Seeing the Best

Welcome to Sharper Sword, the publication ministry of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, California.

Lighthouse believes that individuals can reach their potential for the Lord as they grow in Christ.

We want to hear our Lord say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

Let's join Pastor Doug Fisher as he preaches another important biblical message from the Word of God.

I know you've seen Hebrews 11 from every side, but uh there's always a little bit more to learn in the book.

So Hebrews 11, and which also picked up the book of Judges, chapter number four.

Hebrews 11 and Judges chapter number four.

And while you're turning there, uh let me just suggest uh we're already hearing great comments back from the uh Leadership Conference CD or MP3, and I would just suggest you make a little investment, buy one, and uh listen to the daytime sessions.

If you can make the if you made the evening, you might want to listen to those, but go back and listen to the daytime sessions.

And I know we have it all on one MP3.

If you just like good preaching, I think you'll enjoy that a great deal, and it'll be worth your time.

Hebrews chapter 11, and then Judges chapter number four.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

I want to make a suggestion to you tonight, and the suggestion is that we study one of God's prevalent attitudes in the Bible, and it's uh it's not just uh easily stated, but it's so clear.

In Hebrews chapter 11, I want you to look at verse number 39.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

Verse number 39.

And these all, so everybody that's been mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11, which is uh a number of individuals, and these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

I want you to see that these all, all of these obtained a good report.

Everybody in Hebrews chapter 11 is spoken about in a very positive way.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

And all of them receive this good report.

If God put them in Hebrews 11, it's a very positive reason he put them in there.

Look if you would at verse number 32.

Verse number 32.

So all of these having obtained a good report, verse 32, and what shall I say for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barak and Samson?

And it goes on to name a few more.

I want you to focus on Barak, B-A-R-A-K, and just uh maybe underline him in your Bible.

And I want you to know in Hebrews 11, it presents him in such a way that he thinks about it, it's a good report.

Hold your place in Hebrews 11 and go back now to Judges chapter 4.

Judges 4 · chapter mention

And when you first see Barak, you wouldn't really think of him with the concept of a good report.

Look at Hebrew, um, Judges chapter 4, you're holding your place in Hebrews 11.

Judges 4 · chapter mention

And in Judges chapter number 4, Barak, B-A-R-A-K, is going to be brought up.

And how he's going to be brought up initially would make you kind of wonder how in the world did he get into Hebrews 11?

So it starts out in Judges chapter 4, where there's this upcoming battle that's going to happen.

Judges 4 · chapter mention

In verse number 1 and 2, you'll see that a huge number of Canaanites are involved.

And the captain of the host of the Canaanite, the general, is uh Sisera, verse number 2.

And notice that Deborah, she's a prophetess in verse number 4, uh, she tells, if you would, that there's going to be a uh a battle.

And verse number 6, she sent for and calls for Barak.

B-A-R-A-K.

And when Barak comes, uh, the Lord's speaking through Deborah, and uh he she says to him, uh, verse number six to Barak, go and draw towards Mount Tabor.

Take 10,000 men with you, uh, of the children of you, two tribes, Naphtali and Zebulon.

And he says, uh, she says, and God says this, I will draw unto thee to the river, and Sisera the general of the enemy will come at you with multitudes of chariot, and I will deliver him into thine hand.

Well, Barak says this, and for this, some people who have kind of a, I don't know, some people just make something out of nothing, but, and Barak said, If thou wilt go with me, says that to Deborah the prophetess, then I will go.

But if thou won't go with me, then I will not go.

And so uh what is preached sometimes is uh that uh Barak was faint-hearted, if you would, or afraid a little bit, or or they used the word maybe a little bit of a chicken, and and had to have a woman, you know, saying, if you don't go with me, I'm not going.

Now I want you to know something.

Um, however you want to put that, God speaks favorably of him in Hebrews 11.

I want to make this statement to you.

Oftentimes in the Bible, even though we may see in the Old or New Testament some uh some of people's weaknesses, God often speaks well of them.

What do you mean?

Uh I don't know if we have the mindset yet that when we meet somebody, let's just think well of them until they prove us wrong.

Let's just, let's just think positive about them, that God can do something with them, that God can make something out of their lives, no matter who they are, until they prove us wrong.

Because God says Barak and puts him in Hebrews 11, and the first thing you read about Barak is he's saying, Look, if you don't go up with me, I'm not going.

