The Eyes and Ears of the Lord

God Is Watching Us!=

1 Peter 3:12 (Ps. 34:15)<= o:p>

One= of the great assurances we have in the Christian life is that God is with us alway= s, that He is aware of our needs, and genuinely concerned about our lives. He is with us to guide and protect, loving us all the while, for nothing can ever separate us from the love of = God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

All= of this is implied by the title of my sermon this morning, “God Is Watching Us!” Do you believe that? And if you do, are you = glad, do you count it a blessing that God is watching over your life?

I heard about a little boy was looking forward to the birthday party of a friend who lived only a few blocks away. It was in the middle of the winter, though, and when the day arrived, a fierce snow storm made it impossible to= drive. The boy insisted that didn= 217;t matter. He could walk to his friend’s house. And he could do it all by himself--he was a big boy n= ow.

His father wasn’t so sure. "But Dad," he pleaded, "all the other kids will be there. Their parents are letting them go.” Finally, the father replied, "All right, if that’s what you really want to do.”

The= excited little boy bundled up for the trip and headed bravely out into the storm. T= he snow was blowing so hard it made it difficult for him to see, and it took h= im nearly half an hour to get to his friend’s house.

Finally, he got there. He climbed the porch steps, and reached up to ring t= he doorbell. As he did, he turned briefly to look back. Out of the corner of his eye, he s= aw someone—someone who was trying hard not to be seen. The boy knew that form very well, though--it was his father. His father had followed him the wh= ole way to make sure that he arrived safely.

I like that story! I like the= idea of a father who would allow his son to tackle something difficult on his ow= n, but who at the same time would be close enough by to help if he was needed. There is a great deal of love and = wisdom in that approach, it seems to me.

You= know, whether we realize it or not, we all need someone to watch over us, someone= who really cares about us, who will celebrate with us in the happy events of our lives, who’ll offer us a shoulder to cry on in times of sorrow, and s= peak encouraging words when we need them most.

With this in mind, listen to these words of Scripture found in <= /span>

I P= eter 3:12: "…the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears a= re attentive to their prayer…”&nb= sp; (1 Peter 3:12).

I. God Is Watching…Did you hear that? The Apostle Peter tells us = that “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous..." Peter is likely thinking of those = whose lives are in Christ Jesus, those who have been made righteous through Chris= t’s atoning sacrifice for our sin—which this supper reminds us of.

The= eyes of the Lord are on us now, but Peter is quoting from the Psalms here; and he s= urely understands that God has been watching over His people for a long, long tim= e. Listen to Psalm 139: “O Lord= , you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lyi= ng down; you are familiar with all my ways. … (Vv. 1-3)

“If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on t= he far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand wi= ll hold me fast. … (Vv. 8-10)

God knows us, and He loves us! He made us, so He understands us even better than we do ourselves. His eyes are always upon us! God is watching us.

This means that God is aware of the frustrations in our lives that get us d= own, the dreams we have dared to dream even when everyone doubted, the fears tha= t keep us from living life at its best, and the joys that lift our spirits and fill our hearts to overflowing.

He = knows our disappointments, and the heartaches and heartbreaks that have come our = way. He knows us--because He watches over our lives.

So in the midst of all that complicates life, remember this uncomplicated b= ut awesome truth: "…the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous." God is watching us, and we can also= be assured that “His ears are attentive to (our) prayer."

II. God Is Listening… In= a world that might cause you to question if anybody ever really listens to anybody else, God assures us that He IS listening.

Cha= rles Swindoll, in his book Stress Fractures, tells about a time when he f= ound himself in a bind with too many commitments and not nearly enough time to accomplish them. As a result, this well-known preacher admits he became very nervous and tense.

"I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at any unexpected interruption during the = day. Before long, things around our home started reflecting the pattern of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable.

"I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our youn= ger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happe= ned to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, ’Daddy, I wanna’ tell you somethin’ and I’ll tell you really fast.’

"Suddenly realizing her frustration, I answered, ’Honey, you can tell me--and you don’t have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly.’ I’ll ne= ver forget her answer: ‘Then you listen slowly.’" (Bits and Pieces, June 24, 1993, Page 13-14)

Peter assures us that, not only is God watching us, but He is also listenin= g to us. He’s attentive to o= ur prayers. And, yes, He listens slowly! What we say is import= ant to Him.

What a gift—when we receive another person’s undivided attentio= n! Do you get this from anyone in your life? I hope you do. And I hope we make the effort to g= ive this precious gift to others—the gift of listening, and seeking to understand. It’s becomi= ng a rare gift, I fear.

The= Bible teaches that there is always One we can count on to hear what we have to say. God gives us His undivid= ed attention—“His ears are attentive to (our) prayers.” He is always ready for you to come= to Him, to talk to Him, to lay before Him your goals, your dreams, your fears,= challenges and uncertainties!
C. S. Lewis wrote: "The moment you wake up each morning, all your wish= es and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each mor= ning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking t= hat other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in."

Spe= nding time with God in prayer helps bring perspective to our lives and to the dem= ands of the day before us. It also reminds us that whatever we face, we won’t face it alone.<= /span>

John McArthur, in a sermon called, "Praying for the Right Things,"= ; wrote: "Sadly, the prayers of most Christians are directed toward the wrong s= tuff… Christians typically pray for health and happiness and success. They pray f= or personal benefits. They pray = for comfort… They pray for a healed body,

or = a home, or food, or a job, or a car, a husband, a wife, a promotion, and more money.”

Is he right? You know, those things, while they certainly make up a big part of our lives, are very low = on the Apostle Paul’s list of priorities in prayer. Actually, they don’t even get mentioned. Listen as Paul tel= ls the Christians in Thessalonica what he is praying about concerning them. He says:

= 220;…we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of His calling, = and that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.”

(II Thessalonians 1:11)

Paul tells them that he, along with Silas and Timothy, are constantly prayi= ng for them to live lives that are pleasing to God, worthy of Christ’s c= alling, and thus, worthy of His sacrifice for them on the cross. He prays that God will be able to = use them to carry out His good purposes in the world.

That’s a worthy prayer, friends, for any of us to make on behalf of a= ny church—including this one. At our last few Wednesday Bible studies, I’ve asked the participants to write down for me some prayer requests for our church.

I&#= 8217;m doing this in preparation for a special prayer emphasis, a season of prayer= for this church that you will be encouraged to participate in during the month = of August.

Wha= t do you see as the greatest prayer concerns when you think about our church, itR= 17;s leaders, it’s members, it’s mission? What do you pray for now when you remember your church? What do= you need to add to your prayer list concerning First Baptist Church, or concerni= ng your own life in relation to your church?

God= is watching us…and He’s listening—He’s attentive to our prayers. This table spread be= fore us today reminds us all of how much He loves us and what He was willing to sacrifice for us—for His Church.&nbs= p;

So = what are we willing to sacrifice in return? &n= bsp; Are we willing to give some time to prayer on behalf of the church f= or whom Christ died? Surely that= ’s not too much to ask.

Are= we willing to recommit our time, our talents and money to making sure that we = are doing all we can to make this church a worthy vessel in God’s hands, = one He can use to touch the lives of hurting people in this community and beyon= d?

Wil= l you commit to pray—and will you begin now, as the bread and cup are passed—the Bible tells us to examine our lives, to confess our sins, = to make the necessary commitments so that we will truly be worthy to receive this sacred meal.

Thi= s very moment, you have God’s undivided attention. Talk to Him—right now—He’s listening.