I Was Blind, But He Saw Me

Message Transcription

SUMMARY

In this sermon, Dr. David Fraze delves into the account of Jesus healing the blind man from John 9, presenting it as a powerful example of God's ability to do the impossible. He encourages listeners to view the story through the eyes of the blind man, highlighting the dramatic shift from his greatest day (receiving sight) to his worst day (being rejected by his community).

Dr. Fraze draws parallels between the blind man's experience and modern-day feelings of being an impostor or outcast in church settings. He emphasizes the importance of creating authentic Christian communities where people are truly seen, accepted, and valued, regardless of their appearance or background. The sermon concludes with a poignant reminder that when believers surrender everything to follow Jesus, even in the face of persecution or rejection, He will always find them and reveal Himself.

TRANSCRIPTION:

Good morning, church. So I want apology to the worship leader. I guess I caused a little bit of a panic because people are like, well, you're here. Well, yeah, I'm just talking to people. If you are a visitor, I don't know if you've noticed this or not.

I'm kind of not sort of a visitor. I'm kind of. I have history here. But you can't get through doors without getting coffee and hugs. Are you with me on that?

Somebody grabbed my wife, which. That really sounded bad. Somebody grabbed my wife, walked through these doors, about to get coffee, and they're like going, can we pray for you? And she's like, I'm not a member. We want to pray for you anyway.

So I don't know what we're praying for, but thank you for praying for my wife. This church is real. And Curtis, thank you. I wish. Did we talk about this at all?

What I'm going to say today, it is amazing how God works. And I've known Curtis for a long time. And again, if you're listening online or if you're a visitor, listen to their testimony. He is a judge in town. And my daughter leaned over and said, I don't know why he's a judge.

He looks so nice. And so I. This church actually believes what has spoken here. And I love this series of, you know, God of the un believable and the impossible. And when you look at the miracle stories and you wonder why they're in the Bible, you're like, well, that's great.

As 2024, we know so much stuff, but there are moments just like we celebrated the questions you bring at the table. And you're like, there is absolutely no way that God could intervene in my life and give me that pie that he was talking about today. And I'm standing here in front of you saying it is possible. And this story is so incredible that we're going to look at today. Most of you have heard it, or at least the ability that the Bible claims that Jesus could heal the blind.

And let's go ahead and go to John 14, because if you want to know what God does, the God of the impossible, right before Jesus went to the cross, Thomas is like, show us the Father and that will be enough. And Jesus said, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. So to take all of this weird theology in the world and you're trying to figure out who is this Christian God, who is the Old Testament God that through prophecy, now we look at this Jesus Guy, how are they connected? Because in Jesus, if you ever want to know what God's like and all of the questions you bring at to the table, read the Gospels. And this is one of those stories.

But we're going to look at it a little bit different today because when we look at the blind man, as a scholar, as someone who teaches Bible, if I had a bunch of major students here, I would still teach the first lesson you're going to hear today here. But it is amazing how John puts this story right in the middle of the beginning of the end of Jesus' life because he is going to talk about spiritual blindness and real blindness. He is going to talk about his ability as the Messiah to fulfill this ideal that they had, that Jesus could actually take dirt and spit in it. Because God created the heavens of the earth, he can use dirt to heal the human body. All that stuff is real.

But at times we get lost in the technicality and the beauty of this narrative and we look for all these theological connections. And yes, John does a really good job, but all we're going to do today is read this account through the eyes of the unknown blind man. One of these days, we're going to be in heaven and I want to meet this nameless blind dude and say, what was it like in that moment? Because today, when you look at this verse, there's a strong connection to what we need as believers. So let's pray.

Father, thank you for being a God of the impossible. Father, many of us have heard our entire life, even if we're just marginally connected to this thing called faith that you created and you did wondrous works, but some of us are sitting in this auditorium saying, I need to see one of those works. I need to see the impossible. And Father, some of us just need to be reminded of the impossible that we saw when your son walked the earth. Stories that have been handed down over and over and over again that Jesus is the one that could take blindness and help us see.

Father, would you let us enter into this narrative and try to figure out what would it have been like in that moment for Jesus to walk by? Through Jesus, we pray and we all say amen. A few years ago, I was preaching this text at the Hills Church, and when I was done, I received this email. It was one of those all capital emails. I need to visit with you.

