I Want To See | Carter Conlon

Luke chapter 18 please if you'll go there in your Bibles Luke chapter 18 I want to see I want to see you're quiet this morning yes I heard you say that Pastor Patrick you're kidding this is quiet quiet Church which is good which is good still waters run deep when people are quiet quite often they're thinking that's why they're crying I want to see Father thank you God Almighty for your presence here today Lord God there are things that you want to show us her places you want to take us you want to make us into a people that will bring glory to your name in this possibly the last generation and so God help us now help us to see things in your word that we may have skipped over help us to understand things Lord that we met pushed out of our consciousness for various reasons I thank you for the anointing of your spirit for without the anointing we can't see we can read but we can't see I pray God that you would engrave this word on our hearts for that is your promise that's what you said you would do so we open our hearts and we ask that that pen of heaven would come and just simply write this word on our hearts not just today but for the rest of our days give us eyes to see Oh God give us ears to hear give us hearts to obey take us Lord in our weakness and become our strength in the days ahead of us Lord we would see you again we want to see the working of your hand we want to live Lord to see our society turn back to you our children calling out to your name again Lord there are things that in our hearts Lord that we're asking for you to do for we recognize only you can do these things so God annoyed this frail vessel one more time give me the privilege of bringing your word to your people give us the privilege and the grace to hear it and we thank you for it in Jesus name Amen Luke chapter 18 I I want to see beginning at verse 35 then it happened as he was coming near Jericho that is Jesus that a certain blind man sat by the road baking and hearing a multitude passing by he asked what it meant and so they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by and he cried out saying Jesus son of David have mercy on me then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet but he cried out all the more son of David have mercy on me so Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to him and when he had come near he asked him saying what do you want me to do for you he said Lord that I may receive my sight then jesus said to him receive your sight your faith has made you well and immediately he received his sight and followed him glorifying God and all the people when they saw it gave praise to God now this is an interesting passage of Scripture because you and I know that all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for doctrine for correction for instruction and righteousness the Bible says that we may understand the ways of God and you'll find with Christ there's there's never a happenstance nothing just simply happens because he happens to be somewhere his entire life on this earth especially the three years of course of minister of public ministry was an illustration of something in the heart of God that he wants us to see if we have the eyes to see it he's passing through Jericho now Jericho is the place where years before he in a pre before he was born as a baby in Bethlehem he had various appearances in human form the son of God did in the Old Testament on this earth and one of them was by Jericho now you know that the people of God were being brought out of bondage they were held in captivity in Egypt under Moses hand they were brought out they spent years in the wilderness and finally other generation is coming into this place a promise and listen to what the Bible says in Joshua chapter 5 let me read it to you and it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho he lifted up his eyes and looked and behold a man stood opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand and Joshua went to him and said to him are you for us or for our adversaries and he said no but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come and Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him what does my Lord say to his servant then the commander of the Lord's army which is Christ said to Joshua take your sandal off your foot for the place where you stand is holy and Joshua did so now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel none went out and none came in in other words there's a stronghold in this place it promised anybody bear witness anybody struggling with that now you we live in the place of promise we live in the place of victory we live in a place of salvation we live in a place of incredible promise Jesus Christ is the promised land for the New Testament believer that's that's what all these stories were leading to that's who he is in your life and the Lord said chapter 6 and verse 2 see I have given Jericho into your hand it's King and the mighty men of valor see in other words Joshua see now when Joshua looks with his natural eyes he sees a city that still all shut up preparing for battle walls that are so thick they can't be penetrated by human effort as a matter of fact when historian said they're so thick that you could actually drive a chariot on the top of them there are people living on that those walls if their apartments in those walls where people lived and before the victory before the victory Christ says to Joshua see amazing isn't it what seems he's looking at a city that's intact he's looking at a place where all the