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Ralph
                          "Doc" Sherer
Ralph "Doc" Scherer, Pastor
A & D Biker Ministries

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February 6, 2012


"FIX YOUR EYES!"


Hebrews 12:2
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

When our daughter, Katie, was young she had what the eye doctors called "a lazy eye".  A muscle in one of her eyes was not quite strong enough to keep the eye looking straight ahead, so it would sometimes 'wander' and look off in a different direction than the other eye.  The doctor told us that when this would happen (whether we were playing, praying, eating, or whatever) to simply say, "Fix your eye."  By consciously refocusing her wandering eye, Katie could bring it back into alighnment with her other eye.  We were NOT being harsh or making fun of Katie when we'd say, "Fix your eye" (although I think that her brothers did enjoy immitating their daddy and, sometimes sternly saying, "Kathryn, fix your eye!").  We were extending grace to her . . . working to help her . . . because each time that she did "fix her eye", she was strengthening the weak muscle and helping it to eventually become as strong & straight as her other eye.  (By the way, the "fix your eye" routine DID WORK to correct the lazy eye !}

Perhaps no other Bible story better illustrates God's providential grace in our lives than the Old Testament story of Joseph.  Even in the most unlikely of times in Joseph's life, God WAS at work - using weak & unfair things in Joe's life to turn out o.k. for God's purposes.  (It took 13 years - fiiled with suffering, evil, injustice, and failures - but God remained faithfully at work in Joseph's life.)


A Review of Joseph's Life


As a teenager, Joseph clearly saw things of God that his brothers just could not see.  So, they sold him!  (Genesis 37)

As a slave in Egypt, Joseph refused to cheat with the wife of his Master.  So, she lied and put him in prison!  (Genesis 39)

As an inmate in prison, Joseph faithfully served and helped many others.  They forgot all about him!  (Genesis 49)

Remaining faithful to God, Joseph was made Governor of Egypt and prepared his country to be saved from famine.  This fulfilled God's purpose for his life!  (Genesis 41-50)


As we look at the life of Joseph, we see this TRUTH:
God IS able to work out His purpose . . . even through the sin,
failures, and blunders of human frailty!



NOTHING in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ is so accidental or incidental, so foolish or so evil, that God is not able to use it for His providential will.


Romans 8:28
"And we know that in all things God works
for the good of those who love Him,
who have been called according to His purpose."


An Optometrist will tell us that 20/20 is perfect vision.  People often say that hindsight is 20/20.  God, The Great Physician, has the final word . . . and He tells us (through Joseph's life) that "50/20" spiritual vision is the best vision!


Let's unpack what that means:

Genesis 50:15-21
15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?"  16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died:  17 'This is what you are to say to Joseph:  I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly,'  Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father."  When their message came to him, Joseph wept.  18  His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him.  "We are your slaves," they said.  19 But Joseph said to them,  "Don't be afraid.  Am I in the place of God?  20  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.  21 So then, don't be afraid.  I will provide for you and your children."  And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.


HOW DOES 50/20 SPIRITUAL VISION WORK?

50/20 Spiritual Vision Sees Beyond The Actions Of The Enemy (vs. 15-17b)

Joseph's brothers wanted him extinct; God wanted Joseph in Egypt!

Potiphar's wife wanted Joseph's sexy body; God wanted Joseph to be spiritually better!

The Chief Cupbearer forgot Joseph; God forged ahead for Josheph!

Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of his palace; God gave Joseph HIS plan!


The guys' father, Jacob, is dead.  The time for mourning is past.  Joseph & his brothers are back from the funeral in Canaan.  The brothers were afraid.  They wonder, will Joseph seek revenge?  So, they made up a story:  "This is what dad said before he died . . . have mercy on your brothers."  Isn't it interesting that they had already been forgiven (Genesis 45:1-15), but they still carried their guilt.  (Have you been there?)  Only Joe could relieve their anxiety, and only Jesus can relieve ours!

The Enemy of our soul intends to harm us (even with false guilt),
but God intends His good plan to be accomplished!



50/20 Spiritual Vision Helps Us To Respond From Our Heart (vs. 17c -21)

When Joseph heard the message from his brothers, look how he responds from his HEART and not his head:

Joseph wept.  (He was deeply hurt that his brothers thought that he would hurt them!)

Joseph wanted faith from his brothers, not fear!

Joseph refused to take advantage of his brothers with his God-given superior position in life!

Joseph confronted and comforted his brothers with TRUTH!

The HEART that knows God is at work - no matter how frustrating / tragic / evil / or painful the circumstances - is a heart that responds in love, longsuffering, and forgiveness.



50/20 Spiritual Vision Watches . . . As God Fulfills The Dream He's Given!

To live out God's plan / dream for our lives, we must have 50/20 vision.  That only happens when we have:

A YEILDED SPIRIT
- we are visionary but not unrealistic / optimistic but not offensive.


Some will say, "God does NOT need our sins, mistakes, and blunders . . . or the sins that others commit against us . . . in order to work out His plans and purposes."  Of course He doesn't.  But in this sinful and imperfect world, those are about all the materials that God has to work with!


A FORGIVING SPIRIT - a resentful, revengeful heart will never be able to see God at work in all things.  That is a vision which is bound by grief and blind to God!  FORGIVE!


A TRUSTING SPIRIT - a resentful, revengeful heart will never be able to see God at work in all things.  That is a vision which is bound by grief and blind to God!  FORGIVE!

Philippians 1:6
God is the one who began this good work in you,
and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete
on the day that Christ Jesus returns.


We don't need 20/20 eyesight . . . we need 50/20 vision!


50/20
VISION SAYS:

"This may have been meant for evil
(to harm me), but God is going to use it for His good!"  LET JESUS . . . "FIX YOUR EYE!"






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