Can You See Him Now? - Part 1 - It's All In How You See It

you see him now can you see him now it's just me you're not nice to me this is not fun can you see him now thank you for having I mean I mean you are but there are people out there I felt like I did everything right there for the interview answer all the questions right I did before I went I don't know what I did wrong I'm great about it I don't know why God didn't answer my prayers welcome everybody to a fun new series that we're starting here today thank you very much mr. Peter all right welcome everyone to friends and family day first of all I say welcome I know we have a lot of people who are joining us today for the first time there are still a scattering of seats over in this area and of course first class is always available here at the well so if you're looking for a seat come on over in this direction there's some stuff and people will help you out there we're starting a four-week series today we're gonna have a lot of fun with and we are going to talk about what in my opinion one of the most important topics in the whole wide world as the title of the series as you see up there as you saw from the beautiful video is can you see him now before I get into the series I want to tell you a story and it's a true story but the names will be changed for sake of protecting the innocent stories about a boy named Jim and a girl named Jane and Jim and Jane were college students and they found themselves at the same University same class same so many different things and like most college young people at the time there of course you know always checking out the scene to see you know what's going on on the scene and Jim from the very first time he laid eyes on Jane said that's a winner Jane caught his eye she was a beautiful girl she's very seemed like she's very like socially like good personality and all that kinds of stuff it seemed like a lot of fun to be with but there was a problem is that every time that Jim tried to talk to Jane she was really awkward and every time he went to talk to her he felt like like she like is looking down at him and he felt really intimidated by her because she was like beautiful she was smart she had friends like she had it all going for her and every time he would come near her he just felt like intimidated by her like she was looking down at him like he wasn't good enough for her so of course because he kept feeling that he would avoid her and then when he would run into her he would like kind of be all awkward and nervous and stuff like that and then you know she would you know whatever he just feel like judged by her at every step of the way in their relationship fast forward two years down the road they've now known each for two years and this relationship has continued at an arm's length kind of a level never really close because she's so stuck up and she's so full of herself and so arrogant that she would never give a guy like Jim a chance and every time she saw him she made sure that he knew that all right fast forward two years they are now both working on the college newspaper together and what happens to Jim next is his worst nightmare as they get assigned to a project together where they need to travel to someplace just the two of them and they have to carpool together for a two-hour car ride Jim's worst nightmare like all these years he had been dancing around he didn't one actually because he liked hurt but she was never reciprocating that and he always felt intimidated by her so the worst thing that you could imagine if your Jim and spend two hours with this woman on the way there and all the way back with no buffer okay no third party to like kind of to assist in the situation just one on one Jim and Jane and he is dreading the moment so Jim like any good guy what dude comes up with a strategy of how he's gonna attack these two hours and what topics he's going to bring up and how he's going to make sure that the conversation stays superficial arm's length so it never gets into an awkward kind of a thing and he brings his a-game and they get in the car and he starts with the small talk how about the weather this and politics that and sports this and he gets through all his topics all his topics all his topics and he realized he's still out of the two-hour trip has about an hour and 45 minutes to go because that's about as much as we got in there that we can talk about on our own then it becomes kind of awkward silence and Jane says the following says Jim can I share something with you and in his mind he says here we go Harry she's gonna lay into me and tell me I'm not as smart as she is and I'm not as funny as she her friends are and I'm not as good at this newspaper thing and here we go she's about to lay into me and give me a piece of her mind so Jane goes I want to tell you that I feel like there's a barrier in our relationship I feel intimidated every time I talk to you I feel like you don't like me I feel like you look down at me I feel like you think that I'm not worthy to like be your friend Jim six just like that for a couple seconds starts laughing hysterically and they've been married ever since and they live happily ever after to this day because Jim went on to tell her exactly how he had been feeling the same way about her to him for two years and the whole time he was laughing because the whole time she was feeling that way from him to her this story that I just told you like I said it's a true story that ends very happy and the true like I said they hopefully hopefully live happily ever after but the story was almost not a very happy ending and the story which was supposed to be written as a fairy tale story almost ended in disaster if it weren't for this forced conversation that took place on his one day where they were stuck in the car ride together had that car I'd never taken place had that car I'd never taken place two people who were meant to be together would have never found each other why because of his feelings towards her or her feelings towards him no not because of how he thought about her or she thought about him but how they perceived the others feelings about each other it wasn't a reality that almost stopped this relationship it wasn't an incompatibility it was a perception of an incompatibility it was a perception of that this wouldn't work that almost stopped this great thing from happening and taking place welcome to a new series called can you see him now and the basis of this series is this following statement that I'm going to make what this following statement I'm going to