John 9 Sermon

Announcement

-Deacon Nomination ar continuing through to Sept 30th.

-You may call the church office to give a nomination. OR you can give that nomination to Jimmy Hughston or Dr. Thompson.

Preparation for Worship

Call to Worship

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

C: Who made heaven and earth.

P: Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,

C: Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

P: Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

C:worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

Hymn 3

Prayer of Invocation

-You are the truly all compassionate God.

-For in the midst of the fall, you extended care, grace, and compassion to your people.

-For you are slow to anger, and are abounding in steadfast love.

-A steadfast love so deep and sure that in remains yesterday, today, and forever.

-We see your compassion perfectly clear in the person and work of the risen Christ

-We now gather to ascribe to you glory and strength as we worship you in the slender of your holiness

-Even as you taught us to pray, saying… LORDS PRAYER

OT reading in Deut 29:1-20

We see a major theme in the passage with our sermon text today. The people of Israel saw many great signs in the Lord’s work of ransoming his people form Egypt. Yet in Deuteronomy, Moses give the law to a new generation of people. For thought the first generation saw they great works of God, they did not see. For they did not have the heart to see the great work of God.

English Standard Version Chapter 29

These are the words of the covenant that the LORD commanded Moses to make with the people of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant that he had made with them at Horeb.

2 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land,

3 the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders.

4 But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.

5 I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet.

6 You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.

7 And when you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle, but we defeated them.

8 We took their land and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites.

9 Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.

10 “You are standing today, all of you, before the LORD your God: the heads of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel,

11 your little ones, your wives, and the sojourner who is in your camp, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water,

12 so that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is making with you today,

13 that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, as he promised you, and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

14 It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant,

15 but with whoever is standing here with us today before the LORD our God, and with whoever is not here with us today.

16 “You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed.

17 And you have seen their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them.

18 Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit,

19 one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.

20 The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven.

Here ends our OT lesson and this is the work of God.

Confession of Sin

-We are a frail people that turn from you and to our sin

-We are an ungrateful people. You labour among us oh Lord and we fail to recognize your labour and work in our lives

-We fail in our witness to unbelievers and live spiritual idle lives

-We do as little for your kingdom as you can tolerate

-In our own hubris, we flaunt our works before you as meriting your grace

-We pridefully approach your throne and are stubborn in our hearts.

-This bears poisonous fruits within our hearts and souls

-Convict us of all our sins particularly and spare us the judgement due to us for our sins.

Assurance of Pardon

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

Confession of Faith

Christian, What do you believe?

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.

Offering

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

While we do not have a physically offering in the service, our deacons will be collecting as you exit. But now you may offer yourselves to him.

Present to God his tithes and your offerings.

Doxology

Pastoral Prayer

Civil Realm

-We pray for our congress. Both the senate and House of Representatives.

-We pray for leaders that promote peace and prosperity

-We pray for calm

-We pray for the next justice to be confirmed in the Supreme court. We pray for our court that will protect the religious freedom in our country that we might still freely gather to worship you

-Though we know this is merely a privilege for millions of Christians around the world.

Salvation of Sinners

We pray for the godless in our state. We pray for the salvation of those who might outwardly profess christ for its social benefits but remain dead in sin on the inside. Many are presumptuous of their salvation in the south and yet many we receive the admonishment from christ that he never knew them. We pray for a greater sense of sin, and a larger draw to christ for those in the State of Alabama.

Mission of the Church

We lift up the fleeman family as they serve in Asia. Bless their ministry and their service with new believers there. We pray that you continue to raise up leaders in their context and bless them in their ministry. We pray that you continue to use their ministry as a way to draw unbelievers to yourself. Use them at this time

Sanctification

We pray over the educational ministry of our church. Much has been truncated because of the restrictions placed upon us. And this is seen most clearly for the ministry to our children and youth. We are grateful for their time in the worship service, but this group within our church has largely been neglected. We thank you for the various women who have stepped up to fill this void, but our children need to be educated in Christ. And we pray that you might continue in this work with them.

