Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. You can say That I've seen the light shining in the darkness, and this light, the light of Jesus Christ, has totally transformed my life.
So, Jesus says, Let your light shine among men so that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. We do that this week. Welcome to the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. Most people would say it's best to live in the light. to pursue a godly life and make good choices.
So why is it so hard to quit habits and lifestyles we know to be destructive and wrong? What does it take to reject the darkness and choose the light? That's the topic we're exploring today in our lesson titled, Seeing the Light.
So let's join Pastor Jean Monroe. Today, we continue the series on encountering Jesus in John's Gospel. We meet a blind man who's been blind from birth. For those of us with sight, it is unimaginable to think of living in a world of darkness. Never see anyone or anything.
But we will discover that even those who can see physically Are often in spiritual darkness. Jesus comes as the light of the world. and he performs a miracle in the life of this blind man. He's going to teach all of us about the importance of being spiritually in the light. Do you prefer the secrets and darkness of your own heart and life?
Rather than coming to encounter Jesus, who is the light? Are you ready to encounter Jesus? Listen then. In our study of John's Gospel, we've been learning. That people who have a personal encounter with Jesus are transformed.
That is, they are never the same again. Jesus never. never leaves us where we are. In John 9, a man blind from birth. receive sight when he encounters Jesus.
He goes from blindness to seeing. He goes from darkness to light. He goes from unbelief. to believe. You say, well, that was 2,000 years ago.
How wonderful that a blind man received sight, but what does that have to do with me? It has everything to do with you. In John chapter 8, verse 12, Jesus, in that tremendous statement, said this: I am the light of the world. He who follows me Shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light. of life.
And that living word of God comes to you and comes to me today, that whoever you are. If you follow Jesus Christ. You will never walk in the darkness. But you will always have the light. of life.
Do you want to live in that light?
Well, all of us I would say that we prefer light to darkness. Strangely, we often choose to live in spiritual darkness. A desert nomad was hungry in the middle of the night, so he lit a candle. And he began eating dates from a bowl just by the side of his bed. He took a date and bit into it and To his disgust.
There was a big worm.
So he threw the date and the worm out of the tent. He reached and took another date and Bid into it. And there again Was a big, fat, juicy worm, so he threw it out of the tent. He did this the third time. throwing a third day with the worm out of the tent.
Reasoning that he wouldn't have any dates left to eat if he continued like this, he blew out the candle and quickly ate the rest of the dates in the dark. Rather than face the reality that he was eating worms. He chose The dark. Have you ever found yourself eating worms in the dark? Of course, you have.
doing things secretly that you know are wrong. Things in fact which may disgust you, but you keep doing them. It is to such people. that this passage comes to us in John chapter nine. I want to tell you of a light shining in the darkness.
That light The light of the world is Jesus. And I want to tell you about him, but first of all, I want you to consider in a little more detail. the darkness. If you have your Bible there, please turn with me to the fourth Gospel, John chapter nine. I want first of all to read with you the first two verses.
John chapter nine as we are going through this Gospel.
Next Sunday, Lord willing, we'll look at John chapter 10. John 9, then verse 1. And as he that is our Lord passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned? This man or his parents that he should be born blind.
Here is a man born blind. One thing to lose one's eyesight towards the end of one's life, that's difficult enough, but quite another thing never to have seen at all, never to have seen your parents, your brothers, your sisters, a blue sky, green grass. A beautiful sunset, a storm at sea. The colours of a rainbow. Never having seen any of these things.
This man had lived in total darkness all of his life, stumbling through life. Depending on others to guide him, depending on others to provide for him. We're told in verse 8 that he was reduced to being. A beggar. A man Living.
in the darkness. The point of the passage is, of course. that like this blind man, all of us Apart from the grace of God, live in the darkness. That is, we are blind to spiritual realities. We're blind to the truth, blind to worms in the dark that we keep on eating.
Blind. To the true Light. In fact, we often get so used to living in the dark that we think it is normal. like moles living all of their lives in the dark. In fact, if they come up to the light, they just go deeper down away from the light.
They prefer to live all of their life in the darkness. That is normal to them. And so many of us live all of our lives in spiritual darkness. Do you ever wonder why there's so much sadness and tears and failure and violence and wars? and arguments and grief and sorrow in our world?
Here is the answer. Don't point to the politicians. The answer is spiritual. blindness. The God of this world, says the Bible, has blinded the minds of the unbelieving.
We stumble around in the darkness, falling and injuring ourselves, hurting ourselves and hurting other people around us, because all of the time we are living in the dark. We spend our time looking down at the dirt rather than looking up to Christ the light. of the world. But this man at least knew He was blind. Do you accept?
that you are spiritually Blind? You say, Well, how would I know? How do you respond to the light? Faced with the light, some people close their eyes to it. They prefer to keep eating worms in the dark.
