Jesus, The Light Of The World

turn with me in your Bibles to the gospel record of John at chapter number 9 Gospel according to John at chapter 9 verses 1 through verse number 11 and I want to preach about Jesus the light of the world and as Jesus passed by he saw man which was blind from his birth his disciples asked him saying master who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind jesus answered neither have this man sinned nor his parents but that the works of God should be made manifest in him I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when no man can work as long as I am in the world I am the light of the world when he had thus spoken he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay and said unto him go wash in the pool of Siloam which is by interpretation sent he went his way therefore and washed and came seeing the neighbors therefore and they which before had seen him that was blind said is not this he that sat and begged some said this is he others said he is like him but he said I am he therefore said they unto Him how were thine eyes open he answered and said a man that is called Jesus hallelujah made clay and anointed my eyes and said unto me go to the pool of Siloam and whosh and i went and washed and i received sight thank you you may have your seat the grass withers and the flower fades with the word of our God shall stand forever as long as I am in the world Jesus says I am the light of the world on this occasion Jesus is just passing by and there is this blind man on the highway side begging this is a rather strange miracle because the blind man never asks to see he's just on the highway side begging and Jesus is just passing by but here is an occasion here is an opportunity just serendipitously for Jesus to just demonstrate his power it's just it's just a chance for Jesus to punch holes in the darkness he just feels like working a miracle the blind man doesn't ask for anything Jesus just sees an opportunity to demonstrate that if he wants to he can do whatever he pleases and the disciples who are always dull and slow to think wants to know who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind because they thought disease and tragedy was the result of some unconfessed sin some secret sin in the life of an individual that's what that's what job's friends thought when Joel was suffering through his tragedies they be commiserated with him for a few days and then they said no joke tell us the truth you're not just going through this you must have done something in your past for you to be going through what you're going through and people so thought that sin was a result of somebody or blindness or illness was a result of somebody's sins but Jesus said this man is not responsible nor his parents but the glory of God the wonder of God is to be worked out in this man's life today I just feel like working a miracle I just want to demonstrate that as long as I am in the world I am is the light of the world as long as I am in the world that's that's one of John's I am statements as long as I am in the world I am is the light of the world Jesus just happens by this man is blind and Jesus works a miracle on him for he said I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day for the night is coming when no man can work I want you to see the misery of this sightless man his condition has rendered him a beggar he is a miserable beggar he is sightless he has never seen a sunrise he's never seen the face of his parents he's never seen a tree he does not know what a flower looks like those are words and scents and smells but he cannot see he's sightless he cannot work he's a drag on society he's a family member that you keep in an attic room or keeping the cellar or keep in the back because he's a nuisance he's not worth very much he's sightless he can't take care of himself so somehow he may endures to passersby he finds his way to a thoroughfare so that he can beg because of his blindness that's got to be miserable to depend on somebody else to take care of you his blindness renders him helpless he finds some thoroughfare where passers-by are happening his way and he does all he can do and that is big for his sustenance they for his survival bad for his living that must be a miserable way to live but he doesn't complain obviously because he doesn't ask Jesus for anything he makes no request of the master he's not like those ten lepers who yell out at Jesus he's not like this other blind man Bartimaeus who yells out Jesus son of David have mercy on me he's not like this syrophoenician woman who comes because her daughter is vexed with the devil he's not like this woman with the issue of blood who grabs Jesus clothes he's not like gyruss who asked Jesus to come to his house he's not like Jesus mother who tells them the field water pots for the water he's just on the highway side begging and Jesus feels like wicked America he's in the way where miracle is about to happen someone ought to help me preach right here and brothers and sisters you ought to want to be in the way when a miracle is getting ready to happen a church would be a good place to be in the way when God is about to do the unexpected the reason why many of us don't get a breakthrough is because we don't expect one we're not hungry for it yet we're not thirsty for it yet we can do for ourselves and so as long as we can just about make it we don't really look for Jesus to do much but here is this blind man miserable in his condition on the highway side begging and he never asked Jesus for anything because he does not know who he is the scripture says Jesus saw him but the man never saw Jesus then Jesus spits on the ground spit spit saliva spit on the ground mix a little clay of mud and puts it on the man's eyes spitting in his eyes could have insulted him had he seen it but but Jesus does something for him that he can see and brothers and sisters we think and praise God for what we see he has done but we need to learn how to praise God for what he does for us that we don't see also had two or three witnesses he we don't see who could have broke in our house last night we don't see who could I ran into us and killed us on the highway God keeps from us what we can't see and that's a reason to praise God I mentioned to the persons who in our early service that many of us praise God because of because of a job because of a family because of money in our bank because of a 401k retirement plan because of what we can see but we need to learn how to praise God in spite of in spite of my boy still on drugs I wish I had somebody to help me in spite of I'm in Houston trying to make it by myself God knows how