A sermon by an anonymous Midland Seventh-day Adventist Church member

Presented August 5, 2000

SCRIPTURE: I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved....Thou wilt shew me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Psalms 16:8, 11.

May the Lord grant His blessings upon this message.

You're on your way to work one day and suddenly you see it, the bass boat. The neighbor's deluxe bass boat. The one that you have watched and admired for three summers. The deluxe bass boat! It has a sign in the window: "For Sale." You have often imagined having such a boat. A gravitational tug of temptation lures your car to the curb. You get out and walk toward your dream glistening in the sun. You run your finger along the fiberglass pausing only to wipe the drool from your chin. That's SEEING the boat. You see not just a craft, but you see a summer day. You see glassy waters. You see a bass coming out of the lake. You SEE the boat. Sometimes we see something and sometimes we SEE something.

Like the time you saw him, when he came into the Algebra class. Oh, you'd seen him before, but only in your dreams. Now he is really here. Just enough swagger to be handsome. Just classy enough to be irresistible, but not too cocky. Smart enough to be appealing but not so smart to be a nerd. Right in there where you want him to be. Forget Algebra today! He is three seats in front of you and for the next 55 minutes you are going to dedicate yourself to memorizing every lock and curl on his head. You SEE him.

We've all fixed our eyes on a person or an object. There are times when we observe, and there are times when we memorize. There are times when we notice, and there are times when we study. Most of us know what it means to see a new boat or a new boy ... but do we know what its' like to see Jesus? What would happen, is my question this morning. What would happen, if we fixed our eyes on Christ? Have you ever done it?

The shepherds did. For them the angels were not enough. It was not enough to see the angels, although that was nothing to sneer at. All of a sudden the sky is full of singing angels, and "Glory to God in the highest!" The blackness is interrupted by light. The stillness is interrupted by motion. What they saw that night was pretty remarkable.

But it wasn't enough! They had to see not just the angels but they had to see the one who sent the angels. So one of those men of the pasture turned to another and said, "Let's go ... Let's see." Let's go to Bethlehem and let’s see what this thing is. (Luke 2:15) They wanted to see with their own eyes. They weren't content just to hear about it they wanted to see about it; and as a result, isn't it curious, that when you trace the line of people who sought to see Jesus, you find at the head, a group of shepherds.

And you find, not far behind them, a curious fellow by the name of Simeon. Luke chapter 2 tells us Simeon was a good man, a godly man, who worked in the temple during the time of Christ's birth. Luke also tells us, "Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he saw the Christ promised by the Lord." Prophecy was fulfilled only days after the shepherds saw Jesus. Simeon enters the temple and sees a family presenting their firstborn son before the priest. He "is deeply impressed that the infant being presented to the Lord is the One he has longed to see ... He takes the child in his arms and presents it to God, while a joy that he has never before felt enters his soul." (DA 55)

But, when he saw Jesus that was enough. Some people dream of seeing the world before they die. Simeon's dream was not so timid. He dreamed of seeing the maker of the World, before he died. Once he saw Jesus, this is what he said. Luke 2:29, 30 "God, you can now release your servant." I have achieved my fondest dreams. "Release your servant in peace as you promised. With my own eyes I have seen your salvation" You see some see, and some SEE.

The Magi saw. Like the shepherds, they weren't content with what they saw in the sky. Like Simeon they would not retire from their journey until they had seen him! They saw a star in the sky, that was impressive, but that wasn't enough. So they saddled their camels; and they traveled. They were determined that their journey would not end until they saw him! And when they saw him Matthew says "they worshiped him." What an incredible sight for these men of affluence and power to kneel before the toddler and remove their crowns and give him gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense. They wanted to SEE him. It wasn't enough to see the light over Bethlehem; they had to see the Light of Bethlehem. It was him they came to see. Like Simeon and the shepherds they were determined to see him. And as impressive as the diligence of their search was the success of their search.

Whether they came from the pasture or the palace, whether they lived in the temple or among the sheep, whether their gift was of gold or honest surprise ... they were welcomed.

It is incredible that they wanted to see Jesus, it's even more incredible that Jesus wanted to be seen. The success ratio of those in the Bible who sat out to see Jesus and those who see Jesus is one to one! Everyone who seeks him finds him!

There were many in those days who didn't seek him. Herod didn't seek him! The people in Bethlehem didn't seek him. The priests in the temple didn't seek him, they preferred to read about him. The ratio of those who don't seek him, compared to those who do seek him, is thousands to one, then and still. But the ratio of those who seek him and those that find him is what? (One to one.) That's because our God wants to be seen! He is not running from us; he is running toward us. Long before the words were written in Hebrews 11: 6 this promise was proven: God ... rewards those who truly want to find him" He rewards those!

