Hello, I'm Hal
Steenson and I invite you to
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join us today on Faith Chapel
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as we take a look at God's word.
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Today we're going to
be in the ninth chapter of
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John, looking at the
story about a blind man,
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but if you want a
title for this message today.
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I've titled it Out Of Darkness.
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before we get into the message,
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let's go to the Lord
in prayer, join me please.
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Father, we're here
today for no other reason,
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no other the purpose
rather then the worship you.
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If we get out of
here today and have not
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worshiped you
through your word then we
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failed you Lord,
help us somehow someway to
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be build the bridge
from where we are through
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these cameras to
the person that needs to
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hear this word,
and needs a touch
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from you, in Jesus name, amen.
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Let me share this
little story with you a new
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surgical procedure
allowed Mrs. Pearl Kass
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receive her sight,
after being blind for 89
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years, she had resigned
herself to the fact that
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she was blind.
However destiny changed
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all of that, the
doctors removed her bandages
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and waited for her response.
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Her eyes slowly
begin to filled with tears
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and she began to
thunderously praise
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God, she openly and
outwardly gave God all
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the glory for this
miracle of sight and
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everyone on that wing of the
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hospital heard her do
it. It's sad but in John 9:1
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it says: And as Jesus passed by,
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he saw a man which
was blind from his birth,
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is where it starts, but
that's not where it stops.
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What I wanna share
with you today is that
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Jesus healed a
blind man and nobody,
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nobody, not one
person, not one single person
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praised God,
why? They were all too
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self-centered, too
concerned with their
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own egos to see the
truth of what really
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happened on that day.
Our personal prospective
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will cause us to have
tunnel vision that will
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always blind us to the
truth that is around us.
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God wants us to worship Him.
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Jesus is the Lion of
the Tribe of Judah and
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Judah very simply means praise.
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Jesus is not afraid
of praise, whenever we
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praise God we are
praising God not man,
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but giving God the glory for it.
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Who all was blind
that day will first,
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let's look at the disciples,
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you see to
disciples it was a matter of
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theology that blinded them.
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See others were
there that were blind also.
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In John 9:2 it says:
And His disciples asked him,
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saying, Master, who
did sin, this man or his
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parents, that he was born blind?
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You see the Jewish
believe that in this time
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that if someone
was born handicapped or
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born deformed then
what happened was that
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child has sinned in
the womb to cause this
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handicap or this
blindness whatever
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it maybe or either
his parents had sinned.
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And so what they're
doing is they're asking
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Jesus a question they're saying.
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Lord, who sinned to
cause this man to be
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born blind, was it
the man in the womb,
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the child in the womb
or was it his parents?
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And let me tell you
something I'd figured
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out a long time ago
that we can't figure God out,
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we couldn't figure
Him out on a slide rule.
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There is no way we
can figure God out;
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the wisdom of this
world is foolishness to God.
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In 1 Corinthians 3:19
declares this, as it says:
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For the wisdom of this world
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is foolishness with
God. For it is written,
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He that taketh the wise
in their own craftiness.
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Our need to be
right, our need to be right
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will blind our hearts to
the truth that's around us.
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In Ephesians 4:17 it
says in the King James
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Version first, then
I wanna read out and
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amplify it, it says:
This I say therefore,
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and testify in the
Lord, that ye henceforth walk
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not as other Gentiles walk,
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in the vanity of their minds.
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Having the
understanding darkened,
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being alienated from
the life of God through the
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ignorance that is
in them, because of the
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blindness of their
heart. Now, that speaks boldly
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in the King James but
the amplified which is a
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little translation with
amplification adds to it.
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I want you to
read this along with me
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here today it
says: So this I say and
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solemnly testify in
the name of the Lord as in
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His presence, that
you must no longer live as
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the heathen, the
Gentiles do in their
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perverseness in
the folly, vanity,
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and emptiness of their
souls and the futility of
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their minds. Their
moral understanding
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is darkened and their
reasoning is beclouded.
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They are alienated,
estranged, self-banished
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from the life of
God with no share in it;
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this is because of
the ignorance, the want of
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knowledge and
perception, the willful
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blindness that is
deep-seated in them,
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due to their hardness of heart,
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to the insensitiveness
of their mortal nature.
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See the truth of the
matter is that there was
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more then just one
person that was blind
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that day but when
we get into the word of
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God, the truth of
the word of God then what
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we should do is we
should allow the word
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of God to take all
of our questions away.
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John 9:3 says: Jesus
answered them and said
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neither, now get
this they said who sinned,
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who sinned, did the
man sin in the womb,
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the child sin in the
womb or did the parent
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sinned, Jesus
answered this question,
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it's very
simple, be complicated.
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Jesus said: "Neither
hath this man sinned,
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nor his parents
sinned," question asks, question
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answered end of
discussion but then
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Jesus goes on and
adds. But that the works of
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God should be
made manifest in him,
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it says I must work the
works of him that sent me.
