Cog In The Wheel To Purpose In The Kingdom Series

Cog in the Wheel to Purpose in the Kingdom

John 9:1-41

April 10, 2011

INTRODUCTION

When most people think of how they'd like their lives transformed. Many of them would give assent that they would mind being in the shoes of Geza and Zslot Peladi.

Geza and Zslot are two brothers who spent ad significant portion of their adult lives barely scraping by. Essentially homeless they made an abandoned cave their home.

They left their dank home only to scrape together whatever money they could through selling scrap metal and candy. Theirs was a hopeless situation.

But then everything changed.

One day, out of the blue, charity workers informed the brothers that they had inherited a substantial portion of their late maternal grandmother's Estate. "We knew our mother came from a wealthy family, but she was a difficult person and severed ties with them, and then later abandoned us."

How big was the estate -- $6.6 billion fortune.

For most people it's the idea transformation story--poverty to wealth, disenfranchised to status.

There desire? To get woman.

"If this all works out it will certainly make up for the life we have had until now -- all we really had was each other -- no women would look at us living in a cave," said Geza.

"But with money, maybe we can find a partner and finally have a normal life. "

What do you hope your transformation Journey changes for you in your life?

T.S. In John 9, in the story of blind man, question Pharisees and Jesus the great transformer, we discover an encounter that helps us understand three arenas in which God seeks to bring transformation in our lives.

It will remind us that . . .

Transformation always seeks to be at work in multiple levels in our lives.

T.S. This transformation story begins simple enough.

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind John 9:1-7

1 As he went along, 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," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7 "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means "Sent"). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. NIV

At the surface this story seems to be about a man, blind form birth and his healing.

1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.

But right away the disciples remind us that every encounter with Jesus goes much deeper so they throw out to Jesus one of the "Cringe Questions" of their day.

2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

Jesus goes on to declare that their perspective is too small. That the man's blindness was directly tied to the potential for God's Glory to be displayed.

Jesus then casts the entire setting into the realm of spiritual blindness and light.

4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Jesus is always at work in the everyday situations of lives.

I. Transformation of the Everyday Reality

Jesus seeks to make a practical difference in how we live the everyday moments of our lives. The things that handicap us, hurt us, derail us, Jesus is always at work transforming.

We gain hints of what this is like in how the story continues.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" 9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, "No, he only looks like him."

But he himself insisted, "I am the man."

10 "How then were your eyes opened?" they asked.

11 He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."

12 "Where is this man?" they asked him.

"I don't know," he said.

A. Changes our choices

Isn't this the man who used to. . .

"Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?"