make the basis of this series is that the most telling characteristic about a man is what his view of is this will determine the outcome of his life more than anything else listen carefully the most telling the most important thing about you is what your perception of God is not the reality of who God is I know you say that's kind of like a bold statement not the reality of who God is your perception of the reality is more important than the reality and Jim and Jane are a perfect example because the reality was one thing that these two are made to be for each other but the perception was that she doesn't like me or she is arrogant or she thinks I am or that he own vice versa on the other side the perception of your perception of who God is will ultimately affect your life more than the reality of who God is and because of that because of that this is why this series is so important we're going to talk about in this series as we are going to try to get rid of all the misperceptions about who God is and we are going to try to see God and just like in the video we're gonna go through different circumstances of life and we have all these perceptions in our mind but this means that God doesn't or this means that God wants me to or this means that God is trying to tell me all these ideas in our head and I'm telling you that if those perceptions are wrong if those perceptions are inaccurate it will really mess you up it'll mess up your relationships if you don't have an accurate view of who God is it'll mess up your career if you don't have an accurate view of God God is especially your relationship between your career and the balanced life it'll mess up your personal spiritual life your ability to overcome temptation your ability to live a healthy life you don't have a proper view of who God is I promise you is gonna affect you in so many ways that you never even realize I said a minute ago bold statement I said your perception of who God is is more will affect you more than the reality of who God is I say the word God each of you has a picture in your mind I say god I tell you I say I say I'm a priest you instantly have a perception of what churches of who God is of who Christians are you instantly have a perception of who God is and what does he want from your life and that perception could have come from your parents I'm sure your parents played a role in it your friends you had an idiot professor in college he may have played a role in it she had an intelligent professor he made to play a role in Oprah may have played a role in it for all I know I don't care where it came from all of us have been affected by many influences to build up today a picture of who God is and if that picture is incorrect or inaccurate then your life is never gonna reach its maximum potential here you have some options let's see for example let's say mean boss let's say in my mind God is a mean boss God is just a don't do that don't touch that go over there wake up early stay up late don't eat that don't have fun don't smile wear black beard you have a picture of God as this mean tyrant like an angry CEO storms in the boardroom and fires people and no soup for you and you're terminated and then I come say hey we're going on a weekend retreat spend a whole weekend with God you're gonna say no thanks like who in their right mind once it's been a weekend with their boss look who the boss says I'm going away for a weekend coming weekend with me if you hate your boss why didn't world you want spend a weekend with your boss so if God is just nothing more than your boss and he's a mean boss you're not gonna be very eager to spend time with him let's say God is like a policeman to you always looking with his stick cut you're always looking to try to catch you then how are you gonna walk around around God you walk on eggshells are you can go to church you walk on eggshells and you're gonna walk out and say thank God done that thank God I don't have to go back to for another seven days all right cuz you God is just a policeman you're on eggshells you don't want to it's gonna affect your life let's go to the opposite extreme let's go to the cool guy in the sky your God is just a fun dude your God is always smile Aylin it never rains where your God is your God is just forgiveness and good stuff and then preacher comes and says you have to fight against sin you say why I fight against sin man my god is laid-back laid-back God life is easy your view of God affects who you are ways that you don't see in ways that you may not be able to like to elaborate on and to put into words but I guarantee you it is guiding you in your decisions and how you treat other people and many more ways than you think about I say this there are two questions in life and your answer to these two questions will determine who you end up as as a person in this life and an eternity as well and those two questions of this what do you see when you look at God and to what do you think God sees when he looks at you and the two are two sides of the same coin it's the same questions who is your God what do you see when you look at God you look up and you I say okay now we're gonna pray and you look up what do you see a mean guy a policeman a judge a cool guy in the sky what do you see and then the flip of that what do you think God sees when he looks down at you you answer me these two questions and I'll tell you exactly where you will end up in life Jim and Jane Jim wanted to have a relationship with Jane Jim how do you see her mean arrogant whatever whatever whatever how do you think she views you she thinks I'm an idiot okay I will tell you there's no chance of success for this relationship I'll tell you right now move on next train because of how you view her and how you think she views you there's no chance for this relationship and I'm telling you you and God tell me how you view God tell me how you think he views you and I'll tell you you got no shot of a successful relationship or I'll tell you that you are in a perfect situation to have an eternal and infinite relationship with your maker what I'm inviting you to do this series and this is gonna be the hardest part of the series the hardest part of this series is not going to be to understand the truth about God because the truth is clear the truth shines like a bright light and we'll see it beginning next week the hardest part is gonna be this week which is going to be to throw away the misperceptions throw away my crumpled up 50-cent pathetic view of God that like I said I gathered from all these different sources all along