A Man Born Blind by John.

A Man Born Blind.
John 9:1-41 (read 1-11)

1. Someone keeps bringing up the false doctrine featurered in this story. Stated simply, it is, Our sins cause all of our trouble.
2. Sins do result in trouble. If you break man’s laws, you pay mankind, but God’s laws are handled differently.
3. Jeremiah 17:9,10 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve”
4. II Cor. 6:17,18 says, “Come out from them and be separate says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
5. Our relationship with God is that of Father and child.
(1) Children learn as they grow. No one in his right mind expects them to be perfect all the time.
(2) When they aren’t perfect their father’s don’t shoot them, do they?
(3) If you think God does, then you think human fathers are better than our Heavenly Father!
(4) I guess the disciples were not well acquainted with the Father’s love yet, so they asked...
6. Who sinned? Was it this man, or was it his parents? They believed someone had to take responsibility for his being born blind!
7. What do you believe? When you have something bad happen to you, do you say God is out to get me!

I. This man was born blind to reveal God’s work in him.

1. Was this the worst thing that could happen to this man?
(1) No! He could have stayed blind.
(2) But being physically blind is better than being spiritually blind all of your life. The two can’t even be compared!
(3) Hell, eternal separation from God, is the final end of spiritual blindness!
2. This man endured his disability for his whole life to that point, but God gave him the gift of knowing Jesus personally for the rest of his earthly life, and for all eternity!
3. Now that is a real blessing! Amen?
4. We need to also realize that God has never promised us complete freedom from the ills of the earth!
5. Bad things do happen to good people! And God allows it!
6. Good things also happen to bad people, and God allows that!
7. Do you remember that in Mt 5:45 Jesus said, “He (the Father) causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
8. God is fair! He treats us all alike, and we should not blame our illnesses on our sins! Or God!
9. Is v 3 a contradiction to Romans 3:23? No. It just means sin did not cause this man’s blindness.
10. Our illnesses may happen for the glory of God, and if we love God, Romans 8:28 comes into play immediately! “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

II. This man may have been content blind.

1. He certainly would not be the first to see his lack of sight as a blessing.
2. Do you suppose Fanny Crosby would have written all the wonderful hymns she wrote if she had been sighted? (16 of her songs are in our hymnal, and one is repeated.)
(1) Her blindness gave her a vision of God that few people have ever enjoyed, and she spread her joy to others through her musical messages.
(2) Paul was physically blind for three days when he was converted. How do you supposed he felt about that?
a. Well, the Scripture tells us in Ph 3:7,8 how Paul felt: “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
b. Bill Moyer’s dialogue I am about to use is not quoted, but I trust they are close. When Bill Moyer became White House Secretary, a minister friend of his asked him, “How can you serve like in a position like this when you know God has called you to preach?” Bill Moyers said, “The President called me to serve in this position.” The man who questioned him could not understand how God could use Mr. Moyer like that. Moyer is now serving as a pastor. But folks, wouldn’t you count it a great honor for any President to call you to serve on his staff in the governing of this nation? Wouldn’t you believe you could witness for Christ better in such a position?
3. Most Christians, like Paul, are ready to give up everything to serve Him any way He wants us to!
4.Seeing opened a whole new life for this blind man!
He may have been content, but I suspect he wondered at all he had missed during his blind years.

III. Meeting Christ always changes us.

1. The Jews were angry because the blind man was healed on the Sabbath! (I’ve known some preachers who got angry because someone was saved on a weekday at home instead of on Sunday at church!)
2. This man could have said he wasn’t the beggar they knew, but he said, “I am the man!” v 9. That shows a great change already!
3. His parents hadn’t met Jesus, and they hedged about the truth! “He’s of age, ask him.” v 23.
4. In v 27, he challenged the Pharisees, “Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
5. In v 30, he taunted them, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, lyet he opened my eyes.”
6. In v 34, they threw him out! That’s excomunication, folks!
7. Jesus found him and questioned him. As soon as He revealed Himself to the man, he became a disciple! You see, he had changed so much, and as yet, he really didn’t know who Jesus was!

Conclusion:


1. This man was doubly gifted. He received his earthly sight, and just a little later, he received spiritual sight and life everlasting.
2. Now think about it. Wasn’t he better off for meeting Jesus? Don’t you think he was happier with the opportunities that lay ahead?
3. If you agree, you may not be blind. You may already know Jesus. He is the One Who works miracles. Have you ever really given Him your whole life? Don’t you want to?
4. Let’s pray about that right now.

Emmanuel 8/21/2005