Clear Eyes, Full Heart

Life with Jeannie Greer every rejected job application whose angels hover over every broken relationship whose angels hovered. What if you saw that in every accident, every situation, every moment of sadness and brokenness that there was an army that was larger than army of Aramaeans against you, that army was fighting the Bible teaching ministry of Pastor legend Katie Greer.

I'm your host Molly Vivace okay close your eyes and imagine driving down a winding mountain road at night and then all of a sudden your headlights go off. Talk about a moment of sheer panic.

Obviously, we were driving blind, asking for trouble and today Pastor JD explained that many of us are going through life with spiritual blindness. We are learning how the eyes of our hearts can be open so we can move from darkness to don't rank your faith. You joined us today for a message that JD has title clear eyes, full heart, so grab your Bible and get into God's word right as we all know that to lose your physical site would change life very dramatically. We know that that that that to lose physical site with. There's so much of life, you miss out on spiritual site just thousand times more important than physical site but spiritual side is how you perceive God without spiritual side you will miss out on one of the most glorious and beautiful displays all the universe what makes life worth living. The most tragic curses of the fall was that are soon left us spiritually blind, and perhaps even worse left is unaware that we were blind, you see, physically or physically blind you usually know it when you're spiritually blind you think you see so clearly that you not receive anything in our passage today you see the prophet Elisha, you'll blindness Elisha's ministry was remarkable and he did things that no profit would ever come before him had ever done, but I explained to you that Elisha, the greater profit is really there just to give you a shadow of Jesus who would be the greatest profit ever that what Elisha does in shadow, Jesus would fulfill in substance. Everything Elisha did was there to point to the greatest of the greater ministry of Jesus. Elisha's name in Hebrew literally means God saves Ellie God Shaw salvation you have to read this story and second Kings. The lens of what Jesus accomplished what you fulfill. Because this story. Like all the stories and Elisha are there to point you to the unique saving power of what Jesus would accomplish second Kings chapter 6 verse eight as were to begin sinking six verse eight, the king of some of your translations makes a serious and place was at war with Israel after conferring with his officers.

She said I will set up my camp and such and such a place.

We will ambush the Israelites verse not been the man of God was sent word to the king of Israel will be where passing out place because the Aramaeans are there. Time and again Elisha won the key so that he was always a step ahead of Aramaeans wise. You can imagine this enraged the king of Iran, he summoned his officers in the manner that tell me which of you is the will which of you is the rat who was on the side of the king of Israel. None of us, my lord the king sent one of his officers. None of us is the rat. There is no mold here it's Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, he tells the king of Israel, the very words you speak in your bedroom is like the original NSA. He knows your emails. He knows what you're talking about on the phone he's got it all. Verse 13 as you go find out where he is the king ordered so I can send men to capture him.

The report came back using Dothan, Alabama. Then he said horses and chariots in a mighty army there. Then they went by night surrounded the city of entire army to capture one man verse 15 when the servant of the man of God, got up, went out early the next morning along with horses and chariots and surrounded the city will know, my lord, what shall we do, the servant asked. Don't be afraid. The prophet answered those who are with us for more than those who are with them now Elisha servant. This point is are you what you lost your mind.

There are two of eyes and there are thousands of them, so Elisha prayed Lord open his eyes that he may see the Lord open the eyes of the serving size and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha as the enemy came down toward him, Elisha, and prayed to the Lord strike this army with blindness.

So God struck him with blindness. Just as Elisha had asked Elisha been told them this is not the road and this is not the city, follow me, I will lead you to the man that you are looking for scholars tell us that the way this is written is most likely not total blindness.

Why do I know that because the whole army of struck blind not to be interested in carrying on with her mission all blind. But you know I'm going to look over this guy know you mean it has to be a delusion. It's a blindness where what they think are seeing are not actually seen the mother not see his AccuWeather see right so he's deluded them, not with actual physical blindness, but with a delusion so that are not really seeing what they think they see and and so he leads them to Samaria, which is the capital of Israel where the king of Israel with all his armies. Now it's about 12 miles away 12 miles away from Samaria so that Walt was like three hours. Elisha is the God of their looking for. And now he's leading them to the city when they talk about for those three hours everything like like like a small dog. They make it what you well you have a farm but no help people not only were we going were going.

