I’m reminded of a young man by the age of 30 who has received many of the things that he wanted in life. He received the nice expensive car that he desired, he moved into his dream house with 10 bedrooms, and 12 bathrooms. His bank account has reached an astronomical peak, he married the center piece wife, but the problem here is that we can’t put our hope, and our trust in these things, because all of these things are short-term, short-lived, temporary, and brief.
This life and this world that we are living in is a world that is filled with temporary provisions. There is nothing of this world that will last forever. It will not last, it shall not last, and it cannot last. However, there is one that is called Jesus. Emmanuel, Jehovah Jier, Jehovah Nissi, and Jehovah Shalom. And allow me to share with you that Jesus is the only provision that will last forever. It doesn’t matter what you're dealing with, or what you are going through, let me remind you that he is a life changer. In fact, no matter what your circumstances are once you have had an encounter with him your life can never remain the same. it doesn’t matter whenever you get the chance to meet Jesus, I can promise you one great thing and that is your life will never be the same. Because it is impossible to meet Jesus, it is impossible to have an encounter with Jesus, it is absolutely impossible to bump into Jesus and not have a respond, an reaction or some type of change. This young man had everything that he desired, but the one thing that he didn’t have was Jesus in his life, and when you don’t have Jesus in your life you are like a ship without a sail. And here’s the differences you can have silver and gold but I rather have the Lord, because I know that he is from everlasting to everlasting. Psalms 90:2 says: Before the mountains were brought forth, or before you ever had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
I rather have the Lord because Mark 8:36 says what profits a man to gain the whole world and then lose his soul. So the differences in this man gaining all of his world possession and the differences of him knowing Jesus, is that everything that he had gained was temporary but Jesus would last forever.
I said that everyone that meets the Lord there life would never be the same, however, I will acknowledge that there are some who will reply in a negative way in their experience with the Lord Jesus and they don't want anything to do with Jesus, the church and church people. They would rather do the clubs and party all night long and do their own thang. But, then there are others that respond in a positive way. They love the Lord with all of their heart, mind soul and spirit.
In John 9:1-12 when we look at this episode it appears that Jesus is still in Jerusalem since the man is sent to wash in the pool of Siloam, and as they are walking, Jesus takes the initiative to notices a man blind from birth.
We see that Jesus was walking with his disciples. And as they are walking and having a conversation they encountered this blind man who has been blind from his birth.
Now it’s not said how Jesus and his followers knew that he has been blind from birth. And I don’t know perhaps the Lord knew supernaturally, or maybe he simply asked him. But once this information is known the disciples treat the man's condition as a theological mystical problem. And the reason I say that is because in that day people commonly assumed that any diseases and disorders on both the personal and national level were due to sin of some type committed by the person themselves or by some generation curse of their parents.
As they encounter this man his disciples ask the question, who’s fault is this Jesus? Is it the fault of this man’s sins from him sinning, is it from his disobediences in life, was it from his insubordinations, or his defiance of not following the Word of God. Or maybe it’s his parent’s faults, by way of some generation curse.
They asked the question why is he in this condition, is it because of something that he did or didn't do. Why is it that he has this condition vexing him? What is it that he could have done that was so bad that would have landed him in this horrible, horrific, terrifying, helpless and shameful predicament?
The case of this person being born blind raises the question of whose sin caused this condition. Was it that of his parents or of the person himself while in the womb because he was born blind? And my question is what is, what is it that people are claiming that our conditions are based on.
As we look at this information laid before us it sounds tragic, but do you not know that sometimes we have to go through somethings to see the manifestation and the indications of God handy work.
And let me throw this in. Sometimes we need to go to some trails and tribulation just so God can bring us out, so that we can brag, boast, and share with the world that our God is a good God. he a delivering God. he is a saving and protecting God.
Yes, they asked the question and Jesus answers. This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. And may I tell you that some of us had to go through so, that God mighty works could be displayed in our lives. You’ve been sick, you’ve been broke, you’ve been depress, you’ve been up and you’ve been down, but there is a possibility that you went through so that God would be displayed in your life.
So as this man is in this condition look at what Jesus does, Jesus spits on the ground makes mud pies and puts it on his eyes and tells him to go wash it off at the pool of Siloam, and I love what this beggar does. The beggar obeys and gets the one of the world’s greatest gifts, he get sight for the very first time.
Now I need y’all to help me preach this -close your eyes for a moment. How hard would it be for you to get around without seeing?
And I know that some of us do things so often, that we probably could do it without sight.
You could hit the alarm on your clock without sight.
You can go to the refrigerators to grab a bottle of water without looking.
Some of you could probably even go into your closet and pick out your clothes without a problem. Now for some of us this was only a make believe scenario.
But now imagine this blind beggar who was born blind from his birth, who could not see.
He doesn’t know colors.
He does not know what it is to see things for himself.
He depends on people to help him, feed him information and hope and pray that they do not rip him off, because there's nothing worst then depending on others to help you when you can't help yourself.
In other words, this man had to rely solely on what other people told him, and I'm under the impression that people when I have to solely rely on what people have to tell me, it sadden ne to say that people won't always give you the right information, and they won’t always tell me the truth. Unfortunately, people will lie to you; even church people will lie to you. Family members will lie to you; there are some people that just won’t tell you the truth.
He relied on others but then he met Jesus, who he can only hear him putting mud on his eyes, which probably scared him.
