Seeing Through The Eyes of God — Carter Conlon

Seeing With the Eyes of God

You'll turn your Bibles please to the book of Acts chapter 14. I want to speak to you this morning about seeing with the eyes of God. Seeing with the eyes of God. Father I thank you Lord for your presence here.

It's obvious your presence is here among us. Thank you Lord for how you're stirring our hearts and Drawing us to something deeper perhaps than we've known before. Thank you Lord for giving us life abundantly.

Helping us to understand our purpose on the earth each of us Lord valuable to you. Nobody a write-off nobody cast away in your kingdom. Everyone like a precious jewel in your hand father. I thank you for this knowledge today God.

I ask you Lord for the anointing of your Holy Spirit to be able to speak these words and We ask you for the anointing to be able to hear them. Would you help us Lord to see with your eyes if truly you do live inside of us Lord?

Then surely We ought to be able to see what you see. We thank you for it with all of our heart in Jesus name Amen. Acts chapter 14 beginning at verse 5 and when a violent attempt. Now this is a Paul and Barnabas are traveling and where they are traveling and where they are preaching.

There's not only people coming to Christ. There were many many people coming to Christ during their preaching of Paul and Barnabas, but also There was a lot of violent opposition to their message. And when a violent attempt was made by both the Jews the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers To abuse and stone them they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derby cities of Lycaonia and to the surrounding region and they were preaching the gospel there and enlist her.

A certain man without strength in his feet was sitting a cripple from his mother's womb who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking Paul Observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed.

Said with a loud voice Stand up straight on your feet, and he leaped and he walked praise be to God. Matthew chapter 6 verse 22 tells us Jesus said the lamp of the body is the eye if Your eye is good your whole body Will be full of light.

Now he didn't just speak that to fill Verses in a in a book that was going to be called the Bible. But he actually meant it his words were true. If your eye is good your whole body will be full of light and So the question arises.

What are you looking at today? And how is what you're looking at affecting somebody else and what does it mean to have a good eye? What does a good eye look like? First of all, it means the ability or conviction to recognize that it's it's not Recognize what is not good and to turn away our Focus from it.

Guarding What We Set Before Our Eyes

Listen to the words of the psalmist David in Psalm 101 Verses 2 and 3 David said I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will you come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set nothing wicked before my eyes.

Or another the another translation puts it this way the original is when it it says nothing wicked. Actually, the the real word is worthless. I will set nothing worthless before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away.

It shall not cling to me a Perverse heart shall depart from me. I will not know wickedness so important as believers in Jesus Christ. That we understand that our life in God the productive life that God has for us will begin by looking away.

From what brings weakness into our lives? By not looking for fulfillment in things that cannot satisfy. They pop up and they promise that they're going to be exhilarating. They promise they're going to be fulfilling.

But if it's not from God if it's not from the kingdom of God. It has no eternal value in it and it might satisfy your heart just for a short time. But ultimately it will not leave your body full of light.

On the contrary many things might leave you full of darkness and despair and fear and a wrong viewpoint and a wrong vision a wrong understanding of what is the purpose even of your life and an improper view of what it means to be part of the church of Jesus Christ in this Generation it's so important that we make the choice say God.

I don't want to gaze upon wickedness. I don't want to look at things that are worthless. Everything that's of value if there's good report if it's praiseworthy if it's going to build me up in my understanding of your kingdom.

These these are the things Lord that I want before my eyes. Because the you told me the lamp of the body is the eye if my eye is good My whole body will be full of light. I don't know but you but as a Christian I want my body to be full of light.

I don't want darkness coming out of this body. I I don't. I don't want Spiritual spots in my eyes that are clouding my view because I'm wasting time. Looking at things that I shouldn't be looking at or looking at directions.

That cannot satisfy. Looking for things that cannot meet the deep desire of the heart of God nor anyone else's heart around me. Then it follows. Paul says that when we turn our focus to what is good and begin to look let that begin to do its Its work in us then something miraculous begins to happen in our lives.

Turning to the Lord and Being Transformed

In 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 verses 16 to 18 Paul said when one turns to the Lord the veil is taken away. Now in the context of this is speaking about Attempts in in our own humanity to be as God is which always do fail.

