I don't know how God names the world on nothing Or how he keeps the planets each in place I cannot count the sands upon the seashore, nor can I count the stars that float in space, but God can do what is impossible. God controls eternity. My mind can never comprehend it, but God in heaven cares for me. I don't know how the Lord can save a sinner, or how His grace can cleanse and set him free. I can't explain the mystery of Calvary To think that Jesus died for even me But God can do what is impossible God controls eternity My mind can never comprehend it, but God in heaven cares for me. I don't know the meaning of forever, or just how long it's been since time began. I can't explain how Christ, who is eternal, could come to earth and die for sinful men. But God can do what is impossible. God controls eternity. My mind can never comprehend it. But God in heaven cares for me. 7 billion people in the world. And Jesus knows who I am, where I live, what my burdens are, what time I got up, what I ate. You know, stop and think about it. It's pretty amazing what God has done. He's the God of the impossible. He cares for us. His creation is incredible. He is incredible. And His power is infinite. And that has a lot to do with what we're going to look at today. Right? We're at 2 Kings chapter 6. 2 Kings chapter 6. And our text, again, begins at verse 8. Have you ever had a secret you didn't want anybody to know about? Maybe, especially as a kid, maybe in the context of what I'm thinking about, you know, you had this secret nobody knows about, you don't want anybody to know about it, and you go to somebody, and somebody says, before you can say anything, what your secret is, and you say, what? Who told you? Right? Who told you? Well, there's a guy, the Bible says, in the Bible, that reveals secrets. Daniel said that. Daniel, in chapter 2, verse 28, said, there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets. And in our story this morning, God is the one that revealed to the prophet, the man of God, a secret that the king of Syria had. And so, verse 8, it says, Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servant, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. Okay, it's a secret. Don't let anybody know about it. Why? Because they're going to attack Israel. They're going to take the King of Israel. When the King of Israel comes by this place, they're going to capture him or they're going to attack from that position and take him. And so he says to his advisors or to his men, basically, shh, hush. I mean, this is what we're going to do. Don't let anybody know about it. But there was a man of God to whom God revealed the secret. Verse 9. The man of God said unto the King of Israel, saying, Beware, that thou pass not such a place, for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there not once nor twice. Okay, so I'm not sure how many times this happened, but the Bible says it wasn't one time, it wasn't two times, it was more than that, that this took place. Therefore, the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing. And he called his servants and said unto them, will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? So he calls his guys and says, OK, guys, who is it? Who told? Somebody's telling the secret. OK, we know it's God. The story is clear about how the secret's being made known. But this unsaved, unrighteous king says, surely somebody is telling. Well, his servants actually know what's going on. Verse 12. One of his servants said, None, my lord, O king, but Elisha, the prophet that's in Israel. Telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he's in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses and chariots and great hosts. And they came by night and compassed the city about. Why is he so interested in Elisha? Well, all his battle plans are going awry because this man of God is having a secret revealed to him. He's telling it to the king of Israel and the king of Syria every time is thwarted from doing what he desires to do in his front in Israel. And so he says, my number one target now is the one that's revealing the secret. It's Elisha. So I'm going to encompass the city of Dothan about, and I'm going to capture him. So he sends a huge army to get him, obviously knowing, I guess, that Elisha's going to know he's coming, right? And they came by night and encompassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, and host competes the city, both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, alas, my master, how shall we do? There are times in life where the situation that we find ourselves in seems overwhelmingly impossible. The servant walks out, he sees what is there, he finds himself in a situation where he just feels overwhelmed by it. He thinks, what can we do about this? But we rejoice this morning, as we've already thought about a little bit, that we serve a God who specializes in things thought impossible. I changed the words when I was saying that. The chorus is, but God can do what seems impossible. I actually had sung, what? But God can do what is impossible. Why? Because it is impossible with men. There's nothing impossible to God, because God is God. But there are things that legitimately are things that we look at and say, you know, this is impossible. It's impossible. I mean, I've tried. It doesn't work. It's not possible. That's where this servant was. But God specializes in things thought impossible, as Oscar Elias said. said in his gospel chorus, Got Any Rivers? Where this chorus came from is back in the days of digging the Panama Canal, they had a kind of a theme poem that became a theme song to them, and it was about their ability to do basically the impossible. He took it and he changed the words we into God and he. And here's what it says. God any rivers