MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(Revised: 2015)
ILL. A little boy who lives up north was eagerly looking forward to the birthday party of his friend who lived only a few blocks away. When the day finally arrived, a snowstorm was making driving hazardous.
But the boy insisted that didn’t matter – he could walk to his friend’s home. And he could do it all by himself. He didn’t need any help. In fact, he didn’t want any help. He was a big boy now.
Still his father hesitated. "But Dad," he pleaded, "all the other kids will be there. Their parents are letting them go.” Finally, the father replied, "All right, if that’s what you really want to do.”
Overjoyed, the boy bundled up for the trip & plunged out into the storm. The swirling snow sometimes made it difficult for him to see, & it took him nearly half an hour of trudging through the snow to get there.
But finally he was there. He climbed the porch steps, & reached up to ring the doorbell. As he did he turned briefly to look back behind him, & through the blowing snow he saw the receding figure of a man. It was his father who had followed him all the way just to make sure that he arrived safely at his destination.
I like that! I like the idea of a father who would allow his son to tackle something difficult on his own, but who at the same time would make sure to be there if he were needed. I think that’s one of the characteristics & evidences of real love.
You know, I’m convinced that each of us needs someone to watch over us, someone who really cares about us, someone who’ll celebrate with us in the great events of our lives, who’ll offer us a shoulder to cry on in seasons of sorrow, & encouraging words when we need them most.
PROP. With that in mind, listen to these words of Scripture found in 1 Peter 3:12, "… the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous & His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
I. HIS EYES ARE ON US
Did you hear that? The apostle Peter tells us that “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous..."
And Psalm 139:1-3 says, “O Lord, you have searched me & you know me. You know when I sit & when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out & my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. …
“If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. … (Vs’s 8-10)
“You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully & wonderfully made…” (Vs’s 13-14)
The writer of thast Psalm says that God knows us & loves us! He knows us even better than we know ourselves. And His eyes are upon us!
He is aware of the frustrations that weary us, the dreams we have dared to dream even when everyone else doubted, the fears that trouble us, & the joys that fill our hearts. He knows our disappointments, & the heartaches that have come our way. He knows us! You see, He created us, & He loves us.
And in the midst of all that complicates our lives - remember this simple but marvelous truth: "…the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous." And because they are, be assured also that “His ears are attentive to their prayer"
II. HIS EARS ARE OPEN TO US
ILL. Charles Swindoll, in his book “Stress Fractures,” tells about one time finding himself in a bind with just too many commitments & not nearly enough time in which to accomplish them. As a result, he became very nervous & tense.
"I was snapping at my wife & our children, rushing through my meals, & feeling irritated at any unexpected interruption during the day. Before long, things around our home started reflecting the pattern of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable.
"I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day. She began speaking rapidly, ’Daddy, I wanna tell you somethin’ & I’ll tell you really fast.’
"Suddenly realizing what my frustration was doing to her, I answered, 'Honey, you can tell me - & you don’t have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly.’ I’ll never forget her response: 'Then you listen slowly.’ (Bits & Pieces, June 24, 1993, Page 13-14)
Listen again, "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous & His ears are attentive to their prayer."
We can be sure that God is waiting for us to come to Him, to talk to Him, to lay before Him our goals, our dreams, our fears & our uncertainties!
ILL. John McArthur, in a sermon called, "Praying For The Right Things," said: "Sadly, the prayers of most Christians are directed toward the wrong stuff. … The prayers are often misdirected, short-sighted, & selfish.
“Christians typically pray for health & happiness & success. They pray for personal benefits. They pray for comfort. … They pray for a healed body, or a home, or food, or a job, or a car, a husband, a wife, a promotion, & more money.”
Now those things, while they certainly make up a big part of our lives, were very low on the Apostle Paul’s priority prayer list.
Listen as he tells the Christians in Thessalonica what he is praying about concerning them: "That is why we always pray for you, asking our God to help you live the kind of life He called you to live. We pray that with His power God will help you do the good things you want and perform the works that come from your faith." (2 Thessalonians 1:11 - The Answer)
In other words, he is telling them that he & Silas & Timothy are constantly praying for them – for them to be living lives pleasing to God, worthy of Christ’s sacrifice for them, & that God will be able to use their attitudes & actions as living witnesses of His love.
So not only are the eyes of the Lord on the righteous & His ears attentive to their prayer, Peter also says that the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
III. HIS FACE IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL
A. Now I can understand what it means when the Bible says that “His eyes are on us,” & that “His ears are open to us.” But what message is it trying to get across to us when it says that, “His face is against those who do evil”?
Is he saying that someday, when we’re all standing before the judgment seat, that those who have done evil will finally face the wrath of God & receive the punishment that they deserve?
Yes, there will be a judgment day. But that isn't what Peter is talking about in this passage of Scripture.
