I Heard His Voice

By Pastor Greg

Have you ever looked at the warning labels on some products?  I mean, you read them and wonder what prompted the manufacturer to print them in the first place.  On a box for a nighttime sleeping pill, the label warns, “May cause drowsiness” (that’s what I had hoped).  I saw a label on a carton of eggs that said, “This product may contain eggs” (again, that’s what I had hoped).  On the bottom of a kid’s scooter, a label warns, “This product moves when used” (What do you call a scooter that doesn’t move, an “er”).  Someone discovered that the label on an American clothing company, which has instructions printed in English and in French, includes something a little extra in the French part.  Translating, the label says, “We are sorry that our president is an idiot.  We did not vote for him”.

Why does the obvious need printed?  Why do we warn customers that their coffee is hot?  I mean, don’t you want your coffee to be hot?  Isn’t it obvious?  I suppose some people can’t understand what is obvious to the rest of us.  Do I really need a warning sign that tells me to remove the baby before I fold the stroller?  Well, apparently some people do.  Anyway, this is kind of like the problem a group of religious leaders had when Jesus told them the truth.  A man born blind understood the truth when he heard it, but the Pharisees remained clueless.  Remember what John said at the beginning of his Gospel?  “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it”^[1] (John 1:5).  Yeah, I’d say these Pharisees could not comprehend what Jesus was saying. 

In John chapter nine a man born blind recognizes Jesus as the promised Messiah and worshiped Him.  Noticing a group of Pharisees standing nearby, Jesus says, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind”^[2] (John 9:39).  Of course, true to their nature, they say, “Are you talking to me?”  They just didn’t get it.  So in response, Jesus gives His “Good Shepherd” speech.  He teaches the difference between those who hear the Truth and those who don’t.

¹ “I can guarantee this truth: The person who doesn’t enter the sheep pen through the gate but climbs in somewhere else is a thief or a robber. ² But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep respond to his voice. He calls his sheep by name and leads them out of the pen. ⁴ After he has brought out all his sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. ⁵ They won’t follow a stranger. Instead, they will run away from a stranger because they don’t recognize his voice.” ⁶ Jesus used this illustration as he talked to the people, but they didn’t understand what he meant.

Seriously, these people didn’t get this (verse 6).  Jesus even used a simple, everyday illustration, but they still didn’t understand.  In Israel, shepherds would build a large pen near the pasture.  At night, many different flocks were placed in this pen to keep them safe.  In the morning, a shepherd would return and, recognized by the gatekeeper, be allowed to enter.  That way the sheep would not be stolen.  Since sheep learn to recognize the shepherd’s voice, it’s a simple matter of saying the right words in the right way.  It’s kind of like calling your dog in a familiar way with a familiar tone.  When you say, “Come here Rusty”, your dog comes running.  However, if I say it, he just stands there.  In the same way, the sheep follow their shepherd out of the pen.  Surely, these Pharisees knew this, but John said they didn’t make the connection.

The simple truth is this: Jesus came to Israel speaking the words of God.  In the Old Testament, God said the world would recognize the Messiah by the things He would say and the things He would do.  From what we read, the words and deeds of Jesus did not contradict what God had promised in the Old Testament.  Jesus did not undermine Jewish custom or tradition.  He upheld Jewish Law.  He simply pointed out that the age of the Law was ending.  He had come to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17) – to end the sacrificial system because He would lay down His life for the sheep (John 10:15).  This all seems pretty simple.  Some people understood what Jesus was saying while others did not.  What does that tell you?  It means those who did not recognize His voice belonged to a different flock.  They had a different master.

In this illustration, Jesus indicates that both the blind man and the Pharisees were in danger.  Look ahead to verse twelve.  ¹² A hired hand isn’t a shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep. When he sees a wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and quickly runs away. So the wolf drags the sheep away and scatters the flock. ¹³ The hired hand is concerned about what he’s going to get paid and not about the sheep.  Those who belong to any other flock – those who have any other shepherd beside Jesus – are in peril.  In other words, those who seek Heaven through any other means are in for a big surprise.  They have no one to protect them from the big, bad, wolf.  They have no shepherd willing to lay down their life (So I give my life for my sheep – verse 15).  The beggar accepted Jesus’ help.  Some of the Pharisees insisted they did not need any help.  I don’t know why for sure, but maybe they didn’t believe in the wolf.  Maybe they didn’t like the idea of someone being their shepherd.  Maybe they liked being in control of their life.  Maybe their hearts were two sizes too small.  But for whatever the reason, they refused to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, which means they listened to the voice of someone (or something) else.

So … how does one learn to hear the Shepherds voice?  How do you and I learn to follow the Truth Jesus is teaching?  The answer can be seen when we compare this former blind man with this group of Pharisees.  What was the initial reaction of the former blind man?  His mind was open to the possibility.  In contrast, the Pharisees had closed theirs.  They refused to accept the facts.  They denied every trace of evidence that pointed to the Lordship of Jesus.  Look how these Jewish religious leaders responded to Jesus.  ¹⁹ The Jews were divided because of what Jesus said. ²⁰ Many of them said, “He’s possessed by a demon! He’s crazy! Why do you listen to him?” ²¹ Others said, “No one talks like this if he’s possessed by a demon. Can a demon give sight to the blind?”^[3]  Notice their comments; “He’s demon possessed, He’s crazy”.  They didn’t want to believe.  However, this former blind beggar opens his mind and heart to Jesus.  When Lord asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ³⁶ The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” ³⁷ “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” ³⁸ “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus^[4] (John 9:35-38).  Did you notice what he said here?  “I want to believe”.