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A lot of people say
well the reason why the man
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is born blind was
for Jesus to work the
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works, that's not
what this is saying.
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Jesus answered
the question and said,
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neither was this man
born blind because of
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his sin or because
of his parent's sin,
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end of discussion
now. That I might be the
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works that I
was sent here to do,
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let's get it on, let's be about
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God's business to do
it. John 9 chapter and
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4th verse, I must
work the works of him that
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sent me, while it is
day: the night cometh,
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when no man can
work. The 5th verse says
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As long as I am in the world,
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I am the light of the world.
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Then it says: When he had thus
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spoken, he spat on
the ground, and made two
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clay eye balls is
what history says.
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Now this not what the
King James says it says:
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He made clay of the
spittle, the history of the
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Jews and a lot of the
history said that Jesus
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actually bend down
spat in the clay made two
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little eye balls
and popped them in.
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I don't have any
trouble with it, we will made
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out of the dust of
the earth to begin with.
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He made clay of the
spittle and anointed the
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eyes of the blind
man with the clay,
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and He said unto him,
Go, wash in the pool of
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Siloam, which is by
interpretation, Sent.
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He went his way
therefore and washed
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and came seeing.
Isn't it amazing that we,
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some people that
can't see do see, and other
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people that do see can't see.
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It's not a matter of
theology, this is what
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the disciples were
saying, let's ask some
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deep theological
question, well here's my
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response to that.
An excellent plumber
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is considerably
more worthy than an
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incompetent theologian.
The society that scorns
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excellence in
plumbing because plumbing is a
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humble activity,
and tolerates shoddiness
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in theology because it
is an exalted activity,
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will have neither good
plumbing nor good theology.
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Neither its pipes nor
its sermons will hold water.
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What we found, we
found through the years
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I mean through the
years is that we have
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these great theologians
that seek to reach the
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top of the mountain
to find out some deep
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theological answer to
a question and when they
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get their they found
some little old Christian
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lady sitting up
there, and has been seating
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there for 80 years
and already knows the
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answer and it's a simple answer.
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And that is like we
complicate the gospel,
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we try to make it this
and make it that and the
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gospel is good news,
there is only two things
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that Jesus preach.
The one is come here
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and the other one go there.
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Let's don't complicate
this, it's not a matter of
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theology, the truth
is nobody praised God.
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Got a blind man healed
and nobody praised God.
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In verse 8 it says:
The neighbors therefore,
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and they who before
had seen him that he was
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blind, said, is not
this he that sat and begged?
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Verse 9 says:
Some said, This is he:
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but others said, well He
is like him: but he said,
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I am he, I'm the guy,
I'm the one, I'm the one
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that was blind is what he say.
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Therefore said they unto him,
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How were thine eyes opened?
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And He answered
and said, A man that is
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called Jesus, JESUS
made clay, and anointed
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mine eyes, and said
unto me, Go to the pool
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of Siloam, and wash:
and I went and washed,
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and I received my
sight. This is a powerful
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principle here,
God speaks we obey and
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then we supplies what
we want, God's want to
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speak and then him
supply and then we'll obey
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that's not the way it
works in the kingdom of God.
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God speaks, we obey
and then he supplies,
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but the key thing
is that God speaks,
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Jesus spoke and said go
wash in the pool of Siloam.
00:10:02.02\00:10:05.24
You know what?
It's really not a matter
00:10:06.00\00:10:08.32
of theology, all
the disciples could see
00:10:08.33\00:10:10.75
what's the study of God
in this some deep thing.
00:10:11.86\00:10:15.47
I had a teacher
back in school when I was
00:10:16.24\00:10:18.18
studying for the
ministry of seminary.
00:10:18.19\00:10:19.51
After the service was
over we're standing out
00:10:20.44\00:10:22.27
in the four year
and this guy's name was
00:10:22.28\00:10:23.92
J. Bashford Bishop,
tremendous man of God.
00:10:23.93\00:10:26.00
He'd been a minister
for like 50 years and
00:10:26.01\00:10:28.45
several of the
students were standing around,
00:10:28.46\00:10:29.86
and said boy that
sermon was so deep,
00:10:29.87\00:10:31.29
it was I didn't understand it,
00:10:31.30\00:10:32.87
I didn't forget
this J. Bashford Bishop
00:10:34.44\00:10:36.25
said you know.
I live next to the
00:10:36.26\00:10:40.48
Rock Crusher for
years, 150 feet deep in the
00:10:40.49\00:10:43.71
water you could see
all the way to bottom.
00:10:43.72\00:10:45.24
He said, but I lived on
a no dirt road he said we
00:10:46.44\00:10:49.77
used to travel by
wagons and mules if
00:10:49.78\00:10:51.63
we'd get the wrong
runt and end up in the wrong
00:10:51.64\00:10:53.11
half we
couldn't get out of runt.