the years and to get rid of that and to put out of my mind that who I always thought God was that's not really God because maybe just maybe maybe the problem in your spiritual life maybe the problem in your journey to God maybe the reason you're always frustrated maybe it's not a problem as we often think it is that I'm not good enough or that I can't I need to try harder or maybe it's not a problem with me at all maybe it's a problem with my perception maybe the problem isn't that God is unfair maybe it's that I have a problem understanding what true fairness is maybe the problem isn't that God doesn't love me maybe the problem is that I don't understand what true love was supposed to look like maybe God isn't against me as I always tend to tell myself he's against me he doesn't want to bless me because I did this maybe I don't understand what against me and for me really means I believe I have like this theory in life and his theory I believe applies to 100 percent of the people on planet Earth 100 percent of the people on planet Earth I believe 100 percent of the people on this planet have a deep deep deep desire to be close to God and you say I know people who don't care about God I promise you every person who is is programmed in our DNA to have a deep deep deep relationship with God it's not my words only the smartest man who walked the face of this earth was a man named Solomon other than in Christ of course guy named Solomon and Solomon said the following includes a sneeze 3:11 he says he being God has put eternity in our hearts God when he created us he put he programmed a little piece inside of us side of our DNA he put a little chip in there which is called eternity and that eternal peace cannot be satisfied by limited finite created things eternity is the only thing that can fill an eternal void that eternal void we may try say you know what if I make a bunch of money that'll fill me and we know not a person in this room even a dumbest person in the world know that all the money in the world won't make you happy even the dumbest person in the world knows that we think well maybe if I achieve this success or I had these letters behind my name this degree or if this girl like me or if this boy like me or if this girl would leave me alone or this whatever what maybe we think all these things and we try and we try and we try none of those things fit remember a little game when we had kids we were the kids the little circle fitness circle that's square foot and squared and star fit in the star none of those finite pieces fit in his eternal box only eternity fits in eternity and every one of us has a deep desire to be connected to God now the reason that we're not connected with God we think is because we're bad or because he's bad or because what he said isn't true or what people are telling us isn't true or I'm not trying hard enough for all these different things and I believe that the problem I don't want to say 100 percent of the time it's not a hundred percent sometimes it is it's a lack of desire but I'm telling you deep inside is not lack a desire I believe it's lack of clear sight its lack of seeing who God is accurately because if you saw who he is and you saw who you are in his eyes man be a no-brainer here's our verse for this series and it's more of a prayer than it is a verse all right one time Jesus is walking down the road in Matthew chapter 20 and the Bible talks about two blind men who are standing at the side of the road they started screaming to Jesus son of David have mercy on a son of David have mercy on his son of David have mercy on us so the Apostles tell him keep it down keep it down keep down important man VIP walking through here and they start streaming more have mercy on us lord have mercy on us Jesus come assist relax what y'all want what's the problem what's making all the noise and they said this said Lord then our eyes may be open screaming have mercy on us help us save us what you want open our eyes and what does Jesus do sister Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes and immediately their eyes receive sight and they followed Jesus this is our prayer this is what's gonna carry us through this series is that many of us on the side of the road all right and we're screaming and we don't know what we're screaming for we just know that we're not comfortable we're not satisfied in life something isn't right I got money money doesn't do it I got friends I hate my friends I got success it's not filling me I got everything that I'm supposed to have but it's not filling me something isn't right so we're screaming and we don't know what we're screaming for cuz we're blind we're just screaming saying just somebody help me somebody do something and today jesus walks by and Jesus says what do you want and we are going to respond let's say this all together this bold part let's say it all together right now we're responding to Jesus Jesus is saying to us what is it you want and our response is Lord that our eyes may be open again our response is Lord that our eyes may be open so we want we just want to see things accurately we just want to see who you are we want to see who we are in your eyes and I promise you may there's no way Jesus walks by someone who says I want to see you and says okay let me get back to you can you fill out a form can you submit it two weeks in advance next time see is on the spot touch them had compassion touch them and all of a sudden they could see stuff and their entire life is very important their entire life was transformed in that moment a blind person open their eyes the entire existence was transformed and I believe that this series can be life and eternity transforming for us as well when we open our eyes to see God as he really is and as he's meant for us to see him can you imagine going through life with bad eyesight what happens to a person who doesn't have like maybe if there's some people here who need glasses all right or contacts and you don't wear them for one day how's that day work out for you you walking around and you're kind of unsure yourself okay and you kind of you know what I mean like you do like that try to squint and see the stuff okay I remember there was his kid in school who used to he didn't like to wear glasses so he would sit literally he would sit like this the whole class like this is how he would say you know what I mean to try to see he couldn't see but he didn't want to wear glasses or I don't know why that's that way he would sit you're frustrated you can't do anything accurately in life like you can't drive