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Sermon #B678 - Vision Restored
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Dr. Byrd: Let us get it
right in the Word of God today
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and we want to invite you to
take your Bibles and turn to the
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Book of Mark. And we want to go
to Mark chapter eight and we
want to go to verse number
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twenty-two. Mark chapter eight
verse number twenty-two in the
word of God will speak to each
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and every one of us. This text
of scripture Mark chapter eight
verse number twenty-two
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the Word of God says, "And he
cometh to Bethsaida and they
bring a blind man unto Him
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and besought Him to touch him.
And He took the blind man by the
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hand and led him out of the
town. And when He had spit on
his eyes and put His hands upon
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him. He asked him if he saw
ought. And he looked up and he
said I see men as trees walking.
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After that He put his hands
again upon his eyes and made him
look up and he was restored.
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And saw every man clearly."
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Verse twenty-six, "And He sent
him away to his house saying
neither go into the town nor
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tell it to any in the town."
Today I want to challenge you on
the subject vision restored.
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Vision restored. Father bless us
now God as we go into your word
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right now. We need to hear from
you. And so God disappoint us
not speak to us again this day.
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And we promise to give you
the praise down the glory. Hide
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behind your cross. Forgive us of
our sins and Lord at the end of
the message, when we get to the
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end, when we get to the
conclusion, the appeal, who by
your power sprinkle out your
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grace. Speak
through the television,
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the internet are waves so that
individuals they would decide to
give their lives to you.
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We thank you and we praise
you in Jesus name. Amen. Vision
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restored. 2020 was supposed to
be the year of vision. 2020 was
supposed to be the year of
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victory. Was supposed to be
the year that brought clarity to
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everything we see. It was a new
year. A new decade. And
everybody was talking about
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having vision, 20/20 Vision, in
the year 2020. 2020 was a play
on words. 2020 in 2020.
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From sermons, to motivational
speeches, to inspirational
quotes and to motivating
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cliches, 2020 was supposed to be
a year of vision. I even
remember my first sermon of this
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year. I talked about Vision. I
remember preaching from Mark
chapter eight the same text I am
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going to preach from today. But
be assured it is not the same
sermon, just the same text.
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But 2020 was the year that
we were supposed to have clear
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vision. But then here
comes Covid-19. Here Comes the
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coronavirus. And now 2020 has
been disrupted by this global
pandemic that is shut the world
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down and claimed the lives of
more than 600,000 people
worldwide and counting.
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Public schools are being
shut down and they are now going
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virtual. Hospitals are at
capacity. ICU beds are running
short. Masks are being worn
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everywhere. Now people are
saying that 2020 is not the year
of vision. It is not the year of
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victory. But rather it is the
year of defeat. It is the year
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of discouragement. It is the
year of disillusionment,
displeasure discontent and
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despair. But my
question is, is it really?
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Because I still believe that
2020 is truly the year of vision
more than we could ever
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imagine. Because we see things
more clearly now. What am I
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talking about? The coronavirus
has forced us to see things we
did not see before.
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We see things now that
we were formally blinded to.
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Now remember we have five
senses, sight, taste, touch,
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smell and hearing. From a
literal perspective any doctor
will tell you that when you lose
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the ability of one sense, your
other senses kick in stronger.
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And with Covid-19, the
coronavirus, doctors tell us
that when you contract this
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virus, it attacks its victim's
ability to taste. It attacks its
victim's ability to smell.
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Doctors even tell
patients when you have Covid-19,
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"Do not talk as much because
talking will make you tired."
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And it even then affects
its victim's ability to talk.
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But yet it does not affect one's
ability to see. Even when we put
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our masks on, we can still see
our eyes. We can not see our
mouths. We can not see our
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noses. But we can still see our
eyes. And so now we find
ourselves communicating with our
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eyes. People do not see our
mouths when we smile. People do
not see our mouths when we talk.
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People do not see our noses when
we breathe. But people can still
see us with our eyes.