B. Think about what he is saying. “…the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous…” When? Right now. Right now He sees us, & watches over us, & cares for us.
And when are His ears open to us & attentive to our prayers? Once again, it’s right now. Again & again we have seen prayers answered – maybe not always the way that we would have desired – but God has answered our prayers.
He’s opened doors that were closed, healed bodies that were hurt, provided guidance when we didn’t know which way to turn, changed lives that were mired in sin, protected us, & brought joy into our lives. God does answer our prayers!
C. So I conclude that “the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” right now also, because there have been times that God has most definitely intervened in the course of human history on behalf of His people. And Jesus Himself taught us to pray, asking God to “…deliver us from evil.”
God delivered His people in miraculous ways from oppression & slavery in Egypt, & from the pursuing Egyptian army at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-28). God parted the Jordan River (Joshua 3:15-17) & flattened the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:20) as the Children of Israel entered the Promised Land.
And when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant, & put it on display in their cities as a sign of their God Dagon’s superiority over the God of Israel – God intervened again. In city after city God’s hand was heavy upon them & the Philistine cities were panic stricken.
1 Samuel 5:10-11 says, “… the people of Ekron cried out, ‘They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us & our people.’
"So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines & said, ‘Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place…’ For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy upon it.”
SUM. Again & again God intervened. From Gideon’s victory, to the death of 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in just one night when they were besieging Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:35); to Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6:16-23); & Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:19-20) - God’s power has been evident when His people cried out for His help.
And I believe that the God who did it then can do it now if He will.
D. In fact, I’m convinced that God intervened even in the formation of our nation. Our founding fathers, by & large, were praying people. And God answered their prayers. I truly believe that God has blessed & protected our land in many more ways than we will ever realize. For example:
ILL. On Aug. 27, 1776 - not long after the Declaration of Independence was signed, George Washington's Continental Army of 8,000 men found itself trapped at the water’s edge of the East River, near Brooklyn, NY.
20,000 of the finest battle-hardened British soldiers were poised to attack. Washington’s little army was trapped, & the Revolutionary War was going to be over almost before it had really begun.
But for some reason the British delayed their attack, possibly waiting for their fleet to sail up the river & close the trap. But suddenly, rains came & a strong northeast wind arose, preventing the fleet from sailing.
When night fell, Washington began to evacuate his army across the mile-wide river in small boats, a few men at a time, trying to save as many as he could.
As the light of morning approached, he knew that his boats would soon become easy targets for the British artillery.
But just as the sun arose, an unusually dense fog formed & visibility dropped to just 6 yards. The fog remained in place until the very last boat, carrying Washington himself, set off across the river.
Then it suddenly lifted, and the British were stunned to see the shore empty of men. Guns were fired at Washington's boat in the river, but it was out of range. And not a man of the Continental Army was lost!
Of course, we might consider that just a lucky break. After all, there’s no proof that God had anything to do with the sudden rains & wind & unusually dense fog.
But that is not what those Continental Army soldiers thought. Many of them kept diaries, & almost all of them attributed this "amazing coincidence" to the intervention & protection of God.
And that is just one of a series of amazing “coincidences” that occurred during the Revolutionary War. God has certainly blessed America!
But will God continue to bless America? Should He? God has said, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves & pray & seek my face & turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven & forgive their sin & will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Folks, it’s a time to be earnest in our prayers, & also in keeping our vows to God. Whether we acknowledge it or not, Isis has declared war against our nation. I’m convinced that the horrors occurring now in the Middle East are but previews of what they intend for us.
CONCL. If ever there was a time for fervent prayer, it is now. If ever there was a time when people of God should be united in prayer, it is now. So will you please bow your heads now with me as I pray?
“Oh Heavenly Father, we come to You this morning confessing that we are sinners, asking your forgiveness & seeking your direction & guidance in our lives.
Father, you have told us that your eyes are upon us, that you hear our prayers, & that your face is against those who do evil. These are dangerous times for our nation & the world, & there is rampant evil that blatantly proclaims its hatred for our nation & the freedoms that we hold so dear.
I pray for our leaders, that You give them the wisdom & courage they need to make the decisions that You would have them make – that which is ultimately the best for our nation & for the world.
I pray for the men & women of our armed forces, those who are & will be in the forefront of danger so that we, & our children, might live our lives free & unafraid.
I pray that you will frustrate those who plot evil, that their leaders will become confused, disoriented, & distrustful of each other. And that their entire scheme & structure of attacks will fall apart.
And Father, I even dare to pray that somehow, someway, these enemies will become aware of your deep & abiding love for them, even as you hate the evil that motivates their thoughts & actions.
May your Holy Spirit reach into their hearts & convict them of their sins, leading them to a saving knowledge of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Search us, O God, & know our hearts today. Try us & see if there be some wicked way in us. Cleanse us from every sin, & set us free. We pray this in Christ’s name, Amen.
INVITATION