Sick and needy

-Bob head as he look ahead to surgery

-Thomas Jones with a broken rib

-Sarah melton as she continues to recover/

Sermon Text Introduction

Please turn with me in your bibles to John 9. We are continuing in our series on the seven signs in John. We have been discussing the miracles of John and their purpose for the church of Christ. We are often enamored by signs and miracles in the scripture and we often miss the forest for the tree. These signs and miracles are used in the bible to valid the messianic nature of Christ and they are to reveal the kingdom to come. In other words, they show us who the true son of God is and give us a taste of the kingdom that he offers. In John 9, we see the amazing story of a blind man given eyes to see. He was once left alone in the darkness of his own sin, but now sees the sinless light of the world.

English Standard Version Chapter 9

9:1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.

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

3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

4 We must work 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 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud

7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?”

9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.”

10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?”

11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.”

12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.

14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.

15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

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 sight

19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.”

22 (His parents said these things because they feared 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.)

23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.”

25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”

28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”

30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.

31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.

32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.

33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”

37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”

38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”

41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

Here ends the NT lesson and this is the word of God.

Sermon Introduction

A few months ago we heard about the example of the lame man that betrayed Christ to the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Christ offered him life and he chose death. Christ healed him physically, and he long for his former life of begging. It was the only life he knew, and he wanted it back more than anything. Some of us have that same relationship with sin. We are like the lame man by the pool. The Lord offers us grace and the Spirit in the Church and we despise him. We are like dogs that go back to our vomit. At the first chance we turn from christ and abandon him.

But today, we learn about the good man in need. We see the similarities between the blind man in John 9 and John 5. Both men are healed at pools, both are healed on the Sabbath, Both are infirm form most or all of their life, and in both cases, Jesus uses unconventional means to bring about healing. But only one of these healings has lasting impact and that is the healing of the blind man in this text before us. For as the true light of the world reveals himself to this once blind man, he truly sees. For the cure of physically blindness in this text is just the beginning. For this man is given true sight of Christ and his kingdom.

the Apostle John wants you to see the irony here. Though Christ reveals himself as the light of the world to all that come to see him and hear him. Only some, can truly see and hear him. Some will respond like the pharisees. They will reject him outright by fully embracing their blindness. Some will experience the graces of the church like the lame man in John 5. They will see the work of the Spirit and yet spurn the name of Christ and reject him. Though they are offered the light, their hearts remain in sin and are unchanged. Or you can be like this blind man. You can join him and say, “I was once blind, but now I see.” My prayer and desire for this congregation is that we are all like the last example by having true sight of the great king of kings.

Proposition: Since your eyes are anointed by Christ, true sight transforms all that you see.

True sight sees the light of the world (John 9:1-12)

In our story this morning we see a man who was born blind. The disciplines are going along the road and see a man begging on the side of the road. For this man was born blind. And people born blind shall never see. This immediately leads to an inquiry and debate by the disciples. Look at verse 2 with me:

English Standard Version Chapter 9

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

3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

4 We must work 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.”

What causes blindness?(1-5)

It was the common philosophy of the day that infirm people were infirm because of their sin. The disciples want to know who caused this blind mans sin. Was is his own sin in the womb? or was it his parents sin in the womb. For the pharisees believed that sin and suffering were intimately related. For they believed that there was no death without sin and there was not suffering without guilt. Only guilty people suffered. We would certainly agree with this general principle. Sin certainly has temporal consequences that often lead to suffering. This is meant to be a generalization, but these old theologians took this a step further by exclaiming a tight relation between an individuals suffering and their sin. Sure, you may suffer jail time or death by murdering someone. That is a generalized statement, this principle becomes stretched when you say something along the lines of this example here. Where the disciples can only see two reasons for this man’s blindness. Jesus doesn’t deny their generalized correction. Instead, Christ offers a third option. This option is to the end of the glory of God. The Apostle argues that the blindness of this man is not outside the control of God and therefore is of his purpose to magnify his own glory.

In other words, This man’s blindness is used to display the works of God to the disciples and the world. This awesome work is the revelation of the light of the World. Light and darkness are major themes in the Gospel of John. Light is always directly connected with Christ and his kingdom. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. He reveals to us in the gospel the kingdom of God. He reveals our sin and our needs before a holy God. He is the light, and in him there is no darkness at all. Thus, darkness in the passage denoted the absence of these things. Darkness is for those who are left spiritually blind without Christ. Those who are left in their sin. Thus the blindness of this man is used by God physically to grant sight to the helplessly blind man, but Spiritually it is used to grant new life to the spiritually blind.

