Looking At Things Not Seen - Part 1 of 2

The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bratley, Jr. O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise! The praise of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace! This is LeSaire Bratley, Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord.

No tender voice like thine can beat a horn. I need thee, oh, I need thee, every hour I need thee. Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee. I need thee every hour, take thou near by.

Vemptations lose their power when thou art nigh. I need thee, oh, I need thee, every hour I need thee. Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee. I need thee every hour, most holy one. Oh, make me thine indeed, thou blessed Son.

I need thee, oh, I need thee, every hour I need thee. Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee. I'm glad you have joined us for the broadcast today and pray that the message will be a blessing to you.

If it is, we'd like to hear from you. Our mailing address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Now we have an announcement by Timothy Guest, the managing editor of the Baptist Witness. This latest edition of the Baptist Witness is themed Help for the Suffering Christian. Just today, as this is being recorded, I have actually felt a little overwhelmed, not by something that I myself am personally suffering, but in praying for the sufferings of different people that I know. I'm sure our listeners know that feeling of when you're trying to pray with compassion and empathy for people in your family that are suffering or in your church family or other believers you know who are dealing with heavy, heavy burdens. And then to go through suffering itself can be disorienting and draining. It can even be a time for attacks from Satan and unique temptations. But aren't we thankful that scripture speaks to human suffering and it speaks to the sufferings of God's people? So in this edition of the Baptist Witness, we have three articles. First, LeSaire Bradley Jr. writes, How am I supposed to act during suffering?

Because, you know, sometimes we don't know or we forget or we feel lost. I love what he says in this article. He says, If we're to act rightly, we must first think rightly.

And he goes on in the article to help us renew our minds with scripture, with right thinking, which will produce right doing. Then Andy White writes on, Why do I have to suffer? And he explores some biblical answers to this question, including the effects of sin's curse on our sufferings, our own sins and the sins of others that cause us sufferings.

And Andy notes other reasons that we suffer as well. In the latter part of the article, he gives solid practical exhortation from scripture on how to respond when we suffer, including suffering patiently, drawing near to God, comforting others who suffer and more. And then finally, Nathan Guess writes on From Sorrow to Singing, which is an exposition of Psalm 13. He notes in this article about David, he says, David cries out to the God who seems so far away. I can't help but believe that there's probably some listener to our broadcast or some reader of the Baptist Witness who feels like right now God feels so far away.

If so, I encourage you to read this article. Nathan writes, Believer, you also can go from sorrow to singing when you fix your eyes on Christ. And he assures us that Jesus Christ can relate to the sufferer. So I hope that you'll go to BaptistBibleHour.org and click on the Baptist Witness tab. And you can read this latest edition of the Baptist Witness. And you can also read our previous editions of the Baptist Witness as well. Well, it's another beautiful Sunday morning with sunshine. Thank the Lord for it.

Thankful that you're here and thankful to welcome those who are listening on the live feed. My subject, Looking at Things Not Seen. And even as we give that title, you recognize here's another in the long list when we talk about things in scriptures that are a paradox. Certainly many would think that was a strange admonition, but I hope you will be able to see the beauty of it as we look at God's word, looking at things not seen. We turn to Second Corinthians, chapter four, reading verse 18. While we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen.

For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Now, to get the setting and context of this, we're going to back up a little bit and read beginning with verse 14, still in chapter four, Second Corinthians. Verse 14. Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Well, Paul says that his outward man was not holding up very well. He was beginning to suffer the effects of old age and no doubt his body was not in good shape just from the standpoint that he had been beaten so many times.

On one occasion beaten and left for dead. He had gone through many, many hardships. And so he says that our outward man is going to perish.

Really that decline starts very early, but it continues on till the end. The older we get, the more aware of it we are. I think of the statement Jay Adams used to make frequently. He says, when I wake up in the morning, I wonder what's going to hurt today. And then when I get up, it all does. And I've reached the place I can relate to that. So we have many signs of the fact that this outward man is perishing.

It's headed toward the grave. But, he says, we faint not. We do not lose heart. Because while the outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed. The trials of life drive us to the Lord.

