The Eyes of Faith
(A Sermon Preached by Rev Hien Gia Nguyen at True Life BPC on June 15, 2008)
Text: 2 Kings 6:8-17
What are our reactions when we encounter big problems, trials or troubles? It is so important for us to have the eyes of faith in the Lord based on God’s Word so that we might not be frightened before our difficulties and trials as well as before the enemies of our souls, even Satan, sin, self, worldliness.
In the same situation, we can see the different reactions of the one who has his eyes of faith in the Lord while the other does not. Two persons who suffer from the same cancer and undergo the same treatment in the same hospital, but the one who has eyes of faith in the Lord is able to see His higher hand in the incident, and would trust in Him and His sovereignty, and commit everything to Him, knowing that God is able to make all things work together for good. So, whether he is healed (praise the Lord!) or is called home to be with the Lord (which is far better), he has peace, hope, and rest in the Lord. The other who does not have the eyes offaith in the Lord only sees his incurable illness and is so frightened by his hopeless future!
From the Bible text today, we see the different reactions of the prophet Elisha and his servant when they were surrounded by their enemies. May God help us have the eyes of faith in Him so that we might have peace and hope in all situations.
Ministry of the Prophet Elisha
Elisha left his farming job when he was called, and he followed the prophet Elijah and ministered to him (1 Kgs 19:16-21). If you are called to serve the Lord full time, will you do the same?
To be with his master, Elisha must have admired and desired to have the same spirit of his master, so when Elijah said, “Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee,” and Elisha did not ask for anything except for Elijah’s spirit, saying, “I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me” (2 Kgs 2:9). His request was granted when he saw a chariot of fire, and horses of fire taking Elijah up into heaven. We have many things to pray to the Lord, but do we desire to have our Master’s Spirit, the same Holy Spirit, who was with Him, led Him and empowered Him to do His Father’s will, to finish His Father’s work, to overcome Satan and his temptations and to suffer many things until death? Our Lord says, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).
The prophet Elisha served the LORD in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reigns of Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Joash. His fruitful ministry was to declare God’s Word to His people, to anoint kings, to give advice, to train disciples, and to perform several miracles. His holy life was recognised by the woman in Shunem, who said to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually” (2 Kgs 4:9). Do others perceive that we are holy people of God, who are separate from sin, self and worldliness? King Herod “feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy” (Mark 6:20). Elisha’s integrity without self-seeking motives can be seen when he refused to receive the gifts from Naaman, commander of the Syrian armies, who was healed from leprosy. Shall we serve the Lord only because we love Him and want to glorify Him?
A Hopeless Cry, “How Shall We Do?”
Through the Scripture text, we learn that the king of Syria warred against Israel and took counsel with his servants to ambush Israel’s king and army. And he was “sore troubled” when his schemes were detected by the prophet Elisha and the king of Israel and his men were saved not once nor twice. Being informed of Elisha’s place in Dothan, the king of Syria sent “a great host” of horses and chariots to come by night and compassed the city about. When the servant of Elisha got up early and saw this great host, he was so frightened and said to Elisha, “Alas, my master! How shall we do?”
“How shall we do?” is a helpless cry of those who are terrified to see their strong enemies, their big problems or trials but do not see their almighty God! Instead of expecting and praying God to help them and deliver them, they only look at their own resources and think of what they can do. May the Lord turn our eyes to Him in all situations and help us trust in Him “that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Eph 3:20).
Eyes of Faith
Elisha was still calm and fearless in such a situation, and said to his servant, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them,” and prayed to the Lord, “I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.” This is a wise prayer if we do not see God in our trials, “Open my eyes, that I may see Thee and Thy sovereign power, Thy loving care and Thy deliverance.” The LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was “full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” No wonder Elisha did not panic at all! How vital it is for you and me to have our opened eyes of faith in the Lord in all situations!
There were also many other men of faith in the Bible who had eyes of faith in the Lord. Let us learn from them.
Abraham: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” (Heb 11:8). “Who against hope believed in hope, staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he (God) had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Rom 4:18, 20- 21). It is vital for you and me to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7).
Moses: “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Heb 11:27). When the children of Israel saw the Egyptians with all their chariots pursuing after them, they “were sore afraid…and cried out unto the LORD” (Exod 14:10). However, with the eyes of faith, Moses was still calm and said to them, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day…The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (Exod 14:13-14).
Joshua and Caleb: When the other ten spies discouraged the people of Israel with their faithless and “evil report” saying, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we…” (Num 13:31), Joshua and Caleb had the eyes of faith in the Lord and encouraged the people, “If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not” (Num 14:8-9).
David: When Saul and all Israel “heard” the challenge of the giant Goliath, they “were dismayed, and greatly afraid” (1 Sam 17:9-11) and when they “saw” the man, they “fled from him, and were sore afraid” (v 24). David also heard the challenge and saw the giant, but he said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him (the giant Goliath); thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine, … The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine” (1 Sam 17:32, 37).
The people of Israel all faced the same situation in the above incidents, but the men of God reacted differently because they had eyes of faith in the Lord.
Proper Attitudes in the Face of Trials and Enemies
Be Sanctified: The hearts of Israel “melted, and became as water” (Josh 7:6) as they were defeated by a small city, Ai. Joshua “rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord” and prayed to the Lord, but God said to him, “the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you” (vv 12-13). Dear friends, our God is holy and we must be holy and separate unto Him alone. Is there any known sin or anything that does not please the Lord that we have not confessed and forsaken? May God search our hearts and cleanse us from all our sins, unrighteousness and iniquities so that He will be with us and help us overcome our trials and the enemies.
Look unto the Lord Jesus: May God turn our eyes away from ourselves, our trials, and our strong enemies to look unto our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ alone, who is not only able to give us His faith but also fulfil our faith in Him. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2).
Trust in the Lord and His Sovereignty: God is in control and nothing happening to His children is by chance or by accident. Let us wholeheartedly trust in the Lord, for “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28) and “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (v 31) and “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (v 37).
Cry unto the Lord in Prayer: We are not fighting against human beings, “flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph 6:12). Then, we have to cry unto the Lord, “When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me” (Ps 56:9), and “Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way” (1 Sam 12:23). Surely, the leaders pray for the church members, but do we pray for them? Do you pray for our beloved pastor, Rev Timothy Tow, and the leaders of True Life BPC and FEBC? Let us join the prayer meeting this Friday with one mind and one heart crying unto the Lord for help and deliverance.
Face Our Trials and Enemies in the Name of the Lord and for His Glory: King Saul and all the people of Israel failed to see that Goliath did defy the Lord when he defied them, but David could not bear that, and faced the giant, saying, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand…; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands” (1 Sam 17:45-47). The board of elders of Life BPC deems VPP as “divisive, erroneous and a heresy” and they want to remove FEBC from her birthplace! Do you and I see that they are defying our God and His Word? Can you and I still relax without any holy zeal to join the battle for God’s Name and for His Word and glory? Let us join this spiritual warfare prayerfully so that the whole earth may know that there is a living and true God in True Life BPC and FEBC and that many may come back to our Lord and honour His Word.
Conclusion
While still living in this world, we shall face tribulation, difficulties, troubles, persecutions or trials as our Lord Jesus says, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). May the Lord open our spiritual eyes, turn our eyes unto Him alone and help us sanctify ourselves, trust in Him and His Word with our full dependence and submission, cry unto the Lord for help, and then face our trials and enemies in our Lord’s Name and for His glory. Let none of us miss the opportunity to join the battle for our Lord, His Word and His Truth, who knows whether you are brought to True Life “for such a time as this?” (Esth 4:14).
