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
WHAT IS JESUS TRYING TO TEACH US?, ….
III. SINGLE VISION
a. IN OTHER WORDS JESUS WANTS TO HAVE A SINGLE VISION FOR AND TOWARDS HIM
b. PREVIOUSLY, JESUS CHALLENGED HIS DISCIPLES TO HAVE A SINGLE TREASURE – ONE IN HEAVEN WHERE IT CAN NEVER BE CORRUPTED OR STOLEN.
c. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE WE SETTING OUR SIGHTS ON?
d. WIN THIS PASSAGE JESUS IS TELLING US THAT THE EYE IS THE GATE THAT GIVES ENTRANCE TO THE MIND OF MAN.
i. JESUS HAS ALSO TOLD US THAT THE ACTIONS OF OUR MIND HAVE AN IMPACT ON US LONG BE FORE WE ACT ON OUR THOUGHTS
PROVERBS 23:7 FOR AS HE THINKETH IN HIS HEART, SO IS HE: EAT AND DRINK, SAITH HE TO THEE; BUT HIS HEART IS NOT WITH THEE.
MATTHEW 5:27–28 “YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.’ 28BUT I TELL YOU THAT ANYONE WHO LOOKS AT A WOMAN LUSTFULLY HAS ALREADY COMMITTED ADULTERY WITH HER IN HIS HEART.
e. IF OUR EYES ARE GOOD – CLEAR, AND LOOKING AT THE RIGHT THINGS, THEN
i. THE WHOLE BODY IS FULL OF LIGHT
f. THE WORD GOOD ALSO CARRIES WITH IT THE MEANING OF BEING UNDIVIDED
g. JAMES CLARKE PUTS IT THIS WAY: “SINGLENESS OF PURPOSE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST SECRETS OF SPIRITUAL PROSPERITY.”
i. ONE CAN ALSO REMEMBER THE WORDS OF JOSHUA
ii. JOSHUA 1:8 DO NOT LET THIS BOOK OF THE LAW DEPART FROM YOUR MOUTH; MEDITATE ON IT DAY AND NIGHT, SO THAT YOU MAY BE CAREFUL TO DO EVERYTHING WRITTEN IN IT. THEN YOU WILL BE PROSPEROUS AND SUCCESSFUL.
h. IF OUR EYES ARE BAD – DISEASED, DAMAGED
i. LIGHT CAN’T ENTER
ii. IN A VERY REAL SENSE, SINCE JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, HE CAN’T ENTER
iii. WE BECOME BLIND TO SPIRITUAL THINGS
i. FOR THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, TO BE IN A POSITION OF SPIRITUAL DARKNESS IS A TERRIBLE THING
i. WE BUILD NOTHING ON CHRIST – THEREFORE WE ENTER HEAVEN WITH NOTHING – 1 COR 3:11-FF. WE MISS THE BIG OPPORTUNITIES
ii. MARK 9:41 I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, ANYONE WHO GIVES YOU A CUP OF WATER IN MY NAME BECAUSE YOU BELONG TO CHRIST WILL CERTAINLY NOT LOSE HIS REWARD.
1. WE MISS THE LITTLE OPPORTUNITIES
JESUS THEN SUMS IT ALL UP IN MATT 6:24
IV. WHO DO YOU SERVE
a. WE SERVE BASED ON WHAT WE VALUE (OUR TREASURE) AND WHAT WE LET INTO OUR LIFE (OUR EYE).
b. DO WE VALUE TREASURE IN HEAVEN OR TREASURE HERE?
i. WHAT IT TEMPORARY OR WHAT IS ETERNAL
c. WHAT DO WE LET INTO OUR LIFE AND AS A RESULT INTO OUR ACTIONS
i. JESUS WHO IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD - JOHN 8:12 WHEN JESUS SPOKE AGAIN TO THE PEOPLE, HE SAID, “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. WHOEVER FOLLOWS ME WILL NEVER WALK IN DARKNESS, BUT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.”
ii. SATAN AND HIS KINGDOM -- EPHESIANS 6:12 FOR OUR STRUGGLE IS NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST THE RULERS, AGAINST THE AUTHORITIES, AGAINST THE POWERS OF THIS DARK WORLD AND AGAINST THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS.
d. WE CANNOT HAVE TWO MASTERS
i. A MASTER IS SOMEONE WHO HAS COMPLETE CONTROL OVER YOU
1. FULL TIME SERVICE
2. MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SERVE TWO MASTERS.
3. BOTH CANNOT HAVE CONTROL OVER US
ii. CANNOT SERVE GOD AND THE MATERIALISM AND SYSTEM OF THIS WORLD.
iii. TO TRY AND DO BOTH IS IN REALITY SHOWING OUR LOYALTY TO SOMEONE/SOMETHING ELSE THAN GOD.
AS WE APPROACH COMMUNION TIS MORNING, WE CANNOT HELP BUT REALIZE THAT JESUS HAD A SINGLENESS OF PURPOSE.
HE CAME TO DIE IN ORDER TO REDEEM.