This city over here were this guy lives he's awesome. You love him in the barbecue great to talk about my professor told me always us question the tax that's probably not what he was talking about asking, but I'm curious about that from Samaria capital of Israel after the end of the city. Elisha says Lord now, open the eyes of these men so they can see in the Lord open their eyes and they look in there. They were inside Samaria standing now virtually his captives in front of the army of Israel. Verse 21 when the king of Israel saw that he asked Elisha so I killed my father. So I tell them, do not kill them, he answered, would you kill those you capture with your own sword and bow. In other words, is how you treat a prisoner of war you kill them. Even in those days, the answer is no. And Elisha says he's not even your captives. You get your sword and bow. These are God captives God's captives just have food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master, so he prepared a great feast for them. After they finished eating and drinking.

He sent them away and they returned to their master syllabus. So from then on, the bands from around stop reading Israel's territory ultimate victory is when you turn your enemies into allies and friends, which is what Elisha has done with these soldiers from Syria now be curious if I had you raise your hands.

I will do it. How many of you have never heard that story before.

I would bet there's probably two thirds of you in here to say I've never heard that story before but it is so crucially important to understand who Jesus is and what he accomplished. The plot of the story revolves around two sets of blind people.

The first set of why people only has one person in it and it's Elisha servant. He's a religious God-fearing man that he is blind.

The other set is going to be be soldiers and there going to represent unbelievers. Both of them need the same thing. Both of them need to have their eyes open. So let's talk first about number one the blindness of the believer, the blindness of Elisha servant Elisha servant was terrified because he Saul the size of the Army that was arrayed against them, but he was blind to the presence of the God who was fighting for them in the size of the Army, but he was bring into the battle. Essentially what he doubted it was two things about God. He doubted God's steadfast love toward him and the strength of God's power for him.

He thought that God had abandoned them around, sold his army and he thought were surrounded we been abandoned.

There is no hope. We are doomed. The essence of sin.

Listen to this for a believer and unbeliever, the essence of sin is to doubt the goodness of God.

Martin Luther said it this way every sin grows out of an evil heart of unbelief for the believer or for the unbeliever. It all goes back you trace it back to go back to you doubted God's goodness. If you're not walking with God.

Here the reason is because you think that your plan is better than God's plan because God is not really good. And God's rules are oppressive. He wants to ruin your life. That's what you resist him because God is your adversary God is there to hold you captive God is there to ruin your life.

You are a believer or nonbeliever.

If you're not looking with God. That's why right until you correct that you never really begin to beat you up make you feel guilty get you a certain way for a couple days until your convinced the goodness of God. You never to follow his plan. Your view of sexuality is superior to his your view of your career disappeared is you on your marriage is better than his, so I'm not your ways my ways are superior because about your business with the story. Shows you is that's not just an unbeliever thing that's a believer think unbeliever show their their their disbelief in God's goodness by walking away from God. Believer show their disbelief in God's goodness by the way, they worry all the time about the future. The anxiety, fear and panic attacks.

The fear that they have when they think about their future. Because the assumption is God. You're really not that good. And God, you really have forgotten my plight and got your not provide for my needs.

You may not even know them are probably not that concerned so I got to worry about it because ultimately it all comes down to me.

That's how a believer shows their fear. That's all Elisha servant is showing his God, you have forgotten about this for a lot of religious people. They show their unbelief in God's goodness by thinking that they underperforming a certain level before God will love and bless them whenever something goes wrong in your life you're always I will got what I do wrong right how how how much, how often I get to go to church a beautiful favorably told me how much money do not get enough. Now God not enough of a been kind enough talking an update. What is deep down you believe God is your adversary needs to be won over through good works. Martin Luther and I just finished a couple books on Martin Luther. Some according like 150 times right so Martin Luther said look at this is the are good works are a defense against the goodness of God. The irony that statement are good works are a defense against the goodness of God. We only believe in God could be that good. So you have to erect a structure of good works, so that we can win God's favor and then receive it as a gift because you go to because he promised to the greatest obstacle you walk in the favor of God is think you have to earn the favor of God in you not receiving it as a gift to what God does in answer to Elisha's prayer as he opens the eyes of the servant to see that the armies of God's love surrounds him, and that the armies of God's love are so much bigger than this huge Aramaean army that is standing before him that the millions upon millions of angels that God has surrounded his servants with are so much greater that even the largest Aramaean army when you are afraid. What you need is clearer vision. That's probably why in the middle of the book of Ephesians, Paul, the most articulate spokesman for Christianity. Does this immovable Ephesians, he starts to pray.

