Man Born Blind

Sermon Style Sheet

Write that down in your formation Journal

Illustration

Sermon Text

Sermon Text: Scripture

Call to Worship

Psalm 139:14 CSB

14 I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.

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Passage:

Formation Journal Page Number: 3:30-4:20

John 9:1–12 CSB

1 As he was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him. 4 We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After he said these things he spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he left, washed, and came back seeing. 8 His neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit begging?” 9 Some said, “He’s the one.” Others were saying, “No, but he looks like him.” He kept saying, “I’m the one.” 10 So they asked him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So when I went and washed I received my sight.” 12 “Where is he?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he said.

Opening Illustration:

Nicaragua

Poverty is a mindset

We want a reason for suffering - we want to know why this is happening

When we see someone else suffering - We want a reason that excludes us

they did something wrong, they deserved it.

But what Jesus is going to point to is that [Our hope in suffering is not knowing the reason but knowing THE KING.]

time

Getting into the Sermon

time

John 1-5

John 6-8 they hate hime and that hate is growing.

John 9:1–2 CSB

1 As he was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

This was a common thing - we always look for reasons for suffering. We look for the reasons for our suffering and we look for the reasons for other people’s sufferings.

We want to know why other people are suffering so that we cna know if they deserve it or not. Should I feel bad for you or not.

If they did something to deserve it, then we excuse ourselves from pity and instead we feel self righteous.

Whose fault was this suffering? That’s what they are asking and the answer is one of the most difficult answers in the Bible, even though we can often gloss over it.

John 9:3 CSB

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him.

Now, let’s not run past this. What is the work that God wanted to display in this man?

In life we all have suffering. God created perfect

Sin is both the evil we do and the supernatural that ruins the world

Lie to your boss you might get fired and that’s suffering

Do drugs while pregnant your child could have birth defects related to that.

He’s broadening beyond those two options in a way that’s going to tell, that we don’t always get to know the reason.

So what’s going on here - I think of it this way [God is using a SPECIFIC example to teach us a GENERAL lesson]

The specific example is the man born blind.

Now, part of the suffering that this person faced was being born blind. I’m sure he had other bad things happen to him. But this was the defining suffering in his life. He couldn’t work, probably means he wouldn’t get married. He had significant suffering because of this.

The disciples wanted a reason and a reason that comforted them that they are better then this poor man.

The reason Jesus gives breaks their categories. Their category was specific sin. You do something bad things happen.

Jesus gives the reason, he was born blind so that Jesus could demonstrate his power, love and victory over the effects of sin through him. That is the reason Jesus gave.

Look at the tie in with his preaching and his miracle.

John 9:4–7 CSB

4 We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After he said these things he spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he left, washed, and came back seeing.

And then Jesus healed the man and he became a Christian. He’s a fun guy, we’ll hear some more of his story next week.

Now that reality is hard for some people. Did God mistreat this man? That’s at the heart of our discomfort with it.

So let me ask you this, do you think the blind man see’s himself as a victim right now. He exists right now. We believe he is consience in heaven right now, does he see himself as a wrongly used victim?

Of course not. You see, he’s not a victim because he was going to suffer no matter what. We all suffer. We aren’t all healed. We aren’t all exalted like this man. You see, he suffered like we all do, but he got some glory that we don’t all get.

The pharisees that he runs into. The ones who never believed and are in hell. Do you think they comfort themselves with the thought, “well, at least I wasn’t born blind.” No, they don’t comfort themselves with the benefits they had in this life. They would probably all trade places with this man in a heartbeat.

So what about us?

Because we face suffering and hardship and we want to know th reason.

Here’s the principal: We don’t need to know the reason ,we need to know the king.

We need to know the king because we aren’t him. We aren’t in control. That was the thing during covid that was so unnerving. There was a sickness that was floating around that we couldn’t control.

[Life being out of OUR control doesn’t mean the life is out of control.]

There is a king. Part of the reason why Jesus used the mud was to remind us that he was the one who created us in the first place. He created us out of mud. We are dust, we can’t control anything, but God is in control.

[Hard Providence- God is still lovingly in control while we suffer.]

Even though it’s really difficult, I know it’s not out of control

When we were in Nicaragua and we were facing leaving the country and great loss - one of the biggest sources of hope was knowing that it wasn’t a dictator who was really in control, it was the king of kings and the Lord of lords. He was the one in control.

[We need to know the king because He LOVES us.]

Jesus knew what was best for the blind man. He knew how to love him best. You might be offended on the blind man’s behalf but you don’t know what was best, the king does. You don’t love the blind man more than Jesus does.

That’s true for you too. You have hope when you know that the King loves you.

Your suffering isn’t in the hands of someone who is indifferent to you.

We had a delayed flight, waiting in line. That person didn’t care about us. They didn’t feel bad for us. We were just a number.

But look, Jesus knows your name. You were adopted. You are His child.

[We don’t need to know the reason because we wouldn’t UNDERSTAND ANYWAY.]

Explain it to me like I’m a 9 year old, ok like I am a 5 year old.

Think about this man. God revealed him specifically. Think about the various things that God has done.

First, it was for the good of the disciples.

Second, it was for the good of the man himself.

Third, it was for the people of the day

Fourth it was to show his love

Fifth it was to show his power

Sixth it was to show his divinity

Seventh it was to be a lasting testament of God’s love, power etc.

Eighth, it was to be an impact on me, Tony Elswick.

Ninth, it was to be an impact on David

tenth it was to have an impact on Terrie

Right we can go on and on and on. We could never exhaust the complexity of this one miracle in this one man’s life even with an explanation. Can we do it for yours?

[We don’t have the CAPACITY to understand but we have the CAPACITY to trust]

Is our sense of fairness - why me, why this.

And ultimately we trust the king because [The king doesn’t ask you to suffer MORE for him than he has suffered for you.]

How has he demonstrated his love and goodwill for you?

I want you to think of it this way, we talk about being all-in about giving your time, treasure and testimony to God. So is God all in on you. Can you trust him.

forknew

He gave you his time: he lives and breaths to pray for you. You sleep but he doesn’t. While you sleep, he’s praying for you.

He has been orchastrating your salvation since before you were born. He has devoted more time to you than you could ever devote to him.

Think about treasure as sacrficie of your standard of living. You could be living at this level but you give so you have to lower your standard of living.

God was in heaven with all the glories - does he ask more from you than he’s given for you?

Testimony - He had angels singing his praises to people who curse him. in last week’s passage they said to the God of the unvierse, are you not demon possessed?

Is there any suffering that you are going through that is greater then the God of the universe, choosing to come into this world, facing the hardship and general suffering of this life - he got hungry, he got thirsty, he felt pain, stress. He was beaten and killed. And he chose it for you.

Why? Because without him we would have been doomed

Gospel

{ABC’s of the Repentance.}

Does this sound like the person you could trust?

You can trust him with your soul

You can trust him with your suffering.

Now that doesn’t mean that we have to like it or understand it. It doesn’t mean that we can’t even question god about why.

We can do all that, we should do all that. The Psalms of Lament do exactly that!

End of ourselves - we see God.

Job never gets to know the reason but he does get to know the king.

Job 42:5 CSB

5 I had heard reports about you, but now my eyes have seen you.

That’s one way that we get to know God.

Let’s help each other. Let’s walk with each other. Don’t rush to the happiness. The bible says though sorrow lasts for the night, joy comes in the morning. For many people it’s still night. Let’s remember that. Let’s encourage and be engaged even in the suffering.

We are meant to trust the king, but let’s trust the king together.

Lord’s Supper:

On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 

Benediction:

The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD makes his face shine upon you and be gracious to you:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.