THE POWER OF PERCEPTION
Perception is a powerful thing. So many of our actions are determined by how we perceive things to be. How we perceive is based on what we think we hear or see. Yet, our perception of events, words, people can be entirely wrong. Why?
Let’s look at perception:
I. Perception Defined
A. To be aware of through the senses (see hear, taste smell, feel); to take in with the mind.
1. Must understand: any time the senses are involved there is potential for error.
2. Any time the mind is involved, the same is true.
a) Until our mind is completely renewed our perception has potential for distortion.
b) Rom 12:2: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
II. Examples Of Scriptural Perception
A. Deu 29:4: "Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.”
1. This is an account of Moses words to Israel.
a) V. 29: "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
B. Is. 6:9-10: “And He said, "Go, and tell this people: ’Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’(10) "Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed."
1. Many times our heart is dull to the things of God.
2. Our hearing and seeing is distorted.
a) Mt. 13:14-15: "Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.(14) "And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ’Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;(15) For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’
C. Mk. 8:17-18: But Jesus, being aware of it (disciples confusion), said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?(18) "Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?
D. Lk. 6:41: "And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?
E. Jn. 4:19: The woman (at the well) said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.
F. Acts 10:34-35: Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality."But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
G. Mk. 4:11-12 And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,(12) "so that ’Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’"
III. A Case Of Mistaken Perception
A. 1 Chr. 19
IV. People’s Perception of the Church
A. We all have some ability to perceive.
B. How we perceive determines thoughts, words, actions.
C. Behavior is often based on our perception.
D. How we respond to people, places, things is a result of how perceive things to be, not always how they really are.
E. For example different people have different opinions of what christianity is and how it is to function.
F. The same is true of the church.
G. I have had several experiences of people telling me how a Pastor is supposed to function or dress etc.
H. Some view the church as:
1. Hospital
2. Family
3. Army
I. In truth the church is all three!
V. How To Prevent “seeing and not perceiving”
A. Isa 6:9-10: And He said, "Go, and tell this people: ’Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.(10) "Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed."
1. Mark 4:11-12: And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,(12) "so that ’Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’"
2. Acts 28:25-28: So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,(26) "saying, ’Go to this people and say: "Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive;(27) For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them."’
a) V.28 "Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!"
B. Act 10:34: When Peter declared, “I perceive that God shows no partiality”, it came by way of what he saw and heard (They spoke in tongues).
1. What had Peter been doing when he first received revelation concerning Cornelius?
2. Act 9:9: Peter was praying and seeking God when revelation came.
C. One reason we so often experience mistaken perception is that is that we do not see through eyes of God but through carnal eyes, thus we judge carnally.
1. John 7:24: "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.
2. Perception, by definition, means we receive something from the outside (hearing, seeing, feeling etc.), and it passes from the senses through the mind and can get into the heart.
3. Discernment, on the other hand, is revealed by the Spirit of truth into the heart and then passes on to the mind.
a) One passes from inside out, the other from outside in.
D. 1 Cor. 2:9-12: But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."(10) But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.(11) For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
1. True Holy Spirit given revelation will cause our mind to be renewed.
2. Carnal perception can cause our mind and heart to be defiled, tainted, hardened, fallow.
a) Psa. 119:11: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!”
b) Jn. 6:63: "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
c) Jn.17:8: "For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
d) Jn.14:10: "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
3. This is one key reason why Jesus used parables when teaching.
a) Mt. 13:10-17
b) It is interesting that Jesus immediately shared parable of sower. (Note v.19)
c) Isa 55:8-9: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says 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.
d) 64:4-5: For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.(5) You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned; In these ways we continue; And we need to be saved.
(1) 1 Cor. 2:16: For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
E. Keys to better spiritual perception
1. Ro. 12:1-2: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.(2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
2. 2 Co. 10:4-5: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,(5) casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
3. Pr. 4:20-27: READ!
4. Jos. 1:8: Meditate on Word.
5. Phil. 4:6-8
6. Allow God to “open windows of heaven” (Mal. 3:10) and pour His knowledge into us.
a) Deut. 28:12: God wants to “open to you His good treasure”.
b) Lk. 6:45: "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
c) Have you been allowing God’s treasure to fill your heart?
7. Ro. 8:14: Be led (influenced in mind) by Spirit.
8. Gal.5:16: I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
a) Job 32:8-9: But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.(9) Great men are not always wise, Nor do the aged always understand justice.
b) Job 33:14-16: For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it.(15) In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, (16) Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction.
9. We must heed God’s voice!
a) Psa. 81:11-13: "But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me.(12) So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels.(13) "Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!
b) Psa. 139:17: “ How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”
c) Jas. 1:5: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
d) Jas 3:13-4:1