When burdens are carried, when sicknesses come, when death breaks our heart, all these things are greatly troubling. But, we turn to the Lord for strength. You may many times have sung the hymn at church, I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord.

No tender voice like thine can peace afford. I need thee. Oh, I need thee. Yes, I need thee every hour. Oh, we can sing that, but I'll tell you when trials come, it's not just singing a hymn on Sunday.

It's something that is a reality to you every day you live. You have to say, Lord, in this new day, I need thee. I need thee not just in the morning, I need thee at noontime, I need thee in the afternoon, I need thee at night.

I need thee every hour. And so the trials of life that the Lord uses to touch us are for a purpose driving us to Him. Not just going through the formality of prayer at a given time or saying, well, yes, I need the Lord, but knowing it deep within you, Lord, I need you, I need you desperately.

I can't make it without you. Paul describes his experience in 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 16. He said, at my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. Now, you can't help but have a tender place in your heart for this man who was mightily used of God and then to know he was at a point where nobody stood with him. All men forsook me.

I pray to God it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding, though I was left alone, nobody stood with me. Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me that by the preaching might be fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

What more could you ask? The Lord stood with me. Oh, how many times you've been able to say that in your journey along the way. I felt lonely.

I felt frustrated. I might have felt fearful about what I was facing because of physical problems, but the Lord stood with me. Makes me think about years ago I was visiting an old sister who said, well, you know, Elder Bradley, nobody comes to see me anymore. Of course, I was there, but I guess that didn't count.

But she said, nobody comes to see me. It's just me and the Lord here together. I said, wow, how wonderful, how blessed you are. You and the Lord here together.

What more could you ask? Well, if the Lord stands with you, you know you are favored indeed. So he then describes our affliction as being light and but for a moment somebody might say, well, I have to disagree with the apostle Paul. My affliction is not light. The pain I endure is excruciating. The frustration I have has just weighted me down. My afflictions are not light. And they're not just for a moment. They just go on and on. I've had to contend with this frailty for a long time for somebody with an incurable disease that I see no end.

I'm going to live with this the rest of my life. But you see, Paul is making a comparison. He describes it as light affliction when you compare that with the glory that is to come. See, we fail to get our eyes on the things that are not seen. We're looking on the things that we do see. We're looking at all the time that we have lost being on the sickbed. We look at that lineup of medicine bottles that we've got to be taking some of every day. We look at all the hurts and disappointments and we haven't thought about weighing that against the glory that is to come.

Say this affliction goes on and on, but compared to the glory that's going to come, the glory that you will enjoy forever without end, what you have now is just for a moment. So the Apostle writes, look not at the things which are seen. And somebody might object and say, well, obviously there are some things we have to look at to get by in life, and I concede that.

Certainly we are not told to neglect spiritual duties or neglect anything that God has bidness to do. There are things you must look at. A man that doesn't provide for his family. Scripture says in 1 Timothy chapter 5 verse 8, but if any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. So certainly one who's providing for his family must be able to look at those things that are seen. Here's my obligation, here's what I have to do to fulfill it, and I will look upon those things briefly. And furthermore, there is a need not only to look for our own, but to care for others. Philippians chapter 2 verse 4 says, look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Now that's not a suggestion that you be a busybody and be nosing into other people's affairs. It's simply saying you must not be selfish, focused on your own needs, but consider the needs of others. It might be phrased, do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Well, let's consider the meaning of the word when he's telling us to look not at the things which are seen.

The word literally means lightly steaming. Present trials will soon be over, so we should not think so much of them nor fix our attention upon them. It's so easy to do that. When there's trouble, when there's sickness, and it looks like it just goes on and on and it's a constant burden, that becomes the focus.

All I'm thinking about is how much I hurt, how frustrated I am, where I'm going to go to the next doctor, what is going to be any help for me. But we are to lightly esteem those things that are seen. And it's also translated by the word mark, not to mark the things which are seen as though they are of the greatest importance. You don't mark them out, you don't focus on them, you don't make those things your greatest attention.

Another, and when I'm telling you about the way this word is used, we're talking about the original word and the way it is actually translated in other portions of scripture. One is take heed, so you're not taking heed to the things which are seen, you're not being consumed by them. You're not looking at the material things of this life, you're not taking heed. And Jesus said, for after these things do the Gentiles seek.