Call it what you want, but uh evidently uh Deborah was pretty influential at the time, was wit in the mind of the Lord, and he says, uh, you know, you're telling me to go out and take 10,000 out against a host of chariots.

Uh let me put it to you in the vernacular.

It'd be like foot soldiers going up against uh a tank brigade.

Chariots in those days, think about horses coming at you, metal coming at you, armor coming at you, and you're on the ground, and you say, we'll just take them out.

I'm gonna tell you something.

It's like a tank coming at you in those days.

And even though he had 10,000, if you read it carefully, there's gonna be 900 chariots coming against him with all the foot soldiers of the enemy.

And he's saying, if you don't go with me, I'm not going.

Now, I want to tell you something.

I don't think Barak's a chicken.

I don't think he's a chicken.

I just think you said God told you that, and I'd like you to come with me.

Because you're the one who's saying God's going to deliver us, and I just like you there.

Since you're hearing from God, I'm not hearing that, I'm trusting what you're telling me.

And I'm gonna lead 10,000 people out there.

They all have, you know, they all have children and families, and and and Deborah, I'd just like you there with us.

If God spoke to you, it's kind of like authenticating.

If you're willing to go, then God really spoke to you, and I'm willing to go, but only if you go.

Now, I don't think he's a chicken, but I but I do think uh God looks at it upon a favorable light.

And I I you have to be careful about people's interpretations of how they preach the book.

They'll sometimes think, well, I'll tell them that and they'll like that.

That'll sound good.

Brethren, we got to get past sounding good.

Or or uh sounding clever.

We don't need to be clever, we just need to be biblical.

And uh and so he says, I'll go if you go.

Verse 9.

And she said, I will surely go with you.

That's good enough for that.

That would help me.

What do you mean?

If she said, Look, God has said, take 10,000 out there, and I'll draw Sisera out with his chariots and his multitude, and I'll deliver.

And Barak says, I'll go if you'll go, and she says, I'll go.

I'd think, all right, she must have heard from God.

I'll surely go with thee, notwithstanding.

Here's the here's the negative part.

Notwithstanding, the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honor.

For the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.

And Deborah rose and went with Barak.

So here's kind of how it's preached, and I'm not I'm not knocking anything.

I I think there's something to it.

It was like, okay, uh, here's what said.

Well, there wasn't a man that God could speak to, you know, so he spoke through a woman, and then the man he asked to do this, he had to have a woman come with her, and because he had to have a woman come with her, God says, Well, you won't get to kill the general.

I'm gonna give a woman to kill the general because you weren't man enough to do it.

That's what's preached.

I want to tell you something.

There's a whole lot of speculation in that kind of preaching.

You know, you got you got to really look at that and read that in there.

Like that's from a male perspective.

I don't think that would be a woman's perspective if she's reading that.

And I'm not sure that's the Holy Ghost perspective.

So he says, well, it won't be for your honor.

You won't get to kill, you know, the general.

And I I guess you could put in there and say, well, maybe he forfeited his right to kill the general or something like that.

But who cares as long as God's will is done?

Who really cares who gets to kill the general?

What I'm saying is, people put Barak in a kind of a bad light, but I want to tell you over in Hebrews, God's got him in there of a good report.

If you're in Hebrews 11, you're, you know, you're chosen out of just a few that make it, and to being said by name that these had a good report, but had not obtained the promises that we get.

So the idea is that God have something favorable.

So he says, now it won't be for your honor.

I'll allow a woman to kill him.

And there's certainly a lot of things maybe involved with that, but I want you to see verse 13.

And so Sarah, there's the general, gathered together all his chariots.

Nine hundred.

Nine hundred in those days, tanks.

And all the people that were with him.

So they had foot soldiers, which, by the way, if you know anything about military, tanks always want foot soldiers around.

There's a reason for that.

Tanks always want boots on the ground around them if they can.

Now they go fast, they move fast, they can move, you know, 45, 50 miles an hour now, uh, shoot on the run and all that.

But when they're moving slow and they're uh, if you would, trying to uh uh clear out an area, they want foot soldiers on the ground because now there's little foot soldiers that have these anti-tank weapons.

And the tanks can't always see real well.

But other foot soldiers around them can see real well.

Does that make sense or not?

A tank can't see extremely well.

