recap

Set the Stage...

so Jesus just left the temple and notices

this is an important clue about Jesus

Mini Sermon...

Jesus notices people, and notices the fact He is always on mission...

He is currently escaping a death mob...

okay enough prelude, lets read the text...

John 9:1–7 NKJV

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

pray

Last week we mentioned is very homiletic and tells us about us… we said it could be called...

the story of us...

we broke it down into three key phases...

1- The Woes of the Blind Man

2- The Witness of the Blind Man

3- The Worship of the Blind Man

today we will focus on the

The Woes of the Blind Man.

now remember, jesus is being chased but he pauses...

9 will flip 8… rejected v worshipped, the stooping, hiding v revealing, responsibility v failure...

closer look… blind from birth...

only record of blind from birth...

last week i mentioned blindness being a key messianic factor to Jesus ministry...

1 deaf&dumb, palsy, fever; 2 lepers; 3 dead; 5 Blind

OT Prophecies that Messiah would heal the blind, witness to John the B...

back to the man...

notice, from birth… He is helpless from birth… kind of

like us...

1 Corinthians 2:14–15 NKJV

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

Ephesians 4:18 NKJV

having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

John 3:3 NKJV

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

we are blind without our eyes opened...

so lets take a look here...

John 9:2 NKJV

And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

john 9:

Why do bad things happen to good people.

Mark 10:18 NKJV

So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

the reality is none of us our good

Ephesians 2:1–4 NKJV

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

Eph. 2:1

Sometimes life just sucks...

this is a result of the fallen nature of humanity...

Matthew 5:45 NKJV

that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5

this can be seen in the negative, but just remember the context of culture...

God has a plan...

Romans 8:28 NKJV

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

that said is everything a preordained test and trial?

I don’t think so...

Foreknowledge and Predestination...

God has given us choice, He knows all choices and outcomes, but we still make the choice and live the outcomes...

God is sovereign...

back to our text...

John 9:3 NKJV

Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

John 9:

no one was at fault God was using this to reveal His nature...

Hal Lindsay gives these 10 reasons bad stuff happens to us...

1. To Glorify God

2. To Prevent us from Falling

3. To Keep us from Pride

4. To Build Faith

5. To Cause Growth

6. To Teach Obedience

7. To Equip us to Comfort Others

8. To Prove Christ

9. As Testimony

10. To Reveal Sin

all this said sometimes life just happens...

sometimes we can jump and give credit were credit is not due...

we say things like the devil is trying to get me down, satan is at work, I am facing demonic oppression… i want to fit the last one in a minute, but lets address the first two...

we say things like this and either give him too much credit or even worse blame him for work God is doing...

we quote verses like he is roaming like a lion and forget Jesus’ words at Mt. Hermon, yet alone His sermon is Hell...

we site Job and his trials, when that book never claims the devil is at fault “the satan”

I would also submit, the devil is not omnipresent...

Could it be we live in a fallen world and life just happens… and maybe just maybe God is working behind the scenes...

oppression is real, but we are overcomers in Christ!!!

So Pastor Matt, are you saying life isn’t fair.

yes life is not fair, and praise God life’s not fair!!!

If it were we’d all still be blind, we’d all receive our due wages...

People will say, if God is just, why doesn’t He just remove all the evil… well because if He did, He’d wipe us out...

You see God has a plan, for mankind to rule with Him on Earth… Eden, we messed it up, He is making it right, He will wipe evil but only in His timing

He wants to save as many as will receive… , if God just saved everyone in one moment it wouldn’t work...

So bad stuff is allowed to happen, but God doesn’t like it nor does He predestine it happen, Holocaust....

back to the text...

Many times in scripture we see God must open the spiritually dead eyes and truly He is the only one who can, this mirrors His saving power...

but also we must lay claim to it...

John 9:6–7 NKJV

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

John 9:6-

We must step out a receive...

Plead the 5th example...

worship team back

A lot of Debate occurs in theology over salvation and how it occurs… do we choose, does He, well both… I heard one scholar put it this way, If you Just Believe… you have eternal security...

The Woes of Blindness will be gone and you’ll see...

one last thought...

living Water, Dust, Clay, Irritation required for sight… it might hurt at first but its well worth it!

Pray