But there can be other things before us that are a veil. Things that that cause us not to see clearly. But when we turn to the Lord the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is There is liberty.

The original translation of that word means generosity. So when we begin to look away from what weakens us and we start looking towards God in Jesus Christ. We see this incredible generosity of God towards us.

Did you know that this morning? Incredible generosity the fruit of the Spirit is love joy. Peace long-suffering goodness faith meekness temperance. Understanding their giftings of God we see this willingness of God.

Not only to send his son to die on the cross. But the willingness of God because of that victory to to pour into you and to pour into me giftings and abilities That could only come from him things that we don't naturally have abilities and one day we are able to stand say God did this for me.

I beheld his victory. I beheld his heart I I beheld something about him. And as I began to look towards him, I saw this incredible generosity of God and What he was willing to do in my life the light that he was willing to put inside of me the ability to see what?

Men who live outside of a relationship with God can't see was willing to give me this ability in verse 18 Paul says. But we all with unveiled face beholding is in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being Transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

We are being transformed by God's presence inside of our lives if we are looking at the right things. If our eyes are focused on the victory of Christ if we're looking into the Word of God. Every word having the power to create incredible change inside of our minds and inside of our hearts and as as you and I are looking with Expectation in our heart knowing that God cannot lie.

His words are true. And as we begin to behold him Something starts happening in the heart. Oh Thank God I've been I've been living as a Christian a long time now about 40 years and I'm starting to grow more.

I think now than in a long time. The Bible makes a promise that we will still even bear fruit in old age will be planted by a river of water that God plants and Promises to give to us and even in the storms will not be taken down will still be bearing fruit even when we get old.

Oh, thank God for that with all of my heart I'm finding things are becoming clearer the older older I get. And I'll tell you about that in just a moment. If I can remember it by the time I get to. All right, you gotta love me.

You gotta love me. Anyway, so let's say as our eyes begin to clear and Light starts entering our body the light of Christ's life enters us then. We start seeing with the eyes of God. That which is of great value to him in the gospel of Mark chapter 8.

Bethsaida and the Loss of Purpose

There was a town called Bethsaida. Now Bethsaida was the home of the Apostle Peter his brother Andrew and another Apostle called Philip. Bethsaida was a fishing village. It is the place where Jesus called these men.

They left their nets and he said I'm going to make you fishers of men. It was an incredible town it had. It was a town that had a calling by the time archaeologists Rediscovered Bethsaida. There's something in curious that happened somehow.

Bethsaida had become very very distant from the water and they can't really even explain how that happened. I know one commentator says perhaps there was an earthquake that took some of the sea into the depths of the earth.

I really don't know. All we know is where Bethsaida is located today. It's quite distant. From the place that it was supposed to be and it's a type to us. It speaks about it to us about a town that was established around a specific purpose.

But somehow along the way they lost the purpose and the purpose began to fade from view. They began to be distant from the purpose and that can happen in the Church of Jesus Christ. You and I are saved.

We are set apart. We are given giftings of God. We're given incredible promises. We're changed we're transformed for a divine purpose, but it can happen that we can lose sight of it. May I put it that way?

Our eyes grow dim and The sea is getting farther and farther away. It must have been an odd situation as the water is receding and Seemingly there's no history of it. So it seems that nobody was aware of it.

That's what can happen to the Church of Jesus Christ. We can become very distant from what God intended our purpose to be. So in this town called Bethsaida in Mark chapter 8 beginning of verse 22 It says Jesus came to Bethsaida and they brought a blind man to him and he begged him to touch him.

Now I'm speaking in the context of a type in other words I want you to picture a church for example or a believer a group of believers that Were called to be fishers of men we're we're called to be ambassadors of a kingdom a great great kingdom and Somehow that purpose has gone.

Become distant has become dim and there's a blind man in Bethsaida and he comes to Jesus and says, please touch my eyes. I can't see anymore. So he took the blind man by the hand and let him out of the town.

Sometimes we got to get out of where we are so that we can begin to see again. Sometimes we got to have a willingness to say Lord lead me lead me to where I need to go. I'm gonna I don't see my purpose.