I can't promise you that if you are diligently seeking to be President of our Nation that you will be rewarded. I can't promise you that if you are seeking the hand of a young lady that you will be rewarded. But, I can assure you that if you seek Christ, you will find him. You, like the shepherds, will be rewarded! They ran back into the fields praising God. The wise men returned to their homeland with a new vision for life. Simeon was ready to die. They were rewarded!

So was John and so was Andrew. Remember Andrew and John? They weren't content to be disciples of John the Baptist. They weren't content just to hear about Jesus through the teaching of the cousin of Jesus. Most would have been content to serve in the shadow of the world's most famous evangelist. What better teacher could you have? Well, there was only one! And when John the Baptist saw him coming he said "Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world" and you know what John and Andrew did. They said, Good by John the Baptist, hello Jesus! And they approached Jesus and they make a request of him.

What would your request be, if you could ask Jesus for anything? Their request was not, "could you give us a minute, or could you give me your opinion or could you give me a miracle. Their request was could you give me your address. Here's how they said it; John 1:38, "where are you staying?" We want to know where you are. One minute won't due, and hour is not enough. I want to hang out with you! I want to sit on the porch swing with you. I just want to be with you. I want to see you. You see there are certain things that an interview won't due and a cousin can't tell you. There are certain things that you have to find out on your own. If you want to see him, you have to SEE him! Sometimes it is not enough to hear what the preacher says or read what the author writes. You've got to see him. You want to see what caused his head to turn and his heart to burn and his soul to yearn. They wanted to study his eyes and follow his steps. They wanted to see him. They wanted to know what made him laugh and if he ever got tired. And most of all, they wanted to know, Could Jesus be who John said he was---and if he is, what on earth is God doing on the earth? You can't answer such a question by talking to his cousin; you've got to talk to the man himself.

You have got to seek him and "God rewards those who seek him".

Ask, Seek, Knock.

ASK and it will be answered

SEEK and you will find

KNOCK and the door will be opened to you.

After they asked where are you staying Jesus response is "Come and see." (v 39) He didn't say, "Come and glance," or "come and peek." He said, "Come and see." Bring your bifocals and binoculars. Open your eyes and SEE me! Study me. This is no time for side-glances or occasional peeks. Hebrews 12:2 says "Let us fix our (eyes) on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."

The fisherman fixes his eyes on the bass boat. The girl fixes her eyes on the hunk in the algebra class. The disciple fixes his or her eyes on Jesus.

That's what Matthew did. You remember Matthew, He was a tax collector before he was a gospel writer. He had a table that he sat at on the street where he collected taxes. He had an impressive resume but the people knew that whatever he could collect over what Rome wanted he kept. "A Jew who accepted this office at the hands of the Romans was looked upon as betraying the honor of his nation. He was despised as an apostate, and was classed with the vilest of society." (DA 272) Nobody liked Matthew! Everybody avoided his table. Everyone that is, except Jesus. "Jesus saw in this man a heart open for the reception of truth. Matthew had listened to the Saviour's teaching. As the convicting Spirit of God revealed his sinfulness, he longed to seek help from Christ; but he was accustomed to the exclusiveness of the rabbis, and had no thought that this Great Teacher would notice him." (Desire of Ages, p. 272). Matthew 9:9 says Jesus went right up to the table and said "Follow me," and Matthew did! He "left all, rose up, and followed Him." "There was no hesitation, no questioning, no thought of the lucrative business to be exchanged for poverty and hardship. It was enough for him that he was to be with Jesus. That he might listen to His words, and unite with Him in His work."

And in the very next verse after the call to follow Jesus we find "Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house." Don't you like the heart of Matthew? A curbside conversion couldn't satisfy his heart, so Matthew took Jesus home. Something happens over a dinner table that doesn't happen on the street. Matthew wanted to talk to Jesus. He wanted to really get to know him! He wanted more than a once a week encounter; he wanted to be in the presence of Jesus and Matthew spends an evening getting to know him.

The giving of the invitation is impressive, but the acceptance is more so. Didn't matter to Jesus that Matthew had prospered by the proceeds of extortion. What did matter was that Matthew wanted to know HIM, and God rewards those who earnestly want to find him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Jesus tells John and Andrew, you come to my house. He tells Matthew I'll come to your house.

We get the impression that if anybody asks, He appears? And he likes to be with his children.