00:10:53.12\00:10:54.36
He said but the
thing about it was the mule
00:10:54.37\00:10:55.85
tracks were only
about this deep which we
00:10:55.86\00:10:57.53
couldn't see the bottom of it.
00:10:57.54\00:10:58.51
And he looked at
those young men and he said
00:10:58.78\00:11:00.17
fellows that were
nothing more than a
00:11:01.55\00:11:03.98
mule track, when it's
deep is crystal clear.
00:11:03.99\00:11:07.27
So don't get so much
in the theology that you
00:11:07.99\00:11:10.15
cannot remember to
praise God, it was not a
00:11:10.16\00:11:14.43
matter of theology
what was it then Pastor Hal?
00:11:14.44\00:11:18.44
It was the fact
that nobody praised God.
00:11:19.36\00:11:22.40
Psalms 146 verse 8
read this here with me
00:11:22.97\00:11:26.15
it said: The Lord,
it's the Lord, it's the Lord
00:11:26.63\00:11:29.11
that openeth the eyes
of the blind: the Lord
00:11:29.12\00:11:31.22
raiseth them that
are bowed down: the Lord
00:11:31.23\00:11:33.13
loveth the righteous:
It is God that does this,
00:11:33.14\00:11:36.50
thank God that it's
God. But when this happens
00:11:37.16\00:11:39.63
what we need to do. We were so
00:11:39.64\00:11:41.56
gospel-hardened
here in America that it's
00:11:41.57\00:11:43.42
amazing, we were in
India and watching the
00:11:43.43\00:11:45.89
movie Jesus, 6000
Indians there when
00:11:45.90\00:11:48.12
Jesus raised Jairus'
daughter in this movie
00:11:48.13\00:11:50.60
that have been
translated in Telugu.
00:11:50.61\00:11:52.06
Six thousand
Indian men, women and
00:11:52.50\00:11:54.94
children lifted
their hands and shouted
00:11:54.95\00:11:57.24
Hallelujah; they were
not ashamed to praise God.
00:11:57.25\00:12:00.93
In some of our
churches today if somebody says
00:12:01.23\00:12:03.04
amen, they're
escorted to the back door and
00:12:03.05\00:12:05.58
that's not good
and that's not God.
00:12:05.59\00:12:07.91
Second to the
Pharisees it was a legal matter,
00:12:09.18\00:12:13.31
why was it legal?
Because Jesus healed
00:12:14.17\00:12:16.57
on the Sabbath and
Pharisees were a lot of
00:12:16.58\00:12:20.60
religious people with
religious thoughts and
00:12:21.07\00:12:23.22
religious
ideas. Picking back up,
00:12:23.23\00:12:25.66
read this with me in
John 9:13-16 it says or
00:12:25.67\00:12:30.94
13-15 it says: And they
brought to the Pharisees
00:12:30.95\00:12:34.28
him that aforetime was blind.
00:12:34.29\00:12:35.87
And it was the
sabbath day when Jesus made
00:12:36.70\00:12:40.06
the clay, and opened his eyes.
00:12:40.07\00:12:41.94
Then again the
Pharisees also asked
00:12:42.57\00:12:44.49
him how he had
received his sight.
00:12:44.50\00:12:46.30
And He said unto
them, He put clay upon mine
00:12:46.31\00:12:49.09
eyes, and I
washed, and now I do see.
00:12:49.10\00:12:53.08
Let see here's the
truth of the matter listen to
00:12:54.00\00:12:56.07
this because I'm
add a little bit too.
00:12:56.08\00:12:57.71
Verse 16: Therefore
said some of the Pharisees,
00:12:58.42\00:13:01.92
This man is not of
God, because, because why?
00:13:02.64\00:13:05.46
Now let me put it in our
terms, let's let me put it
00:13:05.61\00:13:08.50
in Alabama
Vernacular okay if you will.
00:13:08.51\00:13:12.19
Some people may say
he doesn't do it the way
00:13:12.87\00:13:14.84
our church does it and
he doesn't do at the way
00:13:14.85\00:13:16.95
I believe it should
be done, therefore it's
00:13:16.96\00:13:19.22
definitely wrong.
Let me just remind
00:13:19.23\00:13:22.37
you something here
okay, God's in-charge
00:13:22.38\00:13:25.76
of your breathing,
God can do things anyway
00:13:25.77\00:13:28.38
he wants to as
long as it doesn't
00:13:28.39\00:13:29.64
go against his word.
Now, I believe that our
00:13:29.65\00:13:32.42
Bible, our 66 books of
our Bible, I believe that
00:13:32.43\00:13:35.69
it it is the word of God
but also believe it's only
00:13:35.70\00:13:37.88
God that contains
all of the word of God.