defenses are still there he's looking at a stronghold really in the promised land but he's asking Joshua to see with spiritual eyes to see something that normal men or natural men and women don't see you have to be walking with God to see these things he says to him see I've given Jericho into your hand it's king and it's mighty men of valor now you and I know the children of Israel walked into that place it promised and with strict confidence in the Word of God they were given instructions that look to be foolish in the natural walk around the city for six days blowing trumpets and being quiet don't say anything just blow the trumpets walk around the city every day and do nothing and say nothing that's a miracle in itself for the people of God I'll tell you right now for six days to say nothing on the seventh day go around seven times and when I tell you after the seventh time which is the perfection of God the number seven I want you to shout and as the people shouted the walls of the city fell down flat and historians say they fell in Word which is technically impossible that can't happen in a circle you can't cause walls to fall inward in a circle but they say they did and the people went up and conquered this stronghold it was in their place a promise God's intent was clearly revealed that he was going to give his own people victories it could only be won through their faith and his power it's not by human effort not by human reasoning thank God for those things I thank God that we have the ability to do certain things but the victory that God wants to give is a victory of faith it's a victory that comes by the power of God it does not come by human intellect does not come by our reasonings or the best of our efforts sometimes as a people we forget our own history and we forget about the power of God I want you now to fast forward from this moment where the pre-incarnate christ appears to joshua the people walk in obedience it's the first step into the promised land that place that God says I'm going to take you to it's the first step they obey by faith and the miraculous happens and they conquer and in conquerable City in the natural put let's put it that way now fast-forward years later the same Christ comes walking into Jericho again the same Jesus the same captain of the Lord's army the same one who holds power in his hand the same one whose word has the ability to raise the dead calm the sea stop the wind the same one who was in the beginning with God and the Bible says by all things through him were created and nothing was created that he was not involved in and he sustains all things by the word of his power so here he comes near Jericho it's not that many years later the physical Christ is now passing by that that first place that that first place of victory that place that the people of Israel knew about they knew their history they knew what God had done they knew who God had been now it's such an oxymoron in the sense because all you see now instead of people standing there shouting for victory you see one blind man sitting by the road begging now what had begun as a shout of victory had degenerated into a pitiful plea of bondage Jesus son of David have mercy on me and the crowd that maybe thinks that we've moved beyond miracles and mercy as this men begun to call out says those who went before him warned him that he should be quiet but he cried out all the more son of David have mercy on me you see it's a crowd that maybe thinks in that time that we've moved beyond miracles and mercy sound familiar we've moved beyond just calling up to God weren't more sophisticated than that now we've moved beyond just simple obedience and maybe the willingness to look foolish in the sight of fallen man and just march around the city and blow our trumpets and believe God that when we shout the walls are going to fall oh no that's too simplistic for this complicated educated smart church of that generation and perhaps ours too as well no we've moved beyond miracles and mercy to sophistication and strategy you see crying out for miracles and mercy is old-fashioned we're way beyond that now that's why we have no prayer meetings in America anymore that's why you can barely hardly find a place where anybody's crying out to God because you see we're so smart now we've got it all figured out we have all the strategies we have all the self-help books we have all the support groups you'll ever need in the body of Christ the one thing we don't have is faith in power for the miraculous anymore in the kingdom of God no no no no today we have strategies plans that we have such meaningful and compassionate discussions and Jesus the crowd would say can take our new visions where each of us has to where they need to go so be quiet they said to the man was simply there crying out for a miracle the man who's got a stronghold in his life the man who lives in darkness the man who has doesn't can't see a way forward the man who doesn't know how he's ever going to get out of the situation that he's in the man who's in a place where he finds that the selflessness of even even the professed people of God has gotten so deep that nobody sees him he doesn't see them but they don't see him any more either other than as a nuisance to their entire religious agenda be quiet they would say we've got the plan now and the pretty prayerless churches in our generation are a testimony as to how far we've gotten from God in this society look at our nation look at what's going on in our government look at what's going on in our schools look at the wiki - moral