How’s Your Vision

#308, How’s Your Vision, Pastor Mark Boucher, Sunday 05-04-2008

Text: John 4:27-38
Theme: There are great opportunities right in front of us, if we see them.

INTRODUCTION:

1. The eyes – you see through them without seeing them.
   1. This is like our world view … We have a world view, but we’re often not aware of our “bias”, slant.
   2. We all wear glasses, a lens through which we perceive the world.
   3. We are wearing “blinders” and we need to admit our need …
   4. “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” John 9:41
2. After being born again, did I see everything perfectly?
   1. A baby’s vision is blurry
   2. After years of walking with Jesus, I still stumble. I miss opportunities and reflect back, “why didn’t I see that?”
3. Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Galilee.
   1. They went thru Samaria and came to a well at Sychar. (John 4:5)
   2. The disciples went to town to buy food.

Text: John 4:27-38
How Jesus sees this event at the well and how the disciples see it are very different.
Are we open to corrective vision?
Are we willing to see present circumstances the way Jesus sees them?
Theme: There are great opportunities right in front of us, if we see them.

LET’S LOOK AT THESE “VISION OPPORTUNITIES”

1. The opportunity for sowing (vv27-30)
   1. Sowing is an agricultural action which Jesus uses for spiritual insight.
   2. How we live each day is like sowing seeds.
   3. We often miss opportunities because we don’t see them.
   4. The disciples came back and noticed Jesus and this woman talking.
   5. The disciples saw a woman. (strike one)
   6. The disciples saw a Samaritan. (strike two)
   7. The disciples didn’t know her past issues (or it would have been strike three)
   8. Jesus saw through the eyes of God.
   9. He saw her as a person loved by God.
   10. He saw her as thirsting for truth, life.
   11. How do you see people?
   12. *example: do you see people with dark glasses, or with yellow glasses?
2. The opportunity for growing (vv31-34)
   1. The disciples had their “mission”: go get food, go back to Jesus, eat.
   2. To the disciples the time talking to the woman was irrelevant.
   3. The disciples urged Jesus to eat.
   4. His response: “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
   5. Jesus saw satisfaction and fulfillment in doing God’s will.
   6. “‘My food,’ said Jesus ‘is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.’” John 4:34
   7. *What do you see as the most important things in life?
   8. *Biological necessities are trumped by spiritual obedience.
3. The opportunities for harvesting. (vv35-38)
   1. A crowd was coming back to the well.
   2. The woman had gone around witnessing.
   3. They were coming across the field.
   4. Jesus said, “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” John 4:35
   5. The disciples only saw the physical harvest.
   6. Four more months before the harvest.
   7. They saw later, Jesus saw now.
   8. See the opportunities right in front of you.
   9. There are hurting, lonely, disillusioned people.
   10. There are people who have everything but purpose and true joy.
   11. The Lord will send them across your path and send you to them. Will you see them?

CONCLUSION:

1. Because of the woman, many came to believe in Jesus. (John 4:41-42)
   1. Do you see through the lens of Jesus?
   2. Are you keeping your glasses clean?

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