A Man Born Blind

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-31-2023

John 9:1-7

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Tonight, I want to look at another great miracle performed by our Lord just after the Pharisees took up stones to stone Him.  Nothing or nobody could deter Christ from the task before Him.

 

B.  The importance of both words and context is found in the verses that I just read.  Let us see what I mean by reading two verses together.

 

John 8:59-9:1  Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.  (9:1)  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

 

1.  A Prepared Man. “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents”

 

2.  A Providential Meeting.  “but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

 

John 9:2-3  And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?  (3)  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

 

3.  A Proven Method.  This story will line up with the story of “The Woman at the Well”.

 

C.  These two verses are simultaneous.  Jesus immediately turned a bad event, the birth and life of a blind man, into a miraculous one!  This man no doubt was within hearing distance of the previous conversation because of his close proximity to what had gone on.

 

D.  I just make mention of this to show the love and compassion of Christ as we would have made haste to get away from the situation that He was in.  But, Christ, in His omniscience, both knew the blind man was there and foreknew that he would be there.

 

E.  This entire chapter deals with the healing and revealing of the man born blind.  I just want to key in on the miracle tonight.

 

F.  I find two things in the verses that we read, improbability and impossibility.

 

1.  Improbability – “a man”. 

 

a)  A man who had no hope of ever seeing.  This was not a child but a man who had been blind throughout his infancy, childhood, and manhood.  Never giving thought to being anything other than blind for as long as he lived. 

 

b)  We too often give up, having no hope of ever seeing things in our lives that we consider bad things going away or changing.  We become resigned to our fate.

 

2.  Impossibility – “blind from his birth”. 

 

a)  There had NEVER been a man, blind from birth, healed of his blindness.  His situation became accepted because there was neither cure nor hope.

 

b)  There are some things in life that we do not have the power to change and, therefore, we accept our predicament with both helplessness and hopelessness.

G.  In this chapter, we find that the Lord did the improbable and impossible!

 

John 9:6-7  When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,  (7)  And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

 

1.  This man was completely healed, in that, for the first time in his life, he could see clearly.  No need of rehab or glasses.

 

2.  This man was completely healed, in that, he understood everything that he saw.  A few people, in our day, can be surgically helped through retina transplantation, etc., but never having seen, must be told what their looking at is a tree or rose or the color red.

 

3.  This man both saw and understood what he was seeing without having to be told.

 

H.  Here is the message: never give up on the God of probability and possibility!  What the Lord did to this man born blind was both IMPROBABILITY and  IMPOSSIBILITY!  We serve the God of IMPOSSIBILITY.  What do you need today?  What have you been praying for?  How is your faith in IMPOSSIBILITY?  A “bridge too far”!

 

J.  “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” is the question asked.

 

1.  When we get tired, God says: Matthew 11:28-30  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (29)  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  (30)  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

 

2.  When we think that nobody cares, God says: 1 Peter 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

 

3.  When we can’t go any farther, God says: Psalms 91:15-16  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.  (16)  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

 

4.  When we think that we cannot do it, God says: Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

5.  When we feel alone, God says: Hebrews 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

 

6.  When we are afraid, God says: Hebrews 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

 

7.  When peace fails us, God says:  John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

8.  In our IMPOSSIBILITIES, the God of ALL POSSIBILITY says: Psalms 121:1-8  I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  (2)  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.  (3)  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.  (4)  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  (5)  The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.  (6)  The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.  (7)  The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.  (8)  The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

These All Died in Faith

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-28-2023

Hebrews 11:13

 

Introduction:

 

A.  As we look forward to Memorial Day tomorrow, I want us here at Temple Baptist Church to keep upon our minds and hearts the sacrifices that have made the day possible. 

 

B.  I chose to pull a verse out of its context this morning to convey a thought, a practical application, that I have had on my heart all week.  I just want to use this portion of verse 13.

 

Hebrews 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them! 

 

C.  Memorial Day is a day that honors our war dead.  I want to honor them today along with all veterans throughout our nation’s history.

 

1.  “All gave some and some gave all” is a quote that we often hear around Memorial Day.  President Ronald Reagan said that these who have died gave up two lives:  the one that they had and the one that they should have had.

