WHO’S THAT IN THE AUDIENCE?

Victor M. Eskew

 

I.             SEVERAL BIBLE EXAMPLES

 

A.   Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:6).

 

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband, and he did eat.

 

B.   Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River (Matt. 3:13-15).

 

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan to John, to be baptized of him.  But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now:  for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.  Then he suffered him. 

 

C.   Hagar fled when Sarai dealt harshly with her after she became pregnant with Abraham’s child (Gen. 16:6b).

 

And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

 

D.   Achan took “a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight” (Josh. 7:21).

 

E.   David sinned with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:4).

 

And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness:  and she returned unto her house.

 

F.    Stephen was stoned by the angry Jewish council after they heard his rebuke regarding their stubborn and hard hearts (Acts 7:59).

 

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

 

G.   Paul preached the gospel in the wicked city of Corinth, but he was afraid while he was there (2 Cor. 2:3).

 

And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

 

H.   Elijah fled into the wilderness when Jezebel sought his life (1 King 19:4).

 

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree…

 

I.     Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, took two talents of silver and two changes of garments from Naaman after Naaman was cleansed of leprosy by the prophet (2 Kings 5:23).

 

J.    Jonah found a ship going to Tarshish and fled from the presence of the Lord after he was called to preach to the wicked city of Ninevah (Jonah 1:3).

 

But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord…

 

II.           SURPRISE GUESTS IN THE AUDIENCE

 

A.   When I was the preacher for the Pocahontas church of Christ, I held a debate with a Pentecostal preacher in Middleton, TN.  On Monday night, I looked out into the audience and saw several interesting people in the audience:  Brother Garland Elkins, Brother Curtis Cates, and brother Keith Mosher. 

 

B.   Adele did a pre-recorded concert at the London Palladium on one occasion.  She took a question from a British actress, Emma Thompson who asked her if there was someone who supported, inspired or protected her when she was a child.  In response, Adele said:  “Yeah, I had a teacher at Chestnut Grove, who taught me English.  That was Miss McDonald.”  When asked if she had kept in contact with the teacher, she said she had not seen her since she was 12 years old.  She also said:  “She was so bloody cool, so engaging.  She really made us care and we knew that she cared about us.”  At that point, it was revealed that Miss McDonald was in the audience.  She emerged from the crowd,, walked up on the stage and embraced the English singer” (Adele moved to tears after reuniting with English teacher (nbcnews.com). 

 

III.         WHO’S THAT IN THE AUDIENCE?

 

A.   Let’s return to our ten Bible examples. 

1.    Every one of the examples that we listed had a guest in the audience.

2.    That guest was none other than the supreme God of heaven.

 

B.   Let’s consider four of the examples:

1.    David’s sin with Bathsheba and the killing of Uriah the Hittite.

a.    The chapter that tells about David transgressions ends with these words:  “But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord” (2 Sam. 11:27).

b.    In the following chapter, Nathan, the prophet of God confronts David with some very famous words:  “Thou art the man” (2 Sam. 12:7).

2.    Jesus’ baptism (Matt. 3:17)

 

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

 

3.    Stephen’s stoning (Acts 7:55)

 

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.

 

4.    Paul’s fear while in Corinth (Acts 18:9-10)

 

Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:  for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee:  for I have much people in this city.

 

IV.         THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT GOD IS IN THE AUDIENCE

 

A.   Psalm 139:7-10

 

Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?  Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:  if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

 

B.   Proverbs 15:3

 

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

 

C.   Jeremiah 23:24

 

Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?  saith the Lord.  Do not I fill heaven and earth?  saith the Lord.

 

D.   Matthew 6:6

 

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

 

E.   Hebrews 4:13

 

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight:  but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

 

V.           THOUGHTS ABOUT GOD

 

A.   God is a Spirit and His Spirit completely fills the Universe.

 

B.   God is in a dimension that permeates time but is also outside of time.

 

C.   God’s presence is not limited by the physical:  doors, walls, gates, and darkness.

 

D.   There is never a time when we are not in the presence of God.

 

VI.         TWO POINTS OF APPLICATION

 

A.   There is not a place where God is not in the audience.

1.    Adam and Eve were in the garden.

2.    Jesus was at the Jordan River in Israel.

3.    Hagar was in the wilderness.

4.    Achan was on the battlefield.

5.    David was in the palace.

6.    Stephen was in the city of Jerusalem.

7.    Paul was in the city of Corinth.

8.    Elijah was in a cave.

9.    Gehazi was a short distance from the city of Jerusalem.

10. Jonah was on a ship on the Mediterranean Sea.

 

B.   God is the audience to everything in our lives.

1.    Every thought (Gen. 6:5)

 

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

 

2.    Every word (Matt. 12:36)

 

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

3.    Every feeling (Gen. 4:6)

 

And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth?  and why is thy countenance fallen?

 

4.    Every behavior (i.e., Nathanael, John 1:48)

 

Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me?  Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

 

5.    Every secret thing

a.    Ecclesiastes 12:14

 

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

 

b.    When Sarah heard she was going to give birth to a son, she laughed within herself.  She denied it, but the Lord said unto her:  “Nay, but thou didst laugh” (Gen. 18:15).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   There have been many people who have been surprised to find someone in their audience that they did not know was there.

 

B.   Most of the time, a surprise in the audience is a good thing (Movie:  October Sky, Homer launches his rocket and his father in the audience for the first time and is allowed to hit the launch button).

 

C.   We have someone in our audience at all times. 

1.    That someone is God.

2.    His presence can bring comfort, strength, courage, or fear. 

3.    How we are performing before Him is the key.