WEBVTT 00:00:00.233 --> 00:00:01.598 Well, good morning. 00:00:03.399 --> 00:00:07.266 If you're here because you really wanted to be today, right? 00:00:07.266 --> 00:00:08.365 I'm really grateful. 00:00:08.365 --> 00:00:14.465 This rain came this week, not last week, with our church picnic, which, by the way, I just got to give praise. 00:00:14.465 --> 00:00:18.966 And thanks to Cliff and the whole team of people who were involved in putting that on. 00:00:18.966 --> 00:00:22.932 Yeah, a lot goes into that. 00:00:22.932 --> 00:00:24.832 Really grateful that we can gather that way. 00:00:24.832 --> 00:00:31.265 That's just an important part of how we connect, build trust, build relationships, build community. 00:00:31.265 --> 00:00:39.865 The more connected we are, the more that increases our ability to minister to others to pour out the gospel into the community. 00:00:39.865 --> 00:00:42.399 I have a quick praise dimension. 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:51.598 I mentioned on Easter Sunday that the story of Chastity Martin and her journey of health and how we thought she was going to die and then she recovered. 00:00:51.598 --> 00:00:54.966 It was yesterday, the day before she made it back home. 00:00:54.966 --> 00:00:56.798 She's back in her house. 00:00:56.798 --> 00:01:02.732 Yeah, it's it's really unbelievable. 00:01:02.732 --> 00:01:04.533 Unbelievable. 00:01:05.899 --> 00:01:16.299 So this morning's rain made me think about and in contrast to last week's sunshine or at least lack of rain, that we often do have a different approach to the sun. 00:01:16.299 --> 00:01:18.365 The sun's incredibly powerful. 00:01:18.365 --> 00:01:20.832 All of life is due to the sun. 00:01:21.266 --> 00:01:23.365 Physical life, at least. 00:01:23.365 --> 00:01:26.066 And yet there's times we welcome at times we don't. 00:01:26.066 --> 00:01:27.165 There's times we want the sun. 00:01:27.165 --> 00:01:28.933 There's times we would rather not. 00:01:28.933 --> 00:01:44.832 For instance, I mentioned before that we served as missionaries in the South Pacific, and when we first showed up to our house, the place we're going to live for six months, our neighbor had all the furniture out on the driveway, sitting on tarps, mattresses, couches, chairs. 00:01:45.599 --> 00:01:46.465 I'm like, What are they doing? 00:01:46.465 --> 00:01:46.632 Are there? 00:01:46.632 --> 00:01:49.033 We finish in their floors? What? 00:01:49.033 --> 00:01:49.832 I don't know. 00:01:49.832 --> 00:01:55.933 Well, we found out 30 days later, the next time the sun came out after it had rained 30 days in a row. 00:01:55.933 --> 00:02:03.332 Whenever it stops raining, you drag everything out into the sun so that it'll kill all the mold that's been accumulating and this incredible humidity. 00:02:03.899 --> 00:02:05.165 And we were doing the same thing. 00:02:05.165 --> 00:02:05.799 The sun's out. 00:02:05.799 --> 00:02:06.933 Get it outside. 00:02:06.933 --> 00:02:08.165 Anything with fabric on it. 00:02:08.165 --> 00:02:09.733 Let's drag it out into the sun. 00:02:09.733 --> 00:02:10.432 Get the sun out. 00:02:10.432 --> 00:02:12.733 Because the sun is going to kill the mold. 00:02:12.998 --> 00:02:13.866 It's going to bring health. 00:02:13.866 --> 00:02:18.133 It's going to bring life to that item desperately needed in that climate. 00:02:19.566 --> 00:02:23.966 However, there's other times where I don't want the sun around early in the morning. 00:02:23.966 --> 00:02:27.133 I don't want any sunlight, I don't want any noise. 00:02:27.133 --> 00:02:32.066 I want it to be as dark and as quiet for as long as possible. 00:02:32.066 --> 00:02:40.432 Early in the morning, Julie, however, she wakes up and loves to throw open the curtains, let the sun wash over our house. 00:02:40.432 --> 00:02:42.932 She's like, gets recharged from it, like some kind of superhero. 00:02:42.932 --> 00:02:47.665 And I'm like a vampire scrambling to close the curtains, you know, shriveling in the sun. 00:02:47.665 --> 00:02:49.299 No, I don't want the day to start. 00:02:49.299 --> 00:02:50.998 Yeah, let's keep it quiet. 00:02:50.998 --> 00:02:56.566 We we have different reactions to the sun in different times and different seasons of life. 00:02:56.566 --> 00:03:01.265 And I think in this passage today, we're going to see different reactions to light. 00:03:01.265 --> 00:03:03.332 Of course, the light of Christ. 00:03:03.332 --> 00:03:07.066 Ultimately we see a blind man and how he reacts to it. 00:03:07.066 --> 00:03:10.866 We see the Pharisees and how they react to it, and they're very different reactions. 00:03:10.866 --> 00:03:12.633 We're going to be in John Chapter nine today. 00:03:12.633 --> 00:03:16.532 We're finally turning the page from John Chapter eight over to John. 00:03:16.532 --> 00:03:17.133 Chapter nine. 00:03:17.133 --> 00:03:19.932 I know you wondered if there were any chapters beyond John. Chapter eight. 00:03:19.932 --> 00:03:24.098 As long as we spin in that chapter, there are, we'll get to them, don't worry. 00:03:24.098 --> 00:03:25.832 Chapter eight was so huge. 00:03:25.832 --> 00:03:29.633 There's so much there to unpack, but we'll start to move along a little more. 00:03:29.633 --> 00:03:32.233 We get into more stories that cover more distance. 00:03:32.233 --> 00:03:36.532 John Chapter nine That's on page 842 in the Church Bible. 00:03:36.532 --> 00:03:39.799 And if you don't have a Bible, we'd love to put one in your hands. 00:03:39.799 --> 00:03:42.765 This church cares deeply about the word of God. 00:03:42.765 --> 00:03:45.932 We want you reading God's word, studying God's word. 00:03:45.932 --> 00:03:48.299 In fact, if you have a copy of the Bible with you, hold it up. 00:03:50.233 --> 00:03:51.432 Hold it up. 00:03:51.665 --> 00:03:58.098 We want you in God's Word, studying it, having his word in your hand and I know can be on the phone as well. 00:03:58.098 --> 00:03:58.866 Papers better. 00:03:58.866 --> 00:03:59.799 I'm a little biased. 00:03:59.799 --> 00:04:03.598 I prefer however you get the word some in. 00:04:03.598 --> 00:04:04.733 That's good. 00:04:04.733 --> 00:04:13.966 But however you are getting into God's Word, whether it's audio, digital paper being His word is going to transform your life and we want to make that easy for you. 00:04:13.966 --> 00:04:16.665 If you don't have a copy of the Bible, we have them out in the connection corner. 00:04:16.665 --> 00:04:18.865 We love to give you a copy that's yours. 00:04:18.865 --> 00:04:22.098 Slip out anytime to grab one that's free for you. 00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:25.565 But in John chapter nine today, we're going to see this contrast. 00:04:25.565 --> 00:04:35.798 And just to set up the chapter, because we've been deep in the weeds in Chapter eight, we've got to remember Chapter eight, Chapter nine are part of a lot bigger section. Really. 00:04:35.798 --> 00:04:43.966 Chapters five through ten are one whole big section in John that is Jesus telling us more about who He is. 00:04:43.966 --> 00:04:53.632 He's just revealing a little bit at a time, a little bit more, a little bit more, and it's progressing and we're getting more and two distinct features of John. 00:04:53.632 --> 00:04:59.966 And in particular this section are the seven signs of who he is and the seven names. 00:04:59.966 --> 00:05:01.733 John loves to have structure. 