Participants:
Series Code: WHO
Program Code: WHO210053S
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00:28 Hello, friends, welcome to 3ABN Worship Hour,
00:31 and a happy Sabbath to all of you 00:33 that are joining us. 00:34 We are looking forward to God's blessings 00:36 as He has always done in the past. 00:39 And we wanna pray that 00:40 you'll remain focused on the message today 00:43 entitled One Thing. 00:46 Just one thing. 00:48 And before I unpack the message and go to God's Word, 00:52 join me as I go before the Lord asking for His guidance 00:56 in this message. 00:58 Loving father in heaven, thank You for the privilege, 01:00 for the opportunity. 01:03 We pray that as this message goes forth, 01:06 it will be like the sun on a bright clear day. 01:09 It will find the soil, it will penetrate 01:13 the foliage that seeks to block the nourishment from Your Word. 01:17 It will find those who are walking in darkness 01:20 and place before them a beautifully lit path 01:23 of glorious light. 01:25 As we consider the topic, one thing 01:28 we pray that we could be in a prayerful mode 01:30 to ask ourselves the questions, 01:33 what's blocking us? 01:34 How are we seeking to be better in our walk 01:38 and our relationship with You? 01:40 What one thing is between us and You? 01:44 So now take Your Word and cause it to be a glory 01:47 to Your name and Your honor, 01:49 in Jesus name, I pray. 01:51 Amen. 01:54 I'm gonna begin with a passage in John 9:25. 01:59 John 9:25, 02:01 and it fits perfectly and beautifully 02:03 in the context of the title, One Thing. 02:06 We're gonna go to the end of the story. 02:08 Then we're gonna come back to the details of the story. 02:11 And in that we are gonna begin to unpack 02:13 one thing after another, 02:15 that may be a factor 02:18 in the development of your Christian life 02:20 or in the hindrance of the blessings 02:22 that God intends to expose you to recognizing that 02:27 each one of us is just one decision away 02:31 from our best life. 02:33 John 9:25 unfolds as follows. 02:38 "He answered and said," and you'll find out who he is, 02:43 "whether he is a sinner or not, 02:46 I do not know. 02:48 One thing I know 02:51 that though I was blind 02:53 now I see." 02:55 I'm smiling in anticipation of amazing story 02:58 that's gonna unfold before you, 03:00 but I'd like to begin with a story. 03:02 A story that was featured in the Washington Post, 03:06 May 27th, 1979. 03:09 Now I like air travel. 03:11 I've actually grown to enjoy air travel, 03:13 but I look back on the date and I can tell you back then, 03:17 I didn't really know much about air travel at all. 03:20 But on May 27th, 1979, 03:24 a DC 10 style plane, 03:26 an American airlines jet flight number 191 03:31 bound for Los Angeles with 271 passengers on board 03:36 plunged to the ground shortly after takeoff. 03:40 According to the flight recorder, 03:42 the plane had reached the point 03:44 of no return. 03:49 That means, when the plane is taking off 03:53 there is an audible acknowledgement 03:55 by the plane notification system. 03:58 And when the pilot here is V1, 04:01 the plane has reached speeds beyond 04:03 which the plane can safely stop. 04:06 And the next audible announcement 04:08 either by the pilot or by the co-pilot is VR. 04:12 Meaning the pilot has to follow through with velocity rotation. 04:17 And that's the point 04:18 where you begin to sense the plane nose up 04:21 and you begin to ascend off the ground. 04:24 The plane is now 04:26 in what's called the speed condition 04:28 to lift the nose off the ground. 04:33 When going back on this terrible incident, 04:36 according to the voice recorded content, 04:39 one of the pilots said something 04:41 completely out of character 04:42 as he noticed a disaster was in the making. 04:46 According to the records, 04:48 38 seconds before the plane crashed, 04:51 the left engine fell off 04:54 rendering the plane uncontrollable. 04:57 At the same time, the air traffic controller 04:59 watching and guiding the plane in his takeoff maneuvers 05:03 shouted something. 05:05 "Look at that! Look at that!" 05:07 He thought that the plane had blown an engine 05:10 about a half mile from Chicago O'Hare's Airport. 05:13 Sadly enough, the plane plunged into a field 05:17 killing 271 on board and two on the ground 05:22 in a pickup truck. 05:24 The fire they said was so intense 05:26 that the rescuers had to wait for hours 05:29 before they could move on to the site, 05:31 hoping to rescue someone. 05:34 The sad reality is no one survived the incident. 05:40 The thing that strikes my attention was 05:43 that same plane took off a few days 05:46 earlier after also reporting engine trouble. 05:51 And then it returned to the airport 05:52 to get whatever that incident concern was resolved. 05:57 At least they thought they resolved it. 05:59 The NTSB, which is the National Transportation Safety Board 06:02 investigation concluded. 06:04 This is amazing. 06:05 That one bolt, I repeat that one bolt was missing. 06:11 It's called the nacelle mounting bolt. 06:13 They said that it fell off the plane 06:15 when the plane was in the hangar. 06:17 And they suggest that during the time of maintenance, 06:20 the bolt either rusted off or somehow just fell off 06:25 or maybe the maintenance crew forgot to put it back on. 06:28 It was known as the positioning bolt 06:31 affecting the position of the engine. 06:35 And unfortunately that one bolt was the reason 06:40 why 273 people, 06:43 271 on the plane and two on the ground 06:46 lost their lives 06:47 on that May Day in 1979. 06:53 It's a tragic story, 06:55 but I like to look at stories that leave an impact. 06:58 And I know as you're thinking through the loss of life, 07:00 people looking for a vacation, thanking the Lord, 07:03 that they could take some time out and relax. 07:05 They never made it to their destination, 07:08 young and old together 07:09 perished in this fiery incident, 07:11 not too far out of Chicago. 07:14 The reality is, 07:15 it's amazing how one thing 07:19 can make a major difference. 07:21 When I begin to make application 07:23 about how this begins to broaden in its application. 07:27 Many of you miss the life that God has for you 07:31 by just one thing, 07:34 not two, not three, not four. 07:36 Some people build their own roadblocks 07:38 by refusing to let go of just one thing. 07:42 Others miss the beauty of the Christian journey 07:46 by refusing to abandon just one thing. 07:52 Once again, it is amazing how much of a difference 07:56 one thing can make. 07:59 So John the Apostle, 08:01 who gives us the preamble to the sermon 08:03 I'm proclaiming today, the sermon 08:06 I'm sharing with you today, 08:08 gives us a view into the life of a man 08:11 who was blocked by one thing. 08:14 John records one of the most detailed miracles 08:18 performed by Jesus. 08:19 It's also one of the most debated miracles 08:23 because oftentimes when Jesus performs a miracle, 08:26 you hardly find people questioning 08:28 what Jesus had done, 08:30 but this par none 08:32 is one of the most debated miracles 08:34 ever performed by Jesus. 