Hearing and Seeing 06/09/2019: full transcript and answers

▶ 0:02 Matthew 13 verse 14 says in them has fulfilled the prophecy saying they will be ever hearing but never understanding they’ll be ever seen but never perceiving. And he’s talking to the religious people in this scripture. Pharisees Sadducees he’s talking to the scribes he’s also talking to the children of Israel who today. Did still do not see that Jesus Christ is the messiah. And he says to his disciples blessed are your eyes because they see in your ears because they hear God we need a seeing eye on and a hearing ear amen very important for I tell you the truth many prophets I’m righteous men long had a desire a longing in their heart to see what you see to hear what you hear but they didn’t hear it the prophets back in the Old Testament they desired for this time.

▶ 1:12 To come kind of like how we’re looking forward to a move of God or some you know we look forward to the second coming or whatever the the prophets and the righteous men of the day they were looking forward to Jesus coming on the earth in the flesh and speaking the words that he spoke Israel for a long time was looking at their natural kingdom and hope for the kingdom but God was bringing a new kingdom an eternal kingdom and these are the things these prophets were looking forward and longed to hear about. Acts 1327. This is talking about how. They did not know him we’re talking about the Israelites the Jews are in the Jews they did not know him nor even the voices of the prophets the prophets Isaiah Jeremiah who prophesied of the coming of Jesus said that he would be born of a virgin said that he would be born in Bethlehem said that he would be born this that and the other thing that Jesus Christ fulfilled.

▶ 2:20 Which are read every Sabbath you can sit in church you can go to church every week and still not hear and not understand and not perceive. You can still see go to church see the message and still not get it in you it’s very possible. And we need hearts and eyes and ears that hear. And we’re going to talk about the disciples that heard and the disciples that saw. Later on in the message but right now we’re gonna turn to this scripture in John 12 verse 40 it says that he has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts and I read this scripture and in in some gospels it says their hearts were hardened they shut their eyes but in John it says that he has blinded their eyes it says that he has hardened their hearts and I think to myself why is God hardening hearts.

▶ 3:28 What is the purpose. You know today in our hour you think God’s you know he’s opening everybody’s eyes well he’s hardening some people here he’s closing their eyes and Isaiah talks about that lest they should open their eyes and hear and change and Isaiah 6:10 make the heart of this people callous make their ears dull and close their eyes how many of you want to be part of that group I don’t. Where God is hardening my heart where God is. Making my ears dough love hearing his word so we’re gonna look at an example in first Kings 22 verse 19 I saw the Lord with all the hosts of heaven.

▶ 4:22 And this is Micah talking or [unclear] I can’t remember his name Micah is talking and he’s has a vision he sees the Lord on the throne with all the hosts of heaven standing around him and the gods the Lord says who will entice a hab into attacking ramoth-gilead and going to his death there my goodness what kind of who wants to hear that word about them how can I deceive michael scylla into destroying his life I mean my goodness. If you think about it a hab the Bible says he was the worst he brought so much evil in Israel he was the worst king God he’s got to punish this guy okay a spirit came forward said I will entice him I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of his all his prophets see this guy a have you put certain voices around him who were called prophets and the.

▶ 5:29 Spirit came up and he said I’m gonna be a lying spirit and Jesus says all right you’re gonna be successful go for it so now the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets and the Lord has decreed disaster for you and he’s talking to king ahab. First Kings 22 verse 11 this is the actual event. Zedekiah made some iron horns and he put on this big display he says oh with these iron horns you will you will attack you will be victorious and he put on a big show and it sounded good it sounded nice it looked amazing but it was a lie. And zedekiah claimed that it was what the Lord says you got to be careful is it really what the Lord says are we really following what the Lord says.

▶ 6:35 You got certain politicians that will get up and they will quote the scriptures to promote. Things that are wrong. They’ll get up and they’ll quote Matthew and and talk about giving to the poor and then all of a sudden we’re now supposed to give all our money taxes so they can take our money and just distribute it to everybody I mean to prove is that what the Lord saying no Jesus said to work. You don’t get to take that message of Christ and say this is what the lord’s it’s not true so that’s what’s going on here he’s he’s twisting it and he’s telling a lie and he’s got all the other prophets were prophesying the what same thing. You know we got everybody all the scientists agree that evolution happened and it’s no longer is evolution a theory you know it’s it’s what’s the next thing you know we already know we have all we already know that.