agenda that's literally sweeping like a tsunami over our nation and I want to tell you one there's one thing responsible for it it's not our lack of knowledge or tapes or reading or study it's the prayer meeting and calling out to the mercy of God that's that's where we have to be again it requires the humility remember the scripture says if my people who are called by my name will what humble themselves and pray and seek my face this man was not in a position of authority he was not a mover and shaker he couldn't move with the crowd they were too fast for him the only thing in his heart was a cry God want to see I want to see a way forward I want to see my daughter go down the aisle and get married I want to see my family at the table giving glory to God I want to see my prison door open and set me free I want to see way out of this addiction this bondage this stronghold that's in my life and I don't care anymore who knows I don't care who hears because I've heard I've heard that the one was passing by can do miracles I have no doubt that somewhere along the line somebody had to have told this man about Jesus of Nazareth the son of God they probably would have told him you know there was a man who stood up one day in the synagogue and he opened the book of the prophet Isaiah and he said these words the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he sent me to heal the brokenhearted to proclaim Liberty to the captives and the recovery of sight to the blind in other words those that can't see a way out they can't see a way in they can't see a way forward they simply can't see I've been sent to give them back their sight and to set free those who are oppressed and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and then he closed the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down and the eyes of all them in the synagogue were fixed on him and he began to say to them today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing and I can see somebody stopping by the side of the road one day because this man knew who it was passing by so he had to have some knowledge and saying you're not gonna believe it but a man stood up in the synagogue and he declared himself to be the one-cent of God the Messiah he said he could set free the oppressed said he could heal those that have been wounded in heart and he could give sight to those who are blind those who just don't see they can't see a way forward there's there's no way out of their darkness there's no way out of the imprisonment that the walls of Jericho would have been around this man not outside of his life and yet and he said something profound he said today this day not tomorrow not when you get to heaven today this scripture is fulfilled so today and not only that this man is healing everybody that comes to him and it is rumored of him that he can stop the waves and stop the wind and he could feed a crowd of thousands with just a few loaves and fishes seems to be nothing this man can't do and so here's this man by Jericho where it all began where the people of God first came into the promised land here's this poor blind man by the side of the road and he hears a crowd a commotion going by and everybody is trying to steer Jesus into their direction of what they think the future should be earth there's all kinds of people there oh there are certain in the crowd that say well he's the one with the power to overthrow the Roman government another one could say he's the one with the power to feed us we're getting free food for the rest of our days another one can say here's the one with the power to calm every storm somebody else is looking for just to get close maybe to the temple Treasury who knows why they're all there but everybody's everybody's moving and everybody's thinking that they're there corralling Jesus and leaning in enough to kind of move them in their direction and everything's going fine until this man on the side of the road starts calling out Jesus son of David have mercy on me be quiet can't you see this is the Messiah we understand what he must do we understand his plan we understand where this whole parade needs to go Jesus son of David have mercy on me and suddenly the Lord says you know it's interesting his journey is not stopped by any of the religious parade that's going on around him it's the cry of one man that brings the Son of God to a standstill the cry of one man brings about a miracle the cry of one man is about to change the tenure of this entire moment the cry of one heart and says I've just had enough of living in darkness and I hear that the one who can change my life is passing praise be to God I challenge you with all my heart when you sense the nearness of God there are times in your life where you sense the nearness of God you can't really explain it you're sitting there in your struggle you try out whatever it is and you just it could be in your living room it could be on the subway and suddenly you just feel that he's near when you feel the nearness of God don't hesitate to call out to him don't sit there in your pride don't ask the master of the universe for a new cup so you're begging can take on another another dimension don't ask him just for a new garment when you can't see there are things that we can ask God for but this man knew what his struggle was God Almighty I want to see way out of my pain I want to see Jesus called him and said what do you want me to do for you he said I want to receive my sight I want to see a way out of this pain this pain has been so much a part of my life the pain of rejection