This is the text of a sermon I preached today at International Christian School. Enjoy and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Eric J. Zanger
The God Who Sees
Preachment before International Christian School—Pyongtaek
November 21, 2007

Let’s Pray

Today, we are going to talk about God’s eyes. But, by way of introduction, I want to show you the incomparable glory of the eyes of God by comparing His eyes to our eyes. God does not see as we see. It is foolish to compare God’s vision to our vision. 1 Corinthians 2:9 states, However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”

How can we compare God’s eyes to your eyes? It’s insane! It’s like trying to see a distant star with binoculars. Put on binoculars and we still can’t see it. “Twinkle, twinkle little star.” You know those things are huge right? You are high schoolers. But, to our eyes, we see them as little pin pricks in the sky, because we have limited eyesight. We cannot see everything in its fullness. However, God definitely can. God sees those stars for what they are, because he made them and put them right where they are.

Or, try this one…can any of you possibly see what you’ll be doing in ten years? Sure, you may have dreams and hopes and ambitions, and those are wonderful—keep running after them. But, can you possibly tell me where you’ll be living, if you’ll be married, how many children you’ll have, what their names will be, what job you’ll be doing? The list could go on forever. Here’s what I’m afraid of…is that you take your hopes and dreams and ambitions and you shove them in God’s face, as if you dictate to God what you should be doing. Do you really think you can put God into a little box?

Goodnight! Some of us need a shot in the arm that God has something unbelievable prepared for you. There is glorious victory over sin over the horizon; there is a chance to spend your life in building up another believer; there is glorious reality that the God of the universe loves you with an everlasting love and has set a way for you to escape the fiery furnace of hell.

Our problem is that we get stuck in the rut of our sin, and then, instead of bringing it into the light, we willingly hide it from everyone, hoping we can fake out other people. I lived that life for a long time. In public, I portrayed “Happy Zanger.” In private, however, I lived a life that was the exact opposite from “Happy Zanger.”

My problem, and your problem, is that we are unbelievable fakers and hiders. The deadly problem I had was that I could fake everyone out, but I could not fake out two people: 1) Myself and 2) God.

First, you have yourself. You cannot hide from the man or woman looking back at you in the mirror. You know at the bottom of your heart that you are a sinner. Your conscience is often the best prosecuting attorney against you. Sadly, every single one of us is guilty. And, we are not guilty by association. We weren’t accidentally walking by when someone robbed a bank, we are the bank robber. We didn’t happen to walk in on a murder victim, we are the murderer. However, I’m not here to talk about that…yet.

Secondly, you need to come to grips with the fact that you cannot hide from God. That’s where I’m going first. You cannot hide from God because he sees everything.

We have three Scripture passages today. One should make you leap for joy, one should serve as a warning, and one should worry you.

Will you stand with me out of respect for the inerrant, authoritative, and inspired Holy Word of God as we read today’s Scripture passages: 2 Chronicles 16:9a, Proverbs 15:3 & Hebrews 4:13

2 Chronicles 16:9
For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (That’s the one that should make your heart leap for joy.)

Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. (This should serve as a warning...what do you do when you think nobody is watching?)

Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (This is the one that should worry you…maybe.)

Will you pray with me?

I want you to stop everything you are doing for a moment and think about this fact: God sees everything you do. He sees what you do in secret; he sees what you do in your bedroom; he sees what you do every single day. For those of you who are faithful followers of the Lord, God sees the little things you do every day. He sees obedience in the way you conduct your life. Perhaps, for some of you, he sees what you don’t do. He sees you, instead of getting drunk on a Friday night, staying at home and spending time with your family. Instead of having sex with your girlfriend or boyfriend, he sees you making the countercultural decision and saving that for a better place and a better time. God sees it, and according to 2 Chronicles 16:9, God’s delight is to bring you into a deeper and lasting relationship with Him.

The first thing I want you to get: If you live a life that is fully committed to God, you will receive strength to endure all things.

Notice what I am not saying. I am not saying that if you live a life fully committed to God, you will never have health issues. I am not saying that if you live a life fully committed to God, you will never have relationship issues. I am not saying that if you live a life fully committed to God, you will never face trials, tests, failures, or total suffering. What I am saying is that if you live a life fully committed to the Lord, He will strengthen you to endure those trials, to endure those tests, to endure those failures, and to endure the suffering, and in the end, to come out of those things with a greater faith and a greater trust in the Lord. Moreover, you will walk out of those things with a purer heart.

