Shut Eyes
We’ve all heard the expression “I need to get some shut eye.” We know what that means. When we say this we mean that we are looking forward to going to sleep. One of my friends has to go to work early in the morning, so he needs to get home shortly and get some shut eye.
But tonight I want to talk to you about shut eyes. I want to ask you if you are walking through life with your eyes shut. Are your eyes spiritually shut tonight? Are you a devout atheist? If so, then your spiritual eyes are shut. Are you a pantheist? If you believe God is in everyone and everything then your spiritual eyes are shut. Are you a Wiccan? If so, then your spiritual eyes are shut. Do you worship the Norse gods? If so, then your spiritual eyes are shut. Do you claim no religious affiliation at all, in other words are you one of the nones – NONES? If so, then your spiritual eyes are shut? Do you worship people, things or money? If so, then your spiritual eyes are shut.
If you worship anyone or anything other than the one true God, then you spiritually have shut eyes. How do we know that your eyes are shut? Because Jesus told us so. Please listen to the parable about the sower and the four types of soil: The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Seeing They See Not
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he 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 Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and 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. But 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.
Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Yet hath he not root in himself, but (en)dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty (Matthew 13:1-23).
Jesus said who has hears to hear, let him hear. He also said seeing they see not. Oh, does this describe you tonight? Do you think we’re just out yammering on for our own benefit? Do our words sound Greek to you? Do you see me right now, but you really don’t see what I’m talking about? Jesus said seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive. Is Jesus referring to you tonight? Are you walking around downtown with spiritually shut eyes tonight?
Jesus continued to say that people’s hearts have become gross, their ears are dull and they have closed their eyes lest at any time they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and He will heal them.
Are you listening tonight? Can you see what Jesus is saying? Do you understand what He is telling you? You can’t be saved unless God opens your spiritual ears, your spiritual eyes and unhardens your hard heart. Salvation is of the Lord. But is He doing those things tonight? Do you see what I’m saying? You can’t be converted otherwise. You cannot be saved unless God converts you.
You need to be confronted tonight with your sinfulness and God’s Holiness. We are all sinners – each and every one of us. The wages of sin is death. There is no hope in this life or the next without Jesus. He is the only Savior. Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me (John 14:6).
You can’t be converted, you cannot be saved until you recognize that you are a wretched sinner. You need to come to terms with the fact that you have broken God’s Law – the 10 Commandments. Don’t worry, it’s not that you are special, we’ve all broken them. We’ve all fallen short of God’s glory. If you break one commandment, you have broken them all. If you’ve ever told a lie, you’ve broken the 10 Commandments. Don’t you see how much worse sins you’ve committed your whole life than just lying? We’ve all lusted thereby committing adultery in our hearts. We’ve all murdered in our hearts through anger and hatred. We’ve all made ourselves little g gods of our own lives thereby committing idolatry.
We have all rebelled against God, we’ve all sinned against God. David said Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest (Psalm 51:4). We have all sinned against God and He will judge the world because He is righteous; He is just. It is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). We are all going to die. Will you be ready? Have you repented and put your trust in Jesus?
He is the only Savior because He is the sinless Son of God. He walked this earth a little over 2,000 years ago and He did what you and I could never do: He never sinned one time, not in His thoughts, words or actions. Then He suffered, bled and died on the cross for guilty sinners like you and me. He endured God’s wrath over our sins as He hung on that cross. He died there, was buried and rose from the grave three days later. God offers eternal life to each and every person who repents and puts their faith in Jesus.
Do You See What I’m Saying
Oh are you listening tonight? Are you seeing what I’m saying? Is God working on your heart? Is God convicting your conscience? If so, don’t resist the Holy Spirit. Surrender your life to Jesus tonight. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. Submit to His Lordship. Repent and believe the Gospel. Surrender to the Lord Jesus. Do this tonight. Don’t put it off. Today is the day of salvation.
If you clearly hear God’s truth tonight, come to Jesus. Confess and forsake your sins. Ask God to forgive you for your sins. Cry out to Jesus to save you tonight. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). Do you hear the Savior calling? Can you see Jesus calling you to repent or perish? Is your heart open to the truth of the Gospel? Do you see yourself as the sinner that you are and do you see Jesus as the only Savior? Are your spiritual eyes open tonight or do you have shut eyes?
Maybe you have rejected salvation in the past because you were one of the three soil types that weren’t good soil. Maybe you heard the truth about Jesus before and the wicked one – the devil came and stole away the truth that was sown in your heart. Or maybe you heard the Gospel and you thought you were saved, but turned away when times got tough or you were mocked or scorned for Jesus and you counted the cost and decided it was too high of price to pay. Or just maybe, you heard the Gospel and you let the cares of this world, family, job or hobbies choke out the seed of the Gospel that was sown.
I don’t know your heart tonight. I don’t know what you’ve been through. Maybe you have rejected Jesus many times in the past, but it’s not too late. If God through the Holy Spirit is convicting you, don’t neglect such a great of salvation. Don’t continue hardening your heart. If God is opening your shut eyes at all, don’t resist Him. Repent and surrender your life to Jesus. Come to Jesus and be saved, truly saved. Repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ our Lord. Oh, do this tonight. Don’t put it off. Receive everlasting life through repentance and faith in Jesus.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead (Acts 17:30-31).For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death (2 Corinthians 7:10).
If you can hear what God is saying in these verses, if you can see that God is calling you to repent; that He is calling you to godly sorrow that works repentance that leads to salvation, don’t reject it. Come to Jesus. Come to Him with your eyes wide open instead of continuing through life with shut eyes and wind up in Hell. Repent and believe the Gospel and be saved. Be saved today.
(This message was proclaimed in downtown Springfield, MO on June 3, 2016)