with confidence you can't run with confidence you get is a frustrating experience to walk around your whole life and not know anything just two days ago I took my kids to a Smithsonian Museum and we went to one of these IMAX things okay the 3d i shelled out the nine bucks a ticket okay I thought was free whenever we stood in line okay get to the front realizing but I'm embarrassed for my kids okay so we get to the front alright and they give us the glasses okay so of course like we're playing with the 3d glasses and we're like oh you know what I mean we're all this kind of stuff and it's kind of cool wearing 3d glasses but can you imagine if you were wearing 3d glasses why are you walking around in the universe and someone says oh there's a nice painting with red and blue and you see you know I don't see any of those kind of colors and you see that it's something fun and and you're walking and it kind of messes your depth perception up when you're wearing those things so everything's kind of like crazy mirrors kind of a thing well that's how many of us are walking in our spiritual life the many of us are walking because we don't see God and we're kind of blinded and like we're kind of hoping that the cliff doesn't end right here but we really don't know because we can't see what we're doing there series we're gonna open our eyes and we say oh my goodness I know there's a cliff that falls off down here I know there's a river over there and I know there's a staircase up here we want to see God clearly so that we can live the way we're supposed to live another story I remember I remember when so I used to wear contact lenses and then I had that LASIK surgery back like many many many years ago and I remember when when I had it they said after their surgery you're going to have something that's called a halo effect all right I don't know if y'all know what this is halo effect around lights so I'm like I know what they're talking about I don't see any that stuff and then I went back for the follow-up and they're like you know it's good good the halo effect I'm like I don't have that doc she's like are you short and I'm like no and she's like don't you see when you see like a light like a shining around the light I'm like yeah that's but that's always been there you know I mean I'm like yeah like what kind of idiot doesn't see that you don't mean like only a moron wouldn't see light like that's part of the light is the light around it in the dark okay and she's like that's the halo effect but because you've always had this eye condition you never knew that you couldn't see the light accurately because you always had it that way and I'm telling you the same way with God don't you tell someone something about God like this with his verse there's no condemnation for those are in Christ Jesus I say you know what that means that guilt you don't need to have guilt and they're like I know what you're talking about I'm like no there's no guilt like that oh no I know what you talk about there has to be guilt I'm like no there's no guilt in Christ you don't have to ever carry an ounce of guilt for the rest of your life and rest of your eternity if you are in Christ Jesus but if you live your whole life weighed down with guilt and I say no guilt you say you tell my father Anthony there's guilt guilt is part of life they say it doesn't need to be doesn't need to beat we need to get past these misconceptions we need God to open our eyes we need to do like Jim and Jane is remove the misconceptions and open the door to a new relationship that'll be fulfilling in a way that you could never imagine but you will never get there I picture it like I said in my mind I picture a picture of God that each of us is carrying in our pockets this crumpled up little piddly old picture of this pathetic little God who can't heal who doesn't give us power who was just mean it was whatever like whatever your misperception is piddly little picture of God you're never gonna cross this bridge and you're never gonna have a deep relationship as long as your cane around this picture so everyone is what you're gonna do right now in your mind okay I I know people don't do it like when we were kids we have to carry pictures in our wallets okay I'll remember wallets used to carry pictures in them all right I know people don't do that but you have a picture on your phone but it's more cool if you think of that well okay I want you to take that picture out of your wallet of God and throw it on the trashcan or the picture of God on your phone and delete it okay we're gonna put a new picture in there we need to see God as he really is get rid of that little picture of God that our parents gave us that our friends gave us the TV gave us that our own logic gave us that the devil and guilt and shame gave us and let's see who God really is starting next week we're gonna look at different characteristics of God we look at the sovereignty of God what does that mean that God is sovereign ruler of all we're gonna look at and when the next week the love of God what does it mean we say God is love the most misunderstood word and all of the universe of the word love and we don't have a clue what it means we'll talk about what it means from God's perspective there we're gonna see the last week what does me when I say God is just and God is fair because again we have very incorrect views of God's justice but that's all starting next week we're gonna do today is wearing get rid of that old picture of God I want to talk about three misperceptions about God that all of us have and that we need to get rid of if we're going to take the steps to understand who God is truly the first mistake that we always make about God is that God is not like us God is not like us God is not just us times 10 or times 100 or even times a million we think of God like this sounds so simple but it's it's it's as life changing effect we think of God as like okay a nice person the nicest person God like God is nice and here's like your nicest person and then here's God and then God is like a loving person or sorry a normal person a very loving person a very very loving person God and we make God just a little bit higher than we are but I'm telling you God is not even on the same plane as me and you are God didn't talk like us God don't think like us God didn't treat us like we treat others God didn't have anything to do with the way that we think that he has God is completely different Isaiah chapter 40 the Prophet said this verse 25 to whom then I'm sorry this is God speaking through Isaiah God is saying