Sermon Tone Analysis

The Power of a Changed Life

"You," said the doctor to the patient, "are in terrible shape.

You've got to do something about it.

First, tell your wife to cook more nutritious meals.

Stop working like a dog.

Also, inform your wife you're going to make a budget, and she has to stick to it.

And have her keep the kids off your back so you can relax.

Unless there are some changes like that in your life, you'll probably be dead in a month."

"Doc," the patient said, "this would sound more official coming from you.

Could you please call my wife and give her those instructions?"

When the fellow got home, his wife rushed to him.

"I talked to your doctor," she wailed.

"Poor man, you've only got thirty days to live."

Change is not something that most people like - But one of the only constants in the world that we live in is change.

Nothing ever stays the same as we continue to march on through the years.

But it is through change that God can get our attention.

Last time we discussed the Miracle of Jesus Healing the Blind Man in .

This was a huge change for this man - and it confused those around him.

It didn’t make since so they began to ask questions - to try to make sense out of what was going on.

Questioning the Source

This morning as we continue our study - we are going to consider some of these questions.

And in doing so - I believe that the answers are going to lead us to the same place that Christ was leading this man - who once was blind - but he was beginning to see what God was doing in his life.

The Question of How

Questioning the

John 9:8-

John 9:

As we begin to make sense of what has happened, we usually ask how.

The people were asking, “How did this happen.”

They were confused because they remember this man begging and now he is there among them, SEEING!

As we begin to make sence of what has happened, we usually ask how.

The peopel were asking, “How did this happen.”

They were confused because they remember this man begging and now he is there among them, SEEING!

They were asking how.

What happened?

How can you be seeing?

Never had this sort of thing been done before and now they are having trouble reconciling the man the knew - to the man that stood before him now.

They said, This just can’t be the same man - In modern terms we would say that these people were in denial.

Denial happens when we just cant come to terms with what we are seeing, so we explain it away.

They said, There must be a rational explanation for this!

Did he fall and bump his head?

Was there some new method of medicine that had been discovered to cure blindness?

We we attempt to understand things without taking into account the power and Grace of God, we are forced to attempt to explain it something we can wrap our mind around.

When we are brought to an end of ourselves and start looking outside for answers, God begins to open our eyes to things we have never seen before.

Imagine what it must have been like for the man to see things for the very first time.

Everything he was seeing was through different eyes, Literally!

As God opens our eyes and we begin to see things through the truth of His Word a change begins with us.

No longer can we be the same person that we were before.

Where there was darkness, now we can see dimly the light up ahead.

As God draws us and we respond to His Call, we begin to understand our condition.

Like a patient sitting across from a doctor as he reveals the diagnosis and we start putting pieces together, God reveals to us the truth, and we start to see that that means in our lives.

The Question of Why

John 9:

We try to understand.

We try to take what we are seeing and explain it in terms that we understand, something that fits into our world view so that we can continue on with our lives unchanged.

John tells us that this miracle happened on the Sabbath day, which definitely does not fit into the world of these Pharisees.

Why would Jesus heal this man on the Sabbath.

Doesn’t he know that is not the way things are done around here.

Jesus could have waited one more day, what would that have changed in the life of the Blind Man.

He had spent his entire life not seeing, did not expect to be healed on this day - So Jesus could have waited until a more convenient Day right?

Paul saw this in his interactions with Festus and King Agrippa.

Before Festus he gave his defence from the charges speaking of his faith in the truth of God’s word and the resurrection of Christ.

To King Agrippa he gave his testimony.

Both turned from the truth because it was not convenient - it did not fit into their lives, their plans, there way of thinking.

The attempted to explain away Christ since he did not fit into their world.

If he were of God - He would Fit in.

He would not place himself in opposition to the religious rulers.

After all - Doing certain things on the Sabbath Day was not allowed!

There were 39 different things that were not to be done on the sabbath day:

Sowing, Plowing, Reaping, Binding sheaves, Threshing, Winnowing, Selecting,Grinding,Sifting,Kneading,Baking,Shearing wool,Washing wool

Plowing

Reaping

Binding sheaves

Threshing

Winnowing

Selecting

Grinding

Sifting

Kneading

Baking

Shearing wool

Washing wool

Beating wool, Dyeing wool,Spinning,Weaving,Making two loops,Weaving two threads,Separating two threads,Tying,Untying,Sewing stitches,Tearing,Trapping,Slaughtering

Beating wool

Dyeing wool

Spinning

Weaving

Making two loops

Weaving two threads

Separating two threads

Tying

Untying

Sewing stitches

Tearing

Trapping

Slaughtering

Flaying, Tanning, Scraping hide, Marking hides, Cutting hide to shape, Writing two or more letters, Erasing two or more letters, Building, Demolishing, Extinguishing a fire, Kindling a fire, Putting the finishing touch on an object, Transporting an object between a private domain and the public domain, or for a distance of 4 cubits within the public domain.

Flaying

Tanning

Scraping hide

Jesus had “Violated” this rule by kneading when he made clay from his spittle and placed it on the mans eyes.