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And so if someone were to
ask you, "Out of all the five
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senses, which one is the most
important to you?" I do not know
what your answer would be.
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But I know what my answer would
be. My answer would be my sight,
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my eyesight. We touch and feel
with our hands. But if I could
not touch, I would be alright.
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I would just keep my hands
to myself. We taste with our
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tongue. But if I could not
taste, I would still be okay
because at least I could still
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eat. I would not know if
the food tasted good or not,
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but I would still be receiving
my nourishment. We smell with
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our nose. But if I could not
smell, that would be all right.
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Because although I would not
be able to smell good things.
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Praise God. I would not smell
bad things. Are you hearing what
I am saying? We hear with our
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ears. But if I could not
hear, that would be all right
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because I would still be
able to communicate with you.
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Do sign language, a nod, a smile
or a frown but we see with our
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eyes. And my eyes are most
important to me because without
my eyes, I would not see you.
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I would not see me. I would not
see what you are doing to me.
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I would not see what
you are doing around me.
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And so Henry David Thoreau said
that the eye is the jewel of the
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body. The eye sees. The eye
reveals. The eye exposes. The
eye detects. The eye discloses.
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The eye divulges. The eye
makes known. Our eyes are most
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important because our eyes give
us sight. And when we have
sight, we have vision.
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And in spite of the coronavirus,
we may not be able to do other
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things but we can still see.
We still have our vision. We can
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still have vision because having
one's vision and one having
vision are two different things.
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Because a person can have their
vision, but that does not mean
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they have vision. Are you
hearing what I am saying? Now
the text says that Jesus has
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returned to Bethsaida. A city
near His home base in Capernaum.
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In His previous visit to
Bethsaida Jesus had healed many
people who had been sick.
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When He comes back to
Bethsaida in Mark chapter eight,
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the Bible says that He is met by
a blind man who has been brought
to Him by the blind man friends
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Now when you read the text, go
to verse number twenty-three of
Mark chapter eight it says,
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"Jesus took the blind man by the
hand and then Jesus led him out
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of Bethsaida." Let me say that
again, "Jesus took the blind man
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by the hand and then Jesus led
the blind man out of Bethsaida."
Understand what is going on.
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At first the blind man's
friends lead him to Jesus.
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And now, Jesus leads the
blind man out of Bethsaida.
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But why does Jesus leave
the man out of Bethsaida?
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Jesus could have healed the man
in Bethsaida. After all Jesus is
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omnipresent. Jesus is everywhere
at the same time. His power is
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always with Him. Why did Jesus
have to lead the man outside of
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Bethsaida? History says that
Bethsaida was a city full of
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unbelief. And it is Christ
desire to lead us away from
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unbelief. You do not
hear what I am saying?
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And so sometimes in order for
you to see, in order for you to
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be un-blinded, sometimes God has
to use somebody else to lead you
and to help you see.
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And then Jesus has to then lead
you away from certain people,
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certain places and certain
things so you can see and
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believe. The first thing Jesus
did was take this man by the
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hand and lead him away
from the place of unbelief.
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But if you keep reading
verse twenty-three, look at it.
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If you keep reading verse
twenty-three and the Bible says,
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"And when Jesus after he is led
the man. When Jesus had spit on
his eyes." Stop there.
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When Jesus had spit on the man's
eyes. Now, let us stop here.
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The Bible says, "Jesus spit on
his eyes." Jesus did not have to
spit on the man's eyes.
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Jesus is omnipotent.
Jesus is all powerful. Jesus is
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sovereign. Jesus can do what He
wants, when He wants, where He
wants and how He wants.
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Jesus could have just spoken the
words, "Your eyes be healed".
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And the man's eyes
would have been restored.
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Jesus could have laid His hands
on the man and said, "Open your
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eyes." And the man's
sight would have been restored.
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But the Bible says,
"Jesus spits on the man's eyes".
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That is another
lesson for somebody today.
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Sometimes God's way of bringing
you out may not be way you
wanted to come out.
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Sometimes the way you want your
healing may not be the way God
brings about your healing.
