1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,333 2 00:00:04,375 --> 00:00:14,375 [music] 3 00:00:31,542 --> 00:00:33,500 The music is very big. 4 00:00:33,583 --> 00:00:38,417 I feel like I should be taller when I walk out to that music. 5 00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:42,625 I feel like a very large man should come out. 6 00:00:42,667 --> 00:00:44,625 We are in Luke's Gospel. 7 00:00:44,667 --> 00:00:46,125 We've been in it for awhile. 8 00:00:46,167 --> 00:00:49,000 This is, I think, the 77th week. 9 00:00:49,083 --> 00:00:53,000 And we find ourselves in Luke 18:35-43 10 00:00:53,042 --> 00:00:55,417 where Jesus gives sight to the blind. 11 00:00:55,500 --> 00:00:58,792 So I promise you, nothing too bizarre is going to happen. 12 00:00:58,833 --> 00:01:01,000 Trust me on this, just go with it. 13 00:01:01,083 --> 00:01:03,833 Okay, for a minute, just close your eyes. 14 00:01:03,875 --> 00:01:07,167 And I'm gonna close my eyes so I don't know if you're obeying. 15 00:01:07,250 --> 00:01:09,000 But in faith, I believe you all. 16 00:01:09,083 --> 00:01:10,417 So close your eyes. 17 00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:13,417 Now imagine this, imagine, let's say tomorrow morning, 18 00:01:13,500 --> 00:01:18,583 you wake up, you open your eyes, you're blind. 19 00:01:18,667 --> 00:01:20,833 You can't see anything. 20 00:01:20,875 --> 00:01:24,625 It's utter, total darkness. 21 00:01:24,667 --> 00:01:28,583 You think maybe you're still dreaming. 22 00:01:28,667 --> 00:01:33,000 You realize you're awake. 23 00:01:33,042 --> 00:01:37,125 The first inclination is, "Obviously this is temporary, 24 00:01:37,167 --> 00:01:39,625 "something's going on, but I'll be fine. 25 00:01:39,667 --> 00:01:42,125 I'll just lay here a minute." 26 00:01:42,167 --> 00:01:44,000 You wait, you don't know how long. 27 00:01:44,042 --> 00:01:46,417 It feels forever, but it's a short while. 28 00:01:46,500 --> 00:01:48,208 You're blind. 29 00:01:48,292 --> 00:01:50,708 You can't see anything. 30 00:01:50,792 --> 00:01:55,000 It's complete darkness. 31 00:01:55,042 --> 00:01:59,000 Eventually you start to get a bit panicked. 32 00:01:59,083 --> 00:02:02,292 You make your way out of bed, you're stumbling around, 33 00:02:02,333 --> 00:02:05,000 you're trying to figure out where things are 34 00:02:05,042 --> 00:02:08,333 and you're completely disoriented. 35 00:02:08,375 --> 00:02:09,875 "What do I do?" 36 00:02:09,958 --> 00:02:12,917 That's what you're thinking. 37 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:17,500 This goes on for days, weeks, months, years. 38 00:02:17,583 --> 00:02:20,500 Your whole life changes. 39 00:02:20,542 --> 00:02:22,208 You lose all your money. 40 00:02:22,292 --> 00:02:23,792 You can't go to work. 41 00:02:23,833 --> 00:02:25,708 You're absolutely broke. 42 00:02:25,792 --> 00:02:29,625 You lose the place of residence that you were enjoying. 43 00:02:29,667 --> 00:02:34,917 And your whole life is forever changed--for the worse. 44 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,833 You can open your eyes. 45 00:02:37,875 --> 00:02:39,417 Imagine that. 46 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:44,792 See, it's amazing how there is so many evidences of God's grace 47 00:02:44,833 --> 00:02:48,083 in our life that we just take for granted. 48 00:02:48,167 --> 00:02:52,208 Like tomorrow we're going to wake up, open our eyes, and see. 49 00:02:52,292 --> 00:02:57,125 Imagine that goes away and how absolutely everything 50 00:02:57,167 --> 00:03:01,708 in your whole life is forever changed. 