Spiritual Senses
Notes
Transcript
The five senses...
Ears (hearing)
Skin and hair (touch)
Eyes (sight)
Tongue (taste)
Nose (smell)
If you had to RANK these in order of importance.... what would that look like?
According to research (Aristotle - Greek Philosopher)…the order is...
Sight
Hearing
Smell
Taste
Touch
BUT - some might argue that TOUCH may actually be the most important.
To get into the WEEDS a bit on this...
Sight, for example, takes up about a third of the brain, (a THIRD of the brain’s real estate is devoted to SIGHT...
whereas the olfactory bulb — our central processing unit for smells — is comparatively tiny, taking up only 0.01 percent of brain matter in humans.
WITH THAT SAID -
We can actually train our senses to perform differently, and this training is reflected in the real estate our brains devote to the senses involved.
“For example, in piano players, if you map their brains, you can see that their fingers have a bigger representation in the brain than non-piano players,”
So pretty cool stuff - but what does this have to do with our sermon today?
TODAY - we’re going to walk through a passage that deals with - the Senses....
But before we get TO that passage in 2 Kings...
There’s gonna be a MAIN verse that’s gonna be our ANCHOR today...
And it’s found in the NT.
JESUS Himself - is gonna speak into this sermon today - and we’ll come back to it throughout our time.
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
Christ here is speaking of mankind and the state of their HEARTS.
What do we see here?
The people LACK some things yes? 3 things...
Sight
Hearing
Understanding (knowledge)
What Jesus is saying here - IN CONTEXT - is that the LOST of this world...
Seeing - they do NOT see (seeing physically....they....)
Hearing - they do NOT hear (hearing physically…they…)
Knowing - they have NOT Knowledge (knowing things in this world…they do not have Spiritual knowledge)
And so with this in MIND - let’s see what God has for us...
8 Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.”
9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.”
10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.
11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?”
12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”
14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So 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.
18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.
19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21 As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?”
22 He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.”
23 So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.
Quite a bit going on here - BUT - the overall PREMISE of the story is pretty straight forward.
Syria and Israel were at war...
And the king of Syria (Benhadad) - told some of his servants that he wanted to set up an ENCAMPMENT in this certain location...
SO - Elisha - KNOWS about this - due to God of course - and he tells the king of Israel - to avoid going to that place...
The thought is that he sends some scouts to that region - to see if it’s true...
Well - - it’s true - and Benhadad - the king of Syria realizes that ISRAEL KNOWS his every move - AGAIN!!
Well he’s not happy...
And he seeks to find out what’s going on.
DURING this process - we’re going to see man’s SENSES at play.
Let’s see what we see. And pick up at v11
11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?”
Here we see the king of Syria - TRYING to figure out - what is going on.
he’s convinced that there’s an INFORMANT among them!
he says - “will you not show me - WHO OF US - is for the king of Israel?”
In his mind - there’s no other explanation as to how Israel KNOWS THEIR EVERY MOVE - apart from there being a traitor among them.
But what is this king lacking here?
SLIDE: Spiritual Senses: The Sense of Knowledge
Spiritual Senses
Spiritual Senses
I KNOW - knowledge isn’t a - SENSE...
BUT - it is directly connected...
*EXPERIMENT:
Stand-up
Give yourself some space if you can (see how far down you can stretch)
NOW - take your fists - put them together - put them between your knees - and squeeze your fists together as tight as you can - and hold that...
NOW - stand up
And see how far down you can stretch now.
WHAT HAPPENED THERE?
Our senses INFORM us...
You SAW me act out what to do...
You HEARD me explain it...
And you became - - INFORMED!
What did the King say....back to v11
11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?”
The king assumed - NATURALLY - that someone CLOSE TO HIM - HAD to be the one who was sharing his thoughts with Israel.
But he LACKED KNOWLEDGE of reality!
He KNEW what day it was...
He KNEW what he ate for breakfast that day
He KNEW what FOODS he liked to eat...
But he lacked a KNOWLEDGE of the Spiritual...
the REALM in which God OPERATES!
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
Think about it - the FOOL is the person who NEVER GAINS a knowledge of the Spiritual Realm.
Everything they do...
Every decision they make...
Is LIMITED - AS WE ARE limited...
Is ONLY SKIN deep.
But as we KNOW - there’s a WHOLE-OTHER WORLD beneath the SURFACE of THIS world!
There’s a difference between worldly knowledge - and Spiritual knowledge
And SOMETIMES - worldly knowledge will lead you to an ANSWER…that Spiritual knowledge would TELL you is the WRONG answer!
Some basic examples from scripture would be...
