Services | How Good Are Your Eyes

Bulletin

Hymn # 281 “We’ve a Story to Tell”

SCRIPTURE READING – Matthew 28:18 - 20
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate

Praise and Worship
“Resurrection Power”
“At the Cross (Love Ran Red)”
“Way Maker”

Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Resolved to Obey and Worship Only the Lord, God”
“How Good Are Your Eyes?”

PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“Love Is War”
Benediction “There Is Freedom”

Sermon Notes
Psalm 36:1 No fear of God in the eyes of the ungodly
Proverbs 21:2 Everyone thinks his way is right in his own eyes, but God weighs the heart
Proverbs 27:20 The eyes of people are never satisfied
Jeremiah 5:21 – 23 They do not see even having eyes
Isaiah 6:8 – 10 Isaiah to prophesize even though they have eyes and ears they will not understand
Matthew 13:10 – 17 Jesus teaches in parables, but the disciples are blessed because they see and hear
Matthew 18:9 Make sure your eye does not cause you to Stumble
Deuteronomy 12:8 God tells His people do not do what is right in their own eyes
Judges 17:1 – 6 Micah does what is right in his own eyes
Judges 21:25 The nation of Israel does what is right in their own eyes killing and kidnapping so the tribe of Benjamin may have wives
Hebrews 12:1 & 2 Fix our eyes on Jesus (He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords)

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Scritpures

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Transcript of Service

Let me give you a little advanced notice. You're going to think I'm talking to a spiritual group of people because I'm going to be talking about how a particular group of people are, but. I'm not talking to them. Talking to the church. So if you will my. My initial. Starting point. For the serving, if you will. A lot of this is going to be pretext for the sermon. You were growing up as a child and you need your glasses. You knew that eyesight was important. And if you didn't need glasses when you were child, as you grew older.

OK.

You decided you needed and I I remember. First time and just before our freshman in high school. Had to read glasses. It's not cool because it was a home run kind and whatever. And then one year later, I went to, UM, Pizza place. I could barely read the menu. They went back to the ophthalmologist and. I had substantial deterioration of my eyesight. And so the well, you know, it's just a matter of, you know, your your body is changing and you're maturing and growing up and and and I literally said to the to the doctor what is the point of growing up is when I'm blind when. I get there. But then if you didn't need glasses as a young person, all of a sudden, oftentimes. Peoples arms start shortening because they keep trying to read, but because they can't whatever. So eyesight has always been important, but that's not the eyesight. We're going to talk about. The rule seems to be be concerned with. What you see? So for instance, there'll be Rorschach tests. Where they have. These inkblots and they ask you what you see in them. And and I guess there's no right answer. I've never had to take one. I've just seen whatever they, you know. So it's kind of like what do you see in the clouds? You know, some people see ponies and and whatever and. I tend to be a realist. I usually just see clouds. But they're they're interested in. What you see? Today's message is not whether you see or not with your eyesight or what you see. But how?

We're seeing the world. They have a particular. We call it a worldview. Or, as we believers tend to have a godly point of view. And so for instance, 2 people, a person who's not a believer and a person who is a believer can see the Grand Canyon. And the non believer will see millions of years being used to fetch out the ranking. And a believer sees how God quickly did it be the flood. Both see the same thing. Two obvious different conclusions. Now on our side. For instance, if if you are. More than a teenager. If you saw Mount Saint Helen. All of a sudden that went from a mountain in a few moments less than a mountain and a bunch of petrified wood. Which before that would have said it would take ages and ages to accomplish, and yet it was done. And just. Moments and so again the believer has nothing to retreat from. The evidence is on our side, but we see things differently because we have a different worldview. And then you have those. Who said, you know, this is all just a simulation. It's just somebody's imagination and we're. All a part of that. And it's a matter of, I guess, which pill you take. Basically what you see. Then there are those. We say we're part of an infinite multiverse. There's all these multiverses going on at the same time and I'm infinitely in all these other multiverses. And my point is. OK, let's except for argument that there are multiverses. How does those infinite other means? Help me here. They don't. All I have to do with my reality. Speaking of reality, and that's where we come into the world today is it's all matter of relative relativistic. Your truth may not be my true. Your reality might not be my reality. And people come up with different reasons. And so your worldview has to determine what. Is more what is right? What is wrong? And oftentimes in the worldview, they have nothing to latch on to as a foundation for why things are. So I'll give you an example today. Let's say there is a store owner, let's say. This person owns a. And a young man comes in, picks up one of those plastic baskets. It's his girlfriend's birthday. He goes and he bought it. He pulls out a beautiful birthday card. Puts in his basket. Hit some chocolate puts it in the basket. She loves Unicorn, so she he gets a. Stuffed animal that's in uniform. Puts it in his basket. And then those and says, you know what, I gotta look good for. He gets deodorant and soap and Cologne and a razor and all these different things to make himself look and smell good. And he puts in his basket. Instead of checking out. We walked through the door. Now the stone owner would say store owner would say he just stole my stuff. And that's wrong. He should not have done that. He should have. Paid for it. The person who just took those items could legitimately say, as some have said. Well, you know, the law says that I can take up to a certain number of dollars worth of stuff and not be prosecuted. I didn't take the amount above that, so I followed the law. I did what was right. As I followed the law, now the store. Was going wait a minute.

