FBCWest 366 | The Healing of a Blind Man in Stages
Recorded On: 12/15/2019
Bulletin
FBCWest
December 15, 2019
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”
“Angels, from the Realms of Glory”
Praise and Worship
SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 96:1 - 6
“Build Your Kingdom Here”
“Your Promises”
“No One Like You”
“Forever Reign”
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
SPECIAL MUSIC – By Pru Hungate
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“The Life and Ministry of Jesus The Messiah”
“The Healing of a Blind Man in Stages”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“Open the Eyes of My Heart”
Acknowledgements and Announcements
Benediction “Only Jesus”
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
When I first started practicing law.
You are fortunate if you had a secretary who could type 120 words a minute accurately.
She had to use carbon vapor, which I know some of you have no clue what that is.
And it was just the way it was and then a few years later.
We had computers.
We're laser printers.
And I had a laser printer that printed 35 words a minute.
And it was in fast enough. It was like come on come on come on, we have microwaves to microwave our dinners and we still don't want to take the couple minutes. It takes to do that. We even have a tendency to say Lord Give me patience and give it to me right now. We are just one of those sites. People who just say. I want what I want and I want it right now.
When I came upon this passage.
My initial reaction was Marriott is skip it.
Because it it May.
Confused certain things, but as I contemplated it.
I think I discovered what it was that Jesus was trying to do so.
I'm going to in my.
This way they can to kind of communicate what I think Jesus is doing here, so in Mark Chapter 8.
First, twenty two it says this and they came to Beseda and they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored him to touch him now, again, I always.
Kind of here harping on a particular topic again.
They do take the man to see Jesus because they know that Jesus can heal this man.
But is again it's that Jesus might touch him.
Jesus has healed people from great distances. He doesn't have to touch it would seem to me that what they would do is they say they came to Jesus with this blind man an implored him to heal him.
Let Jesus do it anyway, he wants.
But that's kind of the way we are, we trying to still even when we give things to God. We still do it in such a way is that we're in control. Jesus do it this way.
So the next time you pray I hope.
This.
Will remind you to say Jesus this? Is what I'd like you to do. But however you do it? Do it the way you want.
And taking the blind man by the hand, he brought him out of the village.
There are a couple of reasons. I think that Jesus took the man out of the village.
One is and I think that part is obvious.
That the crowd scenes Jesus healing to do these things more and more committed to Jesus being King and wanted to take him and he's at this point trying to minimize that.
But I think there's a second implicit reason Jesus does this because Jesus is going to teach his disciples, something by his actions that he doesn't want the crowd to mess up because the crowd tends to hustle and bustle and you get all wrapped up in with the crowds doing so, it takes them an out of that situation.
And after spitting.
On his eyes.
Why Jesus does that?
I don't know Jesus heals in a variety of ways. Sometimes he speaks sometimes he makes mud sometimes. He just puts his hands. Sometimes he spits on you.
But I suspect demanded in mind.
After spitting on his eyes, an laying his hands on him. He asked him do you see anything?
And he looked up and said I see men for I see them like trees walking around now. This is where if you don't think you could be uncomfortable because is this too hard for Jesus. I mean he's been healing people. Why is it that he's taking more than one step to heal this man? Why is there I can kind of see I see men?
But they're like trees.
Then again, he laid his hand on his eyes and he looked intently and was in restored an began to see everything clearly.
You see what I think Jesus is teaching.
Is not that he needed to stages to heal the man?
Blindness.
But that oftentimes faith requires a number of steps.
Space does not necessarily come instantaneously or does it come completely all in one package.
Which is obvious? I think with the disciples and that's why I think he took in his teaching by what he does by actions.
He's saying as we come to faith you'll see partially and then you see more clearly and you'll see more clearly as your faith begins to grow. He talks about them. When they fail to understand about the bread. Oh, you of little faith when they don't quite understand. You never says. Oh, you have no faith. It's always you have little faith. You're not seeing clearly now. I think Jesus is teaching us that sometimes we should not expect our faith to instantaneous they just be there.
That is something that grows and causes us to see more and more and more clearly.
Initially, the man seized people walking around as if they were trees.
When were blind, we see no movement at all, and I'm talking spiritually when we are spiritually blind. We have no idea what God's doing.
And then faith comes.
Not fully understanding and sometimes we're not quite sure is a God moving.
Or is it something else moving, it's it's like men walking with trees. It's like is. It just circumstance. It's just as happened since is it chaos or is it determined.
I want to end this and in order to talk about faith.
And he sent him to his home, saying do not even enter the village.
He's telling him I want you to take it. Indirect Route Home 'cause. I don't want people to see that you were once blind and now you see because again I don't want the crowds to come.
But if Jesus is teaching his disciples.
The Faith.
Causes us to see things more and more clearly.
We were told.