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Are you hearing
what I am saying?
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You would be surprised
at people who want things
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but they are not willing to go
through what it takes to get it.
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But God's blessing sometimes
cost you something. Jesus spat
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on the man's eyes. Then the
Bible says, "He put His hands on
the man and then he asked the
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man, Man do you see anything?
The man responded. He looked at
me and said I see trees.
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I see men but they look
like trees walking around."
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Which suggests to me that
the man had not been blind his
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entire life. He had not been
born blind like the man in John
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chapter nine. He knew
what trees looked like.
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Because how could he say that he
saw men who were walking around
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looking like trees if he
had not seen trees before?
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The man says, "I see men
but they are as trees walking
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around." The man could see
but he could not see clearly.
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His eyes were open but
his vision was still blurry.
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And that is like some of us. Our
eyes are open, but our vision is
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still blurry. We have sight,
but we do not have 20/20 vision.
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In verse twenty-five then says,
"After that Jesus put His hands
again upon the man's eyes."
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Let me stop there. Why did Jesus
have to put His hands on the
man's eyes a second time?
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Why did Jesus have to put His
hands on the man's eyes again?
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Did not Jesus healed the man the
first time? Did Jesus fail the
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first time? Why did not the man
have clear vision immediately?
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After all Jesus never
does anything haphazardly.
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So why did Jesus have to
touch the man's eyes again?
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Sometimes God has to touch our
eyes, touch our sight, touch our
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vision again, so we can see more
clearly. So that we can see more
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accurately. So that we can see
differently. So that our focus
can be what our focus needs to
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be. Because our vision has
gotten blurry and our vision
needs to be restored.
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When I think of the state
of this world. I am sorry.
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And I am saddened that we have
had to endure the coronavirus.
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And we are still enduring
the coronavirus. I am sorry.
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I am saddened that over 600,000
people globally have lost their
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lives. I am sorry. And I am
saddened that millions have
contracted this virus
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and millions are
sick. I am sorry.
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I am saddened that the economic
challenges that people are
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experiencing. But I am here to
say sometimes our vision gets
blurry. Sometimes we lose focus.
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Sometimes we lose
sight of what really matters.
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Sometimes we are blinded
by what is really going on.
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And I am here to let somebody
know that while coronavirus has
not taken away our ability to
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see, it has forced
us to see differently.
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We saw, before this Covid-19
pandemic. But now we see things
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more clearly. Our vision is
better. Our focus is better. Let
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me remind you. That the
coronavirus did not take God by
surprise. God is still on the
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throne. God still sits
high and God still looks low.
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But maybe just maybe God
permitted Covid-19 to force us
to see things we were formally
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blinded to. We saw things as
trees, but they were literally
men walking around.
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We saw things as one thing but
really they were another thing.
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We asked and prayed at
the beginning of this year.
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We said, "Lord
give us vision in 2020."
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We prayed to step out in
faith on God's promises in 2020.
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We pleaded with God. God help
us to see things differently in
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2020. In 2020 help us to dream,
dreams. Help us to see new
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things. Help us. Give us courage
to lose sight of the shore. Help
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us to see things. And maybe just
maybe when we prayed for vision,
when we prayed to see things
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differently, God gave them to
us. Because you got to be
careful what you pray for.
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You just might get it. Because
we were thinking one kind of
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vision, but God was
thinking another kind of vision.
00:16:22.64\00:16:25.85
We prayed for vision and now
because we have our vision
restored due to the coronavirus,
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we are seeing
things differently.
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You see before coronavirus,
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before the Covid-19 pandemic we
used to see church simply as
coming to a building singing
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songs, praying prayers,
preaching sermons, giving
offerings and going home.
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But now because we see things
differently, because our vision
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has been restored, because we
were formerly blinded, we see
church now differently.
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We see where the church is not a
building. That the church is
more than four walls.
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That church is a living, loving,
working body of believers in the
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streets, in the community, on
the internet seeking to share
the love of Jesus Christ with
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others. Because we see things
differently. Because we are no
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longer blinded. We are also
seeing church's structure in a
totally different way.