Jesus places the mud on his eyes and He tells him to wash it off, which he needed somebody to go with him. Now here a side track here because Jesus could have said open your eyes and it would’ve happen. Jesus could’ve snapped his finger and the man would’ve had his sight. But Jesus spits in the dirt and comes up with this sab, and then he places it on the man eyes, and he tells him to go wash. When we see the word “go” it suggest to us that there must be some action on our part.
So, now when we analyze this dirt, we’ll find out that there is something about this dirt, because even when we decide to grow stuff we plant it in dirt. When we replot our flower we take them for one set of dirt to another. When God made man he created him from the dust or the dirt of the ground. So I believe that when the Lord was preparing to heal this blind man the Lord used what he made man from to cure him of what he was sick from.
He spits in the dirt places it on the man eyes tells him to go wash and then he gets his sight. Not to go and regained his sight, because this was the first time he is able to see things around him. His world is now new and expanded.
Now watch this; in a normal case there are hundreds of nerve endings between the eye and the brain. Each one has to match up perfectly in order for us to see. When you are in the womb, there is a thin layer of skin that covers your eyes. At about 6 months into the pregnancy scientist don’t know how it happens, but miraculously a perfect cut comes across that layer of skin and you now have operating eye lids. But for this man something went wrong, something didn’t happen, he was born blind. But watch the next scene.
The Pharisee’s show up with all of their righteous attitudes and demands to speak to the blind man. They asked him how then were your eyes opened. He said the man they call Jesus (Hallelujah) showed up and put mud in my eyes, I washed and now I can see. Don’t miss your shout, he said Jesus showed up, that was enough for me right there.
They said, he can’t be God because he did this on the Sabbath. (You have to be careful of the they said) I tell people all of the time if you can’t tell me who said it I don’t want to hear it. In fact what is it about you that made them so comfortable to tell you, and since they are talking about me why couldn’t they come to me. In fact, here’s one more point. You told me what they said, but you didn’t tell me what you said!!!!!
They said: Whatttttttt, he can’t be from God because he healed a sinner on a Sabbath day. He healed on a day that he made.
But then somebody else said, (wait a minute) he was not just any old blind sinner but he was a sinner so bad that he was blind from birth. They were divided on what they thought. They were in such a disbelief of this situation, that they got his parents to verify.
Is this your son?
Was he born blind?
How was he healed?
And they said- I don’t know, (I mean) we know that he’s our son, and we know that he was born blind, but the rest of this stuff you are going to have to ask him, he’s of age you can ask him for yourself how he was given this sight.
Ok Mr. Blindman what do you have to say?
What do you say about this Jesus? He responded, He is a prophet. But, they didn’t like his answer. In fact, they got so upset at this blind man that they throw him out of their presence. The reason that they got upset is because there are those that don’t want to hear the real deal, about who Jesus is.
But what they didn’t know is that Jesus addresses 2 issues in this man’s life.
1st of all he addressed this man was physically blind.
And 2ndly he addressed this man was spiritually blind. And Jesus heals him of both.
-Spiritual blindness is where a person is not able to see who Jesus Christ really is.
-Spiritual blindness is not seeing that Jesus Christ can rock your world when He becomes your savior.
Spiritual blindness, is not seeing that Jesus Christ desires you to surrender your will to his will and accept the things that
God wants for you.
The disciples didn’t even understand, because as they walked with Jesus and seen this blind man, because they ask Jesus who is at fault here for this man’s blindness. Who did wrong?
If you look at this thing spiritually, you’ll see that even the disciples had a blind-spot in their lives. And Blind-spots are areas that you can’t see.
There are two things that I want you to see in the passage.
Some people don’t realize where they are spiritually
Some people don’t want the solution to their problems because they like it where they are at.
But what I learned about people and Jesus is:
Mud in the eye from people can cause us to be blind.
But mud in the eye from Jesus results in miracles.
Also I learned that:
When people can’t help you Jesus can
When people can’t bring you through Jesus can
When people can’t make a way, Jesus can
When people can’t pull you up, Jesus can, that’s why I tell people don’t tell others that it’s not by my own power that I can do this and he can do that. But tell them that it is by the power of the Lord that I can do all things through Christ that strengthen me.
TELL THEM THAT
He can transform you.
He can make you brand new
He can turn your life around
He can deliver you yes he can
And I’m here to tell you this morning that whatever blind spots that you may have this morning? The Lord is ready to make your way clearer
I’m closing
I don’t know what you are up against this morning, but I can tell you that the creator of the universe loves you this morning; and He cares about what you are going through.
How do you know Pastor?
Well Isa. 40:28-31 says:
Do you not know? Have you not heard? That the Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the Earth. He will not grow tired or weary and no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
It say even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not faint.
In fact the man named Jesus is here today and he desires to do something special for you. Scripture says that Jesus made some mud and put it in my eyes. He told me to go and wash.
And can I tell you this morning that the Lord He wants us to be obedient this morning. and He desires to do something special us. Will you let him wash you clean?
Will you allow him to make you whole?
And if we look at this closely we’ll see that Jesus revealed His power here and every time Jesus performed a miracle, it was to show them that He was the Messiah, and that He was who He said He was.
So, who is this man, Jesus?
Who is able to save, Jesus?
Who can make spit in dirt and heal your sight, Jesus?
