https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/OpenMyEyesThatIMightSee.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Hebrews 5:11-14<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I. Discerning good – Hebrews 5:11-14<\/p>\n
A. I can understand a person not recognizing evil, but how does a person miss good?<\/p>\n
B. The topic under discussion was seeing that Jesus was like Melchizedek<\/p>\n
1. This was something needful and good<\/p>\n 2. But the audience could not see it because their sense had become dulled\nfrom the lack of use – like aging.\n
II. A lack of growth leads to blindness<\/p>\n
A. Must hear and do, else you will forget – James 1:22-25<\/p>\n
B. People who are ever learning, but never applying – II Timothy 3:6-7<\/p>\n
C. II Peter 1:5-11 – A list of virtues<\/p>\n
1. If abound (grow) in these things you will not be unfruitful (verse 8)<\/p>\n
2. Do these things and you will never stumble (verse 10)<\/p>\n
3. Lack these things and you become shortsighted, blind, and forgetful<\/p>\n
III. You cannot recognize what you do not have or understand<\/p>\n
A. How can you see love if you don’t have love?<\/p>\n
B. I John 3:16-19<\/p>\n 1. If we refuse to recognize the needs of others, so that we are not actively\nshowing love, how can we claim to love God?\n
2. By doing, and not just saying, we know that we are following the truth<\/p>\n
C. What is love? – I Corinthians 13<\/p>\n D. If we cannot love someone we see, how can we love God whom we have never\nseen? – I John 4:20-21\n
1. The parable of the talents – Matthew 25:21<\/p>\n
2. Faithful in the small things, then also faithful in the large things<\/p>\n
3. I Corinthians 13:6 – Rejoice in the truth and not in others’ sins.<\/p>\n
E. Titus 1:15-16<\/p>\n
1. To the pure all things are pure<\/p>\n
2. To the defiled all things are defile<\/p>\n 3. What is your outlook on life? Do you tend to see the good in others or the\nwrong?\n
IV. The Jews would not see the truth because they refused!<\/p>\n
A. Isaiah 6:9-10 – a refusal or fear of understanding<\/p>\n
1. This is why the Jews could see a miracle and yet not believe – John 12:37-41<\/p>\n
2. Why Jesus used parables – Mark 4:11-12<\/p>\n
3. Why the Jews were confused by Paul – Acts 28:25-29<\/p>\n
B. They became blind men leading the blind – Matthew 15:14<\/p>\n
C. They refused to hear – John 8:43<\/p>\n
D. They were wise in their own sight – Romans 11:25<\/p>\n
E. Ecclesiastes 2:14 – Only the fool prefers darkness<\/p>\n
V. Satan tries to blind people from seeing the light – II Corinthians 4:3-4<\/p>\n
A. Many stumble in the light because of their sins – Isaiah 59:9-14<\/p>\n
B. I John 2:9-11 – The one who hates is blind due to sin<\/p>\n
VI. What have we become?<\/p>\n
A. Have we allowed Satan to blind us from seeing the good in others?<\/p>\n
B. Are we unable to distinguish good from evil?<\/p>\n C. If you have never seen good things, such as love, then most likely it is because you\nrefuse to recognize what is there.\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 5:11-14 I. Discerning good – Hebrews 5:11-14 A. I can understand a person not recognizing evil, but how does a person miss good? B. The topic under discussion was seeing that Jesus was like Melchizedek 1. This was something needful and good 2. But the audience could not see it because their sense…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[383,65,38],"class_list":["post-46549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-growth","tag-love","tag-morality"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":62628,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/a-good-name\/","url_meta":{"origin":46549,"position":0},"title":"A Good Name","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 29, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Mark 14:3-9 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0During Memorial Day, this country sets aside time to remember those who have died before us. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How do people remember those who have left this life? (Actual tombstones) \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Beneath this stone, a lump of clay, Lies stingy Jimmy Wyatt. Who died one morning\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63215,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/outside-the-camp\/","url_meta":{"origin":46549,"position":1},"title":"Outside the Camp","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Hebrews 13:9-14 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Understanding the place of the Old Testament is difficult for man \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0God is clear that \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Old Law would come to an end - Jeremiah 31:31-34 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Old Law did come to an end - Colossians 2:14; Ephesians 2:15-16 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62837,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-inheritance\/","url_meta":{"origin":46549,"position":2},"title":"The Inheritance","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Revelation 21:6-8 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Christian\u2019s relationship with God is described by several metaphors \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We are servants - I Corinthians 4:1 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The emphasis is on our obeying the will of our Master \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We are priests - I Peter 2:4-5, 9 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We are able to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23197,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-good-confession\/","url_meta":{"origin":46549,"position":3},"title":"The Good Confession","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: I Timothy 6:6-16 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We all have heard of the five steps of salvation, even though there are really more than five steps. Five just makes it easier to remember. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Today we are going to focus on confession. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Exactly what is to be confessed? How is it to be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63790,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/willing-to-do-his-will\/","url_meta":{"origin":46549,"position":4},"title":"Willing to Do His Will","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: John 7:14-24 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Two students enter a classroom. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One is excited about the prospect of learning this subject. Though he hasn\u2019t started yet, he has plans on how he is going to put this knowledge to use in his life. He knows it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":29411,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/drinking-in-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":46549,"position":5},"title":"Drinking in the Bible","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 4, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Old Testament Sermon with Audio: Drinking in the Old Testament Article: Old Testament Beverages New Testament Sermon with audio: Drinking in the New Testament Article: New Testament Beverages","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0013_tif-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46549"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46549\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}