00:05:01.733 --> 00:05:05.565 He's always hinting back at something in the Old Testament. 00:05:05.565 --> 00:05:15.365 He always has a purpose in everything he says Here in this passage, we actually get one of the signs and one of the times converging together. 00:05:15.365 --> 00:05:21.833 So the theme that has oversaw the last couple of sermons and goes in today is back in 812. 00:05:22.233 --> 00:05:24.298 He says, I am the light of the world. 00:05:25.598 --> 00:05:27.266 That's his I am statement. 00:05:27.266 --> 00:05:33.899 Well, today we're going to see that compliment saying sign I am the light of the world and I'm going to show you that I'm the light of the world. 00:05:33.899 --> 00:05:45.999 I'm going to bring light to the world specifically to one God and so let's set some of the context for what we're seeing, the day, the way these themes are converging about who Jesus is, what is he saying about himself. 00:05:45.999 --> 00:05:56.132 And so let's dive into these first few verses here, Chapter nine, verses one through five as he passed by, This is Jesus. 00:05:56.132 --> 00:06:06.865 He saw a man blind from birth, and his disciples asked him, Rabbi, who send this man or his parents that he was born blind. 00:06:06.899 --> 00:06:17.098 Jesus answered, It was not that this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in Him. 00:06:17.098 --> 00:06:23.999 We must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day night is coming when no one can work. 00:06:25.399 --> 00:06:30.598 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 00:06:30.598 --> 00:06:37.432 And so he ends this section verse five, restating 812 I'm the light of the world. 00:06:37.432 --> 00:06:42.531 I've come to bring light to the world and I'm about to show you that I can bring light to the world. 00:06:43.098 --> 00:06:48.266 But his disciples start the section with a bit of a theological question. 00:06:48.266 --> 00:06:49.065 Jesus, who? 00:06:49.065 --> 00:06:51.065 Why was this man born blind? 00:06:51.865 --> 00:06:55.331 Was it because of something he did or his parents? 00:06:55.831 --> 00:07:01.499 There was the view at the time that a child could actually even just sin in the womb. 00:07:01.499 --> 00:07:04.165 I could do something in the womb, and some of this goes back. 00:07:04.165 --> 00:07:10.298 It's kind of based in you remember the statement about Jacob and he saw that they were wrestling one another in the womb. 00:07:10.298 --> 00:07:14.699 This idea that maybe they were sinning against one another even in the womb. 00:07:16.331 --> 00:07:18.399 I don't think that's fully accurate. 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:23.266 In fact, I think what Jesus says here helps give a counterbalance to that. 00:07:23.266 --> 00:07:25.966 Now, of course, though, we can say that. 00:07:25.966 --> 00:07:29.065 So was it something he did in his won't know? 00:07:29.065 --> 00:07:32.531 Was it something his parents did that caused the blindness? 00:07:32.531 --> 00:07:37.232 Can a parent to make a choice when a child is in the womb that can affect that child? 00:07:37.232 --> 00:07:38.831 Well, yeah, of course. 00:07:38.831 --> 00:07:42.732 I mean, you take a substance, a very dangerous substance. 00:07:42.732 --> 00:07:48.331 It can affect the development of a child for sure. 00:07:48.632 --> 00:07:51.098 That's not what's going on here either. 00:07:51.298 --> 00:07:56.232 This is just a general vague notion of this was out of his control. 00:07:56.232 --> 00:07:57.432 It must have been. 00:07:57.432 --> 00:07:58.699 There's no other explanation. 00:07:58.699 --> 00:08:00.031 Somebody must have sinned. 00:08:00.031 --> 00:08:01.132 Of course somebody did. 00:08:01.132 --> 00:08:01.932 His name was Adam. 00:08:03.065 --> 00:08:09.365 Adam brought sin into the world, and as a result, all of mankind suffers. 00:08:09.365 --> 00:08:18.932 The challenge here, though, is there's not necessarily a direct line between a malformation and someone's personal sin. 00:08:19.932 --> 00:08:20.966 This is important to remember. 00:08:20.966 --> 00:08:36.365 In all walks of life, I always is cringe when I hear some televangelist loudly proclaim with definite illness that whatever natural disaster was God's specific judgment on that area for some specific sin. 00:08:36.698 --> 00:08:38.331 And I just go, How do you know? 00:08:38.331 --> 00:08:39.698 How can you be that? 00:08:39.698 --> 00:08:42.666 Sure. Really? 00:08:42.666 --> 00:08:48.631 I mean, I drove through the neighborhood we lived in in Little Rock when I was there two weeks ago. 00:08:48.631 --> 00:08:53.131 I drove down our street and it was so difficult. 00:08:53.131 --> 00:08:55.131 It was so devastated. 00:08:55.131 --> 00:08:58.631 House after house just crumbled, gone. 00:08:58.631 --> 00:09:02.066 I mean, family's whole lives and are changed radically. 00:09:03.899 --> 00:09:09.798 Was that God's judgment there, that someone in that neighborhood sin? 00:09:10.131 --> 00:09:12.331 Is he mad at them because we moved away? 00:09:12.331 --> 00:09:14.831 Now his judgment comes on now. 00:09:15.198 --> 00:09:17.899 No, no. 00:09:18.499 --> 00:09:23.765 In fact, Jesus says here, you're not even seeing this rightly. 00:09:23.765 --> 00:09:26.099 How does he respond to their question? 00:09:26.265 --> 00:09:27.331 It was not verse three. 00:09:27.331 --> 00:09:35.599 It was not that this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 00:09:35.666 --> 00:09:38.532 Jesus gives the right perspective. 00:09:38.865 --> 00:09:42.032 There's more to the story than you realize, guys. 00:09:42.032 --> 00:09:47.932 There's more going on in the background than you even have an inkling of. 00:09:47.999 --> 00:09:49.066 He is sovereign. 00:09:49.066 --> 00:09:51.131 He is in control. 00:09:51.131 --> 00:09:55.231 Even when that doesn't fit what we grew up hearing. 00:09:55.532 --> 00:10:01.831 In fact, I think in so many realms of life, there's just more to the story going on than you can see on the surface. 00:10:01.831 --> 00:10:03.365 There's a whole lot more going on. 00:10:04.599 --> 00:10:05.499 And what is it here? 00:10:05.499 --> 00:10:07.599 It's God's glory. 00:10:08.765 --> 00:10:10.432 Now, how does he follow up on this? 00:10:10.432 --> 00:10:12.932 What's the action he's going to take to show them what he means? 00:10:12.932 --> 00:10:15.566 Let's look at the next couple of verses here. 00:10:16.166 --> 00:10:24.331 Verse six Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. 00:10:24.331 --> 00:10:31.731 Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud and said to him, Go wash in the pool of Siloam, which means scent. 00:10:31.899 --> 00:10:34.499 So he went and washed and came back. 00:10:34.499 --> 00:10:37.432 Seeing I got questions about this. 00:10:37.432 --> 00:10:39.599 I don't know about you. Right. 00:10:39.599 --> 00:10:41.399 What's going on here? 00:10:41.399 --> 00:10:42.566 There's a lot of different things here. 00:10:42.566 --> 00:10:45.731 I got three specific questions coming out of this. 00:10:45.731 --> 00:10:50.499 First, why would the man go along with this? 00:10:50.499 --> 00:10:54.698 And who goes, Yeah, please smear some spit riddled mud on my eyes. 00:10:54.698 --> 00:10:55.331 I'd love that. 00:10:56.698 --> 00:10:59.765 Well, why is he likely to go along with this? 00:10:59.765 --> 00:11:06.032 Well, part of the reason is at the time there was the view that saliva had healing properties. 