08:37 After the great debate about how Jesus did it, 08:40 it came down to one thing, one thing. 08:45 Now let's unpack the story. 08:47 The Bible story has three main characters. 08:50 You find this story in the Book of John Chapter 9. 08:54 John is the youngest of the disciples. 08:57 He is the one often referred to as the one that Jesus loved. 09:01 And this story unfolds in a beautiful way 09:03 in the Book of John, many, many verses 09:06 apply to the story. 09:08 But let me go ahead and outline the cast. 09:10 You find three main characters in the story. 09:14 You find one, a blind man. 09:17 Secondly, the Pharisees, a group of religious leaders, 09:21 remember religious leaders. 09:23 And the third one, you find Jesus. 09:27 But the total cast is the blind man, 09:31 his parents, the neighbors, the Pharisees and Jesus. 09:37 I mentioned Jesus 09:38 because I always save the best for last. 09:41 Jesus is the only character in the entire scenario 09:44 that made all the difference in this man's life. 09:47 The main theme is, 09:49 do you believe that Jesus can do anything? 09:52 And the great question is, 09:56 what difference can one decision make 09:59 in the direction of your life? 10:02 Now understanding this story in the context of my own life, 10:06 because I was born 10:08 in a very unique set of circumstances, 10:10 and one decision in my life 10:13 at three months old catapulted me 10:15 from disaster to a dynamic life. 10:18 One decision catapulted me 10:20 from abandonment to the most glorious life 10:24 that I could ever have imagined, 10:27 because at the tender age of only three months old, 10:29 my mom and dad decided to abandon me 10:31 and leave me at a home of a babysitter 10:34 and never come back. 10:35 But God worked it out that that babysitter 10:38 was a Seventh-day Adventist Christian lady. 10:41 And she and her husband raised me 10:43 to become the man that I am today. 10:46 What a difference one decision could have made. 10:49 They could've made a different decision. 10:50 They could have said, 10:52 send this child to a foster care, 10:54 turn it over to the government. 10:56 But somehow they made the right decision 10:58 and my life is a blessing today. 11:00 But the story brings out three significant observations, 11:04 one, birth issues, secondly, life's issues 11:09 and thirdly, faith issues. 11:11 Birth issues, life issues, and faith issues. 11:17 Then the Bible highlights a man, 11:19 although different from us. 11:21 When you begin to see the components of his life, 11:24 he's in so many ways, very much like us. 11:27 Let's look at John Chapter 1 11:29 as we begin to unpack this amazing story. 11:33 We read in John Chapter 1, John 9:1 these words. 11:38 It says "Now, as Jesus passed by, 11:42 He saw a man 11:43 who was blind from birth." 11:48 Now, not only do I have an active imagination 11:51 as a pastor who has preached thousands of sermons, 11:54 I can see things that you may have forgotten. 11:57 One of the first things that the Bible reveals is 12:00 Jesus passed by. 12:01 Well, I wanna say this. 12:03 I am so glad when I was three months old, 12:05 Jesus passed by. 12:07 My life would have been quite different 12:10 if Jesus did not look out for me 12:11 when I was three months old. 12:13 The point is, friends, Jesus never just passes by. 12:16 When Jesus passes by, your life begins to change. 12:20 Every step that Jesus takes 12:23 is a life of a missionary. 12:26 Jesus is never on an arbitrary journey. 12:30 Every step He makes in your direction 12:32 is one that is a transforming step, 12:34 a life changing step, a door opening step, 12:39 Jesus never just passes by. 12:41 This story is also not about how well we can see, 12:45 because blind people can't find Jesus. 12:47 But the good news is, Jesus can find blind people. 12:53 I'll say amen myself. 12:55 Jesus can find blind people. 12:59 I'm mindful of the quotation from Helen Keller, 13:01 a young lady who was blind. 13:03 She struggled all her life with the inability to see. 13:06 She couldn't see, 13:08 but she wrote something that's very insightful. 13:10 She said the only thing worse 13:13 than being blind is having sight, 13:17 but no vision. 13:19 Think about that. 13:20 I look at some of the most prolific accomplished people 13:22 in our society today. 13:24 And although they may not do something 13:25 that I necessarily agree with, they have talents. 13:30 I think of a young man by the name of Stevie Wonder, 13:32 he affected my life when I was a young boy, 13:34 when I was out on the world, 13:35 he couldn't see, but he is considered 13:37 one of the most prolific songwriters in modern times. 13:41 And people like Jose Feliciano and Ray Charles, 13:44 these are musicians 13:45 that shaped a lot of my past life, 13:47 but they could not physically see. 13:49 And then a young man that I know 13:51 that's powerful in the Lord, Neville Peters. 13:53 He's often featured on 3ABN. 13:55 He cannot see, but boy, can he play that piano. 13:58 And a number of other good friends 14:01 that have not the ability to see, 14:04 but surely can use their gifts to the glory of God. 14:07 You see, having vision is sometimes more important 14:11 than having sight 14:13 as Stephanie Dawn, my good friend can tell you, 14:15 she cannot see, but boy, can she sing? 14:18 And every time she opens her mouth, 14:20 the glory of God is revealed. 14:22 So what is the most important, 14:23 having sight but no vision 14:26 or sometimes having no vision, 14:28 but having insight? 14:30 In John 9:2, the story continues to unfold. 14:34 The Bible says, 14:35 "And His disciples asked him saying, 14:38 'Rabbi, who sinned?'" 14:42 Now, they're looking at the condition 14:43 of this blind man. 14:45 And they're saying, who sinned, this man or his parents 14:49 that he was born blind. 14:50 It's a very significant question 14:52 because the disciples 14:54 and the thought leaders of that society were affected 14:58 by the doctrine of transmigration. 15:01 Now you may have said, 15:03 what on earth is the doctrine of transmigration? 15:06 Well, that's the framework of the question. 15:09 The doctrine of transmigration teaches the following. 15:13 It teaches that the souls of men were sent 15:15 into other bodies 15:17 for a punishment of their sins, 15:19 which they had committed in a preexistent state. 15:24 The Pharisees, the Greeks, the Asiatics, 15:28 they held to this belief. 15:29 So when the disciples saw this young man blind, they say, 15:32 who sinned that he was born this way? 15:35 Was it him? 15:36 Was it his parents? 15:38 In other words, you've got to be a sinner 15:40 to be born blind. 15:42 This disease would not affect you he is saying, 15:45 unless you did something wrong. 15:48 Well, there are many children born blind 15:50 that have no idea what sin is. 15:52 They've never stolen anything, never lie. 15:54 They didn't take anything. 15:56 But sometimes we are affected by birth issues, 15:59 without anything having to do with our actions. 16:03 You know, many cultures today still hold to these beliefs. 