to whom then will you liken me or to whom shall I be equal says the Holy One lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things who then will you liken me to who is my equal see here's the problem that we have all right we know that we are created in the image of God right the Bible says the God created man in His image God created man in His image we are the image of God God is not the image of us what's the difference I have children my children were created in my image so to speak they took a lot from me but they didn't take everything from me and I cannot look at their behavior as children and extrapolate it out to me as their father my kid is whiny so I say oh the dad must be whiny too the kid is crying I say the dad must cry when he doesn't get food and I say the kid cries for an hour when he get food so the dad probably cries for like ten minutes when he didn't get food some of you were laughing cuz you know but it's I don't okay but that maybe wasn't the best example okay cuz we're hungry we're hungry but you know what I'm trying to say okay the kid like spill stuff that's not a best example either okay the kid you know hits his sister when he doesn't get his way so you say oh the father must be the same but you can't do that you can go this way but you cannot go this way and the same thing between us and God we say to ourselves I should forgive that person and I forgive this and I forgive this but there's no way I'll forgive this and we won't so we say you know what God is like that but God is just a little bit better so God will forgive this and probably this and probably this but it comes a point in time with God where he won't forgive something either why because you made God like you and you say God is love but we love - so I love my brother and I will do this my brother and I will do this but I ain't gonna do this so we say okay God will probably do this maybe he'll do this but there's gonna come a point in time where God will say I ain't doing that for you either God is not like us God is not like us you cannot extrapolate human characteristics up and say that that how is how God is second samuel chapter seven verse 22 therefore you are great o lord god and there is none like you nor is there any God besides you for those who have I know several people here have served on missions trips to Africa alright and when we go to Africa people in Africa they like to sing like to sing a lot and they have very nice songs very simple songs but beautiful songs and there's one song that's my favorite song and if you've been Africa you know what's on Carmen what's that song say says there's no one like Jesus this is no one like Jesus do y'all know the song says there's no one there's no one like Jesus and then the second line is there's no one there's no one like Jesus third line there's no one there's no one like Jesus fourth line there's no one there's no like him okay wet sorry apart chapter memorizes him okay and then the song goes and there's like a little dance associated with it okay and it says like I'm walking walking okay y'all know the song comer sing something okay there's no one there's no one like Jesus there's no one there's no one like G this was not part of the plan there's no one there's no one like geez sing it with me there's no one there's no if you know it help me out here I'm walking walking here there I'm searching searching here they're all I'd messed it up I turn around here there there's no one there's no one like him clap for me clap for me if you think it's hard to talk up here come try to sing and dance up here I love that song there's no one like Jesus and the song says I messed up a little dance routines been a while okay I'm searching searching or I'm looking there's no one like him I'm searching there's no one like him I turned around and I still haven't found anyone like and it's a beautiful simple little song we sing the song for like 20 minutes at a time alright and we go and dip see do and all these kinds of stuff there's no one like him there's no one like a point in your mind that if you think he's just a little bit smarter than you a little bit better than you a little bit kinder than you man you got it way wrong cuz there's no one there's no one like him if you forget it I'm gonna come to your house and sing it okay and make you sing it as well st. Paul says it this way in Romans chapter 11 verse 33 oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out for who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become his counselor number one misconception about God he is not like us number two our tendency because he's not like us we tried it we try to figure out who he is and make him like us our tendency is to reduce God and make him smaller and try to fit him into a little box we as human beings have a problem we are all arrogant we do not like things that are bigger than us we do not like things that cannot be explained by us that is part of our arrogance as human beings and because of that what we try to do you have you have a problem here when it comes and God says I am infinite God says I am eternal we have a problem our minds are not eternal God says I am so you have two choices in this situation option a is to take this infinite God and shrink him down to fit in my finite mind or option B is to humble myself in my finite mind to appreciate an infinite God of those two options we usually choose a we don't like things that don't fit in our brain we don't like things where we say we cannot be explained we don't like things that make us feel like we're not the smartest creature in the universe so what we do is we take down and let's just like this picture I love this picture okay we try to force them get in that box and we try to like cut pieces all of them and try to squeeze them in there until we can wrap God up in a nice little to-go box okay a little carry home package that says this is God and I fully understand him and I can explain him and someone comes says no you don't understand God and I say oh you're so such a simpleton you're so naive you're not as smart as me I figured God out look I can wham on my backpack right here this is a cute little God in a box and I haven't fully explained and nothing makes us sound so ignorant as to when we think that we can explain God and our finite little brains from the beginning of time as the way human beings were Romans chapter one st. Paul says in verse 21 speaking about in the olden days how the people although they knew God they did not glue by him as God nor we're thankful