 

2.  As far as I can tell (in all wars) app. 1,309,552 men and women have died in defense of our freedom while app. 1,500,000 have been wounded (excluding wounded who did not require hospitalization.  These statistics also do not include POW’s.

 

D.  The Courage Of Our Military To Die And Our People To Sacrifice – “Give me liberty or give me death” has been the motto of every American fighting man in all wars.  I gave some statistics of those who died but could not count the countless millions who have served in all branches of the military.  They lay behind the bodies of their dead brothers while the bullets whizzed past their heads and returned fire.  They still join up; they still fight; and they still die.  Their crosses are around the world from Normandy to the South Pacific to North Africa to Arlington National Cemetery where the Tomb of the Unknowns (also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) are engraved with these words:  “HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD.”  The willingness of our nation to sacrifice – families have sacrificed their sons and daughters; they have sacrificed their moneys and possessions; they have sacrificed their personal desires for the betterment of the nation.

 

E.  “These all died in faith.”  These who died had faith in what they were going to accomplish.  Someone once said words to this effect: If we do not fight our enemies on foreign soil, we will eventually fight them on our soil.

 

1.  They had faith that America was worth fighting and dying for.  Our principles, our wonderful homeland, our heritage, and our posterity.

 

2.  They had faith that the fight was a right fight making it worth fighting and dying for.  A people who will not fight for freedom will not remain free.

 

3.  They had faith that America would remain the “gold standard”, the “utopia” of the world.  The land that they loved.

 

4.  They had faith that, if they died, their death would not be in vain.  That others would take up the weapons of war and stand in the gap and make up the hedge of protection.

 

F.  “Not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them!”  These did not receive the promises, but saw the afar off, knew that they were right, and died for them.

 

1.  Those who died gave up their future for our future.  Young men and women who would never have the privilege to grow old.

 

2.  Those who died gave up their dreams for our dreams.  Young men and women who would never have the opportunity to dream and fulfill their dreams with success.

 

3.  Those who died gave up their opportunity for our opportunity to marry, raise children, and to prosper.  Men and women who would never know the joy of watching their children grow up and dandy their grandchildren on their knees.

 

4.  Those who died gave their all, gave their lives, for what you and I have today that they would never have.  “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. 

 

5.  Never take for granted the blessings of God upon our nation.  Never forget those who died that we might remain free!

 

G.  Hebrews 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.  (Our war dead and veterans witness to us that what we have is worth fighting for.  What we have is worth dying for.  God bless America and God bless our military!)

 

H.  Now, I want to look at what Christ Jesus did.

 

1.  Christ Jesus died for the sinner, not looking at what the sinner was but what the sinner could be.

 

2.  Christ Jesus died seeing the promises that He made afar off.  Almighty Jehovah God in the flesh, Christ Jesus, knows the end of the sinner as well as the beginning.  Christ Jesus promised everlasting life to the believer and eternal life to the saint.

 

a.  Everlasting Life as a beginning, the moment of salvation when the sinner becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus.

 

b.  Eternal Life, without beginning or end, is the very life of God given to those who are “in Christ”.

 

3.  Christ Jesus embraced the cross, despising the shame, and becoming sin for us that we might be made the righteousness in Him.

 

Conclusion: 

 

1.  Never forget the price that our men and women have paid for our freedom.

 

2.  Never forget the price that our Saviour, Christ Jesus, paid for our redemption.

Then Took They Up Stones

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-24-2023

John 8:56-59

 

Introduction:

 

A.  In verse 59, we find the result of rejection and hatred for Christ.  They not only wanted Him gone, but they also sought to kill Him for the words that He spake.  I have often said that Jesus Christ was the most hated man who ever walked on this earth.

 

1.  Hated by the Jews.  These Jews were “His own” earthly people.  This verse would have been easier to understand if Christ had been a Gentile, as the Jews had little to do with other races of people.  (Peter ate with Gentiles until the Jews approached, then he disassembled from them. Galatians 2:11-12.)

 

John 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 

 

2.  Hated by Religion.  Mark 15:11-13  But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.  (12)  And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?  (13)  And they cried out again, Crucify him.

