The Revelation of Jesus Christ

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This is a sermon given as the introduction to a brief sermon series on the first three chapters of Revelation. The message provides some introductory information regarding the proper understanding of apocalyptic literature, then focuses on the first phrase of Rev. 1:1, which was used at the title of this message.

Written Excerpts:

Rev. 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Introduction:

[Many years ago] A clergyman took a seat in a dining car on a train traveling along the Hudson River. Opposite him was an atheist who, seeing his clerical collar, started a discussion. "I see you are a clergyman." "Yes," came the reply. "I am a minister of the gospel." "I suppose you believe the Bible." The clergyman, orthodox in his views, responded, "I certainly do believe the Bible to be the Word of God." "But aren't there things in the Bible you can't explain?" With humility the minister answered, "Yes, there are places in the Bible too hard for me to understand." With an air of triumph as though he had cornered the preacher, the atheist asked, "Well, what do you do then?" Unruffled, the clergyman went on eating his dinner—which happened to be Hudson shad, a tasty fish but noted for its bony structure. Looking up, he said, "Sir, I do just the same as when eating this shad. When I come to the bones, I put them to the side of the plate and go on enjoying my lunch. I leave the bones for some fool to choke on." (from, Illustrations Unlimited.)

I think this little story kind of expresses my thoughts when I think about the book of Revelation. There are many things in this book that I do not understand and I could really get discouraged if I got too “bogged down” trying to figure out every symbolic detail used by the author. I need to remember that, even though I do not understand a lot of the material, I still need to pay earnest attention to the parts that I may be able to understand, and not allow the rest to get me “all choked up” and so frustrated that I neglect to study like I should.

I may have said this some time previously, but I think I have tended to avoid preaching out of Revelation for the simple reason that there is so much I don’t understand. However, I don’t think that is pleasing to the Lord. I obviously believe that it is part of the inspired Word of God, and therefore, it is provided for our instruction and edification.

A few months ago, I had just finished reading through the Bible again, and as I was reading Revelation I felt that God was leading me to do a short series of messages dealing with the first three chapters of this book. I don’t know if we will continue any farther than that or not, but we will at least examine the messages that John wrote to the seven churches that were in existence during the first century.

Today, as we begin the series, I want to start off by looking at some important introductory matters. As I just mentioned a moment ago, the series will primarily cover the messages that Christ told John to give to the seven churches. But, before we examine those seven messages to the churches, I want to talk to you today about some important themes in general that John is giving us in this book of prophecy.

For the rest of our time today, I want to speak about three general themes: Who or what this book is about; Why it was written; and How we should relate to it.

I.     Who or What is this book about?

It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. (That’s the simple answer.) But what does that mean?

Verse one starts out like this, “The revelation of Jesus Christ….”

The little preposition “of” could have two meanings. It could mean the revelation that belongs to and therefore comes from Jesus, or it could mean the revelation that consists of Jesus or is about Jesus. Most authors that I know of understand it in the former sense – i.e., the revelation that comes from Jesus.

(Albert Barnes) The word rendered Revelation— ᾿Αποκάλυψις, whence we have derived our word Apocalypse—means properly an uncovering… It would apply to anything which had been covered up so as to be hidden from the view-as by a veil…. It comes then to be used in the sense of disclosing or revealing by removing the veil of darkness or ignorance. (Notes on the New Testament Explanatory and Practical.)

It is an unveiling or disclosing of “the things which must shortly come to pass.” (KJV – v. 1) i.e., “What must soon take place.” (NIV)

Adam Clarke understood this phrase to mean, “the commencement of the events predicted; as if he had said: In a short time the train of these visions will be put in motion….” In other words, “Very soon, all the events referred to in this book will begin to transpire.”

So, in reality, the book was written by John under orders from the angel that was sent from Jesus Christ in order to open up and disclose events and happenings that had previously been hidden from their understanding.

Now, having said that, I also happen to believe that there is a real sense in which the revelation (unveiling, disclosure) does consist of Jesus himself. The book shows us pictures and insights of Jesus that we have not seen before.

Listen to these words written as part of the introduction to the book of Revelation in The Student Bible (Zondervan Publishing House): “Revelation gives us a unique picture of Jesus Christ, and the New Testament would be incomplete without it. The Gospels describe Jesus’ life on earth from four different viewpoints. The letters [epistles] discuss the deep significance of the resurrected Christ and what he accomplished. But Revelation shows Jesus Christ from a new perspective: as the mighty ruler of the cosmic forces of good….”