I'm concerned and I had no idea who the person was. And so when I started reading the text of the email, it's like, I'm a visitor. You don't know me. I was sitting in the balcony, which is always fun for me because balcony people. There are a couple up there.

Sorry, yeah, that's not necessarily about you all, but balcony people go to the balcony to hide. They sneak by the greeters who are so happy. What's your name? What's your name? What's your name? You want a name tag?

Here's the first time. They sneak in at the very end and they walk up to the corner and they're like, let's see what this Christianity thing was about. And it was this guy, he set it up like that.

I've never been to church here. I don't know what's going on. I felt like I needed to be here. I need to have coffee with you. So I went to my favorite coffee shop and I met him there.

The next day this guy walks in. It looks like he fell into a tackle box. Okay? He has so many piercings and he had tattoos and he also had those implants that would change his face. I mean, it was like a Klingon fell into a tackle box at a tattoo parlor.

I mean, that was him. If you don't know what Klingons are, go back to Star Trek. It's incredible. So here's this guy sitting in front of me goes, I'm so confused. And I'm like, what's going on?

He goes, Jesus saw the blind man. And I'm like, yes. Why? I'm like, did you hear the sermon? He goes, yeah, but that can't be real.

And I'm like, what can't be real? People don't like people like me. That's why I snuck into church. I'm like, this is a weird church. And by the way, this is a weird church.

They'll still ask you to pray, serve you coffee and hug you. They'll just be careful of the barbs in your body, okay? I mean, that's. There are people. He just couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that of all the people in the world that Jesus is actually that.

Because his entire experience has been this. If you're not good enough and you don't look the part and you're not moral enough and people wouldn't invite you to dinner, then Jesus wouldn't do the same. And it confused him.

Maybe we've been there before. Two groups of people. One of them are those that feel like they're imposters. They have the imposter syndrome. You ever run across those people at church?

It's kind of fun. We do a lot of discussion on this. You're having a fight with your wife in the car. The kids are half dressed. The wife's saying, please tuck your shirt in.

The kid's like, I'm not. And throws their belt out the window. The daughter is, like, taking so many selfies. They're, like, going, oh, my gosh. She's like, I got to go home.

Why? Because my makeups. I mean, that kind of deal, right? And then you get out of the car and you walk through these doors, and someone says, how are you doing today? We are doing great.

Praise the Lord.

And you're afraid somebody is really going to find out what's behind your Facebook reel. So you come to church and you feel like impostors, and you hear someone like the judge stand up here and talk about God's goodness. And in the back of your mind, you know, you've heard the stories of your entire life. But in the back of your mind, you're like, that fellow that I was listing with. If people really knew who I was, they'd run away.

I'm not even going to see a show of hands because all of us have felt that way before. At some point, something bad'll happen in your life, and you're like, I'm an imposter. And you have that weird imposter syndrome. And then somebody leads worship, and everybody spontaneously stands. And you just stand because you feel like you're worshiping the devil if you don't stand.

And you're like, I don't feel this today. And everybody's like, wow. And you're like, going, um.

That's life, the story for you. You could be actually someone who is like, one of our new students at LCU. And he wouldn't mind me telling you this. He's actually an Olympic athlete, but he's in a wheelchair. And when he came to LCU, I was drawn to him because I happened to be walking in front of him, and his wheelchair was stuck, and we were in a ball game.

He's like, go. Get out of my way. And I'm like, I like you. Who are you? Oh, my word.

He was talking smack. So the next day, I see him around campus, and I talk smack back. And he's like, what? What are you doing? And I'm like, hey, it's good to see you.

And I called him by the name. So I start yelling. Just what I do. Okay. I'm yelling at people across campus.

That's really odd for some of you to Understand? Like, how are you doing? And he's looking at me like, you're crazy. So one day I'm talking to him, and here's what he said. Why do you want to talk to me?

And I'm like, what do you mean? He goes, I don't go to churches very much anymore because the churches I go to, everybody wants to pray for my wheelchair, but they don't know me. Let's start thinking what we do that, you know, we pray for wheelchairs, but do we know the people in them who have to live those every single day? So have you ever felt like that? That you're in a crowd but you're alone?

Because the people who have it all together are the ones that are on the highlight reels. Everybody who has it together and has the lineage, for sure, people notice them. So let's just go to the story, verse one. Just the experience and not the theology per se. But at the end, we're gonna have some incredible theology.

