sermonette: Do We See What We Are Looking At?
Ronny H. Graham
Given 09-Oct-25; Sermon #FT25-03s; 26 minutes
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Oh, years ago while out deer hunting near our home in South Carolina, it was a cool morning as the sun began to rise above the sort of ravine. That I was down in and while scanning the hillside for a time, I saw a very faint flicker of white about 160-70 yards away. At first I did not think much of it. I thought perhaps it was a bird bird fluttering around, and the sunlight had caught the under part of their wings as they were flapping about. After turning around to get into a better position to focus on this area, a few minutes later I saw it again. What could it be? Now keep in mind I'm staring across this ravine into a patch of freshly planted pine trees with broom sedge grass about 3 ft tall, bright sunshine cresting the hill, illuminating the grass, making it very difficult to distinguish anything at that distance, especially a deer, which most likely wouldn't be tall enough to be seen over the grass. Now it was well into fall by then, so the grass as well had turned a bright orange, making it even more difficult to really see what it was. As I continued to stare until almost going cross-eyed, there now appeared to be two of these white things. Now by this time I deduced it certainly was not a bird because they would have flown away by now. What was it? That they finally being able To locate it in my rifle scope, it became clear that what it actually was was a pair of ears. And they were attached to a deer. The image became clear into my head. That what I was looking at was a deer in the tall grass with only the head sticking up. It was there all along, but I could not see it. So for the remainder of this sermonette, we are, are we seeing what we are looking at? Or perhaps what are we not seeing? Now this idea came to me a few months ago while listening to the song Hallelujah, and this particular version was composed by Leonard Cohen back in 1984. And was sung by Lucy Thomas. It's a good one on YouTube, Ted. Now let's begin with quite possibly one of the most familiar stories in all of the Bible. And that would be the story of David and Bathsheba. Let's turn to 2 Samuel, and we will just pick up a couple of scriptures there. In II Samuel 11. In verse 1 and 2. Samuel 11:12. Now it came to pass in the spring of the year at the time when kings go out to battle that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Reba. But David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing. And the woman was very beautiful to behold. Now as we read in verse one, this was the time of year that kings would be out. Go out to battle on a normal year, but this time David, for whatever reason stayed back in his house, sending Joab and the rest of the army to do the fighting. Maybe he was tired that year. Maybe he was getting older. Maybe he had seen Bathsheba before and was hoping for a better look. We just do not know, but in hindsight, I'm sure he wished that he had been out fighting with the rest of his men. Now verse 2 reads, then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed. And walked on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now the verse from the song adds suggests a few more details, and it says you saw her bathing on the roof. In her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you. Now what David Sa did indeed overthrow him, and he lost all control. But What was it that David did not see? Now let's consider another fellow. Who saw and he too was smitten just like David, and you can probably easily guess this one back in the book of Judges. And that story you can read that one on your own. It's the story of Samson. And it goes from like chapters 14 through 16. But in chapter 16 we find the story of Samson and Delilah. Back in chapter 14 and verse 1, we find that Samson saw a woman, and this first one would actually become his wife. Now two chapters later, we find that Samson saw a harlot. Now a time later, Samson fell for another woman by the name of Delilah. Now it's clear in reading the story that Delilah was a plant. And was only interested in what she could get by using Samson. She cared nothing for the man himself. Again looking back to the song Hallelujah, the next verse reads, Well, she tied you to a kitchen chair. She broke your throne and she cut your hair. From your lips she drew the hallelujah. Now it seems that the song in the song Mr. Cohen has tied the two stories together, but what I'd like to point out from the song here regarding Samson is that he was born with the highest calling possible in being born a Nazarite. And now the Nazarites would take a vow to fulfill a specific purpose God had planned for them. A very strict code to follow. And if you read them back in the book of Numbers, you'll find that Samson had already quite possibly broken most of them. But when Delilah finally. Found out the secret of his strength as the song says, from your lips she drew the hallelujah. She had taken away his ability to praise God. Now while the scripture doesn't use the word Saul in referring to Delilah, Samson had fallen into her trap. What was it that Samson did not see? Now let's consider another episode, a woman this time. Where she saw And this one is back in the Book of Genesis. Again, another very familiar story. Genesis chapter 3, and we will go ahead and read the 1st 6 verses to get the flow. Genesis 3 beginning in verse 1. Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field. Which the Lord had made, and he said to the woman, God has indeed has God deed and said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden. And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, you shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it lest you die. And the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die, for God knows that in the day that you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Now when the woman saw, who knows what was going through her mind as she was interacting with this serpent. Now this serpent was not a raging dragon or a frightening beast. Quite possibly what she saw is described back in the book of Ezekiel, and I do want to touch on that one, Ezekiel 28. We'll go back there and read 2 or 3 of these verses beginning in Ezekiel 28 in verse 12. Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of tire and say to him, thus says the Lord God, you were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was recovering the sardis, the topaz, the diamond, the barrel, the onyx, and jasper, sapphire and turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels was piped, was prepared for you on the day that you were created. You were the anointed care of who covers. I established you. You were on the holy mountain of God. You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created till iniquity was found in you. Now what is being described here is a magnificent being. Who was covered in all the finest jewels that God had created. What was going through Eve's mind as she watched this brilliant personage standing before her? Maybe he was the most beautiful creature at that time that she had ever saw. Surely he was from God, and he spoke with such intelligence and insight, and she was, as she was conversing with this beautiful creature in front of her, perhaps looking back and forth at this wonderful looking tree and this luscious looking fruit. Perhaps he appeared as an angel of light. Whispering in her ear, she saw the fruit and began to desire just to have a bite. Here's this beautiful being standing before her. This has to be the most beautiful tree in the garden. Nobody else is going to eat it. Why would God keep it from her? What possibly could be wrong with it. She saw that it was pleasant to the eyes and even could make one wise. What did she not see? Now we have one more of these. And if you haven't figured it out already, this one is quite clear back in the book of Matthew. What did all of these that we've just spoke of not see? Let's go back to Matthew 16. Matthew 16 and verse 21 through 23. From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests, scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, Far be it from you, Lord, this shall not happen to you. But he turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan. You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God. But of men Here is the very, it's very clear that Satan was right there beside Peter and even influencing his speech, but Peter could not see him. And at the time sequence is correct, it was only a few verses earlier, verse 16 actually, where Peter had just declared that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. Did Peter somehow think that he knew a better way to fulfill God's plan and God, who was right there in front of him? We might even say Peter did not see God or Satan. He was acting on his own will and his carnal nature. And had decided for himself what would be the right way to go. Even though he had spent the last 3 years plus years with Christ. Now while we tend to focus on the examples of those who messed up, let's consider some of those who were able to discern right from wrong and judge properly when they were tempted. Seeing exactly who was at work. The first one we find back in Genesis 39 by the name of Joseph. Assuming most of us know the story of Joseph. Who was sold into slavery by his brothers and taken down into Egypt. In Egypt, he was bought by one of Pharaoh's captains. And after God had shown favor to Joseph, Potiphar made him overseer of all that he owned. Now let's read a portion of this in Genesis 397-12. Beginning in verse 7, chapter 39, now it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, lie with me, but he refused and said to his master's wife, Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I. Nor has he kept back anything from me but you because you are his wife. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? So it was as she spoke to Joseph day by day that he did not heed to her, to lie with her, or to be with her, but it happened about this time when Joseph went into the house to do his work. None of the men were in the house, that she caught him by the garment, saying, Lie with me, but he left his garment in her hand and fled outside. Potiphar's wife had been after Joseph for some time. Then one day came. There was no one else around. She made her move. Joseph tried to tell her that her husband had placed everything under his trust. So much so only Joseph knew the extent of the man's wealth. After grabbing a hold of Joseph and trying to get him to give her what she wanted, what was Joseph's response? In verse 9, he says, how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? In verse 12 we find that she grabbed hold of him and tried to rip his clothes off, and Joseph, seeing clearly who was at work, got out of there. What did he do? He ran for his life, we might say, for his spiritual life. Now what did Joseph have in common with those who did succumb to the temptations of Satan? They all suffered for their sins, but Joseph, even though he did what was right in keeping the law of God, he too would suffer. And spent 24 years in prison. Sometimes doing what is right and it It is tough and it may get a lot harder after the fact. The difference with Joseph is that he never lost sight of God. Even though he went through prison for over 2 years, he endured to the end. And he was exalted. With the others, even though we can see God's grace being applied, they suffer greatly for their sin. Adam and Eve became homeless and naked and kicked out of the garden of God and cut off. David would lose a child, and his sin may have contributed to the destruction of much of his family. We know it was a mess. Samson lost his ability to see anything. Being blinded by the Philistines. He also would later lose his life. Because they failed to see what they were looking at, they brought suffering on themselves because of their sin. For Samson, it seems that he did not see Satan until he became physically blind. Rather ironic, it was then he began to focus on God. We should always test what we see, test what we hear, test the spirit so we can judge righteously and avoid the traps of Satan. Now Ali and I saw a commercial last week. We've been hearing a lot about AI. And this commercial at a Beautiful Woman, of course, and I, I have no clue what the advertisement was about, but Hollywood producers started calling this whoever made this film, and they wanted to hire this actress. She was completely fabricated. She was not real. There is a lot of distractions out there that we are