God shines his truth on them, but they turn from it. They may bring up intellectual arguments, but the real problem is they prefer the dark. They prefer to live in moral darkness rather than come to the light. Light causes some eyes to see, but it blinds other eyes. The great preacher Chrysostom spoke of, quote, men with sore eyes who find the light painful.
while the darkness which permits them to see nothing It's restful. and agreeable. How insightful. Look at the end of the chapter. John nine Verse 38:9: As Jesus is in dialogue with the Pharisees, we got something of their attitude.
They don't care anything about this man, they are legalists, they're just concerned that it happened on the Sabbath. And Jesus is going to tell them that there is none so blind. As those who will not see. Verse thirty-nine, Jesus said, For judgment I came into the world, that those who do not see may see.
Now, he's not talking about physical blindness, now he's talking about spiritual blindness. That those who do not see may see. And that those who see may become blind. Those of the Pharisees who were with them. heard these things and said to him, We're not blind too, are we?
Jesus said to them, If you were blind, You would have no sin, but since you say, We see, your sin remains. These men were so much in spiritual blindness that they couldn't even acknowledge. that they were blind. They thought they saw perfectly. But Jesus is saying no.
And as long as you stay in that condition, There is. No hope. You tired of living in the dark? Tired of eating worms. In the dark?
Let me tell you. of the light. The background here of Jesus' claim to be the light of the world. Is the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. At this feast, we're told huge, enormous candelabras were put in the women's court of the temple, the temple which was high up on Mount Zion.
And every courtyard in Jerusalem, every house in Jerusalem, we're told, reflected these brilliant lights. They knew of these lights. Jesus comes. not just to be a light to Jerusalem. Not just to be a light to the Jewish nation, but to all of the world.
I am the light, he says, of the world. At the healing of this man blind from birth, Is an illustration of the power of Jesus Christ to heal all of us. Not just those in Jerusalem. not just people from Israel, but Not just people from a particular country, but Jesus has the power to heal all of us who are in the blackness of darkness.
Now As you watch that healing. If you're like me, you're marveled how could it have been for this man, blind from birth, to see again? That was power. The power of Almighty God to give sight to a man blind from birth. But you know that God's power It's just as strong.
and that God can work miraculously in your life You may be in the blackness of darkness. Your life, you may think, is in total ruin. You've made so many mistakes, the power of God comes to you. But remember this. Just as this blind man couldn't cure himself, Or be cured by anyone.
Your only hope of coming out of your darkness is to encounter Jesus, who is the light of the world. In Jesus, Heaven's glorious lights. has come to earth. Listen to Jesus, John 12, verse 46. I have come.
As light into the world. That everyone, notice everyone. That everyone who believes in me may not remain in darkness. Why had Jesus come, the light of God, into this dark world? He comes so that we will not remain in darkness.
We're born in darkness. We live in darkness. But Jesus comes to deliver us from darkness, to dispel the darkness of our life. And He says, This is why I've come. that everyone Who believes in me may not remain in darkness.
Jesus is a light. Shining. in the darkness and how our world today And I mean all of our world needs this light. This light which can dispel the darkness. of the world.
Now read with me in John nine verse five. You say, well, how did this come about? Jesus uses unusual means, doesn't he? to bring light to this man verse 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world, says Jesus. When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and applied the clay to his eyes, and said to him, Go wash.
In the pool of Siloam, which is translated scent. And so he went away and washed and came back seeing. The neighbours therefore and those who previously saw him as a beggar were saying Is not this the one who used to sit and beg? Others were saying, This is He. Still others were saying, No, but He's like Him.
He kept saying, I'm the one. Therefore they were saying to him, How then were your eyes opened? 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 And they said to him, Where is he? He said, I do not. No. What did Jesus use to cure this man of his blindness?
Clay? And spit. Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? Doesn't sound very spiritual either, does it? Putting clay over this man's eyes.
On the face of it, made it even less likely for the man to see. The man is blind. Why would you put moist clay on his eyes? But is Jesus using clay and spit? To heal a blind man, all that strange?
What do you think? Isn't this the way that God works? He takes ordinary things, clay and spit. to produce The extraordinary. He takes the natural to produce the supernatural.
As we saw a few weeks ago, he uses a boy's lunch, his sack lunch, five loaves and two fish, to feed thousands. Just a little ordinary boy with a very ordinary little lunch used by God. On Thursday, Goody and I attended the dedication of the Billy Graham Library. I thought I'd have to say that. And uh it was a great a great event.
I read a notice about it, I think it was in Decision magazine, a silhouette of Billy Graham with these words.
Sometimes God uses an ordinary life in extraordinary ways. Do you know anything about Billy Graham? He's the first to say, I am a very ordinary person. An ordinary life Yes. But in the hands of the Master being used in an extraordinary way.
That's God's way. That's what God does. Ordinary people Ordinary things In the Master's hand, used to accomplish extraordinary things. Isn't that exciting to know? I mean, why would you live in the dark?
Why would you stumble in your life and try to think you can live your own life? Oh, I know the darkness sometimes is very alluring and sometimes seems very attractive, but why would you do that? When there is a supernatural Christ Who says, if you come to me, I can dispel the darkness, and however ordinary you are. And whoever you are, in my hands, I can use you in extraordinary, unbelievable ways. Who would have thought that a farm boy from Charlotte would be one of the greatest evangelists in the history of the world, bringing the gospel literally round the globe many times?