51 00:03:01,792 --> 00:03:06,500 I want you to be in that place emotionally because as we look 52 00:03:06,583 --> 00:03:11,000 today at Luke 18, we're going to see an interaction between Jesus 53 00:03:11,083 --> 00:03:13,417 and a man who is blind. 54 00:03:13,500 --> 00:03:17,000 And as a result of his blindness, he's unemployed, 55 00:03:17,083 --> 00:03:23,417 he's homeless, he's destitute poor, he is a beggar. 56 00:03:23,500 --> 00:03:27,625 He is begging for his own survival. 57 00:03:27,667 --> 00:03:29,625 And so if you could see this man, 58 00:03:29,667 --> 00:03:33,833 he's not well-groomed because he's poor and blind. 59 00:03:33,875 --> 00:03:36,583 He has long, scraggly hair, an unkempt beard. 60 00:03:36,667 --> 00:03:40,333 His scent is off-putting. 61 00:03:40,375 --> 00:03:42,667 He has a threadbare cloak. 62 00:03:42,750 --> 00:03:45,875 He's dirty. 63 00:03:45,958 --> 00:03:51,917 There's nothing attractive or impressive about this man. 64 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,333 And he has something to say about Jesus. 65 00:03:54,375 --> 00:03:57,125 In fact, he says that Jesus is the Son of David. 66 00:03:57,167 --> 00:04:01,833 So let's jump right into this story, Luke 18:35-39. 67 00:04:01,875 --> 00:04:05,292 Speaking of Jesus, it says, "As he drew near to Jericho, 68 00:04:05,333 --> 00:04:08,917 "a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 69 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,708 "And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 70 00:04:11,792 --> 00:04:15,292 "They told him, 'Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.' 71 00:04:15,333 --> 00:04:20,792 "And he cried out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' 72 00:04:20,833 --> 00:04:23,000 "And those who were in front rebuked him, 73 00:04:23,083 --> 00:04:25,000 "telling him to be silent. 74 00:04:25,083 --> 00:04:26,875 "But he cried out all the more, 75 00:04:26,958 --> 00:04:31,708 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'" 76 00:04:31,792 --> 00:04:33,125 There's a lot here. 77 00:04:33,167 --> 00:04:34,792 Let me unpack the story. 78 00:04:34,833 --> 00:04:39,833 Jesus has been ministering in a rural area called Galilee. 79 00:04:39,875 --> 00:04:45,667 It's predominately small towns, fishing, farming, rural people. 80 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,833 He is here making his journey to the great city of Jerusalem. 81 00:04:51,875 --> 00:04:56,667 And this would be his final journey to Jerusalem. 82 00:04:56,750 --> 00:04:59,833 And it is during the season of Passover— 83 00:04:59,875 --> 00:05:01,917 and I'll explain that in a moment— 84 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,417 but it was a very celebratory time, 85 00:05:05,500 --> 00:05:10,417 it was an annual feast where God's people would travel 86 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:14,375 usually by foot to the great city of Jerusalem, 87 00:05:14,458 --> 00:05:17,417 the city on a hill, the city built out of rock, 88 00:05:17,500 --> 00:05:20,125 where the temple was and the Holy of holies was, 89 00:05:20,167 --> 00:05:24,333 and the presence of God was and where the priests were and 90 00:05:24,375 --> 00:05:29,500 sacrifices for sin were offered and people came to worship God. 91 00:05:29,542 --> 00:05:32,792 So this is a momentous holiday. 92 00:05:32,833 --> 00:05:36,375 So the roads are filled with people. 