Seeing the Unseen

Mark Dunagan
11/21/10 - Sunday Morning

Seeing the Unseen

C.S. Lewis said that we believers should say, “Jesus Christ was raised from the dead” in the same matter-of-fact way that we say “I saw a crocus yesterday”. One year it will be the last November. Jesus is coming back again. On that day everyone will see what was true all along – that the supernatural world is as close to you as the person who is right now sitting on the other side of your door. There is perfect continuity between the seen and the unseen worlds. This is evidenced over and over again throughout the Bible, as “causes” in the spiritual world have “effects” in the material world, and vice versa(Andree Seu, “A Crocus and a Resurrection”, 11-8-2010, Worldmag.com).

Of course, finally waking up at the last day and realizing that everything that the Bible said is true, will be too late (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). I must work on seeing the unseen right now, and this is not an impossible task, for the Bible says that many have been able to live this way:

• “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things we are not seen” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
• “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
• “He was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). “Considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen” (Hebrews 11:26-27).

Seeing The Handiwork of God in Creation

• “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1).
• “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made” (Romans 1:20).

I can easily tell by looking at this world, that it is no accident. So can many others. Here is a sampling of what scientists have discovered about our planet and solar system:

• Oxygen comprises 21 percent of the atmosphere. It if were 25 percent, fires would erupt, if 15 percent, human beings would suffocate.
• If the universe was expanding at a rate of one millionth more slowly than it is, the temperature on earth would be 10,000 degrees.
• If there was even a slight variation in the speed of light, this would alter everything else, and there would be no life on earth.
• If Jupiter was not in its current orbit, the earth would be bombarded with space material. Instead, Jupiter acts like a giant vacuum cleaner, and attracts asteroids and comets that otherwise would hit us.
• If the centrifugal force of planetary movements did not precisely place the gravitational forces, nothing could be held in orbit around the sun.
• If the gravitational force were altered by 1 part in 10 to the 40th power, the sun would not exist.
• If the thickness of the earth’s crust was greater, too much oxygen would be transferred to the crust to support life.
• If the rotation of the earth took longer than 24 hours, temperature differences would be too great between night and day. If the rotation were shorter, atmospheric wind velocities would be too great.

Seeing the Answer to Our Prayers

The Bible affirms that God hears and answers prayer (Psalm 65:2; Proverbs 15:8). The apostles considered prayer to be so important, that they were involved in praying as much as they were involved in teaching or preaching (Acts 6:4). God has the ability to respond to a prayer even before we are done praying (Daniel 9:20-21 “While I was still speaking in prayer”). In the book of Revelation we find that it is the prayers of God’s people which alter things on the earth (Revelation 6:9-10; 8:3-5). I have simply seen too many of my own prayers answered to dismiss prayer as nothing more than just talking to myself or just coincidence. It is simply amazing to realize that we have the ability to speak words even while driving a car, that will change the course of history.

Seeing the Effect of Rebellion

“The way of the treacherous is hard” (Proverbs 13:15). “The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it. Wounds and disgrace he will find” (Proverbs 6:32-33). “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who as contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine” (Proverbs 23:29-30). “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8). “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9).

There are too many Bible verses that we see played out or proven on a daily basis. Over and over again, we actually get to see with our own eyes what happens when people ignore the reality of the spiritual realm. We see both the impact of sin on the ordinary people and the elite, the small and the great. In addition, one study after another has confirmed the correlation between “faith” and overcoming adversity, “faith” and recovering from disease or surgery, “faith” and marital happiness, and “faith” and a general sense of well-being.

The Impact of One Sinner

“But one sinner destroys much good” (Ecclesiastes 9:18). It was Cain who killed his brother and started an ungodly line of people, it was Achan who brought trouble on Israel, it was Jehu who set up idolatry in the Northern Kingdom, it was Ahab who brought Jezebel to Israel, it was Manasseh would did so much damage in Judah, and in modern times, two world wars would basically started by the actions either one individual or a small group. The First World War was triggered by the assassination on June 28th, 1914 of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. So when someone tries to say, “How does my sin affect anyone” – I say, a world war was started because of the sinful choice of one person!

The Changed Lives of the Saved

• “And all those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, ‘Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name.” (Acts 9:21).
• The New Testament is filled with the changed lives of people who walked away from sins that some today say are impossible to leave (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Peter 4:1-6).
• I personally know too many people from all different backgrounds to deny the power of the gospel (Romans 1:16). I have seen it in my own life and in the lives of hundreds of others.

Therefore, Do Not Be Ashamed

“The problem is that we have a tendency to speak of the supernatural in a weird way, especially in the company of unbelievers. I think the explanation is nothing more esoteric than embarrassment. Jesus said that if we are ashamed of Him before people, He will be ashamed of us before His Father (Luke 9:26). This is a very sobering statement; He does not soften it at all. Yet how many times have we toned down our profession before folks we esteemed, especially the intellectual crowd. We say ‘God’ rather than ‘Jesus’ because it is slightly more acceptable in society. We do not deny the faith outright but it is somehow not as sharp and clear as it ought to be. My desire is to stop denying Christ in subtle ways, and be able to say to anyone I converse with – the intellectual or scullery maid – that ‘Jesus Christ was raised from the dead’” (Andree Seu).

• “Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before me, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).
• “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me... but join with me in suffering for the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:8).
• God even expects us to not be ashamed and to confess Christ even when we are surrounded by much opposition (Philippians 2:15).

Who Should Be Ashamed

• People who have never taken the time to read the Bible! Hey – the Creator has spoken, show some interest and respect!
• People who do not take the time to worship the God who brought them into existence.
• People who read the Bible yet remain unimpressed or deny its obvious inspiration and truthfulness.
• People who read the Bible looking for mistakes, contradictions, some loophole or way out.
• People who bail on God when the going gets tough.
• People who let a handful do the hard work and fight the battles for the souls of men.
• People who know the truth – and yet keep it hidden.
• People who hear others speak the truth and do not come to their aid.
• People who do not pass on the truth they were handed to the next generation.
• People who choose to live selfishly rather than a life that reflects gratitude.
• People who love things and use people, rather than using things and loving people.
• People who live for the moment rather than lifting their eyes toward eternity.
• People who fill their pockets by multiplying and making more accessible the evil in this world.

Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net