You may say, it's only logical that Jesus would spend time with Matthew, he will write the first book of the New Testament. And John and Andrew, sure, he's going to spend time with them! But, he doesn't want to spend time with me, after what I've done, after my past, after the thoughts I've about him. He wouldn't spend time with me! He spends time with the big guys, not the little guys, like me.

May I counter that, with one of what could be many examples. Zacchaeus wasn't a big guy. He was really a little fellow. So small he couldn't see over the crowd that lined the street the day Jesus came to Jericho. Since he was a tax collector, like Matthew, and disliked, like Matthew, he wouldn't elbow up to the front of the crowd. Can you see him at the back of the crowd? J-u-m-p-i-n-g! Trying to look over the crowd. He was determined that he would not let the day pass without seeing Jesus. It wasn't enough to stand at the back of the crowd. It wasn't enough to listen to someone else describe the parade or the Messiah. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus with his own eyes. He saw a tree and suddenly he shimmied up that tree. He said, "I'm going to see Jesus!" In a very real sense Zacchaeus goes out on a limb to see the Saviour. When is the last time you climbed a tree to see someone in a parade? May I ask a question. What would you do, to see Jesus? How far out on a limb would you go? Honestly. How far would you go?

You see the shepherds turned their back on the pasture, John and Andrew turned away from a very good teacher. The wise men went out on a bizarre search. Simeon said, "I'm not going to die until I see him." Matthew and Zacchaeus turned their back on their career. They all left something so they could see him and they were all rewarded.

Is there an example of someone who came into the presence of Jesus and did not see him and consequently was not rewarded, absolutely!

Three of the four gospels tell the story. One calls him rich, one calls him young, one calls him a ruler. We call him, "the rich young ruler." Unlike Zacchaeus, the crowd parted to make room for him. Matt 19:16 tells us "there came one running, and kneeled to Him and asked a question". "Teacher, what good thing must I do to have life forever?" Bottom line sort of fellow. No time for formalities or conversations. Let's get right to the issue. "Tell me how I can get saved, and I'll leave you alone." Jesus tells him to keep the commandments, which he said he did. And we know he couldn't. Then Jesus told him to sell all that he had and come be with me. And the rich young ruler, turned and walked away, sad. He didn't want the teacher, he just wanted an answer to the quiz. He didn't want to be with Him he just wanted a favor. He wanted to be saved but he didn't want to be with the Saviour. See the difference? He wanted that part of his life safe so he could be on with the rest of it. But he didn't want to live with the Saviour.

Christ read the ruler's heart. Only one thing he lacked, but that was a vital principle. "He needed the love of God in the soul." (Desire of Ages, p. 519.)

"Every soul is tested as to whether the desire for temporal good or for fellowship with Christ is strongest." (Desire of Ages, p. 273.)

Matthew wanted to know him

The shepherds wanted to see him.

Simeon wanted to see him.

Andrew and John wanted to know him.

The rich young ruler just wanted something from him.

That is not acceptable with God! He wants to be with us.

May I conclude with a challenge. I want to challenge you to start today with a new quest. I want to challenge you to fix your eyes upon Jesus. I am convinced that Hebrews 11:6 is true which says, "God ... rewards those who seek him."

Maybe you have been seeking him all your life. I urge you to continue. Maybe you have never sought him. I urge you to begin. Regardless of where you have been, He will start today, and He will reveal to you an understanding of him such as you have never anticipated before. He welcomes you on a great journey. There is more of Him that he wants to reveal to you. He is not finished with you yet. If you are still breathing he still has something to teach you. He wants you to see Him and He wants you to be with him. You see his goal is to transform us into his likeness and that begins with us seeing him. He wants you to be like him!

He has things He wants to change in you and reveal to you so you can see Him better. You are still enrolled in His school. If you are active or not, is up to you; but you are still enrolled. He is still revealing himself to you. I urge you to seek Him. I am not asking that you seek religion or philosophy, I am not asking that you seek a minister or theology. I'm saying seek him! Fix your eyes upon Him. Ask the Father to help you see him.

This passage I keep referring to Hebrews 11:6, every time you look at a different translation you understand it from a different light. The New International Version says, "God ... rewards those who earnestly seek him," earnest in their search. Phillips translation, "those who search for him." The Living Bible says, "those who sincerely look for him." Another, "those who truly want to find him," and I like the King James Version, "He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him".

Those like Zacchaeus who will go out on a limb.

Those like Matthew, who will turn their back on their career.

Those like the shepherds, who say I have to see him with my own eyes.

I want to challenge you to diligently seek him. How do you do that?

