Ron Dunn Podcast - Faith Is Sight

Episode Date: August 21, 2019

I want you to open your Bibles today once again to the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 11, and I'm going to read the first three verses of this chapter, Hebrews 11, verses 1 through 3. Yesterday we began our series on the life of faith, and we dealt with the first part of this first verse. This morning we want to go to the second part and beyond that as we define what faith is. As I mentioned yesterday, we have here, it seems to me, the only dictionary-type definition of faith to be found in the Bible.

And the author, of course, is first defining faith, and then the rest of the chapter is a demonstration of faith or a description of that faith in action, and shows how it worked out in the lives of different individuals. The first three verses of chapter 11, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. There's a new term that has surfaced in the last few years in the scientific community.

Maybe you've heard of it, read about it. It's the little term parallel reality. Have you heard of that term? Well, let me try to explain what parallel reality is. It is a theory put forth by a number of scientists that there exists another universe parallel to ours. We don't know it's there because we lack the perceptive apparatus to see it, to perceive it, to know it. But running right along with our reality in this time-, world in which we live, there is a theory that there is another

universe just as real as ours, parallel to it, senses, to perceive it. Some scientists have even offered this as an explanation for the UFOs, that they come from that parallel reality. Now, the whole theory behind the parallel reality, of course, is the fact that we perceive things, we perceive our universe through physical senses. We have five physical senses. And everything in this space, time-space universe, we perceive through these five physical senses. Now, if you were to remove one of these physical senses, then a part of this universe would become to us imperceptible and would sort of become a parallel reality. For instance,

to a man who's born blind, a rainbow could be considered a parallel reality, you see. It's there, but he cannot see it. He cannot perceive it. As far as he's concerned, it doesn't exist. But if you add that sense of sight, then suddenly he has been equipped with the necessary facility to perceive that, and that which was once a parallel reality now becomes a present reality to him let's say here is a man who's never heard of television doesn't know anything about it and he is unaware that outside his window there are certain television programs floating around the air but he cannot pick them up because he lacks the equipment to do it in In a very real sense, you see, that television program out yonder is a parallel reality.

It's there, it's real, it exists, but he cannot see it, he cannot perceive it because he doesn't have the proper equipment. But if you bring a television set in his room and plug it in and turn it on the channel, then suddenly he begins to pick up that television program, and that which was once unseen to him becomes seen, that which was once unknown becomes known, and that which was a parallel reality becomes a present reality to him. All that is needed, the scientists would say, for us to perceive this parallel reality would be to have a sixth sense

added to it. I don't know where they think we might get it, or I don't have any idea what they might come up with, and it's only a theory which I don't think we want to put a great deal of stock in. But anyway, what they're saying is that if we could somehow add a sixth sense that could perceive that parallel universe out there, we'd be amazed what we see. Well, I don't know if there is such a thing as what the scientists call a parallel reality. Just as I've been talking to you about it, I began to feel very foolish talking about it. I got to thinking maybe you thought I really believe that. I don't know whether I believe it or not. I don't have any reason to or really believe that. I don't know whether I believe it or not.

I don't have any reason to or not to, but I don't know whether it exists. Like I say, I have my doubts, but I tell you what I do know. I do know there is another kind of parallel reality. I do know that there is another world that exists parallel to ours. There is a spiritual world that is just as real, no, it is more real than the physical world in which we live. In verse 3, the writer of Hebrews says, Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. The Moffat translation reads like this,

The visible is made out of the invisible. The things that we see were created by the things that we do not see. Now let me show you the importance of this. You and I have a tendency to believe that what we see, what we can taste, what we can touch, what we can smell, what we can hear, what we can perceive with our physical senses, that this is reality. This is the stuff of which life is made. This is the real world.

And yet the writer of Hebrews is saying that behind that there is a far greater world. As a matter of fact, that world gave birth to this world that we see, and that we are wrong if we believe that this physical, material world is the ultimate reality. For beyond this, behind this, there is another world, the invisible world, and the invisible world is the more important because it fathered the visible world. There is another world out, John. There is the visible world and there is the invisible world.

And Colossians tells us that Jesus Christ created all things both visible and invisible. And he's speaking there of a host of principalities and angels and such as that that inhabit the spiritual world which we cannot see, feel, taste, hear, and so forth with our physical senses. Over in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, Paul has something to say about this. I think it's one of the most remarkable statements in all the Scripture. In this fourth chapter of 2 Corinthians, he's describing the suffering that he's going through,

and I find myself asking, well, Paul, how in the world can you endure such suffering? How in the world could you be able to turn your back upon the fame and the fortune that was at your fingertips and endure all the humiliation and the scoffing and the suffering that you have for Christ? And here's what he says in verse 16, rather than verse 17, For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Look at this.