but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened they knew God but they didn't feel comfortable with God being up there and them being down here so what did they do professing to be wise they became fools that's a great verse professing to be wise they became fools and they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man then it goes on to say had they made idols out of stone out of wood out of rocks out of water the Sun they did all these things and they said there's God and they did these stupid little statues and he said there's God I got him in the palm of my hand and professing to be wise they're fools now you say we don't do that I tell you I guarantee you you do it we naturally shrink God down and I'll tell you exactly how big your goddess let me tell you exactly the size of your God exactly how big your God is go to your biggest problem and your God is one notch smaller the solution to our problems is why I always tell people the solution are you reading your Bible are you reading your Bible are you reading your Bible are you reading your Bible the solution to our problems isn't necessarily the solution to our problems the solution to our problems is an expanded view of who God is you have a problem and you say this illness this illness is the worst thing and is the biggest problem in my life and it's ruining my life do you know how big your God is your God is big enough to solve everything below illness but he can't solve illness he can't overcome it he's not big enough you say my problem is my boss and my boss and my boss and my boss do you know big your God is a little bit smaller than your boss I'll tell you exactly how big your God is you've reduced him go to what your biggest problem is in life the thing that that you complain about and the thing that weighs you down and that you say I can't live with this that's exactly the size of you are gone and if your God became bigger I guarantee you that problem would become a lot smaller if you struggle with this I'm gonna give you a verse like there's verses then there's verses there's verses and then there are verses this is a verse size a ax 55 verse 9 this is a verse this is God saying as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts you know why this is a verse because this for all those who are think that spirituality is like fluffy intangible like whatever disservice for you God gave you physics right here God has given you math God has given you a formula so I not just tell you that I'm big I'm gonna give you a formula I'm gonna give you a scientific formula to tell you how much bigger I am than your pity little brain now what's that formula as the heavens are higher than the earth as the heavens how higher the heavens above earth thanks to Wikipedia we know some statistics here we know that the furthest the heavens meaning like that like outer space okay as outer space is high above the earth so am i above you my ways above you always my thoughts in your ways the furthest galaxy that has been discovered by mankind according to Wikipedia okay so forgive me my sister wrong but it doesn't really matter but did I tell you the number doesn't really matter I got 13.8 billion light years away 13.8 we can even round down to 13 billion light years in case you're questioning the validity of the numbers y'all know how far 13 billion light years is y'all know what a light year is a light year in case you didn't know is the distance that light travels in a year so light goes really really really fast at 186,000 miles per second 186,000 miles per second so the Sun again I don't even stop at Wikipedia the Sun is 93 million miles away so at the speed of light a ray of light that we see on this earth is roughly eight minutes old eight minutes that ray of light been traveling for eight minutes to go from the Sun down to here down to the street eight minutes I'm telling you if a ray of light said ready go and ran after the first end of the galaxy the highest place in heavens you know how long he'd be running for Hitler for 13.8 billion years for he reached the end and that is God saying with all due respect man that's how much smarter I am than you this is God's Way of like you know how when you're so smart you insult someone in a nice way okay that's basically what God did right here see say with all due respect with all due respect to your professors or all due respect to your smart brain with all due respect to how intelligent you think you are me on my dumbest Inc the dumbest part of my body on my dumbest day on the dumbest day ever made it's still 13.8 billion light years you smarter than you was Einstein on your smartest day he's not like us hit anything close to us and the saddest thing in the world is people whose God like I told you everyone has a picture of God saddest thing is that every day your God gets a little bit smaller that's the saddest thing in the world is that every day your gods shrinks comes a little bit weaker a little bit smaller man I want my god every day to get bigger because I think that if your God is bigger today than he was yesterday there's still room to grow and there's still more bigness in God and you could never ever get to the end of God's bigness just like you can never get to the end of outer space okay you go for 13 billion years and then you say okay now you deserve a break okay I give it but until you get to 13 billion years of seeing God bigger man you just keep on and expanding and expanding I read something on Twitter and it just kind of came to me I remember exactly what it said I'll paraphrase it says something about everyone should go outside and stare at the stars before making any decision I don't know I kind of pair I don't know what exactly the same but said something like that I loved it I loved I don't ever do the favorite thing but I favored it out everyone before you make any decision should go outside and stare at the Stars and see the bigness of God and then go ahead and make whatever decision you want to make God is not like us and God is not small our tendency is to reduce him but the truth of the matter is he's bigger and then third misconception is that God must be revealed meaning God cannot be figured out we can figure out parts about God like characteristics about God there's certain things like again we are made in His image not vice-versa so God put things in us that can understand things about him our logic and our brain God gave to us and using that we can understand a lot about God and using nature around us we can understand a lot about God but there's a lot more to God than just what we can see