the pain of knowing that my future is limited I can't learn cuz I can't see they wouldn't have had Braille back then I can't see I can't learn there's there's no hope of getting out of this box it's all around me I want to see a way forward and I've heard that you came to give sight back to those that are blind I want to see way out of my poverty I want to see weigh in to the provision of God isn't that what the promised land is supposed to be isn't that what you promised Joshua and the people that were with him didn't you say it was a land filled with milk and honey a land of provision a land of glory a land of God's goodness and I want to see way out of my prison I'm tired of God of being in this prison I'm tired of being boxed in by the darkness that surround me I'm tired of a society that looks upon me as a nuisance and not a viable contribution to its future I've had it and I don't care who's telling me to be quiet I'm not going to be quiet anymore I'm gonna call out until I get free there's never been a spiritual awakening in the history of the Christian Church without a cry when a spiritual awakening comes suddenly pride dies and a crowd comes into the heart and men and women every verse I just want to get right with God I don't care who knows I don't care what it costs I don't care where I have to go I want to be right with God Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me have mercy and suddenly the Lord of the universe the God of all creation the God who can orchestrate a billion conversations all at one time stops and says bring that man to me bring that woman to me bring that young person to me bring that older person to me and face-to-face he says to him what do you want me to do for you you see it it was obvious what needed to be done but sometimes we need to find ourselves in agreement with God or our own condition the man could have asked for a new coat and I suppose that's what he would have gotten or a new cup and maybe would have gotten that or maybe I got a sore on my foot and appreciate if you pray for my healing but Jesus wants us to acknowledge our condition what it is that we need unashamedly and he said to him I want to receive my sight and then jesus said to him receive your sight your faith has made you well and immediately I want you to look at the word immediately he received his sight immediately there's an immediacy when God touches your life I suffered panic attacks for nine years and when I called out in my weakness immediately I was set free from nine years of Hell and brought into the power of God there's an immediacy in God when you call out with a sincere heart when you call out with an honest heart something of the heavens unlocks and something of this earth has to give way that's exactly what happened when Joshua and the people of God came into the promised land and faced this stronghold called Jericho the power of God was released and the power of this world lost its hold the miraculous began to happen immediately he received his sight and followed him glorified God praise be to God I'm doing that today by telling you what Jesus Christ did in my life 40 years ago and what he continues to do in this hour I promise you that if you will call out to God he will do something in your life you can't do for yourself he will do a miracle in your life you call out and he says what can I do for you you say there's an impress in my mind because I got involved in something I shouldn't be involved in and it worked its way into my character and now it's a stronghold and I don't see the way out but I want to be free there's others here today you could say I was wounded I was bruised I was abused and I don't know how I'm ever going to be whole but I know that you have the power to release me I want to be free there's others that could say I'm addicted I'm afflicted I I live with this this horrid addiction even of a self-loathing that's in my life and I don't know how to get out but I know God Almighty that you have the power to set me free and to make me a new creation that's the promise you made to me if I was in you and you were in me that I would become a new creation and the old things in my life would pass away and behold all things would become new so God Almighty I want to see I want to see no less than that I want to see I want to see who you created me to be I want to see the ministry that you've given to me to fulfill I want to see Oh God I want to see my purpose on the earth I want to see your power at work in my life I want to see the giftings of the Holy Spirit of bounding through my life again I want to see myself in your house glorifying you for the rest of my days and the scripture says all the people when they saw it gave praise to God remember the Lord said to Joshua I want you to see I'm about to give you this victory and it's amazing all of the people when they saw what the blind Manso before the people who could see saw it he saw the Son of God and they saw the power of God again because they had lost sight of it it's so easy to lose sight of the power of God and the mercy of God and the purpose of God and why we are the people of God and I want to suggest to you that in our generation we have lost sight of the purpose of God but sometimes it takes just one blind man to bring us back into the place where God is always longed for us to be and when they saw it and so today the question the Lord's put on my heart for you is who wants to see again and who wants to be a testimony that our will be used of God to bring others back to simple faith all the way through the