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Isn't that a remarkable statement? Paul said, I'm looking, I'm gazing, I'm focusing my attention, not on the things you see, not on the suffering, not on the hardships. Man, if I did that, I'd give up.

If I thought that the ultimate truth in life and the ultimate reality, and I thought the last word and everything was what I could see, well, I would be of all men most miserable. He said, I don't think about that. That's not what I'm looking at. He said, I'm looking on things that are invisible, because the things that you see, the things that you feel and taste and smell and hear, those are temporal. They won't last. But the things that you cannot see, that spiritual world, those things are eternal. That's the real reality. That's where

the ultimate reality is. He said, there's another world out there, and that's what I'm looking at. There's another verse over in Hebrews chapter 11, verses 24 and following. We have the account of Moses and his great sacrifice. Listen to what the writer says. By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Esteeming their approach of Christ's greater riches and the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect under the recompense of the reward.

Now look at verse 27. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. The explanation for Moses' ability to sacrifice and never look back was this. He endured. How did he endure? By seeing him who was, who is invisible. By seeing him who is invisible.

Now, we need to understand that there is a parallel world, and it is the spiritual world. It is that invisible world. That is the spiritual world. It is that invisible world. That is the ultimate reality. The things that we see in this time-space world are not the ultimate truth. They are not the ultimate reality. And we are not to base our lifestyle on these things. These things are not to serve as the standard and the regulator of our lives but rather our lives are to be regulated by the standards of that unseen world now you say well that's all well and good but how in the world do I see that world

how does that world become real to me? Well, I'm glad you asked. The scientists would say that if I'm going to perceive that parallel universe, there must be added to me a sixth sense. And to the Christian, there has been added a sixth sense. You know what it is that enables him to see in that invisible world, that enables him to perceive those things that are eternal? It's faith. Faith is that sixth sense. Look at our verse 1 in the 11th chapter. Now,

faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The evidence of things not seen. Now, folks, I want to tell you something. If you are going to live a life of triumphant faith, you are going to have to realize that the ultimate reality and the ultimate truth is not what you can see, is not in this world, time and space. You're going to have to realize that you're a citizen not only of this world, but you have another citizenship, and it is a higher citizenship, and it takes precedence over the lower citizenship, and you belong to another, and you belong to another

world, you belong to another country, you belong to the world of the invisible, the spiritual world, and that is your priority. That is where your citizenship is. And Paul says our citizenship is in heaven. And that citizenship regulates our conduct, controls our behavior, and sets the pace of our lifestyle. And it is by faith that we perceive that these things exist. That person who does not believe, the natural man, doesn't have the capacity to believe these things. He doesn't have the capacity to perceive these

things. But it is by faith. We accept it by faith because the Word of God says that it is true and faith is the evidence of things not seen somebody says well how do you know that exists well I just believe that it does my faith God has planted in my heart the faith to believe and accept this word and I know it's true why because I believe this word right here this is the evidence that these things that the Bible says are true are really true and the one of the greatest needs of Christians is to step out of this world and start living in that invisible world faith is not only substance as we mentioned yesterday faith is also sight and faith enables us

to live in the real truth of God and to live in that ultimate reality of the spiritual world. Let me give you one more verse of scripture that illustrates what I'm trying to say and then we're going to talk around this and make some application. Over in 2 Kings chapter 6, 2 Kings chapter 6, we have the story of Elisha. And he and his servant are at Dothan, and the king is after Elisha. So the king, it tells us in verse 14, sent horses and chariots and a great host. And they came by night and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early and gone forth,

behold, and host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servants said unto him, Alas, my master, how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And I like to imagine that servant started looking around. I said, Well, where are they that be with us? I mean, all I can see are those that be with them. Have you ever felt that way?

Listen, I know what it's like. You come to church with a broken, aching heart, worried and fretful about the problems that are facing you, and the pastor stands up and says, Now, don't worry, just trust the Lord. Everything is going to be all right. And you sit there and say, What do you know about it? Preachers don't have problems.