00:11:06.032 --> 00:11:14.664 In fact, what's interesting is I learned that saliva can your own saliva can remove your own blood stains from fabric. 00:11:14.664 --> 00:11:16.331 I had blood on a white T-shirt. 00:11:16.331 --> 00:11:21.664 I won't say how it got there, but I learned that my own saliva could take it off. 00:11:21.764 --> 00:11:22.831 It's pretty interesting. 00:11:22.831 --> 00:11:25.899 That's again, not what's going on here. 00:11:25.899 --> 00:11:27.565 Most specifically at this time. 00:11:27.565 --> 00:11:40.965 There was the view and some of it came through Jewish tradition that the son, firstborn son of a father, his saliva would specifically heal diseases of the eye. 00:11:41.131 --> 00:11:43.932 That was a specific view at this time. 00:11:43.932 --> 00:11:58.032 So you can imagine how many times if this is a cultural belief a father and mother would have brought their firstborn son by someone like this to say, look, let's try. Let's see, will you be healed? 00:11:58.032 --> 00:11:59.932 Who knows how many times this has happened? 00:11:59.932 --> 00:12:02.499 In fact, I could see him thinking, Here we go again. 00:12:02.831 --> 00:12:07.231 Another mom and dad who thinks their kid's special want to smear his spit on me. 00:12:07.231 --> 00:12:16.131 You know, but the specific situation here, though, even if saliva they thought had healing properties, why does Jesus then use mud? 00:12:17.631 --> 00:12:19.432 I mean, why not just his own saliva? 00:12:19.432 --> 00:12:22.831 I don't know exactly, but I think there's a hint here. 00:12:22.831 --> 00:12:23.698 Maybe. 00:12:23.698 --> 00:12:30.698 Maybe just an inference that as man was shaped from dirt, humankind came from dirt. 00:12:31.298 --> 00:12:33.932 He is now reshaping that dirt to heel. 00:12:33.932 --> 00:12:36.698 The one who creates can heal and recreate. 00:12:36.698 --> 00:12:39.298 It's just a subtle inference here. 00:12:40.999 --> 00:12:45.365 But then he sends him, you know, Jesus could have just said, you're healed. 00:12:47.365 --> 00:12:51.999 But what he does is he takes the saliva, makes the mud. 00:12:51.999 --> 00:12:54.399 I'm the one who created you. 00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:56.131 I can heal you. 00:12:56.131 --> 00:12:59.298 But then he sends him away. 00:12:59.532 --> 00:13:04.465 Go on over to this other place and wash it off and you'll be healed. 00:13:04.798 --> 00:13:06.231 And he mentioned specifically here. 00:13:06.231 --> 00:13:09.465 It's really interesting that John translate the pool salon, which means sent. 00:13:09.465 --> 00:13:11.565 That is what that Hebrew word, Siloam. 00:13:11.565 --> 00:13:14.932 That's a transliteration of the word for scent. 00:13:14.932 --> 00:13:20.999 Why would he send him over to this pool of salon, which, by the way, this pool is still there today. 00:13:21.532 --> 00:13:26.032 The word scent sums up how the pool got there. 00:13:26.032 --> 00:13:33.965 The water came from a spring, the giant springs, and it's sent to this pool through a tunnel that has a kind of built his across tunnel. 00:13:33.965 --> 00:13:35.499 In fact, I'll throw up a picture of it now. 00:13:35.499 --> 00:13:37.831 You can still go there and see it today. 00:13:37.831 --> 00:13:41.432 Who's, in fact, if any of you been there, seen that tunnel in particular. 00:13:41.432 --> 00:13:42.264 Here's a few hands. 00:13:42.264 --> 00:13:43.432 Yeah, it's still there. 00:13:43.432 --> 00:13:44.198 You can still see it. 00:13:44.198 --> 00:13:48.631 Apparently, you can still pollute it with your flesh as you walk through it barefoot. 00:13:48.631 --> 00:13:52.432 I don't know why this guy's in the picture, but the point being, it's still there. 00:13:52.432 --> 00:13:54.631 The water was sent to this pool. 00:13:54.631 --> 00:13:55.764 That's why it's called the scent. 00:13:55.764 --> 00:13:59.264 But again, there's a reason why. 00:13:59.264 --> 00:14:00.565 And what's the subtlety here? 00:14:00.565 --> 00:14:02.499 What's the inference? 00:14:02.499 --> 00:14:15.198 Jesus, the one who was sent to mankind, is now sending this man to the place of sending to be healed so that he can be sent to those who need to hear about Christ. 00:14:16.865 --> 00:14:18.131 Is this guy getting all that? 00:14:18.131 --> 00:14:20.365 No, of course not. 00:14:20.365 --> 00:14:29.399 But just some of the the hint, the inference, the subtleties that is layered in here for us as we read it and apply it to our lives. 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:44.365 And of course, the inference is, as Christ works in your life, the call is to be sent to tell others, Here's what I've done in my life and we're going to see that guy do that here. 00:14:45.432 --> 00:15:01.264 In fact, let's look at the next set of verses for how he responds, because what's really important and probably the most fascinating part of this whole thing is the fact that he went, Imagine yourself in his shoes. 00:15:01.264 --> 00:15:10.831 You've had kid after kid after kid, spit spill, smear his saliva on you, and now you're telling me I actually got to go somewhere else, even to see this thing through again? 00:15:10.831 --> 00:15:24.331 And it goes, in fact, as we look, the thing I want us to track as we look through this passage, we're going to see this progression and contrast between the blind man and the Pharisees. 00:15:24.331 --> 00:15:25.099 We're going to get to them. 00:15:25.099 --> 00:15:31.831 We're not there yet, but we're going to see a drastic contrast in their view of light, the light of Christ. 00:15:31.831 --> 00:15:46.465 And the first thing we see here with this man is he went and he sees this is the first step in the progression. He went and now he sees his first response to the light. 00:15:46.465 --> 00:15:49.365 His first response to Christ is took him by faith. 00:15:49.365 --> 00:15:53.099 He went, Now he was healed. 00:15:53.099 --> 00:15:56.131 And so now he comes back, says he came back. 00:15:56.131 --> 00:15:59.131 Obviously he's coming back to find the guy who healed him. 00:15:59.899 --> 00:16:01.264 He's not there. 00:16:01.399 --> 00:16:03.798 Let's keep reading verse eight. 00:16:04.599 --> 00:16:13.899 The neighbors in those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, Is this not the man who used to sit and beg some said it is he. 00:16:13.899 --> 00:16:16.899 Others said no, but he is like him. 00:16:16.899 --> 00:16:20.264 He kept saying, I'm the man I know. 00:16:20.264 --> 00:16:22.231 Some of you love this verse right here, right? 00:16:22.231 --> 00:16:23.131 This. You keep saying it. 00:16:23.131 --> 00:16:23.698 I'm the man. 00:16:24.965 --> 00:16:29.731 Anyway, so they said to him, Then how were your eyes opened? 00:16:30.032 --> 00:16:31.198 He answered. 00:16:31.198 --> 00:16:36.731 The man called Jesus made mud and known in my eyes and said to me, Go to Siloam and wash. 00:16:36.731 --> 00:16:40.231 So I went and washed, received my sight. 00:16:40.398 --> 00:16:42.664 They said to him, Where is he? 00:16:43.532 --> 00:16:50.865 He said, I do not know that the inference here at the end is, okay, you say this guy healed you. 00:16:50.865 --> 00:16:51.331 Where is he? 00:16:51.331 --> 00:16:53.197 Where's this so supposed Jesus? 