He says Ephesians 318. I pray that you may have strength to comprehend what will all the saints what is the breath from the links in the height of the death and to know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge hear the argument statement to know know is is a concept of what to feel the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge which means to be able to explain it, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. In case you're unfamiliar Paul's writings called us to something there that is very characteristic of he lost his words is normally Paul is like okay I'm apostle B. I'm wicked smart. See, I'm inspired by the Holy Spirit to my words are pretty much sufficient so you shut up couples MO when he writes what Paul does. Here's a CED star system only loses words and said there's no way to describe the love of God is surpasses knowledge.

I can do it, even under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I can do it so I gotta pray that God would open your eyes that you could since it that you can feel it is something that cannot be described have to be felt.

So he says that the links in the height and width and the depth of God's how long is God's love for you all actually would tell you in Ephesians 1 verse four that God chose us in him before the foundation of the world realize that means.

Listen if you are believer that before there was even a universe before the foundation of the world. God knew about you and has set his love on you. There has never been a time in all of human history or any other history. God did not know you, and has set his love on you and determined to save you before you were born you point the day of your salvation when you were wandering away from him and orchestrated events in your life to bring you back to himself. What else could set his love on you before the foundation of the world me there's never been a time when God did not look below you. Love you chose you, and determined to save you when a paradox of child. The child is doing to earn the parents love their know what's going on with the parent walks in and sets his or her love on that child as you.

You're going to be my bringing you into my family.

That's what God did. He walked into the nursery of sin and death, and he set his love on us.

Choose us because we were lovely know if anything we became lovely because he chose us not an important distinction you even choose you because you had potential. Ephesians 2 says you are spiritually dead people have potential to get your potential because he chose you that Luther again… This will be the love of God does not first find, but rather creates that which pleases it right.

Okay, was that he and the love of God does not first find. Instead it creates that which pleases God did not choose you because you please because you are spiritually dead. You were a child of raffles. Explain Ephesians 2 he chose you and he set his love on you and that's what made you lovely. That's what gave you potential.

There is never been a time believer never in all of history were God did not know love you and determined to save you and orchestrated events of your life to bring you to himself. How high is God's love allies that will David King David answered as high as the heavens are above the earth begin to walk out on a starry night and looking think about the expanse of the universe and have this thought is mind-boggling is that is. That's the measure that God shows to measure his love for you and we know so much more about it now. Even David knew because we know for example that light travels at 186,282.2 mi./s. By the way, in case you're looking for a point of reference means it circumnavigate the globe. Six times by the time you snap your fingers so fast that it takes light eight minutes to get from the surface of the sun to our earth. We know that light travels in one year. The unfathomable 5,865,696,000,000 miles. The outer edge of our universe. According to astrophysicists is 15.5 billion ly away. That's the measure that God chose his love. If that seems incomprehensible to you, that's because it's virtually unimaginable. Paul said to describe it. You have to yield the crushing weightiness of God's love. The breath of God to help. How why is God's love how why does God's love wide enough that it controls all things Paul would save Ephesians 111 that God works all things according to the counsel of his will.

There is not one strafe molecule in all of the universe raise you see here in this story is 10,000 upon 10,000 angels surrounding every square inch of this planet working on behalf of those and what you really actually believe that this morning. This is not a stage production right when I got it all, we gonna put on a show. So, tsunamis, angels know they were already there is an open your eyes.

What if your eyes could be opening you sold it.

How would you start to feel about your life right with you so they were every rejected job application is angels hover with you sold over every broken relationship.

There's angels.

However, what if you saw that in every accident, every situation, every moment of sadness and brokenness that there was an army that was larger than the Army of the Aramaeans against you, that army was fighting for you. Hello how deep is God's love, how deep is God's love deep enough to go to the lowest hell save you as will Paul explain Ephesians while we were dead in our trespasses and sins, God reached down to the grave.