16:06 Many cultures and religions 16:08 still believe in the doctrine of transmigration. 16:11 And they profess to believe to pinpoint 16:14 the sins of the past 16:15 that are connected 16:17 to the sufferings of the present. 16:18 They say, 16:19 "If you didn't do this, 16:21 then that wouldn't be happening to you." 16:23 I'm so glad that's not the case 16:25 because sometimes we are totally innocent victims 16:28 simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 16:31 Sometimes being born into circumstances, 16:34 we have no control over. 16:35 Going back to my story, 16:37 I didn't choose to be abandoned. 16:38 I just came into the world as any child 16:41 that's being born. 16:43 But they pointed out some amazing things 16:44 about this doctrine of transmigration. 16:47 For example, they said, 16:49 if a person was suffering from severe headaches, 16:51 they said that that person in their last life 16:54 spoke irreverently against their mother or father. 16:58 So now they're living alive, suffering with headaches. 17:01 They also say about this doctrine of transmigration, 17:03 if that person was mad, out of his mind, 17:06 he was disobedient to his mother, his father, 17:10 or maybe his spiritual guide. 17:13 And then they also say, and this is sad, 17:14 but they believe according to this disease and belief 17:18 that if you had epilepsy, 17:20 you were being punished for poisoning someone 17:22 at your master's table. 17:24 Can you imagine? 17:26 And then they said if you had eye pain, 17:28 this made me smile. 17:29 They said, you're suffering with eye pain 17:31 because you are coveting another man's wife 17:35 while you were in another body. 17:38 Something you did in the past. 17:40 And then they say, 17:42 this points to this young man's life. 17:44 If you were fighting with blindness 17:46 or suffering from blindness, 17:48 they say that you are punished for having killed 17:51 your former mother. 17:53 However, before your birth, 17:56 how could you have killed someone? 17:59 Because you were not living in a past life. 18:02 And they say there are two possibilities 18:04 for this blind man's condition. 18:05 They said, he is being punished for the sins of his parents, 18:08 or he is being punished for the sins 18:10 of his former existence. 18:12 But, friends, you and I know there is no such thing 18:15 as living in a former world, 18:19 living in a former condition. 18:22 And furthermore, when you look at the story, 18:24 Jesus never explained 18:27 the reason for this man's condition, 18:29 which brings me down to birth issues. 18:30 And this is so vitally important 18:32 because I talked to many people that suffer with birth issues. 18:36 They are so hung up 18:37 on what happened to them in their lives, 18:38 that they can't get past the things of their past. 18:41 Birth issues. 18:42 But they forget that how we were born 18:44 is not as important as that we were born. 18:48 Now, I couldn't change my circumstances of my birth, 18:51 but I can surely do something about my future. 18:53 I can't go back and undo anything in the past, 18:56 but I can make conscious decisions 18:58 about my future. 18:59 Here's my point. 19:00 Many of us are bound by birth issues 19:03 because we forget something vitally important, 19:06 who we are is not as important as who we can be. 19:11 And the question is, who do you wanna become? 19:13 What do you wanna become? 19:15 What do you wanna accomplish? 19:17 You can't be blaming your past 19:18 if you fail to use the gift that God has given you. 19:21 And that is the power to choose. 19:24 And we often focus on what has been done to us 19:26 because we failed to realize what Jesus has done for us. 19:31 And I know I wish I had my mom at three months old 19:34 and I wish my dad was around, but I'll tell you what. 19:37 I look back on my upbringing in the life 19:41 that I had instead of being with my mom and dad of birth. 19:44 And I can tell you, I didn't miss any blessings. 19:46 I was raised by two people that gave me a solid footing 19:49 on the understanding of life. 19:51 And Jesus made it clear that the man's blindness 19:54 was not related to any particular sin, 19:57 but, friends, keep this in mind. 19:58 This sinful world predisposes us to everything. 20:02 Anything could happen to you, 20:04 not because of anything you've done wrong, 20:06 but because of the world that we live in. 20:08 You can be going to the store and get hit by a car. 20:11 You can just step out of your house 20:13 like I did on one morning, going to work 20:14 and be attacked by a dog. 20:17 And you had nothing to do with that. 20:18 That's just the kind of world we live in. 20:20 Be ready at any moment 20:22 to deal with anything that you have not seen coming. 20:26 There are conditions that often affect us 20:28 that have nothing to do with what we have done, 20:31 but I've learned something very significant as I grow up, 20:34 as I get older, or can I say, as I continue to get older. 20:38 Sometimes God uses our curse 20:42 to reveal His blessing. 20:44 Sometimes God reveals our failures 20:48 to introduce His successes. 20:52 Now, while you're chewing on that, 20:54 look at verse 3 of John Chapter 9, 20:57 a curse to a blessing, a failure to a success. 21:01 Listen to the words of Jesus. 21:03 John 9:3, 21:05 "Jesus answered, 21:06 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned, 21:10 but that the works of God should be revealed in him.'" 21:15 Did you know, friends, what Jesus said about this 21:18 blind man is also true about you. 21:21 It's true about me. 21:23 We were born, get this, so that the works of God 21:28 should be revealed in us. 21:31 You just heard me right. 21:33 You are not born for arbitrary, temporary things. 21:38 You young lady, you young man, you father, mother, 21:41 you husband, wife, 21:43 you, that person who feels the world has shut you out. 21:46 You were born 21:47 so that the power and the works of God 21:50 could be revealed through your life. 21:52 And what are you waiting for? 21:54 There's one thing that's 21:56 between you and the most wonderful life 21:58 you can ever never imagine 22:01 you were born that the works of God 22:03 should be revealed in you. 22:05 So don't get distracted by who you were 22:08 because of Adam. 22:10 Get excited about who you can be 22:12 because of Jesus. 22:14 The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:22, 22:18 he tells us that there is a difference between 22:21 the natural birth and the spiritual birth. 22:23 There is a difference between your humble beginnings 22:26 and your magnificent future. 22:28 He says in 1 Corinthians 15:22, these words, 22:32 "For as in Adam, all die." 22:35 Everybody is subject to death. 22:37 But that's not the end of the text. 22:39 "Even so in Christ 22:42 all shall be made alive." 22:46 Hmm. 22:48 What does that mean? 22:49 That means God has not created you. 22:51 God has not given you birth to have a dead morning, 22:55 a dead afternoon. 22:57 Your life is going nowhere. 