WHAT DO WE SEE?

My wife and I enjoy taking walks through the Metro and State Parks. I love photography and have all kinds of cameras and lenses and really enjoy photographing wildlife and nature. Recently while we were on one of these walks we met a man who gave us some very good tips on how to get some great photographs of wildlife. He said the key was that you really had to know what you were looking for and focus on that. If you're looking for deer, know when they are out. If you're interested in photographing woodpeckers or other birds, you have to look for their signs and you have to focus on that particular bird. He said that most people just go trudging down the trails, never looking for anything in particular and that is just what they find- nothing. They walk right past a raccoon up in the tree because they never look up. They walk right past a doe giving birth in the field because they never look down. They are only focused on themselves and not on what is happening around them. But if you stay focused on what you're looking for, you are sure to find it. The other key is patience. If you think you've found a spot where you might see a deer, you may have to wait for awhile, being very still and patient.

 

I thought about this as I prepared for this message. It fit right in to what the Lord was showing me. In the scripture reference of Mark 8:22-26--after Jesus healed the blind man, "He asked him if he saw anything." Jesus wanted to know what the man saw. I believe Jesus is asking us the same question today- "What do you see?" In regards to the sinner- He is asking us "What do we see?" Do we see someone who is offensive and repulsive? Do we see them as never being able to be saved? Or do we look past the outside appearance and see them as God sees them? Do we see their heart?

 

In John 8:3-11 a woman was caught in adultery. The others only saw a woman committing a sin- worthy of being stoned to death. But Jesus saw so much more. He looked past the sin -not that He condoned the sin- but He didn't let the sin obscure His vision of her- He looked into her heart and found someone worth being saved.

 

What do we see in  those noisy, disrespectful neighbors and their kids? What do we see in that drug addict or habitual liar? What do we see in those souls that God brings across our pathway? What do we see in that irritable co-worker, that ungodly boss or those unsaved family members? Are we able to look past the sin, the offensive behavior and attitude- and see them as Jesus sees them-- a soul that needs saved?

 

The Samaritan woman in John 4:7-23 was an outcast to the people in the city. They wanted nothing to do with her. But Jesus looked past the exterior and saw into her heart. It was the same with us before the Lord saved us. Where do we get off feeling so high and mighty? We had offensive attitudes, we were in sin, we probably irritated a lot of people. We may not have been an alcoholic or drug addict- but we were lost in our sin and we needed a Savior. Jesus looked past the outside appearance and went straight to our heart. He didn't let our sin obscure His vision of us- Praise God!

 

What do we see in the people around us- those we have daily contact with or those we meet on a one time basis? Do we see them as irritants, unsaved and disrespectful or do we see them and Christ does- as people who need the Lord? We must remember that their actions and life-style are symptoms of their sinful, lost condition and that they need saved. Just like my illustration of walking through the woods, looking for a certain animal or flower or tree- we must look beyond all the other distractions and concentrate on what we are looking for. Do we see people who need the Lord? Are we concentrated on that, are we focused on looking for those whom Christ would love to save? What do we see? Do we have the patience and take the time to witness to them and tell them about the love of God? Or do we do what many people do walking through the woods- just trudge along our way and never look out for souls in need? What do we see?


(Taken from Pastor Keith's sermon 4/28/2013)