1 00:00:00,324 --> 00:00:04,651 Our perception is clouded 2 00:00:04,651 --> 00:00:08,892 usually about ourselves. 3 00:00:08,892 --> 00:00:11,574 And when others who love us see us 4 00:00:11,574 --> 00:00:13,965 and speak into our lives about something, 5 00:00:13,965 --> 00:00:17,214 we better be sure to be honest 6 00:00:17,214 --> 00:00:20,484 and face the fact they're seeing 7 00:00:20,484 --> 00:00:24,118 what's probably true and I'm not seeing it. 8 00:00:24,118 --> 00:00:26,629 Because they wouldn't be sharing it with you 9 00:00:26,629 --> 00:00:27,855 if they didn't love you. 10 00:00:27,855 --> 00:00:30,248 Faithful are the what? 11 00:00:30,248 --> 00:00:33,710 Wounds of a friend. 12 00:00:33,710 --> 00:00:38,228 Kisses and flattery are deceitful. 13 00:00:38,228 --> 00:00:41,977 Are you teachable? 14 00:00:41,977 --> 00:00:45,396 Are you approachable? 15 00:00:45,396 --> 00:00:48,868 Today, are you possibly wrong in areas you don't see? 16 00:00:48,868 --> 00:00:52,551 Are you correctable? 17 00:00:52,551 --> 00:00:55,504 Men, when your wife shares something 18 00:00:55,504 --> 00:00:58,454 that they see, do you get self-defensive? 19 00:00:58,454 --> 00:01:03,979 Do you get defensive? 20 00:01:03,979 --> 00:01:05,853 I can't mark the year, 21 00:01:05,853 --> 00:01:09,808 but I was at least three decades into marriage 22 00:01:09,808 --> 00:01:12,038 before I stopped being defensive 23 00:01:12,038 --> 00:01:14,136 when Linda would share something with me. 24 00:01:14,136 --> 00:01:15,287 Grow up. 25 00:01:15,287 --> 00:01:17,204 I mean, come on. 26 00:01:17,204 --> 00:01:18,807 She loves me more than anybody. 27 00:01:18,807 --> 00:01:20,426 She knows me more than anybody. 28 00:01:20,426 --> 00:01:21,728 Why can't I just listen? 29 00:01:21,728 --> 00:01:24,147 She might be right. 30 00:01:24,147 --> 00:01:28,165 And I learned, yeah, she's right most of the time. 31 00:01:28,165 --> 00:01:32,434 I'm not saying anything other than 32 00:01:32,434 --> 00:01:34,211 those closest to you - 33 00:01:34,211 --> 00:01:35,619 your husband, your wife - 34 00:01:35,619 --> 00:01:36,961 when they share things, 35 00:01:36,961 --> 00:01:38,540 don't get defensive. 36 00:01:38,540 --> 00:01:42,067 Just listen. 37 00:01:42,067 --> 00:01:45,214 How defensive of a person are you? 38 00:01:45,214 --> 00:01:47,263 Are you open to others pointing out 39 00:01:47,263 --> 00:01:49,901 and helping you with blind spots you don't see 40 00:01:49,901 --> 00:01:52,089 that are there? 41 00:01:52,089 --> 00:01:55,808 Or do you say, no, I'm good. 42 00:01:55,808 --> 00:01:57,775 And you avoid, you're in denial. 43 00:01:57,775 --> 00:01:59,289 You go on being needy. 44 00:01:59,289 --> 00:02:02,570 And your blindspot is nakedly clear 45 00:02:02,570 --> 00:02:06,948 to everybody but you. 46 00:02:06,948 --> 00:02:10,387 Romans 2 kind of talks about that, doesn't it? 47 00:02:10,387 --> 00:02:14,526 You who teach others... 48 00:02:14,526 --> 00:02:16,506 you who say don't steal, 49 00:02:16,506 --> 00:02:19,587 don't commit adultery. 50 00:02:19,587 --> 00:02:21,959 So we can see needs in others clearly. 51 00:02:21,959 --> 00:02:27,167 We have 20/20 vision. 52 00:02:27,167 --> 00:02:28,789 And we have spiritual cataracts 53 00:02:28,789 --> 00:02:31,087 when we look at ourselves. 54 00:02:31,087 --> 00:02:34,128 We see others clearly, but do we see ourselves clearly? 55 00:02:34,128 --> 00:02:37,017 Others see clearly what is true about me. 56 00:02:37,017 --> 00:02:42,797 Others see us better and more clearly than ourselves. 57 00:02:42,797 --> 00:02:44,818 I have known and loved preachers 58 00:02:44,818 --> 00:02:48,378 who did not know when to stop preaching. 59 00:02:48,378 --> 00:02:50,068 Some of you have seen that. 60 00:02:50,068 --> 00:02:53,653 They didn't know when to stop. 61 00:02:53,653 --> 00:02:58,038 They didn't have it anymore - the clarity. 62 00:02:58,038 --> 00:02:59,379 They kept preaching, 63 00:02:59,379 --> 00:03:01,355 and no one had the courage 64 00:03:01,355 --> 00:03:05,175 or loved them enough to go to them and say, 65 00:03:05,175 --> 00:03:07,577 brother, it's time. 66 00:03:07,577 --> 00:03:10,038 I told my elders don't you let me preach 67 00:03:10,038 --> 00:03:14,062 one sermon longer than I can deliver the goods. 68 00:03:14,062 --> 00:03:16,187 Don't let me preach. 69 00:03:16,187 --> 00:03:17,548 And if I get dementia, 70 00:03:17,548 --> 00:03:20,688 you've already heard me say it with a clear mind. 71 00:03:20,688 --> 00:03:25,997 Don't let me preach longer than I should. 72 00:03:25,997 --> 00:03:32,302 Christ has x-ray vision, right? 73 00:03:32,302 --> 00:03:35,017 To the deepest needs of our lives. 74 00:03:35,017 --> 00:03:40,017 Leonard Ravenhill helped write a book years ago. 75 00:03:40,017 --> 00:03:43,704 It was called, "Christ's Paralyzed Church X-Ray." 76 00:03:43,704 --> 00:03:47,354 Do you remember that? 77 00:03:47,354 --> 00:03:50,879 And it was talking about the seven churches. 78 00:03:50,879 --> 00:03:53,107 Christ sees right through perfectly, 79 00:03:53,107 --> 00:03:54,578 intimately, thoroughly. 80 00:03:54,578 --> 00:03:59,607 He sees every atom of your being 81 00:03:59,607 --> 00:04:01,189 and your DNA right now. 82 00:04:01,189 --> 00:04:03,853 Your deepest thoughts before they come, 83 00:04:03,853 --> 00:04:06,522 He knows them altogether. 84 00:04:06,522 --> 00:04:12,835 He sees our motives. 85 00:04:12,835 --> 00:04:17,118 Why don't we face Him 86 00:04:17,118 --> 00:04:18,771 about our blind spots? 87 00:04:18,771 --> 00:04:20,478 Do you know how you would excel 88 00:04:20,478 --> 00:04:25,038 and take off in joy and freedom 89 00:04:25,038 --> 00:04:29,470 if you let God by His Spirit 90 00:04:29,470 --> 00:04:32,869 put His finger on your blind spots 91 00:04:32,869 --> 00:04:34,617 and let Him deal with them? 92 00:04:34,617 --> 00:04:38,203 It hurts, 93 00:04:38,203 --> 00:04:40,348 but it's going to hurt worse not to. 94 00:04:40,348 --> 00:04:43,209 This excerpt was taken from the full sermon: 95 00:04:43,209 --> 00:04:44,800 "You and Your Blind Spots"