What I Know

(NLT) — 1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! 8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” 10 They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” 11 He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!” 12 “Where is he now?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he replied. 13 Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, 14 because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. 15 The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them. 17 Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.” 18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. 19 They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” 20 His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, 21 but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.” 24 So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” 25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

I want to speak to someone here tonight and you have had your faith tested…

Someone here who has more questions than answers…

POINT- “Not knowing” can be frustrating.

ILLUSTRATION- Being in the middle of nowhere in Africa driving a missionaries car that has an anti-theft turn off feature.

POINT- Answers are not responsible for acceleration in your life; “If I only knew…” Faith is what creates movement in your life. It’s faith in what you know - It’s a faith in Jesus.

KEY-

— The title of this message is, “What I Know”

MAIN POINT- Yes, there may be questions and we may not understand the whys, the hows. But here is what I know - Jesus changed my life and Jesus is enough.

MAIN POINT- Yes, there may be questions and we may not understand the whys, the hows, but there is one thing I know with absolute assurance - Jesus changed my life and Jesus is enough.

Why did my parents have to split up — I don’t know, but what I do know Jesus is enough…

Why do I have to struggle with loneliness — I don’t know, but what I do know Jesus is enough…

Why are people treating me like I don’t matter — I don’t know, but what I do know Jesus is enough…

My prayer is that someone would walk out of this room not focused on what they don’t know, but focused on what they do know.

KEY- Yes we should continue to grow in our understanding of who God is, there is nothing wrong with having questions, but you can not allow your questions to district you from what you know JESUS IS ENOUGH.

POINT- The enemy will do whatever he can do to distract you from what I know. John chapter 9 is filled with discouraging questions.

1. Why did this happen?

(NLT) — 1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.

KEY POINT- When Jesus is enough you stop measuring success in terms of results, but instead you measure your success in terms of faithfulness.

Faithfulness matters more than how much money you make, it matters more than being in a relationship, it matters more than being powerful… Faithfulness matters more than your car, your college, your school…

KEY- God will not measure your success he will only measure your faithfulness, people on the other hand don’t care how faithful you are to God they only care about your results.

(NLT) — 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

This is why the moment the disciples see this man born blind they ask the question, “Who sinned? Him or his parents?”

POINT- My circumstance is not connected to my faithfulness.

ILLUSTRATION- Waiting for the “Volcano” and it kept breaking down, I didn’t care for the explanation as to why it broke down I was interested in a different question, when is it going to be back up?

KEY- Jesus saw the blind man before the question was ever asked.

POINT- “Why did this happen?” Is not as important of a question as, “What is going to happen?” When I get down I know I won’t be down for long.

KEY- Jesus saw the blind man before the question was ever asked.

So now after an all out assault from hell itself I can be hurt, crippled, blinded, attacked, but I’m more than fine… Not because of my strength but because theres another in the fire with me…

(NLT) — 24 Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

(NLT) — 2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

KEY- Getting something in your eyes hurts, but when Jesus is in it you can expect miracles.

KEY- We live in a world tarnished by sin, we are born into sin with tendencies to sin and as a result there are problems…

(NLT) — 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

I don’t know why I got down, I don’t know why it happened BUT WHAT I KNOW - I’M NOT DOWN FOREVER, JESUS IS ENOUGH.

2. Did this really happen?

(NLT) — 8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”

18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents.

KEY POINT- If the devil can’t distract you by making you feel sorry for yourself, and asking, “Why me? Why’d this happen?” He will try to get you to doubt the authenticity of what Jesus has done.

ILLUSTRATION- Buying a “rolex” while in India.

POINT- On the surface we can look one way, but you can’t fake what is inside.

KEY- Opening the eyes of the blind (especially those born blind) was a specific work and prophecy of the Messiah.

(NLT) — 5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf.

KEY- This is why there was so much controversy among the Pharisees. What Jesus did was showing who he really is.

POINT- Don’t forget in the dark what God said in the light.

The devil will try to make you question is it real… You were just emotional, you were just a child, its just because of your parents,

Can’t you see what he is doing??? He is trying to take your focus from what was deep to what is shallow…

(NLT) — 25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

POINT- It really happened because Jesus is enough.

3. How did it happen?

(NLT) — 10 They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” 11 He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!”

(NLT) — 7 “Can you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything about the Almighty?

Just because I don’t understand how it happened doesn’t mean I’m wrong when I say all I know is it is Jesus.

ILLUSTRATION- Got fired right after committing to go to Africa.

Perhaps you are here right now and you are wondering how is Jesus going to change my life?? You don’t understand my situation, you don’t understand my family, you haven’t seen my search history, you don’t know how long I’ve been fighting, you don’t know how many nights I’ve cried…

POINT- I don’t know those things, but Jesus does… I don’t know how Jesus will deliver and restore, but I know he will because he is enough.

As bad as your situation is Jesus is still enough… As bad as you may feel Jesus is enough…

ILLUSTRATION- I’m bad with cars… I have never asked how to do something because even after they told me I still wouldn’t be able to fix it.

Standing before you tonight I can not say HOW Jesus is going to fix your situation, but I can tell you here tonight that how does not matter…

KEY- How does not matter because even if I could tell you how, you would not be able to do it.

If that blind guy put mud in his eyes and washed in the pool of Siloam on his own it would do nothing. How doesn’t matter because without Jesus it won’t work anyway!!

This dream that is on my heart HOW, HOW is it going to become reality — JESUS IS HOW! My broken home with all its missing pieces and problems HOW is it going to be restored — JESUS IS HOW! My addictions are too much I can’t seem to get unstuck how is it that anything is going to change this time — JESUS IS HOW!…

KEY POINT- When you understand that Jesus is enough, you understand that Jesus is the answer to the question, “How?”

4. Who is Jesus really?

(NLT) — 17 Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”

(NLT) — 35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” 37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” 38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

John 5. The Healed Man Believes on Jesus (35–38)

• A man called Jesus (John 9:11)

• He is a prophet (John 9:17)

• A man from God (John 9:33)

• The Son of God, worthy of worship (John 9:38)

KEY POINT- Jesus came not just to heal physical blindness, but spiritual blindness.

(NLT) — 58 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!”

Jesus is referring to something happened a very long time ago…

(NLT) — 13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” 14 God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.”

POINT- Jesus is saying I AM which means I am everything that you will ever need. I AM all that…

Conclusion…

(NLT) — 25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

Perhaps you are here tonight and you are in a moment before the miracle, maybe you are living after a recent one… nonetheless I’m asking you tonight Do you know??

Do you know that Jesus is enough