00:16:53.197 --> 00:16:54.298 Who healed you? 00:16:54.498 --> 00:16:55.697 I don't know. 00:16:57.097 --> 00:16:58.932 You know the challenging part of this section? 00:16:58.932 --> 00:16:59.697 It's really interesting. 00:16:59.697 --> 00:17:01.532 This guy gets healed and he comes back. 00:17:01.532 --> 00:17:04.597 This town should be throwing a party for this guy. 00:17:06.964 --> 00:17:08.832 Is it really him? 00:17:08.998 --> 00:17:21.132 Are you sure you're that guy who said at the gate, You know, the hard part of this is a bit tied up a bit in human nature. 00:17:21.998 --> 00:17:32.432 I remember when we lived in Phenix, there were so many homeless people, so many beggars you just got to wear. 00:17:32.432 --> 00:17:37.964 Well, in fact, I've heard it said that the opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. 00:17:38.464 --> 00:17:41.132 You just got to where you just didn't even notice them. 00:17:42.198 --> 00:17:48.698 The same guys sitting by the same trash can at the same gas station every day. 00:17:48.698 --> 00:17:56.265 He just becomes another trash can, just becomes another piece of furniture. 00:17:56.265 --> 00:17:58.498 You just don't even notice. 00:17:58.664 --> 00:18:06.332 No, I don't hate I don't dislike I just don't even acknowledge that they exist as a human. 00:18:06.365 --> 00:18:07.932 And we don't know how old this guy is. 00:18:07.932 --> 00:18:09.632 He's at least 13. 00:18:09.632 --> 00:18:13.265 Given that he can claim legal status to testify about himself. 00:18:13.265 --> 00:18:14.132 We'll see in a little bit. 00:18:15.397 --> 00:18:17.164 He's been sitting there a while. 00:18:19.231 --> 00:18:21.298 We never really paid attention to him. 00:18:21.632 --> 00:18:24.065 Was it that guy or not? 00:18:24.498 --> 00:18:29.298 I don't know, because they're not sure. 00:18:29.298 --> 00:18:30.265 They know. 00:18:30.865 --> 00:18:32.597 We need to get help. 00:18:32.698 --> 00:18:37.432 We need to find someone else who can maybe give us more account of who he is. 00:18:38.065 --> 00:18:53.164 But the powerful part of what he does here in this journey of comparison between the blind man and the Pharisees and their approach to light, here's what he does when they asked him What happened to you, Put that up on the screen. 00:18:53.164 --> 00:18:57.365 He testifies to the truth of what Jesus did in his life. 00:18:57.365 --> 00:19:01.265 He simply says, Here's what Jesus did in my life. 00:19:01.265 --> 00:19:03.265 Here's what happened. 00:19:03.798 --> 00:19:05.231 He doesn't shy away from it. 00:19:05.231 --> 00:19:20.998 He simply states, and this is the beginning really, of truly walking with him is just acknowledging, here's what Jesus has done in my life, acknowledging and then reminding me. 00:19:21.332 --> 00:19:25.231 I've got to be reminded as much as anyone else is of what he did in my life. 00:19:25.231 --> 00:19:39.964 It's too easy to think that he didn't because times are hard or that I actually was the one who accomplished it or some other circumstances simply testified to the truth of what Jesus has done in your life. 00:19:41.065 --> 00:19:43.998 They're not sure if he's the guy or if that really happened. 00:19:43.998 --> 00:19:46.132 And so they're going to bring in outside counsel. 00:19:46.132 --> 00:19:48.765 What they're going to do is they're going to go to the Pharisees. 00:19:49.164 --> 00:19:53.065 Let's look at the next set of verses verse 13 through 15. 00:19:54.265 --> 00:19:58.265 So they brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 00:19:58.265 --> 00:20:01.932 Now it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 00:20:01.932 --> 00:20:11.132 The Pharisees again asked him as the man how he had received his side, and he said to them, he put mud on my eyes and I washed. 00:20:11.132 --> 00:20:12.464 And I see. 00:20:14.432 --> 00:20:18.798 So he's brought to the Pharisees, and you could see why they might do this. 00:20:18.798 --> 00:20:24.498 If someone in your community was radically changed, you'd want other people to know about it. 00:20:24.498 --> 00:20:26.731 But also you might have questions about it. 00:20:26.731 --> 00:20:29.432 You want others to be able to give you their thoughts and opinions. 00:20:29.432 --> 00:20:31.632 And we learn more about the situation here. 00:20:31.632 --> 00:20:36.097 Specifically that not only was he healed, he was healed on the Sabbath. 00:20:37.698 --> 00:20:41.365 Now we have here some clear connections to a previous story. 00:20:41.365 --> 00:20:43.365 We looked at chapter five. 00:20:43.365 --> 00:20:45.365 There was a man, a lame man. 00:20:45.365 --> 00:20:46.964 And there's some interesting parallels here. 00:20:46.964 --> 00:20:47.432 Lay man. 00:20:47.432 --> 00:20:53.731 He was also healed on the Sabbath, also at a pool, a pool of water. 00:20:54.832 --> 00:20:58.731 Their responses to the situation were very different, though. 00:20:58.731 --> 00:21:08.298 This man, the way he responds, the other man at the previous lame man setting was very hesitant to make any claims about Jesus, seemed to be very worried about his social status. 00:21:08.298 --> 00:21:10.031 This guy doesn't care. 00:21:10.031 --> 00:21:11.031 I'm going to tell it. 00:21:11.031 --> 00:21:12.365 I'll tell what happened. 00:21:12.365 --> 00:21:13.731 I'm not worried. 00:21:14.531 --> 00:21:17.332 But they're partly going to be worried because this healing occurred on the Sabbath. 00:21:17.332 --> 00:21:19.932 Was this a legal healing? 00:21:19.932 --> 00:21:23.332 You know, there are a lot of rules about keeping the Sabbath at the time. 00:21:23.332 --> 00:21:25.298 Tons and tons and tons. 00:21:25.298 --> 00:21:28.231 One of them that Jesus possibly broke is making the mud. 00:21:29.298 --> 00:21:29.664 Okay. 00:21:29.664 --> 00:21:35.832 There was a clear rule against the kneading of bread and mud is not bread, but it's the same motion, same activity. 00:21:35.832 --> 00:21:36.964 Jesus, that's not allowed. 00:21:36.964 --> 00:21:38.365 What are you doing? 00:21:38.998 --> 00:21:43.332 But the other one would have been healing someone on the on the Sabbath. 00:21:43.332 --> 00:21:45.597 Now, they weren't completely heartless. 00:21:45.597 --> 00:21:47.632 They allowed for emergency situations. 00:21:47.632 --> 00:21:52.132 I mean, if someone was in a desperate situation, you you could tend to them. 00:21:52.132 --> 00:21:53.597 You could care for them. 00:21:53.597 --> 00:21:55.531 But they make it very specific in their laws. 00:21:55.531 --> 00:21:57.031 And this goes back to a world tradition. 00:21:57.031 --> 00:22:03.031 And Judaism in the Talmud, they make it very specific chronic illnesses can wait. 00:22:03.031 --> 00:22:05.731 Okay, This guy has been blind for who knows how long. 00:22:05.731 --> 00:22:09.164 Jesus, you couldn't wait One more day. Really? 00:22:09.164 --> 00:22:10.065 One more day. 00:22:12.332 --> 00:22:15.765 How many of you would give up a single day of sight? 00:22:18.230 --> 00:22:20.798 No, I couldn't wait one more day. 00:22:20.798 --> 00:22:23.030 And you misunderstand the law. 00:22:23.030 --> 00:22:26.265 You misunderstand the purpose of the Sabbath. 00:22:26.830 --> 00:22:29.865 And so Jesus is constantly just pressing their buttons. 00:22:29.865 --> 00:22:31.597 You don't understand. 