"Changed by the Light"

Sermon Transcript for July 30, 2000

By Rev. Mike Beck

Scripture Reading: John 9:1-7 & 13-25

 

Jesus, on several occasions, referred to Himself as the "light of the world". The scriptures challenge you and challenge me to live in the light of Christ. Let’s think for just a moment about some of the natural qualities of light in the world around us. Light is what allows us to see and be aware of the things around us. Todd, turn these lights off. Now, turn them back on. And we’ve had a visual reminder of one of the characteristics of light--to let us see in ways we didn’t see before. Those of you who like working in the garden or farmers who work in the field, you know light is necessary to bring about growth. And light, in many ways, brings about change. Some of you, who I’m looking at, are a little browner than you are during the winter months because of change in your skin color as you’ve been out in the sunlight.

Well, in John, Chapter 9, we find the story of a man who’d been born blind. Who had never, from the day of his birth, seen the light of day. And the story begins with the disciples asking Jesus one of the "why" questions of life. They said, "Jesus, why was this man born blind? Was it his sin or was it the sin of his parents?" To which Jesus gives us a real insight into tragedy and human suffering and said, "Neither this man’s sin or his parents’ sin brought this about." He said, "In this case this man’s blindness is going to be an opportunity for the glory of God to be revealed."

And then, in verse 6 and the latter part of verse 7, can you picture our poor Jesus spinning on the ground? And it would have to have been a pretty good spin. To then take the dirt and make mud and place it in the man’s eyes. And then He said to him, "I want you to go down to the pool of Siloam; and I want you to wash." Now, put yourself in the shoes of that man. There would be a whole lot of you that once Jesus began to take His fingers and put them in your eye would say, "Get away from me; don’t do that, it hurts". Or if Jesus had said to you, "Now I want you to go down to the pool of Siloam; I want you to go down there and wash", many of us would have said, "What good will it do? I’m not going." But the man went; and he came back with his sight restored

There’s a principle in the ways of God’s working with men and women that is seen here. And that is this, friends. Obedience is always rewarded. The reward may come later. There may be delay. Period there. But obedience to God is always rewarded in the same sense that disobedience always has its consequences.

Starting in Verse 13, we see the Pharisees interrogating this man. They wanted to know what happened. And the Pharisees questions reveal to us this truth about human nature: That if you want to find excuses not to believe in the power of God to work in your life, you’ll be able to find plenty of them. Some around this man said, "Well, this guy just looks like the blind man, but it’s a case of mistaken identity." Or then the Pharisees began to say, "Well, maybe this man only pretended to be blind. So in that sense, they said, "Let’s call in his parents and ask them." To which they did and they said, "Yes, he was born blind." And then the Pharisees try to change the subject altogether. They no longer want to focus on the fact that this man who had been blind could now see, but they want now to focus on the fact, "Jesus shouldn’t have done this in the first place because He did it on the Sabbath. And the law of Moses clearly says you don’t work on the Sabbath day."

At the end of our passage, the blind man finally gets fed up with their questions, and in Verse 25 he makes this statement which is our text today: "This one thing I know. Once I was blind, but now I see!"

I just want to ask you this one question in closing today. Do you have a personal testimony about what Jesus Christ has done for you? I remember growing up in small churches over in eastern Indiana where we didn’t only go to church on Sunday morning, we went on Sunday night and Wednesday night as well. And often on Sunday and Wednesday night the pastor would open it up for a testimony time. It would be nice if we’d have time to do that this morning. Relax, we don’t. But I come back to that original question. Do you have a testimony of what Jesus Christ has done in your life? For if you don’t, maybe you need to check to see if you’ve "turned on the light" by inviting Christ into your heart. And maybe you need to check to see whether you’re walking in the light of His Word. Because the last I checked, if we’re walking in the light of His Word, our life ought to be different than it was in the past.

The blind man couldn’t explain just how this change in his life had happened. And friends, don’t ask me to explain it. But I do know that at the tender age of nine years old when I stepped out to an altar prayer at the close of a sermon and invited Jesus Christ to come into my heart and life, my heart began to change. And I don’t know how that took place any more than the blind man did. And the blind man, if you’ll notice, was still learning just who this man Jesus was. He said, "Well, he must have been a prophet. Right now I don’t even know for sure where He is." There’s a whole lot of things I still have to learn about Jesus Christ. My understanding of Him is constantly growing. But this man knew this one thing: "Once I was blind, but now I can see".

Some of you if you’re really honest might have to admit that you’ve had trouble "celebrating Jesus" in these last fifty days. There may be someone here who doesn’t have a testimony about knowing Christ or else that testimony has grown cold. Your life may feel like this journal entry. Listen carefully, it may reflect your thoughts:

I’m sinking, Lord.

Encourage me, please!

Do you know

discouragement

has begun to grow

like dandelions

in my fallow soul?

Your Word rings hollow.

The hymns I sing are words.

Resentment’s roots reach

deep beneath

my surface Sunday smile.

All the while

worship makes me wonder

if I really do belong.

It’s been so long

since I have known real joy.

My servant’s heart is empty.

My tear ducts are full.

I feel the eyes of those who criticize

the ones I love.

But all the same

I cannot feel

Your promised love for me.

Would You be for me

a gardener, God?

Would You encourage me?

Would You kill the weeds

and pull the roots

and fertilize my soul

with a renewed sense

of what I’m called to be?

Friends, I have good news for you. Jesus, who is the light of the world, can do that for you. Maybe someone here is hearing God speaking to you at the close of this 50-day Adventure. And like the blind man, who Jesus told to go and wash in the pool, God wants you to be obedient to that still, small voice within. Maybe there’s someone here who’s never invited Christ into their life as their Savior. Maybe there are others who have grown cold in their faith. You don’t know the joy you once knew in serving Christ. Maybe there’s some area of your life that needs the healing touch of Christ.

Don’t be afraid to say "yes" to the good things God has for you. We’re going to sing an old gospel song in closing today. The words are there in your bulletin. I invite you now to bow your heads and be in real prayer with God as Sarai plays it through all the way once and then we will sing it together. If God is speaking to you in some way today, open your heart to Him and allow your life to be "changed by the light" of His love.