00:13:37.89\00:13:39.99
And when it doesn't
go contribute with the
00:13:40.58\00:13:41.99
word of God, if
God wants to heal me
00:13:42.00\00:13:44.09
anyway he wants to
anybody he desires to
00:13:44.10\00:13:46.17
as long, it's not
contributed with the
00:13:46.18\00:13:47.27
word of God. He
wants to open blinded eyes,
00:13:47.28\00:13:49.68
if he wants to raise
the dead, anyway he wants
00:13:49.69\00:13:51.34
to as long as it does
go against the word of God
00:13:51.35\00:13:53.20
then it's okay
with this old boy.
00:13:53.68\00:13:55.43
It says: Therefore
said some of the Pharisees,
00:13:55.81\00:13:57.56
This man is not of
God, because he keepeth not
00:13:57.57\00:13:59.54
the sabbath day.
Others said, How can
00:13:59.55\00:14:01.54
a man that is a
sinner do such miracles?
00:14:01.55\00:14:04.09
See there was
questions among them.
00:14:04.10\00:14:05.59
And there was a
division among them.
00:14:06.21\00:14:07.79
So, it was a legal
matter but the truth of the
00:14:07.80\00:14:10.13
matter was nobody
praised God, it was not
00:14:10.14\00:14:13.69
a theological matter,
it was not a legal matter,
00:14:13.70\00:14:17.01
it was a matter of
that nobody praised God for
00:14:17.40\00:14:20.05
someone's eyes that
were open since he had
00:14:20.06\00:14:23.62
been born, they were not open,
00:14:23.63\00:14:26.90
they were blind,
nobody, nobody praised God.
00:14:26.91\00:14:30.87
I've got a question to
ask you, who opened his eyes?
00:14:31.93\00:14:35.97
Did the Pharisees, did
the disciples or was it Jesus?
00:14:37.62\00:14:40.25
What do you think
happened to all those
00:14:41.45\00:14:42.85
religious demons that
were in those people back then?
00:14:42.86\00:14:45.72
They sure aren't
sitting in the taverns,
00:14:47.08\00:14:48.86
they aren't in the
bars; they aren't in the
00:14:50.24\00:14:53.48
nightclubs, those
religious legalistic
00:14:53.49\00:14:57.26
demons that were there then.
00:14:57.27\00:14:58.77
I wonder, just wonder you
might be able to answer me.
00:15:00.38\00:15:04.06
I wonder if they
aren't sitting in our
00:15:06.07\00:15:07.20
churches all around
the world everywhere,
00:15:07.21\00:15:09.25
just ready to contempt anything
00:15:11.13\00:15:12.45
that they disagree
with. The 17th verse said:
00:15:13.67\00:15:18.09
They say unto the
blind man again, what sayest
00:15:18.10\00:15:21.83
thou of him, that he
hath opened thine eyes?
00:15:21.84\00:15:24.19
And He said He is a prophet.
00:15:24.20\00:15:26.80
You see it's not a
legal matter, it's a spiritual
00:15:28.87\00:15:31.71
matter and Jesus was
the apostle, he was the
00:15:31.72\00:15:35.02
prophet, he was the
evangelist, he was the
00:15:35.03\00:15:37.10
pastor, he was the
teacher, he was all five
00:15:37.11\00:15:39.20
of them, and when
he was ascended he left
00:15:39.21\00:15:41.37
that here with us.
This was not a legal matter,
00:15:41.38\00:15:43.78
it was a spiritual
matter and this man saw it.
00:15:43.79\00:15:47.23
Can you imagine here
he is blind from birth,
00:15:47.44\00:15:49.76
all of the sudden
his eyes are open and the
00:15:50.08\00:15:52.32
disciples want to
know the theology of it,
00:15:52.33\00:15:54.67
the Pharisees want to
know the legality of it.
00:15:54.68\00:15:56.78
And he says wait a
minute, wait a minute,
00:15:56.79\00:15:58.29
wait a minute, I was blind
and now I can see somebody.
00:15:58.30\00:16:02.51
Somebody open
your eyes it's not a
00:16:03.18\00:16:04.95
legal matter. First
Peter 2:9 says: That you are a
00:16:04.96\00:16:08.77
chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, a holy
00:16:08.78\00:16:12.79
nation, a peculiar
people that should show
00:16:12.80\00:16:15.99
forth the theology of
God, no, the legality of
00:16:16.00\00:16:22.94
man, no, should show
forth the praises of him
00:16:22.95\00:16:26.93
who has called
you out of darkness
00:16:28.04\00:16:32.39
into his marvelous light.
00:16:33.81\00:16:35.55
This is where I got this title
00:16:35.56\00:16:36.65
out of darkness
into his marvelous light,
00:16:36.66\00:16:39.30
wouldn't it be
wonderful if we could
00:16:39.85\00:16:41.37
really lay hold of
the truth that we've been
00:16:41.38\00:16:43.91
transfigured out of
the kingdom of darkness
00:16:43.92\00:16:47.13
into his marvelous
light. And not try to question
00:16:47.14\00:16:50.08
everything that God
does and try to tear it
00:16:50.09\00:16:51.93
apart and dissect it and
put our own opinions in it.