There's some there's some blind spots in a tank, even with the electronics they have nowadays.

If you got a drone and you're looking down, you might see a couple of guys out there that have this big anti-tank little shoulder weapon that's going to wipe that tank out.

And if the men on the ground see it, it's a wonderful thing.

And even back in those days, you say they didn't have any tank weapons.

Strategy and tactics are the same.

You want foot soldiers with the chariots.

Foot soldiers, uh, if you're running behind tanks, and I've I've done training with tanks and all that kind of stuff where you're you're walking along behind the tank, and there's a little phone, and you're talking to the tank driver and the tank commander on the phone while you're walking behind them and giving them some observations, and they got this long line on that thing.

That's in the old days, 40 years ago.

Who knows what they have now?

But the but you have the ability to communicate.

I want to tell you, when you're walking alongside or running, jogging alongside some tanks, you kind of feel pretty good about that.

Until you see one blow up, and then that takes away everybody's courage.

Amen.

But the idea is, the idea is, uh, the the concept is the foot soldiers and the chariots, and here they come, 900 of them against, but notice what happens, verse 13.

I didn't mean to go into that too much.

Even 900 chariots of fire and all the people that were with him.

Deborah, verse 14, and Deborah said unto Barak, up, what a word.

Up.

For this is the day to which the Lord hath delivered.

I mean, the battle order to commence by Deborah to Barak was up, like a rise, like it's time.

Go forward, go past the demarcation line.

Up.

And notice she says, and the Lord had delivered Sesera into a hand.

Is not the Lord going out before thee?

So Barak went down and with him ten thousand men after him.

Brethren, that does not sound like a chicken to me.

That does not sound like somebody that didn't have some courage.

He just wanted the one who told him that the Lord was doing this, and now she says, Up, the Lord has going out before thee, and he arises with those men and goes after those tanks.

What I'm saying is, when you read the whole story and put it in perspective, all right, maybe he needed a little encouragement.

Maybe he needed a little courage.

Okay, so he doesn't get to kill the general, but he's still in Hebrews 11, man.

He's still Barak.

He's still B-A-R-A-K.

He's still somebody that, if you would, launched out, if you would.

Verse 15, and the Lord discomforted Sisera.

And all his chariots.

And all his hosts with the edge of the sword before Barak.

Now, now please look.

That means before Barak got there, the Lord had gone before them.

I want you to see that too.

Before the Lord got there, the Lord and Sarah lighted down off his chariot and fled.

So whatever's happening, the general's saying he's lost his courage, but Barak pursued after the chariots and after the host.

And if you read on down, JayL gets to do her little bottle of milk trick, and uh, if you would, uh makes him nice and comfortable, and then JayL takes a nail with a hammer and drives it through his skull.

If I was a woman, I'd say amen.

I mean, you know.

My point being is this sometimes people put characters in the Bible in a light where you could hear that and going, oh yeah, that chicken.

But you read the rest of it and you go, wait a minute, he's in Hebrews 11.

And God puts him in a good light.

And I'm saying it seems like God does that kind of often.

Rather than meeting somebody and uh and having a certain uh attitude about them, it seems like uh our attitude ought to be, let's give them a chance.

Let's see what they're all about.

Look at Hebrews 11 again, and I'll bear this out just a little bit to you tonight.

Hebrews 11.

Now these you know, but uh Hebrews 11, verse 11.

Hebrews 11:11

Uh through faith also, Sarah.

Uh Sarah there is spelled in the Old Testament, S-A-I or S-A-R-A-I, or S-A-R-A-H, three spellings of Sarah in the Bible.

And uh Sarah, you know, the wife of Abram, uh herself restreed to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past aid.

Why?

Because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Now, brethren, if you know the story, and if you already know it, you don't have to turn there, but for those of you a little bit maybe just kind of getting in your Bible, I want you to know Sarah is put in a great light.

In Hebrews 11, 11.

In a very positive way, God says about Sarah, even though she was past age, she judged him faithful, who had promised.

Well, if you read Genesis 18, it starts out a little different than that.

So look at Genesis 18, and if you have your, if you already know, you don't have to turn there, but Genesis 18, and I'm not saying in any way, shape, or form God's contradicted himself because he's not.

I think what you have to look at is God knows what she will do, she will become.

God knows what we will do and what we will become.

