Our Perspective
The way we look at things. Some people see the glass half full, while others see it as
half empty. Same glass, different focus.
The world’s perspective is based on their method of operation in dealing/living in this
world. The world perspective is selfishness. Like Eve, even though she thought that
God said “you shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, less you die”, she believed
the serpent that “you shall not surely die”, and when she saw that the tree was good for
food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,
she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her, and
he did eat (Genesis 3:6). They put their will above God’s will.
When we are born again our perspective has to change and be based on our method
of operation in living for God. Paul said “for I through the law am dead to the law, that I
might live to God. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ
lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave Himself for me”. The born again Christian perspective should
be toward God. Like Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane “O My Father, if this cup
may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42).
The Bible says look not at the things of the world for they are temporary (II Corinthians
4:16-18) “for which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the
inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the
things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are
seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”. Now, Paul said this,
and we know that Paul suffered a lot, but he being determined to finish what God had
said for him to do, he pressed on. Just like Jesus looked pass the cross, Hebrews 12:2
says “looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and set down at the right hand of
the throne of God”. I don’t know if you saw the Passion of the Christ, but I didn’t see
much joy. Jesus looked pass the pain and saw us in need of a savior.
A good example of how important our perspective is, let us look at how the devil
thought that he had defeated God when Jesus was crucified on the cross, but the
resurrection proved this wrong, and the Bible says “none of the princes of this world
knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I
Corinthians 2:8); verse 14 says “but the natural man receives not the things of the
Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned”.
Human perspective is limited. Moses looked at his speaking problems and tried to get
out of God’s mission for him. God said “now go, and do as I have told you. I will help
you speak well, and I will tell you what to say, but Moses pleaded, “Lord, please, send
someone else” (Exodus 4:12-13). All Moses needed was some help and who better
than God could help him say and do the right things? If God asks us to do something,
then He will help us get the job done. We can trust that He will provide words, strength,
courage and ability where needed.
Human perspective tends to be distorted. Peter had just proclaimed who Jesus was,
then after Jesus told them what was going to happen to Him, Peter rebuked Jesus
(Matthew 16:23) “Jesus turned to Peter and said, get away from me, satan, you are a
dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and
not from God’s”. In His desert temptations, Jesus heard the message from satan that
He could achieve greatness without dying (Matthew 4:6). Here he heard the same
message from Peter. Peter had just recognized Jesus as Messiah, however, he
forsook God’s perspective and evaluated the situation from a human one. The devil is
always trying to get us to leave God out of the picture. We are not strong enough in
the flesh to defeat the devil.
Human perspective is temporal. Jairus’s daughter had died, and Jesus went inside and
spoke to the people, “why all this weeping and commotion?” He asked. “The child isn’t
dead, she is only asleep” (Mark 5:21-43). The mourners began to laugh at Jesus when
He said, “the child isn’t dead, she is only asleep”. The girl was dead, but Jesus used
the image of sleep to indicate that her condition was temporary and that she would be
restored. Today, most of the world laughs at Christ’s claims, which seem ridiculous to
them. Remember that “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which
are mighty. And base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God
chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are” (I Corinthians
1:27-28). When you are belittled for expressing faith in Jesus and hope for eternal life,
remember that unbelievers don’t see from God’s perspective.
We are to see ourselves as God sees us. He says, “we are more than conquerors”, we
are “the righteousness of God in Christ”, we are “the head and not the tail”, and the
Bible says “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us” (Philippians 4:13).
It is important how you see yourself because Proverbs 23:7 says “as a man thinks in
his heart, so is he”.
The devil is always trying to defeat the Christians by telling them, what they can’t do
because of their weaknesses or lack of knowledge or finances. First remember that
the devil is a liar, then know that if God told you to do it, He will enable you. Isaiah 26:3
says “You will keep them in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he
trust in You”. The devil knows if he can get your focus on the situations around you,
he can defeat you. Remember Peter walked on the water, until he took his focus off of
Jesus and looked at the storm, then he began to sink. Let us determine to keep our
focus on Jesus, and be strong in the Lord and the power of His might, then the devil
can’t devour us.