you think are uncrossable, God any mountains you cannot tunnel through, God specializes in things thought impossible, and He can do what no other power can do. Children of Israel standing up at the Red Sea, if somebody had said, hey by the way, you're going to cross this on dry land, they would have said, impossible. No way. That's why they're in despair as they get to the Red Sea. There's nowhere to go and they're trapped. Impossible. But we know God parted the sea. Jesus walking on water. Nobody would have thought that was possible. You ever tried? It's kind of funny, isn't it? I mean, think about it. Jesus walked on water. You know, I guess, you know, Peter was... I like Peter. Peter kind of said what he thought, and then he said, Lord, did you bid me come? Right? And he said, come. And Peter walked on water. For a little while. Impossible. It's not possible to walk on water. You know that. But it's possible with God. feeding the 5,000 from a little lunch that a lad had that was there with that group, impossible without God. And so this morning we rejoice that God said it's impossible, God can do anything. As another gospel chorus says, It says, God can do anything, anything, anything. God can do anything but fail. He's the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He's the fairest of 10,000 to my soul. God can do anything, anything, anything. God can do anything but fail. He can save, He can cleanse, He can keep, and He will. God can do anything but fail. God is not up in heaven today looking at modern society anxious about what He can or cannot do. God can do anything. He's not burdened about our desire to see souls saved, lives changed, revival, victory over sin, provision for a bill, anything that we've got in our lap this morning that we look at and say, that's big. God is not bothered by that. God can do anything. Jehovah God said to Sarah, In Genesis 18 verse 14, is anything too hard for the Lord? And the answer rhetorically is no. There's nothing too hard for the Lord. Jesus said to his disciples about the rich man and his inability to get saved. Jesus beheld them and said unto them, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. And so to return to our story in the servant that's in a panic, why is he panicked? He's panicked because although God is prepared to help, his eyes can't see the fact that God is there ready to help. And until he sees that, he's in a panic. He needs his eyes open. And so in our text, Elisha prays. and he asks God to open the eyes of his servant. What I want to preach on this morning is we need to pray and ask God to open our eyes. Are we panicking or are we anticipating God's deliverance? I mean, do we see it? Do we see what God is able to do and who God is and that he's with us in his power? Are our eyes open this morning? And so, again, the message this morning is just, it's a prayer to God. God, open our eyes. God, open our eyes. And our text, again, when we come back to it, begins in verse 16 of 2 Kings chapter 6. Let's pray. Father, I pray that the Spirit of God would help us this morning, not to look through the physical eye, because the physical eye is deceived. Father, but to look at it through the eye of faith, and to see as it really is. By so many things, if we saw them as they really are, it would change our life. The prophet of God wasn't anxious, he wasn't bothered, he was full of faith, he was ready to go. He was ready to have an incredible victory because he could see what this young man or this servant couldn't see. And so I pray this morning, Lord, open our eyes. And I pray your help with sacrifice. I pray the Spirit of God guide and direct us as we consider this your word. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Open our eyes so that we are not afraid. Okay, we're asking God, God open our eyes. We're going to get several points about that. But God, God open our eyes so that we are not afraid. Because verse 16 says, the answer, fear not. Because the servant could not see what the man of God could see, he was afraid. If he could have seen it, he wouldn't have been afraid. I mean, if he had understood what was there, he would never have been anxious, he would never have worried, he would never have panicked, because he understood that all the things that we're gonna consider about God opening our eyes, but he didn't, and so he was fearful. My family used to, every summer, go out to Colorado to visit my grandparents in Durango, Colorado. And we'd see Grandma and Grandpa Shore once a year for a couple weeks. We always look forward to that. Fourth of July, we crown a grandpa, and my birthday is always out there, and my birthday is the second of July, and just special times every year. But Colorado has deep canyons, and Durango is up in the mountains, and when you get a thunderstorm, which they get frequently, and we get in Wisconsin as well, but we don't have the canyons. We had a thunderstorm in Durango, where my grandparents lived, there was a canyon, and that thunder would literally rumble down the canyon and shake the house. I mean, stuff on the walls would shake. I mean, it's a very incredible power in thunderstorms. And I grew up loving thunderstorms, but this was when I was a bit younger. I was scared. I mean, the thunder that night was so loud. The house was shaking. And I remember looking up at the mantel, the fireplace in the living room. I was bedded down there on the floor on the mat. And I looked up above the mantel, and there was a verse there. It was Psalm 91-1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. And as God opened my eyes, to the fact of His presence, my fear will end. Why? Because God is there, and I understood that now. And see, we have to have our eyes open so that we're not afraid. And David continues in that text, and he says this, because of his eyes being open to who God is, he's not afraid of enemies, he's not afraid of disease, he's not afraid of death, he's not afraid of defeat. It says, beginning in verse 2, I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night. or for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the pestilence, sickness, that locketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked, because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most high, thy habitation. When men see themselves as surrounded by God, and protected by God, and nurtured by God, and cared for by God, then the disease, and the death, and the bills, and the anxieties of life become very small. Because their eyes are open to who God is. It takes away fear. Psalm 3. Verse 2 says, Many there be which say of my soul, there is no help for him in God. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of my head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. I laid me down and slept. I awaked, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about. As David again understood, God's got my back. God's taking care of me. God's watching over me. I'll not be afraid. I can lay me down in peace and sleep. I don't need to be anxious. Because God, my eyes are open to the fact that you are there. Psalm 56-11, In God have I put my trust. I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Psalm 112 verse 7, He shall not be afraid of evil tidings. His heart is fixed trusting the Lord. Psalm 112, verse eight, his heart is established. He shall not be afraid until he see his desire upon his enemies. Psalm 12, verse two, behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. For the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song. He also is become my salvation. This morning, can you see, heart to heart, I'm not anxious, I'm not worried, I'm not afraid. Because my eyes are open. God's there. God's watching over me. That's what this guy needed. He needed to have his eyes open so he could see. Because if he saw, he wouldn't be afraid. If we're afraid, then we don't really see it as we need to see it. So open our eyes so that we don't fear. Secondly, open our eyes to understand who is with us. Open our eyes to understand who is with us. He says to his servant, for they that be with us. They that be with us. There was an unseen realm. There is this morning too. There's an unseen realm to what's taking place even as we are here. There's an unseen realm as we're at our home. There's an unseen realm at our work. There's an unseen realm in evangelism. There's an unseen realm, an area that we can't look into, that we don't see, but that is as real as you or I. And he couldn't see it, but there was an angelic army standing in readiness to fight for the man of God, they that be with us. David's confidence, again, going back to Psalm 91, verse 10, says, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling, for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. There's the messenger of God, the servants of God, the angelic beings that were there ready to minister. Satan knew that angels were present to minister to Christ, and they did, by the way, in his guarded prayer, after he got them praying, the angels ministered unto him. And so Satan said to him, hey, cast thyself down off the temple. And he said, what? It is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And so what Jesus was saying is, that protection is not for me stepping outside of the restraining grace of God. But rightly within the grace of God, and the plan of God, and the obedience of God, and with God, those angelic beings are present to minister to those whom God desires them to minister to. They that be with us. Jesus, at the crucifixion, twice acknowledged that God stood ready to intervene. Remember what he said to Pilate? He said, in John 19.11, Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. And he said to Pilate, Pilate, there's an unseen realm you can't see. You don't even believe in it. But the fact is this, without the God of heaven allowing this to take place, it cannot take place. And so, unseen realm, gone. Second thing he said, he said it first, his words to Peter, as the soldiers came to take the Lord Jesus away, in chapter 26 of Matthew, verse 53, he said, thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my father, and he shall presently give me more than 12 legions of angels. Okay, a legion, a Roman legion was about 5,000 fighting men. And so he's just said to Peter, Peter, don't you understand? All I have to do, and Jesus could have, but he didn't come to condemn the world. He came to save the world, right? He came to die. He could have prayed. He said, Father, send me 12 legions of angels. 60,000 angels. One angel defeated the whole Assyrian army. I read it last night in my devotions as I was reading my Bible last evening. One angel. delivered Hezekiah and his people by killing the whole host of the Assyrians. One angel. Think what 60,000 angels could do. You might ask the question, Pastor, we talk about guarding angels, what are we talking about? Does God really use angels to take care of us? It's an interesting question, isn't it? I've been studying Genesis. Remember when Lot is in Sodom and Gomorrah? Do you remember who God sent to deliver him? to angels? Did Lot know they were angels? Does the Bible reveal to us that Lot somehow knew that these were angelic messengers? The answer is no. They looked like men. Otherwise the crowd that wanted to rape them would have been scared of them. Right? All those people gathered about the door. They perceived them as men. And so they're just angels that God used to deliver Lot. The Bible says in Psalm 34 verse 7, The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. I claimed that verse when my wife went to