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You see we used to see committee
after committee, meeting after
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meeting, policy after policy,
church level after church level
and we used to see these things
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as necessary
functions of the church.
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But now we are seeing that the
church can roll on independent
of all these levels.
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Ministry can still be done
independent of the bureaucratic
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bottleneck. And the Gospel of
Jesus Christ can go forward
without the inertia, without the
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stagnation, without the
perpetuation of practices that
actually limit the spreading of
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the Gospel. Dr. Byrd: We used to
spend thousands on travel,
thousands on programs,
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thousands of dollars
on functions, thousands on
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departments, thousands on
conventions just to perpetuate
what we have always done
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and to justify employment in
certain roles, responsibilities
and certain titles.
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But now we are seeing that the
church can do more to spread the
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Gospel if we get a better job
eliminating waste and allocating
our financial resources in ways
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that innovatively and relevantly
share the Gospel of Jesus in our
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21st century. We prayed for
vision in 2020. And God has
answered our prayers.
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God has touched our eyes again.
We did not see it before, but we
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see it now. Things are not
blurry now. Things are not fuzzy
now. Things are more clear now.
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But let me come out of the
church house and let me go to
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the school house. Because we do
not just see church differently
now. We see school differently
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now. Are you hearing what I am
saying? We now see that
education is more than just a
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bunch of kids in a classroom
with a teacher standing up
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lecturing. We now see that
education is more than the use
of antiquated books
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and methods that are outdated
in our postmodern society.
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We now see that education is
employing the use of technology
to meet the growing demands
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of heterogeneous learning
styles. We now see that
education is differentiated
00:19:37.81\00:19:43.81
instruction that offers multiple
methods of teaching to reach
dissimilar, distinct and diverse
00:19:43.85\00:19:50.45
minds. Behavioral scientists
have long discovered that we
usually see things that we are
00:19:50.49\00:19:57.93
prepared to see. That this is
all centered in a network of
nerve cells called the
00:19:57.96\00:20:04.20
reticular activating system.
The reticular activating system
00:20:04.23\00:20:11.34
works like this. Once something
has been brought to your
attention and you are now
00:20:11.37\00:20:17.31
prepared to see it, you are
virtually now seeing it
everywhere you go. For example a
00:20:17.35\00:20:23.79
new car. When you decide on
getting a new car, for example,
00:20:23.82\00:20:26.86
the United States most popular
selling car is the Toyota Camry.
00:20:26.89\00:20:30.63
When you decide on
getting a new Toyota Camry,
00:20:30.66\00:20:33.73
you now begin to see that Toyota
Camry everywhere you go. Before
you did not see it.
00:20:33.76\00:20:39.73
But now you see it everywhere.
This happens my friends in every
00:20:39.77\00:20:46.14
area of our lives. When
something has been brought to
our attention, we are prepared
00:20:46.17\00:20:50.78
to see it. But when you do not
talk about it, when it has not
been brought to your attention.
00:20:50.81\00:20:54.98
You are not prepared to see
it. So you would not see it.
00:20:55.02\00:20:58.35
And that is why in the
church, on our jobs and in our
00:20:58.39\00:21:02.46
communities, we have got to have
the hard discussions on racism,
privilege and injustice.
00:21:02.49\00:21:08.00
Because if we do not talk about
it. If it is not brought to your
00:21:08.03\00:21:11.50
attention, you are not prepared
to see it and you will never see
00:21:11.53\00:21:14.80
it. You will never know what it
is like. You will never know
what it does to other people.
00:21:14.84\00:21:19.71
And because of a need
to George Floyd's neck.
00:21:19.74\00:21:22.44
Because Ahmed Aubrey
was killed while running.
00:21:22.48\00:21:25.51
Because Brianna Taylor was
killed while sleeping. Somebody
00:21:25.55\00:21:31.15
now sees racism. Somebody
now sees privilege. Somebody now
00:21:31.19\00:21:35.59
sees injustice because it has
been brought to your attention
and now you see it.