▶ 7:42 Know when they talk it’s oh well that’s because you evolved years ago. It’s all implied. They all speak the same thing well you’re not agreeing what the scientists well sorry I don’t agree or whether it’s just in the church and there’s disagreements in the church and you get everybody around you and you get some people to agree it doesn’t matter if you agree it matters what is right it matters what truth is. It doesn’t matter if everybody. Disagrees with a person what matters is what is truth. And last week mr. Kent’s are brought up disa harmony and and disagreeing and and that’s what happens we we can play this disagree thing oh I disagree agreeably.

▶ 8:39 With you but at some point there’s truth involved there’s a cause that has to be fought for and achieved. And we cannot deviate and try to derail people from that truth and that cause why is God hardening hearts. We’re gonna look at pharaoh Exodus chapter 4 verse 21 when you go back to Egypt see that you do all these wonders before pharaoh which I have put in your hand but I will harden his heart. He’s talking to Moses Moses at the fiery furnace she’s talking to him at the beginning before he did anything he said go back I’m gonna harden pharaoh’s heart. So that he will not let the people go he has a purpose.

▶ 9:37 The Lord hardened his heart I will send the full force of my plagues and we know about the ten plagues that came on Egypt water to blood frogs lice flies disease on livestock boils hail and fire brimstone. Locusts darkness we know all this stuff happened to Egypt and pharaoh’s heart was hardened. And he says so this is God talking again so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth you know people are going to commit sin God’s got examples in history that there is a payment for the sin in history he has examples that there is going to be a reckoning when we die there’s going to be a wrecking and it’s all an example to point to when you die you’ve.

▶ 10:34 He’s going to hold you accountable. And he wants you to know that there is no one like him so that you listened to this God this king this Lord there’s no one like him he’s trying to get the world to see into turn and to turn their ear to his word what he says well how do you know God is real well you cut look at history how do you know God is real because of what happened. For brite now I could have stretched out my hand structure people with a plague and wiped you off of the earth that’s nice guy. Thanks I. Don’t want God thinking about me like that but I have raised you up for this very purpose that I might show you my power see he’s got a plan he’s got a purpose he’s going to show them his power and he’s gonna show the whole world his power not because he’s proud but because he’s trying to let people know that he’s real that he’s the real deal he’s the king of kings he’s the creator that his word is paramount it matters that we should follow it and that.

▶ 12:00 My name may be proclaimed in all the work all the earth God wants his name to go throughout all the earth. That’s the goal here. So did it happen did his plan work he’s hardening somebody’s heart that sounds mean but he has a purpose we know his purpose is to so everybody knows so we’re gonna see did it work and if you turn to 1st Samuel 5 this is on a whole different time years later we hear a story about the Philistines. They captured the ark of the covenant now a lot of stuff has happened Moses has gotten out of Egypt brought the people out of Egypt and the ark has been captured. They set the ark before their idol and the next day the idol was falling on his face and the skeptics will say well somebody came in and pushed through the idol and then the next day after that it fell on his face his head was cut off his hands were cut off and the skeptics would say somebody did that.

▶ 13:14 Then came some tumors and death and the Philistines called for the priests and diviners not the priests of God they called for their own priests that priest of Dagon the diviner is the sorcerers they called for them. And. These foolish priests that worshipped is God that doesn’t exist this idol who’s laying on the ground with his arms all broken up. They’re actually saying something whines. Send it back. With an offering pay honor to. Israel’s God. You see that you have this pagan group of people that are now.

▶ 14:10 Paying honor to Jesus Christ they are now. Respecting and fearing God. But they also say this statement in the next verse in chapter 6 verse 6 do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians did and pharaoh did the Philistines knew what happened to pharaoh. When he treated them harshly and they did not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way. So in this story we see God hardened pharaoh’s heart to proclaim his name throughout all the earth here we have the Philistines years later looking back on what happened and it worked. Another statement they said you shall give glory to the God of Israel see these guys they humbled themselves they stopped.