The Feeding of the 5000
Worldly knowledge would say - WELL - we need to go buy some food for these people!
But as we know - Wrong answer!
The building of the Ark
Worldly knowledge would say - UHHH - WHY are you wasting your time?
But as we know - Wrong answer!
The empty Tomb
Worldly knowledge would say - The body was stolen!
But as we know - Wrong answer!
Morality
Worldly knowledge would say - It’s all SUBJECTIVE
But as we know - Wrong Answer!
This king in our text today - had NO knowledge of the Spiritual...
No understanding of the TRUE God and what He can do!
But that’s not all...
As we said before - with Knowledge not being an ACTUAL sense...
We said that the SENSES do something to Knowledge...
They INFORM our knowledge...
let’s go back to our text...
11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?”
12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”
Again - the king is BAFFLED as to how the Israelites know their every move...
And so he asks his servants - WHO AMONG THEM - is the traitor…?
back to v12
12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
A servant replies - NONE of us are AGAINST you king, BUT Elisha - the prophet who is IN Israel - HE tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in private!!
He KNOWS what you say in PRIVATE!!
NOW - what would you do at THAT MOMENT? After hearing that - if you were the king?
You JUST FOUND out - that some man - in another city - who is a Prophet - HEARS the words you say in PRIVATE...
What would you do?
Ok - let’s see what this king does...
13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”
What does this king do?
He makes PLANS - IN PRIVATE - to capture the man who - - HEARS everything you say.
Talk about - NOT HAVING KNOWLEDGE...
But it also points to something else!
SLIDE: Spiritual Senses: The Sense of Hearing
Spiritual Senses
Spiritual Senses
NOW - every guy in the room is going to MISS this next section…just by default, so just know that.
Spiritual hearing is something that i think we don’t think too much about...
YET - it’s SOOOOO important to growing in the faith!
This king OVERTLY displays a LACK of the sense of HEARING in this passage.
v13 - I HOPE to you - SEEMS shockingly NAIVE of this king.
13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”
We read this - and I HOPE it causes us to THINK - WOW _ did this king NOT HEAR WHAT WAS JUST SAID TO HIM - in the VERSE BEFORE this one?
12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
ELISHA HEARS - EVERYTHING you say and think - EVEN IN PRIVATE...
IN PRIVATE - LIKE WE ARE NOW...
SOOO - your RESPONSE to THAT - is to TELL US TO TRY TO GO CAPTURE Him in DOTHAN??
Yeeeaaaahhhh....we’ll - - sneak up on him.
????
It’s as though - he didn’t even - HEAR what was said to him.
**This past Thursday morning - I was at the gym…and got into a conversation with a guy who was on machine next to me.
End up talking about - Religion
He asked if I was Catholic
*Explained to him the Gospel - and the problem with RELIGION
And so - I WAS DETAILED about we cannot EARN a place with God...
That we cannot EARN heaven...
Did he HEAR me?
No - he started talking about the Religious things that he does.
As though I hadn’t even said ANYTHING AT ALL about works not getting us to God.
There is a SENSE of HEARING - that transcends - the human ear.
What verse was our anchor today?
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
This is v15...
Listen to what v13 says
13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
As i stood there before this guy this past Thursday morning -
I thought - hearing - he does not hear.
And I’m sure you’ve experienced this - Speaking with friends or family…SHARING the Gospel...
And they just - DON’T HEAR you...
This king in our text - Had just HEARD that the Prophet of God KNEW ALL of his plans...
So what does he do?
he makes plans to try and capture the Prophet.
NOW - he was an unbeliever…but even BELIEVERS can find themselves - LACKING in hearing!
The disciples literally walked around - ALL DAY - EVERY DAY with Jesus.
YET - they were constantly HEARING a certain phrase from Jesus...
In Matt 11 - He who has ears to hear…let him hear!
In Matt 13 - “
In Mark 4 - “
In Luke 8 - “
In Luke 14 - “
Even the disciples - who literally HEARD the words come out of Jesus’ mouth...
OFTEN - did not HEAR Him.
And it’s BECAUSE when it comes to SPIRITUAL things - it takes SPIRITUALLY hearing!
So HOW can we - as believers… improve our LISTENING skills?
…our SPIRITUAL listening skills?
First thing - this ISN’T a formula...
Hopefully we know that ANY Spiritual TRUTH we HEAR will come from God!
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
YES - you may have physically HEARD some things that pointed to this truth...
BUT it was THE FATHER in heaven - who REVEALED this TRUTH to you.
It’s ALL from God… BUT - there are things we can do to put us in a position to better receive God’s truth and hear HIM.