New York City on a mission trip. Of course she's my wife, she's my girlfriend. I just pray that verse all the time. Glory to the angel, glory to Jesus. We gotta have great confidence that God is able to protect us supernaturally, okay? And in the realm that is the unseen realm. Hebrews 13 verse 2 says, Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. You know, I mean, this is the truth in the Bible about angelic beings. I mean, the fact is that, and maybe it's speaking about line, maybe it's speaking about those angels there, but some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 1.13, but to which of the angels said he at any time, sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. He said that to Jesus, but not to the angels. But about the angels in verse 14, It says, are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? See, angelic beings are real. They're not in the shop, you know, and you got the nice little figurines with the little names and things, and people have all these little angel figurines in their homes, and they kind of have this idea about angels and the halo and all this stuff. Angels are actually very strong, creative beings that are in obedience to God the Father. That God uses, we've studied again Genesis, and we got to Genesis chapter 28, in Jacob's ladder. And what do you see on Jacob's ladder? You see the angels of God ascending and descending. Why? Do you know what I'm saying? Why if they're not involved in the fray? Because I can say this today, as a matter of fact, Satan and his angels are very active. Agree? Yes. So why wouldn't the angels of God on the side of the Lord Jesus Christ also be involved in the battle for righteousness sake? Does that make sense? And so we've got this reality of the angelic beings and what they do. And all through Scripture, the Bible does speak about angels. The angel comes in answer to the prayers of Daniel as he's praying for three weeks. And the angel comes and speaks to Daniel. The angel comes and speaks to Mary. The angel comes and speaks to Joseph. The angel comes and speaks to Zacharias. In Revelation, It's the angels that God sends that come to destroy the world, right? And so we understand that there is an unseen force, by the grace of God, that is on the side of the righteous. that is a powerful force. And whether it's angelic or God himself, because God himself has said, for he has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Regardless of they that be with us, whether it's angelic or God himself, we need God to open our eyes, We need to open our eyes to understand today who is with us, that God, there is the Lord of hosts, the army of God in heaven, and God's ability through angelic power to withstand the enemy, right? Or through the power of the Spirit of God, the Word of God, God himself. Either way, may that be with us. And so we need to open our eyes to understand who is with us. And then third, Open our eyes to understand our advantage. Open our eyes to understand our advantage. They that be with us are more than they that be with them. See, the host of Syria was a great host. It was a great army that was there, masked and ready to take the city of Dothan just to get the prophet and his servant. And they're looking at a great army, and Elisha goes, wait a second. They that be with us are more than they that be with them. Our side is the side of the advantage. Our side is the greater side. Around the world right now, it has been this way for ages. There's an arms race. It's developing the latest technology. It's seeking to have the strongest military. Why? Because he who has the strongest military is the winner, right? And so thankfully, we've got good powers that understand us and that are right nations that seek to develop militarily so that they are more powerful than the enemy. Why? Because they then have the advantage. You know, as believers, we always have the advantage over the enemy. That's a fact. Romans 8.31 says, what shall we then say to these things If God be for us, who can be against us? 1 John 4.4 says, You are God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. God is greater than Satan. Romans 8.37, Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 1 Corinthians 15.57, But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. See, are you going through your day? Are you going through your week? Are you going through your personal walk with God, your family, your church, and everything, with the idea that, hey, we are on the winning side? Or are you walking around as if we're defeated? You know what I'm saying? Do we understand today, our eyes open to the fact that, no, we have the God of victory on our side. We're at Brother Merle's funeral two weeks ago. And a lady got up, and she had been a part of their group back when she was a child. And I mean, she was probably in her 50s. And just sharing memories, and talking about how the ventriloquists impacted her life. And she said they would drive up from the border, Selkirk or something, up to Edinburgh and back. And she said, one time, she remembers in particular, they were learning a new song to her. She didn't know it. It was Victory in Jesus. And she read it at the funeral. And the song says, I heard an old, old story, how a savior came from glory. How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me. I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood's atoning. Then I repented of my sin and won the victory. O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever! He sought me and bought me with His regaining blood. He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing blood. I heard about his healing, of his cleansing power, revealing, how he made the lame to walk again, and caused the blind to see. And then I