▶ 15:11 Keeping the ark of the covenant they sent it back they got rid of it okay. They repented. So his plan worked. So going back to this scripture it says he has blinded their eyes harden their hearts make the heart of this people. Callous make their ears dull of hearing and close your eyes I don’t want my ears closed I don’t want my heart heart amen how many guys want that no. Now he says to his disciples are we his disciples yes we are his disciples that has been given to you it has been given to me and you us his disciples to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them that has not been given the mysteries are something to be given hearing God’s word is something that God gives you.

▶ 16:13 You can’t go to the scriptures and say that you are gonna understand it somebody a secular person when they read the Bible they’re not gonna get it. They’re not gonna understand. You see but when when we read it you know I’ve been a Christian all my life when I read I God that makes sense I got it you know Jesus God sent his son Jesus okay got it easy. But other people they have a big problem and it can’t understand. Matthew 13:16 blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear I want eyes that see and I want ears it here but at the beginning you don’t know what this is. You can’t see but as it comes into focus oh you’re on the lake and there’s a bunch of houses okay I can see now.

▶ 17:17 God is the one who gives us the vision here so let’s go to ears that hear let’s what we’re gonna look at Peter and chapter in Luke chapter 5 verse 3. And this is an interesting story to me. Never really thought much about Peter coming becoming a disciple but the story goes that Peter had been fishing all night and he what he didn’t catch anything. Okay he goes back and before you read this he goes back to the harbor where he’s got the boat hooked up he’s got two other guys they all caught fish and it says that they were cleaning their nets because they caught fish but Peter he was in the harbor because he what he didn’t catch anything and guess who shows up.

▶ 18:18 Jesus Christ. You know could it be that he didn’t catch anything because Jesus didn’t wanted to catch anything. Because he knew he’s gonna be on Peter’s boat. And Jesus is he looks around it’s like oh there’s oh there’s nobody here but you uh can you help me out here it’s just you Jesus you sly dog you know what you’re doing he knows what he’s doing but he said put a little out from the land can you take me out a little bit off off the shore and Jesus sat down he started teaching the multitude and guess where Peter is he’s in the boat so that means everything that Jesus is saying Peter is hearing and he’s sitting over there you know.

▶ 19:15 And Peter is listening to every word and he is hearing every word that Jesus is saying. This is before he became his disciple Jesus knows what he’s doing. When he stopped speaking he said to simon launch out into the deep let down your nets for a catch all want to catch fish and this is his reply we toiled all night so this is how we know that he was fishing all night I mean catch anything and have caught nothing and they says this important thing nevertheless at your word I will let down the net you see when he’s sitting on the boat listening to Jesus speak he’s realizing that got this guy is someone special and now.

▶ 20:15 Jesus is on Peter’s boat this is my boat. Come on us guys we have a lot of pride right and Jesus is telling him go fish over there hey Peter’s like hey I know this place you know he could have been like I know this place better than you you don’t fisher man I. Know what a fish I know how to do this but he said nevertheless at your word because you said it I will do it see he’s listening Jesus he is developing respect for a Christ he’s responding he’s hearing what he’s saying and all the sudden Peter has got this love for this guy. When they had done this they caught a great number of fish when Peter saw it because he had just fished and caught nothing.

▶ 21:15 He knew something was going on he knew that it was Christ he knew it was because of Christ that he caught so much fish he fell down at Jesus knees and he says depart from me Lord for I am a sinful man first of all he admitted he was wrong second of all he calls him what what does he call him. Lord. He calls him Lord so immediately he is humbling himself and he’s calling him Lord he’s saying he’s sin this is the recipe right here. Talk about ears that hear in one event in one sitting Peter has heard what Jesus said and he’s responding to it.