00:21:35.62\00:21:38.86
Your vision is no longer blurry.
Your vision is no longer fuzzy.
00:21:38.89\00:21:42.80
You are not once were
blind but now you see.
00:21:42.83\00:21:46.10
But why did it have to take
somebody's death for somebody to
00:21:46.13\00:21:53.88
see it? Let us go back to Mark
eight and I am getting ready to
00:21:53.91\00:21:57.75
go home. Because I do not want
you to forget about the man.
00:21:57.78\00:22:00.65
Jesus touched the man's
eyes for the first time.
00:22:00.68\00:22:05.65
The man did not fully believe
so Jesus had to touch his eyes
00:22:05.69\00:22:11.43
again. So his faith would grow
and the man would fully believe.
00:22:11.46\00:22:16.50
Spiritually that is how the Lord
has had to work with many of us
00:22:16.53\00:22:21.24
in our lives. Some of us respond
in faith. The first time we
00:22:21.27\00:22:24.91
heard the gospel. But then for
others it took several times to
hear the gospel in order for you
00:22:24.94\00:22:30.01
to respond. But the good news is
God's Spirit continues to speak
00:22:30.05\00:22:35.42
to your life. God's Spirit
continues to speak in your life.
00:22:35.45\00:22:39.05
And you were eventually brought
to a place of obedient faith
resulting in your salvation.
00:22:39.09\00:22:43.63
Somebody today, somebody right
now, you need to see things
00:22:43.66\00:22:50.53
differently. You need to see
things more clearly. You need to
see some new things for your
00:22:50.57\00:22:56.50
life. You will never see new
oceans until you have the
courage to lose sight of the
00:22:56.54\00:23:01.51
shore. You need your spiritual
vision restored. And you know
what? God can do it.
00:23:01.54\00:23:08.05
I said God can do it. Because
when you look back over your
00:23:08.08\00:23:13.15
life, when you look back at
how God brought you through.
00:23:13.19\00:23:16.62
When you look back at how
you been sick, but you are alive
00:23:16.66\00:23:20.76
today. You look back at how you
have had the coronavirus but you
00:23:20.80\00:23:25.00
are still here. You are
unemployed but you are still
here. You are broke but you are
00:23:25.03\00:23:29.47
still here. Your small business
has had trouble but you are
00:23:29.50\00:23:32.87
still here. You have been talked
about but you are still here.
00:23:32.91\00:23:35.41
You have been criticized
but you are still here.
00:23:35.44\00:23:37.98
You have been lonely
but you are still here.
00:23:38.01\00:23:40.08
You have been betrayed
but you are still here.
00:23:40.12\00:23:42.55
Newsflash, if you are
not dead then God's not done.
00:23:42.58\00:23:47.32
It does not look like it. But
2020 has really been a year of
00:23:47.36\00:23:54.40
vision. Because God has put His
hands on our eyes again. Now we
can see more clearly.
00:23:54.46\00:24:03.71
We see differently. We now
see the church differently.
00:24:03.74\00:24:08.81
We see the church's structure
differently. We see education
00:24:08.84\00:24:14.68
differently. We see racism
differently. We see classism
differently. We see healthcare
00:24:14.72\00:24:22.52
differently. We see our own
lives differently. We see our
spirituality differently.
00:24:22.56\00:24:27.60
We see the Gospel differently.
The Gospel message is the same
00:24:27.60\00:24:32.50
but we are revisioning the way
it can be done. 2,000 years ago,
Satan thought he had won.
