God’s Amazing Grace

John 9:1-7  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.  (2)  And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?  (3)  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.  (4)  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.  (5)  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.  (6)  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,  (7)  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.

INTRODUCTION:  When I read this particular story my mind goes to John Newton’s song “Amazing Grace.” 

              I think about the years and days I was blind, and I as this man born blind at birth, was given sight by my Lord Jesus.

              When I started preaching I took over a Nursing Home work from a Southern Baptist preacher. The Nursing Home ministry apparently was started by Bro Otis Felton who was Pastor of Calvary Baptist in Palestine.  He is the equivalent to Bro Schoff to this Church.  Neither were the first Pastor, but they are the ones who really got the churches off the ground.

              Whenever, Bro Felton preached at Nursing Homes he always concluded with “Amazing Grace.”  I continued with “Amazing Grace” and I added it as the first song.  Jesus is God’s Amazing Grace.  He is “the first and the last.”

              That last line of the first stanza states “was blind but now I see.”  Then I go to the last verse and read “When we’ve been there 10, 000 years we have no less time to sing God’s praise.”

              I think about the blind, those who cannot see, those who are so blinded by the world, they will not discuss how they could see.

(John 9:40-41)  And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?  41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

              “Are we blind.”  “I can see you.”  “Can’t you see I’m not walking with a cane.”  “I’m not sitting on the ground begging.”  “Hey, I work for a living, I can see.”

              They can see the world, but they are blind to “spiritual things.”

Reading the last verse of Chapter eight we find Jesus leaving those who wanted to stone Him, “He passed by them.” 

(John 8:58-59)  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.  59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Jesus managed to walk away, and we don’t know how far he got until He was about to “pass by” this man born blind.

(John 9:1)  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

              In verse 2 Jesus’ Disciples asked if the blind man had sinned, or was it his parents that sinned which caused him to be blind.

              Jesus told them he was blind to make the works of the Lord visible for the glory of God.

I.            JESUS CAME TO WORK THE WORKS OF GOD       (v 4)

              A.           Jesus Was Sent Of God

                             1.           To seek the lost man

(Luke 19:10)  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

2.               To Care for man

(1 Peter 5:7)  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

3.               To show His love for man

(John 3:16)  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

B.              The Urgency Of Jesus Mission

1.               The time was limited

(John 3:34)  For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

2.               A limited time to complete

i.           God’s work

ii.          “I” in these verses can be changed to the word “you.”

iii.         “You” must work the works of Him that sent you

(Matthew 28:19)  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

a.               “Go ye….”

C.              The Hour Comes

1.               When no work can be done

(Ephesians 5:16)  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

i.           Redeem the time

a.               Get going

b.               “Go ye…”

c.               Now

II.           JESUS IS THE LIGHT                                                        (v 5)

A.              I Was Blind

(John 1:4)  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

                             i.            Now I see

              B.           What Do You See Without Him?

                             1.           The world

                                           i.            Evil

                                           ii.           Sin

                                           iii.          Flesh

                                           iv.          Lust

                                           v.           Horror

              C.           What Do You See With Him?        

                             1.           His compassion

                             2.           His righteousness

                             3.           His love

                             4.           His tenderness

                             5.           His kindness

(John 8:12)  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

D.              Follow Him

1.               He is the light

III.         JESUS DEMONSTRATED HIS POWER                 (vv 6-7)

              A.           He Used His Hands

                             1.           He used Hid spittle

                             2.           He used His dirt

                                           i.            He made clay like mud

                                           ii.           He applied it to the blind man’s                   

                                                          eyes

              B.           Jesus Told Him To Go Wash

                             1.           In The Pool of Siloam

                                           i.            He obeyed

                                                          a.           He washed

                                           ii.           He came seeing

              C.           The Pharisees Asked Him How He Got Healed

                             1.           He answered

2.               He didn’t know who Jesus was

i.           Where He was from

(John 9:30)  …Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.

                                           i.            All I know is

(John 9:25)  … one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

3.               They cast him out of the synagogue

E.              Jesus Heard What Happened                 (vv 9:35-38

1.               He knew before hand

i.           Jesus went to the formerly blind

           man

ii.          Do you believe, he said “Yes…”

CONCLUSION:    (Psalms 37:5)  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

              Commit is such a strong word for so many people.  Yet, there is in this group several people who have committed to one another for a lot of years.   And those of us who have been married a long time, we each have had up’s and downs within our married lives.   Even with these problems we remained committed to each other.

              In all those years it took most of us a long time to get to the point that we really saw our spouse.  We were as blind as this blind beggar was.  It took growth, maturity, strength, to get through those tough times.

              If we would, and I believe we could, lay most of our strength and commitment at Jesus feet.  I know that when I found Jesus; my eyes were not only opened to spiritual things, but were opened to see my wife in a different light.  I have to admit it was what the Lord did, it was not my doing. 

              I know I am still not a perfect husband, and I also know I never will be a perfect husband.  Nor will I be perfect in anything, but with God’s Light Jesus, God’s Amazing Grace, nothing is impossible.

              My sight is God’s sight, I see what He wants me to see, (do understand, I am not blind to the world) I no longer desire to see those things of the world. 

              Are you blind?  Can you see?  Jesus loves us, just as the little song “Jesus Loves Me” tells us, because the Bible tells me so.

              I live Jesus because He died on the “Old Rugged Cross” for my sins; He bled and died for my soul, to give me a perfect, without sin eternal life with Him.

              What about you? When you have been in Hell 10,000 years you have no less time, it is just as eternal, everlasting and forevermore as is Heaven.  What about you?