And God seems to put what we will do and what we will become in a positive light.

Even though we falter a little bit, leading to that positive light.

What do you mean?

Well, like when Sarah heard, she was at the tent in Genesis 18, verse number 10.

Genesis 18, 10, she's kind of standing at the door of the tent, and she hears that it said that she's going to have a child.

Verse number 10, Lo Sarah, thy thy wife will have a son, and Sarah heard at the tent door.

And uh it says, you know, who Abraham and Sarah, they were old at that time.

Verse 12.

Therefore Sarah laughed within herself.

She laughed within herself.

And she said to herself, After I'm waxed old, and shall I have pleasure, my Lord being old also?

Brother, there's some doubt there.

God looks right past that doubt.

In Hebrews 11, God looks right past that doubt.

And he knows what Sarah will later do.

And God looks right past that doubt and puts her in the positive light.

I mean, you can put Sarah in a negative light, and there's nothing wrong with, you know, preaching, well, when she heard it, she laughed.

You know what?

I don't know what it's like to be that old, and I don't know what it's like to be a woman and all that kind of stuff, but I could see her like laugh, like thirteen, and the Lord said to Abraham, wherefore you did Sarah laugh.

And then he says anything too hard for the Lord.

That's like when God speaks to us about someone and goes, Sure.

And God looks right past that and says, I'll show you.

Verse number 15.

Then Sarah denied, saying, I laugh not.

And you can make a big deal of that if you want, but in Hebrews 11, God doesn't.

Boy, I I want to tell you something.

All of us have within ourselves said something, caught ourselves and say, I shouldn't be thinking that.

And the Holy Ghost said, You thought that, and he goes, Well, I didn't mean that.

And he said, Yes, you did.

I mean, this is just normal humanity here.

She's that old, and when she hears it, she goes, Yeah, sure.

Yeah.

And uh, and then, you know, wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, uh, shall I insurely bear a child which I'm old?

And then Sarah said, No, I didn't laugh.

I, you know, and he said, Nay, but thou didst laugh.

I just, I'm glad God puts that all in there to go, yeah, I do that too.

I doubt God.

But in over in Hebrews 11, Sarah was strong in faith.

Believed the promise.

Now here's the point.

Later she did.

And God, God kind of said, Now, you started this way, but I know what you're gonna do, so I'm gonna highlight what you did, not the doubt you had along the way.

So, Baric, you said, Well, if you go with me, I'll go, and if you don't go, I won't go.

And she said, I'll go.

And uh, you know, but you don't get to kill the wall, you don't get to kill the general.

Baric didn't say anything, he just said, Okay, whatever, you know, as long as you're going, that's what I'm concerned about.

I just want to make sure God's in it, and the 10,000 of us that are going.

I'd like to make sure God is in that.

kills the who kills the general i you're saying it's not for my honor baric doesn't say anything about that like whatever god wants the idea brethren is sometimes people make things so much out of out of out of little things and i'm sure there's preaching about all that that can be good you can preach about how we all doubt how we all don't have the courage we all uh always need how God makes it a progress once in a while a progressive thing but in Hebrews God said believe the promises and he puts her in a good light here's what I'm hoping I'm hoping at the judgment seat of Christ God puts us all in a good light do you know what I'm saying I I I still think we ought to do our best down here and be concerned about the judgment seat of Christ but I'm hoping his mercy will put us in a good light.

And I don't know if he's gonna bring up all of our doubts and fears and failures and faults and and all the rest of it like when we felt like quitting and you know whatever it was.

I know he can record all that I'm not sure he's gonna bring it all up.

I hope he doesn't come on don't you hope he doesn't we can't assume that he won't but I hope he doesn't I hope we all kind of in the right way make Hebrews 11 there's one more that you have to look at tonight and then I'll I'll show you one other one.

And what is it what am I trying to get across tonight?

Maybe we ought to just put people in a better light and just just think about them go, you know I'm looking at them like a human but I wonder what God sees in them.

I wonder what God knows they're going to be because if you would have looked at us we wouldn't even have been in church tonight and God knew we would be so so look at this is a this is maybe the classic of all classics look at Romans 4.

Romans 4.

It's probably it's probably one of the most the the classics that involving this particular subject Romans 4 and thanks for just kind of going with me tonight and you know the people at work the people in the military you work with your neighbors somebody walks in the door when we go to visit people who've come to church we we try to go with the idea of God's got something in mind for them.

