One Eye; Two Eye. Good Eye; Bad Eye Series

ONE EYE; TWO EYE. GOOD EYE; BAD EYE

MATTHEW 6:22–24 “THE EYE IS THE LAMP OF THE BODY. IF YOUR EYES ARE GOOD, YOUR WHOLE BODY WILL BE FULL OF LIGHT. 23BUT IF YOUR EYES ARE BAD, YOUR WHOLE BODY WILL BE FULL OF DARKNESS. IF THEN THE LIGHT WITHIN YOU IS DARKNESS, HOW GREAT IS THAT DARKNESS! 24“NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS. EITHER HE WILL HATE THE ONE AND LOVE THE OTHER, OR HE WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE ONE AND DESPISE THE OTHER. YOU CANNOT SERVE BOTH GOD AND MONEY.

INTRODUCTION: WHEN WE LAST WERE HERE IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT – BEFORE EASTER, WE HAD LOOKED AT MATTHEW 6:19-21. IT IS IN THIS PASSAGE THAT JESUS IS DEALING WITH WHAT OUR TREASURE IS, WHERE OUR TREASURE IS STORED AND HENCE, WHERE OUR HEART WILL RESIDE.

AT THE VERY ONSET, WE DEFINED THE ISSUE OF TREASURE AS A “FIRST BASE” ISSUE. IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE DID NOT GET THE ISSUE OF OUR TREASURE SETTLED IN OUR MINDS, THEN ALL THE REST OF THE EFFORT OF GETTING “AROUND THE BASES” WOULD BE OF NO VALUE. JUST LIKE IN BASEBALL, IF YOU GET A HOME RUN AND AS YOU ROUND THE BASES, YOU MISS STEPPING ON FIRST BASE, YOU CAN BE CALLED OUT AT FIRST.

IN MANY WAYS, THE TEACHING OF JESUS ON THE EYE IS CLOSELY RELATED TO HIS TEACHING ON TREASURE.

CONCERNING SPIRITUAL VISION, JAMES MONTGOMERY BOICE WRITES THIS IN HS COMMENTARY ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: “DO YOU SEE SPIRITUAL THINGS CLEARLY? OR IS YOUR VISION OF GOD AND HIS WILL FOR YOUR LIFE CLOUDED BY SPIRITUAL CATARACTS OR NEAR-SIGHTEDNESS BROUGHT ON BY AN UNHEALTHY PREOCCUPATION WITH THINGS? I AM CONVINCED THAT THIS IS TRUE FOR MANY CHRISTIANS, PARTICULARLY THOSE LIVING IN THE MIDST OF WESTERN AFFLUENCE.”

TRANSITION: JESUS WANTS US TO HAVE A CLEAR SPIRITUAL VISION. A VISION WHICH IS CLEARLY FOCUSED ON HIM.

I. EXAMPLES OF THOSE WITH GOOD VISION

a. IN BOTH THESE EXAMPLES WE CAN SEE THAT THE DISTRACTIONS OF THE WORLD WERE NT AN ISSUE.

b. BOTH OF THESE EXAMPLES CAN BE FOUND IN HEBREWS 11

c. ABRAHAM. ABRAHAM HAD HEARD AND WAS OBEYING THE DIRECTION OG GOD. HE HAD HEARD AND BELIEVED THE PROMISE OF A GREAT NATION. THIS PROMISE WAS BROUGHT TO LIGHT WITH THE BIRTH OF ISSAC. WHEN ISSAC WAS OLDER, GOD INSTRUCTED ABRAHAM TO TAKE HIS ONLY SON, ISSAC AND OFFER HIM AS A SACRIFICE.

i. ISSAC WAS THE FUTURE OF THE PROMISE OF GOD TO ABRAHAM

ii. SO CLEAR WAS THE VISION OF ABRAHAM THAT HE WOULD SAY THIS TO HIS SERVANT AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN -- GENESIS 22:5 HE SAID TO HIS SERVANTS, “STAY HERE WITH THE DONKEY WHILE I AND THE BOY GO OVER THERE. WE WILL WORSHIP AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU.”

iii. THIS MY FRIENDS IS A CLEAR VISION, AND IF THAT ISN’T ENOUGH, ABRAHAM DIED WITH NO “NATION”. THE PROMISE OF GOD WAS FULFILLED THROUGH ISAAC YEARS LATER

d. MOSES. MOSES EMBRACED HIS HEBREW HERITAGE IN SPITE OF THE OVERWHELMING POSITION HE HAD IN THE HOUSE OF PHAROAH. HE REFUSED WHAT HE HAD.

i. MOSES HAD A ROUGH START

ii. MOSES RECEIVED GOD’S CALL

iii. MOSES FOLLOWED GOD’S PLAN

iv. WITH EVERY TIME HE INTERCEDED FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, HE WAS REVEALING THE CLARITY OF VISION FOR A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY

II. EXAMPLES OF THOSE WITH BAD VISION

a. ANNANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

i. I AM SURE YOU KNOW THE STORY

ii. IN THE MIDST OF WHAT I WOULD CALL A REVIVAL, WHERE THE CHURCH WAS ENGAGED IN MINISTERING TO ITS OWN, ALONG COMES ANNANIAS AND SAPPHIRA.

iii. THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO ELEVATE THEMSELVES IN THE EYES OF THE CHURCH – TO BE NOTICED.

1. THEY SELL A PIECE OF LAND

2. THEY BRING THE MONEY TO THE APOSTLES TO DISTRIBUTE

3. THEY KEPT PART OF IT FOR THEMSELVES, LYING ABOUT THEIR GIFT

iv. THERE “EYE” WAS ON THEI OWN REPUTATION.

v. TO NOTE THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH DOING WHAT THEY DID.

vi. THE ERROR WAS IN LYING ABOUT IT – ESPECIALLY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.

b. THE RICH YOUNG FOOL RECORDED IN LUKE 12:13-FF

i. THIS MAN HAD A TREMENDOUS HARVEST

ii. HE HAD TO BUILD BIGGER BARNS TO STORE WHAT HE HAD

iii. CONCLUDED THAT HE COULD NOW LIVE IS EASE

iv. THE PARABLE GOES ON TO SAY THAT THIS SAME NIGHT HE WOULD DIE AND WHAT WOULD THEN HAPPEN TO HIS POSSESSIONS

v. IN THIS PARABLE JESUS MAKES TWO VERY POWERFUL STATEMENTS

1. “ONE’S LIFE DOES NOT CONSIST IN THE ABUNDANCE OF THINGS HE POSSESSES.”

2. “SO IS HE WHO LAYS UP TREASURE FOR HIMSELF AND IS NOT RICH TOWARD GOD.”

vi. THE CONCLUSION WE CAN DRAW IS THAT HIS VISION WAS SHORT=SIGHTED AND THEREFORE BAD