Sermon Tone Analysis
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Intro:
Tonight as we celebrate our freedom as a nation, I want to share something the Lord laid on my heart yesterday, [Born with Sight, but Living Blind].
Earlier this year, I felt we needed to study end-time events during the summer.
I have enjoyed our study so far.
I had ever intention of studying the Great Tribulation this evening.
All of that changed yesterday when I was resting at the house.
I was half-asleep and half-awake when I felt that needed to get to my office and read about God opening the eyes of the blind.
At first, I was somewhat skeptical and wondered how that worked.
He explained that there have been situations in the church he addressed through a topic the Lord gave him in advance.
There have been a few times I have had a dream about a message or been half-awake and the Lord laid a thought on my heart.
Every time it has been a timely word for our church.
I asked, what if the Lord lays something different on your heart.
He shared that he has changed his plans before as the Lord directs him.
I have decided I write my best messages when I am asleep, I only ask that you stay awake as I preach them!
I took his words to heart, and I have become better at planning where we are going in my messages.
Earlier this year, I felt we needed to study end-time events during the summer.
There are five references to Jesus healing the blind in the New Testament.
Opening blind eyes is exclusive to the New Testament, there are no references to that sort of healing in the Old Testament.
I do not know what it would be like to be blind, but I do know what it is like to not be able to see.
If I do not wear my glasses, everything is really blurry.
I had ever intention of doing that tonight until yester
Bekah can tell you, without classes I lose all sense of control.
If I wake up and can’t find them, I quickly call for her help.
She will answer, “did you look for them?”
Which makes me respond, IF I COULD SEE, I wouldn’t need your help to find them!
I remember once when I was in the tenth grade, I was supposed to wait for my sister and walk home with her.
Instead, I got a ride with a friend.
I went to my brother, who was taking a nap, and hollered, STEPHEN, you need to GET UP and go get Hannah.
He promptly told me to leave him alone and walk back to get her.
I called mom, she told me to get Stephen and he was to go back and get Hannah.
He woke up less than thrilled.
And the loving brother I am remarked, “Next time if you will just listen to me, we will not have ANY problems.”
With lightning speed, he grabbed my cheek and pushed my head ever so gently into the wall, which made my glasses break.
I lost it, I bawled, I cried, I told him, without my glasses I can’t see anything!
He got scared of mom’s repercussions and told me to get in the car.
We got Hannah, went to the mall, go the glasses fixed and he bought me Chick-fil-a.
Moral of the story, if you mouth your older brother, he will buy you Chick-fil-a.
Wait, NO, I mean, the moral of the story, is, it is hard for those who cannot see.
Those born blind are in a unique position.
They can feel the warmth of the sun, but never see a sunrise.
They can smell a flower, but never see its beauty.
They can feel the waves crash against the shore, but never see the tide roll in.
Tonight, I want to read the story of Jesus’ healing a man who was born blind.
His story is miraculous, but I want to look at the other characters and their reaction to his condition and healing.
I want us to see that there are those who can see, but choose to be blind.
They will turn a blind eye to the sin and suffering of others, while turning a blind eye to their own sin and self-righteousness.
We will look at two questions and two response, giving us four parts, [The Disciple’s were Blind], [The Blind Man’s Sight], [The Pharisees were Blind], and [The Healed Man’s Sight].
Let’s begin
1.
The Disciples were Blind
John makes it seem like a coincidence, but I believe that the Lord was intentional in walking by this blind man.
As they passed by, the disciples asked a question, why is the man blind?
Was it his sin or his parent’s sin?
Before we look at Jesus’ response, notice how jaded and impersonal the disciples were.
Instead of looking at this man with compassion, they were blind to his suffering.
Instead of trusting Jesus to help him, they preferred to have an intellectual conversation about the origins of the man’s condition.
Thankfully Jesus had compassion and explained the situation.
The man nor his parent’s sin was the result of his ailment.
Jewish culture taught that if a person was born sick or blind, it was because of some sort of sin.
Had he become blind, that would have been a different story.
Jesus explained, neither he nor his parents were to blame.
Jesus informed them his condition will be used by God to bring glory to the Lord.
People would see for generations to come the power of Jesus.
He shared, I AM the light of the world.
The man’s vision was darkened by his condition, but Jesus was going to shine light!
To start the story, we see that the disciples were blinded to the suffering of the man.
But Jesus stepped in and...
2. The Blind Man’s Sight
One thing about those who are born blind their other senses are excellent.
One of the best interpreters I had in Costa Rica was a blind man named Beto.
He was born blind in Mexico and learned to walk by pushing a missionary’s wheel chair.
God called him to preach and he would interpret the messages.
He could not see me or my notes, but he could hear everything I said regardless of where I stood.
I would say this blind man was the same.
He had to hear the questions of the disciples.
It is likely he was near the temple and he heard many pious people make similar remarks.
Perhaps all his life he wondered what sin caused this to happen?
Imagine the joy he felt when he heard Jesus explain NO ONE was at fault.
Jesus came to him, spit in the mud and made some clay to put on the man’s eyes.
Jesus showed his authority over the man’s condition and the disciples bad theology.
He was told to go to the pool of Siloam.
Notice John tells us that means “sent.”
Think about it, the Sent One, Jesus, sent the blind man to a pool called sent to be healed.
And it worked.
For the first time in his life, he saw his parents, neighbors, and friend.
The neighbors had mixed reviews.
Some thought it was the man who had been healed, others thought it only looked like the man who was born blind.
He told his story of what the man named Jesus did.
They wanted the man to go to the Pharisees to get an explanation on if this truly was the blind man, how he was healed, and to learn where the Healer was.
What should have been a reason to rejoice, the BLIND MAN could SEE, instead it showed us...
3. The Pharisees were Blind
They took the man to the Pharisees and they began to examine the case.
First the man told his story about the Man called Jesus who healed him.
They Pharisees told him that this Man could not be from God because He chose to heal on the Sabbath.
They were blind to the genuine miracle because of their hatred to Jesus.
They went so far as to question the parents.
Remember, they believed that the parents must have sinned because the son was blind.
The parents knew the tactics of the Pharisees so they refused to answer.
They acknowledged that their son was of age and he could speak for himself.
Listen to the what they asked the blind man:
John 9:24
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