Besides, nobody knows the trouble I've seen. And you talk about all this stuff, God's going to work everything out and everything. I don't see how God's working it out. I just don't see how God's working it out. You know that? Have you ever said, I just don't see, I don't see, I don't see how this could ever work out. All you can see are the problems, the circumstances that are surrounding you like the enemy chariots. All you can see are the insurmountable odds.

All you can see is the heartbreak. All you can feel, all you can taste in your mouth is the bitter brown taste of defeat. And you say, I don't see anything out there to encourage me. That's what the servant of Elisha was feeling. That's the reason he was afraid. He saw with the eyes of flesh, and he believed that what he saw with the eyes of flesh was the last word on the subject. He believed that what he saw was what he was going to get. He believed that all he could see was all there was.

And that's the reason he was fearful. And that's the reason you get fearful, is because you believe that what you see is what you're going to get, and all you can see is all there is. And you're seeing with the eyes of flesh, and you believe that what you see is the eye of flesh is everything. I have an idea that Elijah sort of rolled over and yawned. I don't think he was excited to hear this servant running around biting his nails, all uptight.

And Elisha prayed, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. Don't you sort of feel that's the way Elisha did? I mean, after all, he was out fixing breakfast, the servant was, more than likely, and it was early in the morning, and Elisha was awake. And I think he was sort of just nonchalant about it. Have you ever noticed there are certain people that seem to have such a walk with God that when everybody else is biting their nails,

this fellow over here is just sleeping sound as a baby? Have you ever wondered about that? You say, well, they don't understand. Ah, yes, they do. But there is a sight, you see, that enables a man to see beyond the visible, see beyond the present, see beyond what is open to the eyes of flesh

and see that there's something more to it than that. And what he sees gives him comfort and strength and peace. And Elisha says, I pray thee, Lord, open the eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots and fire round about Elisha. They were there all the time. That fellow just couldn't see them. He lacked the perceptive Elisha. They were there all the time. That fellow just couldn't see them. He lacked the perceptive ability to see.

They were there all the time. Elisha could see them. And he said, Lord, open his eyes, let him see. And that fellow looked around, and he saw the invisible that was behind the visible. He saw the power that was behind the problem. He saw the ultimate reality. You see, the cause of his fear was he believed that what he saw with the eyes of flesh was the final word. The cure of his fear was when he saw with the eyes of faith.

And sure enough, there was the Lord. There was the Lord. Now, what this means, friend, is this. The greatest hindrance to faith, the greatest hindrance to the life of faith is your physical senses, your feelings. You and I are so immersed in this time-space world, and rightly so, that we find ourselves letting our feelings dictate our convictions. And so when we don't feel like we're getting through to God, we don't believe we are. When we don't feel like we're right with God, we assume we're getting through to God, we don't believe we are. When we don't feel like we're right with God, we assume we're not. When we don't feel that we're filled with the Spirit, we must not be.

When we don't feel like praying, we don't pray. When we don't feel like reading the Word of God, we don't read the Word of God. When we don't feel that God is close, we assume that He isn't. Now listen, faith operates in, beyond, and penetrates this veil of time and space, and goes beyond and says, listen, the final word on any subject is out on the visible world where God lives and what God says. That's the final word. That's the final word. That's the final word. I think I'll read one more passage that relates to this. You see, what I do in a message like this is I keep giving illustrations until I see the light come on in a few eyes

and a few heads nodding, and then I know that I'm in the vicinity and got your range. Now, over in John chapter 12, let's just read a couple of more. No, John chapter 20, first of all, we'll go there. John chapter 20, the disciples are in the upper room, everybody except Thomas, and the Lord appears to them. Say, by the way way did you notice have you ever noticed that the only person that was able to convince the disciples that Christ was resurrected was the Christ who was resurrected they wouldn't

believe the other reports it was only when Jesus himself when they saw Jesus himself that they believed and so he appeared to them everybody that was there but Thomas and so later on they gather again Thomas shows up they said hey Thomas you missed it the Lord was here he's alive and in verse 25 the other disciples therefore said unto him we have seen the Lord but he said unto them except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

I've underlined a couple of statements. Except I shall see, I will not believe. Except I shall see, I will not believe. Except I shall see, I will not believe. Except I shall see, I will not believe. Now listen, that phrase pretty well sums up the Christian living of a great many of us. Except I shall see, I will not believe. Lord, you say such and so is true,

but how do I know it's true? Unless I see it, unless I feel it, unless I can somehow get my hands on it and handle it and smell it and taste it, unless it becomes tangible to me and discernible to my senses, Lord, you prove it to me, Lord, and then I'll believe. We sing that old song, at the cross, at the cross, where I first received, what is it, my sight? By faith I received my sight. I was thinking the other day, most of us, we sing it this way, by sight I received my faith.