22:58 Your future is dead. 23:00 I've run into young people that are very young, 23:04 but seems like they are ready for the grave. 23:06 I remember meeting a young man, just 25 years old. 23:10 And I was in the middle of my 50s 23:12 and he said, I'm too old to play basketball. 23:14 And I thought, I'm 30 years older than you are. 23:17 He said, "Oh, I'm too old for the sport." 23:20 And I thought to myself, 23:21 so what are you going to do next? 23:23 He said, "I'm just going to take it easy 23:25 because I don't even think I'm going to live 23:27 to get to 55." 23:29 And I though what a sad existence. 23:31 He's living with a mindset that at 25 years old, 23:34 he's nearing the end of his life. 23:35 And he doesn't even have plans for 55 years old. 23:39 That's a sad reality. 23:41 But Jesus pointed out that in this blinds man life, 23:45 as in yours, 23:46 while Jesus is planning to change your condition, 23:50 there's something that He wants to change first. 23:52 Look at John 9:6-7. 23:55 And I want you to hear that again. 23:56 Before Jesus changes your condition, 23:59 before He changes your circumstances, 24:02 there's something that He's gonna change first. 24:05 John 9:6, 24:08 "When He said these things," 24:10 that is Jesus speaking, 24:11 "He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva. 24:16 And He anointed the eyes of the blind man 24:19 with the clay." 24:20 In verse 7, 24:23 "And He said to him, 24:24 'Go wash in the pool of Siloam, 24:28 which is translated, Sent. 24:32 So he went and washed, 24:35 and came back seeing." 24:39 Now this is something that I cannot overemphasize. 24:42 I want you to kind of shake your head 24:44 because here's a powerful point of the message. 24:47 Before Jesus changed the man's condition, 24:50 before He restored or gave him his sight, 24:55 He changed the man's direction. 24:58 I'm going to repeat that slowly one more time. 25:00 Before Jesus gave the man his physical sight, 25:04 He changed his direction. 25:08 You see the point is, a change in our direction 25:11 is the precursor to a change in our condition. 25:16 Did you hear that? 25:18 A change in your direction is the prelude 25:22 to a change in your condition. 25:24 Well, let me add another component 25:25 that's even more beautiful. 25:27 A change in your direction is the precursor 25:30 to complete restoration to the revelation 25:35 of first time getting a chance to see Jesus. 25:39 Do you know how amazing it was? 25:40 Do you know how exciting that young man must have been? 25:43 That the first time he got his sight, 25:45 the first person he saw was Jesus. 25:48 The Bible says, he went and washed, 25:51 and he came back seeing. 25:52 Notice, when the Lord gives you direction, 25:55 you can't stand still expecting a change. 25:58 You gotta go as God sends you. 26:00 And when you go, you'll come back 26:02 with the blessing of God being unfolded in your life. 26:05 He went, he washed, 26:07 that means the cleansing of his past, 26:09 and he came back seeing. 26:11 What an amazing transition 26:13 to take you from who you were 26:14 to who you are now becoming in Christ. 26:17 But the problem is 26:18 many are bound in the same condition 26:20 because they desire a change in condition 26:23 without a change in direction. 26:26 There are some people that are living 26:27 the same way every day. 26:28 And you may be one of them 26:30 wondering why your life hasn't changed. 26:32 Jesus will never change your life. 26:34 Jesus will never change your life 26:38 until He first changes your direction. 26:41 And you know the saying, 26:43 the definition for insanity is doing the same thing, 26:48 expecting different results, 26:50 going in the same direction like Jonah did 26:53 when God is saying go in that direction. 26:55 Jonah was told to go to Nineveh, 26:58 but he tried to run away to Tarshish. 27:00 And, boy, what a delivery God gave Him. 27:03 He was burped up along the shores of Nineveh, 27:06 smelling like a fish. 27:07 Is that the kind of future you want? 27:09 Smell like a fish running from God's blessing, 27:11 going in the wrong direction 27:13 and causing the people around you 27:15 to experience the turbulence of your disobedience 27:18 like the Prophet Jonah. 27:22 To have a different outcome, friends, I'm saying to you 27:25 requires a different direction. 27:27 We cannot go in the same direction 27:29 while expecting a different destiny. 27:33 You wonder why your life is not working out. 27:37 How could your life work out 27:39 without allowing Jesus to come in? 27:41 How can you ever hope 27:43 to have any kind of bright future 27:45 when you are turning off the light of the world? 27:47 How can you ever hope to be filled 27:50 when you don't hunger and thirst after righteousness? 27:54 And let me tell you, like, 27:55 as a young man that was out on the world, 27:57 dancing, partying, gambling, pool hustling, 28:00 living a loose life. 28:02 Let me tell you today. 28:04 You'll never know 28:06 what it really means to have joy 28:08 until you turn your life over to Christ. 28:11 My wife and I can tell you, and we can testify. 28:13 I can stop the sermon right here 28:15 and take the rest of the time 28:16 telling you the blessings in my life. 28:18 But it didn't happen until there was a change 28:21 in my direction. 28:23 So I had to go from birth issues 28:25 and then I had to go to life issues 28:28 before I got to faith issues. 28:30 Secondly, the life issues, 28:32 unless we have an encounter with Jesus, 28:34 there will never be a change in our direction, 28:37 and the strength of our sight will never be restored. 28:42 That's why David the Psalmist 28:43 prayed the prayer in Psalm 119:18. 28:46 He said, 28:47 "Open my eyes 28:49 that I may behold wondrous things from Your law." 28:53 The reason why people don't see wonderful things in God's law, 28:56 is they keep their own eyes closed. 28:58 And Jesus said to the Pharisees, 29:00 "You're the one that closed your eyes. 29:01 I didn't block your vision. 29:03 You're the one that said you cannot see 29:05 because you are a disobedient people." 29:08 When we pray for God to open our eyes, 29:11 we will see wonderful things. 29:13 You know, Matthew reiterate the condition of those 29:17 that lead to the rejection of God. 29:20 He said, 29:21 "The problem is God never closed their eyes. 29:24 They made the decision to close their own eyes." 29:26 Listen to Matthew 13:15, 29:29 the words of Jesus once again, 29:31 He says, 29:32 "For the hearts of this people have grown dull. 29:34 Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes 29:38 they have closed, 29:40 lest they should see with their eyes 29:42 and hear with their ears, 29:44 lest they should understand with their hearts and turn," 29:48 notice a change in direction, 29:50 "so that I should heal them." 29:52 When you can see with your eyes 29:54 and hear with your ears 29:56 and believe and embrace 29:57 what God is saying to you with your heart, 29:59 there will be a change in your direction. 