Even though we had to go to the great himself and be slain by sin for us. That's how deep and how far he was willing to go to save us like you would say in Romans. While we were still weak, Christ died for the ungodly one will scarcely die for a righteous man go for a good man someone might dare.but God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners. While we were dead in our sin. While we were rebels.

It was then that Christ died for us. That's how deep his love is for you to see there certain things that you can't understand. You just have to feel to the believer to the believer see the admonition is open the eyes of your faith, listen to this song. 34. Seven the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them all.

You taste and see that the Lord is kind, blessed is the man who takes refuge in him all fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who seek the Lord like no ones I really could open your eyes to see the size of the Army and the steadfastness of the love of God who fights for you thinking, then maybe then you might finally be able to say with Paul that you are convinced that neither death nor life, nor a journal, ruler, nor things present, nor things to, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, will be able to separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus you think you would then be able to say with him that guy that God really is, for me, the armies of angels in heaven. He is a master my behalf in the larger than any other army on earth that you saw back I was fighting for you. You would say if God before me who can be against me. You might then finally concede that all things really are working together for good to them who love God have been called according to his purpose as his purposes will stand because they have extreme commitment of his love and the and the and the ultimate power of his armies. You say that you think life would look different to you, then you would interpret things differently. I think that you would send me help all Ephesians sets up a contrast to be filled with the spirit spiritual site and be drunk with alcohol in the commanders.

Do not be drunk with wine will be filled by the spirit and that's not just choose an arbitrary sanding to start the deed shows that because both being drunk with wine and be filled with the spirit are two ways of doing the same problem right when you got problems when you feel like armies are arrayed against you.

Country music's favorite remedy is turned alcohol right there's a tear in my beer because I'm crying for you dear whatever heart is on. So what I know myself to the pain.

I do know myself to reality so that I can get through this difficult chapter of my life. You see the Bible actually takes the opposite when the you walk through the valley with the Aramaeans. It doesn't numb your heart to reality. It enlarges your vision of reality, so that yes the Army against you is great, but the Army of God's love that is fighting for you is greater is he there to finally different ways to approach your issues number one prescribed hill in America is Abilify which is a pill that is a pharmaceutical drug which is primarily used to treat depression. It's a numbing effect that helps you deal with the pain of day-to-day life that is our country Savior a mess, imagining wrong. Another time that you need to take but I'm saying our country salvation is to numb yourself to reality to hide yourself to the pain.

And God said, God's view of it is you open your eyes to the armies of God working fighting for you because he is greater than the reality that is rated as we want to see you at work every day you're listening to Senate night in a message titled clear I will start from pastor JD Greer to listen again or to download the complete message transcript.

Visit us online@jdgreer.com you can also catch up on previous messages in this teaching series called something greater and mission of Summit light dive deeper into the gospel that we create resources to take with you here on the program further includes a new study based on our current two-part steering JD can you tell us how this study something better, something greater will help us grow in our faith. It's remarkable how 3000 years later after Elijah and Elisha the issues that we deal with haven't changed what we did and something better something greater was showed you how the industries of these two very important profits. Some would say the most important prophets of the Old Testament. These two prophets not only prefigured Jesus. They show you how to make a difference in this generation put together in a part study that would take you deeper into the lives honestly Molly, I don't know of anything similar to this because these are prophets that while they show up all the times in the in the New Testament just don't hear that much teaching about one of the reasons I was so excited about having the series Aaron Summit life is because I think it'll quite a lot of our listeners with a couple people they've heard their names and never really understood the secrets of spiritual power that are this eight part study will take deeper into their ministries show you how to think about what you learn from them how it changes you deal with people around you. How you think about God and I think about yourself, you can get it today by going to JD Greer.com logic and connected our ministry in and it's a resource that just allows us to say thank you for doing your hands day. If you ever wondered about God's will for you to study Elisha, you're welcome to request a copy when you donate today to support Summit life suggested level of $25 in your gifts make it possible for Jamie to stay on your station for people around the world. I remember to bring your company at this new resource title again is something better. Call 86 633-9266 335-5224. If it's easier you can get online JD Greer.I'm only inviting you to join pastor JD continues to guide your life. Be sure to listen Friday night