By sight I received my faith. Listen, you know what? We want to deal with God this way. We say, God, first of all, you show us. First of all, you lay before us the irrefutable evidence. First of all, you put it in a test tube or in a formula and show me in a tangible form that what you say is true, and then I will believe.

Oh, no, that's not the way God works. Martha and Mary saw, met Jesus in John 11 after Lazarus had died, and they were upset and worried. And Jesus said, Martha, didn't I tell you that if you would only believe, you would see the glory of God? You say, man, I want to see the glory of God. If I could just see the glory of God, I would believe.

No, you wouldn't. No, you wouldn't. If I could just see a miracle, I would believe. No, you wouldn't. Listen, I want to tell you something. Miracles don't produce faith. There's a lot of teaching going around today

that seems to indicate that miracles will produce faith. And many of us are praying for a miracle. And many of us are wanting God to work a miracle because we say, Lord, you know, if you just work a miracle, then I would believe. No, you wouldn't. You search the Scripture and you'll find that those people that Jesus worked miracles for

did not lead them to believe. Well, that was the recurring problem with the Israelites. God worked miracle after miracle after miracle, and what did they do? They failed to believe. You read Psalm 78 and Psalm 106, and you'll find how it relates again and again, that even though God did many mighty works among them,

even though God delivered them from this and that, yet they believe not the Lord. They believe not the Lord. In John chapter 6, the Lord provides bread for the multitude, and they begin to follow him. They've seen a miracle. And then Jesus starts talking about that intimate communion with himself, drinking his blood and eating his flesh, and they don't care for that.

Listen, I have found a lot of people are more interested in worshiping miracles than they are the Master. And a lot of us are getting more excited about talking about the miracle than we do talking about Jesus. Have you ever noticed that? And they turned away, and Jesus said, Ah, yes, you followed me because of the miracles, not because you believed in me, not because you trusted me.

I think one of the most significant statements in all the Scriptures found in Luke chapter 16, you remember the rich man is in hell, and he's asked for a drink of water, and it's been denied him. And so then he comes up with another request. He says, Father Abraham, I have five brethren, San Lazarus, to preach to them, lest they also come to this place of torment. Abraham says, they have Moses and the prophets. They've got the word. they've got the prophets, let them hear them. And the rich man says, oh no, they won't listen to just preaching. Lord, if you were to do something sensational, if one went to them from the dead, that would make such an impression on them, that would make such an impact. Lord, if you would do some miraculous sensational,

then they would believe. And Abraham said, if you would do some miraculous, sensational, then they would believe. And Abraham said, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither would they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Miracles don't produce faith. Faith produces miracles. Miracles don't produce faith. And what we're doing is this. We're saying, Lord, if you'll show me how this

will work out, then I'll believe in Jesus. And God is saying, no, if you'll believe me, I'll show you how it'll work out. While I was pastoring, I had a man come to me and he said, preacher, I figured it out. I said, you figured what out? He said, I cannot afford to tithe he said I have taken my pen and paper and I have written down in one column my input and I written down in the other column my outgo and my outgo far exceeds my input and there is no way he said I, and here are his words, I cannot see any way I can afford to tithe. He was saying, he was saying, except I shall see, I will not believe. Now, God said he could because God never asked you to do anything you can't afford to do. God said he could.

But this man was saying, like Thomas, except I shall see, I shall not believe. He had a sense faith, a sense faith. Now, let's read on. And after eight days, in verse 26 of John 20, and after eight days again, his disciples were within and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said,

Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. And in verse 29, Jesus saith unto him,

Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are those that have not seen and yet have believed. Isn't that something? Thomas, you believe because you see, and that's better than nothing. Amen.

Low motive folks is better than none at all. But blessed are those who have not seen and have yet believed. You see, Thomas had since faith. Jesus was wanting scriptural faith. Believe because I simply said I was going to write. You see, most people say seeing is believing. That's the way we operate, folks. I mean, when the Finance Committee comes together to figure up the annual budget, here's what we do. Seeing is believing. Seeing is believing. When we are praying for somebody to be saved, seeing is believing. When God

has assigned us a task, when there is a temptation, when there is a problem, when there is a defeat, when there is a burden, when there is a tragedy, we say seeing is believing. Listen, Jesus says believing is seeing. Those that believe see what nobody else can see. When a man takes God at his word, God lifts the veil from his eyes and enables him to pierce the curtain of time and space, and he sees that God is there. He sees that God is there. Let me show you something. A long time I couldn't figure out what this verse was doing there. I mean it, I couldn't figure out what relation it had. Let's read Hebrews 11, verse 3 again.