The Sign Itself (6-12)

Christ in his very unconventional nature choses to heal this man. Jesus uses his spittle and spits in some mud and creates some mud packs to put over this man’s eyes. and sends the man to the pool of Siloam. Jesus as the send one of God sends this man to the pool of the send one. And in washing, this man is given new sigh.

Why mud? I think this is a creational miracle. Man is created by the dust of the earth. And now this man is given new eyes from the earth, Metaphorically speaking. This man complies in obedience. To the chargrin of the Israelites who rejected the waters of Shiloh in Isaiah 8. What does this new sight reveal to this man. It reveal the light of the world to him. Immediately we see both physical and spiritual healing. And this blind man is not healed because of his obedience. Rather the power for this healing comes from the sent one himself.

This healing by Christ is so impressive, this begins to travel quickly throughout the community. The community is flabbergasted that this lifelong beggar appears to be healed and changed forever. These neighbors are so overwhelmed by this miracle they bring it to their religious leaders to evaluate and discuss. They want to know why this man was healed and how this man was healed. For even in Jewish culture, this was not a common miracle. It is a miracle that could only come by the way of the messiah as Isaiah tells us. It is apparent to all that are around this man. I believe the crowds were genuine in their intrigue for how this man was healed, but the religious elite were nefarious as they always seemed to be!

Application

Seeing the light of the world is evident to all in this story. First to the man himself, then to the neighbors, and then to the community at large. Have you seen the light of the world? Has your spiritual blindness been removed. Even pagans and unbelievers can see the difference between Christians and non-Christians. Where they think they are right or even crazy. There is a know difference between those who have seen the light of the world and those who have not. A provocative question before us this morning. Are you any different from those around you. Strip away the cultural benefits of christianity in the south. Are you different from the average person around you? Has the Spirit worked in your life. Has he removed the scales of sin from your eyes. Are you convicted of your sins as you come before Christ each Lord’s day? Have you seen the Light of the World.

Proposition: True sight transforms all that you see. It sees the light of the world.

True sight reveals the blindness of unbelievers (John 9:13-23)

English Standard Version Chapter 9

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.

14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.

15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

The Divided Pharisees

The Neighboring people look to their religious leaders for a response like Americans look to the response of their president in a time of international crisis. The pharisees waste not time in placing a wedge between Christ and God. They point to the oral law and all its intricacies. For they noted this blind man was healed on the sabbath and their tight sabbath regulations forbid none essential healing on the sabbath. The second charge was against the holiness of Christ. Since Christ transgressed their manmade law, he was a sinner. therefore, he could not do such a sigh. And if he could not do such a sign, then this man was not truly blind in the first place. They could not agree on what the problem was, but they all agreed that there was a problem with Christ. We see a great contrast in this passage. The Pharisees are bickering about the unworthiness of Christ. And the new innocent believer that is trying to piece together the person. They are making a simple assertion, “Jesus has not been sent from god in any sense.”

The Familial Witch-Hunt

Therefore, they go on a witch-hunt for this man’s parents. They search out to find this man’s parents in order to validate the healing. Here is what the parents say,

English Standard Version Chapter 9

20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.”

22 (His parents said these things because they feared 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.)

They defer to their son. The apostle shows us the power and fear caused by the local religious leaders. These parents feared excommunication. So much so, that they throw their son under the bus. They say “he is of age, go ask him yourself.” This shows the blindness of the healed parents. We see the son defend Christ by claiming he was a prophet. He goes toe to toe with the most powerful leaders in the community and his own parents wont bat for him. Instead they divert everything back to their soon to be excommunicated son. I don’t think this is a national issue, but a local one.

Think of our own community. Being cast out by a prominent church in our community would have devastating cultural ramifications. Especially, If your family has been here for over a hundred years. Think of being cast out of our church.

That is what this man feels and experiences as the Jewish leaders cast him out of their community. The spiritual blindness if prevalent throughout this whole passage. We see it with the. We see it with the spiritual leaders. We see it with this mans own family.