As he went along, he saw a man from birth. That's Jesus. He's in the middle of controversy. He's just been arguing with Pharisees. He's about to have another argument.

Pharisees. He's just walking along and his disciples ask him, rabbi, whose sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind. How disgusting. If you know anything about this, they believe that anything that bad has happened to your life had to be a punishment of God. We're going to talk about that next week.

It was an abuse of scripture. They didn't know how to read their own understanding of Deuteronomy. So if something bad happened, somebody must have sinned. This guy's blind. He didn't ask for it.

His whole life was someone leading him to this area, holding out his hand, saying, please give me something. And here comes this group of people because, you know there's a crowd and they stop over and you go, who sinned? In his mind, he's probably going, are you kidding me? I was born this way. Did I kick my mother too hard?

And God's like, disrespectful, blind. What happened? Did the mom and dad do something terrible? Because some of us feel sometimes when we see our kids or see our grandkids or see our own life, am I paying for something that I did before? Raise your hand if you ever felt that way.

Yeah, I thought, my people are here.

So it goes on. This man starts to hear yet another debate about how worthless he is. Correct?

He doesn't see, but he hears neither. This man nor his parents sin, but this happens. So the works of God might be displayed in him as long as his day. We must do works of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work.

Well, I am in the world. I am the light of the world. Beautiful point saying, I'm going to show you the God of the impossible. Right here. I'm still working.

It's about to get really dark. But don't forget this sign Miracle. After saying this again, be the blind man maybe ask, can I have some water? I don't know, it's dry over there. He spit on the ground, made some mud and put it on the man's eyes.

What a day.

I'm a sinner and you just spit on me.

Now the most ridiculous thing Jesus will ever say. Washing the pool of Saloam. Okay, so the man went and washed and came home sing, seen over. Could you imagine how angry he was about being a spectacle for this person? Perhaps he figured out this was that religious leader people were talking about.

And he goes, you better believe I'm going to go wash my face, you weirdo. And he goes, whoa, I don't know who led him there. Could you imagine when he is like, guys, I see you. You're uglier than I thought. I mean, who knows what they were saying.

Look at the next thing that happens. His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging. Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg? Some claimed that he was. Others said, no, no, no, he only looks like him.

But he himself insisted, I am the man. How then will your eyes open? They asked the man, said the man they called Jesus made some mud, put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Saloam and wash. So I went and watched and then I could see.

And he goes, where is this man? I love this. I don't know. What a great day. The very greatest of days.

It's like I was blind, but now I. Okay, we're about to go from greatest to worst. Like radical turn. Look what happens next.

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now you got to know, why would they do that? Because the Pharisees at this point that anybody who believes this man Jesus is a rabbi. They threatened to throw him out of the synagogue, which means you will no longer be a Jew. This is not just you can't come to our church.

It's like, you can't be part of our culture. That's a big deal. And you got to understand to be called to Jew. During this time when Jesus would call you a Jew, he was drawing back to the times of captivity because they're no longer called Israelites because there is no Israel. A Jew is someone who obeyed to the letter of the law, the Torah.

So these were the greatest of the greatest. All the people who hung together, that was a Jew. So if you couldn't do that, you truly weren't a real Jew. So when you're thrown out of the synagogue, you're no longer a Jew. Means you don't practice and you're not like us.

Sesame street, right? One of these things is not like the other. It's you, you got to get out. So the day on which Jesus had made mud and opened the eyes was a Sabbath. This was a big deal for a Jew because they had this idea that we found out through history that if they practiced the Sabbath as great as they did during the time of the wilderness, if everybody joined suit, the Messiah was just somehow walking around the city gates of Jerusalem.

And if they participated in the Sabbath and everybody chilled out, then the Messiah would walk in and begin his messianic reign. Isn't Jesus just a hoot? Do you think he knew what day it was? Absolutely. Do you think he's just kind of going, hello, hello, hello, hello?

He's doing work of the Messiah. On the day that Messiah was supposed to come in town, and here he was, and they didn't recognize it. They called the man in, and they're like, hey, what happened? He put mud on my eyes. The man replied, I was washed, and now I see.

That's all he knows, right? Some of the Pharisees says, this man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath. He doesn't look like us, he doesn't act like us. He doesn't do all the fancy things. But others ask, how can a sinner perform such signs?

So they were divided. Then they turned again to the blind man arguing in front of him have. What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened. And the man replied, he's a prophet.