But reading our Bibles, we say, well, that's exactly what God does. That's what God did in the Old Testament. That's what God did in the New Testament. Why are we so surprised? That God uses the weak things to confound the mighty, and here to bring supernatural sight to this man, He uses.
Play. And spread. What does God use to open blind eyes? Clay and spit. What did God use to open my blind eyes?
an ordinary soccer ball. When I was twelve years old, I went to a Christian youth camp to play soccer. But there I heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. Oh, I'd heard it before, but I'd never heard it like this. It penetrated my blindness.
And there, my blind eyes were opened. Clay and spit in the form of a soccer ball being used in the process of bringing a very ordinary boy of twelve. to saving faith in Jesus Christ. That's how God works. That gives us hope.
That gives us great confidence. As we come To the light. What am I saying today? A very simple message But a very personal v message for each one of us. Follow Jesus.
and live an extraordinary life in the light. You have a choice. You can stay in your darkness. Trying to get fulfilment and joy. You can try, as it were, cultural Christianity and try to go between the light and the darkness, but Jesus will have none of it.
I'm saying to you. Follow Jesus with all of your heart. and live an extraordinary life, yes, a supernatural life. in the light of God.
Now let's think of three personal responses to the light. as we think of this. As we are challenged this morning, as I would challenge you, as I've challenged myself this week, to follow Jesus and live. an extraordinary life in the light. First, You must experience the Yeah.
How does the Bible begin? Genesis 1, verse 1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Verse 3: God said, It's the first thing God said. Let there be Lights Because there was darkness and there was light.
John says in his first epistle that God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. The salmon is um In Psalm 27, David, who knew about battle, who knew about fear, who knew about people trying to kill him, says, The Lord is my light. and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? When I've got this one on my side, the God who is my light, the God who is my salvation, I don't fear anyone.
Oh, of course, God is light. The Bible says He dwells in unapproachable light. But now in Jesus, this light of heaven. This heavenly light comes to our world and shines in the darkness. And as it comes, it reveals how we really are: rebellious, selfish, self-centered, proud people.
And as we're exposed to the light, It makes us feel uncomfortable, doesn't it? See, this light has no shifting shadows. This light never compromises. This light never flatters. This light always tells you exactly how you are.
It is a true Brilliant light. Last November Goody and I flew to The United Kingdom, where we're going to attend my nephew's wedding. And as we were getting ready to fly into Edinburgh, Scotland. I thought I would go to the restroom. Go into that little toilet in the plane.
And as you close the door, the light goes on. and I took a look in the mirror. Hadn't slept all that much, been up for quite a number of hours, hadn't shaved, filled in the mirror and said. Don't look too bad, Monroe. You know?
Who's that handsome dude looking at me? But then we arrived in Edinburgh. Short time we were in my mother's home. Go up to the restroom. Look in the mirror.
What a shock. Who is this old guy? I mean, he looks as if he hadn't slept for a month. God all that stubble. He looks absolutely terrible.
Well that happened. Had I aged? And this Short distance from Edinburgh airport to where my mother lives, no. I was exposed to a different light. I like these lights in the aeroplanes, don't you?
These soft lights. You really can't see how you really are. But in the bright light, in a true light. You then say, oh no. That is exactly how you are, Monroe.
That's God's light, isn't it? God's light is always truthful and never flatters. There is no shadow with it, the Bible says, from the Father of lights. You say, How can I personally experience This light, you say, is it possible for me to have a miracle in my life like this blind man? Yes, it is possible.
I'll tell you how it works. There is no question. Whether Jesus could give sight to that blind man, of course you could, Jesus was the Messiah. He was God Almighty. Of course, he could cure the man, no problem.
The question was whether the man would obey Jesus. Verse seven, go wash in the pool of Siloam. Jesus could have gathered a crowd and with one word A lightning could have struck that man and he had received his sight in a moment very spectacularly. Jesus didn't do that. No, he used clay and spit.
If he had argued with Jesus about the healing properties of clay and spit, there would have been no miracle in his life. As one of the old Puritans said, he obeyed Christ blindly. This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe, and today's message is titled Seeing the Light. We'll continue tomorrow, but remember you can always find these daily messages available on our website at the verdict.org. Living in the light of Christ transforms everything.
But what about those moments when the darkness feels overwhelming? When old habits pull at you, when circumstances close in, when you wonder if you can really trust God to see you through. John addresses these very struggles in his powerful booklet, Trusting God in Tough Times. This practical guide offers biblical truth and real encouragement for those times when being faithful is hard. Discover how God's promises hold firm even when life doesn't.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? Don't you love the fact that this man obeyed Jesus? I quoted the old Puritan who said of the blind man, he obeyed Christ blindly. This is the obedience of faith. This is stepping out from our darkness into God's marvelous light.
Today, encounter Jesus. and be forever changed. Join me next time as we conclude the story of the blind man. Once I was blind. But now I see.
Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