I I don't see what You've called me to be any longer. I don't see your power to Perform it. So Lord lead me to where I need to go. He took him by the hand. He led him out of town and when he had spin on his eyes and put his hands on him.

He asked him if he saw anything and he looked up and said I see men like trees walking. And then he put his hands on his eyes again and made him look up and he was restored and saw everyone clearly. You see when we're restored The first thing that happens to our eyes as we begin to see people it's all About people.

The Church's Purpose Is People

Jesus died For people he lives for people. He has a church on the earth for the sake of other People it's all about people now. We can go to church and we can we can like Bethsaida I'm sure they had a lot of things going on there.

We can get involved in ministry. We can do stuff. We can study maybe they studied their history who knows. They were doing a lot of stuff, but they had lost their purpose and we in the Church of Jesus Christ.

We can get involved in in a myriad of activities. We can sing and dance and clap and go to fellowships we do all kinds of stuff and Somewhere along the line we forget that we're left on the earth for the sake of other people.

We're left there as a testimony of who God is what God did on the cross through his son Jesus Christ of the reality. That everyone can have a new life. There can be healing there can be deliverance. There can be a new vision given to every heart restoration and homes and families.

This is the reason we are called to be fishers of men as Peter and Andrew and Philip were in Acts chapter 3 beginning at verse 1. Peter and John Went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer the ninth hour and A certain man lame from his mother's room was carried whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple.

Which is called beautiful to ask alms of those who entered the temple who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked for alms and Fixing his eyes on him. With John Peter said look at us Fixing his eyes on him.

This is incredible because what you're about to see outside of this temple is an eye-to-eye moment. Peter and John are looking now with the eyes of God at a man. That maybe some consider a nuisance.

Maybe some would say in their hearts. I wish he wasn't here. Maybe some would pass by pitifully and say well what a hopeless situation. This man is and I hope somebody does something for him but Peter and John having their bodies now filled with light and the life of God are walking into the temple to pray and Their hearts and their eyes are fixed on what is really of value and importance to God.

If they had been looking at their sundials. They didn't have watches if you look at their sundials if they had such a thing. They may have missed this man if they've been looking at the schedule of What they're gonna do after the prayer meeting if they're looking at their notes of what they're gonna share and they may have missed this man, but their eyes were fixed on what is really important to God and there's a miracle about to happen and I want you to see this and understand this because they looked at this man and Said look at us and when that man looked up it says he gave them his attention.

Expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said silver and gold I do not have. I don't believe for one second that Peter and John were broke. They had to eat they had to live know what I believe this really means is We we're not going to give you we don't have for you what you think you need.

We have something else for you. But what I do have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Rise up and walk and he took him by the right hand and lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

So he leaping up stood and walked and entered into the temple with them walking leaping and praising God. This miracle happened when this man saw in their eyes something he had never seen before. He had never seen this in anybody's eyes, that's why Peter said look at us look at us it was an eye-to-eye contact.

These men are now looking with the eyes of God and Suddenly a man who's been lame for years all his life. He's not been able to walk. There's been this area of weakness in his life that has has left him literally a beggar in a place of glory.

May I call it that. And he's sitting there now. Suddenly two men with the eyes of God are looking at this man and he looks into their eyes and sees. That he's loved first of all, he's loved. People need to see that they are loved through the body of Jesus Christ when we meet somebody on the street whether they're Vile or whether they're pleasant.

Whether they're influential or whether they have no influence at all. It doesn't matter people need to see in our eyes that they are loved. That is paramount in the Church of Jesus Christ. God. Would you help me to see with your eyes today?

God so loved the world the scripture says he gave his only begotten Son. God so loved the world. Men and women need to see that they are loved by God. He saw beyond that he saw that he was treasured. When everyone else considered him a nuisance God Didn't consider him a nuisance because the scripture says he chooses the weak and the foolish.

Those things that are nothing and those things that the world despises. To put to nothing the wisdom of this world and to confound the strength of those who think they can live in Their own strength without God.