00:16:51.94\00:16:54.69
See it's not a
legal matter; we should
00:16:55.09\00:16:58.21
remind ourselves that
Jesus told the Pharisees
00:16:58.22\00:17:00.38
that they were of
their father the devil,
00:17:00.39\00:17:01.97
so were the Pharisees
right in questioning this.
00:17:01.98\00:17:04.18
He said you are of
your father the devil,
00:17:04.69\00:17:06.23
a legalistic
pharisaical spirit is satanic,
00:17:06.75\00:17:09.84
it's not just
demonic, and it's satanic.
00:17:09.85\00:17:11.51
I have not
encounter much legalism in the
00:17:12.19\00:17:14.46
higher up leadership,
it's usually found at the
00:17:14.47\00:17:16.98
lowest level because mud
sinks to the lowest level.
00:17:16.99\00:17:19.78
The true grace
filled people of God are
00:17:20.35\00:17:22.53
found writing the
ways of present truth,
00:17:22.54\00:17:25.34
but the legalistic
ones are bottom dwellers.
00:17:25.51\00:17:27.73
The Lake Union
Herald, I never forget
00:17:28.60\00:17:30.29
that because you know
a lot of this is new to
00:17:30.30\00:17:32.25
me so when we
started to have the GC in
00:17:32.26\00:17:34.91
St. Louis picked up
the Lake Union Herald and
00:17:34.92\00:17:37.14
this is what it
said, it listed the people
00:17:37.15\00:17:39.13
you may expect to
encounter at the last GC
00:17:39.14\00:17:41.63
in St. Louis among
those listed were the
00:17:41.64\00:17:43.46
true believers and I
thought alright who are
00:17:43.47\00:17:45.98
the true believers.
And tells you what to
00:17:45.99\00:17:48.50
except when you encounter them,
00:17:48.51\00:17:50.68
they will be eager to
share with you all the
00:17:51.24\00:17:53.55
things that are wrong
in the SDA and fill like
00:17:53.56\00:17:57.42
they are the SDA
police, sick and wrong.
00:17:57.43\00:18:00.53
You know it doesn't,
my daddy used to say it
00:18:00.87\00:18:02.90
like this, he said,
son even a blind hog can
00:18:02.91\00:18:05.81
find an acorn every now
and then, it doesn't take
00:18:05.82\00:18:07.90
a real spiritual person
to find out what's wrong.
00:18:07.91\00:18:10.16
If God gives you
discernment of what's
00:18:10.93\00:18:12.55
wrong then he
should also give you
00:18:12.56\00:18:13.94
discernment of how to
correct what is wrong.
00:18:13.95\00:18:16.34
Years ago, I'll never
forget this, years ago,
00:18:17.53\00:18:19.42
in legalism, legalism
and every denomination
00:18:20.44\00:18:23.04
feared many church,
I had a lady came up to
00:18:23.05\00:18:24.68
me after the service
one time she said Pastor Hal
00:18:24.69\00:18:27.48
I just, I can't figured it out.
00:18:27.49\00:18:28.71
She said that it
just amazing why don't we
00:18:28.72\00:18:30.85
sing some of the old songs.
00:18:30.86\00:18:32.52
And see our charismatic
church we sang off the
00:18:33.02\00:18:35.38
wall, was an overhead projector.
00:18:35.39\00:18:37.25
Of course everybody
knows this of the devil,
00:18:37.26\00:18:38.99
of course not it's
not. We sang hymns too.
00:18:39.00\00:18:41.86
You see why don't we
ever sing some of the
00:18:42.75\00:18:44.17
old songs, I said
well sis lets see.
00:18:44.18\00:18:46.19
Let me, let me just
rehearse what we just did.
00:18:46.20\00:18:47.80
We just sang Thou
Art Worthy out of the
00:18:48.77\00:18:50.50
book of Revelation,
that's 2000 years old.
00:18:50.51\00:18:53.41
We sang the 48th
song, Great is the Lord,
00:18:54.11\00:18:56.35
and greatly to be
praised, in the city of
00:18:56.36\00:18:57.94
our God, in the
mountain of His holiness.
00:18:57.95\00:18:59.51
That one's lets say
it's about 3500 years old
00:18:59.52\00:19:02.84
and oh yeah we
also sang The Song of
00:19:03.99\00:19:06.75
Moses out of the book
of Exodus is over 4000
00:19:06.76\00:19:09.52
years old. How old the
songs do you wanna sing?
00:19:09.53\00:19:12.93
She said oh I'm
talking about the ones in
00:19:14.21\00:19:15.86
hymnal, and I said
honey, those aren't old,
00:19:15.87\00:19:17.83
most of those are new songs.