God's got something in mind for them.

When you mentor somebody you've got to believe God's got something in mind with them.

I talked to two people outside of our church today not in our area that I've known for many years and they've had some falterings and they just both text me today and say can I talk?

And I still believe in them.

I still believe God's got something for them even though they went through some of those things.

Romans 4 is the classic verse 18 talking about Abraham who against hope believed in hope.

Verse 19 Abraham being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about a hundred years old neither the the yet the deadness of Sarah's room he staggered not at the promise of God.

Brethren is God putting Abraham in a good light especially if you know the Bible what do you mean it it it didn't quite happen that way but God's not lying because later on he staggered not at the promise of God.

The idea was uh he he put him in a good light and and being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead well initially he did but later on he didn't why because they had a child so they had to follow by faith the action required of them.

In fact uh when Abraham heard about it he fell on his face and laughed.

Is that true?

Yes or no?

And even suggested to God that Ishmael was already born.

Well look look at it real quick if you if just so you have it in your book look at Genesis again.

Pop over to Genesis and look at uh look at Genesis chapter uh 17 verse 17 and you can study this out later the idea is are our attitudes about people Genesis 1717 then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart said in his heart remember Sarah laughed within herself Sarah and he said in his heart shall a child be born unto him that's a hundred years old shall Sarah that is 99 years old bear and Abraham said unto God Oh that Ishmael might live forever before thee so the idea is uh and God's saying well it's a contradiction it's not a contradiction he started out that way but God knew what he would become and so God puts him in a in a good light my my my point is this maybe we ought to consider do I want to say something negative about that person or maybe I just let that go because I'm guilty man I'm guilty like do I want to say something negative about that person?

Ah the Holy Spirit says stop just don't talk that way I'll be in the middle of a conversation I'll say something the Holy Ghost will say you don't have to say that you don't have to say that you know put them in a positive light.

Like look at yourself you know what I mean like why are you saying that look at yourself I was merciful to you you know who you are you know you did the same thing you maybe in a different way but you did the same thing.

And the idea is when it says against Topi believing hope he staggered not at the promises of God he believed that God could do it.

Well at the start he was needed some convincing the point of it is God puts him in a good light.

Now let me give you let me give you the concept look at Acts chapter 9.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Thanks for being there here tonight Acts chapter 9.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

And I'm just thinking maybe we ought to think that way about each other.

If we thought that way about each other we wouldn't be backbiting each other.

We wouldn't be negative on Facebook you know we wouldn't be doing all that stuff there'd be more harmony and unity or we would say they're just having a bad day you know bad month whatever look at Acts chapter 9.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

So Acts chapter 9 it's uh it's the the concept of putting someone in a good light seeing the good in them Acts chapter 9 look at verse 13 God has just told Ananias that he's going to go down to verse 11 one called Saul of Tarsus.

Acts 9 · chapter mention Acts 9 · chapter mention

Ananias is going down to Saul of Tarsus I want you to know when God says to Ananias I want you to go there's a guy named Saul of Tarsus he's praying Ananias already knew who Saul of Tarsus was everybody that was a Christian knew who Saul of Tarsus was I mean this is like the big ugly you know then Ananias verse 13 answered Lord I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done to the saints at Jerusalem.

You know I've heard about him and you want me to go down to him and and and and hear he hath authority from the chief priest to bind all that call upon his name?

Well the Lord says to Anoninas go thy way he's a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles now look he didn't look like the kind of guy that would bear the name of God before the Gentiles at that time his reputation was killing Christian Pharisee the Pharisees and and may I say to you that as a Pharisee of the Pharisees he thought the Gentiles were dogs.

So that whole statement Ananias had to take that by faith that that was true.

What I'm saying is God put a positive spin on Saul and you say well sure we knew he but he didn't know that at that time he was going down and he said verse 16 I will show him how great things he must suffer Ananias verse 17 interesting you ought to underline these three words Ananias went his way did what he was told to do.

