(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Okay, we're there in Mark 8, and there is a story in this chapter that always interests me. It's always been one of my, like, just stories that kind of makes me ask a lot of questions. And I've also been thinking a lot about addressing a sort of preaching about a sermon. A sermon on this topic that I just couldn't get my finger on, and I couldn't really relate it to a Bible story. So I wanted to just wait for the Lord to reveal it to me as to how I can liken what I see sometimes as an issue, as well, you know, associated in that with the Bible, obviously. I don't want to just preach my opinions and thoughts. But we come to this story here in Mark chapter 8 and verse number 22. It says, After that, he put his hands again and upon his eyes and made him look up, and he was restored and saw every man clearly. The title for the sermon this morning is, When You Can't See Clearly, When You Can't See Clearly. We have this interesting story. We know that when Christ came, he performed amazing miracles, you know, was able to even rise the dead to life. I mean, he did amazing things. And many times he healed the blind and blind could see. And, you know, the vast majority of instances that are written for us in the scriptures, when Christ heals, it's instant. It's instantaneous or immediately. We have this story where Christ comes to this blind man, spits on the ground. I'm sorry, spits on his eyes. That's a different story when he spits on the ground. But he spits on the man's eyes and, you know, then the man can see a little more. As he says, Christ asks, what do you see? He says, he looked up and said, I see men as trees walking. And I've always wondered, well, that's an interesting story. You know, why is it that we don't have this instant healing? What is God trying to reveal to us through this story? And so, I mean, his eyesight improves. I mean, he goes from being blind to being able to see human beings, but he can't really tell. I mean, I guess his vision is still blurry, right? He can't really decipher a man's appearance, you know, his arms and legs. He just sees this shadow, I guess, an object, something that looks like a tree with no real figure. But he can see it moving. That's what he can kind of see, right? He sees something and yet he's still blind, isn't he? And so then Christ does it again. He puts his hands upon his eyes and makes him look up. And now this time he sees clearly, you know, he was restored and saw every man clearly. And as I said to you, the title of the sermon this morning is, When You Can't See Clearly. You know, we might ask the question, why did this happen? Why, you know, did Jesus, was Jesus lacking power or something at this point in his life? Of course, we'd say that's ridiculous to come to that conclusion. I guess we can hypothesize why this took place, you know, just from the literal story why that took place. You might say, well, maybe the man was lacking faith or something like that, right? But we don't really know. The Bible doesn't really tell us why it's the case. We kind of left up to our own imagination. But I do see some lessons that we can definitely take out of this story. Number one, the first lesson we can take out of this story is that it's possible to see and yet be blind. Okay, and yet still be blind. But you can, you think you can see, like compared to where you were before, you can see but really you're still blind. And secondly, you can take the lesson that sometimes it takes time to see clearly. Sometimes it takes time to see clearly. These are two lessons we can definitely take out of this story here. And the thing that, you know, I often wonder about and I guess not even so much just as a past, just something that I've observed amongst believers, especially in the independent Baptist world, is that, and I hope this doesn't offend anybody or anything like that, but people generally believe they can see clearly or understand a topic very well or understand a passage of scripture clearly. But really, many times it's like they see men walking as trees. Okay, they haven't really seen it as clearly as they think but they think they see clearly. And they think they can tell other people that clear vision that they have. And yet it's still very cloudy. I always wonder why is it that when a question gets asked, especially a cryptic question, a challenging passage where believers maybe have struggled with a passage of scripture for hundreds of years, you know, even even our Peter testifies. There are difficult things to understand in the writings of Paul, you know, and yet many times when I know the answer, I've got it, a question gets asked, I've got the answer. And I often wonder why is that because even as a pastor, when people ask me questions, they're not, you know, when I get a question, it's not going to be a question like, Pastor, how do I get saved? Because you're already saved. It's not going to be a question, Pastor, why should I read the Bible? Because you know you should read the Bible. It's generally a question of life complexities and you're trying to decipher what the right approach is to understanding the situation or what to do in a situation. Or it might be a very cryptic passage, you know, something that there might be various interpretations and someone's trying to come to that conclusion. Usually the questions that I get are more complicated to what I'm trying to explain. And I always wonder when I get a question that's more complicated and I need time to think about it because maybe I don't see clearly, I realize that I may not see clearly on this, where someone else is like, yep, I see clearly on that and I was like, wow, that's really interesting, how someone can see so clearly and it kind of makes me wonder, you know, do we have the right level of humility or understanding to God's Word and the complexities of life and the complexities sometimes that we see in scriptures. And so I want to combine this into two sermons here because there are times in your life that you will not see clearly. I mean, I'm sure. Well, let's go to a passage. Come with me to 1 John, come with me to 1 John. Now in this story, thank God, this blind man was able to see clearly in due time, not long after, he didn't have to wait too long. He was still on the earth when Jesus Christ allowed him to see clearly. But I want you to understand that sometimes we won't see clearly until we go home to be with the Lord. Sometimes we're not going to see clearly until we go home to be with the Lord. Brother, what was the hymn, the last hymn that we sang before the sermon? Do you still have the number there? Yeah, do you know what, do we know the number? 