1. What Does the Lord See?
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What are your thoughts when you see the following pictures of various individuals? What do you see?
More importantly what does the Lord see?

2. Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
We are so quick to judge a book by its cover. We often judge the quality or character of someone just by looking at them. We form an opinion of them and keep our distance. There’s no way we would approach them and tell them about the gospel. What if we were seen with this kind of person? What would people say? OR
Maybe we have known someone for a while. They have fallen away and involved in sinful acts. How do we see them? We knew they were no good. We keep our distance and again approaching them would be out of the question.
Looking on the outward appearance isn’t something that’s new. Unfortunately, most of us have done this one time or another.
At the beginning of 1 Samuel 16, we find Samuel mourning for King Saul. Saul, Israel’s first king, had been rejected as king for his disobedience to the Lord. God basically tells Samuel to quit crying….He had chosen another person as king.
So, God gives Samuel the task of anointing a new king from one of the sons of Jesse.
The Lord commands Samuel to go to Jerusalem and He would show him who would be the next king. When Samuel saw Jesse’s first-born son Eliab, he said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.”
Samuel thought he had it all figured out by just looking on the outward appearance of a man.—He’s no different that we are.
However God had a different idea……..In 1 Samuel 16:7,
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

3. What Do You See? Zaccheus What did men see? What did Jesus see?
Luke 19:2
Luke 19:7
What did Jesus see?
Luke 19:3,4
Luke 19:9, 10
Like Samuel, there are others in the Bible who misjudged individuals based on their personal observation.
What about Zaccheus?
In Luke 19:1-10, Jesus introduces us to Zaccheus.
What did men see?
Zaccheus was chief among the publicans and rich.
How were tax collectors viewed? Since he was a rich tax collector, he would have been viewed as someone who was unethical in his business practices. If you have money, he must have cheated everyone to get to where he was. Being chief, he very well could have thought himself higher than others….because if you have money and are in a position of prominence…isn’t that how you act?
What did Jesus see?
Look in verses 3 & 4—And he (Zaccheus) ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him (Jesus); for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.”
Jesus saw the lengths that this short individual took to see Him.
Look at verse 7. “And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he (Jesus) was gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner.”
They saw a sinner…someone unworthy for Jesus to be associating himself with.
A sinner that was worthy of being saved.
Look at what Jesus told Zacchaeus in verse 9 & 10 “This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

4. What Do You See? The Woman at the Well What did men see?
John 4:7, 9, 17, 27
What did Jesus see?
John 4:15, 39-42
What about the Samaritan Woman at the Well in John 4:1-40?
Traveling from Jerusalem in the south to Galilee in the north, Jesus and his disciples took the quickest route, through Samaria. Tired and thirsty, Jesus sat by Jacob's Well, while his disciples went to a nearby village to buy food. It was about noon, the hottest part of the day, and a Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water.
What did men see?
Not only was she a woman, but she was a Samaritan woman. What was the Jews’ view of Samaritans? The woman was surprised herself…Look at her response to Jesus when he asked her for something to drink…..verse “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. To the Jews, Jesus was doing something unlawful.
Looking at the woman and knowing her history, people would know that she been married 5 times and the one she was with now was not her husband.
5 husbands? She would be the talk of the town. Trashy? Who would want to be seen with her?
What did Jesus see?
Jesus saw a woman who was thirsty…one who drew water during the hottest part of the day. He saw a woman who was empty and who had a desire for her life to be filled.
In verse 27, His disciples marveled that he talked with the woman. Again, they only see the outside and not the inside. They fell to see a harvest that needs to be reaped.
Jesus saw yet another opportunity to teach someone who was lost. He saw a woman that desired Him and one that would share Him with others. He told His disciples in vs. 35 “Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest.”