Even though you know Saul's reputation preceded him in a negative way he Ananias went his way entered into the house put his hands on him said underline this brother Saul that's faith man that's that's knowing you've heard from God Ananias has got quite an ear to hear God say I want you to go down and I want you to lay hands on the guy named Saul of Tarsus he's a chosen vessel to me Ananias says but Lord uh you know he's got a reputation of killing Christians and committing people to prison and uh and the Lord says he's my chosen vessel and Ananias goes his way and when he comes in puts his hand on him Saul's a little you know he's a little bit um well he can't see at that time so he's a little bit weakened.

Saul does not look as uh as mighty as he used to look Saul doesn't have the authority he used to have what do you mean when he walks in he can't see and I'm I think here's this man kind of who knows slumped over a little bit he's not all powerful breathing out threatenings at the time come on would you agree with that?

He just saw the road heard some things on the road to Damascus and when he walks in but Ananias had to have a positive outlook towards him because God says I know what you've heard but do what I'm telling you to do.

And when he walks in he says brother Saul what a good attitude brother Saul so what we need to do is look at people who get saved and say brother sister and believe there's something good that God's going to do in their heart even though it's gonna take a while it did for us and he's still working on us.

Come on so he says brother Saul the Lord even Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way as thou cameest now wait a minute Ananias wasn't there so when he says brother Saul the Lord even Jesus that appeared unto thee God has given him some great insight as thou cameest has sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost man he puts his hands on him immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales and he received sight arose and was baptized I got to just say that Ananias had to go in with a positive outlook that this guy who used to kill Christians was going to be a transformed man.

And I know we read it but if you would have walked in I I I I got to tell you Ananias had to have him in a positive light.

And when people get saved we got to put them in a positive light.

I mean that I mean what did they really get saved?

Well we don't know yet but if they prayed we hoped they did sometimes there's evidence sometimes there's not and uh the ones that you don't think got saved they stay for they stay for life.

The point of it is we've got to put each other in kind of a positive light if we can come on would you agree with that?

Why there seems to be a principle about that in the book where God puts them in a positive light.

Now let me give you that flip side of that it's uh I got I got 10 minutes.

So let me give you the flip side of that look at John 9.

John 9.

And I'm just trying to say at work you know I'm gonna try to have a positive spirit on that that person that neighbor that that that situation or somebody you're working with or when people walk through the door man if they come to church give them a break they're in church really I mean or did you see that person how they walked in at least they walked in I mean seriously I hope we're not the type of church that goes did you see how they came?

They came man they came yeah but did you see you know they yeah oh so so some of them we can see their past life some of them you can see their past life but we all have a past life some of us just didn't do things that show it but you know it's still there are you still with me or not some people walk in you can see their past life a little bit other of us other of us have walked in we look you know fairly normal but we have a past life too you just can't see it.

Man I I I think of not often but I think once in a while when I shake somebody's hand and they're you can tell they're a little bit kind of rough I think of where I was at in Singapore one night what I was doing there you know at a at a British officers club and I was the recon officer and we were doing um we were doing uh uh let's see diplomatic exchanges and it was alcohol related but it was diplomacy what do you mean diplomacy it was military to military and we had to kind of this was British Special Forces and I was the United States special force representative and we had to hold our own does that make sense what I'm saying you know like boys to boys only they were men to men well I got out of there but after I got out of there I couldn't fake it any longer and I was sick for three days man I didn't even make it back to the ship my point being is sometimes my mind goes back to that and says if God can pull me up out of that He can pull somebody else up out of whatever they got and we ought to put them in a good light.

Does that make sense what I'm saying?

I often think yeah shake the guy's hand shake the gal's hand you know if they knew where I had been praise the Lord for blessings and grace the idea is put them in a positive light.

And I hope we have that attitude in our church.

Now look we're we're we're gonna be cautious I mean we're not gonna just let anybody come in I mean if they if they have certain uh situations in their life uh that follow them around that that's legal or illegal or something like that we're gonna watch that come on that's fair right sure I like we wouldn't let uh we wouldn't let a person in here on probation not allowed to be around little children if we found that out we would we'd have to say something and we have before does that make sense or not?

Sure so we're gonna protect the flock but within reason we just got to give people the benefit of doubt versus versus the Pharisee's attitude look at John 9 John 9 so if you know John 9 this is the this is the man that was born blind from his from his birth and jesus comes along and and if you know the whole story the apostles had asked them who sinned him or his parents verse 3 well the blind man who had not seen ever he was born blind he had not ever seen um the Lord healed him and when he was questioned about it verse 11 he answered and said when the Pharisees questioned a man that is called Jesus made clay anointing my eyes said unto me and wash and I went and washed and I received sight.