Consider the images of Jesus that we are provided in Revelation: In the very first chapter we see an image of Jesus that is both glorious and terribly frightening. It is so overwhelming, that the very disciple who “leaned on Jesus’ chest during the Last Supper” and was known as an intimate friend, is now falling (collapsing) before him like someone who has died.

(The Student Bible, p. 1321) “…Jesus is presented as a king, a child, a warrior on a horse, the Lord of the whole earth, the husband of a bride. Of all the images, however, none is so startling and unlikely as the one in John’s second vision [Chapter 5; i.e., the Lamb].”

Other writers in the NT give us pictures of Jesus that are more tender, compassionate, forgiving, and meek. Now, we see the glorified Christ as one who is sovereign, powerful, overwhelming, and overruling all the forces of wickedness.

This truly is an awesome revelation of Him to whom we will all give an accounting and a reckoning some day when we stand before Him.

II.    Why was this book written?

Revelation was written to inspire hope and faith.

I’ve already mentioned that the word “revelation” comes from the Greek word “Αποκάλυψις”. This is the same word from which we get our English word, “apocalypse.”

(Information that follows comes primarily from The Daily Study Bible Series by William Barclay.)

“Apocalyptic literature is a precise kind of literature that was somewhat popular during the period of history between the OT and the NT. Many of the books that we refer to as the Apocrypha included these Jewish “revelations” regarding the end of time and the Messianic warrior-deliverer.

These authors did not use their own names, but credited their works to the names of great ones from the past, like Noah, Enoch, Moses, etc. They also often used cryptic or coded language because they were writing during the times of oppressive empires and rulers that were not sympathetic to their faith.

Jewish Apocalyptic literature promoted the theme of two distinct ages in history: the present which was totally corrupt and beyond redemption, and the age-to-come which would be a “golden age” of peace and prosperity ushered in by a direct intervention of God.”

The book of Revelation follows a lot of the same characteristics as traditional apocalyptic literature. But there are differences, one of which is the fact that John uses his own name for authorship rather than a false name.

(The Student Bible) “No other NT book resembles Revelation in style…. [Apocalyptic] Authors, writing to persecuted Christians anxious abut their future, predicted what would take place. Often, they used coded language to protect themselves; for example, they substituted a word like Babylon when criticizing Rome, just in case their writings fell into the wrong hands….

“Keep in mind also the condition of the persecuted Christians who first received this book. They needed not a precise calendar of future events, but rather a word of encouragement and hope. They needed faith that, no matter how things looked, God was in charge of history and good would ultimately triumph. Revelation provides this hope, for them and for us.”

What I have just shared with you shows that these writers and others believe that the overall purpose of Revelation was to show to its readers that God was still in control and would ultimately overcome all wickedness and ungodliness. Those who were justified by the blood of the Lamb and written in the “Lamb’s Book of Life” would triumph and receive the reward of eternal life to reign forever with their Victorious Lord.

You have often heard it said, “We know the end of the story… Jesus wins and we (i.e., Christians) win too.” In spite of how dark things may look now or any time in the future before Christ returns, we know that He is coming back and He will conquer, judge and eternally destroy the Devil and all the works of evil.

Hallelujah!

III.   How should we relate to this book?

I believe we must approach the material in this book with a combination of assurance or confidence and mystery, but with the underlying motivation to understand Jesus Christ better than ever before.

I believe that we must approach this book and the material in it just like we do other books of the Bible – we try to grasp its original meaning as understood by the original recipients, but then attempt to translate and transfer that into meaningful applications to our contemporary world today.

I don’t believe we should not become so obsessed with all the details and trying to properly interpret every symbol and mystery so that we miss the larger and more prominent themes.

These themes include: the victory of Christ over every enemy, the judgments of God against all evil and everyone who has rejected Him, and the blessedness of eternal life for the redeemed of the Lord.

Conclusion:

As we come to the close of this message, I trust that we have a new appreciation of the kind of literature that is portrayed in the book of Revelation. We need to remember that Jesus Christ is the primary subject and He will emerge as the Supreme Ruler and Victor over all the forces of evil in this world. He is not only Redeemer, but He is Judge; Conqueror; and Monarch – the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

We need to remember that this book was written for our encouragement and to inspire our confidence in the ultimate victory of good over evil; or we might better say, God over Satan. We need to remember that this message of hope and victory applies not only to the Jewish people who have yearned for the fulfillment of prophecies in a political or national meaning, but the message also applies to every Christian believer that has been faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I urge as many of you that will accept the challenge to read through the book of Revelation several times over the next several weeks. Remember the blessing from v. 3 that I referred to at the beginning of today’s message.