to bless you in spite of what your supervisor has in mind in spite of how they are plotting against you among your friends in spite of how they're trying to pull the rug out from under you I will keep him in perfect peace whose mine I wish I had a Bible real God can bless you in spite of what your enemies are trying to do to you he prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil so that even when they are trying to trick me my cup is just running over learn how to thank God for what you don't see I wish I had one or two more witnesses here I bless the Lord for what I see he has done but there's some things God has worked out for me that I don't see st. Agustin calls that prevenient grace that's God moving on my behalf before I even knew it needs to be done that's God providing a ram in the bush before I even get up on Mount Moriah that's God sending Jesus to die for my sins before I was formed in my mother's womb God already knows what you need before you need it so by the time you get to it he's already worked it out that's God blessing you in spite of how lowdown you be see how slip that in on you right there because God's grace blesses us in spite of who we are this man asks for nothing and Jesus just feels like punching a hole in the darkness it just feels like blessing somebody and I want to be in the way when the Lord just feels like blessing somebody because I need a blessing I need a breakthrough I need I need mercy I need the grace I need the goodness of God so when God is getting ready to hand out blessings I want to be in the place where those blessings are going to be handed out that's the misery of this sightless man he can't help himself but then yonder comes the ministry of a sovereign master Jesus Christ who's ready now to reveal himself in one of his I am statements he says in the Gospel of John several I am I am the bread of life I am the water of life I am The Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he be dead yet shall he live I am the light of the world as the story progresses this man who was born blind Jesus performs a miracle by spitting on the ground making some clay and putting it on the man's eyes now this is perhaps the only miracle where jesus heals intermediately he uses another agent to assist them in the miracle had he wanted to Jesus just could have said be seen I know that's Ebonics but that's that's that's you you understand what I'm trying to go Jesus just could have told the man you got sight from now on but he spit on the ground and made clay and put it on the man's eyes and said go wash in the pool of Siloam Jesus was going to heal him but the man had to participate in his own miracle somebody's trying to see where I'm trying to go here the Lord wants to bless you this morning but there are times when you got to participate in your own miracle the Lord wants to bless you with a job but you got to look for one SIOC where'd you got resident God wants to send blessings your way but you've got to be ready to receive them because if the blessing comes and you're not ready you can mess up you and the blessing it took God 40 years to get the children of Israel to the promised land that journey could have taken the 40 days but it ended up taking 40 years because not only did he have to get Israel out of Egypt he had to get Egypt out of Israel he had to get that culture that background that jumped that stuff that mess out of them before he could cross them over into the Promised Land and you may not be at the place psychologically or spiritually where you're ready to receive what God has for you because you're still holding on to some stuff that has nothing to do with how God is trying to bless you you still got somebody in your heart that you need to get rid of you still got some junk that you need to let cash buy because God will not set you up for blessing for you to mess it up with your attitude i'ma show you in the text how this man's attitude was receptive to his blessings because they actually put him out of the temple he's seeing now and the scripture says the people who knew him from birth know that you can see so the Bible says these people asked him how were your eyes open I told you earlier he doesn't even know who Jesus he yeah he says a man named Jesus that that could have been any man because it was a whole lot of men named Jesus Jesus was a very common name he said it was just a man named Jesus he told me to go wash I went and I'm back see he told me to go and I win and when I went I came back see he told me to go and I went and I came back from where he told me to go see it he told me to go I went I came back see I don't know the dynamics of it I don't know how that works exactly he just told me to go I went and hey I am seeing now watch this it was the Sabbath day yeah and so they call this boy's parents and say to them if you ought to want to get it put out of this church how did that bother his sight stay with me here the scripture says his mother and father not wanting to upset the power structure not wanting to offend the religious elders and get excommunicated from the fellowship say I don't know you have to ask him he's old enough let him speak for himself so they called that boy in and they say how did you get your sight he said a man named Jesus told me to go I went and I came back see they say don't give him any glory give the glory to God he's a sinner don't glorify Him if you don't want us to put you out of the church don't give him any glory but this boy is not intimidated like his parents he's not afraid like folk who've gotten used to being in power got used to people liking them got used to enjoying being in the fellowship at the temple this boy said I don't know who here he might be exactly who you say but all I know is one day I was blind and right now I can see and they told him get out of here he said all right he left them and followed Jesus listen there's a lot of people who love Jesus but don't like Church because at church you got to deal with all these attitudes and you got to answer all these questions and you've got to walk through all these people staring at you and all these folks talking about you who ain't no better than you because to tell the truth everybody on every Pew got some issues that they struggling with got some problems that they can solve some conditions they wish they could get out from under stop acting like you so hold in you got to question everybody spirituality and you've got to inspect everybody's fruit to see whether or not they are fooled up the whole you ought to thank God you in the family I wish I had somebody to help me here stop being so critical of sinners frog that we know are