And we have a clear case in this passage of the blind leading the blind. And believe it or not. Who is in the majority. It is the blind. We sometimes might be tempted to believe the majority are always rights. Well folks, I hate to break it to you, but popular opinion, might be popular, but it might lead you away from Christ. Christianity might be popular in the south with its very cultural benefits, but in our country this is not the case. So much so, that African and asian Christians are sending missionaries to Europe and America to evangelize lost people.

I desire that you tune your lenses to the current religious crisis in our country. That crisis is unbelief. It is present in our greatest cities. It is present in our own town. And dare I say, Even within our own walls. The lamentable truth of having new sight in Christ is that is begins to reveal the blind around you. This is a rallying call for our congregation to tune their lenses. For if we chose to neglect the blind among us, we ourselves might be blind. For we ought to have the spiritual discipline to distinguish believers from unbelievers.

Proposition: True sight transforms all that you see. It sees the light of the world, It reveals the blindness of unbelievers.

True sight changes Everything (John 9:24-41)

Just look at the life of this blind man transformed! He is a young believer, no doubt, but we can see the awesome change in this man’s life.

English Standard Version Chapter 9

25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”

28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes

What is so life changing for this man. It is the greatest statement in this passage. “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” This is a statement Christians have empathized with for over 2 millennia. I am sure many in our congregation, during their profession of faith proclaimed to our elders this exact statement. From darkness into the light of salvation. They now can see clearly. Clearer than ever before that Jesus is the Christ. This man is an excited new convert. He is so excited that he presupposes that those around them would want to join him in this new enlightenment.

One commentators says this, “This man’s eyes are opening wider: he is beginning to see still more clearly, while the eyes of his judges are becoming cloud over with blinding, theological mist.”

This is like the first time you go to the doctor and you find out need glasses. You never knew things were blurry. Your eye-site was just fine. And then they begin testing and you realize that your site really hasn’t been that good. And glasses allow you to see in way that you could hardly conceive.

They wanted nothing to do with Jesus Christ and were ready to excommunicate him from the local synagogue. Their inquiry was not to validate the work of Christ as the messiah. Instead is was to prove that he was a charlatan. Or even worse a dangerous sinner.

New eyes creates New Worship

English Standard Version Chapter 9

34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”

37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”

38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

These frustrated leaders were cantankerous, they take a cheap personal shot at this healed man. The kind of attack we expect in our current political campaign cycle. We see Ad Hominem attacks are a staple in our political system and its much easier to destroy a man’s character than his idea. And this is what these leaders do. They called him a sinner. For only sinners are born blind. This is not a statement of salvation. This is about total depravity. This is a cruel reference to the man’s congenital blindness, not a theological statement about the universality of original sin. They are referencing him as a subpar human being and are rejected based on his state of being born blind.

We can see the stark contrast moments later as Jesus enters the scene. for there is a contrast between the children of light and the children of darkness. For this blind man’s courage ought in the midst of alienation and oppression stir our spirits.

We see the beautiful picture of conversion in this passage. At first this innocent new believer called Jesus A prophet. They he declares that his healer was sent from God. Then he declares himself a disciple of Jesus. And now we see full on faith in this man who was heal. He said, “Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him.” This is complete and utter spiritual transformation. In the midst of be cast out, not only by the religious leaders, but also his family, he worships the Christ.

He finally sees Christ face to face. For he was blind before, but now can see. And jesus Invites him to trust in the the revelation of God to me. To trust in Christ himself.

Conclusion

The Apostle makes that same offer to us this morning. He desires that we have just as an eager response as this blind man. Come bow before that Christ that offers life. Th thought haunts me that some in our congregation remain blind. That they remain in spiritual darkness and are therefore lost. Jesus comes to open the eyes of the blind and enable them to see and worship. Jesus Did not come to a world of sinners aware of their need, and eager to be rid of their sin. He came to a world blind of their unbelief. Thus, when christ removes the scales of darkness from your heart. Everything changes. For you are illuminated by and with the Holy Son of God. And you see clearer than ever imagined.

Proposition: true sight transforms all that you see.

Hymn of Response 476

Benediction

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.