Grace Baptist Church
Interpreting What You See Everyday

      • Luke 12:36–38ESV

  • Great Is Thy Faithfulness
  • Redeemed
  • Indescribable

  • Two people can look at the same situation and see totally different things.

    Our worldview shapes our opinions and perspectives.
    Our worldview is formed by our parents, our experiences, and our desires.
    We tend towards the opinions of our parents because of the influence they have on the way we view the world.
    One traumatic experience can sit center stage and force everything else in the world to revolve around it.
    As we focus in on what we want out of life, those things begin to gravitate towards the center of our life lens that view everything through.
    Today we are going to discuss the idea of having sanctified vision.
    A vision that is set apart and bent towards God.

    Divine Appointments or Missions

    Divine appointments or missions are those in which God grants us vision that interrupts our normal activities and cause us to see things in a totally different way.
    A sanctified way.
    On any given day, obedient servants of God will have moments where they see something and are instantly aware that God has interest in what they are seeing.
    There is a need, a need that must be met, that God himself desires to meet.
    Like the man robbed and beaten when the three men walk by. Only one of them has the sanctified vision and goes to the aid of the oppressed.
    The others continue on their way as if nothing has happened.
    How do we get this sanctified vision? How can we be used of God to accomplish His purposes in this life?
    Riise with me in the honor ...
    1 Samuel 17:17–30 ESV
    And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.” Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.” And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.” Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before.

    David Receives and Executes the Mission

    David receives the task from his father that interrupts his regular duties.
    This mission is Jesse's mission, David's earthly father.

    David’s habit is obedience

    When his father gives a command, David follows it.
    He is doing exactly what he should be.
    He likely does this every day. Keeping the sheep for his father. Going out and coming in as instructed.
    Just like you all. Daily doing what needs to be done.
    His father said take these supplies to your brothers quickly and see how they are doing.
    David rises early the next day, gets another shepherd to watch the flock, and delivers the goods.
    This sets David up for what comes next.

    David Sees the New Mission

    Goliath comes forward as David is checking on the health of his brothers and begins his daily taunt.

    What do the men see?

    1 Samuel 17:24 ESV
    All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid.
    They see a giant who can not be defeated.
    1 Samuel 17:25 ESV
    And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.”
    Have you seen this man? anyone like him? look at this beast of a man!
    He has come to defy us (Israel).
    They also know that the man who is brave and strong enough to defeat the giant will receive great earthly reward.
    He will be enriched, get to marry one of the kings daughters, thus becoming a part of the royal family, and as such will be on the receiving end of taxes instead the giving end.
    Money, power, women and tax free gravy living. Everything my lost carpenter friends talked at length about every day.
    But David is more of an idealist. He sees things very differently.
    He asks what shall be done for the man who defeats Goliath, but his description is very different. What he sees is different.
    1 Samuel 17:26 ESV
    And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
    He is focused on this uncircumcised Philistine.
    I believe that David is making an assumption about his lack of circumcision.
    His concern is that he is defying the armies of the living God.
    He has no concern for his stature, but for his opposition to God.
    That is all that matters to David.
    And his claim is that there is a reproach on Israel as long as this God Defying man is mocking them and their God.
    David sees a need, a new mission, to defeat the one who has mocked the name of Yahweh.
    Suddenly his mission of delivering goods and aid to his brothers is overshadowed by a new mission from God the Father.

    Eliab the Faithless

    When Eliab hears his much younger brother asking about the Giant and what will be done for the man who defeats him, he reacts as all faithless people do.
    He tries to impugn the character of the faithful and ascribe impure motives.
    You see this in the questions.
    1 Samuel 17:28 ESV
    Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”
    Why have you come down? Because our Father sent me with provisions and to check on your well-being.
    With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? With another shepherd
    Eliab believes that David is being irresponsible and has left the sheep just to come watch the battle, which for a scared soldier being mocked openly brings the anger of shame.
    I don’t believe this is the only reason that Eliab is angry.
    Let’s remember that all of the sons of Jesse were walked in front of Samuel when he came to anoint a new king.
    Eliab watched as he was passed over and David was chosen.
    This rings similar to Joseph and his dreams of his brothers bowing before him.
    What older sibling likes to be overshadowed by a younger sibling?