Those aren’t my words; those are the words of Christ to the Apostle John. “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy….” So, read it and read it and read it again.

My prayer is that God will “Open my eyes, that I may see” new and clear truths that I have not noticed before. I pray the same for you.

Let us sing our closing prayer today…

“Open My Eyes, That I May See”

Lord, What Will You Have Me Do?

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This is a message given on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday in recognition of the pro-life efforts and the landmark Roe v. Wade decision of the Supreme Court in 1973. The message was accompanied by a 10 minute clip of a video that is not part of this recording.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Many of you probably already know that the question that I used for the title of this message is taken from the account in Acts 9 regarding the conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. Saul was on the road to the city of Damascus to seek out any of the Christians he could find and bring them back to Jerusalem to be persecuted. God “arrests” him on the way and truly does get his attention. Saul immediately submits to the authority of Christ. This question illustrates the attitude he had in his heart as he decides he will now obey the Lord and follow whatever he is asked to do.

I think it is an interesting subject discussion to consider the fact that God directs him to seek out another human being for instructions and guidance rather than supernaturally giving him the information right then. After all, God is already conversing with Saul in a divine encounter, why couldn’t He just tell him what to do; what directions to follow and what to believe, etc. Instead, God sends him to the city to “look up a man who will tell what to do next.”

Our subject today is a lot different than the context of Saul’s question was. However, I think the question Saul asked is an appropriate question we all need to ask in many of the situations we face in life: “Lord, what will you have me to do?” As we consider the important subject of the “Sanctity of human life,” I am asking God, “Lord, what will you have me to do?”

Transition:

There are a lot of suggestions that have been offered by men and women who are involved in the pro-life causes across America. I want to share some of these suggestions as a reminder to us that we can use our influence and our abilities to make a difference in our world.

I. Pray

Prayer may be the suggestion you expected me to mention first, but I mention it because it truly is the best course of action we can take. The Bible is full of commands for God’s people to pray for their nation and their national leaders. It also contains many examples of Divine intervention in the affairs of the world when God responds to the prayers of His people. Urging you to pray is more than just a trite request.

I don’t suppose I need to convince anyone here, but I believe that the disregard for the sacredness of human life is a spiritual problem first and foremost; more than a social problem or a political problem. I’m convinced that Satan himself is behind the devaluing of human life that we have seen take place in our country over the last few decades. Therefore, I do believe that in order to see a turnaround in our nation, we must have a spiritual awakening. It is going to take a mighty moving of God’s Spirit in our land before we will see a return to the sacredness of human life in America again.

That is the reason I believe prayer is the primary action and activity that the people of God can and must be engaged in each and every day.

¶         Pray for the church to come alive and be engaged.

¶         Pray for our governmental leaders.

¶         Pray for the women who are wrestling with the decision between life and death for their unborn children.

¶         Pray for the caring people who are involved in helping those women choose life.

We must not forget the value of prayer. God has given us the privilege of doing spiritual battle against the wickedness and evil in our world. He has also given us promises for His response to those who seek Him in prayer.

II. Get Involved

¶         Financially support the ministries that are reaching out to the women who are in crisis.

(Our church has been faithfully doing that; but perhaps the Lord would lay it on someone’s heart to do even more.)

¶         Volunteer at the ministries that are helping women.

Even if abortions become illegal again in our nation, that will not automatically end the problem and solve the issue. There will still be people who will seek for a “human solution” to their problem. The Christian community must be involved in responding to the crises that women are facing.

¶         Be involved in the political process

We tend to downplay this because we Christians try to avoid “mixing faith and politics.” But there is no way to get around it. This is not a “Republican vs. Democrat” issue. (Even though the Republican Party has often had pro-life language in its platform, and the Democrat Party has often had ‘pro-choice’ language in its platform.) There are still some Republicans who are pro-abortion and some Democrats who are pro-life. But every Christian should be “pro-life” in their politics.

I may get in “hot water” here with some people, but I believe that it is morally wrong for me to vote for someone who is pro-abortion, especially when that candidate is running for an office where he/she will be making laws that determine the future of the nation. Or, if it is a presidential candidate who will have the responsibility to nominate federal judges and Supreme Court justices.

