounded by them all the time- they just couldn’t see them
VISION & PERCEPTION As we continue to study vision, part of what is needed not only to see but to embrace God’s vision, is the ability see and understand the world we exist in. Now, that might sound like a strange statement, but I want you to think carefully about it. The truth is, most of us live most of the time as if what we can see with our human eyes is the only reality we are a part of. Yet, the Bible makes it clear- and occasionally we have experiences that back up the teaching of God’s Word (imagine that!)- that what we see with our human eyes is only a part of reality.
So as we seek God’s vision, we need to be sure our vision is in tune with both the seen and the unseen; we need to ask God to pull back the veil between the natural world around us and the spiritual reality that also exists.
What does this mean in a practical sense? To realize that what we hear about (angels, forces of evil, souls of the lost and the saved, the Holy Spirit) is all around us at all times. The things we talk about in church (or should talk about!) are not just ideas or metaphors- they are real.
- Paul also says in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that “we live by believing and not by seeing.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:12- “Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.”
- When Paul talks about our enemy in Ephesians 6:12, he says, “we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.”
Like different dimensions on Star Trek- fuller and deeper realities co-existing with ours. Actually, our reality exists within this greater reality
QUESTIONS 1- What happens IN OUR FAMILIES when we only focus on the visible world? Priorities of time, resources, things we do with our kids, etc.
2- What happens IN OUR CHURCHES when we only focus on the visible world? What kind of things become most important? How do we measure success? What happens when we face the impossible?
We miss this when we treat the visible reality as the only reality. Life and ministry then become focused on things like finances, numbers, circumstances, etc. Vision becomes planning based on what we have available in front of us- the things we can count and touch and see. ELISHA’S STORY (read 2 Kings 6:8-20) We have no passion or motivation when we forget ultimate spiritual realities- things like heaven and hell, God and Satan, etc.
1- Yet the resources of heaven are available to us! Not just physical, but spiritual (courage, faith, strength, peace: angels, Holy Spirit) mention 2 or 3 examples of angels/Holy Spirit intervening
2- The obstacles we face are real (Elijah faced an army) share 2 more examples of overwhelming odds
3- The outcome is more important than budgets, buildings, programs, and attendance numbers. For those we are trying to reach, eternity is at stake.
WRAP UP… - Do you take into account all of reality when you make plans and decisions and set priorities? - What do you think is going on in the unseen world around us as we seek God’s vision together?
Next Saturday at 5PM, we will be sharing a meal together, and then engaging in a brainstorming session about vision (elaborate). To prepare for that, I want you to pray through a few questions, and bring your ideas and thoughts on Saturday. As we seek God’s vision for us in the present and future, think about these things:
1- What characteristics/ emphases do you feel are important for a church in our setting (time, location) to have to reach the unsaved? 2- What kinds of things in our church are negotiable, and what things are not? 3- What will our church need to look like- not just to survive- but to thrive over the next 10 years? 4- What is YOUR passion or dream or vision for Whitepine? |