"'Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.'" Now notice, through faith, through faith we perceive, we see. By the way, if you would like the key to the whole 11th chapter of Hebrews, I suggest you go through it, and every time you find the phrase, by faith, insert these words, by seeing the invisible. By seeing the invisible, for that is what faith is. Faith is refusing to accept the verdict of the visible and seeing him who is invisible. Now, by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God

so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Now, let me show you something. Verse 3 is not saying, it is not saying, by faith we know God created the heavens and the earth. That's not what verse 3 is saying. Now, it may look as though that's what it's saying, but that's not what it's saying.

He's saying much, much more than that. We do know, we do believe that God created the heavens and the earth, but that's not what verse 3 is saying. The word translated worlds ought not to be worlds, it ought to be ages. It's the Greek word ages, and that word has to do with successive times of history, the succeeding ages, the time periods that a person passes through. It deals with history. God not only created the physical universe on which we live, but he also created the time, the ages,

the different periods of history that we go through. The word translated framed is a beautiful word. It means to arrange in a certain order, to set them in their place, to arrange in a certain order. Now, here is what the writer is saying, by faith which enables us to perceive beyond, by faith we understand that God has taken all the succeeding time periods that we pass through and he's arranged them in a certain order as pleases him. What the writer is saying is this, by faith we know that God is behind everything that's going on.

We're passing through an age right now. It may be an age of great upheaval, but listen, folks, I have news for you. God arranged that to come right now. It just didn't happen. I majored in history when I was in college, and I know there is a certain school of history that believes that it's all accidental. And some years ago, a group of historians got together and they decided, what would have happened if certain things in history hadn't occurred?

What would have happened if Napoleon hadn't lost Waterloo? What would have happened if the South had not lost? What would have happened if Abraham Lincoln had not been assassinated? And they went through all of that. What would have happened? What would have happened? As though what happened was just the accident of human failure and human nature oh no my friend all of those time periods we've gone through the history much that we do not

understand and cannot even begin to comprehend but God arranged those and set them in order so that it would all further his purpose and what the author of Hebrews is saying is this, by faith we understand that what we're seeing is simply God working out his purpose, and behind everything that's happening on the stage of this time-space world, behind it all, there's God. And I may not be able to understand why certain times come into my life

and I may not be able to understand why I go through certain circumstances but I know this if all I could see was the visible I'd be in a mess brother if I believe that what I saw and what I was feeling was the final word

was the real truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I would be miserable. But faith enables me to say, listen, I know I feel this way, and I know I'm going through this, and I know the day looks black and bleak and dark, and I know it looks as though I have no future, but that's not the truth. That's not the final diagnosis. That's just the temporal, that's just the way it seems. Behind that visible there is the invisible, there is the God who superintends my life, and I'm going to get my final word from him.

Walter Cronkite signs off every day with, that's the way it is. I heard dear old Van Savner say he would like to say, no, that's the way it seems. That's the way it seems for him, because that's true. That's the way it seems. You say, well, is nothing that we see real? I mean, is nothing real? Oh, yes, yes, some of it is.

That which God says is real. That which God confirms is real. And what I'm saying to you is this. Don't accept what you see as the final word until you get the final word from God. I've known him to contradict what the doctors have said at times. Did you know that? I've known him to confirm what the doctors have said, too.

But I didn't believe it until I heard God confirm it. You say, well, how do you hear God? Well, I don't really know, but you know when you hear him. My dear friend Manly Beasley said, there have been times when I thought I heard God, but when I really heard him, I didn't think I heard him, I knew I heard him. God has a way of speaking right in hearing, letting you know.

There's just a knowing. There's just a knowing. There's just a knowing. Now listen. What all this boils down to mean is this. Don't let your senses, what you can feel, taste, hear, smell, don't let them be the final word. Let this be the final word. I'm going to exaggerate for illustration purposes, but if you walk outside today and it seems

to be raining, and the Word of God says it isn't raining. I don't care if you come in seeming to be soaked from head to toe. You believe the Word of God. Oh, now, preacher, you're being ridiculous. Friend, really, I'm not. I'm really not, because I tell you there will be some times in your life when you will feel such a strong way, a certain way, but it will be absolutely opposite of the way it really is with God. That's why you've got to get your truth out of this book.