Now think about that this man made clay his name they call him Jesus it's almost like haven't seen him yet what I mean he hadn't seen him yet well he put clay on and it said go to the pool.

It was when he went to the pool and washed that he received his sight.

Jesus wasn't at the pool am I wrong on that?

Do I have a the idea is he says a man called Jesus so he didn't know him personally yet but he knew what he did.

Verse 12 they said where is he?

He said I don't know I don't know where he's at he was almost saying I don't even know what he looks like you see I've never seen a man before like before I went to the pool and I had never seen males or females because I was born blind guys.

And so I don't know where he's at he did it on the Sabbath day purposely because he knew the Pharisees would would would question.

And so they uh they the Pharisees start going through all this and boy they're getting insecure and everything.

Verse 24 then again call they the man that was blind and said unto him give God the praise we know that this man is a sinner.

The blind guy who's born blind that's now went to the pool and washed he answered and said whether he be a sinner or no I know not.

One thing I know I was blind and now I see so I'm not gonna judge him whether he's a sinner because all I know is I can see now.

By the way if you hadn't seen all your life and now you could see you're gonna put you're gonna put Jesus in a pretty positive light you're gonna think pretty positive of him.

And they're saying well he's a sinner and and you know and he says I don't know if he's a sinner or not all I know is I couldn't see all my life and now I see that's that's what I know then they said what what did he do?

How'd he do that?

How opened he your eyes verse 27 he answered them I've told you already you did not hear this guy's kind of getting you know a little testy with him wherefore would you hear it again?

And then he says this is sarcasm will you also be his disciples he already knew the culture.

I mean even though he is blind he knew they they described themselves as Moses' disciple Moses's disciple Moses's then they reviled him and said thou art his disciple but we are Moses's disciples we know not this fellow we know not whence he is the man's not done yet the the guy that's getting you know he's really going to get testy now look he's seeing them where why herein is a marvelous thing I'm just saying you can see his personality coming out now.

Even though he's blind he's got some wit to him and he's sharp you know what I mean he's got a mind and he says here's a marvelous thing that you know not whence he is yet he hath opened mine eyes now we know that God heareth not sinners now he's going after their doctrine guys we know in your doctrine God doesn't hear sinners so you're asking me if this guy is a sinner or not and I'm saying I don't know if he's a sinner.

All I know is where I was blind now I see.

But we know this guy it's a marvelous thing.

We know God doesn't hear sinners but if any man be a worshiper of God and doeth his hear him he heareth.

Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind?

You know what he's inferring?

Well God heard this guy what I'm saying is the blind man's put him in a positive light.

But the Pharisees are putting him in a negative light and now they're attacking the blind man that's not blind anymore.

You still with me or not?

If this man were not of God he could do nothing I mean everybody's listening to this and this guy, what's he got to lose?

He can see man he can see they answered and said unto him thou wast altogether born in sin and dost thou teach us?

And they cast him out Jesus heard that they had cast him out.

And when he had found him he said unto him Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

He answered and said Who is he, Lord?

That I might believe on him.

Brethren it looks like to me he hasn't seen him yet.

And Jesus said unto him Thou hast seen him and it is he that talketh with thee and he said Lord I believe and he worshipped him the point of it is the Pharisees were finding all kinds of fault let's not be that kind of people let's not be that kind of Baptist.

Let's not be that kind of Christian let's let's be let's be spiritually minded.

I'm not saying we shouldn't be careful about people and by the way when you put everybody in a positive light let's face it sooner or later you're gonna get took let me say it again when you put people in a positive light sooner or later you're gonna get used I don't know how many times I've I've been scammed personally I mean personally just you know you believe somebody and they and you just okay all right and you find out later ah that was probably that was probably false.

You say well Then I don't want to do that.

I want to tell you something.

It would be a better way to live to put people in a positive light than to be skeptical like the Pharisees.

The Pharisees were already in prison mentally.

And they couldn't accept the glorious thing that God had done.

Come on, are you still with me?

No, I just don't like that attitude because you're going to get taken advantage of.

Brethren, as long as we have favor with the Lord, what matters?

What matters?

Why don't we look at somebody and say, well, maybe God can do something with them?

Maybe God can work something out.

