"NOW I SEE IT"

September 13           Now I See It!          1 John 3:1-2

Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina…    “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:1-2)                                                 A violinist noticed that his playing had a hypnotic effect on his audiences. They sat motionless, as though they were in a trance. He found he had the same effect on his friends' pets. Dogs and cats would sit spellbound while he played. Wondering if he could cast the same spell over wild beasts, he went to a jungle clearing in Africa, took out his violin and began to play. A lion, an elephant, and a gorilla charged into the clearing, stopped to listen, and sat mesmerized by the music. Soon the clearing was filled with every kind of ferocious animal, each one listening intently. Suddenly another lion charged out of the jungle, pounced on the violinist, and killed him instantly. The first lion, bewildered, asked, "Why did you do that?" the second lion cupped his paw behind his ear. "What?" People make assumptions about other people all the time, not really knowing what plan God has for them or even for themselves! When the brothers stood before his Joseph…He was not a boy, but a man! Not a dreamer, but a dream fulfilled! Not a brother, but a prince! Not a victim, but a victor! When the world looked at Sarah all they saw was an old woman, but, when God looked at her He saw the birth of a nation! When the world looked at John the Baptist, all they saw was a man clothed in camel’s hair, who ate locusts and wild honey, but Jesus said, “ I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist!” When people saw the woman at the well, all they saw was a woman who had been married five times, God saw the first woman missionary! Was Jesus this handsome guy, with deep dark eyes? Not according to scripture! Isaiah 53:2-He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He looked common, just like everybody else! But He was special and so are you!!! In all of these people we have thought about, nearly no one saw their potential, but God always does and He wants us to see the potential in ourselves! Don’t let the world determine who you are, when they look at you, let God determine who you are! Let God describe who you are or who you can be! Don’t let the world predict how you are going to turn out!  Don’t let the world influence you in what you are going to become! Ever seen a couple and you say, “What does she see in him?” We need to focus on the way God sees us! We need to turn our ears and turn our eyes towards the one who loves us the most! Your parents don’t love you as much as He does! Your spouse doesn’t love you as much as He does! Your siblings don’t love you as much as He does! Your children won’t love you as much as He does! Listen to what scripture says how God feels about you! Those words of faith, those words of encouragement, those words of strength, those words of courage, those words of determination, let those seeds of faith be planted in your heart and in your mind and let them blossom into the character that God has planned for you to be!!!  I believe the only reason why I get to live this life is God must really love me when I showed the worst, He saw the best He pulled the world right off my chest.  Every day I wake up I feel blessed!  I feel so blessed God must really love me! God must really love me!  God must really love me! Romans 8:37-39-“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Again, Don’t let the world determine who you are, when they look at you; Let God determine who you are! Do not be consumed by the world and its problems!  Look to God, Seek His Face and let the JUNK of THIS WORLD GO!  Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE! (Source: Sermon Central)