30:03 And I can say, 30:04 as one who knows this by experience, 30:06 your future will be more amazing 30:08 than your past by far. 30:11 But I also say the reason why we cannot see the life 30:14 that Jesus has for us 30:16 is because we haven't prayed 30:17 and asked the Lord to open our eyes. 30:19 But when the Lord open our eyes, 30:20 He also provides something for us. 30:23 When He opens our eyes, He provides something for us. 30:27 Let's take a peek at the neighbors in the story. 30:30 The neighbors in the story. 30:31 John 9:8-10. 30:34 When the neighbors saw what happened to the young man, 30:36 notice what the Bible says, 30:39 "Therefore the neighbors 30:40 and those who previously had seen that he was blind, 30:45 they said, 'Is not this he who sat and begged?' 30:49 Some said, 'This is he.' 30:51 Others said, 'He is like him.' 30:54 He said, 'I am he.'" 30:57 Now watch this. 30:58 A witnessing opportunity. 31:00 They didn't know who he was. 31:02 It looks like that beggar. 31:03 It looks like that one that was sitting down 31:04 on the ground begging, 31:06 looks like that one. 31:07 This looks like him. 31:08 He said, oh, hey, don't get confused. 31:10 This is me. 31:11 What was he saying? 31:13 I am not how I used to be. 31:14 I'm not the same. 31:16 I may be the same man physically. 31:17 Well, let me even add, 31:19 he's not the same man physically, 31:20 because God not only changed his direction, 31:23 changed his circumstances, 31:25 but gave him an opportunity with open eyes 31:27 to testify I am he. 31:30 Therefore they said to him, listen to how verse 9 ends. 31:34 "When he said, 'I am he.' 31:36 They said to him, "How were your eyes opened?'" 31:39 Wow. 31:41 A lot of people ask me that 31:42 when they look at how God has transformed my life 31:43 and my wife's life. 31:45 They said, "What happened? 31:46 You were raised in the same neighborhood 31:48 in Brooklyn like I was, 31:49 what happened?" 31:50 I made a decision to get out of that neighborhood. 31:52 I made a decision to put my life 31:54 in the hand of the Lord. 31:55 My wife and I got baptized together at 19 years old, 31:58 got married at 25. 32:00 And I can tell you, our lives have not been mundane since. 32:04 God has taken us around the world to talk 32:06 about His goodness, His grace, His blessings, His mercies, 32:09 and the blessings just keep on, as one songwriter said, 32:13 all the evidence of his goodness 32:15 is all over my life. 32:17 I love that song. 32:18 The evidence of God's goodness is all over my life. 32:22 God gave this young transformed man, 32:25 an opportunity to testify. 32:27 He said, "Tell your neighbors about me." 32:30 Personal testimony. 32:32 Look at verse 11 and 12 in John 9. 32:35 This young man couldn't stop 32:36 talking about the goodness of Jesus. 32:38 "He answered and said, 32:40 'A man called Jesus made clay 32:42 and anointed my eyes and said to me, 32:44 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' 32:47 So I went and washed and I received my sight." 32:51 He's saying, the reason I am the way I am today 32:54 is I obeyed the Word of God. 32:57 It amazes me how many people think this book 32:59 makes no difference. 33:01 And I can tell you the difference 33:02 between who you are and who you can be 33:04 is in this book. 33:05 It's in the living Word of this book 33:07 because it's backed by a man who never dies, 33:10 is backed by an ever living Savior. 33:12 It's backed by He who is alive forevermore. 33:16 It is backed by the risen Lord 33:18 who is coming back 33:19 to take those who testify about a transformed life. 33:24 He said, "I went and I washed and I received my sight." 33:28 And look at verse 12 of John Chapter 9, 33:30 "Then they said to him, 'Where is He?' 33:32 He said, 'I don't know.'" 33:35 They were looking for Jesus. 33:36 They were missing the miracle of Jesus. 33:38 And then they said, well, "Where is He?" 33:40 Which now takes us to category two. 33:42 You see the neighbors, the man's parents, 33:45 now the Pharisees come in 33:47 and you know, I'm amazed how sometimes religious people 33:49 can be your biggest stumbling block. 33:52 People that are religious, but that don't know Jesus 33:55 can be sometimes the ones that make your life miserable. 33:59 It's not about religion, friends, 34:01 it's about knowing Jesus. 34:02 So the Pharisees come in and they try to throw 34:05 shadings in the engine with the questions. 34:07 The Pharisees, this young man's testimony 34:12 clashes with their theology. 34:14 You heard me right. Look at verse 13 to 15. 34:18 This young man's testimony is now irritating the Pharisees 34:20 because they just don't like the fact, 34:23 first of all, they reject Jesus. 34:24 And then they say, how could a man 34:26 who I consider a sinner do such things. 34:29 John 9:13, 34:32 "They brought him 34:33 who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 34:37 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay 34:39 and opened his eyes. 34:41 Then the Pharisees also asked him again, 34:44 how he had received his sight. 34:46 He said to them," 34:48 this is his third testimony, 34:50 "'He put clay on my eyes and I washed and I see.'" 34:56 He was probably getting exhausted by then 34:59 telling one person after the other, Jesus did this. 35:03 You see the problem was not only what Jesus did, 35:06 but get this, my friends, 35:07 the problem to these Pharisees was that 35:09 Jesus did it on the Sabbath. 35:11 And they try to say that Jesus violated the Sabbath. 35:15 You see, the Sabbath is a day of celebration. 35:18 What better day to celebrate than the life of a man 35:22 who was once blind? 35:24 What better day to celebrate freedom from darkness 35:27 than the Sabbath day? 35:29 The Lord Jesus opened this man's eye 35:31 on a day of celebration. 35:33 He says from evening to evening, 35:34 shall you celebrate the Sabbath in the Book of Leviticus. 35:39 So this young man decided, I'm gonna celebrate. 35:42 I'm gonna praise the Lord and I'm gonna do it on the day 35:44 that God has blessed. 35:46 And the Pharisees didn't like that. 35:47 And there's some people today 35:48 that have a twisted vision 35:50 about what the Sabbath is all about. 35:52 They think it's the day of bondage. 35:53 No, it's the day of freedom. 35:55 They think it's the day that's connected 35:56 to the old law. 35:57 No, it's connected to the risen Lord. 36:00 It's not a day of bondage, 36:02 a day of where you can't do anything. 36:05 It's a day of freedom. 36:06 It's a connecting day with us and our ever living Creator. 36:12 But this is where the ability of Jesus to perform miracles 36:15 meets with the Pharisees' 36:16 inability to believe. 36:18 They didn't wanna believe it. 36:19 They refused to believe it. 36:21 So they decided to argue with the man 36:23 who had received his sight. 36:26 But the proof was too overwhelming. 36:28 To accept the miracle would mean that they admit 36:30 that Jesus is the miracle worker 36:33 and they took this young man to task. 36:35 And the Pharisees wanting to shut this young man up, 36:39 they needed support for their rejection of Jesus, 36:43 and look what they did. 36:44 So they called the young man's parents, 36:46 which now brings us to the third category, 36:49 parental issues. 