00:24:32.53\00:24:42.08
Satan thought he had defeated
Jesus. He thought that the
relationship between God
00:24:42.11\00:24:47.48
and man have forever been
broken. He thought that it had
00:24:47.52\00:24:53.05
been severed. He thought that it
had been cut. He thought that it
was broken. The enemy was
00:24:53.09\00:25:00.66
laughing. Hell was having a
party. Demons were high-fiving
00:25:00.70\00:25:05.83
each other. Satan thought that
he had the weekend off. He said,
00:25:05.87\00:25:11.87
"We got them now. We have got
Jesus now. They are down. They
are out. It is over. Jesus is
00:25:11.91\00:25:19.11
done." But what Satan did not
know was that we serve a God who
00:25:19.15\00:25:23.95
can do it again. I feel my help
coming. That we serve a God who
can put His hands on our eyes
00:25:23.99\00:25:29.19
again. That we serve a God who
can put His hands on our lives
00:25:29.22\00:25:33.70
again. That we serve a God who
defeated Satan in Heaven.
Defeated Satan at Jesus birth.
00:25:33.73\00:25:38.47
Defeated Satan at
Calvary. Defeated Satan at the
00:25:38.50\00:25:42.74
resurrection. And He is going to
defeat Satan at the second
coming. Jesus was crucified on
00:25:42.77\00:25:47.88
Friday. Laid resting in the
grave on the Sabbath. But early
00:25:47.91\00:25:51.71
Sunday morning, He got up with
all power in His hands. And I
came to serve notice to the
00:25:51.75\00:25:57.59
devil's day. I came to tell the
devil, "Blow out the candles.
00:25:57.62\00:26:01.99
Stop the party. Do not cut the
cake because Jesus is about to
00:26:02.02\00:26:06.63
do it again." Jesus is about to
put His hands on our eyes again.
00:26:06.66\00:26:09.73
Jesus is about to open
our eyes so we can see again.
00:26:09.76\00:26:14.80
That our vision will be restored
again. That our sight and
focused will be restored again.
00:26:14.84\00:26:21.61
That the Gospel will be our
primary focus again. That He is
about to save somebody again.
00:26:21.64\00:26:31.79
That Jesus is coming again. Lift
up the trumpet, loud, let it
ring. Jesus is coming again.
00:26:31.82\00:26:46.57
For those of us that have been
beaten, for those of us that
have been battered,
00:26:46.60\00:26:49.90
for those of us that have been
bruised and tattered and torn.
00:26:49.94\00:26:53.61
Just when Satan thought he
had gotten rid of us. Here we go
00:26:53.64\00:27:00.28
again. Praising the name of
Jesus. Praise ye the Lord.
Praise God in His Sanctuary.
00:27:00.32\00:27:11.73
Praise Him in the firmament
of His power. Praise Him for His
00:27:11.76\00:27:17.90
mighty acts. Praise Him
according to His excellent
greatness. Praise Him with the
00:27:17.93\00:27:22.20
sound of the trumpet. Praise Him
with the psaltery and harp.
Praise Him with the timbrel and
00:27:22.24\00:27:25.77
dance. Praise Him with
stringed instruments and organs.
00:27:25.81\00:27:27.94
Praise Him upon the loud cymbals
and the high sounding cymbals.
00:27:27.98\00:27:30.15
Let everything that
has breath praise the Lord.
00:27:30.18\00:27:36.08
That I am so glad today that
I serve a God who can save me
00:27:36.12\00:27:45.79
again. I serve a God who can
raise me again. I serve a God
who can touch my eyes again.
00:27:45.83\00:27:53.97
I serve a God who can give
me vision again. Vision for the
00:27:54.00\00:28:02.54
church. Vision for the church's
structure. Vision for the
community. And vision for my
00:28:02.58\00:28:14.89
life. Today who
wants life again in Jesus?
00:28:14.92\00:28:20.93
Thank you very much for tuning
in to this week's Breath of Life
00:28:20.96\00:28:25.37
broadcast. We hope and pray that
you've been blessed by Dr.
Byrd's inspirational message.
00:28:25.40\00:28:30.04
If you would like to hear
this sermon in its entirety,
00:28:30.07\00:28:32.61
please feel free to visit
us at www.breathoflife.tv.
00:28:32.64\00:28:38.35
Or, call us at (256) 929-6460.
00:28:38.38\00:28:44.39
[END]
00:28:44.42\00:28:59.40