SLIDE:
Listen for God
Through reading and studying the word
Through prayer
Through circumstances of life
Through others
God will often speak to us in ALL of these ways - and many more of course!
But it takes - listening!
But that’s not all...
Back to our text...
12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”
14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So 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.
18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.
19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.
And here we see that HEARING is not the ONLY sense - that matters when it comes to TRUTH.
The king of Syria sent horses and chariots to surround the city where Elisha was...
And so when Elisha’s servant went out in the morning - he SAW the enemy ALL AROUND!
So think about it!
He SAW the enemy - but DID NOT SEEEEE…?
He did NOT see the Spiritual forces there - ON HIS SIDE.. ALL AROUND this entire situation!
And so there is another Spiritual Sense that we need to tap into...
SLIDE: Spiritual Senses: The Sense of Sight
Spiritual Senses
Spiritual Senses
The servant DIDN’T HAVE this sense...
What did that lead to?
FEAR
Was Elisha afraid?
NO- WHY?
Because he could see - REALITY!
He saw the situation - with Spiritual Eyes!
And he PRAYS that his servant receive that same SIGHT!
17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So 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.
When that servant (whether it’s Gehazi or not) - when he went outside that morning - and looked around...
AND ONLY saw the enemy...
Were those horses and chariots of fire there?
YES
He just couldn’t see REALITY!
And so think about it -
He became - AFRAID...
ALL the WHILE - REALITY - was crying out to him - Don’t Be - Afraid!
SLIDE:
Peace lies in the reality of God, not in the circumstances of man
Now here’s the crazy part… or at least I think so.
QUESTION:
How do we attain (or improve) our sense of Spiritual sight?
Remember this verse?
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Hmm....makes ya think a little differently about this verse no?
What this verse is telling us HERE - is that the Sense of Spiritual Sight = IS = Faith!
That instead of walking by SIGHT - seeing - merely physically...
…and making decisions based merely on the physical..
…we’re called to WALK BY FAITH
That FAITH itself would be our eyes!
And it almost makes you REthink our text today...
When the servant didn’t see the horses and chariots of fire...
…we know now - he lacked - FAITH
When Elisha prayed that God would grant him SIGHT to see...
God had granted him = FAITH
HOW did Elisha SEE the horses and chariots?
By faith!
His faith didn’t CREATE the horses and chariots...
His faith ALLOWED him to SEE and KNOW… that God was THERE with them.
But it doesn’t even stop there...
Remember that OTHER sense we looked at today?
Remember THIS verse?
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
If FAITH comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ...
Then my Spiritual Sense of SIGHT - will come and be strengthened....HOW?
Through God’s WORD...
Because THROUGH God’s word - my FAITH will rise!
SUMMARY
What have we seen today?
Spiritual Senses
Knowledge
Hearing
Sight
The reason we should take this seriously today...
Is because Jesus takes it seriously...
JESUS’ WORDS:
“Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see?
And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?
And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
A QUESTION we need to ask ourselves...
SLIDE:
Does my depth of understanding AND the proclamation of that understanding equate to the duration of my walk of faith?
What am i getting at?
There is a clear connection in Scripture between our Spiritual Senses… and our obedience to the call...
v11 - [dull of hearing - sense]
11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,
13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.
14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
10-20-30-40 year professing Christian...
Have you become DULL of Hearing?
Jesus says - You OUGHT to be TEACHING OTHERS the deeper truths of God - but instead - you still need to be TAUGHT the basics.
You still need to be on the MILK
DO you SEE - the CONNECTION between - the LIVING OUT of the Faith - and the KNOWLEDGE of the Faith??
He DOES NOT SAY -
Man - you’re a 25 year PROFESSING Christian - you really OUGHT TO KNOW MORE about the FAITH...
NO - He says...
Man - you’re a 25 year PROFESSING Christian - you REALLY OUGHT TO be DOING THIS THING (teaching - instructing others)… IMPARTING God’s TRUTH...
Instead you need to be TAUGHT - STILL!!
Let’s PRAY for hearing....
There are a MILLION opportunities here - to walk out your faith...
To get out of the boat...
To GROW in the faith...
We just have to listen...
We have to LISTEN - Spiritually - to the announcements every Sunday...
And HEAR - the opportunities
We have to LISTEN - Spiritually - to the posts in our church app...
So we can HEAR - the opportunities...
SEE - spiritually - the path forward
STEP TOWARD those opportunities...
And in doing so - display our KNOWLEDGE.
So yeah - let’s pray for hearing
Let’s pray for sight...
that our knowledge might lead us to PROCLAIM…the God we serve.
We need FAITH… that we might see.
Let’s pray