In order for a person to purify gold, the purifier must stick the gold into the fire, so that the imperfections are taken away. Imagine in your case that you are the gold and the fire is the trials and tribulations and sufferings that you are facing. While you are in the fire, it doesn’t feel so good, and I know—I’ve been there; I am there—but when we come out of the fire, we are a purer gold. We know our faith is real by how we struggle and fight through painful trials. And what God is saying in this verse is that he is scanning the earth looking to help and equip saints to stand in the fire of trials, so at the end, they may be perfect.

James 1:2-4 states, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” In another version, the word for mature is “perfect.” God’s goal through your trials is for you to become perfect, and he comes alongside you to help you through those trials.

Imagine it like this: In Cuba, the Marines has a base called Guantanamo. On observation towers, there are individuals who have the job of using binoculars to scan the horizon to look out onto Cuba to see if there is something going on. Should a Marine get outside of Guantanamo, then the other Marines would do whatever possible to bring him back.

Now, imagine with me, that God is the man on the tower, but, since he’s God, he doesn’t need the binoculars. He’s scanning the horizon, looking and seeing all things—seeing many evil things happening. And then, his eyes pause as he notices you—one who bears the name of Christ who is stuck outside the base, facing the bullets of the enemy. And God sees you trying your hardest to fight sin that is all over the place out there in the world. God sees that you are fully committed to him, as much as a sinful person can be, and so what God does is he strengthens you. And what is even greater, God leaves the base, walks across the minefield of broken relationships, walks past all the snipers, who aim to break our hearts, walks past the grenades of pain and pleasure, and meets you right where you are. Then, with arms wide open, God holds you, strengthens you, and leads you across the grenades, the snipers, and the minefields, all the while saying, “Follow me. Trust me.”

A general would be considered insane if he left the security of the base to go strengthen the private who was stuck outside the base. However, that is exactly what Jesus did…Jesus left the security of heaven to dwell with men so that he could strengthen those of us who are fully committed to him.

So, to the believer out there, be encouraged. When you face trials, it is because God is in the process of making you perfect, and he sees you where you’re at.

The second point I want you to understand is that it is not wise to mess with God. Or, in other terms, it is unwise to get into a game with God. Or, to put it another way, don’t start asking God where your strengthening is if you aren’t doing a thing in your life that shows your commitment to him.

Here’s what I’m wondering: Are you fully committed to him? Would you declare yours as a life of commitment to the Lord? Or, are you committed to him with some things, but with other things, you think you have it under control? Don’t start claming the blessings of obedience until you start to walk the path of obedience. That’s like expecting to get an A on your English Essay that you spent four minutes writing on the way to school in the bus, in pen, and on a napkin. It’s insane in English class; and it’s deadly with God.

For those of you who walk around here and wear the name of Christ on your shoulder, but you have no Christ in your heart, and have no active prayer life, you have no active time of Bible study, you have no desire to change, you have no desire to kill the sin that lives in you, and you live just like the world does when you leave this place, I would check your conversion. Remember what God said to Samuel, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

I have some questions, and then I’ll wrap up this point: Do you hate your sin? Do you truly hate the fact that you don’t spend time with God? Do you have godly grief that you continue to struggle with masturbation or pornography or emotional adultery?

Remember, The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. (Proverbs 15:3)

I became a Christian roughly eight years ago. And for the great majority of my Christian faith, I thought that true change was in me becoming a better hider. I really thought that the measure of my faith in Jesus was to trade outward, public sins for inward, private sins that were easier to hide from everyone.

I wonder how many of us are in the fatal flaw I found myself in. I would walk into church, put on my happy face, fake happiness for an hour, leave church, and go right back to my depraved ways. And yet, all the time, there I was, living an outward Christian life, but living an inward life that had no power of the Spirit in it, and I wondered where all the power was that I was supposed to feel, and why I wasn’t growing.

The point is this: How many of you are questioning God’s power but taking no course of action to get yourself into the river of blessing? God’s power is found in small baby steps of obedience. We start with baby steps, then we move on. And no parent is going to yell at a one-year-old baby, “Walk like a man!” No way! That father will explode with praise! And so will God—God is so delighted in our obedience.

Here’s our problem. In the same way that it would be silly for a baby to expect to wake up one morning a marathon runner, some of us expect God to completely fix us overnight…we expect to wake up one morning in complete freedom. We fail to realize that we must start, just as a baby did, with small, fumbling, silly, awkward, steps. That comes first. And oh, how God will bless you. But, so many of us take that first step and then we fall. The failure, men and women, is not in the falling. The failure is in failing to get back up and trying it again.