You're wrong. And the. The person who girlfriend was having a birthday, I did nothing wrong. Each of them says. You I did nothing wrong. You violated my property, right? What do we do? Well, the problem is. That there is this sense of what the Bible will talk about and what we'll look at is that people do what is right. In their own eye. The Bible's form of relativism. You see, you think the Bible? This is written thousands of years ago and is irrelevant to today. It's talking about. Philosophical matters. Thousands of years ago that we. Tried to justify today. And so in Psalms, chapter 36 verse one it says. Transgression speaks to young Dolly with his heart. There is No Fear of God before his eye. The the person who has no world view, that there is a God is not even concerned about what God thinks and what God has commanded because they don't fear God. And you see that in our world today, you'll see. Well, there is a God. He struck me down. See, they struck me down. Therefore there's no God. There is this sense of there is No Fear. And unfortunately there seems to be No Fear actually, even in people who claim to be believers. You and me. Is how many times have we done something that we know God didn't want us to do, but we figured he'd forgive us anyway. Instead of fearing him and doing what is right, we said, well, you know, it's. Easier to ask. For forgiveness than permission, and we know he wouldn't say yes. So we did it and we're going to rely on his forgiveness. The Scriptures also tells us in proverbs chapter 21, verse 2. Every man's way is right in his own eye. Again, that sense of. What I do is right and one of the difficult things is is when you try to talk to people about what is right or wrong and they've done something quite wrong. That they want to justify because it's right within their own eyes. Nobody wants to be criticized. Nobody wants it's it's right. But God doesn't look at what you think is right in your own eyes. But the Lord raises the heart. God doesn't determine how you think. But who you are? For many times, people think, oh, if I if I do the right things, if I do enough of the right things and God somehow will appreciate that and allow me into heaven if. There is a God. Because you know, I want to know. Who you are. I weigh. Your heart. And again in. Proverbs, chapter 27. It says this. Now hear this. Oh, foolish and senseless people who have eyes but do not see who have fears, but do not fear. You see, just because you have the ability to see things. And hear things do not mean that. You understand them? Matter of fact. Do you not fear me to close the Lord? Do you not trouble and tremble in my presence, for I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea and eternal the tree so that it cannot cross over it. So the waves tossed, yet they cannot prevail, though they roar. Yet they cannot cross over it. But this people as. A stubborn and. Rebellious heart, they have turned aside and departed. Jeremiah is preaching to not the world, but to God's people. That they. Don't hear or see. Even though they have ears and eyes. Understanding is not a matter of the senses. With a sense of understanding what God has accomplished and God is saying the reason that you don't hear and the reason that you don't see is because you rebellious. You don't want to. You can have all the wonderful arguments. To try to convince somebody that you're right and they're wrong. Unless they don't want to hear you and don't want. To see you. And then it just doesn't matter. Your husbands know that all the time. Wise can give us all kinds of great advice. We don't necessarily follow it. But it's not just. Jeremiah Isaiah has the same situation and Isaiah. After Isaiah sees. God and all of His Holiness. Placed on his throne with the Cherubim and Seraphim, and the Angels and everybody saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, he realizes that he is a he is undone because he's an. Not a holy person. And God. Kills him and he says this. When I heard the voice of Lord. Saying whom shall? I send and who will go for us? And I said here I am, send me. So Isaiah's response to seen in Holy God is saying I will do for you what you want me to do. You can send me to your people. What is it that you want to say? And he said. Or and tell these people keep on listening, but do not perceive. Keep on looking, but do not understand. Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull and their eyes dim. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and return. And be healed. One of the most tragic statements in the script. You see, our God is the. God of love and forgiveness and mercy. But there comes a point where God says. I want you to preach. And I want you to preach. To the point. That they stopped listening. Because if they actually hear you. And understand. They would repent. And I would forgive them. And I don't want that to happen. How tragic. To be at that point. But again, look at Isaiah. As well saying. God use me and God says OK. I'm going to use you. No one's going to come to your church. No one's going to get saved. No one's going to repent. You're not going to have a great building program. As a matter of fact, they're going to, they're going to do. All kinds of bad things to you. Thanks a lot. God, I thought when you called me, I was supposed to have great success. That said, no, no, no one's going to respond. They're just simply going to be there. But still. The situation that happened in Isaiah's Day was the very same thing that happened in Jesus's day. Because Jesus was teaching in parables after those who had told him that he was doing miracles based on Satan. The disciples came and said to him. Why do you speak to them in parables? Jesus answered and for you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven. But to them, there's not been grant. So when we take a look. And having this worldview of understanding that there is a God and that he has called us and he has purposes and he has right and he has wrong and he has desires for us, it's because we have been granted the mysteries of the Kingdom.

