It is not that I did choose thee,
Lord, Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Niver. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Now here's our pastor, Todd Nyvert. I want to attempt to preach this
morning on the sight of the Lord. Wouldn't it be something if you
and I could see things as God sees them? Now I would like to
read from 1 Samuel chapter 16. This is where God is giving Saul
instruction regarding the one he had anointed. And we read
beginning in verse 6 of 1 Samuel chapter 16. And it came to pass
when they were come that he looked on Eliab and said, surely the
Lord's anointed is before him. He believed one of Jesse's older
sons surely was the Lord's anointed. 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. The Lord seeth
not as man seeth. And how do men see? Well, we
see things by appearance, and appearances are deceiving. You know that. We see the outside
of things. We see the surface. And in reality,
we see very little. We don't see behind the scenes. We don't know why something happened. We may see an event, but we don't
know all the details and the things that went on behind the
scenes. Not only do we see according
to appearance, but we see with great prejudice. we see from
our own point of view. We always put a slant on things. For instance, how is it that
something we did is really not that bad and we had a justifiable
reason for doing it? But if somebody else did it,
it would be reprehensible. We have a different way of viewing
what we do and what others do. How is it that we can judge someone
so harshly And yet, in reality, we're doing the same thing and
even worse. The reason is because we see with such prejudice. We have our own slant. We see
through our own spectacles, and we are incapable of viewing something
as it really is. For those two reasons, we see
so little, and because we see with such prejudice. But this
passage of Scripture tells us that the Lord looks on the heart. He sees not as man sees. Man
sees the outside, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Only he can do that. I can't
see what's in your heart. I can have some guesses. I suppose
it's a lot like mine. And you can guess what's in my
heart, but you can't really know. Only the Lord can look into the
heart. And He sees not as man sees. I think of when the Lord Jesus
The scripture says he saw, he was standing by the temple, and
he saw the rich man casting much into the treasury. And the poor
widow cast in only two mites. And he tells his disciples, I
say unto you that the poor widow cast in more than they all. Now,
you and I would say, no, she didn't. She only put in two mites.
The other guys put in tens of thousands of dollars. But the
Lord seeth not as man seeth. And let me say this. How the
Lord sees a thing is how it really is. He's the only one who sees
things as they really are. You see, the Lord is omniscient. That means he sees everything,
and he knows everything. He sees it before it takes place,
and he sees the things that will happen tomorrow in the present. He never learns. He's never surprised. He sees everything all in the
present. Psalm 90 verse 4 says, For a
thousand years in thy sight or but as yesterday when it's past,
and to watch in the night. The Lord Jesus did what only
God could do when he said to Nathanael, before that Philip
called thee, when thou was under the fig tree, I saw thee. He wasn't there physically. but
he saw him, because he is omniscient and he is omnipresent. You can't
go anywhere where he is not. That's why he sees everything. Once again, Christ said to Nicodemus
as he was standing upon the earth, no man hath ascended up to heaven,
but he that came down from heaven, even the son of man which is
in heaven. When he's speaking to Nicodemus,
with his feet planted on the earth, he said, I'm in heaven
even as I speak. He sees all, he knows all. Now I want you to think of the
best person you know. the best person, the person that
means the most to you, the person who has done the most for you,
the person that you really like and really esteem. I'm glad that
person is what he is to you. It's a blessed thing to have
someone we can love and trust and esteem and look up to. That's
a good thing. I'm not saying anything against
that. But how does God see that person? What does God see? What does God see when He looks
in that person's heart? What does God see when He looks
in my heart or your heart? In Genesis 6, verse 5, we read,
And God saw. Now, God sees things as they
are. And God saw. that the wickedness
of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Now that's what God sees when
he looks into the heart of any man. He sees that every imagination
of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually. Now that is just so. Somebody says, well, I just can't
believe that. Well, it's still so, whether you believe it or
not. This is God's testimony. But I'm thankful in that same
passage of scripture, it says a couple of verses later, but
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah, when God looked
at his heart, he was just like those other people, nothing but
wicked, nothing but evil in and of himself. But Noah found grace. Noah found unmerited favor in
the sight of the Lord. Aren't you thankful that there
is such a thing as finding grace in his sight? Now, here we have
what God sees. Somebody once said this regarding
every man. We're all three different people. We're the people we think we
are. We're the people others think we are. or we are that
person that God knows we are. The sight of God. I couldn't
help but think of that passage in Luke chapter 16, verse 15,
where the Lord says, that which is highly esteemed among men. You think of all the things that
are highly esteemed, greatly desired by men. That which is
highly esteemed among men, man's religion, man's morality, it's
an abomination in the sight of God. That's what the Lord said. The sight of God, you know, Men,
when they see what God does and what God says, they may not like
it. They may not agree. They may
be upset. They may call into question God's
justice and God's fairness. And how could God let this happen?
And how could God let that happen? But you know what God says concerning
everything he does? It's all good. every bit of it. Whether men see it that way or
not, it's still all good. The Lord said, I thank thee,
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you've hid these
things from the wise and prudent. Now do you hear what that says?