cried, dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit. And somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory." You know, there ought to be an anticipation in our hearts today that God's going to do this thing. God's going to win this thing. God is a God of victory. And so we don't hang our heads and walk around with our, you know, in the dumps and defeated saying, oh, whoa, it's me, because it just can't happen today. We got to get on our knees and say, God, you're the God of victory. The Syrian army is amassed against us. I mean, Satan is seeking to defeat us. God, open our eyes that we can understand today that we have the God of victory. Understand our advantage. And then, fourth, as we pray, God, open our eyes. Open our eyes. that we can see spiritually. Open our eyes that we can see spiritually. Verse 17 said, And Elisha prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. He couldn't see it. Was it there? Yeah, it was there. Open his eyes that he can see. My nephew, Heston, who found out this past week that he really can't see. I mean, my sister-in-law felt pretty bad, I guess. I didn't talk to her, but Katie talked to her and told me. You know, they take him to the eye doctor and find out that, I mean, he needs not just glasses, but very strong prescription glasses. He's been kind of struggling in school a little bit, you know, but if you can't see, you can't get it, you know what I'm saying? So he couldn't see physically, But that wasn't the problem of the man of God's servant. The man of God's servant could see physically, but he couldn't see spiritually what was there. He needed God to give him spiritual glasses so that he could see. And we know this morning that man cannot get saved without God opening his spiritual eyes. 1 Corinthians 2.14 says, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. And you might, we'll get this in our evangelism, and it could be somebody that's here today. As you hear preaching and teaching about the Word of God, as somebody speaking about the Bible, to you it just, it doesn't make sense. It's not, you don't understand it, you don't get it. Well what's the need? The need is for God to open your eyes so that you can understand. A natural man, a fleshly man, outside of Christ, he's not going to get it. He doesn't understand it. So he needs his eyes open. And then as believers, we can't grow spiritually without God opening our spiritual eyes. Ephesians 1.17 says that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of Him. The eyes of your understanding be enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His calling and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. What is the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe according to the working of His mighty power. And Paul is saying to the church, church, I am praying that God would open up the eyes of your understanding, that you'd understand what you have in Christ and the power of God. And that's where this servant was. He couldn't see the spiritual realm. He didn't understand about the armies of God that were amassed there. Men's eyes. can only be opened by Jehovah God. Verse 17 in our text says, and the Lord opened the eyes of the young man. He opened his eyes. I wish I could see his face when he saw what was there. I just kind of wish he could enter into the story a little bit. But as his eyes are opened, I think he sees it, and he looks at Elijah and goes, Elijah, I didn't understand why you were panicking. I was scared. I was terrified. But you're calm and now I understand why. Because you could see what I couldn't see. There's people all the time that I meet when I'm doing evangelism and they'll say to me something like this, I wish I had your faith. Or, I can see that you really believe that. And what they don't understand is, it's not just that I believe it, but because I believe it, my eyes have been opened so that I see it, so that I know it. Does that make sense? And when your eyes can see it, you don't need somebody to convince you, because you understand that it is exactly like God said. You know, this morning, if your eyes, again, haven't been opened, you need God to open your eyes. And people listen online at times to messages that we've got. We've got them on Facebook, we've got them on our webpage. But even somebody listening in, they might think, you know, I don't really get the Bible, and the authority of God, and the word of God, and Jesus Christ, and all that stuff. You know what they need? They need God to open their eyes, so that they taste and see that the Lord is good, so that they come to that convincement. That's why a believer offends a lot of people, maybe initially after they get saved, because they see it, and they know it, and they say to them, look, this is true, I know it's true! But the other person is like, I don't see it. Why? Because Jehovah God has not opened their eyes. And if that's you this morning, eyes unopened, you're not saved. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, but foolishness unto him. But when the Spirit of God comes in, all of a sudden the eyes are open and it makes sense. And that's what this man got to receive. Matthew 13, verse 10. The disciples came and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables, Jesus answered and said to them, the disciples, because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Now let me ask you a question. It is given unto you by whom? Jehovah God. See, God, you know, we get it, we understand it. Why? Because our eyes have been opened. By whom? By God. And so, we'll read the parable, or we'll read the truth of scripture, and we get it. But there's people that don't get it. Because they don't have Christ. For whosoever hath, to him it shall be given, and shall have more abundance. But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables, because they seeing see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand. And seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive. Now you might read that this morning or hear that this morning and think, that's not fair. Why would God open somebody's eyes and not open somebody else's eyes? So the question would be, how is somebody's eyes open? Well, the text goes on to say, these people couldn't see. Here's why. For this people's heart is waxed gross, their ears are dull of hearing, their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." You know what it's saying? It's saying they don't want to see. It's saying God is willing, God is ready to open man's eyes to the truth of the Word of God and the assurance of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. But they close their eyes. And if here this morning you're thinking in your heart, well I'd like to see, ask God to help you see. Open my eyes. Verse 16 goes on to say, for blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. And that's because they were part of a past generation that didn't get to understand the gospel, and Jesus Christ, and His death, and all those things that we get to hear and understand. This morning, are you dull of hearing? Are your eyes closed? You need to ask God, God open my eyes so I can see things spiritually. So I can understand what the Word of God is really saying. Then open our eyes, Lord, to the power of the Lord of Hosts. Open our eyes to the power of the Lord of Hosts. It says, And the man saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. This is a vision of power, an incredible vision of power. Imagine today, you know, if I said, open your eyes and we can take back these curtains this morning, and if we had a clear view of the Pentlands, and on the Pentlands we saw the angels of God amassed ready to do God's bidding. It's a vision of power. Perhaps King David was referring to this Old Testament record when he wrote Psalm 121. It says, I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, for once cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Elisha didn't say, open his eyes and pull out a map and say, here's our escape route. Here's my plan and how we're going to get away from this. And you know what? You take the sword, I'll take the shield, and go. He said God opened his eyes and they saw. You know in the church today, lots of times they're like, open our eyes to better programs. Open our eyes to a better plan. God, open our eyes to better abilities. Hey, open our eyes to what? To the power of God. There's a man, Jonathan Goforth, that God used for revival in China. It became very burdened after reading in John 14 verse 12 the words of the Lord Jesus that said, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father. He read that and thought, you know, I haven't seen the greater works. He's a faithful missionary. I mean, he was serving the Lord. They were doing what we'd say is a good work for God. But he became burdened about it, so much so that his wife Rosalyn thought he was going to lose his mind. He was just spending so much time seeking after God and seeking through the Word of God. But he came to Zechariah 4, 6, where the Bible says to Zerubbabel, an ancestor of Jesus, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. See, you understand today that the battle is not going to be won by, you know, Elisha saying, you know, call the Israelites to battle. We've got to have a greater physical force. The battle is going to be won in the unseen realm with the God of power. And so, what do we mean? Open our eyes, God, to the fact that you are the all-powerful God. Open our eyes to the fact that you're the same God that walked on water, part of the Red Sea, had a fish swallow a prophet. Same God. You're the God of revival. That we've seen, that we've read about, that historically we know that God has done things at different times in history to awaken communities, to awaken nations. So God, open our eyes. Open our eyes to Jehovah's power. Then open our eyes to the power of Jehovah to answer prayer. Open our eyes to the power of Jehovah to answer prayer. We just saw this. Remember, what did the man of God do when the servant came and said, I'm in a panic, what are we going to do? He prayed. He said, Lord, open his eyes. And as soon as he prayed, opened his eyes, what's it say? He saw. It wasn't a process of time, a really long occasion. It is just, he prayed, it happened. And you'll see it several times in this text. Praying, eyes open, eyes closed, eyes open. Now you'll see it again. And that's how Elisha does it. And so verse 18, they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and he said, smite this people, I pray thee with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. What was the word of Elisha? Prayer. And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. That whole army begins to follow the man of God to the king of Israel, which is who their target number one was that they were trying to get. Instead they had to try to get the prophet that was telling the king the plans. See, it takes them to them. They're blinded as he takes them there. There's a man named Sergeant York. His real name, full name, is Alvin Cullum York. He was born December 13, 1887. But he became known as Sergeant York in the US military. He was drafted. He was converted in 1914 and then drafted after that. So we're going to World War I. He was a conscientious objector. And as a believer, he just thought, it's contrary to my religion to kill people. But he became convinced that military was right and fighting for your country was right. And so he took The position that he was given in the US military, and he was a very good shot. In fact, he grew up in the hill country of some, I want to