Spiritual Sight

Jesus's behavior and motives do not change throughout the generations and time.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIRV)

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Jesus wants to heal.

Moses taught. 

Exodus 15:26(NIRV)

26 He said, “I am the Lord your God.

Listen carefully to me.

Do what is right in my eyes.

Pay attention to my commands.

Obey all my rules. 

If you do, I will not send on you any of the sicknesses I sent on the Egyptians. 

I am the Lord who heals you.”

Just like Jesus wants to heal.

He wants to save you!

Psalm 103:3  (NIRV)

3 He forgives all my sins.
    He heals all my sicknesses.

If you are quoted a scripture, and you get mad, something is wrong with your theology. 

I want to talk to you about spiritual blindness and spiritual sight.  

Here is how it happens.

1. Spiritual blindness steals our understanding. 

Isaiah 42:18 (NIRV)

18“Israel, listen to me! You can hear,

    but you do not understand.

Look to me! You can see,

    but you do not know what you are seeing.

19 The people of Israel serve me. 

But who is more blind than they are?

Who is more deaf than the messengers I send?

Who is more blind than the one who has promised to be faithful to me?

Who is more blind than the servant of the Lord?

20 Israel, you have seen many things.

But you do not pay any attention to me.

Your ears are open.

But you do not listen to anything I say.”

Isaiah is not talking about physical blindness or deafness.  

If you think that you already know everything, you are blind.  

Isaiah 43:8 (NIRV)

8 Lead my people into court.

They have eyes but can’t see.

Bring those who have ears but can’t hear. 

Blindness steals our understanding.

Jeremiah 5:21  (NIRV)

21 ‘Listen to this, you foolish people,
    who do not have any sense.

You have eyes, but you do not see.

You have ears, but you do not hear.

Rebellion also causes spiritual blindness.

  

Ezekiel 12:2  (NIRV)

2 “Son of man, you are living among people who refuse to obey me. 

They have eyes that can see. 

But they do not really see. 

They have ears that can hear. 

But they do not really hear. 

They refuse to obey me.

Zephaniah 1:17  (NIRV)

17 I will bring great trouble on all people.

    So they will feel their way around like blind people.

    They have sinned against the Lord.

Their blood will be poured out like dust.

    Their bodies will lie rotting on the ground.

Another cause of blindness is walking in known sin. 

Matthew 13:14-15  (NIRV)

14 In them the words of the prophet Isaiah come true.

(Jesus is quoting Isaiah) He said,

“ ‘You will hear but never understand.
    You will see but never know what you are seeing.

15 The hearts of these people have become stubborn.

    They can barely hear with their ears.

    They have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes.

    They might hear with their ears.

    They might understand with their hearts.

They might turn to the Lord, and then he would heal them.’(Isaiah 6:9,10)

Watch how blindness progresses. 

Jesus says that they have to be able to hear with their spiritual ears, and see with their spiritual eyes,so that they can understand God's word.

So they can turn from their sin. 

So that they can be be healed.

  

The reason that they don't turn from their sin is because they don't understand what sin is doing to them.

The reason that they don't understand what it's doing to them. 

It's because they are spiritually blind and deaf.

Psalm 107:20 (ESV)

20 He sent out his word and healed them,

    and delivered them from their destruction.

Spiritual blindness and deafness causes you to be mentally, spiritually, and emotionally sick.  

That's why I put so much word into my messages.  

This blindness means that it's possible to be looking at something, and still not see it.  

Have you ever read a chapter in the Bible and not understand it? 

You can be looking right at something and still not see it. 

Because your mind is somewhere else. 

My wife can see things that are not there.  

I can't pick out my own clothes.  

My wife dresses me.  

My wife, Debbie, sees it.  

She sees things that I cannot see.  

2. Pride causes spiritual blindness. 

   

The only reason that we continue to sin is because we are arrogant.  

Jesus heals a blind man in John 9. 

He was born blind, and it had never been done before.  

The Pharisees got mad at Jesus because the man born blind got healed. 

John 9:39-41  (NIRV)

39 Jesus said, “I have come into this world to judge it. 

I have come so that people who are blind will see. 

I have come so that people who can see will become blind.”

40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this.

They asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. 

But since you claim you can see, you remain guilty.

Jesus was saying that if you'd just admit that you couldn't see without me.

I'd take away your guilt.

Acts 9:17-18  (NIRV)

N.Y.

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. 

He placed his hands on Saul. 

“Brother Saul,” he said, “you saw the Lord Jesus.

He appeared to you on the road as you were coming here. 

He has sent me so that you will be able to see again. You will be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

18 Right away something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes. 

And he could see again. 

He got up and was baptized.

When Paul was saved, physical scales actually fell off his eyes, think about that!

Isaiah 4:1  (NIRV)

4 At that time seven women
    will grab hold of one man.

They’ll say to him, “We will eat our own food.

    We’ll provide our own clothes.

Just let us become your wives.

    Take away our shame!”

Every time that you read the Bible "say Lord I cannot understand this book unless you explain it to me." 

If you'll do that, it'll jump off the pages.

In the book of Revelation, there are seven churches.  

Churches are called women in the Bible.  

The Church is called the bride of Christ (John 3:29).

  

In that day, the seven women who represent the worldly church in the end times will take hold of one man, Jesus. 

This Scripture is saying that the Church in the end times will teach their own Bible studies without Jesus. 

They will take care of their own righteousness without Jesus. 

