Seeing God With 20/20 Vision

Cornerstone Church October 2, 2005

SEEING GOD WITH 20/20 VISON

Acts 17:16-34

There were six blind men who lived in India. One day they decided to visit the palace. In the courtyard stood an elephant.

The 1st blind man reached out and touched the elephant’s side and said, “an elephant is like a wall.”

The 2nd blind man touched the trunk and said, “an elephant is like a snake.”

The 3rd blind man touched the tusk and said, “an elephant is like a spear.”

The 4th blind man touched the leg and said, “an elephant is like a tree.”

The 5th blind man touched the ear and said, “an elephant is like a fan.”

The 6th blind man touched the tail and said, “an elephant is like a rope.”

NO ONE AGREED WHAT THE ELEPHANT WAS LIKE.

It is understandable that blind individuals would have a great amount of difficulty in trying to understand what an elephant really looked like!

People throughout our world are groping and looking for answers much more complex than trying to define what an elephant looks like.

Ever since the beginning of time mankind has wrestled with questions such as these:

WHERE DID I COME FROM?

WHY AM I HERE?

WHERE AM I GOING?

HOW CAN I COPE WITH A WORLD OF HARDSHIP AND TRAGEDY ALL AROUND ME?

Mankind has tried to answers these questions scientifically, philosophically and religiously.

Science has tried to define from where we have come.

Philosophy has tried to discover why we are here.

Religion has tried to explain the meaning of it all.

They grope and yet remain blind!

People without Christ throughout the world live with a great amount of fear and anxiety about life.

Man is, however, empirical enough to understand that after a while, death comes to everyone. This is the most frightening aspect of life.

Is this all there is?

The Ancient writer Job asked this question (Job 14:14):

“If a man dies will he live again?”

WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION? Seeing that you will one day die it would be good for you to have an answer to that question!

What is sad is that most people are like the six blind men in the story I just told. In trying to understand God they look at Him from a purely human perspective. Their conclusions about Him are faulty.

Please, do not presume that God is like your conception of Him!

Ps. 50:21 NIV These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face.

In recent days Pastor Jim has been teaching a series called: “A New Portrait of God.” He has been looking at what God has to say about injustice.

In seeking to compliment Pastor Jim’s messages I wanted to take a look at God’s Portrait this morning.

In order for us to see God’s Portrait with clarity all of us need to have a vision test. A test to see is we are:

“Seeing God with 20/20 Vision”

We know that the unsaved are blind and that satan works continually to keep them blind concerning God.

I fear that Christians have developed cataracts – they see God but see a blurred vision of HIM! Or worse, they have a false vision of HIM!

Please note: Any false view that we have of God is considered Idolatry!

If we do not test our vision from time to time it becomes easier and easier to settle for blurred vision.

Blurry vision can cause the following:

We can forget who God is and think that HE is just like us.

We can reduce God to measurable and controllable terms

God is not our servant or genie. God is not safe and tamable! He is the Creator of All and HE IS LORD of All.

HE is knowable

HE has revealed HIMSELF in HIS Creation

HE has revealed HIMSELF in HIS Word

HE has revealed HIMSELF through HIS SON – Jesus – GOD the SON!

So as we look at Paul’s message to the Athenians – who were looking for God, I hope that the Lens of God’s Word will test our vision to see if we are:

Seeing God with 20/20 Vision

“What you think about God shapes your whole relationship with HIM. In addition, what you believe God thinks about you determines how close you will grow towards HIM.”

Pg. 20, God As He Longs for You to See Him, By Chip Ingraham

THE INCOMPREHENSIBILITY OF GOD

That is a big word which simply means, that God cannot be known exhaustively.

Man is finite and GOD IS INFINITE!

The Word of God has revealed the One true living God to all the people of the earth. God is knowable in what He has revealed to us through His Word!