Seeing Jesus For Who He Is Series

Seeing Jesus For Who He Is

#20/20Vision

OKAY – I want to start off this morning (day 19 of the year 2020) the way that I usually like to begin our Sunday morning conversations… by reading some Scripture and then praying us into our time of study… (the Bible and prayer, always a great to begin, amen!?)

The first passage is found in Matthew 13…

Jesus has just begun teaching the people using parables (His the parable of sower/seed/soil)

Many of the people who heard Him did not understand and the truth was they really did not want to.

The disciples however, did want to understand and so they came to Jesus as asked why he was speaking to the people in parables…

He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. – Matthew 13:11-16

AND - we read the following in Matthew 16:13-16

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”

- Matthew 16:13-16

Prayer

OKAY – this morning we are kicking off our first message of this new year, a series that I am calling ‘20/20 Vision.’

NOW - according to the America Optometric Association '20/20 vision' is a term used to express normal visual acuity (the clarity or sharpness of vision) measured at a distance of 20 feet.

SO - If you have 20/20 vision, you can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance.

Now, I think we all would agree that seeing things clearly (visual acuity) is a very good thing, which is why so many of us wear corrective lenses in order to improve our vision.

UNDERSTAND - clear vision really matters, visual acuity is a very good thing.

Many of you know that since January of 2013 I have struggle with 4th nerve palsy in my left eye which cause me to battle double vision, especially when looking down.

IN FACT – this week I went to two different eye doctors (I was wanting a second opinion about surgery needed to correct this worsening condition. BECAUSE visual acuity, having a clear and sharp vision matters.

I even took a couple of selfies on Friday while at the eye doctors office… and I gotta tell you I am most definitely ‘selfie challenged.

Here is the first one…

And the second

AND LISTEN - visual acuity, seeing things clearly is not just important when looking at an eye chart, it is also extremely valuable when it comes to various areas of our lives.

AND SO - in this six week series we discuss what it means to have 20/20 vision (to have visual acuity) in six of the most important areas of each of our lives.

1/26 - Seeing The Church As The Hope Of The World

2/2 - Seeing Yourself Through His Eyes

2/9 - Seeing Your Relationships As An Opportunity

2/16 - Seeing Your Work As A Mission

2/23 - Seeing Your Assets As Belonging To Him

AND THIS MORNING – we will talk about what is without a doubt the most important area where you and I need to have visual acuity… and that is when it comes to seeing Jesus for who He is.

AND UNDERSTAND – when I speak of seeing Jesus, I am not talking about seeing Him with the eyes of our head…

INSTEAD – I’m talking about seeing Him with the eyes of our heart.

QUESTION - did you know that you heart has eyes?

Checkout what Paul wrote to us in Ephesians chapter 1;

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead… - Eph 3:18-20 (NIV)