But not them. Whoever has him more shall be given and to he who will have an abundance. Whoever does not have even to what he has will be taken away from him. I speak to them in parables because while seeing, they do not see and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And bear case, the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says you will keep on hearing, but you will not understand. You will keep on seeing, but you will not perceive. But their heart of this people has become dull and their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they would see with their eyes. See with. Their ears and understand with their heart and return and eye. Would heal them. If they were to do that, but because they've seen the way this opportunity goes. They're even though they have ears, and even though they have eyes, they will not understand what's going on, because if they did then they would repent. And I would heal them. Oftentimes when you. See the word. But you go it's like. I think you're wonderful, but. I'm not going to like what comes next. But blessed are your eye. Because they see. And your ears?

How do you see? You see. Because the Lord has opened your eyes and opened your ears. And if he has, then you are blessed. And if he hasn't? Perhaps you should seek. And open your eyes. And open. Or truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desire to see what you see and do not see it, and to hear what you hear. And did not. We have been blessed because we have seen what Jesus did. We have understood because of. What he has taught us. And we've seen his resurrection. We understand that when. Abraham said to Isaac God himself, who provide the sacrifice of the lamb. We say ah, I see it. When we see Jesus turning water into wine, we say aha, the God who creates and do things that seem to take forever in fermentation and yet can be done instantaneously. When we see him walking on water and stand and silencing the storms, we say the God who controls the elements. We see him healing the sick and the rain and all those. We say that God has the power as the great physician to heal the body. And when we see him raise the dead. We can see him saying he has power even over the resurrection. And then when he rose from the dead, he said this power was not only granted in his ministry, but that is why he came, that he might free us from the sentence of sin and death. Blessed are you when you understand. And when you see. Jesus also tells them. If your eye causes you to stumble.

