Pastor David Hicks
June 11, 2023 at 11:00 AM
The Church, That’s Us, Must Have . . . Eyes to see – Faith to Believe– Courage to Do
The Church, That’s Us, Must Have . . . Eyes to see – Faith to Believe– Courage to Do
Eyes to see – Vision /Faith to Believe -The Impossible/Courage to Do – Bold Things “Where there is no vision, the people perish . . .” Prov. 29:18
“Lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest.” John 4:35b
The Harvest is a common Biblical Theme associated with the Kingdom of God. . . . Isa. 27:12;
Joel 3:13; Amos 9:13; Mat. 7:16-19; 9:37; 13:24-30; Lk. 10:2; Rev 14:14-16
When the fields are white means that they are ready to be harvested. A ripe grain-field looks like a sea of white. Jesus wanted His disciples to understand the urgency and the immediate opportunity of His mission. People who are hungry for the Truth and ready to receive His Salvation, were coming to Him, therefore, “The Time is Now”. Today is the day of Salvation.” II Cor. 6:2. Harvest Time might have been four months in the naturals World, but the moment for Spiritual Reaping had arrived. The Disciples were focused on physical, earthly concerns like rest and food. It’s so easy for us to lose our focus looking at the wrong things.
Jesus saw the Spiritual necessity, He was consumed with the more urgent Mission of winning souls for His Father’s Kingdom. He urged His Disciples to redirect their focus so they could see the need. Jesus had a similar passionate reaction in Mat. 9:36-38. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his Disciples, “The Harvest is plentiful but the laborers/workers are few. Ask the Lord of the Harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field.”
God is the Lord of the Harvest. (Luke 10:2) God chooses to partner with us in the work. John 4:36-38 We must keep our eyes open, seizing the opportunities He presents.
Personal & Corporate Blindness: Because thou sayeth, “I am rich and increased in goods and have need of nothing; and knoweth not that thou art wretched and miserable, poor and blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire. (not a monetary transaction but a spiritual transaction/the gold of character comes from the fires of testing. That you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; anoint your eyes with eye-salve that you may see.” Rev. 3:17-18 (the third thing that Jesus wants the Church to buy, eye salve that allows us see spiritually – we need to open our eyes to spiritual Truth) (there was a famous medical school in Laodicea that sold such things).
Lord, give us “Spiritual Eyes” to see that we may be able to do Your Will
Faith to Believe - The Impossible: Someone has said, “Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.”
The Bible has much to say about Faith to Believe. We grow in Faith as we mediate on God’s Word. “So, Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of God.” Rom. 10:17
The Bible declares, there is a Faith to believe in things unseen. “Now, Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Heb. 11:1
In Mat. 19:23-26, Jesus gives us a discourse on how hard it will be for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He ends with a great declaration in vs. 26
by saying, “With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible.” (Speaking of Salvation in the context of the discourse but we must take notice of the two words: All Things become possible with God !
In Mark 9:23 Jesus said to a father of a possessed child, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (both Mat. & Mark speaks of Faith to believe and the sovereign power of God).
Courage to Do – Bold Things – Fearless Things: The Church, that’s us, need: Eyes to See – Vision – Faith to Believe - Impossible Things and a Church that can stand up and make bold decisions and do fearless things for the Kingdom of God.
“Be on your guard, stand firm in the Faith; be courageous, be strong.” I Cor. 16:13
“David said to Solomon, his son, be strong and courageous and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the Temple of the Lord is finished.” I Chron. 28:20
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know your labor in the Lord is never in vain.” I Cor. 15:58
“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid.” Psm. 27:1
And there are so many more scriptures concerning courage to do.
Billy Graham said, “Courage is contagious. When you take a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.”
The Lord gives us more than enough courage to do the bold things. Receive it, Then: JUST DO IT !!!