00:19:18.44\00:19:20.02
And she wanted to
quit the church because we
00:19:20.92\00:19:23.05
weren't singing all
the song, every song of the
00:19:23.06\00:19:25.27
hymnal you know. I
love hymns, don't you
00:19:25.28\00:19:27.23
misunderstand what
I'm saying I love them
00:19:27.24\00:19:28.80
I think some of the
most powerful hymns that's
00:19:28.81\00:19:32.21
ever been written have
been written in the last
00:19:32.22\00:19:33.92
100 years,
Charles Wesley, John Wes,
00:19:33.93\00:19:36.09
some of the
powerful Christmas songs have
00:19:36.35\00:19:38.84
some of the most
powerful meanings,
00:19:38.85\00:19:40.00
I love hymns. And I'm
telling you that a Psalm,
00:19:40.01\00:19:43.46
48 Psalm is a song,
it's meant to be sung and
00:19:44.38\00:19:48.98
when you sing the
word of God you can't go
00:19:48.99\00:19:50.60
wrong singing the word of God.
00:19:50.61\00:19:51.66
But what it,
what was it with her?
00:19:51.67\00:19:52.94
It was a legalistic
attitude, we have one of
00:19:53.42\00:19:57.14
the most I believe,
I'll Dr. C.A. Murray,
00:19:57.15\00:20:00.80
he is my hero, C.A
dresses sharp, he looks
00:20:00.81\00:20:03.39
sharp, he presents himself well.
00:20:03.40\00:20:05.23
And I really
esteem him very highly,
00:20:06.46\00:20:08.38
he is a mighty man
of God and not only that
00:20:08.39\00:20:11.54
he's a powerful
presenter, he presents
00:20:11.55\00:20:14.47
the word of God and
can paint you a picture
00:20:14.48\00:20:16.41
of the power of
God. And what God can do
00:20:16.90\00:20:18.93
in the purpose of
God. Well back about a year
00:20:18.94\00:20:21.53
and half ago he
ministered a sermon in
00:20:21.54\00:20:23.65
our local church
here. And he was talking
00:20:23.66\00:20:26.32
about all the things
that God could do for you
00:20:26.33\00:20:28.32
and he would do
for you, that God was a
00:20:28.33\00:20:30.06
mighty God, and
people applauded.
00:20:30.07\00:20:32.42
You see they
weren't applauding him,
00:20:34.14\00:20:35.63
they were
applauding God and giving him
00:20:36.34\00:20:39.57
praise by doing
this, but after the service
00:20:39.58\00:20:43.26
he wasn't standing
at the back door shaking
00:20:44.22\00:20:45.86
hands and telling
about look how great I am,
00:20:45.87\00:20:47.88
how great a job I
did. He was standing down
00:20:47.89\00:20:50.67
front ministering the
people and praying with
00:20:50.68\00:20:52.26
people and someone
slipped a little note over
00:20:52.27\00:20:54.91
his shoulder, he didn't
need to see who it was and
00:20:54.92\00:20:56.56
it wasn't signed, that
you won't usually sign them.
00:20:56.57\00:20:58.71
And it said in
essence Pastor Murray,
00:20:59.90\00:21:02.12
I'm very concerned
that you were encouraging,
00:21:02.13\00:21:05.38
you are encouraging
00:21:05.39\00:21:06.48
Pentecostalism
in our denomination.
00:21:06.49\00:21:09.69
He didn't express it
but I will know it hurt him
00:21:12.64\00:21:16.05
for them doing this,
because he was giving
00:21:16.99\00:21:18.48
all of the honor and
all the glory to God.
00:21:18.49\00:21:20.09
But it made me think
about a few things you know.
00:21:21.62\00:21:23.61
I've read all
through the book of Acts,
00:21:25.48\00:21:27.30
I've read all through
the account of Pentecost
00:21:27.31\00:21:29.22
and I can't find one
occasion at Pentecost
00:21:29.23\00:21:32.75
where they clap their
hands, not one occasion
00:21:32.76\00:21:35.74
where they clap their hands.
00:21:35.75\00:21:36.83
However I can find
about 1500 years before
00:21:38.08\00:21:40.76
that where David
said, King David said:
00:21:40.77\00:21:43.19
Clap your hands all you people.
00:21:43.54\00:21:45.09
Shout unto God
with a voice of triumph.
00:21:45.10\00:21:47.15
So, clapping your
hands is not a Pentecostal
00:21:47.93\00:21:49.71
thing, but the
response that was brought forth
00:21:49.72\00:21:52.66
was a legalistic thing.
See it's not a matter of
00:21:53.25\00:21:55.53
legalism, it's a
matter that nobody praise God
00:21:55.54\00:21:59.31
in anyway, shape,
form or fashion they didn't
00:21:59.32\00:22:01.10
clap their hands and
they didn't raise their
00:22:01.11\00:22:02.38
hands, they didn't
say thank you God, nothing
00:22:02.39\00:22:04.66
nobody praised God.
And if you're bothered
00:22:04.67\00:22:06.84
to take note,
nobody ever got up and said
00:22:06.85\00:22:09.01
Hallelujah, thank you
Jesus and praised Jesus,
00:22:09.02\00:22:11.16
they always got up
and gave glory to God.