"Diligently," what a great word. Be diligent in your search. Be hungry in your quest, relentless in your pilgrimage. Don't be satisfied with angels. Content with stars in the sky. Seek him out as the shepherds did. Long for him as Simeon did. Worship him as the wise men did. Do as John and Andrew did, ask for his address. Do as Matthew, invite Jesus into your home. Imitate Zacchaeus. Risk whatever it takes to see Jesus.

On the practical level. What must you do?

#1 Look upward for help. Ask God to help you. If you are like me, sometimes I find it hard to spend time with my Bible and with Christ. And when I do, I find it is important to ask God to help me feel my dryness and give me a longing for the water or to make me hungry again. Say to God, "It's been a long time since I have felt a hunger for you. Create it within me." Ask that he give you the desire for THE WATER. Ask Him to give you a hunger for him like that of Isaiah. "My soul longs for you in the night. In the morning my spirit longs for you." Isaiah 26:9. Or, use David's prayer recorded in Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a pure heart O God. Renew a steadfast spirit within me."

If you ask Him to make you hungry for Him, he will make you hungry. You can be absolutely certain that prayer will be answered! Why? Because he told us in 1 John 5:14-15 "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.." Do you think it agrees with God that you want Him more? Absolutely! So ask Him and he will reveal more of himself to you and you will know more next week than you do today. Tell Him it is not enough what I had yesterday I want to know more today. Ask for the manna daily. Like the manna he gave of old. It wasn't enough for a week, it had to be obtained daily. Tell Him, Lord I appreciate what you gave me yesterday but I need more today. Ask Him to reveal something new about Him everyday.

#2 You must look away from sin. 2 Timothy 3:2 says, "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" ... and the list goes on.

Each of us know the short-comings in our own life. If we don't know, ask! He will reveal them. He reveals them gently, he reveals them lovingly.

"A man cannot serve two masters!" Our God is a jealous God. He loves us and wants to be with us!

HE ACCEPTS US RIGHT WHERE WE ARE, BUT HE DOESN'T WANT TO LEAVE US THERE! He couldn't love you more. We have a God who wants to be us. He wants to change you! You must deal seriously with any false love in your heart. Ask God to set you free.

Get serious about being a pure vessel for God. Don't let anyone discourage you when you have a desire to do something for God. Be a vessel for God. Let him speak to you and let him use you.

#3 Look only to Jesus. Spanish explorers when reaching a new territory would often shoot flaming arrows into the sky to land on the deck of their ships, then watch their ships burn so they could set their eyes only on the new land. Sometimes you just have to cut the ropes to the past! Look only to Him. Don't be satisfied with anything else!

Look only to Jesus, the one who began our faith and made it perfect! Jesus said I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry, whoever comes to me will never be thirsty.

Is it worth it? And what is the reward?

Well the shepherds returned to the fields rejoicing. Simeon was ready to die. The wise men went back to their land having seen Christ. John, Andrew, Matthew and even Zacchaeus got a new start on life because they saw him.

I recall the story of a priest who went to visit a dying man. The priest went into the man's room and saw an empty chair near the bed and asked if the man was expecting company. The dying man smiled weakly and said, "No, that is just the chair that I save for my friend Jesus. He comes and sits and talks to me and I talk to him. The priest thought that odd but marked it off as the sentiments of a dying man. A few days later the man did die. The daughter called the priest to prepare for the funeral and as they made the arrangements. In the course of their conversation she said, it was curious because, "When they found my father, after he had passed away, they said he had lifted his head off the pillow and had died with his head resting on the chair at the bedside. That's the kind of Jesus we serve. Not some cold doctrine or theology but one who will take us in our darkest hours and cradle our heads on his lap. That's the kind of Jesus we serve. The One who said "Come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." The One came to be just like us so He could transform us to be just like Him.

What awaits those who see Jesus? Nothing short of the heart of Jesus. "And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him. (2 Corinthians 3:18.)

From the pen of inspiration, Ellen White records in Steps to Christ, p. 72, "When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself. Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie, to choose to separate ourselves from Christ. Here is where we need to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another master; for we are always free to do this. But let us keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, and He will preserve us. Looking unto Jesus, we are safe. Nothing can pluck us out of His hand. In constantly beholding Him, we "are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18.)

Can you think of a greater gift, than to be like Jesus? To see with his eyes, hear with his heart, to reach out to others with his hands ... To be like Jesus ... Christ felt no guilt; God wants to banish yours, Jesus had no bad habits God wants to remove yours. Jesus had no fear of death. God wants you to be fearless. Jesus had kindness for the diseased and mercy for the rebellious and courage for the challenges. God wants you to have the same.

"He loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus" May God bring that change about in our lives.