 

3.  Hated by the world. John 15:18-20  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 

 

Matthew 7:13-14  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 

 

4.  But so loved by many who came to Him by faith and love.  John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 

John 20:28-29  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.  (29)  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

 

B.  Their hatred was unfounded.  John 15:25  But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

 

C.  As with most people the problem these people had with Christ was an authority problem.  Many were highly educated so naturally, humanly speaking, thought they knew more that Christ.

 

D.  He was despised, rejected of men. Why did they hate Him so?

 

Isaiah 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 

1.  They despised who He was.  John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

 

2.  They despised what He did.  John 15:25  But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

 

3.  They despised what He said.  Luke 4:22  And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

 

E.  Some reasons He Was hated.

 

1.  He was hated by the people He grew up around because He said that God loved the Gentiles as He did the Jews.  Jesus changed their world view.  Though Israel continues to be the Covenant People of God, in the end-time, God broke off the natural branch and grafted in the wild branch, the Gentiles.  Christ died for the sins of the world, not just Israelites.

 

Luke 4:28-30  And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,  (29)  And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.  (30)  But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

 

2.  He was hated by the Pharisees because He challenged their traditions.  The Pharisees were traditionalists, but they had begun teaching their traditions of washing, etc. as a command of God.   When His disciples plucked ears of corn and He healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:1-14; Mark 2:23-3:6; Luke 6:1-11)

 

Matthew 12:14  Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

 

Mark 3:6  And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

 

Luke 6:11  And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

 

3.  He was hated by the Pharisees when He placed His authority above theirs.  Today’s problem is still an authority problem.  Jesus Christ was and is the Authority and He gave the Sabbath and He is the God of the Sabbath.  He made the lame to walk again on the Sabbath.  (John 5:1-16)  The authority of the Pharisees was not to be challenged but Christ did.

 

John 5:16  And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

 

4.  He was hated when He made Himself equal with God. Jesus was God!  God is one God, manifesting Himself in three Persons,  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  These three are all co-equal in power and attributes.  (John 5:17-18)

 

John 5:17-18  But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.  (18)  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

 

5.  He was hated when He called Himself that name that was only for God.  He placed His name above that of the fathers of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  “Before Abraham was, I am”  (John 8:48-59)

 

John 8:57-59  Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?  (58)  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.  (59)  Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

6.  He was hated because He claimed to be one with the Father and eternal life found only in Jesus Christ.    (John 10:27-30)

 

John 10:31  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

 

7.  He was hated because the marvelous works that He performed.  The works that Christ did made Him the undeniable Son of God.  (John 10:31-38)

 

John 10:39  Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,

 

8.  They hated Him because He raised Lazarus from the dead.  As He raised Lazarus from the dead, we who die in Christ will also be resurrected.   (John 11:45-52)

 

John 11:53  Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

 

9.  They hated Him when He cleansed the Temple.  Christ did not leave their unbiblical practices in His house to stand.  Man loves religion but God does not.  Religion is a man-made set of rules and practices that are not found in the Bible.  (Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-48)

 

Mark 11:18  And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

 

Luke 19:47-48  And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,  (48)  And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

 

10.  They hated Him because He said that the Kingdom of God would be taken away from the Jews and given to the Gentiles.  (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-2; Luke 20:9-19)

 

Matthew 21:45-46  And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.  (46)  But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

 

Mark 12:12  And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

 

Luke 20:19  And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

 

Conclusion:  Every word He spoke was gracious.  Every miracle He performed was right and good.  Every message He preached was Biblical.  Every prophecy He prophesied would come to pass.  He fed them, He led them, He healed them, He raised their dead, He calmed their storms, and He loved them—forgave them—and died in their place.

 

They hated Christ and they will hate us!

 

John 15:18-20  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  (19)  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.  (20)  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

Job Walked with God in Confusion

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-21-2023

Job 1:20-2:10; 23:1-12

Introduction:

 

A.  What a great series of messages to preach.  

 

1.  The key to walking with God is agreement with God coupled with a wholehearted trust of His will and way. 

 

2.  This morning, I am going to preach one of the most important messages that I will ever preach.

 

B.  The Book of Job is said to be the oldest book in the Bible. 

 

1.  Eusebius gave the date of 1800 B.C. as the time of its writing because of the customs or lack of customs mentioned in the book.  Moses wrote the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Bible, around 1500 B.C.  I will take their word for that. 