sinners because if the truth is told none of us in here can stand being followed by a camera 24 hours a day well let me let me let me testify for myself I can't stand no FBI investigation looking into my records and checking into my past cuz I'd be in Hell right now have a got a witness here but thank God Jesus does not bring up your past he doesn't ask you any questions he doesn't try to inspect anything going on in your life the boy said he might be everything you say all I know and brothers and sisters really all the witness can say is what they know is that all a witness can testify about is what they have seen and heard if you don't know then you can't say anything but if you know what God has done for you then you ought to come on and be a witness I was blind but now I can see I wish I had a witness here I was lost and on my way to hell but Jesus turned me all around he put a new song in my mouth he said joy bells ringing in my soul and although everything is not well in my finances is well with my soul it's not all the time well in my family but it is well in my soul have I got a witness here there's not always peace in my personal life but I've got peace deep down in my soul because the Lord Jesus came and saved me and all I know all I can testify of is one day I was blind but now I can see I need some folk here who are not ashamed to testify I need about five or six people as I close you are not embarrassed to let these other folk know that I don't know a whole lot of theology I don't even know how to recite all the books of the Bible I don't know anything about etymological roots of words I don't know anything about simile and syntax all I know I don't know too much about theology all I know is Jesus loves me this I know because the Bible tells me so have a got a witness here I don't know too much about the Old Testament I just know that Adam and Eve sinned in the God and God shut off the Garden of Eden because they could not go back in that way but then I heard in the New Testament God's and another woman named Mary and then he opened another way for us to gain entrance to the Tree of Life he will help me close this want you I thank God for this man in his miserable condition because it shows me that everybody who is blind today can go home seeing this afternoon because he's just that kind of a god he just sometimes feels like blessing somebody not only way you can get God's blessings you got to do what this man did in the text he said he might be everything you say he is but all I know about him is whereas one day I was blind but now I can see and the Bible says he followed Jesus giving him praise everywhere he went and if you want the Lord to bless you this morning you got to praise Him everywhere you go you got the praise and when things are good praise and when things are bad praise Him when you up praise Him and when you're down praise and when you got money in your pocket praise and when you don't know how you're gonna pay your bills praise and when your health is good praise and when you got a bad report from the doctor praise them when they want to see you praise them when they don't even like your presence lift your hands in the sanctuary you ought to tell somebody now you got to give me some room right now you got to move out my way right now because I am a witness and a witness can only testify about what he or she knows I know God is a healer I know God will open doors I know he'll put food on your table I know he'll make your enemies leave he'll alone I know weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning I know he'll prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies I know if I delight myself in the Lord he'll give me the desires of my heart I know he's Adams Redeemer he's able Vindicator he's Abraham's sacrifice y'all know indulging his lowers Ark his Moses bush on fire he's Joshua was battle axe he's Gideon's fleece he's Samson's power his David's music I know his Solomon's wisdom his Jeremiah's balm in Gilead I know he's Ezekiel's wheel in the middle of a wheel I know he's God's only Son he's Mary's baby boy he's James and Jude's big brother y'all know him don't you he's Matthew's King Marke suffering seven Luke's Great Physician John's Word made flesh I know his acts coming of the Holy Ghost he's the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth here's something else I know he's a doctor in a sick room he's a lawyer in a courtroom he's a friend when you're friendless bread when you're hungry he's water when he is vested I know he's a burden bearer I know he's a mother father motherless I know he'll pick you up when you fall why don't you grab somebody tell me what the Lorcan I know I know you'll make a way out of no way hell you're not have you tried any alright wanna make away I don't know way if you got your own just a Mona why don't you hug somebody telling me you don't know like I knew what the lie weapon loud Maui's are all I know whereas one day I was blind right now I can see thank God I know what I know I know that I know that I know that I know that I know that he went down the family tree and picked me out of my brothers I know he saved me I know that when this earth in the House of this Tabernacle is dissolved I have another building a house not made with hands I know in whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that he's able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day I know that when this life is over I know that some grandma I'm going home to live with him because he went away to prepare a place for me and I know he's going to come again and receive me unto himself jesus said that where I am there you will be I'll be a Christian that's some things you got to know you got to know you've been born again you've got to know that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life now people ought to guess your age and the order guess how much you weigh they ought to guess what you do for a living but they ought not guess whether or not you've been born again because that ought to just showing you in your countenance in your in your testimony in the way you walk in the way you live your life they ought to know that there's something different about you that yonder is a child of God no matter what goes on in your life I know he may be a sin that this man says but all I know is one day I was blind but right now I can see you

Channel: lillygrovembc

Views: 77,501

Rating: 4.7066016 out of 5

Keywords: Reverend Terry Anderson Pastor Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church Houston Texas

Id: -KNSlgMH7cs

Length: 33min 11sec (1991 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 28 2014