36:52 Doors of earth chosen over the doors of heaven. 36:56 John 9:18-21. 37:00 An amazing story. 37:01 I hope you're following me. 37:03 The Pharisees now, 37:04 who don't like Jesus 37:05 takes this young man to his parents 37:07 to see if they could get the parent support 37:10 against this young man who was blessed. 37:12 Verse 18 of John 9, 37:14 "But the Jews did not believe concerning him, 37:17 that he had been blind and received his sight 37:20 until they call the appearance of him 37:22 who had received his sight. 37:25 And they asked them saying, 37:28 'Is this your son who you say was born blind? 37:32 How then does he now see?'" 37:38 So you're saying that he was blind. 37:40 Am I correct? 37:41 How then does he now see? 37:44 Now, this was a great opportunity 37:46 for his parents to say Jesus did it, 37:48 but they were so terrified of the religious leaders. 37:50 Look at what their response was in verse 20. 37:54 "His parents answered them and said, look what they said, 37:58 'We know that this is our son, 38:01 that he was born blind.'" 38:06 They could have gone on and given Jesus the glory, 38:08 but look at verse 21. 38:10 "But by what means he now sees, we do not know 38:14 or who opened his eyes we do not know. 38:17 He is of age, ask him, he will speak for himself." 38:23 Chicken parents, fearful parents, 38:26 parents that can't even support the blessings 38:28 in the life of their child. 38:30 Are you standing there today? 38:31 God is blessing you and your parents 38:33 can't even support you in God's blessings. 38:35 You decided as a young man or young lady 38:37 to give your life to Christ and your parents are mute. 38:39 They can't even say, 38:41 look at what God is doing in my child's life. 38:43 Young lady, young man, fear not, 38:45 your parents may not stand with you 38:47 when you choose to do right, 38:49 but Jesus will never forsake you 38:50 when you choose to do right. 38:52 You may lose all your friends and people that surround you. 38:55 Your neighbors may be confused 38:56 about how God has transformed your life, 38:59 but keep on testifying and Jesus will never leave you. 39:03 And He will never forsake you. 39:05 You find here, the parents lost their opportunity to testify. 39:08 And instead of testifying 39:10 about the goodness of God 39:11 to their son, 39:13 they differed and said, 39:14 you ask him, don't try to get us in trouble. 39:18 You get him in trouble. 39:19 Look at verses 22 to 24. 39:23 Wow. 39:25 I'll read this and tell you how beautiful it is. 39:27 Verse 22 of John Chapter 9, 39:29 "His parents said these things 39:32 because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already 39:37 that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, 39:40 that is that Jesus is the Christ. 39:43 He would be put out of the synagogue. 39:46 Therefore his parents said, 'He is of age, ask him.'" 39:51 Verse 24, 39:53 "So they again called the man who was blind." 39:58 Are you getting exhausted like I am? 40:01 When somebody simply believe me, the Bible says, 40:03 and they said to him, give God the glory. 40:08 We know that this man is a sinner. 40:10 They said, give God the glory because Jesus, 40:12 the Pharisees are saying, he's a sinner. 40:15 Now you see why Jesus later would say, 40:18 "You believe in God, believe also in Me. 40:22 You see God sent His Son. 40:24 You cannot separate the Father from the Son. 40:27 To acknowledge the Father is to acknowledge the Son, 40:30 to embrace the Son is to embrace the Father. 40:33 And the Pharisees said, get rid of this Jesus stuff. 40:37 Just give God the glory. 40:38 Do you know today, friends, 40:40 that there are religions in the world 40:42 that have rejected Jesus, 40:43 but they claim to be believing in God. 40:46 They look to God, but they say we don't need Jesus. 40:48 There are so many movements on the earth denying 40:51 the existence and the power in Jesus. 40:53 But the Bible says, 40:54 "There is no other name 40:56 given among men whereby we must be saved 40:59 than the name of Jesus." 41:01 And the Apostle Paul says, 41:02 "The day is coming that every knee will bow, 41:05 and every tongue will confess 41:07 that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father." 41:11 So don't be like the Pharisees or the parents or the neighbors 41:15 that deny the power of Jesus. 41:18 Be like the young man. 41:19 The Pharisees were more focused on the process than the result. 41:24 The restored man was focused not on the results, 41:27 but on the process. 41:28 Notice what he says in verse 25 of John 9. 41:34 Verse 25 of John Chapter 9, 41:39 "He answered and said, 41:41 now they're looking back to this young man. 41:43 And I can imagine I just got my sight back. 41:45 And here I am. 41:46 Nobody really paid attention to me when I was blind. 41:48 But I just got my sight back. 41:50 Everybody is up in arms 41:52 about the blessings of the Lord of my life. 41:54 When I was blind, nobody even paid attention to me 41:56 where my life was going over the deep end, 41:58 nobody even called on me. 42:00 And some of you may feel that way. 42:02 When you are living in sin, 42:03 nobody cared about the sin in your life. 42:05 When you were drinking and smoking 42:07 and living for darkness, nobody paid attention. 42:09 But all of a sudden, 42:11 you wanna turn your life over to Jesus 42:12 and everybody's concerned. 42:14 Don't give your life to Jesus. 42:15 Have you ever noticed that? 42:16 When people wanna accept truth, the neighbors get concerned. 42:19 Your friends get concerned. 42:21 You know why? 42:22 Because they know that giving your life to Christ 42:24 is the first step in the chains of Satan being broken 42:28 and the blessings of God being poured in your life. 42:31 That's why all this confusion is there. 42:33 Religious folk, parents, neighbors, 42:36 everybody denying the power of Christ. 42:38 But this young man, I praise God for his boldness. 42:43 He came out and look at what he said. 42:45 It's a long story, 42:47 but I'm diving right to verse 25 42:49 because listen to what this young man said, 42:51 and I could feel the passion in his voice. 42:54 I could feel the tenacity. 42:56 I could feel the angst. 42:57 I can feel the frustration in his words. 43:00 And I can reach back through the pages of time 43:03 and say, I'm standing with you my brother. 43:05 I'm so glad that nobody around you, 43:08 even the powerful in society could shut you up. 43:12 John 9:25, 43:14 He answered and said, speak. 43:18 "He answered and said whether he is a sinner or not. 43:21 I do not know." 43:24 But look at this. 43:26 "One thing," I'm gonna say that again. 43:28 One thing I know, 43:33 that though I was blind, now I see." 43:38 That's right, go ahead and stand up on your couch 43:40 and praise God. 43:41 Yes, he is saying 43:43 I used to be blind, but now I see. 43:45 You go ahead and fight with all the issues 43:46 of whether or not He is the Christ 43:48 or whether or not He's a sinner or where He's from. 43:50 You go ahead 43:51 and sort that out on your own life. 43:52 But what I know is when Jesus showed up, 43:55 my life changed. 