Eyes to See

Developing Discernment Series

Sunday Sermon 8.22.20

Continuing with our series on discernment, we will look at how our senses are used and trained to distinguish and discern spiritual things.

Today’s focus is our eyes. What we see, how we see and developing our spiritual eyesight.

“There’s more to it than meets the eye” as the saying goes, is a pretty accurate description of what developing discernment with our eyes is like. It is the awareness that there is something else going on here, beyond what we are seeing.

I’m certain that each of you have had that “hunch” at some point in your life. You know, the time when the reaction was waaaaay off balance from the statement or question. Maybe it was with a friend, child, or partner, but you had no problem discerning that there was way more to that response than meets the eye.

Perhaps even in business settings, or world event contexts you have realized there’s something else going on here. Yep, that is part of discernment and yep, you’re right. Something else is going on.

Now to distinguish just what, though.

Remembering that there are two kingdoms we are influenced by and live under, we must learn to see them both, and recognize when one is usurping authority from the other. We learn to recognize good and evil, light and dark.

The Apostle Paul taught us:

• we walk by faith not by sight 2 Cor. 5:7
• we have not received the spirit of the world 1 Cor. 2:12-13
• no eye has seen… but God has revealed it to us by his spirit 1 Cor. 2:9-10
• the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened Eph. 2:18

When Paul was converted, he was literally blinded. He could see nothing for 3 whole days. Cut off from the world as he saw it, he was about to enter the Spirit realm which would teach him new things and grant him fresh revelation and perspective. His spiritual eyes would be activated, when he was prayed for by Ananias.

It is from this position that he tells us the things listed above. A position of having his spiritual eyes activated. A position of having eyes to see what the Spirit is doing.

There is a similar story in the Old Testament found in 2 Kings 6.

Elisha was a powerful and famous prophet. He and his servant were in a city that had been surrounded by enemy forces and the servant was very stressed out by it. The servant asked Elisha what they were going to do.

Elisha told him, “those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” v.16 But the servant was having none of it. He didn’t see a thing! He didn’t see what Elisha saw, he only saw with his physical eyes, not his spiritual eyes like Elisha.

So, Elisha prayed for him, “Open his eyes Lord, so that he may see.” v. 17 “And he opened the servant’s eyes and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire…”

The servant’s spiritual eyes were opened, in addition to his physical eyes. There was truly more to it than met the eye. He now had the activation of his spiritual eyes.

In order for us to see into the spiritual realm, our spiritual eyes must be activated. The eyes of our heart must be focused on Him and the spiritual world.

We should expect to see with the eyes of our heart and spiritual eyes if we are maturing and growing in our daily walk with Him. Heb. 5:14

You see, our Creator wants to communicate with us. He made us for just that and sent Jesus as The Word, to reunite us with Him in that perfect relationship of open communication.

That Creator, endowed us with five senses all to be used in that open communication. Because God is a spirit, and lives in the spiritual realm, we communicate with Him in that realm. But we have to grow in the realm and learn to bring that realm down to earth. Remember the prayer – “on earth as it is in heaven”? (Of course God uses the natural realm to speak to us too. He is not limited in the way He can speak to us. But we are.)

There are plans, purposes, strategies and agendas for us to see in the heavenlies and bring down and apply here on earth. The Kingdom of Heaven will ultimately rule here on earth. How? By and through people who see with spiritual eyes and walk in the spirit realm seeing beyond the obvious into motivations and secret agendas.

This is not some weird doctrine, it is the Word.

Matt. 6:23 – the eyes are the light of the body… if your eyes are unhealthy your whole body will be full of darkness

1 Sam. 16:17 – don’t look on the outward appearance, the Lord sees not as man sees

Psalm 119:18 – open my eyes to see wondrous things

2 Cor. 4:18 – we fix our eyes on what is unseen, for what is unseen is eternal

Mark 8:22-25 – Jesus touched his eyes and opened them and he saw clearly

As we develop discernment, our desire is to have our eyes opened, to see into the spirit realm and understand what the spirit is doing.

This will spare us from false teachings, and deception and keep us anchored to The Word and our great God.

We need to be as wise as serpents in these days. Not everything we see is all there is. There is much more behind the scenes and developing discernment, starting with our spiritual eyes is one of the keys to unlock “on earth as it is in heaven.”

I’m asking the Lord to give the readers of this eyes to see.

Won’t you join me in asking for your spiritual eyes to be activated?

Go with God.

I created a bible study for this, it is attached here. Enjoy.