00:22:11.17\00:22:13.39
Because of what God
had done through Jesus,
00:22:13.88\00:22:16.53
we got to stop being
legalistic, we need to
00:22:17.42\00:22:19.33
look for, our church is
to be filled up with men
00:22:19.34\00:22:22.40
and women who
have them diamonds and
00:22:22.41\00:22:24.03
earrings and gold all over them.
00:22:24.04\00:22:27.62
The reason why
is because they are
00:22:27.63\00:22:30.12
coming to hear what
we telling them and what
00:22:30.13\00:22:33.48
we are telling them is
the truth that means that
00:22:33.49\00:22:35.34
they're newest
people we ought to at least
00:22:35.35\00:22:37.21
thank God because
they're in our services,
00:22:37.22\00:22:39.39
instead of going up
just as soon as they are
00:22:39.66\00:22:41.51
there, the first
service that they are gonna tell
00:22:41.52\00:22:42.95
them, honey we don't
believe in wearing jewelry.
00:22:42.96\00:22:45.41
I will never forget
Theresa Bennett said,
00:22:45.68\00:22:46.99
she was in a
service, she came out of a
00:22:47.00\00:22:48.35
charismatic moment.
She was in the service,
00:22:48.36\00:22:50.17
in the first service she
was in she said praise God,
00:22:50.18\00:22:52.76
praise God and
afterwards the lady
00:22:52.77\00:22:54.59
came up to her and
said, I want you to know
00:22:54.60\00:22:55.72
sister, we don't
praise God in this church.
00:22:55.73\00:22:57.74
Well, how tragic, see it
was not a matter of legalism.
00:22:58.41\00:23:02.33
It was a matter
of nobody praise God,
00:23:03.16\00:23:05.42
now the last thing to
the blind man's parents,
00:23:05.43\00:23:08.15
it was a personal
matter. Not this is gonna get
00:23:08.75\00:23:11.09
úhome with you
okay, putting it plainly,
00:23:11.10\00:23:14.43
they were scared.
John 9 starting verse 18
00:23:15.38\00:23:19.90
stay with me with
this, read with me okay.
00:23:19.91\00:23:21.97
But the Jews did not
believe concerning him,
00:23:22.49\00:23:24.30
that he had been
blind, and received his sight,
00:23:24.31\00:23:26.93
until they called the
parents of him that had
00:23:26.94\00:23:28.71
received his sight.
And they asked them,
00:23:28.72\00:23:31.69
saying, Is this your son,
who ye say was born blind?
00:23:31.70\00:23:35.55
How then doth he now
see? His parents answered
00:23:35.56\00:23:39.21
and said, We know
that this is our son,
00:23:39.22\00:23:41.38
and that he was born
blind: But by what means he
00:23:42.29\00:23:45.97
now seeth we know
not; or who hath opened his
00:23:45.98\00:23:48.47
eyes, we know not:
hey he is a big boy,
00:23:48.48\00:23:51.26
he is of age; ask him:
he shall speak for himself.
00:23:51.27\00:23:54.69
Now, I won't read
this with you, because
00:23:56.25\00:23:58.11
I wanna add a little
bit more of Alabamanism
00:23:58.12\00:24:00.33
in it all right?
These words spake his
00:24:00.34\00:24:03.00
parents, because
they feared the Jews:
00:24:03.01\00:24:06.58
for the Jews had agreed
already, that if any man
00:24:08.49\00:24:10.76
did confess that he
was Christ, he should be
00:24:10.77\00:24:12.91
kicked out of the denomination.
00:24:12.92\00:24:14.54
Now, it said
that he should be put
00:24:16.11\00:24:17.30
out of the
synagogue. But that's what it
00:24:17.31\00:24:20.17
means, if I don't
agree with everything you do
00:24:20.18\00:24:23.45
and everything you
say even if it doesn't go
00:24:23.46\00:24:25.30
against, go
with the word of God.
00:24:25.31\00:24:26.92
If it goes against
the word of God then I'm
00:24:26.93\00:24:28.76
supposed to sit
back and shut up.
00:24:28.77\00:24:30.22
Now, I'm gonna stand
up and I'm gonna speak
00:24:30.23\00:24:31.89
up and I'm going to
praise God with all of
00:24:31.90\00:24:34.23
my heart because it's to
me it's not a personal matter.
00:24:34.24\00:24:37.57
I had people that
tell me Pastor Hal I don't,
00:24:39.06\00:24:41.07
I don't understand a
lot of these things is
00:24:41.46\00:24:43.39
happening but I
feel like really true,
00:24:43.40\00:24:45.07
you feel like as
God. Well then here's what
00:24:45.08\00:24:47.45
I've got to say to
you, if you don't understand
00:24:47.46\00:24:50.57
something, you can
usually get some pretty
00:24:50.58\00:24:52.98
good information
from someone who's been
00:24:52.99\00:24:54.79
touched by Jesus.