▶ 22:13 I’m now on you will catch men so when they brought their boats to land they forsook all and followed him. When I read this it was so powerful to me and I I still don’t know why but here these men Peter we we criticize Peter a lot he denied Christ rejected Christ he had a lot of other problems going on with him what else he said to Jesus surely not Lord you’re not going to die on the cross you can’t do that you know Peter was he is out to lunch when it came to Jesus his purpose and will and all that but here this guy had enough humility. To submit to this man Jesus he had enough.

▶ 23:06 Spiritual understanding he had enough opening of the ear this dumb guy thank God. You can be you know dumb like me like us. But if you will hear if you will hear if you will open your ears and hear what he says he can transform you into a new creature. And it took some years for the things to transpire but after that Peter started to grow and the spirit moved on him mightily. Powerful. And it started with an ear to hear it started with an ear to hear John 1:35 going on John John the baptist.

▶ 24:04 John the baptist’s greatest prophet ever lived he’s looking every day every day when people come he’s looking for Christ. He’s looking at all the people he’s looking them walk by and he goes on with this message but one day he’s looking and he sees Jesus and what does he say he says behold. The lamb of God I see him his eyes were opened. It’s powerful. Behold the lamb of God he didn’t even have to talk to him he just saw him walking up. And John’s two disciples he had disciples because people were listening his message but the two disciples of his went and followed Jesus they said to him rabbi teacher master where are you staying he said to them come and see come and see.

▶ 25:18 And they went and saw where he was staying and I guess for some reason they you know oh. I know it happened they went to come where he was and Jesus started talking to them and revealing the word to them that’s what happened he found his own brother simon and he said we have found the messiah and he brought him to Jesus see andrew brought who Peter. Andrew had a hearing ear John had eyes that could see gosh we need that. We need to have eyes that see even in even in small things like this just realizing. Like Peter he just realized he heard that he heard what Jesus had taught he knew it was real and right.

▶ 26:20 John 1:43. We have Philip the following day he found Philip Jesus found Philip and he said to him follow me. And Philip found Nathanael and said to him we have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote. His name is Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph. See here Philip. Found him he heard the word and he responded Nathanael said can can anything good come out of Nazareth and philips response was come and see. Let’s bow our heads God Lord we come before you God we pray we pray for eyes that see.

▶ 27:28 God that see. Your truth that seeing the beauty of your word God. Lord that see the way in which to walk. Jesus we pray for ears to hear what the spirit is saying. God please we want to become new creatures Jesus. Or we pray for a new heart that is not calloused it’s not hard. But it’s tender toward your word Jesus. Jesus we ask this in your name God. Laure we asked for eyes like John the baptist who saw you in one instant knew.

▶ 28:23 It was you well we pray for ears like Peter God willing to be humbled. Now we pray for years like Philip excited about what you are about to do. Jesus please we want to be transformed and do your likeness Jesus. Amen. The scriptures say that the Devil he walks about like a roaring lion looking for whom he may devour he is looking for someone’s heart to harden. The scriptures remind us in Peter that same verse it says.

▶ 29:18 It gives us the solution of what to do the Devil is constantly he’s constantly prodding and poking and looking for someone willing to let him harden their heart he’s looking for an opportunity maybe it’s issues going on in your life maybe it’s disagreements arguments or tragedy. But he says this clothe ourselves with humility toward one another in the church that’s so important we’re all different people and we have to be humble toward one another love one another. God gives grace to the humble he goes on to say humble yourselves to God his mighty hand not just to one another but to God that’s why we pray that’s why we read our Bible that’s why we worship him because we are humbling ourselves.

▶ 30:24 When they call for the altar call we come and then we do whatever you know God you want to rip let me raise my hands I’ll raise my hands you want me to kneel I’ll kneel but what do you want me to do I’ll do it you humble yourself before. God that he may lift you up in due time it may take time it may take years but he can lift you up. But we have to stay humble. And it says cast all your cares on him because he cares to you this is all in Peter talking about this cast your cares on him. Your worries you know we all at times we worry about the future what if this happens what if that happens. Some of us have more to worry about some of us have more to concern but we all have worries and concerns and he’s saying cast it on him and it’s not easy to do and he says watch be sober be alert be ready just like John the baptist he was ready. He was watching. He was letting people know when there was destruction coming and he was also letting people know and Jesus showed up.