They still not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents. Is this your son? Is this the one who says he was born blind? How is it now that he can see? Wow, we're about to go to the very worst day.

I've seen this moment play out in a lot of ways with young people through the years when they had this experience with Jesus and they go to their family they say, I want to receive Christ, I want to get baptized. I want to do this. And their parents are like, hold on. These are actual conversations. Just remember when you give your life to Jesus, it's kind of like, you know, it's just something we do.

Don't get too carried away. It's just part of your life that's been going on for the last 35 years. It's kind of disgusting. They take that excitement and say, oh, no, not really. And it wasn't the idea of, remember the importance of this step.

It's like, don't get carried away. Or somebody wants to say, I want to go into ministry. I want to serve God. We hear this all the time. And they're like, well, what's your backup plan?

And they just kind of squash it. Could you imagine being the blind man and never seeing your parents eyes, never seeing your mom and dad's face? All you've done is this. And now you're looking at them.

And they do something very strange because they're threatened. From the very best to the very worst of days. Lonnie, I didn't know you were singing. But Lonnie is an incredible teacher of young people. And we have a lot of rules at Lubbock Christian University's Encounter camp because of Lonnie Hamill. He would take classes and make them look like they were destroyed. And on this one occasion, room 111, if you've ever been in there, it's as flat as West Texas. And he made a platform that made you feel like you're going up the stairs and then down into a dungeon. And he did the whole crucifixion of Christ.

And we had this, you know, this. This guy behind his screen. I don't know how you cleaned it up. That was beating like raw meat. And I'm like, this is a little bit over the top.

Jeremy must have been there. He's sitting there laughing. I'm like going, this is like real. Do you remember yourself, Lonnie? Okay, just wondered.

And so incredible class. We had a guy there that year that was from the Phoenix area that wore a black cape in the middle of the summer. It was really odd and people were kind of skeptical. Well, during the beating scene, I don't know if you know the story. He walks out of the classroom crying.

So I get up and I follow him and I'm like, are you all right? He go, people don't know what I have to pay for because I follow Jesus. And it's one of those cases you had to turn into CPS because his dad would literally beat him because he followed Jesus. And all of us, I felt bad because most of us are like black cape Columbine. Be careful, watch him.

But that night during worship, we were an encounter. These were years ago. We used to be an encounter. I sitt next to him during worship and during a praise song, he just took his cape off and he folded it neatly and he put it on the pew and just worshiped. And I'm like, this kid is paying a lot, going against his very family.

And this kid believes it's worth it because somewhere in his life he was blind, but now he sees. I mean, what a destructive story.

So the courage and the cost.

Wow.

We know he's our son, verse 20. And we know he was born blind, but now he can see. Now or opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He's of age, he will speak for himself.

He leaves. They leave their son high and dry. His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders who had already decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. They would rather keep their identity in the culture and their safety to support their son.

I don't know if there's theying son, join suit. Just chill out some. Don't be so to this. That's why they said he's of age. Ask him a second time.

They summoned the man who had been blind. Give glory to God telling the truth. They said, we know this man is the sinner. And he replied, whether he's the sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I know I was blind, but now I see my life is different since I came in contact with this Jesus.

And they're like, that's impossible. He goes, I'm telling you it is impossible. But it is possible. For my experience.

When they asked him, what did he do to you? He did not open his eyes. I love this. I want to shake this guy's hand. He answered, I'told you already and you did not listen.

Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too? What an amazing thing. Love the sarcasm. Then they hurled insults at him and said, you are this fellow's disciple.

We are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but as before, this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from. They're claiming connection to Moses. And look, looking. This guy said, we know who you were.

You were a nobody that was begging. So why should we listen to you, the man answered, now that is remarkable. You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God doesn't listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.

Nobody who has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind, if this man were not from God, he could do nothing. And to this replied, you were steeped and sentin at birth. How dare you lecture us? And they threw him out. I think about it a lot.

I was blind, and now I see. I know the experience of Jesus. And now, and for you young people, because I've received pushback and I've received punishment, if you will, it's actually validated my experience. So if you want to know why, Judge Curtis could stand up and say, this is because there's been pushback and there's been challenge, and it's validated faith. And I'm just here to tell you it is worth it.