I mentioned the other night and this morning that I think getting up is a lousy way to start the day. I don't know where I got mixed up in my metabolism, but I did. And I just can't go to sleep at night, and I can't get up early in the morning. I've always been that way. I want to tell you something. When I get up in the morning, folks, I don't feel spiritual at all. I don't feel religious at all. I had to speak at a 6.30 deacons' breakfast this morning. I'm going to start a campaign to do away with all these breakfasts where people have to speak. And I tell you what, I never went to sleep. I was up all night just

reading and studying. I tried to turn out my light and go to sleep, but all I could think about was having to get up at 5 a.m. And it was already 2 a.m., and so I didn't see the sense in it. And so I just stayed up all night. It's easier. But I want to tell you what happened. When I was pastoring, man, I would go Saturday night to a place of prayer and I would pray and I'd have that message on my heart. I'd be so excited and have that message on my heart. I'd be

so excited and so aware of God's presence. When I fell asleep Saturday night, I'd wake up Sunday morning and I would feel as though God were a million miles away. I felt awful, I felt unspiritual, I felt irreligious. And I'm being honest with you, the last thing I wanted to do was to preach. I didn't think I could go down there and preach. I felt as though somehow God was displeased with me, and there had been mornings and mornings when I would wish somehow I would fall sick so I wouldn't have to go down and preach. I'm being honest with you.

I'll never forget one morning after I went through that for a long, long time. You see, I just felt that way. I felt that way, and it was so real. It's like vertigo. And a lot of pilots, training pilots, have been killed because they believe their feelings rather than the instruments. Vertigo is when you think you're right side up and you're really upside down. And I was experiencing spiritual vertigo. I was disoriented. I want to tell you something. One day I was getting ready to go to church and I was praying, I said, Lord, what happened?

Lord, what's wrong? Not anything wrong. I realized that my feelings, folks, now you listen carefully, my feelings don't have a single thing to do with my relationship to God. Not a thing. If I feel good, that doesn't mean I'm spiritual. If I feel bad, that doesn't mean I'm sinful. My feelings don't have a single thing to do with my relationship to God. My relationship

to God is based on fact. And the fact is, I was right with God. As far as I knew, as far as the Holy Spirit had let me know, there was no sin between the Lord and myself. I was walking in full obedience. Everything was right. My feelings told me everything was wrong, but the fact told me everything was right. And finally, I came to the place where I was able, almost. I'll never say that I'm free from those feelings because I think we'll always be subject to them to a certain extent. But I've come to the place to learn to discount and disregard my feelings.

Why? Because my feelings. Why? Because my feelings don't have a single thing to do with the Word of God and with my relationship to God. Not a thing. They're fickle. I can wake up feeling great, perhaps, and get a letter in the mail and it just crushes me, you see? Do you think that God is going to do his greatest work in your most unstable area?

Any psychologist will tell you the most unstable part of a person's personality is their emotions. Anything can upset them, anything can change them. Feelings don't have a thing in the world to do with it, based on fact, on what God says. I must not allow my feelings to dictate to me. I must not allow my emotions to set my spiritual standard. Not at all. Right here. This is it.

This is it. This is it. By faith is the evidence of things not seen. This is the evidence right here. Believe it, even though everything seems to contradict it, even though everything seems to go against it, even though every circumstance seems to give the lie to it. You see? And I went through a period in my life

where I was totally disoriented not too long ago. I suppose for about two or three years I went through a period where I was experiencing spiritual vertigo. I was totally spiritually disoriented. I didn't know if I was up or down. I couldn't seem to get hold of God for any length of time. And if I had not known enough to not let what I was feeling and what I was seeing be the final word,

I don't know how I would have made it. But God enabled me to look beyond that and to see him who is invisible. And I realized that my Lord had arranged all of these time periods and he was behind it all and the final word was with him, not with what I was feeling.

Seeing isn't believing folks but believing is seeing faith is sight faith is sight let's pray together the Ron Dunn podcast is available only for personal edification not to be duplicated, uploaded to the web, or resold without prior written consent. It is managed and operated by Sherwood Baptist Church.

If you would like to listen to additional Ron Dunn messages, visit sherwoodbaptist.net slash bookstore and search Ron Dunn. For more Ron Dunn materials, including sermon outlines, devotions, and scanned pages from a study Bible, please visit rondunn.com.