46, hymn number 46. So we're saying this one, right? When my life work is ended and I cross the swelling tide, when the bright and glorious morning I shall see, I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side. Well, don't you know your Redeemer now? Don't you know Jesus now? I mean, he saved you, right? But there are words in this song, I shall know my Redeemer. What is he speaking about? I mean, it's not saying that we don't know him. It's essentially teaching us in this hymn that we don't see him as clearly as he truly is while we walk on this earth. It says, And of course, when that hymn says, I shall know him, we shall know him completely. We shall know him fully, when we meet our Lord in the air. And this is what we learn here in 1 John chapter 3, 1 John chapter 3 in verse number 2, 1 John chapter 3 verse number 2, So right now, we can't even fully fathom, we can't really understand or fully see what we shall be. And we understand with the Bible teachers that when Christ comes back, we're going to be resurrected with new glorified bodies. We know that, right? But really, do we know that? We see, you know, I kind of like men as trees walking right now. We have an idea, but we haven't really fully understood. And that's why it continues in verse number 3. Sorry, sorry, continue verse number 2. It says, But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. So do we see Jesus as he is right now? No. There's still not a full comprehension of our Christ. But how is it that we shall see him as he is? The reason we shall see him as he is, is because we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. So the best way to see who Christ is, who our Savior is, who our God is, is to be like him. And until we are fully like him, we will not know him or see him completely. See, this is something that God has left for us, something exciting, right? A surprise to fully understand, fully comprehend our Savior. And we're waiting for that day when we can be like him. Our bodies will be changed. So as much as we read the scriptures, and we get a picture of Christ, and we appreciate him, and I feel like I know my Savior, I still don't know him, and I still don't see him exactly as he is. And that's why we've got verse number three. It says, And every man that has this hope in him, so I hope you have this hope in you, that you're going to see Christ and be like him, purify of himself, even as he is pure. So we know that we're struggling in a sinful, selfish body, you know, this flesh. And so the Bible is telling us, like brother Michael is always praying that, you know, we hope to be more like Christ. Yeah, you know, we're not going to be fully like Christ until we see him and be with him. But we want to be more like Christ because the more we're like we're Christ and the more pure we are, the more holy we are in our living, the better you are going to understand who Christ is. And so what I want to show you from this Brevin is that sometimes we won't see clearly until we go home to be with the Lord. I'm sure there are things that have happened in your life, issues that you still don't have answers to, and you may never have an answer in this life, but when we go home to be with the Lord, it'll all be made clear, you know, why things transpired on the earth as, you know, as it happened. Can you come with me to Revelation chapter 3? Revelation chapter 3. Revelation chapter 3. And I guess what I'm trying to say here, Brevin, is it's okay to not see clearly all the time, okay? Now we should aim to see clearly, right? We should aim to be improved and have the best eyesight and the best spiritual vision we can possibly have. But you need to understand there are just some things that won't take place until you go to be with the Lord in heaven. Like I have no concerns at all to say that I am not going to understand every single verse and every single chapter of the Bible a hundred percent on this earth. I have no problem saying that, okay? Otherwise I'll be like the Lord God on this earth with a sinful, you know, body. But I know that when I'm in home with heaven that all the answers will be given to us. Next thing I want to show you is here in Revelation chapter 3, this is about the lay of the sea in church, or the lay of the sea in church. Revelation chapter 3, verse 15. Christ says, I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would, thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. So we don't want our taste in the mouth of Jesus to be so lukewarm and filthy as God, that he would want to spew us out of his mouth, right? But this is why he says this about the church in verse number 17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increase with goods, and have need of nothing. You know, the next thing I want to bring up here is that material gain can blind our spiritual condition. Material gain can blind our spiritual condition. The church is going, we're rich. We're increased with goods. We've got the best building, right? We've got the best resources. You know how bank accounts are filled up? And the churches that make this kind of mistake, obviously, are your Pentecostal charismatic churches. You know, they see material gain, material wealth as, you know, a reflection of your spiritual condition, right? If you're lacking faith, if you're not working righteously, you're going to be poor and miserable. But if you're doing well for the Lord, God's going to bless you with private jets and mansions and all that kind of stuff, right? And that's kind of the general idea, the prosperity gospel that gets preached in these charismatic churches. That's how they see themselves. And this church, you know, they see us all themselves in that way. You know, when I read this, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. This reminds me of Australia. You know, quite often in the Bible when we read about riches, we tend to think in Australia that, you know, we're talking about the richest of the richest. But many times, it's just us because we are like the richest people on the earth. Like, honestly, just if you live in a Western country, you live in Australia, you live in a sunny... Look, people sell their homes in the Melbourne's and the Sydney's. And when they want to retire, you know where they want to go? The Sunshine Coast. And here you are, okay? I mean, really, when you compare yourself, and I always say this, right? We're kind of blinded. We can't say clearly because we're in Australia and we think we're just average. But you go to other places in the world and you'll realize just how wealthy you truly are. Even those that feel like they're not that wealthy compared to other Australians. You are very rich people. And this is why we see the spiritual condition in Australia. I have need of nothing. She'll be right, mate. I don't need to know about the Lord. I don't have a fear of God. I don't need to be in church. It's because truly, they're just doing well in life. What more could you possibly need, you know, than to live in the Sunshine Coast? Surely, you know, we've hit the, you know, the highest level of living in Australia. But then what does God say in verse number 17? And no, it's not that they are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. See, God looks at the spiritual condition of our hearts. That's what God says. That's what he values. It's not a material gain. And there's nothing wrong with material gain. There's nothing wrong with having nice things. There's nothing wrong with living on the Sunshine Coast. You know, praise the Lord that he's done this for us. But the problem is, when you start setting your heart on material gain, you can become blinded to your spiritual condition. You think you're doing well with the Lord because we're doing well financially, you know. Or maybe I'm not doing well with the Lord because I'm struggling financially. But neither, you know, are reflective of your spiritual condition. This church is doing really well. They're very rich people. But the spiritual condition before God is very poor, wretched. They're blind, he says, because you're blinded. Okay? The spiritual material gains that they have has blinded their vision of their spiritual