and what we can understand and the only way that we will understand more of God is he must be revealed not figured out in other words God we ask he tells not we figure out and and and and we tell him alright John chapter 1 verse 18 Bible says no one has seen God at any time the only begotten Son being Jesus who is in the bosom of the Father he has declared him this is why Jesus came to earth to declare to us because in the Old Testament God taught us a lot about him we saw a picture like a high level picture of who God is God is like a father he likes to have children he kind of protects those children like he has rules like we learned a lot of God but when Jesus came he revealed to us so much more about God and he revealed to us that the rules are important but never more important than the relationship and he revealed to us what true fatherhood is is not standing on top of the hill and barking out orders true fatherhood is coming down like a shepherd and taking the nails for the sake of the sheep he revealed him to us and if you sitting there and saying I think God is this and I think God is this and it only makes sense that he's this and then you package you little picture of God and you present it God can only be revealed to us not us revealing it to him two examples from the Bible first example from the book of Job for those of you know the book of Job famous story about a man named job but as all kinds of tragic events happened to him in a very short time period because job has all these bad things job gets with all his friends and his friends try to help him make sense of it all so his friends are doing the speculation game they're saying you know what man I bet you god hates your guts why is what this happened another one says nah I bet you God is trying to teach you a lesson another one says you know no I think God doesn't even really care like God is absent and all this and then trying to peace God together and they spent the book of Job is 42 chapters the first thirty seven chapters trying to figure God out chapter 38 God steps in and says are y'all done yet are y'all ready for the answer and he gives him the answer job chapter 38 then the Lord answered job out of the whirlwind when God comes with a whirlwind it's never a good start to the story and he says who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge like who are these people who think they understand me and I give them the business now prepare yourself like a man I will question you and you will answer me he's saying all this whole time I'm on trial and you're trying to figure me out well let me tell you how this works I'm going to judge and you sit down you're gonna answer my question then he gives it to him where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth tell me if you have such great understanding who determined its measurements surely you know he's being sarcastic saying says you're mr. smartypants and you know everything tell me how did that mountain get there and how that ocean get and how did I really get there I knew holding the stars and he goes on who stretched out the line upon it to to what where's foundations fast and who laid its cornerstone and dot dot means the rest of the chapter another 30 verses goes on and saying and who created this and who did this and since you're so smart who did this who did this who do this at the end of a job is like man see you I was just saying like it was really it was what and God basically tells them same thing he needs to tell some of us I'm God you don't tell me who I am I tell you who I am like forgive me like no one take this personal ok but the only word that can describe this is arrogant we are so arrogant that we see God in front of us and the proper position is we bow down and worship Him you know we do because we're arrogant we stand there and we make him bow down to us we say no God this is who you are and I tell you who you are and I tell you how you behave and in our arrogance we make God bow to us another example even worse even dumber Exodus chapter 32 famous passage in the Bible people of Israel man if there's any group of people who knew God was a big God it was the children of Israel go back and read the book of Exodus and you will see that the miracles God did in that book of Exodus oh my goodness you ain't never seen miracles like this in history of the world God turned a river into blood God took all the cows and got rid of the bad people cows but kept the good people cows alive God sent gnats and flies and and and locusts and God made it at one point in time this is how about the 10 plagues that there was darkness over the entire land except where these people Israel were camped out over here there was a bright little sunlight right here God killed all the firstborn of all the children of the bad guy God took them in front of the red seat and God parted the Red Sea I'm talking about a googol people not us who read about the parting of the Red Sea tell my people who walked in the middle of the ocean and they like saw the wall of water right here and they like did their hair in it you don't say like people who walked in the middle of the ocean and they got to the other side and they said god we're hungry God says okay here's manna from heaven I rain down food and said okay God we're thirsty he says okay there's a rock bring water from a rock and a mountain became a water fountain this dank pillar of cloud leaving by day and then they said we can't see the cloud at night when it gets dark says okay I'll make it a pillar of fire at night like if there's any good people on this planet who knew the bigness of God and who God was it was these children of Israel Exodus chapter 32 Moses goes up the mountain to get the Ten Commandments he's up there for 15 minutes too long and they started to get worried and they say Moses left us Moses left us and God has left us we're not doing busy minutes we're not gonna do so what they do is the dumbest event in the history of all mankind the story of the golden calf we'll read it right here starting in verse 2 Aaron okay who Moses left in charge while he was up the top of the mountain says to the people like they got scared Moses is gone so Aaron says to the people don't worry I'm a priest I got it under control he says to the people break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives your sons and your daughters and bring them to me so all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron and he received the gold from their hand and he fashioned it with an engraving tool and he made a molded calf then ready