43:57 When Jesus showed up, 43:58 I went from an insignificant man 44:00 on the ground begging, 44:01 to a man standing on my own two feet 44:03 with my future clearly in sight. 44:06 When Jesus showed up, my life went from a humdrum to amazing. 44:10 My life went from stagnant to, I don't know what to do next 44:14 because the sight that God has given to me 44:16 has unfolded for me. 44:17 And before me a vision 44:19 that is far more amazing 44:20 than all the little controversies 44:22 about those people 44:23 that choose to reject the power that is available in Christ, 44:27 which now brings me down to the faith issues. 44:30 You see the faith issue is a powerful illustration 44:33 in all of our lives. 44:34 Every one of us 44:36 has to confront the faith issues 44:38 either before we are saved or before we are lost. 44:43 You will not be able to be lost or saved 44:47 until you confront the faith issues. 44:49 And I wanna tell you today, 44:50 the Lord will bring the faith issues 44:52 face to face with you 44:53 so you can decide to be lost. 44:56 Let me make a point. 44:57 Do you know it's hard to be lost 45:00 than it is to be saved? 45:01 It is harder to be lost than it is to be saved. 45:05 Jesus has made every provision for you to be saved. 45:09 Why would you settle for wanting to be lost 45:13 when Jesus wants to do the same thing for you 45:15 that He did for this young man, 45:17 that He did for me, that He did for my wife. 45:20 She did not know her father. 45:21 Her father died 45:22 when she was only three years old. 45:24 Look at her life today. 45:26 I was only three months old 45:27 when my mom and dad abandoned me. 45:29 Look at my life today. 45:30 God can do amazing things 45:32 if you just give Him a chance to do that, 45:34 which brings me down to the faith issues, 45:36 the closing portion of my message. 45:38 You see, when Jesus changes our condition, 45:41 He also changes our responsibility. 45:45 If the Lord has given you an ability, 45:47 you are responsible for that ability. 45:50 Acts 1:8 tells us what that responsibility is. 45:53 Look at the Bible. 45:56 "But you shall receive power 45:58 when the Holy Spirit has come upon you 46:01 and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem 46:04 and in all of Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." 46:09 What is the Lord saying? 46:10 He says, when I change your life, 46:13 I dare you to sit around and do nothing. 46:16 I am not going to give you sight 46:18 for you to be a humdrum mundane, 46:20 stuck on the couch, inactive Christian. 46:24 I want your life to mean something. 46:26 I am not gonna give you My gifts for you to sing 46:29 and use those gifts for the world. 46:31 I'm not gonna give you breath every day 46:33 to live your life under the radar. 46:36 I wanna stand you on a hill, 46:37 so that people can see the difference in your life. 46:40 And some of you, young people today 46:41 are so stuck to your devices 46:43 that you can't even look up and look at the eyes of Christ. 46:45 Some of you think that it's Instagram. 46:47 No, your life is not insta-nothing. 46:50 Your life will change in an instant 46:52 if you put your life in the hand of Christ. 46:54 Some of you are so stuck to Facebook 46:56 that you cannot take time to face the only book 46:58 that can transform the way that you see the world. 47:01 My friends, it's not in social media. 47:04 It's in a relationship with Jesus. 47:07 Some of you are chasing 47:08 the rising and falling stock market 47:10 hoping that I'll hit it on a good day 47:12 and I'll make a whole lot of money. 47:14 I'm gonna tell you, 47:15 I'd rather die in the hope of Christ 47:17 than die with more money 47:18 and all that money I have amassed 47:20 can never buy my way into the kingdom. 47:23 Jesus is saying to you, confront the faith issues. 47:26 When Jesus changes your condition, 47:28 He will bring you face to face 47:30 with the faith issues of your life. 47:33 You see our world is a place 47:35 where the faith issues have made an impact on society. 47:38 And one of the reasons why the world is blind, 47:40 the way it is, 47:42 is because they are trying to ignore the faith issues. 47:44 And Satan is having a heyday with them. 47:47 Look at 2 Corinthians 4:3-4. 47:50 The Bible makes it clear 47:51 why the world is in the condition 47:53 it's in today. 47:54 The Bible says, 47:55 but even if our gospel is hidden or veiled, 47:59 that means if they can't see it, 48:01 it is hidden to those who are perishing. 48:04 It is veiled to those who are perishing. 48:07 Why can't they see it? 48:08 2 Corinthians 4:4, 48:10 "Whose minds the god of this age 48:14 has blinded." 48:17 Let me pause for a moment. 48:18 "Who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel 48:22 of the glory of Christ, 48:24 who is the image of God should shine on them." 48:28 Now you, let me make 48:29 a very important point right here 48:30 before I close. 48:32 One of the reasons why you can't see Jesus 48:34 as you use your eyes to see everything else, but Jesus. 48:37 And the devil has so confused your mind 48:40 that the god of this age 48:42 has so confused your mind 48:43 that you have been convinced to believe 48:47 that if I give my life to Jesus 48:49 is all downhill from there, boring. 48:53 Can't do anything. 48:55 Oh, what am I gonna do tomorrow? 48:56 Man, my life is gonna go south. 48:58 My friends are gonna reject me. 49:00 I'll have nothing to live for. 49:01 Well, let me make it really clear. 49:04 Not only will your life just begin 49:07 when you give your life to Jesus, 49:09 but you have somehow been convinced 49:10 that this world is it. 49:12 Well, get yourself a telescope and go out on a dark night, 49:16 find yourself an open field. 49:18 Or maybe if you're living in a major city, 49:20 go on the internet and begin to look up stars. 49:22 And you'll discover that 49:24 this planet is a speck of dust in a universe 49:28 where every constellation is nothing 49:30 but a speck of dust in the eyes of everlasting God. 49:33 And astronomers are saying and meteorologists are saying 49:36 that there are billions of galaxies. 49:38 And Jesus is saying, 49:40 "I wanna give all of that to you." 49:42 You have not yet seen what God has in store for you, 49:45 but you are incarcerated by the media, 49:50 by Facebook, Instagram, all these social things. 49:53 Not that they are inherently evil, 49:56 but that has been as far as your eyes can see. 49:58 And the Word of God, 50:00 the book that's trying to show you the map 50:02 to your best future 50:03 is something that you ignore. 50:06 There are those like the Pharisees 50:09 that are determined not to believe. 50:12 Oh, friends, let me encourage you. 50:15 Don't be one of those 50:16 that are determined not to believe, 50:18 'cause I go back to verse 26 in John Chapter 9, 50:21 and the latter part of that and the Pharisees are saying, 50:25 "What did He do to you? 50:26 How did He open your eyes?" 50:28 And the restored man in verse 20 says, 50:31 verse 27 says, 50:32 "I told you already and you did not listen." 