Therefore in verse 23
00:24:54.80\00:24:58.91
said his parents,
He is of age; ask him.
00:24:58.92\00:25:00.80
Then again called they
the man that was blind,
00:25:01.14\00:25:03.18
and he said unto him,
Give God the praise we
00:25:03.19\00:25:05.26
know that this
man Jesus is a sinner.
00:25:05.27\00:25:07.30
He'd already
given God the praise.
00:25:07.31\00:25:09.23
Religious people
were always try to pervert
00:25:09.60\00:25:12.21
the truth with things
that are not the issue,
00:25:12.22\00:25:14.21
the personal
matters were not the issue.
00:25:14.89\00:25:17.16
John 9:25 says:
He answered and said,
00:25:17.80\00:25:20.36
Whether he be a sinner
or no, see this is not the
00:25:20.55\00:25:22.97
issue, whether
you're a sinner or not,
00:25:23.02\00:25:24.41
he's telling them
this is the issue guys,
00:25:24.50\00:25:26.29
I know not, one thing
I do know, that, whereas
00:25:26.81\00:25:28.81
I was blind, now I
see by the grace of God
00:25:28.82\00:25:33.03
I can see. This is
the history of blindness,
00:25:35.12\00:25:40.23
however the blind,
blind man was not the
00:25:41.88\00:25:43.81
only one there that was blind.
00:25:43.82\00:25:46.15
You see the truth of
the matter is they were all
00:25:47.70\00:25:49.21
blind, you see the
truth of the matter is
00:25:49.22\00:25:53.19
theology was not the
issue, nobody praised God.
00:25:54.78\00:25:58.69
You see the truth of
the matter legality was not
00:25:59.75\00:26:02.20
the issue, nobody
praised God, personal
00:26:02.21\00:26:07.64
matters were not the issue.
00:26:07.65\00:26:09.03
Even his parents did
not praise God that their
00:26:10.55\00:26:14.91
son that had been
blind all through his life
00:26:14.92\00:26:17.20
could now see. There was a women
00:26:17.56\00:26:21.10
name Rose Crawford
had been blind for 50
00:26:21.11\00:26:23.70
years, I just can't
believe it, she gasped
00:26:23.71\00:26:25.62
as the doctor lifted
the bandages from her eyes
00:26:25.63\00:26:27.79
after her recovery
from the delicate surgery.
00:26:27.80\00:26:30.26
In an Ontario
hospital. She wept for joy when
00:26:30.52\00:26:33.34
for the first time in
her life, a dazzling and
00:26:33.35\00:26:36.21
beautiful world of
form and color greeted her
00:26:36.22\00:26:38.60
eyes and she
was now able to see.
00:26:38.61\00:26:40.75
The amazing
thing about her story,
00:26:41.07\00:26:42.74
however, that is at
20 years of her blindness
00:26:42.75\00:26:45.72
had been unnecessary.
She didn't know that
00:26:45.73\00:26:47.57
surgical
techniques had been developed,
00:26:47.58\00:26:49.63
and that an
operation could have restored
00:26:49.84\00:26:53.60
her vision at the age of 30.
00:26:53.78\00:26:56.28
The Dr. said, "She
just figured there was
00:26:56.59\00:26:58.52
nothing that could be
done about her condition.
00:26:58.53\00:27:00.64
Much of her life
could have been different.
00:27:00.65\00:27:02.46
As I read the news
of this account, of her
00:27:03.00\00:27:05.51
case, some
questions came to mind.
00:27:05.52\00:27:07.00
Why did she
continue to assume that her
00:27:07.19\00:27:09.02
situation was
hopeless? Had no one told her
00:27:09.03\00:27:11.48
about the wonderful
advances in eye surgery?
00:27:11.49\00:27:13.50
Then I thought of
the plight of those
00:27:13.51\00:27:14.93
unreached by light of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:27:14.94\00:27:17.91
How many will go
on living in moral
00:27:18.24\00:27:20.06
blindness, unless
we bring them to the
00:27:20.07\00:27:21.78
Savior's truth?
Millions will never
00:27:21.79\00:27:23.57
know anything but
spiritual darkness
00:27:23.58\00:27:25.09
because no one
has shared with them
00:27:25.38\00:27:27.18
the Truth; the Light
has come into the world
00:27:27.60\00:27:29.68
and allowed them the
opportunity to praise God.
00:27:30.03\00:27:33.23
If we do not see by the
Holy Spirit then it's too
00:27:33.89\00:27:36.95
easy to blinded by
the thoughts of man.
00:27:36.96\00:27:39.45
Do you wanna know
what the issue was,
00:27:40.26\00:27:41.84
do you wanna know what
this story is all about.
00:27:42.51\00:27:44.31
This story is all
about someone being healed
00:27:45.34\00:27:47.37
and nobody there
except that man, praise
00:27:48.33\00:27:51.54
to God for it. I hope
to God, He can change us.
00:27:51.55\00:27:54.96