    One is Named “God is Father” and the Other Believes It

    Eliab is broken down into to terms. El “God” and Ab (Father). Thus his name literally means God is Father.
    No it does not mean Godfather.
    The problem with the armies of God is that they have failed to consider God’s will in this battle.
    We don’t know if the ark is present.
    We don’t know if an offering has been made.
    As a matter of fact we simply don’t hear anything about God until David enters the scene.
    Eliab’s name, and likely many of the other men’s names, have some term related to God.
    You could probably have a worship service where you just said the names of the men.
    What is missing is the belief in those names.
    None of them believe that God will deliver Goliath into their hands.
    The have the name, but in action deny it.
    Could it be argued that taking the name of God and then not trusting in Him is a violation of the Third commandment?

    God has a real issue with faithlessness.

    Let that settle on your heart.
    Without faith it is impossible to please Him Hebrews 11:6
    Numbers 14:33 ESV
    And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness.
    The lack of faith by their scouts and by the majority of the people left them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. God had promised and they had failed to believe.
    Psalm 119:158 ESV
    I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep your commands.
    In the introduction I mentioned that a traumatic event can become a means of how we view things to come.
    These are David’s words years after he witnessed the lack of faith in his brother and his king.
    Matthew 17:17 ESV
    And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.”
    Jesus’ greatest consternation was his disciples lacking a full, rich faith in him and his father.
    Matthew 17:20 ESV
    He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
    Why can’t we accomplish what God has for us? because of our little faith.
    If we would let the Lord grab a hold of our hearts and we would submit to His Ways we could do mighty things.
    Look at was has been accomplished in the last year with this little group.
    We had a little faith that we could do a clothes pantry and we have done it.
    The Lord is going to bless us for this effort in His kingdom, He already has.
    Imagine what more we could do!

    Sanctified vision

    We need to be given a sanctified vision.
    A view of events that seek the kingdom of God instead of this world.
    A vision that is set apart from the human vision of the things of this world.
    Matthew 6:33 ESV
    But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
    That is a Jesus command to have a sanctified vision of the events of this world.
    When we watch the events of this life unfold we see it in light of the kingdom.
    One of the ways this vision will manifest itself in us in through our prayers.
    No kingdom thought, no prayers.
    Little kingdom thought, a few prayers for ourselves and our loved ones.
    Great kingdom thought manifests itself in the Lord’s prayer.
    Matthew 6:9–13 ESV
    Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
    Notice the focus of the prayer:
    Our Father
    His Name
    His Kingdom
    His will
    Our necessities
    His forgiveness
    Our desire to be free from sin
    That is Sanctified Vision

    Why David?

    Why does he get a sanctified vision?
    Two things:
    He has a heart bent towards God.
    He has been faithful in the small things.

    Is Your Vision Sanctified?

    do you look at the world and see the kingdom?
    in all cases and at all times?
    Do you see people as evil or lost?
    Are the poor a pain or a possibility?
    Do you seek to win arguments or souls?
    Do you ignore the pleas of others or listen until you see a gospel opening?
    When you see a drug addict, do you see someone getting what they deserve, or do you see someone getting what you deserve?

    Want Your Vision Sanctified?

    Pick up the habit of daily reading and praying.
    Recover the disciplines.
    Give God the time of day.
    Seek Him first and focus a little on his kingdom.
    Look for Blindspots
    We all have them.
    where are you not seeing with a kingdom heart?
    David didn’t see a giant, but a blasphemer that was hindering God’s plans.
    We aren’t going to take up stone throwing, but truth telling.
    Sometimes the truth is ours to tell, even if we feel unqualified.
    It was every soldiers responsibility to have faith and take on Goliath, but it was also the kid, come to bring food and get word’s responsibility to fight Goliath.
    Any one of them could have had victory, except maybe Saul.
    They just didn’t see the divine nature of the moment.
    Finally, ask “What does God see?”
    What is He seeing that you are not?
    What is on His heart that is not yet on yours?
    Ask for His vision, to see with Kingdom Eyes.
    And ask often.

    Response in Worship

    Like right now
    Ask God to heal your vision
    Reclaim a kingdom mind, heart and eyes as we bow before Almighty God.
    ​

      • 1 Samuel 17:17–30ESV

      • 1 Samuel 17:24ESV

      • 1 Samuel 17:25ESV

      • 1 Samuel 17:26ESV

      • 1 Samuel 17:28ESV

      • Numbers 14:33ESV

      • Psalm 119:158ESV

      • Matthew 17:17ESV

      • Matthew 17:20ESV

      • Matthew 6:33ESV

      • Matthew 6:9–13ESV

Grace Baptist Church
info@graceog.org
816-690-4168
http://graceog.org
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