Do you want to be free? Do you want to be clean? Do you want to live a holy life? Then, quit being a defeatist. Quit thinking that once you fall, it’s over. Instead of that, rejoice in the grace of God that allows you to get back up and run the race again. The Christian life is one of continued attempts at obedience, and when you fail once, you get back up and you get it right the second time, the third time, the fourth time, the fifth time. Goodnight—come on—buck up teenager! Prepare your mind for action! Stand firm in God! Fight the good fight of faith! Run the race! Press on toward the goal! Live like conquerors!

Third part: Since God sees everything, you cannot hide your sins from God.

Now, if you have completely zoned out for the past 20 minutes because you see me every day, and you see this podium every day, and you see me waving my arms every day and walking around every day and therefore, you felt that it would be perfectly fine to not listen, that’s fine. All I ask is for you to focus in the next ten minutes, because I’m drawing this to a close. Give me ten minutes of your life, because this stuff is essential.

Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Again, God sees everything, which means you cannot hide your sins from God. Remember, God sees everything. I want that to land on you right now. He sees what you do when you are alone. He sees the sins that you try to hide, the sins that you are so ashamed of that if they became public, you would wonder if anyone would remain your friend. Well, here’s the truth. God sees those sins. It’s as if your entire life was on the 5 O’clock News, and God is a faithful watcher.

Romans 6:23 states, “The wages of sin is death.” At the physical level, we will all die because of the fact that we sin. Therefore, I love that Mr. Geist asks you to consider what you’ll be doing in 100 years. I hope you don’t trivialize that, chuckle at it, and leave the room without his words doing something to you. In 100 years, I think it’s safe to assume that all of us will be dead. Therefore, are you living this life to store up treasures in heaven, or do you live this life to get all you possibly can in this life, without even sniffing at where you’ll spend eternity?

The second thing that happens because of our sin is spiritual death. God becomes distorted in my vision. In fact, in my sin, I am telling God that I hate him. Do you ever look at your sin in that way? “God, I hate you.” If you don’t like the word “hate” because it doesn’t make you feel good, try this one…in our sin, we are telling God that he is “untrustworthy, unappreciated, useless, and unnecessary” in our lives. I hope that makes you feel a little bit better.

Now, imagine this situation. A new student comes to school. You befriend him, and when everyone else makes fun of him, you defend him. You pour your life into him to make sure that he feels accepted in this school. You two become best friends. Eventually, the other kids in your class start to like him too, and then, all of a sudden, he doesn’t hang out with you anymore. In fact, he avoids you, doesn’t sit near you at lunch, and never invites you to do anything with him. How would you feel?

As mad as you may be, and rightfully so, God has all the right to be furious at us. He is angry at us for our sins. He is angry that the creatures he created to worship and glorify him have turned away from him and place greater importance on having a boyfriend or girlfriend, or trying to get a boyfriend or girlfriend, or getting good grades, or getting into the right college, or sitting at the right table in lunch, or going out and doing the cool thing on Friday nights.

Romans 1:18-19 states, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.” The serious problem in the universe isn’t the F you got in the first quarter of this year; the serious problem in the universe is that God is furious at how evil we are.

His wrath is nothing like what is visible on earth. The wrath of God is infinitely worse than having an angry and awful teacher; it is so much worse than having all your friends leave you; and it is worse than having a bad parent who criticizes everything you do. God’s wrath is eternal misery.

Remember Hebrews 4:13, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Everything will be uncovered. Everything will be laid bare before God’s eyes. And we must give an account. This is language of judgment day, when we will face God.

We will face God, and though we try to fit God into our gray world, where there are no absolutes and black-and-white reality is frowned upon, God can judge us in one of two ways…innocent or guilty. There is no other judgment.

Our problem is that we are all sinners and the wages of sin is death. Therefore, each of us is destined for hell, because we are all guilty, including this preacher.

However, there is one way to be covered. There is hope. There is a way out. This wrathful God did not leave us without hope. In fact, God, in love, gave us the greatest gift imaginable. His name is Jesus. Let me tell you quickly what he did.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

1 Timothy 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

John 3:16 (Say this with me) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Oh high school student, hear me. You do not want to face God without covering. The only covering acceptable to God is Jesus Christ. God doesn’t care about your good deeds; he doesn’t care that you helped old ladies cross the street; he doesn’t care that you went to church every Sunday. The only thing that gives you access to God is his son, Jesus Christ, and his death for you.

Your role is simple: Believe and repent.

Romans 10:9-10 states, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

Peter, in response to the question of what to do to be saved, states, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

Oh, precious high school students, hear this. Don’t miss this golden opportunity in your life. God is calling you to faith in his Son. This is not a suicide mission where you give your life over to a ruthless dictator like Hitler. You give your life over to the God who made you, who knows you, who sees you for who you really are, and, despite that, still loves you with an everlasting love.