God actually hides the things of salvation from the wise in
their own eyes and the prudent in their own eyes, and he's going
to let them go to hell. He's not going to reveal the gospel
to them. You've hid these things from the wise and prudent and
revealed them unto babes, even so, father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. That is why God does what he
does. It seems good in his sight. According to Hebrews 14, verse
13, all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with
whom we have to do. Now, many times throughout the
scriptures, particularly regarding the kings, we read where they
did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Now I want
to do what's right in his sight. And we read of God working in
you, that which is well-pleasing in his sight. Now, I realize
this, if I ever do anything that's well-pleasing in his sight, it's
because he did it, him working in me. John said we do those
things that are well-pleasing in his sight. And Peter spoke
of a meek and quiet spirit. which is in the sight of God
of great price. We also read of men doing evil
in the sight of the Lord. And I guess the first thing that
we think of when we think of doing evil in the sight of the
Lord is we think of him seeing us sinning some sin that we would
be so ashamed to commit if some man were watching us, but he
sees it. And that is a terrible thing
that is doing evil in the sight of the Lord, but there's so much
more. Peter said to Simon Magus, your heart is not right in the
sight of God. This is not just something you
did. Your heart is not right in the sight of God because that
thought is the gift of God could be bought or purchased. When a believer sins. He sins
before the Lord. The thing David did displeased
the Lord. And when David confesses that
thing, he said, against thee and thee only have I sinned and
done this evil in thy sight. Now, what I would like to attempt
to do is see, if we can see from the scriptures, see things as
God sees them. You know, the psalmist said in
Psalm 11, four, his eyes behold, His eyelids try the children
of men. Now, when God sees a man, what
does he see? Now, I'd first like to read a
passage of scripture from Psalm 14. And this Psalm is quoted
verbatim once again in Psalm 53. It's amazing that in the
150 Psalms, one of them is repeated twice. Now, this gives us some
idea of the importance of this psalm, and this psalm is also
quoted in Romans 3, where Paul is demonstrating to us the sinfulness
of man. In Psalm 14, verse 1, it says,
The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. Now this man
is not an atheist. The there is is in italics. It's placed there by the translators. The fool has said in his heart,
no God. He says no to God. He does not
love the revelation of who God is. He doesn't bow to who God
is. No God for me. I'm not going
to have a God like that. Now let's go on reading. The
Lord testifies concerning the fool. All who say this, they
are corrupt. They have done abominable works. There is none that doeth good.
The Lord looked down from heaven. Now listen to that language.
The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see
if there were any that did understand and seek God. They are all gone
aside. They are together become unprofitable,
filthy. There is none that doeth good.
No, not one. Now that's what God sees when
he looks down upon every man. There's never been a man to ever
seek him unless he first sought them. Men are satisfied with
things the way they are. When Adam fell, he didn't ask
the Lord for forgiveness. He ran and hid from the presence
of the Lord. When the Lord came to him, what
have you done? Listen to his confession, the
woman that you gave me, she gave me of the fruit and I did eat.
He blamed God for his fall. He didn't seek the Lord. He tried
to get away from the Lord. There's nobody who calls upon
his name unless he causes them to. By nature, men are so evil
that they will not seek the Lord. There's none that doeth good,
no, not one. And that includes my friend you,
and that includes me. When God looks on us, if He looks
on us apart from Christ, all He sees is evil. Now that's God's testimony. That's
what the Lord sees. And that's the truth, whether
you and I see it or not. This is how God sees it, and
God sees things as they really are. Because of that, we read
in Romans 3.20, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh
be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge
of sin. You see, you can't, and I can't justify myself in God's
sight because we're so evil. Galatians chapter 3 verse 11,
but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God
is evident For the just shall live by faith never could be
justified by your works. Anyway, the only way I can be
justified is through faith Psalm 143 to David said enter not into
judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living
be justified. Psalm 5.5 says, The foolish shall
not stand in thy sight. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Well, I thought God loved everybody.
It says there, He hatest all workers of iniquity. You need
to believe something, not because some preacher said it, but because
of what the Bible says. Now, this is what God sees when
he sees me and you. apart from Christ, nothing but
evil, deserving his wrath, judgment, condemnation, and deserving to
go to hell. Now that's how God sees things
and how he sees things is how they really are. Now, all that
being said, there is such a thing as people
like that, people who are that bad, finding grace, free unmerited
favor in the sight of God. You see, you're not going to
look the right place for salvation until you're convinced that this
is how God sees you as nothing but sin. It's only then that
you'll cry for mercy. It's only then that you'll look
somewhere else for righteousness rather than yourself trying to
work out something that you think God can be pleased with. Now,
for everyone who sees that what God's testimony of them is saying
is true. Everyone that sees that, here's
good news. People like this find grace in
the eyes of the Lord. Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. God said to Moses, Thou hast
found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. There is such a thing as people
finding grace, favor in his sight." Listen to this scripture from
Isaiah chapter 43. He said to Israel, since thou
was precious in my sight, thou has been honorable. And I have
loved thee, therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy
life. Now he made a difference with
Israel and with everybody else. He said, I'll give men for thee.