00:22:31.597 --> 00:22:32.730 I'm going to show you. 00:22:32.730 --> 00:22:34.530 I'm going to show you who I am. 00:22:34.530 --> 00:22:37.830 I'm going to show you what the Sabbath is. 00:22:37.830 --> 00:22:42.030 Now these guys again, ask him, what's the deal? What happened? 00:22:42.030 --> 00:22:48.798 And I love that he simply tells them again, here's what happened to me. 00:22:48.798 --> 00:22:50.897 Here's what happened to me. 00:22:50.897 --> 00:22:53.664 And let's look at how they respond to this. 00:22:55.230 --> 00:22:59.330 Some of the Pharisees said this man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath. 00:22:59.330 --> 00:23:04.464 But others said, how can a man who is a sinner do such a son? 00:23:05.730 --> 00:23:06.998 There was a division among them. 00:23:06.998 --> 00:23:13.631 So they again said to the blind man, What do you say about him since he has opened your eyes? 00:23:13.631 --> 00:23:17.298 And he said he is a prophet. 00:23:17.631 --> 00:23:27.397 Okay, So the powerful part of what's happening here now that he's converged with the Pharisees, because his response to the light and their response to the light is in pretty direct contrast here. 00:23:27.397 --> 00:23:31.698 And if you look at the verse, in fact, the summary of this I think could go up on the screen. 00:23:31.698 --> 00:23:36.730 Pharisees are divided, but he is enlightened. 00:23:37.698 --> 00:23:46.431 So we went from his personal testimony, which is here's what Jesus did in my life, which by the way, the power of your personal testimony is so wonderful as an evangelistic tool. 00:23:46.431 --> 00:23:59.464 If you're looking to share your faith with others, especially in this day and age, that's one of the most powerful things you can do, is just tell your story of what Jesus did in your life, because people will say, Well, the Bible's not true, or they'll say, Christianity's all messed up. 00:23:59.464 --> 00:24:03.097 Think of all the wrong that's happened through it, or you can't Jesus, Really? 00:24:03.097 --> 00:24:04.298 God, Come on. 00:24:04.298 --> 00:24:05.330 You think all that's true? 00:24:05.330 --> 00:24:07.198 I mean, they'll argue on point, left and right. 00:24:07.198 --> 00:24:11.431 But when you say this happened to me, now listen to that. 00:24:11.431 --> 00:24:13.498 I'll usually listen to that. 00:24:13.498 --> 00:24:19.897 They usually won't argue with that, especially if they've seen the change in your life. 00:24:19.897 --> 00:24:24.164 But he goes from personal testimony now to theological statement. 00:24:24.164 --> 00:24:28.530 Not only did he work in my life, you want to know who I think he is? 00:24:29.230 --> 00:24:30.931 He's a prophet. 00:24:32.097 --> 00:24:34.530 His boldness keeps increasing. 00:24:36.030 --> 00:24:37.798 He's a prophet. 00:24:38.030 --> 00:24:48.330 Now we know that Jesus is more than a prophet, which is an important thing to remember, especially for new believers even now. 00:24:48.464 --> 00:24:54.298 But when you're a new believer, do you understand everything there is to know about Christianity and who Jesus is at that point? 00:24:54.298 --> 00:24:56.464 No, no. 00:24:56.931 --> 00:24:59.664 You're just beginning to know who he is. 00:24:59.664 --> 00:25:01.998 There's a term called progressive revelation. 00:25:01.998 --> 00:25:05.865 He progressively reveals himself to you over time, both in Scripture. 00:25:05.865 --> 00:25:09.365 Genesis one one doesn't have everything about who God is in it. 00:25:09.365 --> 00:25:12.597 It gets revealed over time and Scripture unfolds. 00:25:12.597 --> 00:25:14.298 That's true in your own life as well. 00:25:14.298 --> 00:25:19.230 The way you view him now is massively different than when you first came to know him. 00:25:19.230 --> 00:25:24.198 And a good reminder that you're going to know even more about him if you think you have him all completely figured out. 00:25:24.198 --> 00:25:29.498 Right now, there's more to be unfolded in who he is in this earth and in the life to come. 00:25:31.298 --> 00:25:34.865 But his response is to say he's a prophet. 00:25:34.865 --> 00:25:38.131 And their response is to say, I don't know. 00:25:38.397 --> 00:25:42.030 I'm not so sure they're divided. 00:25:42.265 --> 00:25:46.698 So we continue to see divergent paths on how they respond to the life. 00:25:48.798 --> 00:25:50.565 What happens next is pretty shocking. 00:25:50.565 --> 00:25:52.830 The way they respond to his statement that he's a prophet. 00:25:52.830 --> 00:26:02.565 Look at verse 18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his side. 00:26:02.565 --> 00:26:07.865 And they asked him, Is this your son who you say was born blind? 00:26:07.865 --> 00:26:10.865 How then does he now see? 00:26:10.865 --> 00:26:15.931 His parents answered, We know this is our son, that he was born blind. 00:26:15.931 --> 00:26:20.664 How he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him. 00:26:20.664 --> 00:26:21.698 He is of age. 00:26:21.698 --> 00:26:23.431 He will speak for himself. 00:26:23.431 --> 00:26:27.298 We get a little bit of commentary on here on what was really going on in their hearts. 00:26:27.298 --> 00:26:28.198 We don't always get that. 00:26:28.198 --> 00:26:33.131 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews for the Jews. 00:26:33.131 --> 00:26:42.897 And again, that phrase Jews is often used to refer specifically not to the whole Jewish population, but to the religious leaders specifically, often the Pharisees. 00:26:45.131 --> 00:26:55.131 They were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, He was to be put out of the synagogue, which would radically change your whole life. 00:26:55.664 --> 00:26:56.798 A lot was at stake. 00:26:56.798 --> 00:26:59.830 It's not just going on down the road to another church. 00:26:59.830 --> 00:27:02.664 This is getting kicked out of the community. 00:27:03.698 --> 00:27:06.330 Therefore, his parents said he was of age. 00:27:06.330 --> 00:27:09.565 Ask him now were they right and wrong in doing this? 00:27:09.565 --> 00:27:12.998 I don't know where they're being too soft. 00:27:12.998 --> 00:27:13.998 Were they passing the buck? 00:27:13.998 --> 00:27:16.631 I don't I don't know. 00:27:16.631 --> 00:27:30.897 But the response of the Pharisees in this moment, in fact, it says here the thing that colors this whole section in verse 18, they did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight. 00:27:30.897 --> 00:27:35.698 They didn't believe until now. 00:27:35.698 --> 00:27:40.830 They do believe that this is the guy who he says who he is and he received sight. 00:27:41.431 --> 00:27:43.597 But we don't believe how it happened. 00:27:43.597 --> 00:27:46.664 We don't believe in the one who claims to have done this. 00:27:46.664 --> 00:27:48.663 This doesn't make them believe in Jesus more. 00:27:48.663 --> 00:27:53.263 In fact, it pushes him them further away from him. 00:27:53.263 --> 00:27:58.698 And, you know, the really sad part of this is this is the moment when they should be throwing a party. 00:27:58.830 --> 00:28:00.597 They should be throwing a party for those parents. 00:28:00.597 --> 00:28:02.498 These are the religious leaders in the community. 00:28:02.498 --> 00:28:05.897 They should be throwing a party for this guy whose life is now radically changed. 00:28:07.230 --> 00:28:10.897 And instead they're just questioning every little element that this really happened. 00:28:10.897 --> 00:28:12.864 Is this a good thing or a bad thing? 