In First Corinthians. I'm sorry second Corinthians. Chapter 5 verse Seven that we ought to walk by faith and not by sight.
Now we're nonbelievers here that or even when Christians who don't quite understand faith.
See that they say, Oh, you walk around blindly.
Are you walking around by faith? Which they think is just mythology and whatever?
This is no no we are to walk by faith, not by sight.
Well, one of the things by side in today's world do you think that it's going to get worse and worse and worse you know probably by site is going to get worse and worse and worse.
But faith tells us Jesus is coming. There's hope so. We live in this world not with the dull miserable expectation that mankind is just.
Doomed.
We look for the hope and anticipation that Jesus is coming again and will set all things right.
We're coming to a time.
And if we can have her so that we are going to celebrate the birth of Christ that happened some 2000 years ago.
But that wasn't an instantaneous promise God had promised Adam and Eve there would be a savior and throughout the Old Testament. There were prophecies of that. The Messiah would come and how he would be and what he would do.
And it took centuries and millenia for the Messiah to come.
But they came and looking for him because even in the Old Testament. They walked by faith and not by sight.
So how are you walking?
Are you walking?
Only in the steps that you can see or in the steps they've got his promised.
A little before that verse that says, we walk by faith and not by sight in Second Corinthians. Chapter 14, E after 4 or verse 17 it says this.
Or momentary light affliction is producing for us, an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not even seen are eternal.
So are you concentrating on what is?
By site are you seeing the eternal perspective.
Are you allowing the circumstances of this life? When they're diffi cult?
To determine your feeling and your determination.
And your testimony.
Are you saying?
I understand that it's hard now, but is not worthy to be compared to what God is doing.
Far too often, we walk around as if we're seeing trees.
In our God.
So I want to again.
Or we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.
That's how we walk by faith, we don't walk by assumption.
We walk by faith.
The sad thing is.
In many churches, you wouldn't know the difference between assumption.
And faith.
I'll give you an example.
A faster will say God is laid on my heart a new building program.
And we're going to build a building where $2,000,000 in God's laid it on my heart.
You are not part of that conversation you don't know.
You like the past, you think it's a good idea. You don't like the pastor think it's a terrible idea.
And then they start raising money.
Any if they accomplish the goal wonderful or nobody ever questions it.
They don't raise the goal, they cut back on the building.
Well, if God lie.
Or was it the passers assumption that he wanted something and he thought if he did something for God God would just go along with it.
But God is said.
If you believe in your heart.
That Jesus was raised from the dead.
And you confess with your mouth that he is Lord you shall be saved.
That is a promise of God that is a statement of God and even though my life may not always import to what I say I believe God is never a liar.
And so when he says if you believe in you confess your save.
Then I walk by faith.
I don't walk by Well, you know, I'm doing pretty good today and I'm not doing so good tomorrow. and I do pretty good. The next day. I'm not looking at Main. I'm looking at the things that are unseen his promise of what he said. My destination is.
He says.
That there will be a time.
When there will be a show far that sound the trumpet.
And he says.
The dead in Christ will rise 1st.
And then we who remain will be caught up together.
So, which tells me those who have passed away in Christ have at least a 6 foot advantage over us.
Is there going to raise raise up anywhere that is a promise of God. So those of our loved ones? Who are in Christ, who left this world before us and the scripture says.
To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Our promise a statement. So we walk by faith that our loved ones aren't just somewhere in the ground or burned up.
Or in the sea that their spirit is in.
The presence of God.
And that there will be a comma time when that there's presence with God, and their body will be reunited in a better.
Eternal.
Perfect body.
We walk by faith because that is what God has said.
We don't make it up.
So he says.
We are to love one another as he has loved us.
And gave himself for us.
Yeah, but those people, the church don't like me that's OK, he didn't give an exception.
He didn't say love your brothers and sisters if they love you back, he said. Love them the way I have loved you.
No exception.
Not even a Philadelphia lawyer can find an exception in their claws.
Where is the love because he told us to love we walk by faith we walk by unsigned because who knows? Maybe God will change that person's attitude.
Or maybe God will change yours.
We walk the way he tells us to walk not because we see that it's better, but we believe what he says will come true.
How are you walking?
Are you still blind?
You understand this thing.
Jesus.
In touch your eyes.
What if you're walking and you're not sure is that a God thing or is that a happenstance? Yeah, I prayed for it and it happened without a God thing.
You see not clearly.
You're not sure whether it's God or sometimes what we do is we blame God.
Well, that's just the way it was supposed to be.
How do you know?
Are you looking at the things that are not or you're looking at the things that are?
None of us, I don't think.
See totally clearly.
At this point.
There will come a time.
When we will truly see him as he is.
An we will be like him.
Which means he said it?
I believe it.
Now you've heard and I've changed it. You've heard people say God said it. I believe it that settles it that's wrong.
God said it that settles it, I believe it.
My belief does not determine what God is going to do or not do.