5. What Do You See? Saul—Paul What did men see? What did Jesus see?
Acts 7:58
Acts 8:1-4
Acts 9:1-2, 13, 26
What did Jesus see?
Acts 9:15
2 Corinthians 11:23-27
What about Saul?
At the end of Acts 7 and the beginning of Acts 8, we are introduced to a man named Saul.
What did men see?
They see a man who had kept the coats of the men who stoned Stephen. They see someone who wreaked havoc on the church, entering people’s houses, and dragging men and women to prison. They see in Acts 9, a man who breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. If you were a Christian, would you try to persuade him to be a Christian?
What did Jesus see?
In Acts 9:15, Jesus saw Saul as a vessel—a great teacher—to bear His name before Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. Jesus saw another opportunity to change a man’s life.
But what did men see?
In Acts 9:13, Ananias saw the evil he had done and knew the authority he had been given to cast Christians in prison and expressed these concerns to the Lord.
After Saul was converted, men still looked at him differently. In verse 26, “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed (tried) to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.”
But what did Jesus see?
Jesus saw a man that was committed to serving Him with the same passion that he was committed to persecuting Him. Jesus saw a man that would suffer great things for Him…in 2 Corinthians 11: imprisoned, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked….constantly in perils wherever he went.

6. Lessons Learned 1. Our thoughts are not his thoughts.
2. What we think about someone based on appearance isn’t always correct.
3. Just because someone has wasted their life doesn’t mean we consider them a waste of our time.
4. It is our tendency to look outwardly, but the Lord looks inwardly on the heart of man.
From these 3 examples, what have we learned?
1. Isaiah 55:8-9 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
3. Do you dismiss certain people as lost causes, or do you see them as valuable in their own right, worthy of knowing about the gospel?

7. Looking Inwardly
TRUE
Since we know the Lord is looking inwardly, what kind of heart should we possess?
One that is TRUE.
In Hebrews 10:22-24
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

8. Looking Inwardly
PURE
Since we know the Lord is looking inwardly, what kind of heart should we possess?
One that is PURE
Matthew 5:8 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
2 TIM. 2:22 – One with a pure heart follows righteousness, faith, love and peace but flees from lusts.
MATT. 22:37-39 – A pure heart is a loving heart toward God and man
LUKE 8:15 – One who has a true heart that is pure, honest and good will hear the word and keep it.
JAMES 4:8 – We cannot draw near to God if our heart is not pure.
EPH. 3:17 – Christ can only dwell in our hearts by faith if they are pure. Is your heart pure? If not then you cannot have a true heart.

9. Looking Inwardly UNDERSTANDING
Since we know the Lord is looking inwardly, what kind of heart should we possess?
AN UNDERSTANDING HEART – MATT. 13:15 – We cannot have a true heart without understanding. We cannot be converted without understanding.
ROM. 10:8 – An understanding heart is one filled with God’s word.
2 THESS. 2:17 – An understanding heart is one that is comforted in every good word and work.
LUKE 6:45 – An understanding heart is a good heart and a good heart is filled with good treasures.
COL. 3:15 – A true heart understands and allows the peace of God to rule in it. Does the peace of God rule your life?
MATT. 18:23-35 – An understanding heart forgives so it can be forgiven. Do we forgive others? If not then we do not have an understanding heart.

10. Looking Inwardly Of SERVICE
Since we know the Lord is looking inwardly, what kind of heart should we possess?
A HEART OF SERVICE– EPH. 6:6 – One who has a true heart because they do the will of God and serve Christ.
HEB. 8:10 – A heart with God’s law written on it
2 THESS. 3:5 – A heart the Lord directs
ROM. 6:17-18 – A heart that chooses to obey and willing is a servant to Christ – free-will.
COL. 3:16 – A heart that willfully submits to God’s word concerning worship and sings with grace in his heart to the Lord is a heart of service. The only way we can sing with grace in our heart to the Lord is by following his commands. There is no authority for an instrument to accompany our singing.
1 THESS. 2:4 – A heart of service will be able to withstand the trials that God allows in our lives. Paul had a heart that God had allowed to be tested and tried. What about our heart when it is faced with trials and temptations do we faint, falter and stumble or do we display a heart of courage, boldness and service?

11. What Do You See?
Do you have a heart that is TRUE, PURE, UNDERSTANDING, and one that is ready to be of SERVICE to the LORD?
What about you and I?
What do you see? Men see? Jesus see?
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Are you a Christian?
Hear….Believe….Repent….Confess….Be Baptized
Is your heart not right? If not, why won’t you come now?