Invite Christ in while you are in the day of salvation, because a day will come when you won’t be able to switch sides.

Saying no to God’s free gift right now and trying to switch sides at Judgment Day is like turning down a free gift of extra credit at the beginning of a quarter, then going to the teacher to complain about your grade after the quarter is over, grades are in, and nothing can be done. Grades are one thing; eternity is far more important. Get right with God. Please don’t wait until it’s too late for you.

Let’s pray.

Random Thoughts on the Passing Scene:

· Several of you have commented to me that you would like to see pictures on this blog. It has been duly noted. However, my hope is that my prose paints the pictures well enough for you. If not, I’m sorry. But, I’ll consider posting pictures…at Christmas.

· I want to thank some people back in the States for their amazing advice…so, Undy, Stevens, Chip, and Berger…thanks…so stinking much. You guys are awesome!

· I also want to thank the individuals that gave generously…you know who you are, and I am indebted beyond words, and I hope that the letters I send you will suffice, but understand that I am so unbelievably grateful for your sacrifice.

· Thanks as well to former students who continually bombard my email to either tell me how they are doing, ask me how they can pray for me, or tell me how much they miss me. I miss you all as well, but you are still in incredible hands over there, and this school needs me. Moreover, I need this school. It is no accident that I am here this year.

· Market experiences are amazing here because of what I get to see. Every five days, vendors come to my neighborhood, set up tents, and hawk their goods. Vegetables, fruits, different kimchis, seafood, meats, puppies, silkworm larvae (yes, silkworm larvae—you did not misread that; no, I have not tried it), watches, clothes, candy, dried fruit, nuts, and assorted breads are available, among other things. I marvel every time I walk through market and I try to go every time it comes because it’s so stinking cool. The best thing I ever saw in market was at a butcher. In case filet mignon was not your cup of tea, or in case you really didn’t want a nice T-bone steak, or if getting a couple kilos of ground beef wasn’t in your budget, you could always settle for a nice companion at the dinner table. Indeed, available at the butcher store was a beautiful cow’s head. Prop some books on a chair, plop the cow’s head on them, and you too can spend a nice dinner eating with Bessie.

· I shouldn’t share what I’m about to share because if in my sharing, it goes away, then I’d be in big trouble. I absolutely love some of the English sayings I’ve seen here. I have my students keep journals of their spiritual walk while they’re at ICS, so that at the end of the year, they can look back at how they’ve grown, and for as long as I stay here, they can see the development of their Christian life. Most of the journals are simple notebooks, and some of the sayings on the covers are classic. Sadly, the journals are at school and I write this at home, so one day, I’ll write some of the sayings on the front covers of these journals to share them with you. The best ever saying happened today at lunch. It is custom for a group of people from ICS to go out to lunch after church. Considering that almost every meal I eat is cooked by me, for me, and then cleaned up after by me, I usually will go out any time somebody wants to eat out, especially if they want to eat at one of the myriad Korean, Chinese, or Thai restaurants.

There was a poem in English on the water decanter at our table. The decanter had eight flowers on it. (For those of you asking for the type of flower, go play in traffic—I am not about to lose my man card to learn the types of flowers.) The poem was classic. This is the poem:

Pain is a flower like that one
Like that one
Like that one
Like that one

My guess is that the decanter is from the 1960s, and to understand the meaning, cannabis or acid need to be involved.

· In one month (September), I preached as many times in Korea (3) as I had in the States in two years (3).

· I will be going to the Philippines this Spring Break on our School-Sponsored Missions Trip. I will be leading the spiritual side of things. More details to follow, but if you are inclined to pray for me, pray for the missions trip.

· I am going in this Thursday to take my driver’s test so that I can drive our school vans. This will enable me to be the head coach of the Boys’ Soccer Team. In ICS history, I believe that only two people have passed this test on their first attempt. This is rather daunting, especially since the truck I will be testing in is a stick shift. Prior to landing in Korea, I hadn’t driven a stick shift anything. So, in the past month, I have been going through crash courses in stick-shift driving. So, if you think about it, before you in the States go to bed on Wednesday night, pray that God’s power would be made perfect in my weakness, and that, if He wills, I will pass the test the first time. More importantly, pray that my resultant attitude—whether I pass or fail—will be glorifying to God.

· Finally, I don’t know if I’ll be able to update the blog next week, as I will be housing a visitor from the States. He is a friend of one of our female teachers, and since sleeping at her apartment is not an option and sleeping at one of our married couples’ apartments is not a preferred option, he will be staying with me. I’m looking forward to the company, and as Hebrews 13:2 states, perhaps I will be entertaining an angel.