God does what God does, I just want to be there to see what he does.
I want to see him would have been awesome.
To see him spinning this guys eyes eagle well. That's weird, but she's is doing. I mean he hasn't done that before.
And then touch the guys eyes.
And he sees better and better.
You say Jesus? Can I have a word With You?
Not a word with all the other disciples were with Jesus. I've seen you heal people before and every time you heal them. You just spoke the word when you touch it and they were Hill. Some I've never even the lady who just touched you anuv health of healing come out of you and you say who touched me and we're going whoa. So So what? Are you doing? Here Jesus why it? Why is it that you took a couple of steps?
Then I think Jesus would return and said 'cause, I want to teach you.
Right now, you guys are seeing darkly.
You're not seeing the full picture.
But when I come from the grave, you're going to see a whole lot more clearly.
Your faith will be greater your confidence will be bold.
You see Jesus is teaching is not confined to his words.
But also what he does.
In a moment, we're going to sing a song.
Lord open the eyes of my heart.
Then I might see.
And while we sing that I hope that we also say Yes, Lord. I want that I want to see you.
And God, I want to see what you're doing in the world I don't want it to be happenstance in circumstances. I want to see your action. So when God I pray. I want to see.
Not trees, but you
I don't wanna see blackness.
I want to see clearly.
I want to look at things that are not.
And see what will be.
There was a
Amended.
Lived across the street.
When I was.
A young child.
And he was one of those gentlemen.
I didn't think about this when I was a little kid because whatever but he's a type of individual you thought God would never touch him.
He would just basically die in a sense, he was really a gruff guy. I mean he was. He did nice things. But he swore so terribly every other word was a really crude swear word, and even his wife says why do you have to square and he goes what it was just so much a part of who he was that that was just he just expressed himself that way. And so as a child you just thought.
This guy is kind of just out of that God would never touch him and we moved to Westminster in Orange County. He moved but we kept in touch.
An in his later years as an older even an older person.
He came to know the Lord.
And the amazing thing was that I've shared with some of you that from the time he committed his life to Christ, he stop swearing.
It was like.
Most of us went well, you know, I still sent it. It's OK or whatever and he just boom stop.
Which kind of taught Maine?
I'm not the judge.
There are people who you think will come to know the Lord and never do. Or they're nice people and they live nice lives and do nice things. But they just don't ever follow God.
And then there are those.
Would you just think their hearts gotta be so hard that God can never crack it and God does?
You see I was looking at the outside.
Now, what God could do.
And we need to live our lives.
With what God can do for nothing is impossible with God, now. I'm not saying living by a Sumption. I'm saying living by faith by? What God says, and then responding to what he says.
So when God says this is how we are saved then we live in confidence of that. If God says this is how we are to live. We are to love one another. We are to love our enemies. Where do all these different things and you go?
OK got it doesn't you know.
I don't see what's in it for me and it was exactly.
Not about what's in it for you.
We live.
My faith.
We live.
Understanding that it's not instantaneous.
We live by the fact that you and I are not at the same level at any one time.
As your pastor, you expect me sometimes to be ahead and generally speaking, hopefully, I am because I can help lead.
Well, there are times that I have a blind side as well. You know, maybe partial cited this.
Let's say Lord We need to pray for that guy.
Is going to blind spot here?
Living with the understanding.
That we don't at this point, see clearly.
Would making it as our goal.
When I first.
Started preaching I I used an example of if when we first became a Christian in our lives were so it was at this end of the wall and then when we became when Jesus came back. We were like Jesus, we'd be at that end of the wall.
Some of us like to hang around with that side of the wall.
Some of us get a little closer then we run back, then we get a little closer and we run back in some of its kind of hang out some of us have to target with that far. Jesus will change me when he gets here.
Wouldn't it be great?
And we saw so clearly.
That even though we weren't all the way to the wall.
Really Scott to the small fuse.
So that when Jesus returns.
And I'll pick Maine.
No when Jesus returned that I was that close to that wall.
And we were all in Heaven, rejoicing and praising his name, you go. You know, Joe you're not that much different than you were on Earth.
You look as much like Jesus, you look a little better than you did, but you were pretty close to looking like Jesus?
When he came.
And would it be awesome. If all of us here at our church looked a lot like Jesus.
When he comes.
Rather than a whole more like we did sorted out.
When you first saved.
And the way we do that is not cleaning up our act.
We're taking the scale.
Isn't it wasn't it interesting when Paul?
Was persecuting the church?
And Jesus came and said Paul at the time of Saul Saul Saul Why do you persecute me?
You know who are you in Jesus as a conversation with him and he strikes him blind.
And then they lead him.
So the Saint who prays for him and the.
Scales fall off any seas.
Hey God, if their scales take them from my eyes in my eyes don't work fix them.
Open the eyes of my heart.
Then I might see you.
And all God's people said.