condition. So God says in verse 18, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eye-solve, that thou mayest see. Get some eye drops into your eyes, like your spiritual eyes, and truly understand your spiritual condition. But you know, who do we go to, to understand our spiritual condition? Well Christ says, I counsel thee to buy of me. We need to go to Christ and say, Christ, how well am I doing in my spiritual life? How well am I doing in my spiritual walk? Maybe I'm blinded. Maybe I don't see clearly. Alright? Maybe my vision of my spiritual condition is cloudy, and I haven't fully grasped the areas of my life that I need to fix. You know, Christ says there and continues in verse number 19, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent. I don't know, if you feel a little bit rebuked this morning, Christ says, as many as I love, I rebuke. Okay, these are the words of Christ to you. He loves you. That's why sometimes the rebuke needs to come. It's just a reminder that Christ loves us, and he wants to teach us. He wants us to be doing well spiritually. He wants us to add our riches in heaven, and not be so preoccupied with our riches on this earth. And then Christ says these words in verse number 20, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him and hear with me. So why is it that they slay the sea and church had gone to such a horrible spiritual condition, where they started to measure their well-being by their prosperity? It's because they weren't fellowshipping with Jesus. Jesus was not there, right? He says, look, let me come, let me sup with you. Let's have fellowship. Let's spend time together. And you know, so important brethren, so important for your spiritual health is that you spend time with Jesus, just one on one with Jesus. You know, every day, open his word, pray to him, speak to him, sing him a song, spend time with Christ. I know life can be busy, but you know what? Christ doesn't demand all of your time. I mean, how long does it really take to read a couple of chapters of the Bible? How long does it really take to express, you know, your thanksgiving toward him and your needs to the Lord, you know? It doesn't really take that much time of your life. And sometimes we make the mistake, well, I'm going to church week in, week out, therefore I must be doing well the Lord. Yeah, the Laodicean church was going to church week in, week out, but the spiritual condition was poor because they themselves on an individual basis were not fellowshiping with the Lord. They were ticking the boxes, we're going to church, we're doing the works, but it's lukewarm in the mouth of Christ. And so be careful brethren, especially in Australia, material gain can blind your spiritual condition. Now, if you can, come with me to 1 Timothy 6. 1 Timothy 6, 1 Timothy 6. And while you're turning to 1 Timothy 6, I'm going to read to you from Psalm 139 and I'm going to read to you some of the scariest words that I think, I think some of the scariest words, scariest words of the Bible, okay? Not scary as in terms of hell and hell fire, of course, that's a fearful thing for the unbelieving world. But this is something scary for me as a believer. I know the Psalms are songs that we ought to sing and pray toward our Lord God, but I am always fearful to say these words. In Psalm 139, verse number 23, it says, search me, O God, and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts. Do you have the courage to say that to God this morning? Whoa, because you know what goes on here, you know what goes on here. Is it always pleasing to the Lord? What percentage is pleasing to the Lord? I don't even know. It's like, well, those are my thoughts. Those are my emotions. The Psalmist says, Lord, can you put on blast what's in here and what's on there? He says in verse 124, and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. You know, to understand your spiritual condition, you know, to stop being blinded and to see clearly, you need to pray this prayer. Lord, can you know my heart? Can you try it? Can you test it? Can you know my thoughts? I'm kind of like, God, just don't worry about my thoughts in my heart right now. I don't want you to see. I know he sees it. I know he knows it, but you know, the Psalmist is essentially asking God to reveal that to him, the Psalmist, to see if there be any wicked way in him that he would walk in paths that obviously please the Lord God. And in order for you to see clearly your spiritual, I can't see clearly your spiritual condition. I can say, well, he reads the Bible, he goes to church, he goes soul winning. He must be right in the Lord, but not necessarily. Okay, because we know that we can do the right things, but with the wrong motives. We can do the right things on the outward and still be, you know, filthy on the inside. We can do the right things as an attempt to cover up all the wicked things that are being done. Not just being done, but being thought of and entering the heart. And so to me, that's a scary prayer to always go to God. God, can you just put on blast all the wickedness in my heart and in my mind? Because I'm like, I don't want to confront it. But of course our God is forgiven and that's what's wonderful about Lord God, that we can confess our sins to him and he's just to forgive us. But you're in 1 Timothy chapter 6, 1 Timothy chapter 6, and we're talking about how material gain can blind our spiritual condition. And so, you know, like everything in life, there are extremes, right? One extreme is chasing material gain, like making money, you know, mammon your God, right? Serving mammon rather than serving God. That's obviously one extreme that you need to avoid. The other extreme, you know, we see it in various methods is that, well, all material wealth, all material gain is sinful and wicked. So I'm going to live like a monk, you know, and have no possessions. And if anyone even tries to work a job, they must be sinful, something like that, right? You know, the extreme cases on either side, but you know, God tells us in 1 Timothy 6 verse 17, what we are to do, how we are to view our material gain, what's going to give us clarity, you know, to see clearly what we do with what we have there. In 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 17, it says, Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. I want to point out there that for those that are rich in this world, God has actually given those things to them to enjoy. There's nothing wrong with riches in of itself. But what we learn here is that we are not to put our trust in our uncertain riches, okay, but to trust in the Lord. And again, when you read that verse, you're thinking of the billionaires and the millionaires, right? You're thinking of the guys that are making, you know, $200,000 a year at work. That's who God's talking about. But I'm trying to tell you, it's you. You. Rich Aussie, like it's you. Like what's it say? Charge them that are rich in this world. Like I said, go to other places in this world and you'll realize just how rich you truly are. Like it always helps me when I go to South America, Chile. And I see how they live and not that they're poor. It's not like it's not it's not like Africa where I still have food on the table. They still have houses, okay? But then you kind of see just how small everything is and how tight everything is and how limited they are and how many hours they work and then I come home. And the house