Scriptures all the self-willed and all the overly self intelligent they don't really complement the lame the prostitute the blind the maimed in prison the person with the testimony you imagine this man he's praising God in a way that nobody else is in that crowd he says he followed him from that day forward praising him and probably for the rest of his life people would say what why do you praise him the way you do well you see I once was blind but now I see your testimony could be all once was bound to non-free I once was wounded beyond repair but now I'm an agent of God's healing God stretching out his hand through me to touch a wounded and hurt generation and so my altar call this morning is really really simple who wants to see who wants to see and who's willing to be honest with God we can't be dishonest with God and expect the miracle who wants to he's going to say what do you what is it that you need and you have to be honest you have to be honest if there's a warp in your character if there's if there's something in your life that shouldn't be there if there's a place you can't get out of if there's a stronghold that you can't break in your own strength it's just a matter now saying Lord Jesus Christ I want to see and I don't care who knows I don't care I just don't care anymore I don't care it tells me to be quiet I'm not going to be quiet I'm gonna call out even though the religious crowd have got their agenda and they don't want me shouting out in their midst but I don't care anymore I want to be free and if that's the cry of your heart I telling you you will be free you will be free and and the scripture says immediately immediately he received his sight immediately and so I'm believing God because he gave me this word today for an immediacy an immediacy of God's touch not tomorrow not next week not a gradual five year healing but I'm talking about an immediacy an immediacy we're going to take authority in the name of Jesus we're going to believe God that everything he promised that he was going to do for us that he will do we're at a stage folks where we've got to become the church again for the sake of Christ and for the sake of this generation I would rather one person who used to be blind who can now see than 15-thousand theologians who have no life and no bear no fruit in their life I would god almighty thank God for those who study thank God for those who understand but ultimately it has to bring us towards the miraculous power of God that's what the real testimony is all of us not just an accumulation of knowledge it's let me tell you what Jesus has done for me so father I thank you God with all my heart with all my heart Lord for the touch of heaven in this sanctuary today I thank you Lord for the sobriety even of the people that have gathered here today Lord you are bringing us to something of yourself Lord a place that only you can take us and so Lord we're not ashamed to cry out to you and our need we're not ashamed to admit to you our condition we ask you Lord Jesus Christ as you always have been that you would be merciful to us and you would touch us touch our physical bodies touch our minds touch us Lord God in a way that only you can and cause us to worship you in a way that we never have give us great grace oh God and I pray for a great great shot of freedom to be in this house today I ask you Lord that according to your word the prison doors would open wounded hearts would be healed and blinded eyes would see according to your word God that the poor would have the treasure of heaven open to their understanding the resources of God to win this incredible victory thank you for these things and you told us today this saying is fulfilled in your ears so Lord we don't have to wait for a thousand tomorrow's today according to your word we can be free and we thank you for it in Jesus name I want you to just lift your hands to God right now and I want you to begin to just thank him for what he's done for you in the past thank him for all the times he's delivered to you thank him for all the times he's helped you thank you for thank him for all the times he's provided for you he's protected you he's delivered you he's made a way for you he's watched your back he's covered your head in the day of battle begin to thank him for all the times he's come through for you begin to declare who he is god I thank you for how many times you've come through for me in the past come on you begin to talk to him you lift your voice not one voice silent here on the main flop in the balcony those of you online you begin to talk to your God begin to thank him for what he's done in the past how many times he's come through God thank you for how you provided in this area in that area God for your faithfulness God I thank you for how many times you've delivered me how many times you've provided for me financially how many times you've healed me you've raised me up how many times you've protected me how many times you've opened doors for me how many times got you've closed doors for me God because of your love and your ordering of my steps God I want to thank you for all the times God you've protected me God all the times you delivered me you made whay Oh God you made a way of God you made a way oh god you are the waymaker you are the deliverer you are the savior you are my Redeemer you are my provider God you are the one who's resurrecting me and God I want to thank you today I want to thank you today for loving me I want to thank you for going to the cross with me I want to thank you Lord for not sparing your life for