And and we we kind of repel with that. Well, Jesus. Obviously he's he's being over critical because he's trying to drive home the point and he's using a no Jesus is saying. It is better. Not to see. And to see. And to see. And not. Made to take priority for sometimes God provides difficulties in our lives that we might understand who he is, as opposed to everything being wonder. But I'm going to pivot. You see, the world is this way. The world doesn't see the world doesn't understand. The world has its relativistic viewpoints of things, and they do what is right in their own eyes. They have their own sense of reality. They have their own sense of right and wrong. They can't justify, you know, because somebody will say. There are no absolutes. I love that. Ask them. Actually, I'll ask them two questions until they say there. Are no absolutes. Let's say. Are you sure? Are you absolutely? Because if there absolutely are no absolutes, then there's at least one absolute. Which means there are absolute. You see, we all try. We all try to be really funny. Whatever and and. Too smart by half. God has not called us. We will have this. To follow him. And to see him. And who he is. And so the point of this message is not to rail and scream and talk about the war. Because they don't see. They don't hear. They don't understand. They may be doing what is right in. Their own eyes. Because they've got nowhere else to go. What I want us to talk about in this message is God's. In barony. Chapter 12, verse 8. Getting ready to go into the promised Land, God is giving them laws and it's giving them covenants and he's giving them the various things. And then he tells them you shall not do at all what you are doing here today. Every man's doing whatever is right. In his own eyes. You see, God is telling his people you are not to be well with this. It is not a matter of well if it's right in your eyes. It's OK if it's not. If it's your reality, it's OK now he's saying you're no longer to do what? Is right in your own eye. Now, he's specifically here talking about that, Ron says. When you come to worship, you're going to worship at a particular place, which is eventually going to be Jerusalem.



Not going to do like the other world where they set up all kinds of temples all over and all this other we're not going to do what you think is right. You are to do. What I have called you to do. In the book of Judges, we see this phrase doing what is right. In their own eyes. And judges chapter 17 on the verse one that says now there was a man. The Hill Country will be for him. His name was Micah. And he said to his mother, the 1100 pieces of silver, which were taken from you about which you uttered a curse in my hearing. Behold, the silver is with. Me, I took it. Michael is saying I stole from my mom. I have a problem. She cursed the silver. But now I can't. Doing because if I spend the money and do whatever when it's cursed and I'm in trouble, so he confesses to his mother that he stole her money. What a wonderful loving son. This is God's people. This isn't the philistines. This is. Move for him. And his mother said, blessed be my son by the Lord. Now in Texas, they would say bless. His little heart. In case you don't know what the translation in text is, is this is a large you're an idiot. That's the transmission of bless, his little heart of bless, his pea picking heart. It's you're an idiot. Still his mom, you know. And and Mom's all you know. Oh, no, you're such a wonderful son. You stole my money. But it's OK. You hear my son? I love you. It's all. It's all good. When he returned 1100 pieces of silver to his mother and his mother said, I wholly dedicate the silver from my hand. Good Lord, for my son to make. A graven image. And in both an image. Now, therefore I will return it to you. Now I don't want to be over technical. But one of the first few commandments is thou shalt not make. A graven image. You shall worsen the Lord. Alone only and him only shall you fear. She can't get through the first couple of. For man, and again, this is not the philistines. This is God's people. When he returned to silver to his mother, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith and made them into a graven image. Now again. What's the silversmith doing? They should say, you know I can't do that. As it violates God's command. But there's money. We made them into a graven image and a molten image, and they were in the House of Micah. And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an epoch in a household idol and consecrated them.

One of the sons that he might become his. They have now done exactly two different things that God had told them not to do, not to make emulsion image, not to make a grave an image and to only worship where he designates for them to worship. And instead of the Levites being the priest, and instead of Aaron's household. Being the high priest, he decides to have his own religious. So he sets up not only this graven image, he sets up a priest and an alternative way of worship. And at the end of this little. Thing that says in those days. There is no king in Israel. Every man did what was white. In his own eye. God is God. And God can do and say what God wants to do or say. And so I I gingerly step here. I don't care if there was no king in Israel. He should have been doing what he did. It's not an excuse to say, well, there was no king in Israel, so everybody did was right. There was no authority and therefore I can do whatever I want to do. Now unfortunately. There was another situation. And judges chapter 2125, the end results as in those days, there was no King and Israel every did. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. But what happened there? What happened there was. The tribe of Benjamin started a civil war. With the rest of the tribe. Now the problem is Benjamin was a small tribe. And they lost the civil war. Not only they lose it, almost the entire men and families of the tribal Benjamin. And those that were captured. And there were about 600 that escaped up into the. Wilderness area you escape and then. When they were defeated and they were up all of a sudden. The rest of bears will know we got a problem. We were supposed to have 12. Well, we had told. And made a pact with everybody that we won't give any of our daughters to them to marry. We were to cut them off. But if they don't have anybody to marry and produce children, we'll not have 12 tribes. We'll have 11. So what they decided to do was. They lay in ambush. He killed and kidnapped a bunch of people and women to be able to give them as wives. Killed and kidnap. I don't think that was right. But they did it. Anyway, because they had a problem. But there wasn't enough. They had to come up with another plan, and so they been ambushed and said. If you surrender your daughters. We'll let you go. And they then were able to find enough. Remaining men of. Forced abduction. That there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right.