that I thought felt small all of a sudden feels like a mansion. And you go, whoa, hold on. I am doing so well in this life. I'm doing so well in Australia. I mean, I just have to drive 20 minutes at the beach. How good is that? There are countries in the world that have no beach. Did you know that? You just can't avoid the beach here in Australia. Like you just thought the beauty and the scenery that God has given us here. It's a very wealthy nation. And even if you're earning minimum pay, you are earning some of the biggest bucks in the world. So don't read this and think this is just this is not about me because I'm struggling. No, this is you. And it says, so what do we do with the riches and the wealth and possessions that God has given us? Verse 18, that they do good. So yeah, enjoy what God's given you, enjoy the riches, but that you do good with the riches, right? Don't spend your riches in filthy wickedness in ungodly devices, in drunkenness and drugs and piling up and things like that, right? No, use it for good. This is why that they may be rich in good works. Remember the Laodicean church was not rich. They were poor, not rich spiritually, not rich in heaven. We can take your riches on this earth and do good with it and God will put riches for you in heaven. And that's awesome. You can transact it, right? Convert your riches on this earth for riches in heaven. How do we do that? It says that they'd be rich in good works, ready to distribute, that's ready to give when a need pops up, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. See, if you have possessions and riches here in Australia, great, God's given that for you to enjoy, praise God. But he wants your focus not to be on this temporal life, but on the everlasting life to come. And so with what God has given you, whatever uses you have, possessions, use it for the glory of God. Use it to do good works. Use it to glorify the Lord. Use it to give to needs that people have. And now your vision will be clear because you're gonna be truly rich in heaven rather than rich on this earth and blinded, spiritually blinded to think that you're doing well. So material gain can blind our spiritual condition. And I think this is a general, you know, diagnosis of Australians in general. You know, we think, like I'm saying the unbelieving Aussie world out there, right? They don't need the Lord. Why, why do we need the Lord? We're doing well, we're rich. What more do we need? Can you come with me to Psalm 13, please? Psalm 13 and verse number one, Psalm 13 and verse number one. Title for the sermon was, When You Can't See Clearly. I just want to take different topics here because I don't know where we're all at. We're all at different places in our life. Maybe at the moment you're going through problems. Maybe at the moment you're having great sorrows. It's not uncommon. We're all gonna have to face that at different points in our life. But you know, life problems and sorrow can blind you. Do you know that? I just want to show you this in Psalm 13 I just want to show you this in Psalm 13, verse number one. Psalm 13, verse number one. The Psalm of David, a man after God's own heart. Look what he says. How long will thou forget me, O Lord? Forever? How long will thou hide thy face from me? Now this is a good Christian. This is a godly man. He's at a point where he's lowering his life. He's asking God. God, how long are you gonna forget me? Now did God really forget David? Obviously not. We know that, right? But when you're going through hard times, let's be honest, are the times that you think, God, you've forgotten about me. You feel, I mean, maybe part of you knows he hasn't, but another part of you, the weak part of you says, God's forgotten about me. It says like, is this forever, Lord? Is this just gonna go on? Just forgot all about me. Look what it says in verse number two. How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? What is David's problem in verse number two? Sorrow. Sadness. He's got enemies. You got other issues. Maybe you got enemies too. Okay? And if you're gonna live 80, 90 years on this earth, you're gonna go through hard times. You're gonna have sorrows in your life. You're gonna have great sadness. And one thing that is completely normal is that you start to think that God has forgotten about you, that God doesn't know about your situation. Why aren't you doing anything, God? Why aren't you pulling me out of this problem? Have you forgotten about me? Is this problem gonna go on forever and ever and ever? Look at verse number three. Consider and hear me, O Lord my God. Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. I love those words. Lighten mine eyes. Now, he's not blind. He's not blind. David can see, right? But he's asking God, can you put some light in my eyes? He's saying, Lord, I need to see clearly. He knows. He knows God's there and God knows, but he's feeling like God's not there for him. God's not coming through. God's not answering my prayers. So he asked the question. Well, he asked God, can you enlighten my eyes? You know, can you show me clearly why I'm going through this? Can you show me clearly how you're gonna deliver me out of this? Can you come with me to Luke 24? Luke 24. Luke 24. I just wanna show you that life problems and sorrow can blind you. Look, I've been there. I've been there in my life where I'm like, God, you just don't seem to be doing anything. And I don't really say that to God, but I say it kind of within myself because I don't wanna say it to God because I know, like, I know I'm being foolish with those thoughts. Does that make sense? Like, I know. I'm like, God's not doing anything. But I'm like, I hope God doesn't hear that thought. Like, I'm not gonna go to God and say, God, you're not doing anything because I know I'm being foolish for thinking that. But it just shows me my weakness as a man. Sometimes you can't say clearly. That's the point of the sermon this morning. And what do we do when we can't say clearly? Well, let's take another story. Let's take the story, and I think this is a great story. This is of course after Christ was taken and crucified and buried and then he rose again from the dead already, okay? And then we get to this story here in Luke 24, verse number 13. It says, and behold, two of them went the same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about three school furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened, the death of Christ and all that, right? And it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. Okay, so they're talking about how Jesus was crucified and buried, right? And the rumors are that he rose from the dead. So two of them are just walking along and then Jesus comes and joins them. It's such a good story. I think it's just an awesome story, all right? And then look at verse number 16. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. They can't see clearly, right? A third man joins them. They don't even realize it's Jesus. Now obviously God has blinded them to some extent, okay? But Jesus is there with them. And look what Jesus says, verse number 17. And he said unto them, what manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walk and are sad? What is Jesus saying? The things you're talking about, they're not just having a conversation. They're actually sad. They've got sorrow, sadness, the problems, right? These are disciples of Jesus. Our Messiah, our master has been taken and killed. The fears and the concerns and the worries and the sadness. Jesus says, why are you sad? Why can't they see Christ clearly right now? Because they're not expecting him to be there, are they? I mean, again, it's a lesson for us. It's a story and it's a lesson for us that we can take out of this. Verse number 18. And one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem and hast not known the things which are come to pass therein these days? And what I love about this, he says like to Jesus, not knowing it's Jesus, he says, don't you know what's been happening? Like, what I like about this is that Cleopas has a lot of knowledge. He's going to explain what has taken pass, but he still can't see clearly. And this is sometimes my concern that I see amongst believers. A lot of Bible knowledge, but cannot see clearly. And me too. We're going to end this sermon on a passage of scripture that I've had to change my mind on. That I preached here six years ago with New Life Baptist Church and I've got to teach you correctly now. Because I see clearly. Because I didn't see clearly before, but I thought I saw clearly before. And I think we just have to understand brethren that we don't have all the answers. And it's okay. But part of the reason in this, like this point that I'm bringing up now is that when sadness and sorrows and problems hit our lives, it really affects our ability to see clearly. There's a reason why when you have tears in your eyes, you can't see clearly, right? There's a reason when it rains, you can't see clearly unless you put the windscreen wipers on, okay? And even with the windscreen wipers, sometimes you still can't see clearly. There's a thing for your next driving sermon. Windscreen wipers, see clearly. All right. Anyway, let's continue there. Verse number 19. So like he's saying to Jesus, don't you know? Like I know, don't you know? That's Jesus, of course he knows. Verse number 19, and he said unto them, what things? Like Jesus is pretending, right? What things? And they said unto him, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty indeed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been, he should have redeemed Israel. And beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. He goes, they killed him, but we're expecting him to save all of us, to redeem Israel, right? Like deliver us from the Romans and set up his kingdom. And that's what we're expecting him to do. There was a sermon last week about your expectations not meeting reality or something like that, right? So maybe I'm borrowing from that. But anyway, they've got expectations. Surely you're going to set up the kingdom now, Jesus. That's what we're expecting. And how's the third day since all of this has happened? Verse number 22, Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre. And when they found not his body, they came saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. So this is the report they're hearing, the rumors. These women are saying he's alive. Verse number 24, And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre and found it even so, as the women had said, look at this, but him they saw not. So they're saying he's alive, but then others have gone, they don't see him. Like they're like, we don't know, like no problems here. They've taken the body of the Messiah. They've taken the body of our master. There are rumors that he's alive, but no one else has seen him. And Jesus is right there. Jesus is right there speaking to them. And they're like, Jesus is not around. Jesus, we can't, they didn't see him. We can't see him. They're saying he's alive. He's out there somewhere. Verse number 25, Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken. He goes, you're being foolish. You're not believing all the prophets have spoken. This teaches a few things, all right. So all the prophets have spoken, obviously, are all the scriptures. And in the day of Jesus, this would have been the Old Testament. Okay, for us now, it's the Old Testament and the New Testament all together. Verse number 26, Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and enter into his glory? He goes, don't you know what the scriptures and the prophets have said, that this Christ had to suffer? Like if you knew this, you're not going to be so sad about it because you're expecting this to happen. See, they hadn't even seen clearly these scriptures of the suffering of Christ. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expanded unto them in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. Get away to notice, all the prophets have spoken, all the scriptures. This is important, an important part to see clearly. Verse number 28, And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went, and he made us though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent, and he went into Tyre with them. So they're very hospitable, right? It's getting late. This third guy that has joined them, they're like, look, just stay with us. It's getting dark. You can stay, you can leave the next morning kind of thing. Verse number 30, And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, that's Jesus, he took bread and blessed it, and brake and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight. Verse number 32, And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, when he talked with us by the way, and while he opened us the Scriptures? We learn a few things. You know, when you're going through problems and sorrows, and you just don't know which way to go, and you feel like Jesus is not with us. We've heard reports he's out there. I went to church, and Pastor Kevin said, He'll never leave us nor forsake us, but I don't see him. I don't see him delivering me. Have you forgotten about me Lord? Those things can happen. What's the solution? Jesus says look, it's foolish to think this way, if you just knew the Scriptures. If you just knew the Scriptures, so then Christ expounds the Scriptures to them. So what I want to say to you Brethren, is when you're in sorrow, when you're having difficulties, and you don't know what's going on, when you can't see clearly what's on the other side. Spend time in the Scriptures. Spend time in the Scriptures with the Lord, until your heart burns within you. Until your heart burns. Take the story. You know what? I feel lonely. I feel forgotten. Where is God? I have problems. And your immediate thought is like, how do I fix this problem? Stop. Stop and open the Scriptures. Okay? Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Read all about Christ, until your heart burns and you're like, of course Christ is with me. And I don't have to fix the problem. Christ will fix the problem for me. I mean, that's what the Scriptures should do. It should cause your heart to burn. And you go, man, I'm foolish. How could I even think that Christ is not here with me? And then when you finally realize, not only is Christ with you, but you realize that Christ was walking with you the whole way through. All that time you thought that God's forgotten about you. Actually, the Lord was with me the whole time. All that time you thought, you know, no one will care for you. God was talking to you the whole way through. Right? It's just that you couldn't see clearly. And right now, if that's you, I'm just telling you, you can't see clearly. And Christ says, it's foolish. It is foolish to think that God's forsaken you, when he's promised that he never will. And I promise you, God's never forsaken you in whatever problem or whatever trial you're going through right now. Christ knows. He's walking along with you, speaking with you, ready to sup with you, break bread with you. You just don't see it yet. When you can't see clearly, yeah, sorrows and problems really make it hard to see. And I've been there. So, you know, we've all been there in different times in our lives. We just don't know what's going to happen next week, what's going to happen next month, what's going to happen next year. God, why aren't you coming through? And Christ is right there next year. The Holy Spirit is still living within you. God's Word is still readily available for you to read. You just forgot to open God's Word because you're just in so much sadness. Open the scriptures. These are the words of God to you. This is the love letter of God to you, to touch your heart, to encourage you, to motivate you, to remind you that He's never left you. When you can't see clearly, come with me to 1 Corinthians 13. 1 Corinthians 13. I'm coming to the end of the sermon. 1 Corinthians 13. There are other things that we can't see clearly and you're not going to have a full comprehension of these things in your life. And 1 Corinthians 13. And we're going to read verse number 8. But you know what? We don't have perfect knowledge of everything. And this is what I want to get to, you know, to this point here. You don't have perfect knowledge of every question or of every scripture, okay? And what concerns me in the independent fundamental Baptist world is we have a lot of parroting, a lot of repetition of things we've heard and things we've learnt. But we don't know why we're repeating it. We just, we think we see clearly, but you don't. It surprised me how often people can tell me a true statement, can speak a true doctrine, but do not know why they believe it. They cannot turn to a passage of the scripture and show me why that's what you believe. Now, I'm the same though, you understand that? I recognize that. When you're going to church your whole life and you're hearing preaching and sometimes preachers say the same thing as another preacher that says the same thing as another preacher and the same thing as another preacher, you're like, this must be true. I mean, they're all saying the same thing. Then you go, but where's that in the Bible? I can't find it. It's because many times preachers parrot other preachers, preachers parrot their Bible colleges, preachers parrot their favorite pastors or their favorite preachers, but they themselves do not know why they believe that or see that. And what's worse, now that's okay because we're all kind of there, but what's worse is then when that same individual gets frustrated at somebody else because they don't see it as clearly, as clearly as they see it. You know, if we approach the Bible or any kind of knowledge, anything about the world, about the moon, all right, or about a Bible doctrine, right, about life or about just some, something, some generative thing, you know, and you and I have different opinions, different thoughts or different, no, I see it like this, why can't you see it like me? Either like if we have contradictive views on something, we can't both be right if they're contradictive, can't both be right. So someone's right or someone's wrong or you're both wrong, right? And I find it interesting that sometimes people struggle with the concept that others can't see as clearly as they see. And I don't know why that is. I want to be able to, I'm trying to get to the bottom of it and this part, part of the sermon is kind of getting to the bottom of it, right? Trying to figure it out. And sometimes I talk about this with different people at times and I want you to understand though that knowledge, even knowledge, even Bible knowledge, you won't see clearly until you go home to believe God in heaven. And so we have this passage here in 1 Corinthians 13. I'll just read the whole thing and then I'll show you what I preached incorrectly six years ago and how I see it more clearly today. And maybe I'll see it even more clearly in six years time, okay? We'll see. But 1 Corinthians 13 verse 8. The context is about spiritual gifts. So let me bring you up to speed. So on Wednesdays we're going through the book of Acts, aren't we? And we're seeing this outpouring of the Holy Ghost upon people doing these amazing, miraculous works, right? The apostles are performing miracles just like Christ performed miracles. And so we read about these spiritual gifts in the book of Acts. We read about it in the books like Corinthians in the early church. And then the question becomes why don't we see that today? Why is it that Pastor Kevin can just heal me right now like the Apostle Paul did, right? Or something like that, right? Or why is it that, you know, if, you know, we're trying to do missions trips and things like that, why doesn't God just give us the ability to speak in... spontaneously speak in a... give me a language. B.G. but they speak English. Let's just say Japanese, okay? Why doesn't God give me the ability to just spontaneously be able to speak in Japanese right now so we can just go and do a missions conference, a missions trip in Japan right now? Why don't we see these... like that we can definitely take away and say hello. The way the Holy Spirit was pouring out His power in the early church is different to how we see it today, right? And how you view that essentially is how you come to this passage of Scripture. Let's read it now. Let's read it. It wasn't just miracles. It's also the knowledge. It's also like speaking in tongues. It's a lot of other things that the Holy Spirit was doing mightily in the power... in the lives of men. But in 1 Corinthians 13 verse 8 it says, charity never faileth, but... So charity is love. Love never fails, by the way. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Now prophecies are preaching. That's what it is. It's what... prophecy really just means, you know, proclaiming God's Word. It says, they shall fail. You know, not everything that I've said in the last seven years has been 100% accurate. Sometimes I fail. Okay? That's just how it is. Alright? Now obviously, when these men of God were writing the New Testament, they'll be moved by the Holy Ghost. Obviously, they had perfect prophecies, perfect writings, perfect understanding. Paul even says he's got all knowledge at that specific point in his life. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. This is why we don't have that power now. It ceased. Okay? Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. The ability that Paul had under the power of the Holy Spirit diminished over time as time went on. Sometimes we can kind of reflect on this. Had there ever been a time in your life when you've known something and like you know you know it, but then like many years later, you have to try to remember what you know and you kind of forgot. It's like, I don't know anymore. I used to know. You know that there are some difficult passages of the Bible that I've studied in depth and I feel like I know really well. Let's say 10 years ago, I felt like I knew really, really well and then nobody asked me for 10 years and then someone asked me 10 years. I'm like, yeah, I know the answer to that and like, what was the answer to that? Because even knowledge, you know, vanishes away. And then verse number nine. So, this is the reality of normal times, okay, without the amazing outpouring of the Holy Ghost that we see in the Holy Church. He goes, for we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. I'll continue reading. When I was a child, I spake as a child and I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a, look, for now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known. So, when we read this passage here, let me just show you, read to you verse number, verse number 10. Verse number 10 is where you have different interpretations, okay? So, but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. So, this is what I've heard and this is what I taught six years ago. Because I heard it from this past, I heard it from that past, I heard it from that. You know, everyone says the same thing, that which is perfect is come is the Bible I've heard taught. The completed canon of scripture. Let's put it that way. All six books completed and done. And so, poorly speaking, well, I just prophesy in part and know in part, but I don't know everything until the Bible comes in its full completion and then that which is in part shall be done away. But then we should not just know in part, we should have all knowledge right now. We shouldn't just prophesy in part, we should be able to prophesy perfectly everything. But yet he says these things will fail, which is interesting to me, because they hadn't failed yet, but they will fail, they will cease. So, the average Baptist view on this passage is that's the Bible. And so, the reason we don't see these miracles today and speaking in tongues is because we have God's Word, we don't need the miracles. I'm okay with that understanding. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Like, I don't think it's like heretical, like, you know, or anything like that. But I just don't think that idea or that view is clear. It's kind of like men trees walking. Oh, yeah, that's kind of say something We can definitely agree that those miracles have ended. So, we all have this challenge, how do we speak about the miracles that we read about in the book of Acts and they're not working today, like we saw before, how do we approach this kind of passage? Well, the Pentecostal, the Charismatics, they see that differently. So, before I talk about the Charismatics, let's talk about the Baptists. They say that's the King James Bible, or not the King James, just the Bible, the canon of scriptures are completed. So, that's why it's all done away. Another explanation that the Baptists give is that, well, that was a different dispensation, all right? In the book of Acts, that's a transitional period between dispensations from, you know, the dispensation of law to the dispensation of grace. And we're dealing with a transactional period at that time. And so, while God is changing the dispensation, these miracles take place, but then once the dispensation fully comes through, the age of the church, then these miracles are no longer needed. So, what I'm trying to say is that Christians are constantly trying to understand why these miracles, or these gifts, are not working today, okay? Now, you approach the Charismatics, the Pentecostals, they'll approach this with verse number 10, but when that which is perfect is come, they'll say, well, that's Jesus, and that which is in part shall be done away. So, we still have full prophecies, we still have full ability to speak in tongue, because Christ has not yet come back. And so, that's how they interpret it. That's why they still try to, well, they try to fabricate, they do fabricate these miracles, right? They've got their tongue speaking, but you know, it's just gibberish, it's garbage. It's not the tongue speaking that you see, but they're trying. They're like, no, no, no, no, these things are still happening until Christ comes back, right? That's how they view it. Or that which is perfect, or your, you know, your new bodies in resurrection, potentially that way, you know? We shall see him as he is, because we shall be like him, that kind of concept, right? And so, they, you know, and many of my former Pentecostal friends have said to me, that to be able to speak in tongues, you've got to fake it till you make it. I mean, they know themselves, they're faking it, is what I'm trying to say, okay? Until they fake it so much, that they even deceive themselves, thinking that it's real, all right? And that's why they've got all these so-called miracles, you know, it's fake miracles, false prophecies that they speak about, it's because they're trying to make, you know, like the book of Acts, where we need to do the same things, but everybody, everyone else knows, it's garbage. It's not real, what they talk about is not real. But here's what's interesting, that, you know, when I taught that this is about the Bible, again, I taught it because that's what I heard, and so I heard all the pastors, I must be right. But then when I go to scriptures and I try to, well, is this really about the scriptures though? Is this really about the fully canonized scripture? It doesn't come from, like, I can't draw that, it's not coming from the scriptures to me, it's like I'm forcing that interpretation onto the scripture. And if you say to me, pastor, why do you believe that? I'll have to say to you, the only reason I believe that is because I heard it preached by so many pastors. So I actually do believe now, like the Pentecostals, woo, that this is about Jesus. And the reason I say that is because when you get to verse number 12, for now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know even also, sorry, even as also I am known. This lines up so well with 1 John 3, 2, beloved, now we're the sons of God, and if doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, but we shall see him as he is. It's a very similar teaching there. Okay, so how do I then understand this passage? Now before I teach you what I understand about this passage, I just want you to understand that prophecies will fail, tongues will cease, knowledge vanishes away. So sometimes, many times, you're not gonna be able to see clearly on Bible doctrines. I'm not talking about milky topics. I'm not talking about fundamental foundational doctrines of the faith. I'm talking about those secondary tertiary issues that we're constantly, and I find it fun to talk about, don't get me wrong, I like talking about it. We kind of give our thoughts and ideas, but I'm always interested when someone says, this is it, I got this right. It's like, are you sure about that? Are you sure you're seeing clearly about that? And I'm trying to demonstrate to you that I'm not trying to attack anybody, even me. Even I sometimes can't see clearly, though I thought I could. You know, there are Bible doctrines that are deeper and more difficult to understand. And I had to get to a point in my life where I'm okay with not understanding it. And I'm okay if I don't fully understand it, even till I go home to be with Christ, I'm fine. At least I get to ask Jesus a question. You know, Jesus in Hebrews 6, you know, those kind of questions. Though I do believe I have a view on that, I'll express that one day, but you know, it's those kind of passages. I mean, I get to talk to Jesus, why not? Sounds like fun to talk to Jesus about the Bible, right? And hitting with all the different kind of questions that we kind of like to ask one another. It's not just Bible doctrines, but it's also, like I