They'll use His name without knowing Him anyway to justify themselves.

The Bible is a deeper Book than you think it is. 

  

Leviticus 26:26 (NIRV)

26 I will cut off your supply of bread. 

Ten women will need only one oven to bake your bread.

They will weigh out the bread piece by piece. 

Even when you eat all of it, it will not be enough to satisfy you.

In my opinion, this is what this means. 

When you turn away from me, I'll turn off your supply of bread.

In the end times, Bible Studies will be prepared by people in one place. 

It will be  allocated out to 10 different churches.

You will study it, but it won't satisfy you. 

I once knew a man who taught the Bible out of a quarterly. 

I went through the entire quarterly, and it averaged only 2 to 4 verses a week. 

That's all he got.  

3. Jesus opens blind eyes.  

  

Mark 8:22-25 (NIRV)

22 Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida. 

Some people brought a blind man to him. They begged Jesus to touch him. 

23 He took the blind man by the hand.

Then he led him outside the village.

He spit on the man’s eyes and placed his hands on him. 

“Do you see anything?” Jesus asked.

24 The man looked up.

He said, “I see people. 

They look like trees walking around.”

25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. 

Then his eyes were opened so that he could see again. 

He saw everything clearly. 

What does this mean?  

Does it mean that Jesus failed to heal the blind man on the first try?

 Let's go to Scriptures below for a clue. 

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the person who obeys the law of the Lord.

They don’t follow the advice of evil people.

They don’t make a habit of doing what sinners do.

They don’t join those who make fun of the Lord and his law.

2 Instead, the law of the Lord gives them joy.

They think about his law day and night.

3 That kind of person is like a tree that is planted near a stream of water.

It always bears its fruit at the right time.

Its leaves don’t dry up.

Everything godly people do turns out well. 

Psalm 52:8 (NIRV)

8 But I am like a healthy olive tree.

My roots are deep in the house of God.

I trust in your faithful love
for ever and ever. 

Psalm 92:12 (NIRV)

12 Those who do what is right will grow like a palm tree.

They will grow strong like a cedar tree in Lebanon.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIRV)

7 “But I will bless anyone who trusts in me.

I will do good things for the person who depends on me.

8 They will be like a tree planted near water.

It sends out its roots beside a stream.

It is not afraid when heat comes.

Its leaves are always green.

It does not worry when there is no rain.

It always bears fruit.”

Isaiah 55:12 (NIRV)

12 “My people, you will go out of Babylon with joy.

You will be led out of it in peace.

The mountains and hills
will burst into song as you go.

And all the trees in the fields

    will clap their hands. 

That's talking about people.  Trees don't have hands to clap.

Matthew 7:17 (NIRV)

17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit. 

But a bad tree bears bad fruit. 

Jesus isn't teaching about trees, but people.

Zechariah 4:11, 14  (NIRV)

11 Then I said to the angel, “I see two olive trees. 

One is on the right side of the lampstand. 

The other is on the left. 

What are these trees?” 

14 So he told me, “They are Zerubbabel and Joshua. 

The Lord of the whole earth has anointed them to serve him.”

Zechariah saw trees.  

The angels said that they were people. 

Trees represent people in the Bible.

Here's what Mark 8:22-25 means.  

When Jesus put His hands on the blind man the first time, He opened his spiritual eyes. 

   

When He put his hands on the blind man the second time, He opened his physical eyes.

The Bible has to define itself. 

Jesus had just feed the 5,000 then the 4,000 in Mark below. 

Mark 8:13-16 (NIRV)

13 Then he left them.

He got back into the boat and crossed to the other side of the lake.

14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread. 

They had only one loaf with them in the boat.

15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them.

“Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees.

And watch out for the yeast of Herod.”

16 They talked about this with each other. 

They said, “He must be saying this because we don’t have any bread.” 

  

In the context before Mark 8:22-25, Jesus had been addressing spiritual blindness. 

When Jesus had been talking about yeast, He wasn't talking about bread.  

He was using it for a symbol of the false teaching of the Pharisees. 

Mark 8:17-21 (NIRV)

17 Jesus knew what they were saying.

So he asked them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? 

Why can’t you see or understand? Are you stubborn? 

18 Do you have eyes and still don’t see? Do you have ears and still don’t hear? And don’t you remember? 

19 Earlier I broke five loaves for the 5,000. 

How many baskets of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,” they replied.

20 “Later I broke seven loaves for the 4,000. 

How many baskets of pieces did you pick up?”

“Seven,” they answered.

21 He said to them, “Can’t you understand yet?”

Jesus was saying if I wanted bread.

I'd just whip us some up.  

I'm not worried about bread.  

There's one loaf in the boat, and 13 dudes. 

I'm not talking about bread. 

I'm talking about something in the spirit realm that you have eyes and cannot see. 

I'm telling you if you don't read God's Book with spiritual eyes, you won't get one thing out of it.

Here's the problem.  

If you don't read with spiritual eyes, you can't understand it.

  

If you can't understand it, you can't turn from what's keeping you from getting you healed. 

I want everyone to pray. 

Repeat this prayer out loud to God.

Dear God, I repent of my pride.  

I ask for you to forgive me.  

I come as a child.  

I can't understand your Book without your help.  

I receive your help in Jesus name.  

Amen.  

Robert Morris, Gateway Church

http://gatewaypeople.com/ministries/life/events/more-than-words-a-gateway-series/session/2018/09/15/sight