This is who he chooses. Not only was he loved he was treasured. He saw in their eyes that he was not a burden To a holy God. He's not a burden. He saw that he had a purpose. There was a plan for his life and that he had a future.

He saw all of that in the eyes of Peter and John because they were looking at him with the eyes of God and They were able to do this because their bodies were filled with light and their bodies were filled with light because they were looking away from what would weaken them and looking to what really matters and healing begins to flow and in that very moment with the eyes of God Radiating through human vessels a lifetime of weakness vanishes and a miracle happens and A man who's been lame from his mother's womb stands to his feet is given strength and comes into the temple leaping walking.

Praising. Leaping it says twice and praising God. That's the cry of my heart. I'm praying for you folks that God that people would see God in your eyes and You'd bring him into the temple and you'd be walking to your seat.

They're going boing boing boing leaping and praising God as you head for the seat. I guarantee one thing. We will not throw them out of here. We will let them praise we will let them shout we will let them dance before a holy God.

People who have been touched by the power of God. People that you have reached out to and grabbed them with your hand and pulled them up and brought them into the house of God because they have seen God in your eyes and in your life and heard him in your voice and When you told them they could be healed they believed it.

Because you knew the healing of God in your own heart. Now that brings us back to the Apostle Paul where we started in Barnabas in Acts chapter 14. Now Paul had his own troubles. He's fleeing violence at this point in his life.

There's a plot. To abuse him and Barnabas and to kill them to stone them when they didn't just throw pebbles at you to get you out of Town they killed you in those days. And so they know there's this plot.

So they're actually fleeing this plot so that their focus could have easily been on themselves. Barnabas we we got to find a place to hide Barnabas. We got to get out of here. We got to find strength.

Paul, Barnabas, and the Faith to Be Healed

Barnabas put guards at the door. Make sure that everything is okay. But their focus you'll see is still not on themselves. They were preaching the gospel in this new place they found themselves in and Enlist her.

The certain man without strength in his feet was sitting again from crippled from his mother's womb and he'd never walked. This man heard Paul speaking and Paul Observing him intently. So here again, we have an eye-to-eye contact.

I hope you see this. I know it's not a pun on my part, but I hope you see this. They have an eye-to-eye contact. Paul is preaching the gospel. I know what Paul's speaking about. He's speaking about life.

He's speaking about strength. He's speaking about the generosity of God. He's speaking about beholding God through Jesus Christ. He's talking about the transformation of the human heart. The fact that we become new creations in Christ when Christ is in us.

Would become a new creation. Old things all pass away. He's talking about the empowerment of God's Holy Spirit to be taken out of weakness and be brought into strength. These are the themes of Paul. It's not difficult to understand what he was saying because it's all in his epistles and his letters.

So I'm not I'm not inventing something you can search it for yourself and see really what Paul's theme was. When he preached the gospel is talking about the incredible power of God the incredible mercy of God.

The Paul himself was a an accessory to murder and how he hauled people out of their homes and tortured them and Compelled them in some cases to even blaspheme the name of God. Then he talked about the mercy of God coming to him meeting him.

Knocking him to his face on a road blinding his eyes for three days. God coming in with the human vessel called an an ass and putting his hands on him scales falling off his eyes. The power of God's Spirit coming into his life.

The Transformation of this man who was a zealot for an unrighteous form of religion. Suddenly transformed into a man who's willing not first. He was wanting to kill people who differed from him now because of the Holy Spirit and Christ in his life.

He's willing to die for people who differ from him talk about a transformation and as he's preaching. There's a man sitting there and he's looking into the eyes of Paul and the scriptures. Paul was intently observing him and saw something in the man's eyes saw that he had the faith see the eyes are the window of the soul, you know.

And Saw that he had the faith to be healed and he said with a loud voice. Stand up straight on your feet and He leaped and walked. Stand up he spoke new strength and new life into a man who had never walked before.

Seeing People as God Sees Them

And so I guess it brings us right down to a question now. As I come to the end of this message, what are you looking at? And is what you're looking at looking back at you if you're looking at people. What are you looking at them for and what are they seeing?

Is it a look of disgust in this generation? Is it anger is your feeding source the news and not the Bible. Have you embraced? Opinions about people that are not biblical and you're looking at them. So what are they seeing in your eyes?