50:36 I can imagine, this young man, all of a sudden, 50:39 he gets his sight 50:40 instead of the neighbors and his parents 50:43 and the religious leaders in the community saying, 50:45 praise God, no one could have done for you 50:48 what the Lord has done. 50:50 They're giving him frustration. 50:52 They're giving him heat. 50:54 They are pushing him beyond the bounds of reason 50:57 because they're trying to stagnate 50:58 the blessing of God in his life. 51:00 What did He do to you the Pharisee says, 51:02 how did He open your eyes? 51:04 And the restored man said, 51:05 "I told you already and you didn't believe." 51:08 And here's the point I wanna make. 51:10 When the formerly blind man confessed Jesus, 51:13 the Bible says, 51:15 they put him out of the synagogue. 51:18 Some of you may be fearful of accepting Jesus, 51:21 because if you do so, your parents may put you out. 51:24 Let me tell you something, friends, 51:25 when your parents put you out, Jesus will let you in. 51:29 When the society around you turns their back on you, 51:33 when they reject you for doing right, 51:35 Jesus will take us in. 51:37 When we stand with Him, we will never stand alone. 51:41 Look at John 9:35-38. 51:45 What happened in this young man's life? 51:47 What effect that the Lord make? 51:49 Changed his direction, changed his condition, 51:53 gave him a witnessing opportunity. 51:55 But what was the ultimate realization 51:58 in this young man's life. 51:59 Look at verses 35 to 38 in John Chapter 9. 52:04 "Jesus heard that they had cast him out," 52:08 that is they cast out the young man, 52:10 "and when He had found him, He said to him, 52:13 'Do you believe in the Son of God?'" 52:15 Well, how could you not 52:16 when He just restored your sight. 52:18 "He answered and said, 52:19 'Who is He Lord that I may believe in Him.'" 52:22 And verse 37, 52:24 one of the very few times in the Bible 52:25 that Jesus revealed His identity. 52:29 In verse 37, 52:30 "And Jesus said to him, 52:32 'You have both seen Him 52:35 and it is He who is talking with you.'" 52:39 I am the one. I am the Son of God. 52:42 But look at how that impacted that young man's life. 52:46 And this to me is the ultimate measure 52:49 in having a confrontation 52:51 and a meeting with the real Christ, 52:53 the Jesus, the one who transforms lives. 52:56 John 9:38, the Bible says, 52:59 "Then he, that is the blind man said, 53:02 'Lord, I believe.'" 53:04 And what did that formerly blind man do? 53:06 "And he worshiped Him." 53:10 Wow. Wow. 53:11 Now this is a twist you didn't see coming. 53:14 Here's the point I got out of that. 53:15 Here's the point that the Lord revealed to me. 53:17 In other words, when I read that verse, 53:19 the Lord opened my eyes. 53:21 Here's what the Lord showed me. 53:22 Until we see Jesus for who He is, 53:26 we will never consider that He alone is worthy of worship, 53:31 and worshiping Jesus is the result of our eyes 53:36 being opened to see His majesty, 53:39 to see His glory. 53:40 He's not just a good man like some religion say. 53:44 He's not just a prophet like the other say. 53:46 He's not just a man in history. 53:48 He is the beginning and the end, 53:49 the alpha and the omega. 53:51 He is He who was dead and is alive 53:52 and He's alive forevermore. 53:54 He is one that conquered death. 53:56 He is the one that has the keys of death and the grave. 53:59 He is the bright and the morning star, 54:00 the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley. 54:03 He is the only name that demons tremble 54:05 when that name is uttered. 54:07 He's not just another man. 54:09 He restores sight. 54:11 He changes life. 54:12 He alters our desires. 54:14 He makes the old new, 54:15 He takes away the past and gives us a future 54:17 that is so bright that we can only see it 54:20 as we take baby steps. 54:22 What a Lord? 54:23 What an amazing experience? 54:26 The restoration of our sight 54:29 doesn't just change our direction, 54:30 but it alters how we see Jesus. 54:33 And there's one other thing it does, 54:35 it changes our direction. 54:37 So here are my closing points. 54:39 My brethren, 54:40 here's the remedy to your blindness. 54:42 Philippians 3:13. 54:44 Brethren Paul says as one who was also blind, 54:48 "I do not count myself to have apprehended, 54:52 but one thing I do, 54:55 forgetting those things which are behind 54:58 and reaching forward to those things 55:00 which are ahead." 55:03 What direction is your life going? 55:05 Are you still stuck with the things behind you 55:08 or has God changed your life? 55:09 Like Paul says, one thing I do, 55:13 I'm reaching for those things that are head. 55:17 I'm pressing toward the mark, 55:18 for the prize of the upward call 55:20 of God and Christ Jesus. 55:21 Let me make a point 55:23 that I don't want you to forget. 55:24 Your life will never change. 55:26 And I'm gonna say this again. 55:28 Your life will never change 55:30 until you put yourself out of the way. 55:33 The Lord wants to open your eyes. 55:34 He wants to bless you. 55:36 He wants to release you from the things of your past 55:38 that bind you. 55:39 He wants to give you new sight, but not only sight. 55:42 He wants to give you vision. 55:43 Where there is no vision the people perish. 55:45 He wants to unfold to you 55:48 the things He has always seen for you. 55:50 God says, I know the plans I have for you, 55:52 but you'll never know those plans 55:54 if you refuse to accept Christ and open your eyes. 55:58 And the antidote to your blindness 55:59 is the prayer of David the Psalmist. 56:01 Psalms 27:4 he said, one thing, notice, 56:05 "One thing I have desired of the Lord that will I seek, 56:09 that I may dwell in the house of the Lord 56:11 all the days of my life, 56:14 to behold the beauty of the Lord, 56:15 and to inquire in His temple." 56:18 Friends, today, there is one thing 56:20 that is keeping you from being free from your past. 56:23 There is one thing that is keeping you 56:25 from seeing Jesus for who He is. 56:28 There is just one thing that is barring us 56:33 from knowing the power of Christ. 56:35 There's one thing, my friends. 56:37 So the great question is what is that one thing? 56:40 The need of the last day Christian 56:42 is to ask for the Lord to touch his or her eyes, 56:46 to give us a sight 56:47 beyond what the world is showing us. 56:49 Young man, you may not know Christ, 56:51 young lady, father, mother, you may know who Jesus is. 56:54 But let Him touch you today and He'll open your eyes. 56:57 That's why the prayer of John the Revelator 57:00 in Revelation 3:18 is, 57:02 "Anoint my eyes with eyes salve that 57:05 I may see." 57:07 Today my brothers and sisters, 57:08 the difference, hear me carefully, 57:11 the difference between who you are 57:15 and who you can be in Jesus 57:18 is only one thing. 57:21 And my prayer for you as you confront that one thing, 57:24 and then you behold the beauty of a life 57:27 transformed by the touch of Christ. 57:30 God bless you. |
Revised 2021-07-09