00:28:12.864 --> 00:28:15.198 They're just totally ruining the whole moment. 00:28:17.298 --> 00:28:22.030 I think back to here just not too long ago when we had the Asbury Revival over at Asbury College. 00:28:22.030 --> 00:28:25.763 Wilmore, Kentucky, Some of you I know went there to experience it. 00:28:25.763 --> 00:28:32.763 In fact, one of our own, Caroline Cobb, Troy Melendez daughter, Caroline, she's not here today because she's finishing up school. 00:28:32.763 --> 00:28:34.631 She's up at Grace College in Indiana. 00:28:34.631 --> 00:28:36.030 It's about 4 hours north of here. 00:28:36.030 --> 00:28:41.530 And she told me some of her experience when that revival broke out. 00:28:41.530 --> 00:28:44.597 She was in a low point in life. 00:28:44.597 --> 00:28:46.064 She was injured. She's a runner. 00:28:46.064 --> 00:28:50.330 She runs for the school, couldn't go to the meet that weekend. 00:28:50.330 --> 00:28:57.798 So she's stuck at home facing some other challenges in her personal life in school and just feeling low. 00:28:57.798 --> 00:29:02.030 She saw a message that a group from the from church were going to the revival. 00:29:02.030 --> 00:29:04.463 And she says, I'm going I'm going to go by faith. 00:29:04.463 --> 00:29:05.798 I'm going to be a part of that. 00:29:05.798 --> 00:29:08.763 HOPSON The car comes down here, joins in with them. 00:29:08.763 --> 00:29:18.298 They get to Asbury, they're walking toward the chapel and the whole group, all of them said, We experience something like we never have before. 00:29:18.298 --> 00:29:23.163 The sense, the awareness that we were moving into a holy space was like never before. 00:29:23.163 --> 00:29:26.564 And I can't put words to it and I still can't. 00:29:29.631 --> 00:29:43.431 Now, one of the challenges with that revival, I heard from a number of different I never actually personally read any of the stories because I didn't want to, but I saw the headlines on Here's all the Problems with the Asbury Revival. 00:29:44.431 --> 00:29:46.230 Here's all the things they're doing wrong. 00:29:46.230 --> 00:29:49.064 Here's why it's not a genuine revival. 00:29:49.064 --> 00:29:52.564 Here's how their beliefs can't lead to revival. 00:29:53.131 --> 00:29:55.230 And I'm not saying Asbury is perfect. 00:29:55.230 --> 00:29:57.163 I'm not saying the revival was perfect. 00:29:57.163 --> 00:29:59.431 I'm not saying the people there were perfect. 00:29:59.431 --> 00:30:01.431 I'm not saying that everyone's motives were right. 00:30:03.698 --> 00:30:09.431 Do you give me a 20 year old coin, the seat, the presence of the Lord in a low moment in life? 00:30:09.431 --> 00:30:11.897 I'll take that all day long. 00:30:13.097 --> 00:30:20.597 And so she walks in, and as she's walking in, though, she gets a text message from someone. 00:30:20.597 --> 00:30:22.064 And it was a difficult situation. 00:30:22.064 --> 00:30:25.998 She was already dealing with it and it just derailed her. 00:30:25.998 --> 00:30:28.097 It made the whole thing worse. 00:30:28.097 --> 00:30:30.097 And I don't think it was any coincidence that that happens. 00:30:30.097 --> 00:30:37.198 Right as she's going in to seek the Lord, hungry to hear from him, knowing that his presence is there, wanting to hear from him. 00:30:37.198 --> 00:30:38.798 Is that a coincidence? No. 00:30:40.864 --> 00:30:59.564 But she goes on in, finds her spot and just begins to worship, begins to pray, weeping, still troubled by this text message, and all of a sudden some random person from across the balcony comes walking all the way over to her. 00:30:59.730 --> 00:31:02.131 No older lady, you know, probably my age. 00:31:02.131 --> 00:31:09.431 So old comes walking over to her and she says, God is telling me to come pray for you. 00:31:09.498 --> 00:31:19.564 And begins to tell her very specific things about what she's facing and prays for her and others around her, begin to pray over her. 00:31:21.298 --> 00:31:25.963 She said, John, I'll never forget that moment as long as I live. 00:31:25.963 --> 00:31:28.698 I know that God speaks. 00:31:28.698 --> 00:31:31.931 I know he will speak to me. 00:31:33.230 --> 00:31:34.830 I don't know what you were doing at 20 years old. 00:31:35.897 --> 00:31:37.963 We speak in the Lord's face like that. 00:31:37.963 --> 00:31:41.631 I mean, we should be celebrating that and throwing a party. 00:31:41.631 --> 00:31:44.064 We obviously we need to use wisdom. 00:31:44.064 --> 00:31:46.730 We need to be careful theologically. 00:31:46.730 --> 00:31:48.463 We need to be wise. 00:31:50.431 --> 00:31:53.530 And I look back on moments where God spoke to me. 00:31:53.530 --> 00:31:56.431 I mean, those are anchor points in my life. 00:31:56.663 --> 00:32:02.931 In fact, as she told me that story, I thought, why am I not that way every single day? 00:32:03.131 --> 00:32:04.830 Why does it have to be some special event? 00:32:04.830 --> 00:32:06.597 Maybe that's the criticism of me. 00:32:06.597 --> 00:32:09.198 Why does it have to be some special event? 00:32:09.431 --> 00:32:09.830 Why not? 00:32:09.830 --> 00:32:17.897 Every single day I wake up expecting to hear from him, and that way I don't think the problem is with God. 00:32:22.364 --> 00:32:23.698 They should be throwing a party. 00:32:25.064 --> 00:32:28.631 And yet they're criticizing. 00:32:31.263 --> 00:32:32.498 How does it continue from here? 00:32:32.498 --> 00:32:35.064 Here's what they say to them in verse 24. 00:32:36.131 --> 00:32:41.698 So for the second time, they called the man back who had been blind and said to him, Give glory to God. 00:32:41.698 --> 00:32:45.397 We know this man is a sinner. 00:32:46.698 --> 00:32:51.463 He answered, Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know. 00:32:51.698 --> 00:33:06.030 One thing I do know, though I was blind, I now see one of the things we see here is the reality on this progression of how the light is exposing their hearts. 00:33:06.198 --> 00:33:09.963 The next step along the way is his life changes. 00:33:10.364 --> 00:33:11.597 It's going to be up on the screen. 00:33:11.597 --> 00:33:15.298 His life changes, their hearts harden. 00:33:15.298 --> 00:33:17.530 The sun is the light is softening. 00:33:17.530 --> 00:33:23.163 His heart and they're hardening against it. 00:33:24.131 --> 00:33:25.431 And we see that here. Really? 00:33:25.431 --> 00:33:28.364 Did this happen? Tell us again. 00:33:28.364 --> 00:33:34.763 And he says, I now see my life has been changed. 00:33:34.763 --> 00:33:43.030 Now, when they use this phrase give glory to God, they don't mean let's praise him together for what God is doing. 00:33:43.064 --> 00:33:44.297 Now, this is a warning. 00:33:44.297 --> 00:33:51.330 This goes back to Joshua seven, when Akin, who was supposed to not take stuff from the city they had just taken. 00:33:51.330 --> 00:33:54.096 He took stuff, hid it in his tent. 00:33:54.096 --> 00:33:56.230 God's wrath is being poured out on the whole community. 00:33:56.230 --> 00:34:03.463 They narrow it down to him and they say they start with give glory to God, Tell us the truth. 00:34:03.463 --> 00:34:05.163 That's what the statement is. 00:34:05.163 --> 00:34:10.697 Be very careful about what you say next, because your whole existence depends on what you say next. 00:34:10.697 --> 00:34:12.831 That's this is a phrase of intimidation. 