Or do they see the eyes of God? Looking through you are they suddenly convinced not only that they should turn away from evil. But are they suddenly convinced that they can have a new life? Are they convinced that in an area where they've never been able to walk they can walk.

Now where they've been weak where there's been something passed down into their life because of Experience parentage Association disappointment, whatever it was. Are they convinced they can actually get up and walk in newness of life now.

Will we bring them to the house of God will they leap and dance in his presence? Because they have seen the eyes of God in us. And they've heard his voice. They've been encouraged to believe. That they can be a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Who are we looking at and why are we looking at them? Does the look in our eye and the sound of our voice cause them to believe that with God all things are possible. I don't think that you and I have to be relegated to reading about these miracles for the rest of our days and never.

Knowing them Jesus made a promise. If your eye is good, if your eye is good your whole body will be full of light. Cry my heart is God. Give me good eyes. Only you know what that is. Give me good eyes.

Help me be looking in the right direction. All the days of my life Lord. Let me look in the right direction and God. No wonder you said when a teacher came to Jesus said what's the most important commandments he says.

All the prophets and all the law are summed up in these two things. You will love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength. And the second is equal to it you shall love your neighbor as Yourself doesn't say your Christian neighbor your neighbor.

You shall love your neighbor. Everybody walking down the street is my neighbor. Everybody live in my neighborhood is my neighbor. Everybody in my apartment building is my neighbor. You shall love your neighbor on these two things.

You can take all the law and all the prophets and you can put a string through it and you can hang it on those two hooks. Everything that is taught here is summed up in those two things. So if we don't love people with the heart and with the eyes of God, isn't it true that we have missed the whole thing?

We've forgotten our purpose. Don't we become like Bethsaida? Called to be fishers and Somehow the lake just drifted away and we weren't even aware that it happened. And we end up blind. Needing a touch of God.

The Altar Call: Receiving New Eyes and New Life

And so I guess that's my altar call today. It's twofold. For everybody just like me say God, would you help me to see people the way you do? Would you put power in my speech? Would you give me faith for them?

So that they too can believe would you and would you give me faith? To speak to them with you put something in me. That when they look into my eyes, they see the eyes of God. When they hear my voice, they're suddenly empowered to get up and do something.

They've never done before ever in their lifetime ever. Maybe it's walking. Maybe it's just feeling good about themselves. You know, some people never felt good about themselves from the time they were in the cradle.

They've never understood a tender touch. They've never known what it is to be loved. They've never known what it is to be special. And so they're they're lame in that sense. They can't go forward. But what if they see in us?

What if they see in us something of God? That shows them the incredible value of their soul. The wondrousness of how they're created in the image of God the beauty of the strength that God has for them and the plan that He has for their lives the giftings.

He's willing to give the first view of God most people will ever get is through you and Me because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and our eyes Literally are the windows into the temple. It's like people standing outside this magnificent building and they they want a glimpse.

They're a little afraid to go in but they want a glimpse. So they kind of clear the frost and they look in to see what's going on. That's what our eyes are. That's who we are. We are the window into The temple of God the presence of God the power of God.

May we again begin to realize our purpose on the earth. Oh Bethsaida. May we get back to being what we're called to be fishers of men. Fishers who are happy to go fishing. It's not a chore. It's not like pastor Patrick.

He's happy to go fishing if he's not here. He's fishing. I'll tell you that right now. That's where he is. Not even the ice can stop him from fishing. Nothing can stop him from fishing. He's happy to God.

May we become happy to go fishing happy to just see people and love them at the heart of God. So winning is not a program. So winning is a passion it emanates from the heart of those who have really been gripped by the heart of God.

Who've been looking at what's really valuable in the sight of God? God. Give me your eyes. God give me your eyes. Listen. I know fully well like you I can you can get lost in all kinds of things in the church and forget what you're supposed To be.

I know it from personal experience. One of the one of the delights of my life is meeting people at the door now on Sunday night. So if you want to meet me you got to be here Sunday night, that's Maybe we should close by singing meet me.