for dumbness personified then they said this is your God o Israel that brought you out of the land of Egypt this is your God well 15 minutes ago was around your ear and didn't exist but actually he saved us from Egypt six months ago even though he was alive 15 minutes ago but he saved us six months ago they say these are officially the dumbest people in the universe like they are this dumb that God did and God did and God did and God did and in 15 minutes he leaves them by themselves story goes on Aaron who like I said he was one at this time realize that when Moses comes down the mountain this probably not gonna be the best idea okay so when Aaron saw it he built watch what Aaron just watch what Aaron does when Aaron saw it he built an altar before it an Aaron made a proclamation and said tomorrow is a feast to the Lord then they rose early on the next day offered burnt offerings and peace offerings the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to plate what an Aaron do what did Aaron do they made this dumb cow calf out of gold and he said this is your God we worship this God and then Aaron's like I'm probably getting trouble for this one so what did he do he just no problem let's just I got an idea this God let's just take all these ceremonies that we used to do to this God and let's just do them to this God so it's just like kind of like just replacement so when Moses comes down said what do you guys doing not doing right we say no we did exactly what you told us do you told his burnt offerings you did burn offerings you told this piece offered it peace offerings there's a feast day to the Lord you know what they would end it here is what we all do we create a picture of God that suits us and that we want and then we just take so it says that we should do this to God we just do this to this God for example I'll explain a little what we say is my God my God doesn't care my God doesn't care if I sleep with my girlfriend before we're married my God doesn't care and what my God really cares about is like is that you're offering like I put money in the box I help old ladies across the street my god doesn't care about this this is what's really important to my god we create a God and then we create a religion around you say my god like I said earlier is a forgiveness machine my god just forgives forgive forgive forgive forgive forgive forgets and as long as you just sincerely in your heart and we define sincerely ever we want just say whatever prayer you want to say just say it sincerely my god doesn't care and we create a god then we create a religion to go around that you say my god if I said we made got small my god can't heal my hurt like my God can heal other people's hurts like this hurt this hurt this hurt but my God cannot heal this hurt and then we create a way of dealing will create a religion around a God the best one or I should say the worst one but I told this to someone one time is that sometimes we create God on demand you know God on demand there when you want him goes away when you don't want him and we bring them around we offer sacrifices and we turn them off and go live the rest of our lives and we made a fake God and we created a religion around that fake God that God only cares about or what's really important to God is we make up our own picture of God instead of worshiping God as God instead of humbling myself and making him God we humble him and we make him our servant and then we find a few Bible verses take them completely out of context and we build our religion or our sacrifices around this fake image of God well I say no more no more I say that today we remember Matthew 20 33 what's our prayer for this series is gonna be Lord that our eyes be open or take that picture a little picture of God or throw it away we'll open our eyes to see you as you truly are why because I believe this and I hope you believe it too that all in all of life how you think leads to how you live and if you have dysfunctional behavior ultimately the root of it is dysfunctional thinking and I believe that to be so true in relation to God if you have a dysfunctional view of who God is it will lead to a dysfunctional life I'll say God has this you will say nothing for me he doesn't I will say the problem the disconnect is your view of God what this series is consider this series your LASIK eye surgery this is your trip to the doctor's eye doctor's office we need to fix them eyes and we need to heal them eyes and we're gonna remember this verse in case you ever feel like I don't know if I can do it I don't know if I can ever see clearly you remember Jeremiah 29:13 which says you will seek me and you will find me when you search for me with your heart this series we're gonna see who God is but it's not gonna be a passive series we're just gonna sit back and father anything he's gonna tell us all these great things that's gonna change my view of God and we need to be diligent in seeking God searching for God with all our heart not passive not spectator sport but asking God reveal yourself to me getting rid of those misperceptions and every time it comes up and I think God is like me God is not like me I shrink got down cannot shrink got down and I think that I can figure him out I cannot figure him out he must be revealed to me and I believe that God will reveal himself we're gonna put in our effort and God is going to touch our eyes and I believe that very firmly and I hope you believe it as well let's stand up together and say a prayer and the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit one God amen Lord all of us are praying together she would open our eyes to see you to see you high and lifted up to see you as mighty all all-powerful all-knowing to see you as you really are god help us to get rid of the misperceptions that have destroyed our lives and I really messed us up and messed up our relationships I messed up so many things in our head free us from those and give us freedom to see you as you truly are that we can live like we can soar like Eagles knowing who you truly are lord I pray for every person here and I pray that you would really open some eyes during this series to see you and to begin a beautiful relationship with you an eternal one that that you designed for us we ask these things in the name of your son with the prayers and intercessions of all your saints here's as we pray thankfully our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one through Christ Jesus our Lord the night is the kingdom the power and the glory forever amen thank y'all very much have a great week you