.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 25, 2008
The way we look at things. Some people see the glass half full, while others see it as
half empty. Same glass, different focus.
The world’s perspective is based on their method of operation in dealing/living in this
world. The world perspective is selfishness. Like Eve, even though she thought that
God said “you shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, less you die”, she believed
the serpent that “you shall not surely die”, and when she saw that the tree was good for
food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,
she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her, and
he did eat (Genesis 3:6). They put their will above God’s will.
When we are born again our perspective has to change and be based on our method
of operation in living for God. Paul said “for I through the law am dead to the law, that I
might live to God. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ
lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave Himself for me”. The born again Christian perspective should
be toward God. Like Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane “O My Father, if this cup
may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42).
The Bible says look not at the things of the world for they are temporary (II Corinthians
4:16-18) “for which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the
inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the
things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are
seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”. Now, Paul said this,
and we know that Paul suffered a lot, but he being determined to finish what God had
said for him to do, he pressed on. Just like Jesus looked pass the cross, Hebrews 12:2
says “looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and set down at the right hand of
the throne of God”. I don’t know if you saw the Passion of the Christ, but I didn’t see
much joy. Jesus looked pass the pain and saw us in need of a savior.
A good example of how important our perspective is, let us look at how the devil
thought that he had defeated God when Jesus was crucified on the cross, but the
resurrection proved this wrong, and the Bible says “none of the princes of this world
knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I
Corinthians 2:8); verse 14 says “but the natural man receives not the things of the
Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned”.
Human perspective is limited. Moses looked at his speaking problems and tried to get
out of God’s mission for him. God said “now go, and do as I have told you. I will help
you speak well, and I will tell you what to say, but Moses pleaded, “Lord, please, send
someone else” (Exodus 4:12-13). All Moses needed was some help and who better
than God could help him say and do the right things? If God asks us to do something,
then He will help us get the job done. We can trust that He will provide words, strength,
courage and ability where needed.
Human perspective tends to be distorted. Peter had just proclaimed who Jesus was,
then after Jesus told them what was going to happen to Him, Peter rebuked Jesus
(Matthew 16:23) “Jesus turned to Peter and said, get away from me, satan, you are a
dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and
not from God’s”. In His desert temptations, Jesus heard the message from satan that
He could achieve greatness without dying (Matthew 4:6). Here he heard the same
message from Peter. Peter had just recognized Jesus as Messiah, however, he
forsook God’s perspective and evaluated the situation from a human one. The devil is
always trying to get us to leave God out of the picture. We are not strong enough in
the flesh to defeat the devil.
Human perspective is temporal. Jairus’s daughter had died, and Jesus went inside and
spoke to the people, “why all this weeping and commotion?” He asked. “The child isn’t
dead, she is only asleep” (Mark 5:21-43). The mourners began to laugh at Jesus when
He said, “the child isn’t dead, she is only asleep”. The girl was dead, but Jesus used
the image of sleep to indicate that her condition was temporary and that she would be
restored. Today, most of the world laughs at Christ’s claims, which seem ridiculous to
them. Remember that “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which
are mighty. And base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God
chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are” (I Corinthians
1:27-28). When you are belittled for expressing faith in Jesus and hope for eternal life,
remember that unbelievers don’t see from God’s perspective.
We are to see ourselves as God sees us. He says, “we are more than conquerors”, we
are “the righteousness of God in Christ”, we are “the head and not the tail”, and the
Bible says “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us” (Philippians 4:13).
It is important how you see yourself because Proverbs 23:7 says “as a man thinks in
his heart, so is he”.
The devil is always trying to defeat the Christians by telling them, what they can’t do
because of their weaknesses or lack of knowledge or finances. First remember that
the devil is a liar, then know that if God told you to do it, He will enable you. Isaiah 26:3
says “You will keep them in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he
trust in You”. The devil knows if he can get your focus on the situations around you,
he can defeat you. Remember Peter walked on the water, until he took his focus off of
Jesus and looked at the storm, then he began to sink. Let us determine to keep our
focus on Jesus, and be strong in the Lord and the power of His might, then the devil
can’t devour us.
.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 25, 2008