This is a moral issue that I believe has brought the judgment of God to many nations in the history of the world and will bring His judgment upon America. In fact, I am personally convinced that it is only the prayers of God’s people that has spared us from His judgment up to this point.

So, there are many who merely look at abortion as a political “hot-button” issue. But it is much more than that. It is a spiritual, moral and biblical issue regarding the sacredness of human life that is created in the image of God.

Conclusion:

One of the things I feel we need to be reminded of again today is this: Our nation did not get into this situation overnight and we will not get out of it overnight. We must be willing to stay in the “battle” for the “long haul” and not give up in discouragement.

That is easier said than done!

Lord, what will you have me to do in the efforts to reverse the killing of innocent unborn children in our nation?

Lord, what will you have me to do to reverse the moral decay of our society?

Lord, what will you have me do to demonstrate your love and grace to those who are deceived by the lies of the Devil?

Chosen by God

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This message is based on the words of Jesus in John 15, "I have chosen you and ordained you that you bear much fruit," and in Matthew 22, "Many are called, but few are chosen."

Written Excerpts:

Chosen by God

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Introduction

I want to begin by briefly giving an explanation of the context in John 15:16, and also taking a brief look at the parable given by Jesus in Matthew 22 from which comes the phrase “many are called but few are chosen.”

One writer (Wm. Barclay) pointed out that the imagery of the vine (used here in the beginning of chapter 15) was one that had been employed by God several times throughout the Old Testament. The Jewish nation had many times been referred to as a vine or vineyard of God. The vine had actually become the symbol of the nation of Israel. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Hosea had all used the analogy in their messages, and they lamented how that the vine or vineyards did not perform as God had desired. Now, Jesus is identifying himself as the true vine (as distinguished from those in the OT who had proven unfaithful and wild).

Jesus points out to those who are listening that they are connected to Him like branches on a vine if they truly have a relationship with Him. Their Jewish heritage wasn’t enough; they must be connected to Jesus.

In the verses closer to our text, Jesus is explaining the meaning of love and true friendship. He points out to His Disciples that they are not slaves, but friends.

(Adam Clarke) They did not choose Him (as most Jewish people would do in choosing a Teacher to learn from and follow), but He has chosen them to be His disciples and followers, and He has ordained them (NKJV, appointed; or planted, put or placed in the vine).

What an amazing concept this must have been to those disciples when they heard these words. It is truly amazing for us as well to think that every one of us has been chosen by Jesus Christ to become one of His devoted disciples and followers.

Matthew 22:14

This passage contains a parable that Jesus told to illustrate God’s invitation to the nation of Israel to be totally devoted (“married”) to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The parable seems to illustrate the rejection and dreadful treatment given to the prophets and messengers that God had sent to them. So God brings judgment upon those who had initially been invited, then he sends the servants out to bring in any guests they can find.

As the parable continues… we learn about the man discovered by the “king” not having the proper attire or clothing for the marriage feast.

(A. Clarke) Among the Orientals, long white robes were worn at public festivals; and those who appeared on such occasions with any other garments were esteemed, not only highly responsible, but worthy of punishment. Our Lord seems here to allude to Zephaniah 1:7, 8, The Lord hath prepared a SACRIFICE, he hath BIDDEN his guests. And it shall come to pass, in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, that I will PUNISH the princes, and the KING'S CHILDREN, and ALL SUCH as are clothed with STRANGE APPAREL. The person who invited the guests prepared such a garment for each, for the time being; and with which he was furnished on his application to the ruler of the feast. It was this which made the conduct of the person mentioned in the text inexcusable; he might have had a proper marriage garment, if he had applied for it.

To afford accidental guests clothing suitable to a marriage feast, was a custom among the ancient Greeks….

So, whether the guests had made proper reservations, or not, they were always provided with appropriate attire, and to neglect it or even reject it was unthinkable.

The spiritual application of this parable seems to be that God offers “robes of righteousness” to everyone He calls as guests to the marriage of His Son. Attempting to join in the celebration and the benefits of the marriage without accepting the “attire” that God’s provided is to invite the wrath of a perfectly holy God.

It is in the context of this parable that Jesus announces, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” The use of the terms “called” and “chosen” make is sound as though God is the only One who is making a decision. Yet, if we re-examine the parable, the “chosen ones” were the people who accepted the invitation and the provision of appropriate attire.

I do not believe for a minute that God arbitrarily selects some people to be saved and others to be lost. I believe it is more accurate to say He has decreed that all who accept His calling will be chosen for salvation.