00:34:14.097 --> 00:34:18.030 Give glory to God, Tell the truth, meaning agree with us. 00:34:18.030 --> 00:34:20.396 This man is a sinner. 00:34:21.297 --> 00:34:23.264 They're not out for the truth. 00:34:23.331 --> 00:34:25.331 And he starts to hone in on this. 00:34:26.197 --> 00:34:30.797 He starts to realize this is just intimidation. 00:34:30.797 --> 00:34:32.130 And I love how he responds to this. 00:34:32.130 --> 00:34:36.963 In fact, on the screen, they intimidate, he proclaims. 00:34:38.063 --> 00:34:43.764 In the midst of the intimidation he continues to proclaim he doesn't let off the gas. 00:34:43.764 --> 00:34:45.264 I don't know what you're talking about. 00:34:45.264 --> 00:34:48.597 I can see y'all keep believing what you want. 00:34:48.597 --> 00:34:53.563 I can see he doesn't shy away from that. 00:34:53.563 --> 00:34:56.697 Here's what he's done in my life. 00:34:56.697 --> 00:34:57.996 It's so refreshing to see. 00:34:57.996 --> 00:35:00.864 Of course they love that and they keep responding. 00:35:00.864 --> 00:35:06.097 In verse 26, they said to him, What did he do to you? 00:35:09.231 --> 00:35:11.797 How did he open your eyes? 00:35:11.797 --> 00:35:13.364 He answered them. 00:35:14.130 --> 00:35:17.063 I told you already you would not listen. 00:35:17.063 --> 00:35:18.264 Why do you want to hear it again? 00:35:18.264 --> 00:35:22.030 Do you also want to become his disciples? 00:35:22.030 --> 00:35:23.331 I love that he knows. 00:35:23.331 --> 00:35:26.130 Look, at this point, they're just trying to trip me up. 00:35:26.130 --> 00:35:27.396 They're trying to entrap me. 00:35:27.396 --> 00:35:29.130 They're trying to undermine my story. 00:35:29.130 --> 00:35:31.164 They're trying to get rid of me. 00:35:31.164 --> 00:35:35.130 Do you also want to be tongue in cheek, become his disciples? 00:35:35.130 --> 00:35:42.164 He knows they don't, but he knows they're not sincere. 00:35:42.264 --> 00:35:45.463 And what I love about this is the model this gives for us. 00:35:45.463 --> 00:35:55.097 First, Peter to 23 says that when Jesus was reviled, he did not revile in return. 00:35:55.331 --> 00:35:56.664 Okay, this is tongue in cheek. 00:35:56.664 --> 00:35:57.630 This is light hearted. 00:35:59.097 --> 00:36:09.396 In fact, how they respond to him next shows the pinnacle of their heart compared to his look at verse 28. 00:36:11.697 --> 00:36:17.731 And they reviled him, reviled, abused him as another way to translate. 00:36:19.563 --> 00:36:22.097 They reviled him. 00:36:23.130 --> 00:36:28.664 They said to him, You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 00:36:28.664 --> 00:36:30.697 We know that God has spoken to Moses. 00:36:30.697 --> 00:36:35.731 But as for this man, meaning Jesus, we don't know where He's from. 00:36:37.664 --> 00:36:39.530 I love how he responds to this reviling. 00:36:39.530 --> 00:36:41.530 He gives them a sermon, right? 00:36:41.831 --> 00:36:43.364 A spontaneous sermon. 00:36:43.364 --> 00:36:45.130 The man answered Why? 00:36:45.130 --> 00:36:46.764 This is an amazing thing. 00:36:46.764 --> 00:36:48.530 You do not know where he comes from. 00:36:48.530 --> 00:36:51.164 And yet he opened my eyes. 00:36:51.164 --> 00:36:55.297 Yet we know that God does not listen to sinners. 00:36:55.297 --> 00:36:58.731 But if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to him. 00:36:58.731 --> 00:37:03.197 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 00:37:05.396 --> 00:37:08.864 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. 00:37:08.864 --> 00:37:10.463 They answered him. 00:37:10.463 --> 00:37:12.097 You were born in utter sin. 00:37:12.097 --> 00:37:14.231 You would teach us. 00:37:14.231 --> 00:37:16.164 And they cast him out. 00:37:16.431 --> 00:37:18.030 And here's what happens in this moment. 00:37:18.030 --> 00:37:23.063 They revile, they abuse, and he becomes fearless. 00:37:23.063 --> 00:37:25.530 And that's one of the words we've been talking about this year. 00:37:25.530 --> 00:37:35.963 Free and fearless, freedom from sin, fearless moving towards freedom from the fear of others, free to boldly proclaim the gospel. 00:37:35.963 --> 00:37:37.197 That's Philippians 114. 00:37:37.197 --> 00:37:40.364 That's one of our theme verses for the year. 00:37:40.496 --> 00:37:48.297 Fearless to boldly proclaim the Gospel without fear and his boldness has increased dramatically. 00:37:48.297 --> 00:37:50.331 He's gone from Somebody healed me. 00:37:51.664 --> 00:37:53.463 He was Jesus. 00:37:54.130 --> 00:37:55.764 He's a prophet. 00:37:55.963 --> 00:37:58.197 And I'm going to say it again and again. 00:37:58.197 --> 00:38:05.931 I'm on a preach to the religious leaders who don't believe I've been sent to them to declare the truth of the Gospel to them. 00:38:09.996 --> 00:38:13.331 I think there's five important principles for us that come out of this. 00:38:13.331 --> 00:38:15.331 I want to run through these quickly. 00:38:16.731 --> 00:38:20.431 First, God can use anyone. 00:38:20.731 --> 00:38:21.164 Okay. 00:38:21.164 --> 00:38:25.130 Whatever your physical deformities are, if you were born blind. 00:38:25.130 --> 00:38:28.331 Oh, by the way, we're all born blind. 00:38:28.331 --> 00:38:31.697 Every one of us spiritually was born blind. 00:38:31.697 --> 00:38:38.164 Even if you were born with physical sight, that you still owe your sight completely to God. 00:38:38.164 --> 00:38:42.530 It's not like I did a better job in the womb of forming my eyesight than that other person. 00:38:42.530 --> 00:38:44.797 I worked so hard in that moment. 00:38:45.963 --> 00:38:50.931 No God can use anyone, no matter what you've been through. 00:38:50.931 --> 00:38:56.563 In fact, I would say because of what he you've been through, he's going to use that. 00:38:57.030 --> 00:38:59.664 He's going to use your story in someone's life. 00:39:01.829 --> 00:39:03.630 You're not unusable. 00:39:04.230 --> 00:39:09.730 Second, it's not about how great we are. 00:39:10.496 --> 00:39:13.364 Yes, this man needs to go watch. 00:39:13.364 --> 00:39:17.197 But it wasn't because of how amazing he was at washing. 00:39:17.197 --> 00:39:23.197 It wasn't because of the water of the pool and how purifying it was. 00:39:23.197 --> 00:39:27.297 There was one actor in this and it was Jesus. 00:39:28.530 --> 00:39:30.864 Jesus is the one who healed. 00:39:30.864 --> 00:39:35.364 We got to keep that in mind in the midst of whatever we're facing, good or bad. 00:39:35.364 --> 00:39:37.496 He is the one who moves. 00:39:37.496 --> 00:39:39.264 He's the one we depend on. 00:39:39.264 --> 00:39:48.697 And then number three, the powerful part of this is that what happens here is just simply be available again. 00:39:48.697 --> 00:39:50.630 This guy didn't do anything amazing. 00:39:50.630 --> 00:39:59.230 He wasn't even crying out for Jesus to come over to him, but just be available, be available. 00:39:59.230 --> 00:40:08.396 And when he says, move, go, respond, be ready to do what he says. 00:40:08.396 --> 00:40:13.396 I'm reminded of Naiman in the Old Testament when the Prophet said to him, If you want to be healed, go wash in the river. 00:40:13.396 --> 00:40:15.630 And he's like, That river looks pretty nasty. 00:40:15.630 --> 00:40:17.396 How's that going to help me Forget it? 00:40:18.829 --> 00:40:21.530 But as a little servant girl said, at least try. 00:40:21.530 --> 00:40:22.996 At least try. 00:40:22.996 --> 00:40:24.496 What's it going to hurt? 00:40:24.896 --> 00:40:28.230 Go wash, go be available. 