 

2.  The antiquity of the Book of Job shows that suffering has always been present with God’s people.  From the death of Abel coupled with the exile of Cain, in Geneses 4, to the present—life has been hard and sufferings great.

 

3.  Job was a godly man: perfect, upright, feared God, eschewed evil. 

 

Job 1:1  There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

 

4.  Job described life in this way.

 

Job 14:1  Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

 

C.  Job is an honest book of the Bible that spells out the often-underserved trials that we face.  Not trials and troubles of our making but sufferings that greatly affect our lives.  Trials that we cannot control or understand. 

 

D.  Job was a wealthy man who lost all his possession, servants, and children. 

 

1.  The Sabeans came and stole Job’s the oxen and asses while killing his servants with the sword.

 

2.  Fire fell from heaven and devoured Job’s sheep along with those servants who kept them. 

 

3.  A great east wind smote the oldest son’s house in which Job’s 10 children were eating and drinking.  His worst fears were realized in a moment of time. 

 

4.  Satan smote Job with sore boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

 

5.  Job’s wife said, “Doest thou still retain thine integrity?  Curse God, and die!”

 

6.  Job’s three “friends” showed up to “mourn” with him.  What are friends for?  They should have stayed at home.

 

7.  Job cursed his day in chapter 3 and in chapter 23, went looking for God to “order my cause before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

 

E.   Job maintained his integrity in chapter 1.  He sat down in sackcloth and ashes and said: “And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.  (22)  In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” (Job 1:21-22)

 

F. When Job could not find God and God continued in His silence, Job maintained his trust and walk with God, not knowing how his trial would end.

 

1.  In the Book of Psalms, I find “How long” 17x and “Why” 24x.  This tells us that there are times when we serve the Lord in confusion.

 

2.  Job walked with God in consistency not knowing the reason nor the outcome.  God never told him why or how long!

 

Job 13:15  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

 

Job 23:10-12  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.  (11)  My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.  (12)  Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

 

G.  As believers, we often set the guidelines of our peace of God.  This message could get extremely long so I will get to the gist of it. 

 

1.  Peace with God is something God does but the peace of God is something that each of us control. 

 

2.  If we suffer in a certain manner or for a certain period, we will trust the Lord.  BUT:

 

1.  There may come a day in your life when you have no answers.  Nothing makes sense as you search for verse after verse in the Bible but things are all going “south” in your life.  Will you walk with God in your confusion?

 

2.  There may come a day in your life when you are confused with your circumstances.  Right goes down hard while wrong prevails!  The righter that you try to do the more wrong that happens to you.  Will you walk with God in your confusion?

 

3.  There may come a day in your life when your friends sit with you while forsaking you at the same time.  They will remind you that God blesses faithfulness and rewards judgment to the sinful.  They may say that your circumstances were created by sin or disbelief in your life.  Will you walk with God in your confusion?

 

4.  There may be a day in your life when God seemingly does not hear, and relief is nowhere in sight.  You pray and seek God but He is silent.  You search your heart but find no cause for such pain and suffering.  Will you walk with God in your confusion?

 

5.  There may be a day in your life when you just must continue with God despite everything going wrong.  At this point, so many fail of the sufficient grace of God and fall to the wayside.  Will you walk with God in your confusion?

 

Conclusion:  

 

a.  Walking with God and circumstances need have nothing to do with each other.  I have heard preachers say that Job was blessed double in the end of his life.  Yes, God did bless Job and he lived a long life with much happiness, BUT, he and his wife suffered the loss of their first 10 children all their life!  Job never understood why he and his wife suffered so but they stayed with God in their confusion. 

 

b.  There may well come a day in your Christian experience when things happen that can make you bitter.  There may come a time when you will even complain to and argue with God.  There may be a time when the heavens seem to be made of bass, your prayers go unanswered, and God is silent.  These are times when many of God’s people fail of the grace of God and choose not to walk with Him.

 

c.  As I get toward the end of life, I have found that I have many unanswered questions.  To the unsaved, this would make my serving the Lord a matter of foolishness.  Why serve a God who allows sad things to happen to His children?  At this point, I have no problem saying that serving God is not an option to me, it is a continual way of life.

 

Job 23:11-12  My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.  (12)  Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.