going to have to face that are going to be. Sticking up their ugly heads. Now there is one more I'd like to mention, and this one clearly shows. That there most definitely had been a change in Peter and its back in the Book of Acts. Acts 5:1 through 5. Beginning in verse one. But a certain man named Ananias and Sahara, his wife sold a possession, and he kept back part of the proceeds. His wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostle's feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself. While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but God. Then Ananias here, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. Here we find that Ananias was boasting about how much money he and his wife were giving after selling a piece of land, and Peter this time saw right through him in his lies, asking Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart. Peter saw clearly who was at work here. I believe it was very clear to Peter remembering what Christ had called him out upon back in the garden. And to be aware of Satan's deceptions, and it seems that it was still clear to Peter as he wrote First Peter, as we will see in a minute. Now I'd like to try and tie a few things together and leave you with something hopefully. I'll just mention II Corinthians 11:14 where it says, For Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. Perhaps this is what Eve encountered in the garden when she was deceived. Now let's go to the the next one in 1 Peter. First Peter 5, we will just read verse 8. First Peter 5 and 8. Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary, the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The message Bible reads, Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The devil is poised to pounce and would like nothing better to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. The amplified Bible adds a few more choice adjectives saying be well balanced and self-discipline, alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion. Fiercely hungry seeking some one to devour. Now after doing a little research and thinking about this verse, I found that there was nowhere. A witness To a hungry lion walking about roaring. When he's on the prowl now I say this because after reading I Peter 5:8, we might think or make the assumption that we will certainly hear a lion. And we can take action and get away from them. One person said. If they roared while hunting, they would all starve to death because everyone would run well before they had a chance to pounce. I heard a lion one time in a zoo and it was very intimidating. It, it's one of those roars that'll make your hair stand up all over your body, not just on your neck. Now let's compare some of the things that David and Samson had saw. Sorry, Doctor Moss, bad grammar. Is it a mere coincidence that we find Samson faced 1000 Philistine soldiers and he killed them all? Is it a mere coincidence? That David faced a giant by the name of Goliath, and he never flinched, killing him and cutting off his head. There was no fear in these men facing armies, and was it a mere coincidence? That when they were faced with a charging lion. David killed his. Samson killed his. But what happened when that lion was a beautiful woman? They both turned into a puddle. Not seeing the danger, they did not see Satan and they were devoured. When Eve saw the beautiful fruit, she too did not see the prowling lion. And she and Adam became cut off from God. Peter too, after denying Christ, repented and never seemed to falter after that. Peter got it. Now why do we need to be concerned about Satan at God's feast? Aren't we here to observe the time when Satan will be bound and put away for a 1 1000 years? Indeed we are But that hasn't happened yet. Now what did the four people have in common? Rather than what happened to David Samson, Eve, and Peter was that Satan did not attack them in their strengths. He figured out their weaknesses, stalking them until he was ready to pounce and devour them. We are here to observe God's commanded feast in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. And this city is just like any other city of the world, and they probably have anything the world has to offer. We are here to rejoice. And feast on the blessings that God has blessed us with over the last year. And I do not want to be the bearer of bad news, but Satan hasn't been put away yet. And we have to remain sober. Keep a cool head. Stay alert, or Satan might just be the next scantily clothed person we see walking down the beach. He might be hiding in that next glass of wine that will cause us to drop our guard, putting us over the edge. He might be in that next piece of cake that will blow our sugar levels out of control or perhaps that 16 ounce T-bone that leads us to gluttony. You better believe Satan knows our weaknesses. And he's waiting and watching for the chance to pounce. Stay sober to his trickery and do not give him a chance. In reality, brethren, we are no match for Satan, and at any given time he could squash us like a grape. Just as well, brethren. He doesn't care about us in the least. But what he does care about is destroying what God had put in us. His Holy Spirit, you know, I never thought of it this way. Was this not what God's Holy Spirit put in Mary. Don't get me wrong, we are not Jesus Christ, but God has put Himself in us. What a great God we serve. That's what Satan wants to destroy. God in us, God's offspring, God's sons. We will close with one more scripture, and this one here has to be one of my favorites. I'm glad Richard did not make it to this one back in John 17. John 17 will read verse 20 through 23. John 17 beginning in verse 20. Now I'm breaking into the middle of the prayer, and I do not know another chapter in the Bible that Christ has more compassion for His disciples and us rather than we are in here. Beginning in verse 20 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. That they are, that they all may be one as you, Father, are in me, I in you, that they also may be one in us. That the world may believe that you sent me and the glory which you gave me, I have given them that they may be one just as we are one. I and them, you and me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them. You have loved them as you have loved me.
RHG/aws+/
Sermon Topics
The Gospel