00:40:28.230 --> 00:40:29.197 Simply be available. 00:40:29.197 --> 00:40:31.530 Okay. Lord, I can't see it. 00:40:31.896 --> 00:40:33.164 I don't understand it. 00:40:33.164 --> 00:40:35.463 I don't know how it's going to work out. 00:40:35.697 --> 00:40:36.164 I'm. 00:40:36.164 --> 00:40:37.896 I'm going to trust you. 00:40:39.630 --> 00:40:45.396 And then number four, take time to see the unseen. 00:40:48.597 --> 00:40:51.429 I'm preaching this to myself as much as anyone. 00:40:51.429 --> 00:40:58.996 It is hard to admit that people became road furniture, trash cans unseen. 00:41:01.164 --> 00:41:03.164 I don't know who that is in your life. 00:41:03.630 --> 00:41:08.463 Take time to see the unseen and here's why. Number five. 00:41:08.463 --> 00:41:12.630 And I want everyone here to hear this as much as anything else. 00:41:15.130 --> 00:41:17.164 Jesus sees you. 00:41:17.496 --> 00:41:20.963 Why can we take the time to see others? 00:41:21.664 --> 00:41:23.530 He sees you. 00:41:23.996 --> 00:41:25.697 This is the first verse of this section. 00:41:25.697 --> 00:41:27.563 Look back at verse one. 00:41:27.730 --> 00:41:38.496 As he passed by, he saw a man, all the other people who are there, everyone else who wants Jesus's attention. 00:41:38.496 --> 00:41:46.396 Jesus saw him and Jesus sees you no matter what you're going through. He sees you. 00:41:46.396 --> 00:41:48.630 He knows where you are. 00:41:50.396 --> 00:41:55.197 As a preparing for this message, though, I got to say there was one person I had in mind more than any other. 00:41:57.264 --> 00:41:58.097 It was one person. 00:41:58.097 --> 00:41:59.496 I kept thinking the entire time. 00:41:59.496 --> 00:42:04.230 I got to know what he thinks about this passage as one of our own. 00:42:04.230 --> 00:42:08.563 Bill Brooks, better known as Eddie Lee's husband. Right. 00:42:08.563 --> 00:42:09.364 We know Eddie least. 00:42:09.364 --> 00:42:13.996 She's a children's minister, children's pastor here, Bill Bailey. 00:42:14.130 --> 00:42:14.963 Bill Lee. 00:42:14.963 --> 00:42:17.197 That's probably right, Bill. 00:42:17.197 --> 00:42:20.396 We'll just stick with Bill is blind. 00:42:20.996 --> 00:42:27.463 Bill can't see he wasn't blind from birth, though This happened later in life. 00:42:27.463 --> 00:42:29.630 I personally wish he would have been blind from birth. 00:42:29.630 --> 00:42:38.764 That sounds harsh, but I would have gotten in less trouble when he was my leader and a witness or royal ambassadors if we couldn't see back then, it was a degenerative disease. 00:42:39.264 --> 00:42:40.797 So he wasn't born that way. 00:42:40.797 --> 00:42:47.496 But I asked Bill, I called him and I said, Bill, I need to hear your perspective on this passage. 00:42:47.496 --> 00:42:53.829 I can't get up and preach this in front of you without hearing your perspective on passage. 00:42:54.396 --> 00:42:58.829 And of course, he did an amazing job of talking about the theological points of the passage. 00:42:58.829 --> 00:43:05.130 Much of what we've covered immediately were at the front of his mind because you want to talk about passages he's dwelt on in Scripture. 00:43:05.130 --> 00:43:07.530 This is near the top of the list. 00:43:07.697 --> 00:43:13.530 It's more relevant to him than anyone else in this room, he said. 00:43:13.530 --> 00:43:15.496 But John, let me tell you what this means to me. 00:43:15.496 --> 00:43:16.364 There's the theology. 00:43:16.364 --> 00:43:19.429 Let me tell you what this means to me personally. 00:43:20.329 --> 00:43:25.496 So many times I've asked God why God, why? 00:43:26.164 --> 00:43:28.463 Why did you allow this into my life? 00:43:31.329 --> 00:43:34.896 And he said, To be clear, I've asked God to heal me many times. 00:43:34.896 --> 00:43:36.797 In fact, I remember the sun. 00:43:36.797 --> 00:43:37.764 He came down front. 00:43:37.764 --> 00:43:40.396 We were praying for healing for many. 00:43:40.396 --> 00:43:41.664 He came down and asked for healing. 00:43:41.664 --> 00:43:43.896 I got to tell you, that was very moving to me. Where? 00:43:43.896 --> 00:43:44.996 Where is my faith? 00:43:44.996 --> 00:43:46.797 What kind of things have I just accepted? 00:43:46.797 --> 00:43:48.996 What kind of things am I not praying for God to move? 00:43:48.996 --> 00:43:56.829 Where have given up hope that he might change and heal now? Bill, Maybe he'll heal today. 00:43:58.829 --> 00:44:00.063 I've asked. 00:44:01.164 --> 00:44:03.329 But John, here's where I've landed. 00:44:04.130 --> 00:44:07.929 And this is where this passage has meant so much to him. 00:44:08.197 --> 00:44:18.996 Whether God chooses to heal or not, I'm going to trust that His glory is at work, whether I can see or not. 00:44:19.829 --> 00:44:26.496 He's in control, whether I ever receive back my physical sight. 00:44:26.496 --> 00:44:29.463 And this is a thing for all of us to hear. 00:44:29.697 --> 00:44:32.097 He still sees me. 00:44:33.329 --> 00:44:34.429 Let's pray. 00:44:40.097 --> 00:44:41.429 God, we thank you for your word. 00:44:41.429 --> 00:44:45.663 We thank you that your word gives us hope. 00:44:46.097 --> 00:44:48.797 We don't always feel seen. 00:44:49.396 --> 00:44:51.929 We don't always feel like you care. 00:44:54.463 --> 00:45:04.329 Thank you for a passage like this that proclaims loudly how much you care, how much you love. 00:45:04.329 --> 00:45:06.829 I thank you for the testimony of this man who says. 00:45:06.829 --> 00:45:08.797 I don't know what you think. 00:45:08.797 --> 00:45:27.329 I see, you know, before I continue praying and here's what I want to do and maybe just keep your eyes closed if you're someone who feels unseen by the Lord, I'd love to just pray for you. 00:45:27.329 --> 00:45:28.429 Now, just raise your hand. 00:45:29.896 --> 00:45:33.862 Hopefully others aren't looking around at you, staring at you. 00:45:34.030 --> 00:45:37.396 I just want to pray over you now. 00:45:37.829 --> 00:45:41.829 And in fact, you can lower your hands if you feel comfortable. 00:45:41.829 --> 00:45:48.297 If you want others to lay their hands on you, just raise your hand again where you are and maybe look around around you. 00:45:48.297 --> 00:45:52.262 If there's someone with their hand up, just put your hand on them while I pray. 00:45:52.262 --> 00:45:54.130 Again, no pressure. 00:45:55.996 --> 00:45:59.797 God, I pray today for those who feel unseen. 00:45:59.797 --> 00:46:03.030 There'd be an overwhelming sense of your presence in their life today. 00:46:03.030 --> 00:46:06.530 Much like when Caroline walked in to Asbury. 00:46:06.530 --> 00:46:11.996 A sense that you're going to move, that you're going to do something new today, starting today. 00:46:14.329 --> 00:46:35.030 At the same time, I prayed, just like with Bill, that there would be a complete and utter dependance on trust, on the reality that you're still there, that you're still present, that you are getting glory even in the midst of whatever trials or challenges we face. 00:46:37.130 --> 00:46:41.896 I pray as a church Lord, that we can pour out your love to others. 00:46:42.896 --> 00:46:46.996 We would be seen and we would see others. 00:46:46.996 --> 00:46:47.797 We love you, Jesus. 00:46:47.797 --> 00:46:50.197 We thank you for this day. Amen.