Nations will be destroyed for you. Kingdoms will be cast out
for you. This is representing God's special
distinguishing grace. since thou was precious in my
sight." Not everybody was precious in his sight. He said, Jacob
have I loved, but Esau have I hated. God makes a difference. Now here's the only hope you
and I have, that God will make a difference with us. Somebody
says, I want to get what I have coming." Well, if you get what
you're coming, God will send you to hell. If I get what I've got coming,
God will send me to hell. But, oh, I need His sovereign,
distinguishing grace. Who makes you to differ from
another? And what do you have that you
didn't receive? I love that verse of scripture
in Exodus 11 where God says, Now somebody's hearing this and
they're thinking, well, that's not fair for God to show mercy to one
and pass by the other. Now, you're barking up the wrong
tree if that's what you're thinking, because fair as hell. That's what fair is. Fair is
hell. If God sent us all to hell, he'd be fair and just. But he
delights to show mercy and grace and to extend his favor toward
those who absolutely do not deserve it. Thank God he does make a
difference. And he does have mercy on many
people. Now, how are these people who
he has favored, how are they seen? Listen to this scripture,
Colossians chapter 1 verse 20 says, having made peace through
the blood of his cross by him, I say, whether they be things
in earth or things in heaven. And you who were before time
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now
hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to
present you. Holy. And unblameable. and unreprovable in His sight. Now, if I am sinful, if I am
unholy, if there are things that you can blame me for, if there
are things I need to be reproved for, how is it that in God's
sight I can be holy, unblameable, and unreprovable? There's only
one reason. If in God's sight I'm holy and
unblameable and unreprovable, here is the only reason. I am
in fact holy and unblameable. and unreprovable in the very
sight of God, without blemish, without spot, without wrinkle,
without any such thing. Bottom line, I'm without sin.
By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Now, when God sees me, when he
sees every believer, he sees one who is holy, who is unblameable,
and who's unreprovable in his sight. He'll say to each one
of them, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou
into the joy of thy Lord. Now, how can these things be?
That's amazing. How can it be? How can God look
at me, Todd Nybert, and say he's holy? He's unblameable. There's nothing to blame him
for. He didn't do anything wrong. He always did that which was
right. He's unreprovable. There's nothing to reprove him
of. He's without sin. He's without spot. He's without
wrinkle. He's without any such thing.
Now, how can this be? How can I be? How can every believer
be that way in God's sight? Well, you know the story of Jonah. He's one of the great types of
Christ. God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach, and
Jonah was the disobedient prophet. He went and fled from the presence
of the Lord to go to Tarshish, and God sent a great storm on
the boat where he was. And all the mariners At the boat,
they started crying to their gods and they cast lots to see
whose fault this was. And the lot fell upon Jonah. It was his fault that this took
place. And Jonah said, throw me overboard and you'll be safe. And they didn't want to do it,
but he said, the only way you'll be safe is if I'm thrown overboard. And they threw him overboard.
And as soon as they did it, there was a great calm. Now, Jonah
was thrown overboard because of his sin. The sins of God's
elect were imputed to Christ. They became his sins, and he
died under the wrath of God. He was thrown overboard. Jonah is a type of Christ, and
if you know the story, you know that God prepared a great fish
to swallow Jonah while he was going under. Now I want to read
Jonah's words at this time. And he heard me out of the belly
of hell, cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hast cast
me into the deep, in the midst of the seas, and the floods compassed
me about, all thy billows and thy waves passed over me." Now
more than anything else, Jonah's saying this, but like the Psalms,
these are the words of Christ. This is the word of Christ as
he was in the heart of the earth, suffering the wrath of God. Verse
four says, then I said, I am cast out of thy sight. Was Jonah cast out of God's sight?
No, God could see him. Even when he was in the belly
of the whale, God could see him. But I'll tell you somebody who
was cast out of his sight. There are no more mysterious
words that we could ever consider than these words of our Lord
from the cross. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? He was cast out of God's sight.
Now if we say to someone, get out of my sight, it's because
we're disgusted by them, we're revolted by them for their reprehensible
actions and we don't even want to look at them. That is what
God said to Christ. He was cast out of his sight.
Why? Because my sin became his sin and he bore all the loathsomeness
of it, the evil of it, the hell of it, and he deserved to be
cast out of God's sight because I deserve to be cast out of God's
sight. And just as truly as my sin became
his, his perfect obedience, his holiness, his unblameableness,
his unreprovableness becomes mine. And that is how God can
look at me now, me, Todd Nybert, and say he's holy, he's unblameable,
and he's unreprovable in my sight. because I am holy and unblameable
and unreprovable in his sight because I don't have any sin.
Christ bore it all away and when he was raised from the dead,
everybody he represented was justified and is now in God's
sight, holy, unblameable, and unreprovable. Now we have this
message on DVD or CD. If you call the church, write
or email, we'll send you a copy. To request a copy of the sermon
you have just heard, send your request to messages at todsroadgracechurch.com. Or you may write or call the
church at the information provided on the screen.