· That’s all from here. If I don’t write next week, allow this to be my way of wishing all of you a Happy Thanksgiving.

I live in a strange dynamic. Let me try to explain it to you. We have 29 people on staff here. 22 of them are females, leaving 7 males. Yes, that is a ratio of over three females to one male. Yes, that is an insane number.

Moreover, four of the men are married, and their wives are on staff here as well. In addition, several females are married. Of the single men, I’m the only one under the age of thirty. Of the ladies, in a span of six years younger to six years older than me, there are 12 single females.

Yes, that is a ratio of 12:1.

SIDEBAR

I know what some of you are thinking…wow! Go Zanger!

END SIDEBAR

Not exactly. I’ve mentioned a few times that I’ve had a problem since I’ve been here, and it’s simply this…I don’t have an unmarried guy to hang out with. Granted, a lot of that is my fault, simply because I have not put myself into situations where I would meet guys to hang out with.

Therefore, I’m left in a difficult situation. I spoke with some people before I left Chicago about not dating during my first year in Korea, for many reasons that I will not divulge here.

However, I face a challenge because principle often rubs up against reality, and that is where I’m stuck. I’m stuck in a war in my mind. And, much to my chagrin sometimes, principle wins out…usually against the swirling tide of expectations and my sin.

I’m not much of a poet, but poetry is one of the best ways for me to say what I need to say without sounding terribly cheesy. I sat down last year around Thanksgiving time to write a poem so I would have something to read at the Coffee House, a fundraiser for the Zambia Project at Wheaton Academy.

At the time, I was listening to Caedmon’s Call’s song, “I Can’t Lose You.” Derek Webb wrote the song, and one lyric really stood out: “And maybe I have the gift that everyone speaks so high of. Funny how nobody wants it.” That lyric is based on 1 Corinthians 7:7 and Paul’s discussion of the “gift” of singleness and the “gift” of marriage. Derek Webb was single at the time he wrote the verse.

I sat last year and pondered my singleness, just as I am now (and was last Sunday). I wrote the following poem on November 30, 2006, and I include it below. I wrote it because I was tired of trying to base my identity on whom I was with instead of whose I was, and so, it was more of a prayer poem, where I gave God my singleness, since He could do a better job with it than I could. So, to all my single brothers out there, enjoy…and know that I’m in the battle with you.

The Gift
11.30.2006
Eric J. Zanger

What if I have the gift
That everyone tries to hide or lift
Above all else that we can be?
And it would be just fine for me
To be alone all of my life
And walk this world without a wife
If that would be your will.
But there are days, like a pill
I swallow this thing against my will.

“Not mine, but yours,” did my Lord say
And drops of blood he sweat that day.
And alone as alone could be,
He went and died, so I’d be free
Of all the things that people say,
And all the games that people play,
And all the looks of “what’s wrong with you?”
And after that, all they do
Is to ponder who’d be good for me.
What about Christy or Jess as Mrs. Z?

So the gift is mine, and mine to love
Because it’s a gift from God above.
Though if I get called into marriage,
It is a gift I won’t disparage.
That if being a husband is for me,
I will not escape the certainty
That God is still my greatest pleasure,
And of all I have, He’s my greatest treasure.

If being a good husband is my goal,
I better love Christ with all my soul.
For the gift I’ll have is not a wife,
But the gift I have is a new life.

I ask those of you out there who are my prayer warriors to pray that I would have wisdom on the dating front, and to ask me about it when I come home in December. I have a discipleship group where I get to meet with four guys and build them up in the faith, and we were talking about integrity and the damage men can do to society. I leave you with this, because this is why I need your prayers. I looked them in the eye, and said, “Men, I want you to know that I could ruin this school. I don’t say that with pride, but I say that with humility and dependence on God. Twelve single females are within my age range on staff, and if I really wanted to press it, I could create divisions in this school, create bitterness in this school, and destroy the lives of the female teachers in this school…and my life as well.”

I live in the tension of being friendly and not being too friendly. I live in the tension of not being a hermit and not spending too much time with one individual. I live in the tension of knowing that a stupid decision I make (and praise God I haven’t made one yet) could ruin the ministries of two people (or more).

Please don’t read into this that I’m miserable; if you do, please read the next two posts. In fact, I love the fact that God called me into this position, put such a call of responsibility into my life, and now, works it out in me.

Pray for me, but worry not, and fear not, and cry not, for the Great Refiner is, with fire, getting rid of the muck and the mire so that the gold that He’s forming in me can be seen for what it truly is—the wonderful grace of God.