MAKING SENSE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD – SIGHT
2 Peter 1:9
INTRODUCTION:
A. Sight, what a wonderful sense
1. We take it for granted
2. Those who have never had it can’t really comprehend it magnificence
3. But those who have had it and lost it – what a loss!
4. It is a very important part of each of our lives.
B. Up until I was 40, or so, my vision was 20/20 without glasses
1. But somewhere around 42, 43, I started having head aches more often
a. I tried caffeine, eye drops, and Tylenol
b. Finally, for what ever reason, I went to the optometrist
c. I found out I had a condition known as “Presbyopia” (a progressive loss of the power for my eyes to accommodate near vision” - My eyes were constantly straining to focus on what I was reading, so I got reading glasses.
2. Then around 44 I went to reading glasses being put into a bi-focal so I could read and see all of you at the same time without removing my glasses.
3. Then around 45, I had to go to a true bi-focal (my presbyopia had turned to hyperopia (far sightedness), adding correction to all aspects of my sight
4. And as I speak to you this morning I need to make an appointment to have them checked again because I am having more problems.
5. From this I realized that we can slowly drift from very good sight to poor sight, and if we do not heed the warning signs we can begin to live life on a much lower level of health and clarity.
a. I did not just wake up one morning and say, “Oh, I can’t read that line.”
b. It was a gradual thing.
C. And It can be the same spiritually
1. Many of God’s children have lost a measure of clarity, and may not even know it, even though it is what is causing them headaches.
a. Spiritual speaking, some are far sighted, not being able to see up close
b. But probably the most prevalent condition for Christians is being near sighted - not being able to see afar off
2. Could it be that some of us might just need an adjustment to our spiritual eyes so that we might see better, that is clearer, without the headaches.
3. We need to look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
a. It is He who can clear up our near or far sightedness.
b. He is the great physician – the great optometrist
4. It is He who can make sight crystal clear and clear up our headaches!
5. Our opening passage for this morning 2 Peter 1:9 states, But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
6. In order to correct our vision God may have to correct our sight as it
a. Deals With Our Salvation
b. Deals With Our Activities of Life
c. Deals With Our Eternal Perspective
7. May God open our eyes to the spiritual things in our lives that need to be seen and corrected!
PRAY
Lets begin by looking at how God may have to correct our sight as it
I. DEALS WITH OUR SALVATION
A. John 1:29 …John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
1. One of the most significant problems we have as Christians is that we often loss sight of who Jesus is and what Christ really did for us.
2. As John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the public for the first time he referred to Him as the Lamb of God which takes away our sin.
3. How great a blessing that is – without Christ we would still be in our sin and on our way to an eternal hell
4. We should love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength for this alone – but do we?
- John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
5. Do we see Him daily and give Him praise for being our Savior?
6. If we don’t we are slowly loosing our sight!
B. When a person gets saved they are no longer looking to the world and its things, but rather Christ and kingdom things
1. Luke 9:62 states, nd Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
2. Going to heaven is not the goal of Christianity
3. Its moving on in our salvation to live for God – to see life in a totally different perspective.
a. It is not to be living for God one day & then opting not to live for Him another.
b. We are not worthy of Christ when we shrink back from Him
- In other words, we dishonor Him, when we go back to live in the world!
c. In a more extreme case we could look at the defection as John wrote in 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest (that it might be seen) that they were not all of us.
C. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus
1. The writer to the Hebrews penned these words of admonition found in Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
2. Our life of faith began as we looked upon Him as Savior, the Lamb of God, and it is He who will lead us though life if we will look to Him as our Shepherd – the author and finisher of our faith - providing all that we need!
D. How is our sense of sight this morning – does it need some correction as it deals with our salvation?
Seeing our salvation is in Christ, from beginning to end, we might need to have some adjustment to our sight as it
II. DEALS WITH OUR ACTIVITIES OF LIFE: There are a number of items that we need to look at as we consider bringing our life activities into focus, the first might be
A. Holiness - 2 Peter 3:10-11 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. [11] Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness
1. The scriptures make it clear that we do not know when our Lord may return – He will come as a thief in the night – unknown to all
2. When he comes He is going to make all things new and give rewards based on our action in this life
3. Hence we are to live as if He will come today!
4. We are to live every minute in accordance with His word and under the leading of the Holy Spirit.
5. Now I could spend the next week speaking to things to which this might pertain in your life, but I don’t have too, because the Holy Spirit is already doing that!
- You know what you need to do: what sin you need to get rid of, what attitude is unholy and ungodly, the lack of commitment or the blaming of others for your predicament.
6. Jesus said in Matt 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
7. If God has opened you eyes to a matter – you see the problem – then make the adjustment!
B. An area closely related to this is the idea of “fruit”
1. Jesus said that if we abide in Him we will bear fruit.
2. To this Peter speaks, But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 2 Pet 1:9
a. Lacking what you may ask?
b. Well, Peter had just written, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; [6] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; [7] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. [8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8
c. It was of these things that Peter said, he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 2 Peter 1:9
3. You see if we get a true vision of the Christ who saved us, it will change our life activities – we will bear fruit unto godliness!
C. Now let me look at one other area of activity that healthy spiritual eyes see - Evangelism
1. It was Jesus who said, John 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
2. One who is truly focused on the Savior cannot help but see the masses who are on the broad road to hell!
3. Those who are children of God have the privilege to proclaim the saving gospel of Jesus Christ – we are to be witnesses for him
4. If we do not see the personal need to proclaim the gospel our sight is failing us.
D. How is our sense of sight? Does it need some correction as it deals with our activities of life?
This brings us to one last aspect of our sight I think we need see, it
III. DEALS WITH OUR ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
A. We are destined to become like our Savior
1. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
2. This may be hard to comprehend when it seems that we make some headway in our Christian life and then fall (2 steps forward – three backwards)
3. Yet Paul told the Corinthians that it is a slow process, But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:18
4. In other words, stop focusing on your failures – start focusing on the Lord who can give you the power to overcome them and be conformed more to His image.
5. For Paul wrote For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29
6. We should be looking to see how our Savior can be working in us everyday to conform us to His image
B. We should also be looking for His coming.
1. Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
2. You see this is where our real hope lies
a. In 1 Cor. 15:19 we read If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
b. If we only have hope in Christ in this life – that means there is no resurrection and no life afterwards: persecutions & death would not be worth it
c. IF this were true then we should to live it up – party till we drop
d. But it is not! Praise The Lord!
e. Jesus has risen from the dead is going to bring us to our home in heaven at His next coming!
3. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thes. 4:16-17
4. And because of this we can look forward to
C. New Heavens and New Earth
1. 2 Peter 3:12-14 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? [13] Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. [14] Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
2. Do not be fooled by the foolishness of this world – Jesus is coming again.
3. He is coming as a conquering king – Lord of Lords and the ruler of all Creation to make all things new!
D. How is your sense of sight?
CONCLUSION:
A. If you and I were to come to find out that our eyesight was deteriorating we would do what ever it took to get it right
1. We would bare any expense
2. Take what ever actions were necessary
B. So why would we not want to do the same in our spiritual life
1. If the Lord has shown you this morning that your sight needs to be corrected – why would you not fix it?
2. Jesus once asked a man what he wanted: listen to this short conversation found in Mark 10:51-52 What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. [52] And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
3. Just as quick, Jesus can correct your sight this morning if you will but ask Him too.
HOW IS YOUR SENSE OF SIGHT THIS MORNING?