said, opinions. What are opinions? But sometimes people get frustrated when you don't have the same opinion that someone else has. Why can't they see as clearly as I can see? Because we all think our opinions are right, don't we? We all think we can see clearly. We all know whether that person has the right intentions or the wrong intentions, we know. No, we don't. We know if someone's genuine or if someone's fake. Sometimes we don't see clearly, okay? So opinions or decisions, decisions that people make. Oh, they made the wrong decision. Really, how do you know? Oh, it was me, I would have done it like this. Really? But it's not you. You don't know all the dynamics. You don't know all the ins and outs. You don't know all the different, you know, issues that make up why that person made that decision. That's why God gives us leaders. Pastors make decisions sometimes that people don't understand. Fathers make decisions sometimes that the family don't agree with. Did you know that? Sometimes your employers are going to take the company in a certain direction that you don't agree with, but you just don't see as clearly as someone else. And I want you to just understand that and not think that we all have to be in lockstep with every doctrine and every piece of knowledge and every opinion and every decision. Because there is something that I've observed that I just don't like when people get frustrated that someone doesn't see it as clearly as they see it. And yet they might be blinded. You just don't know sometimes. It's hard to see clearly. Now let me go back to this passage of scripture because I think it's important. First of all, number eight, verse number eight, charity never fail off. So there's something clear. I can say clearly, love will never fail. If one of the qualities that I can develop in my life is to love the brethren, that will always be beneficial. That will always give glory to God. That will always be rewarded in heaven. There's no ifs, buts or anything like that, right? That's something I can see clearly, all right? But other things, prophecies, tongues, knowledge, these things, you know, he says, the apostle Paul, we know in part, we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, that's what I believe, that's how our resurrected bodies will be like him, then that which is in part shall be done away. So we're gonna have full understanding, full knowledge when we go to be with Christ. Then he says, when I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. So I believe he's speaking about spiritual condition right now. Like to what we're gonna become when we become like Christ right now, we're like children. Okay, like we're kind of like children, like, you know, our full maturity, our full growth, our full potential we've realized when we've Christ Jesus. We're gonna look back at our lives on the earth and we're like children back then compared to where we are now. But then he says this, in verse number 12, this is so important, for now, okay, now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, and then shall I know, even as also I am known. The same way that I'm known by God is the same way that I'll know. That's what I believe it's teaching there, okay. What about the miracles? What about the prophecy? Yeah, I mean, verse 19 says those things would be done away with. All right, whether they shall fail, whether they be tongues, they shall cease. Like I'm not going to come and bring you this prophecy that is extra biblical, that's under the inspiration of God, that's never gonna happen. Like we saw in the early church when they're still running scriptures, right, and teaching these things of God, those things have ceased. Having full knowledge like Paul spoke of himself, that's gone away. The ability to speak in tongues, though I believe that might have a comeback in the end times, but at this point in time, that's ceased. And so for now, we know in part, we prophesy in part. And I want you to be okay with that. I want you to be okay with not having all knowledge of everything. And waiting, I'll wait till I see Christ and I'll ask him those questions. And I want you to be okay with others that don't know or see as clearly as you see. Because there is something in the Bible because there is something so much more superior than knowledge. Look at verse number 13. And now abideth, faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity. Wow. So what do we have? What is it that we should be working? I'm not against knowledge, I'm all for knowledge. I want to know what I believe. I want to be able to teach you what I've studied. I don't want to teach you because I heard a good sermon. I want to teach you because I've spent time in God's Word and I've developed knowledge for myself. And I know it to be true. At the same time acknowledging sometimes the things that I see to be true might still be men walking as trees, possibly. And then you got to come up and correct your pastor because I don't see as clearly as you do. It doesn't happen. I'm just throwing it out there. Because I see that behavior sometimes with others or with other pastors, other churches. Why can't they see the post-treat prayer? And times it's complicated. Like if we did not hear great sermons from great preachers about it and you just went in yourself, you'll probably still be all over the place. It's a big topic. Now I believe we see clearly, very clearly, on the timing of the coming of Christ. But I'm not going to look at a brother, a pastor who's pre-trib whatever and think, well, useless. You know, lacking wisdom. He can see trees, men as trees walking. He can see Christ is coming back. He can see we're going to be with him in the clouds. We're going to have new resurrected bodies. Christ is going to rule and reign for a thousand years. Pretty good what he can see. But I still can't see clearly. And I'm okay with him being that way. Because these things take time. And you know what? Instead of criticizing that brother who's struggling with that knowledge, I know what a bite of faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity. I'm going to show charity to my brother in the faith who just doesn't have the same clarity of vision as I may have. At the same time, recognizing that I may not have full vision, right? It humbles you. It lowers you. It allows you to be a servant to others, to continue to grow and develop. Because you know what knowledge does? It puffs up. Knowledge puffs up. So I'm glad I don't have all knowledge. I'm glad it's in part. Otherwise, I'd be a very prideful man. But the most important one, the most important gift that God has given us is charity. Faith and hope, these things are important as well. So brethren, when you can't see clearly, let me just end with verse number 13. What do you need? Faith. Have faith in God. He's never left you. Have hope. You're going to get through to the other side. Have that expectation, that hope that God's going to deliver you, that God's going to see, give you the ability to see clearly. But the greatest of all of that, have charity. Have love. Please understand that not everybody is going to be on the same page with you on everything. Have charity to the point to recognize I'm going to see others better than myself because maybe they see more clearly than I do. You know, and we're all still growing until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then we'll see him clearly. Amen. All right, let's pray.