Once you experience Jesus, once you experience the impossible, even though the world wants to doubt it, you cannot turn your back on it. And then they will push, and then you will receive consequences. But that will be the validation. But still, knowing that, knowing that the last beatitude is blessed to those who are persecuted, we kind of cut that one off. We don't leave that one on our refrigerator.

I don't know if you know that or not. The world's a rough place. We do feel like imposters. We do feel like we're prayed for because of our ailment and not brought into fellowship. And we're thinking, how does this all work out?

And so you come to church and someone ask you to trust Jesus, and you're like, how can I be sure? And there are moments in my life where I'm driving, maybe even somewhere to speak a lesson like this. And I'm thinking, is there anything in my life that if I was presented with that, I would turn my back? Have you ever had that conversation? What would it take?

Can I just pray to God, please be with me if that moment ever comes. But here's the blind man who gave absolutely everything. He had nothing. He had the impossible happen. Then the impossible happened, and now he's here.

He gave up everything to a man he had never seen with his eyes. This is the point of all. All of this morning. Look what happens next. What happens when you give up everything?

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out. They don't miss this. And when he found him.

Do you believe in the Son of man? Oh, look at this. Phrase, who is he, sir? I mean, it's almost setting up. It's like Jesus almost snuck away from his own people.

I mean, there wasn't big crowds or like, oh, that must be the one. It's not a large crowd anymore. It feels like animate encounter. Jesus found him and he is like, hey, do you believe in the Son of man? He goes, who is he?

And then Jesus says, the one standing in front of you. And it says, he worshipped and praised God.

I don't know how it works. And maybe this morning is one of those moments for if you feel like that man bore blind to have church like we just did. And I keep going back to these words. How appropriate. A table of questions and of acceptance and of love and being hugged and offered coffee and being seen today, that's authentic.

That's reality for the people of God. And if it's not, then we got to do some changing. If you only greet the same people and pray for the same people without looking to the person next to you and say, how are you doing today? And you notice something weird and you're like, like, talk to me. Really?

That's where the magic happens. Correct. Getting involved in each other's life, seeing the blindness. But that means we have to be vulnerable. It comes with the cost.

And it happened to the blind man, the impossible to the possible, back to the impossible. It's like, well, here I am. I'm now alone. I can't even. I'm not Jewish anymore.

I can actually now go to the temple because I can see. There's no. There's no distractions. I me, they're asking me to turn my back on the one who made this possible. And now it's impossible.

Do you see him going back and forth? And God of the impossible, when you give up everything, works his way back and says, do you believe I'm the one? That will happen. That will happen. He will show up when you give up everything.

I believe that. Do we believe that church? Do we believe that church? So simple. The presence of God.

The presence of God. So important. Let's pray. Father, thank you for this day. Thank you.

That we can remember A table that's filled with questions. That we can remember one of the most impossible crazy stories of a man who can now see. Father, we're looking forward to hearing his side of the story even more. That was blind. He could see.

And he gave up everything. But, Father, we celebrate you today that when we give up everything. You found us. You don't leave us alone. That whatever Cost, we have to play pay to surrender to you, Father, you will always give back as you promise over and over again, you give us more than we can ask or imagine.

So would you give us the courage to face our blindness, to accept your sight and know that you'll be with us through Jesus? We all say amen before we sing. One of the greatest pieces of artwork I have is in my office. And if you don't know what it is, you don't really know what it is. It's kind of crazy, but years ago, another blind girl, if you will, walked in.

She's not blind, spiritually blind. And she sat in the back of the youth group, and she was just like. She just didn't have a place. She was very awkward. She felt very awkward.

But the weird part is, our youth group got to know her and got to know her name, and she didn't know how to handle it. She kept coming back, and she would grab and complain about it. She'd walk in like he all you people. But then she started loosening up. She started smiling, and she wrote.

Wrote an incredible note on the back of an original arc piece. And she said, when I got here, I didn't think anybody saw me. And I felt so lost, and I felt so alone. But you people are crazy, and you just kept coming and coming and coming and coming. And she said, this is the first time I felt in a long time that people see me, and I feel accepted.

And she did become part of our community, still connected. But the very end, she said, Ps, this is the first time I hadn't cut myself in months.

Because there's something when you're blind and then you see and then you are found by Jesus in a community that finds you and says, we were there and we understand and you have value to us. That changes everything. And the God in the impossible is seen over and over and over again through our communities. And the church of God said amen.