They continually seek the world, but the child of God should not but seek first the kingdom of God. We all have a tendency to become attached to things, look upon those things that are seen. How many times people say I've got more things than I know what to do with. They even have stores now that just sell things to put things in. I heard from a person the other day that said, well, I was moving out of a house to an apartment, thought that I had gotten rid of all the things I didn't need, but I brought too many with me.

My apartment is crowded, I've got to get rid of some more things. You can be thankful for certain things that you have. You have a house to live in, you have certain material things that God has blessed you to receive, and therefore you're to be thankful for them. God has given it to you as alone. You don't have an eternal title to it. It's temporary.

You're only going to be here for a while. So the Lord has let you enjoy it, and you can be thankful for all that he gives you. But you're not to be focused upon them, not taking heed to these things, nor looking at the things that are seen or making them your scope, making them the whole scope of your attention and interest.

Looking on that which is of this world, that which is material, that which can be readily seen, that which can be touched. And then there are other admonitions similar in scripture. Psalm 119, verse 37 says, Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way.

Yes, there is a tendency in our fallen human nature to focus on that which is vanity, that which is empty, that which is of no value. The prayer is, Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. Certainly when one is trying to direct their life on a path to honor God, there are things they're going to want to avoid.

Not looking at certain programs and videos and reading certain books. No need to pray for God to help you to overcome sin and temptation when you're turning to behold vanity. And then in 1 Timothy chapter 6, we find another area of warning, verse 6, But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. You think the way some people live that they've got the idea they're going to break the tradition and they're going to take some of this with them. Because they're just trying to pile up material possessions and worldly gain.

They say you came in with nothing and you're going to go out the same way. So whatever you have while you're here, be thankful for what you do have, but don't be focused upon it until that is your chief area of interest and you set your affection upon it. Having food and raiment, let us therewith be content, but they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. How sad, when one begins to covet money, so desirous of material gain.

Sometimes it's simple for the purpose of prestige. I want to be recognized as a person of success. I want it to be known that I have acquired a lot of wealth. But when that becomes the focus of one's attention, he says, many as a result have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Looking not then at the things which are seen, but we now consider the fact, and he says, looking at the things which are not seen.

So the question is, how am I going to do that? How am I going to look at something which is not seen? Well, it's by the eye of faith. So first of all, I would say we need to be looking to Jesus. He walked upon this earth that is now in heaven. Hebrews 4.14 says, seeing then that we have a great high priest that has passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Jesus Christ that lived on this earth has passed into the heavens. Be looking at him by faith. Looking at him as he came down from heaven, became a man, born of the virgin. We see him by the eye of faith. Hebrews 12.2 says, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher, that is the perfecter of our faith. Looking unto Jesus.

Is that where you're looking? Do you look to him every day, looking to him as your support, looking to him for your strength? He leadeth me, he leadeth me, by his own hand he leadeth me. He is faithful for where I would be, for by his hand he leadeth me. Well, as you know, it's easy for us from day to day to become consumed by looking at those things that are seen and that have an immediate and direct effect on our life. But we're admonished to look to those things that are not seen. It is there we find peace, joy, our hope in the Lord, in that which he has accomplished for us, and our desire to someday be with him forever.

Now to next week at this same time, may the Lord richly bless you all. And he leadeth me, is faithful for where I would be, for by his hand he leadeth me. Sometimes it sings of deepest blooms, sometimes where Eden's flowers bloom. I want a still or troubled sea, still tis his hand that leadeth me. He leadeth me, he leadeth me, by his own hand he leadeth me. He is faithful for where I would be, for by his hand he leadeth me.

Lord, I would clasp my hand in mine, forever her, her glory mine, content whatever thought I see, since it's my God that leadeth me. He leadeth me, he leadeth me, by his own hand he leadeth me. He is faithful for where I would be, for by his hand he leadeth me. And when my task on earth is done, then by thy grace all victories won. He leadeth me, he leadeth me, by his own hand he leadeth me. He is faithful for where I would be, for by his hand he leadeth me. Thank you for watching.