say Kentucky or something like that. It was a place where they had turkey shoots. And what a turkey shoot was, is when a turkey's head would pop up over a log. They had a log and they had turkeys on the other side of it. When the turkey's head would pop up over that log, they would shoot the turkey's head. That's a turkey shoot. And bit of fun. And anyway, so he was a crack shot. And in the military. He was an incredible soldier. And he was given a medal, the Medal of Honor, for leading an attack on a German machine gun nest, taking at least one machine gun, killing at least two enemy soldiers, and capturing, this is incredible, capturing 132. I've read the story. I've got the biography. It's in my office. But capturing 132 soldiers. And it's an incredible story. Elisha is a Sergeant York of the Old Testament. He captured a whole Syrian army through prayer. He took them all captive by prayer. One of my favorite quotes about prayer is, prayer is to ask that the laws of the universe be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner, confessedly unworthy. OK? Prayer is to ask God to change the laws of nature, because one person prayed that is only made worthy through who? Christ. That's incredible. That's what prayer is. Jeremiah 33.3 says, Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. Okay, God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask or think, and I can ask and think about a lot of things, and I say to God, God, please, I pray. Let me see. Hey, is God able? He's either able, and the Word of God is untrue. But are our eyes open to that? Our eyes open to the power of God to answer prayer. John 14, 14 says, if you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. John 14 to the John 16, you read it. Six or seven times it repeats almost that same thing. Hitherto if you ask nothing in my name, ask that you may receive. Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do. That's powerful. I mean, that's incredible today to think, you know what? God opened my eyes to the power of God to answer prayer. 1 John 5, 15. If we know that He hears whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desire of Him. If we know that He hears whatsoever we ask, if I'm on my knees, if I'm asking God for something, and the Spirit of God confirms it in my heart, I'm asking according to the will of God, I have a pure heart. I have a right to access God. And I've asked according to the will of God, God says I've got it. Whether I've got it in hand or not. That's power. could illustrate it this way. Imagine that explosives were just invented, and the enemy was coming. And I said to somebody, they had no idea what explosives were, but I said, look, this is what's going to happen. You push down on this plunger, that bridge blows up. Before they come, push down the plunger. When they get out there, down you go. That'll blow up the whole army. The army attacks. Nothing happens to the bridge. They capture us. I say to the guy, I say, why didn't you push the plunger down? And he's like, oh come on, there's no way. He doesn't believe in the power that is there, so he doesn't push the plunger down. Listen, if you don't believe in the power of prayer, you're not praying. God has the ability today to destroy the enemies. The enemy is Satan and his folks, right? So if we really believe that, what would we do? we get on our knees and pray. But if we don't believe it, we're not going to pray. And so, what I can say to us is this, we need to pray to God and say, God, open my eyes to the power of prayer, if I don't really believe that, that God is a power. But if He does have the power, why don't we pray? See, of all people, we've got to get praying people. You know, the mosque, you've got the Muslims coming in, and they pray. But do Christians pray? See, God is powerful. God is able. And the man of God, all he does is, he goes, God, open his eyes. God closed their eyes. Later, he'll go, God, open their eyes. And every time he prays, God answers. God open our eyes to the power of Jehovah to answer prayer. Then open the eyes of the world to their deception. You need to pray for that. God open the eyes. We said already they can't understand without the Spirit of God opening their eyes. But open the eyes of the world to their deception. Verse 20. It says, And it came to pass, when they were coming to Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw. And behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. Now, if you were to ask them on their way, are you going to the destination of which you desire to go, they would have said, yes. But when they got there, and God opened their eyes, if you were to ask them, are you where you thought you would be, the answer is, no. Because my eyes are open, now I can see. By the way, their blindness, if you think about it, it was not physical blindness. How do I know that? Because if it was physical blindness, they would have all held hands. Right? It was a delusion. God gave them a delusion so that they followed the man of God. OK, you get what I'm saying? So they were deluded. But when their eyes are open, they saw. You know, I meet people all the time, and they say, you know, they don't see a preacher. They'll just say, hey, when I die, I go in the grave. That's it. Do you know, when I stand with them before, if I can stand with them before the throne of God, before I cast them to hell, and I ask them, hey, now that your eyes are open, are you in the place where you thought you were going? They would say, what? No. See, an unbeliever is not going to go where they think they're going. They are blinded. And guess what? They're not blinded by God as these Syrians were. They are blinded by the devil, the Bible says. 2 Corinthians 4.4 says, "...in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." It could be you or a family member this morning or somebody that you're witnessing to. They are blinded by the devil. They think they're going where they're not going. What do they need? They need God to open their eyes. We have to pray, God, please open their eyes. Help them to see their delusion. It's a good prayer, isn't it? Clara Scott wrote about that in her hymn, Open My Eyes That I May See. Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth you have for me. Place in my hands the wonderful key. That shall unlock and set me free. Silently now I'm bended knee. Ready I wait your will to see. Open my eyes, illumine me, spirit divine. Are your eyes open? If you think you know where you're going, you're going contrary to God, you're going somewhere you don't think you're gonna go. We need to pray, God open your eyes, God open their eyes. And then lastly, this morning, open our eyes with compassion upon the enemies of God. Open our eyes with compassion upon the enemies of God. Verse 21 says, And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, his eyes, My father, shall I smite them? Shall I smite them? He answered, Thou shalt not smite them. Wouldst thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master. And he prepared great provision for them. And when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. I just want to end with this this morning. God, open our eyes to compassion. The king of Israel, as the army comes and they're all captured, he goes, hey, slaughter time. And Elisha says, no. He said, no, feed them and send them on their way. And I wondered this, and this is hypothetical. But I wonder if any of those Syrians converted to the God of Jehovah, because their eyes were open to His power, first of all, and secondly, to the love. They could have been killed. You see what I'm saying? You see, there's a compassion there that Elisha has. Their eyes are open. They're the enemy. but he deals with them compassionately. So God helped open our eyes with compassion upon our enemies. You know, Elisha, to go back to the beginning of where we started this morning, Elisha and his servant were in what seemed like an impossible position. The servant needed God to open his eyes and so did we. So that what? We're not afraid. And the reality is this, if you've got fear in your life, your eyes aren't open to who God is. You see, see as God sees, and that fear will go away as we understand who is with us. You know, are we aware today that we've got the power, the armies of God fighting for us? Do you live as one aware of that? Do we understand, this morning, our advantage, that there is victory in Jesus? Or are we living as if we're on the losing side? I mean, that's a silly thing, isn't it? I mean, we could be here this morning and say, well, our attendance is down, oh well. Or we could say, hey, God's got it. God's got the future of the church. God's got the souls that we desire to see saved in this community. He's got the power to reach them. Are we living as if we have the advantage? Can we see spiritually? Do you understand the power of the Lord of Hosts, the power of God to answer prayer? We need God to open the eyes of the world to see that they're deceived, to have compassion. But I think, having looked at the steps this morning, there's one thing that we can pray this week, and that is, God, open our eyes. Open our eyes. Let's pray. Father, I pray that the Spirit of God would open our eyes. Father, I praise you for this passage. It's a very neat story. Father, there's an unseen realm that we can't see into. Lord, I pray, open our eyes. Father, open the eyes of our understanding. Open the eyes of our faith. Father, give us grace to be fully confident in the power of God. And so Lord, would you bless your word to our hearts this morning. Thank you for it. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Let's dance and sing He's So Great, right? Him 76, he's so great, I'm so small. 76. ["He's So Great"] He's so great, and I'm so small. Jesus holds me less than all. He is the ruler over all. He's so great, and I'm so small. He's so strong, and I'm so weak. Jesus came with songs to sing All the nature hears Him speak He's so strong and I'm so weak He's the Shepherd, I'm the Sheep Jesus guards me endlessly All is not through watching me He's the Shepherd, I'm the Sheep He's my God, and I'm secure. Jesus lives, my hope is sure. He forever shall endure. He's my God, and I'm secure. Amen, thank you for being here today. Same as always, pray for each other as we go our way. Tonight, 515 Men's Prayer Youth Choir, and pray God bless that. The kids would like to get prepared for Easter, and so just pray for consistency, for practices, and then... 6 o'clock is Proverbs chapter 7. And we're going to do what we did in Proverbs chapter 5. Alright? It's going to be one night thing where we go through Proverbs chapter 7. I pray God will bless that tonight. And let's commit that to the Lord. Finally, thank you for your goodness to us today. Thank you for each one that's here. Lord, we know that there are several that would have liked to have been here this morning but could not. And I pray that you meet their needs. But finally, for us that came, remind us. May it be a prayer in our hearts this week. God, open our eyes. Father, I pray, open the eyes of the world, open the eyes of our friends, our neighbors, our loved ones. And Father, I pray that our hearts be encouraged in you, that you bless us this afternoon with a good rest this afternoon, a good time in the Word of God. And Father, bring us back rejoicing in you this evening for the prayer time at 5.15 in the youth choir and then the 6 o'clock service where as we continue our study of Proverbs. And thank you for your goodness. Thank you for meeting with us this morning. It's in Christ's name.