Oh meet me God. Give me your eyes. God give me your eyes God. Give me your eyes. Give me your eyes, and if you're here today, and you've been lame Your whole life, I want you to know that whatever area you've been layman you can walk again you can walk again.

If you have the faith if you believe That God is able you can walk in that area of your life. We sang about it. You can you could cast that mountain away that's been trying to Convince you that this is as far as you go and no farther you can speak to that thing and say no.

You're not gonna dominate me anymore. No, sir. No, sir. No more of you. I'm now beholding Jesus, and he's going to give me life, and I'm going to walk brand new in this area of my life and. So if either of those are you I'm gonna open this altar this morning and in the main sanctuary, I'm gonna ask you to slip out of your seat and Up in the balcony as well and just meet me here, and we're gonna pray together.

And we're just gonna believe that in whatever area of your life that you need God to touch you. You're gonna leap and dance and praise again. It's gonna be that simple. I'm gonna believe with you that there's a joy gonna explode in your heart.

That is God birthed. It doesn't come doesn't even say that there was worship going on in the temple. If you believe that we are the temple of the Holy Ghost there was worship going on inside that man.

I have lived this. I know exactly that moment what it looked like. I visited the church one time as a young Christian and I couldn't wait for the service to be over so that I could worship God. I'm not saying this.

I'm not trying to be derogatory, but they were so steeped in their tradition so They'd so fallen. From the purpose I think of what they were for that I had to wait for the sanctuary to clear so I could run the.

I did. I Ran the aisle and I sang he lives he lives. Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and he talks with me a long life's narrow way. He lives he lives. Salvation to impart. You asked me how I know he lives he lives within my heart.

I felt like the lame man. I felt like that man running and leaping and dancing in the temple. Praise be to God. Praise be to God praise be to God. If that's you today in the annex you could step between the screens.

North Jersey you could do the same and also those that are with us at home as part of our home fellowship. God bless you today and You can just stand up in your living room. And we're gonna believe God for healing and new eyes.

Testimony of the Wages of Sin

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you Lord. I was just thinking of Testimony. I heard in this church one time a long time ago on a Sunday night and Just a young man. He was with a group of other young guys and they plan to go out and commit a robbery on The weekend and they were planning their robbery.

They were gonna mug somebody and steal whatever they had and so they're heading down the street. And they're gonna they're gonna do their robbery and their mugging and this little old grandmother goes walking by the street.

She looks at one of them in the eye. She says son. The wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. He said it's so shook him up that he left his buddies and he ran home.

Came to church and gave his life to Jesus Christ. Thank God the power the power of somebody that just sees the value of people. I've been a ministry a long time, but God in his mercy Recently has taken my hand.

Led me out of where I was and spit in my eyes and caused me to see again. You are all that is of any value in this church. You know all these golden walls and stuff will all be gone one day. This will all be dust.

You are all that's of any value to God all that's you. That's the value of God and every every soul that will ever come to this altar from every walk of life and Every state of weakness, whatever it is.

Prayer for the Church to Recover Its Vision

God is well able to give strength well able. It's an incredible message that we have an incredible power in the simplicity of our message. It's not complicated. Don't make it complicated. You don't need to know Hebrew and Greek.

Just need to know Jesus and you need to know what he can do. I'm gonna pray with you today father God in Jesus name. I Thank you Lord for Leading us out of town as a church Lord especially out of this city and Helping us not to lose our purpose Lord Reminding us of what's really a value.

There's so much the city would disregard and discard and throw out in its streets. There are so many people filled with pain. Nobody sees them, but you do Lord and so we're asking that you would look through our eyes At them and give us your heart for them.

And let your power Lord God emanate from us towards them. Father God we ask for the privilege that in the days and years ahead. There would be people leaping and dancing in our aisles in this church Lord.

They would leap and dance in the lobby. They would leap and dance on 51st before they even get in the front door because your power has come and lifted them out of Poverty out of weakness out of shame Out of imprisonment and given them new life new strength and new hope.

I Thank you with all my heart God for what you're doing in me. I thank you Lord. I Cherish it Lord. God with everything in me Lord it all comes back to the beginning you died for people. Thank you Lord for Giving us back our sight.