This is the whole key to hearing the Shepherds voice.  It begins with opening your mind to the possibility that Jesus really is the Messiah; Jesus really is the Son of God, sent to give forgive our sins and grant us everlasting life.  We must face the reality that our lives are in danger.  We face a peril far greater than anything we have seen in recent days.  To die in this life is nothing compared to dying in the next (Matthew 10:28).  Only Jesus can save us.  God sent only One to be our Savior.  He is the Good Shepherd.  He is, “the gate. Those who enter the sheep pen through me will be saved. They will go in and out of the sheep pen and find food. ¹⁰ A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need” (John 10:9-10).

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^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Jn 1:5). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 9:39). Carol Stream, IL:

^[3] GOD'S WORD Translation. 1995 (Jn 10:1–21). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

^[4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 9:35–38). Carol Stream, IL.

Without a Clue - July 17, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

Tiger Woods was invited to attend a Blind Golfers convention.  When he asked them how they were able to play and know what direction to hit the ball, they explained that their caddy would stand down the fairway with a bell, and the golfer would hit the ball in the direction of the sound.  Incredulous, Tiger asked how well it worked.  One blind golfer was so confident that he bet Tiger Woods $10,000 that he could beat him in a round of golf.  “Okay,” replied Tiger, “What time do we tee off?”  “10:30 tonight,” replied the blind man.

I’ll give you a moment to make the connection here.

We have a tendency to judge a person’s usefulness based upon what is on the outside.  We look at credentials and accomplishments long before we look at a person’s heart.  Take, for instance, the man mentioned in John 9.  He was blind, not deaf.  So as people commented about his blindness and his sin, this man heard every word.  I wonder how often he had heard these things?  How often did he overhear his parents talking about how useless he would be?  When did he start to believe this?  That is why I believe Jesus did much more than restore his sight. Actually, this beggar demonstrated an ability to perceive things far greater than those around him.  He had a far deeper understanding of spiritual things than most of the people who walked past him.

(John 9:8-13) ⁸ Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?”  ⁹ Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the one.”  ¹⁰ So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?”  ¹¹ He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.”  ¹² They said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”  ¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind.  ¹⁴ Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.  ¹⁵ Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”  ¹⁶ Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was a division among them.  ¹⁷ So they said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.”  ¹⁸ The Jews then did not believe it of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, ¹⁹ and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” ²⁰ His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹ but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. ²³ For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” ²⁴ So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner.” ²⁵ He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” ²⁶ So they said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” ²⁷ He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?” ²⁸ They reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹ We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.” ³⁰ The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. ³² Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” ³⁴ They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out.^[1]

I’ll be honest, part of me wants to feel sorry for this man.  It seems like he is the only one who can actually see.  Most of the people coming and going that day were more blind than he ever was.  I mean, look at what some of his neighbors say.  “This isn’t the same man.  It just looks like him”.  Seriously?  I mean we’re not talking about confusing Mark Wahlberg with Matt Damon here.  This man only walked to the other side of town and washed his face (although, I have seen some boys who do look drastically different after a bath).  The only possibility is that his blindness caused some facial disfiguration.  But even that argument is full of holes.  He stood there and repeatedly said, “I am the one” (verse 9).  The facts were there.  A man born blind was healed by Jesus.  Logic would say that there must be something special about this Jesus fellow.  Yet many refused to believe.  They stood there with their eyes tightly closed.  This man, however, makes the connection.  Speaking in defense of Jesus, he observes, “If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” 

That’s a rather astute observation coming from a beggar – a man who didn’t seem to have any ability, who supposedly could not contribute to society in any way.  Funny, they call him the sinner, yet the “sinner” is able to connect Isaiah 29:18 with Jesus (“On that day the deaf will hear words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see” ^[2]).  It makes you wonder who is the more blind; the person born that way or the person who refuses to open their eyes.

By the way, did you happen to notice where Jesus was during all of this?  He must have slipped away because even this formerly blind man did not know where He was (verse 12).  Doesn’t that seem a bit odd to you, to make this poor handicapped man face this mob on his own?  It would, I suppose, if this person were actually disabled.  I think Jesus knew this man’s heart and used this healing as an opportunity to restore some dignity.   Thrust before the Pharisees, this man soon learned just how capable he truly was.

I think Jesus does this to us from time to time.  Every now and then, Jesus thrusts us into a situation that is WAY out of our comfort zone.  We feel incapable, and yet before long we begin to realize that we are not all that handicapped after all.  Although others have been saying that we will never amount to anything, the Lord doesn’t see things that way.  He knows our heart.  He knows us better than we know ourselves.  He knows we can do great things for the Kingdom.  He is just looking for an opportunity to open our eyes so we can see this as well.