Maybe God can uh I'm sure this blind man that couldn't see from his birth, there was a lot going on up there mentally, but he was totally dependent.

But there was a lot of stuff going up there mentally.

He already knew their doctrine.

He already knew what they taught a little bit.

He already knew they classified, you know, sinners and all that.

He already knew all that.

He already knew they had a bad attitude.

And he had not yet seen Jesus.

And when they questioned him, he had a pretty sharp wit about him.

He went back with them and debated with them a little bit.

And I want to tell you this: let's face it, he could care less what the Pharisees thought about him.

Would you agree with that statement?

He could really care less about what the Pharisees thought about him.

All he knows is he was blind.

Now he could see.

They they the whole thing, the whole chapter, if you read it, talks about prejudices.

Even the apostles didn't have it quite right.

You know, which man, which who sinned, the parents or the on the boy?

And the Lord says, neither.

Neither.

This has not come upon, this is all for the glory of God.

So there's positives throughout the whole thing.

And what we need to maybe look at in life is uh, you know, so I'm going out soul winning.

There's probably somebody out there that needs Christ.

And there's probably somebody that's going to get saved.

And I ought to look at it that way.

You know, I shouldn't go out there and look at it and say, well, this doesn't work.

Wait a minute.

God's word still works.

It still works.

And somebody's going to receive something.

And even though I don't do it perfectly, God can still save someone.

Well, I don't have all the words downright.

Brother, God can still save someone.

Come on.

He can.

And we don't always do church perfectly.

I'm going to say again, we don't always do church perfectly.

But God takes our meager little efforts and does marvelous things.

I've seen so many times preaching that even though I don't think I did very well, God says, you didn't have to.

I already had it all worked out.

I just needed you to stand up there and do what you did, but let me do the work now.

And when that happens, you just kind of go away humbled and going, Well, there you go.

God was going to do what he's going to do, and praise the Lord for that.

And the concept is Hebrews 11, he puts Sarah in a positive light.

He puts Barak in a positive life.

He puts Abraham and Romans in a positive light.

To Ananias, he puts Saul, that persecutor, in a positive light.

And this man who was born blind, he already has Jesus as a positive light, even though the Pharisees are trying to tear Jesus down.

And even though the Pharisees are trying to tear him down, they seem to be very ineffective that day with their terrible attitudes.

Why would people come to our church if we had bad attitudes about them already?

Why would God bring people to our church to minister to if we already have bad attitudes about them?

If we're already looking to find out what's wrong with them, why would God bring them here?

I think, though, if we if we have a positive light that God can do a lot through a lot of people and he can potentially do something, then we would get into Hebrews and say, there's a good report in that person somewhere.

Somebody walks through the door, you greet them and meet them, there's a good report in that person somewhere.

There's something good, there's a good report that's gonna come out of this somehow by God's grace.

And we ought to have the attitude, let's look for that good report.

Let's look for the potential of what God can do.

And uh look at ourselves a little bit, maybe adjust our attitudes a little bit on going through life and try to have the mind of God.

Again, we're gonna get taken advantage of.

And none of us are perfect in this.

We may say something negative about somebody tomorrow, but may the Holy Ghost stop us a little bit and say, stop talking so negative.

And if you're a please don't get involved with the negative tweeters, Twitters, Facebook websites, uh chat rooms, whatever else there are, don't get involved in the negative stuff.

They're they they just need to read their book.

And they're saying it's righteous judgment.

Um careful, sometimes righteous judgment is just man-made.

It really is, or woman-made.

Can I say that?

It's man-made or woman-made, and they're just saying it's righteous.

And they pull out one scripture, but you look at the whole thing and says, you know, God just has a different attitude about it.

Abraham said, you know, fell on his face and laughed, and God said, Beyond hope, he believed in hope.

Just went on through with it, had that son.

Sarah.

Went right on through with it, had that son.

Positive light.

Barak.

Boy, I tell you what, and then and what more can I speak?

And he names Barak.

Ananias, go over there to Saul.

Ananias goes in, and I love what he says.

Brother Saul.

He had never met him before.

He believed what God told him.

Brother Saul.

Thank you for listening to this message by Pastor Doug Fisher of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, California.

To learn more about Lighthouse Baptist Church, visit our website at www.lighthousebaptist.com or call 619 461 5561.