SEE IT, BE IT, RELEASE IT I. FAITH SEES 2 Cor. 5:7 - We walk by faith, not by sight. A. The point of this verse is not that we can t see where we re going. The point is that we have the ability to see from a higher perspective B. The faith perspective is one that is spiritually discerned. It is not naturally discerned. This is what Jesus talks about as the lamp of the body. And the same idea that Paul talks about the eyes of our heart Matt. 6:22 The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. Eph 1:17 praying that they eyes of your heart may be enlightened that you may know the hope riches power C. Faith is a spiritual gift that allows us to see eternal realities. Heavenly things. Invisible things that have yet to be manifest. 2 Cor. 4:18 So then we fix our [spiritual] eyes not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal Heb. 11:11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. D. Faith is meant to manifest. Our faith in the unseen points to a moment when we see the things we have faith for. Those invisible promises of God that we hope and long for are wrapped up in a substance and then made available to whoever will receive it. This spiritual substance is called faith. II. DAVID S TENT REVELATION A. David is well known for his worshipful lifestyle and ministry. Worship, in its most basic form, is simply opening the eyes of our heart and setting them on the unseen God. B. There are living creatures around the throne of God who are full of eyes within and without and their purpose is to be alive in worship day and night in the presence of God. They ve not been given the gift of faith, so as a substitute the Lord gave them eyes all over their being so that they might behold a revelation of His glory and goodness. I imagine they are quite large creatures. C. God instructed David to setup a worship model on earth as it is in heaven. One of the reasons for this is so that God can reveal His glory and goodness to us as He does to the living creatures that are around His throne. P a g e 1
Ps 27:4 One thing I have asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. D. Paul says it another way: 2 Cor. 3:18 - And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. E. David was a prophetic voice in His generation, foreseeing and speaking of the resurrection of the Christ. Acts 2:25, 30 For David says concerning him, I saw the Lord always before me, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; [David] being therefore a prophet he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ. F. The way we get a strong faith perspective is by cultivating a worship and prayer lifestyle in His presence. This takes time, energy, and sense of purpose. Would you sow 10 years of your life in prayer and worship to reap heaven s perspective that could change a situation in your family, community, or city? Ps 36:9 - in your light do we see light. G. One of the effects that this kind of worship and revelation has on an individual is that is becomes more difficult to distinguish the Lord s ideas from our own ideas Was it God s idea or David s idea to bring the ark to Jerusalem? Do we find anywhere God s command to David to bring the ark to Jerusalem? But it s woven throughout scripture that God chosen Jerusalem as His eternal city. Was it God s idea or David s Idea to build a house for the Lord? God seems to make a point of it to say that it was David s idea, while also affirming it as a good desire. 1 Kings 8:12-18 - Then Solomon said, The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. I have indeed built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever. Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood. And he said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there. But I chose David to be over my people Israel. 17 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to David my father, Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. H. It s like David saw into the future through faith and said to himself, Let s go ahead and do that thing now. I ve got faith for that promise in my lifetime. It is important to note that David had to carry and steward his desires in the ways of God. When he broke the P a g e 2
commands of the Lord in his zeal for God there was a price to pay. And the Lord had requirements about who and when the house would be built. This is an illustration of colaboring with the Lord. God affirms or corrects our plans, but we should not diminish the role David played in bringing these realities into his generation. I. I love the prophetic gifting, and the increasing prophetic anointing on the Church. It s only going to get better and more fruitful as the day of the Lord draws nearer. However, as much as the prophetic is a necessary component to the work of the ministry, we can miss opportunities to partner with the Lord in specific ways that He s given us if we re always waiting for a prophetic experience to affirm us, confirm us, release us, etc III. HEAVEN S PERPSECTIVE A. Strength is released when our perspective is aligned with Heaven's perspective for our lives and we walk in our God-given purposes. 1. Perspective: I Am Spiritually Powerful 2 Tim. 1:7 - for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Joshua - be strong and courageous Gideon - "The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor" Zerubbabel - Be strong and work Peter - and I call you Peter ("Rock") 2. Perspective: What I Can See Is An Invitation to Me Zech 4:1 - Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, "What do you see?" Zech 4:6 - So he answered and said to me: "This [vision] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: a) Notice here that the VISION is the word of the Lord. That unseen heavenly reality that is now seen by faith (revival, kingdom business, restoration of family or relationships) is God s invitation to you to explore and take that ground. John 12:40 - He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them. b) If the Lord has given you a kingdom vision or dream for a reality that you can find in the Scriptures, then that is a word of the Lord to you. You have permission from the Lord to pursue your Kingdom dreams (and to do it with others). Matt 6:10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven P a g e 3
3. Perspective: God IS Doing This! Acts 2:17 In the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams.. a) Notice: Your sons and daughters your young men your old men (who are YOUR sons and daughters, young and old??) b) God wants to use you to restore and release the people around us into their God-given visions, dreams, desires, and destinies. We do this by connecting them to heaven s perspective that helps them to receive that spiritual substance called faith to believe in Him. c) Evangelism and discipleship is becoming much easier than we think! The Lord is pouring out His spirit on people (saved and unsaved) and we re going to witness to and disciple people who have already experienced God in some way and are wondering what to do next. They re going to be impassioned pursuers of Dive destiny as they re getting saved. Acts 2:18 even on my male servants and female servants, in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. Acts 2:37 - Now when they head this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 4. Perspective: I m Neither Qualified or Disqualified Zech. 4:6 - Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts. a) If your strength is not a virtue, then neither is your weakness a vice. In other words if you're not qualified by your strengths then your weaknesses don't disqualify you. b) Your abundance or lack neither enables you or disables you 2 Cor. 12:9 - But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. If you think you re too weak, the Lord says you re strong If you think you re strong, the Lord says not by might, nor by strength 5. Perspective: Mountains Are Sources of Provision Zech. 4:7 - Who are you o great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" Moreover, the word of the Lard came to me, saying: "The hands of Zerubbabel have P a g e 4
laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. a) The mountain represents obstacles to fulfilling our destinies. We rely on the spirit of the Lord to complete the task by releasing the grace of God through our words and works until our assignment is completed. b) The capstone represents the completion of your assignment. The capstone comes from the rubble of the mountain. This means that the obstacle you re facing today is a potential resource for your future. 6. Perspective: The Lord Is Pleased With My Yes Zech. 4:10 - For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven (eyes) rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth a) Strength in the days of getting started with your vision comes from knowing the pleasure of the Lord over your response to His invitation and resolve to pursue it. It s this confidence in our weakness and smallness before the Lord that sustains and keeps us through the fulfillment of the assignment P a g e 5