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^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Jn 9:14–34). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[2] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Is 29:18). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Without Blame - July 10, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

I’ve noticed that people will sometimes ask mighty strange questions from time to time.  Take, for instance, some of the questions asked by attorneys in court.  According to transcripts by court recorders, lawyers have asked, “Was that the same nose you broke as a child?” or, “Was it you or your brother that was killed in the war?”  Interrogating a woman, a lawyer asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you believe you are emotionally stable?  Answer: I used to be.  Q: How many times have you committed suicide?”  This one, however, is my favorite.  “Q: Do you recall approximately the time that you examined the body of Mr. Edington at the Rose Chapel?  A: It was in the evening. The autopsy started about 8:30 p.m.  Q: And Mr. Edington was dead at the time, is that correct?  A: yes. Q: How do you know?  A: Because his brain was in a jar on my desk.  Q: But is it possible that Mr. Edington was still alive?  A: Yes, I suppose it is possible that he was alive and practicing law somewhere.

Of course, lawyers are not the only ones to ask rather strange questions.  Even politicians say things that don’t always make sense.  Christians do as well.  For example, if you read John nine, you will see a number of characters in this story - Jesus, the blind man, and the disciples - however, let’s look at this event through the eyes of the disciples.  See if you can find the “odd question” they ask.

(John 9:1-7) As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. ² “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” ³ “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. ⁴ We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. ⁵ But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. ⁷ He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! ^[1]

Did you see the illogical question?  They wondered whose sin caused this man’s tragedy.  They wondered if God was punishing the parents or, as crazy as it sounds, whether the boy had sinned in the womb.  After all, he was born blind, meaning it was necessary for him to have sinned while still an unborn child.  To sin before being born sounds crazy to you and me, but the Jewish culture actually felt this was plausible.  Since blindness was viewed as a form of God’s punishment, then someone must have sinned.  Sure, a person who sins is often forced to deal with the consequences.  However, in this case, logic tells us that the boy’s blindness must have come from his parent’s sin – God punishing the child, not the parent.  I mean, how is it possible for an unborn child to sin against God or sin against another human.  That’s why the only logical conclusion is to blame the parents.  Yet even this conclusion is incorrect because of what God had spoken through Ezekiel.  In Ezekiel 18:4 the Lord says, “The person who sins is the one who will die.”  If mom or dad sinned, they would be held accountable, not the boy.  Anyway, the disciples saw an opportunity to learn something, and just wanted to know who was to blame.

That’s an odd question if you ask me.  These believers look at someone who is suffering and ask “why” rather than asking “what can be done about his suffering.”  That would have been a better question.  I mean, even though the theology of the disciples is messed up, at least they could have asked, “Since this man is blind, and since blindness is God’s punishment for sin (that’s the messed up theology), and since there is no cure for his blindness, how will this man ever be restored back to God”.  That would have been a better question.  Then Jesus could have answered, “This is why I came – to remove the effects of sin”.

I think it’s odd that everyone wanted to know why instead of asking Jesus what could be done.  I mean, this man was reminded of sin every day.  With no cure for his blindness, he had to believe there was no cure for the sin that separated him from God.  I think this is why Jesus tells the crowd that the power of God might be seen in him (the blind man).  “Watch what God can do,” says Jesus.  While He still has the opportunity, God can remove the effects of sin and draw people to Himself.  Not only did Jesus heal this man physically, but He would also later address the sin that separated this man from God.

That’s the real point in this miracle.  Instead of fussing about “who”, Jesus quickly carried out the task assigned by God.  This man’s blindness represents the sin that has separated humanity from God.  So Jesus does what He was sent to do – to remove the effects of sin.  To set the captives free.  This man’s dilemma runs in the background of everyone’s life.  What cure do we have for the sin that separates us from God?  Since we cannot cure ourselves, God sends Jesus to overcome the results of Adam’s disobedience (which is sin and death – Romans 5:12).  Jesus demonstrated through this man the “Works God would accomplish through the Son”.  The Son would remove the effects of sin.  The Son would eliminate the penalty of sin.  God sent Jesus to remove the sin that “blinds us” so nothing might separate us from God.

I think the Church needs to learn a lesson from this story.  You see, we Christians today are the disciples of yesterday.  We are the ones walking with Jesus through the streets and the backroads.  We are the people who see the blind and the lame in this world.  We see their suffering.  We see the effects of sin in their life.  We recognize their separation from God.  However, just like the disciples, we should spend less time trying to figure out “why” and more time looking for ways to alleviate the suffering and sadness in those living around us.  Instead of blaming a person’s pain on the anger of God, and trying to figure out who to blame, maybe we should be looking for ways to work in their lives while there is still time.  We need to be more concerned about who we can help rather than why they need our help in the first place. 

As Christians, you and I have a tremendous opportunity to represent Jesus to those still living in darkness.  We have a chance to show this world just how much God loves them.  We can address their physical needs and their spiritual needs.  However, to accomplish these things, we need to concentrate more on how we can help and less on who is to blame.

That’s the real lesson Jesus teaches here. 

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 9:1–7). Carol Stream, IL.