So, both of these passages (John 15 and Matt 22) have given us some insight into this matter of being called and chosen by God to belong to Him and to follow Him as a fervent disciple.

I would like to focus today on three of the callings of God.

The Calling for Salvation

The Bible is very clear that God is calling every human being into a saving relationship with Him.

Rev. 3:20 – Doesn’t actually use the word “call” but the image is implied as Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks; waiting for us to hear His voice, open the door and invite Him into our hearts and lives.

Isaiah 43:1 – “… thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”

Luke 5:32 – “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Acts 2:39 – “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

1 Cor. 1:9 – “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

These passages and many others we could have quoted all point to the fact that God is constantly calling men and women and children to seek Him for salvation. He’s calling all of us to come to him in surrender and repentance to accept the grace He offers and the forgiveness for our sins that we so desperately need.

Do you remember when and how God called you?

The Calling for Vocation

Not only does God call us to come to Him for salvation from sin and judgment, but He calls us with a purpose to fill, a job to do, and a mission to accomplish.

There are many illustrations in the Old Testament and the New Testament of people who were in a relationship with God, but they heard God calling them to a specific task, vocation, or ministry. I think of Moses; Samuel; and the Apostle Paul. I read in the Gospels where Jesus called his disciples and out of them He chose twelve whom he appointed apostles. (Lk. 6:13)

I remember the day that God spoke to my heart and called me to serve Him in full-time ministry. I didn’t know at the time that He wanted me to be a pastor, but I knew He was calling me to serve Him in some kind of ministry.

God not only calls people into ministry, but God calls people into various vocations; to use their skills and knowledge to glorify Him and to advance His Kingdom. God spoke through His servant Moses and called various gifted and talented people to come and use their abilities to build the tabernacle and make the utensils so the nation could honor God by obediently worshiping Him.

God still calls individuals today into various fields of work and labor for Him.

Sometimes people, especially young people, get the idea that since God hasn’t called me to be a preacher or missionary, then I just need to find something to do that pleases me and provides a comfortable income. But God may have something specific he wants you to do. Whatever He calls you to pursue, do it with intention and purpose to glorify God and expand His Kingdom.

What do you suppose God wants you to be/do? He will guide you and show you if you will remain surrendered to His will.

The Calling for Holiness

There are at least two different letters that the Apostle Paul writes in which he describes the recipients of the letter as people who have been “called to be saints.” (Romans & 1 Cor.)

Dear friends, it is still true… God calls His children to a life of godliness and holiness. He calls us to separate ourselves by His grace from the moral and spiritual darkness that surrounds us. He calls us to virtue, cleanliness and sacred living. We are to be different than the world in our behavior, our attitudes and our values. It seems that many so-called Christians today do not see the need to be any different than the unbelievers we associate with each day, but God calls us to be holy; to be saints.

The good news is – He doesn’t simply give us a command and then expect us to live up to it in our own strength and knowledge, but He will provide His Spirit to guide us and empower us to live the way He wants us to live.

Conclusion

We have been talking about the call of God and being chosen by God. I trust that everyone here today has heard the voice of the Holy Spirit and you have responded in obedience.

If you haven’t responded to His call for salvation and forgiveness of your sins, please respond today.

If you haven’t responded in obedience to His call on your life for your vocation and mission, please obey Him today.

If you have been making excuses for not following His call to holiness, please submit to the cleansing power of His Spirit today.

Fear or Faith

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This is a sermon based on three different stories recorded in the Old Testament and it attempts to draw a contrast between living a life based on fear or living life based on faith.

Written Excerpts:

Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord God! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:” (cf. v.27)

The context of this verse reveals the circumstances under which Jeremiah made this confident statement of faith.

The Kingdom of Judah is near the end of her existence. The city of Jerusalem is surrounded and besieged by the Babylonian army. Jeremiah himself is sitting in prison because the King didn’t like his “negative tone” in the messages he was bringing. While he is the prison, God tells him to buy a piece of property and preserve the legal papers in an earthen jar, because God was going to bring the people of Judah back from exile and the land would once again be inhabited and crops would be planted and harvested. (see vv.15, 37ff)

It is in that setting and context that Jeremiah proclaims, “…there is nothing too hard for thee.”

Introduction:

As I began to seek God’s will for the message today, my thoughts were naturally centered on the journey we have all begun into a new calendar year – 2013. Anyone who has been paying attention to the news understands that there are many uncertainties that confront us in this new year.