His honor. My problem and what the reason I'm bringing this message is that God, as we said God, will accomplish what God wants to accomplish in God's purposes and God's will will be done. But the Church of God tends to compromise way too. I I. We'll give you 2 exams. Many years ago, when? When it seemed like evolution was science and there was no disputing it and the. The Scriptures seem to indicate that that was not the way God did things, and so to be cruel and to be. Intellectual people came up with what is called theistic evolution. The church retreated from the Word of God. Because science seem to have. When in hand. As science continues to progress. People of God. As the winning. It is more obvious. That there is a God. Than there is. It is starting to happen within and so I I don't want I don't. Don't need to throw stones on thrown stone. There there's some music and I'm sure they don't mean it. Remember, I talked about being well relativistic. And your truth may be your truth, but it's not my truth. There are some Christian songs now that says. Well, I want to follow your trip. No God is true. Jesus is the way he is, the truth. He is the life. He's not a truth. He's the truth. And yet we're walking backwards and walking backwards because it's all relative. No, it's not that. God be, yes, and everybody else alive. While it may have been true during the time of judges that there were in those days there was no king in Israel who everyone did was right in his own eyes. So that's not the truth today, because there is a king and his name is Jesus and he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And so it is no longer proper. Whether the scriptures give you a chance. So there's no king, so therefore, no, no there. Is a king. You don't do what's right in your eyes. You do what's right in his eyes. The last script I want to share. Is in. Since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Now there are those who say no, what's happening here is like if you're at a. A event, a race, or something in the Colosseum, there's a whole bunch of people watching. You know, there's a whole bunch of people who have been where you are.

They finished the race. You have a cloud of witnesses who say it has been done. I've done it. You can do it too, because God will give you the strength and endurance. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sand which so easily entangles us. And let us run with endurance. The race that is set before us. Fixing our eyes on Jesus. You see, that's the key. We see and we hear and we understand because we fix our eyes on Jesus. One of my favorite vacations that my family gave to me that was peppering apart from me just doing my thing. First, I had the opportunity to go to the Bob Bondurant School of Racing and I had the most fantastic days as a. Vacation ever now with my wife. I had some other, better vacation. But with this I. I mean. I I I. Got an award for being so positive. About you know they. Could I? I just wanted to race. I just wanted to drive and I was incensed whenever they said I couldn't. I mean, I just wanted to. Do it but. One of the things that they taught in this was. When you're spinning out. What people will oftentimes do when they start losing control is they'll see like a tree. And they're afraid to hit the tree. But what do they do? They look at the tree. And they go guess what you're going. To hit the tree. Because you're going to hit what you look at. Don't look at the tree. Look where. You want to be. And then drive the car there and you won't hit the tree. If you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, you won't crash. We'll roll out the track. We won't sin. We won't say. Well, it everybody else is doing it. I won't been out of control of fixing my eyes. Oh geez. The author and Perfecter of Faith before the Joy set before him. The joy sat before him.

Endured the cross, despising the same, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Fixing your eyes on. Don't do much. Write in your own eye. Don't compromise when it seems that the most current situation. To go along with the crowd. As I can guarantee you this. Different God's worth. You will be proven right. To abandon his word. You'll have nothing to hold on. The people who say there are no absolutes will tell you when there's. Therefore there's nothing wrong until I take something. From them. And they'll think, well, that's wrong. Well, why? Because it costs me something. We live in this world and we understand this world because it's not a matter of whether it's right in my eyes or wrong in her eyes, or whether I can get away with it. It's not might makes right. Where God has called us to do what God has set before us, and God has caused us to be blessed because we understand. And we see. Blessed are your eyes.

And all God's people said.