God but delivering up yourself will God deliver your life O God to redeem us the same meal god god it is evident that you love us it is evident that you with us it is evident God that you're watching over us God that you're providing for us O God that you care for us and so today we learned our voices in faith we loved our voices and confidence we lift our voices based on your word that we've heard today and now we take authority over the lies of the devil we take authority Lord God over sickness we take authority over depression we take authority over hopelessness we take authority over selfishness we take the authority over anger we take the door yo God over pride God we take authority over fear today we are not going to be afraid we choose to trust our God we choose to bless our God we choose to cry out to [Music] in the hand of God we praise you for healing [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] God we thank you that you will not withhold any good thing you always hold no good thing from those who walk uprightly God we just thank you today we bless you today because we know who you are you we know who you are Oh God you've been get to us Oh God and you are not gonna fail us you will never fail us God hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah come on talk to him talk to your God today talk to him today thank him in advance for your miracle wake him right now for his provision thank you for right now for his goodness take him right now for his loving kindness take him right now for his mercy open your mouth and begin to thank you begin to thank you mocha halleluyah halleluyah [Music] you know when you lift your voice to God [Music] and you may not even feel anything at this moment but this walk is not by feelings it's by faith [Music] and so when you and I lift our voices to God no matter what we're feeling on the inside no matter what's going on in our mind we're not faking it we're facing it there's a difference Amen we're facing it we're saying God as pastor said I choose to trust you no matter what things look like in the natural you work in the realm of the supernatural and so God I'm gonna trust you I'm gonna sing this right song on the right song side before the Red Sea even parts I'm gonna praise you I'm gonna worship you I'm gonna bless you and I'm gonna look forward to what you're about to do whatever the difficulty is it's an opportunity for God to glorify his name and to make his name great and that's what he's doing today amen come on let's give Him praise let's give Him glory hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah [Applause] we're gonna praise You God we're gonna worship you we're gonna bless you we're gonna face it we're gonna trust you God again we look forward well looking forward to what you're going to do oh god you are the waymaker the lover of our souls Thank You Heavenly Father producing us for loving us for redeeming us for speaking so powerfully to us today though we heard your voice so clearly and there's an expectancy in our hearts what do we honor you and we thank you in Jesus name Amen [Music] [Applause] and immediately and immediately he received his sight you just stretch your hands out please God Almighty we are your people Lord and Jesus Christ you are our land of promise you are the problems in place so Lord we ask you God I ask you in Jesus name set your people free from every stronghold god those things that people have told us we will always have in our lives I pray God do you erase it right now in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I ask you God to open every prison door every place of captivity simply open it now immediately and let the people go free I asked Lord that you give healing to every bruised heart immediately not tomorrow not next week immediately I ask Oh God did you break every addiction immediately God everything said against us that tries to be a stronghold in this place you promised Lord Jesus Christ I thank you for the immediacy of you touching your people today in this sanctuary and our overflow campuses online in a congregation my god you will have a people that will praise you in this last day you will have a people who can see spiritual things you will have people who have experienced the touch of God the Father we thank you for it God with all of our hearts this morning Satan I stand against you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I rebuke you I rebuke you I rebuke you in Jesus name all of your weaponry all of your schemes and plans all of your darts all of your prisons are rebuking all in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God these are the people of God this is the testimony of God in the earth I command you to let them go in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ you have no authority here you've no power here these are the people of God and so father thank you for the immediacy Lord of our healing and our freedom now when the people went into Jericho on the seventh day they went around seven times and when the command came to shout they shouted in the walls fell down flat praise be to God halleluyah halleluyah [Music] [Music] count of three on the count of three I want you to give a shout of victory and glory like you've never done in your whole life are you ready [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Times Square Church

Views: 39,969

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Keywords: Pastor Carter Conlon, Sermon, Times Square Church

Id: hvUT_1qpgys

Length: 41min 10sec (2470 seconds)

Published: Thu Nov 28 2019