I don’t know about you, but I think that one of the natural human responses to these kinds of stories and information is the feeling of dread and fear. When we try to “look forward” into the weeks and months of the coming year, our imaginations may run wild with all the possibilities for disaster.

I began to think about the fact that fear cannot flourish and survive in the presence of genuine faith. Therefore, I felt led to draw our attention to a few biblical stories that illustrate the clear distinction between fear and faith.

The first story is found in Numbers 13 and it is the story of Moses sending the twelve spies into the land of Canaan. You recall how that 10 of the spies brought back a report based on fear, and two (Caleb & Joshua) brought a report based on faith.

The second story is found in 2 Kings 6:8-23 and it recounts the events involving the prophet Elisha and his servant. It was a time when the nation of Syria was at war with Israel. Every time the Syrian king would make plans to attack, the King of Israel would learn about the plan in advance. When the king of Syria asked who was telling their secrets, someone told him that it was the prophet Elisha getting the messages from God and delivering them to the king of Israel. So the king sent his army to capture Elisha.

2 Kings 6:14-18 (NKJV) ¹⁴Therefore he [i.e., the king of Syria] sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. ¹⁵And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" ¹⁶So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." ¹⁷And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. ¹⁸So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, "Strike this people, I pray, with blindness." And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

The third story I want us to consider is found in 2 Chron. 20:1-30. The story is too long to read it all now, but it records another war when the nations of Moab, Ammon and others came against King Jehoshaphat and Judah.

Let us consider a few ways in which fear is contrasted from faith, and then ask God to help us eliminate our fears by exercising faith in Him.

1. Fear focuses on material realities while faith focuses primarily on spiritual realities.

Numbers 13
²⁸  Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.…³¹  But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we."…

The ten discouraged and fearful spies who reported on Canaan could only think about the size and number of the inhabitants. “There are giants…. We appeared as grasshoppers in our own sight and in their sight.” They focused on the size and fortifications of the cities.

Caleb and Joshua, on the other hand, boldly proclaimed their belief that the land could be conquered. They weren’t focusing so much on the size of the cities and the size of the people. They were focusing on the size of their God and the size of His promises to Israel.

2 Kings 6

When the servant of Elisha came out all he could see was the city was surrounded by soldiers and horses and chariots.

The servant said to Elisha, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"

The man of God simply prays, “Lord, open his eyes.” Get his focus off the enemy and on to your resources.

2 Chron. 20

Jehoshaphat was overcome with fear when he focused his attention on the number of people coming against him. Although Jehoshaphat called for prayer and fasting and called on the Lord, it was another man (Jahaziel) who received a fresh anointing of the Spirit of God and proclaimed a message of hope and victory. (v.15-17)

2. Fear focuses on present circumstances while faith focuses on divine promises and abilities.

In all of these stories the scenario is very similar. In every case there were people of God who were essentially thinking and saying…

We’re outnumbered. We’re too few; they’re too many.

We’re too weak; they’re too strong.

We’re too small; they’re too large

At the same time there were others in each of the stories who saw all of the same details as the fearful ones had seen, but they saw more than that.

Caleb and Joshua focused on what they could do with the help of God.

Elisha knew that God was with him and hadn’t abandoned him to the enemy, and he knew that God was mightier than all of the Syrian army or the Syrian king. The way the story is told, we get the distinct impression that Elisha saw the army of the Lord immediately when he came outside, even though the young servant couldn’t see them.

Jahaziel heard from a different “news source” than Jehoshaphat had. He understood by divine revelation that God was going to fight for them and that God was capable of taking care of the situation. They wouldn’t even have to fight; only “stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” The text verse I mentioned at the beginning truly says all we need to know.

 Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord God! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:”

I may not know about tomorrow, but I know our God is strong enough and wise enough and loving enough to handle everything you and I will face in 2013. There is NOTHING too hard for Him!

Conclusion:

Every one of us here today already knows by experience that it is very likely we will face some frightening and overwhelming circumstances during this coming year. We are going to have those moments when we get to looking at the circumstances and the material realities rather than the spiritual realities.

What should we do?

We should do what Jehoshaphat did. By calling for prayer and fasting, he illustrated his confidence in God. He illustrated his faith that Almighty God could and would provide the victory they needed. We should do what Peter did when he was walking on the water and began sinking – cried out to the Lord, “Save me!”

Fear paralyzes us and causes us to continue focusing on the negative circumstances, but Faith inspires us to look at the abilities and qualities of the God who created heaven and earth, and to trust Him for every need we have.