93 00:05:36,458 --> 00:05:39,083 And along the way there would have been small towns that 94 00:05:39,167 --> 00:05:45,833 would swell, as those who were on pilgrimage to Jerusalem 95 00:05:45,875 --> 00:05:49,208 passed through and they would stop in these small towns to get 96 00:05:49,292 --> 00:05:52,833 supplies, to get food and water and perhaps some lodging 97 00:05:52,875 --> 00:05:54,417 and other necessities. 98 00:05:54,500 --> 00:05:56,208 You think of it like this way. 99 00:05:56,292 --> 00:06:01,875 Think of a big holiday weekend or a busy time of year 100 00:06:01,958 --> 00:06:03,667 where people are out traveling. 101 00:06:03,750 --> 00:06:06,083 Maybe it's summer break or Memorial Day weekend 102 00:06:06,167 --> 00:06:09,792 or Fourth of July or Christmas or Thanksgiving. 103 00:06:09,833 --> 00:06:15,000 What happens then is people end up in small towns. 104 00:06:15,042 --> 00:06:17,417 And those small towns swell. 105 00:06:17,500 --> 00:06:19,708 That's Jericho. 106 00:06:19,792 --> 00:06:24,792 People are stopping there on their way to Jerusalem. 107 00:06:24,833 --> 00:06:28,125 And Jesus is traveling through this town and there is 108 00:06:28,167 --> 00:06:32,208 a large crowd following him because he's quite popular. 109 00:06:32,292 --> 00:06:35,583 And they're going to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. 110 00:06:35,667 --> 00:06:38,417 And let me explain the significance of this. 111 00:06:38,500 --> 00:06:42,208 If you are not familiar with the Bible, or perhaps you know a lot 112 00:06:42,292 --> 00:06:45,625 of Bible stories, but you've not had a lot of good Bible 113 00:06:45,667 --> 00:06:49,000 teaching, you don't know the Bible story. 114 00:06:49,083 --> 00:06:51,375 And this may surprise you-- the 66 books, 115 00:06:51,458 --> 00:06:54,625 which comprise the Bible, they have a lot of stories, 116 00:06:54,667 --> 00:06:59,417 but those are all subplots to one story. 117 00:06:59,500 --> 00:07:04,125 Everything in this book is really about one story. 118 00:07:04,167 --> 00:07:06,167 So all the characters and all the events 119 00:07:06,250 --> 00:07:08,708 and all the activities are all stories 120 00:07:08,792 --> 00:07:12,417 that are underlying plots that contribute to one story: 121 00:07:12,500 --> 00:07:16,375 the story of God becoming a man, Jesus, 122 00:07:16,458 --> 00:07:19,000 living without sin, dying for sin, 123 00:07:19,083 --> 00:07:22,625 rising for sinners as their Savior. 124 00:07:22,667 --> 00:07:24,625 That's the story. 125 00:07:24,667 --> 00:07:27,917 And so this is the season of Passover 126 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,000 and Passover's one of the stories that supports 127 00:07:31,083 --> 00:07:33,208 the big story of the Bible. 128 00:07:33,292 --> 00:07:36,417 And the Passover is all the way back in the second book 129 00:07:36,500 --> 00:07:39,500 of the Bible, the book of Exodus. 130 00:07:39,542 --> 00:07:42,500 And there we find that a family, God's people, 131 00:07:42,583 --> 00:07:46,000 had gone into the nation of Egypt during a famine. 132 00:07:46,083 --> 00:07:48,583 This is at the end of the book of Genesis. 133 00:07:48,667 --> 00:07:51,917 And they were a family of dozens and over the course of some 134 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,333 400 plus years, they became a nation of millions, 135 00:07:55,375 --> 00:07:57,917 the nation of Israel. 136 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,208 And the Pharaohs were originally kind toward them 137 00:08:01,292 --> 00:08:02,625 and then some new Pharaohs, 138 00:08:02,667 --> 00:08:05,708 some new political leaders and rulers ascended into power 139 00:08:05,792 --> 00:08:09,417 and became very cruel, very malicious toward 140 00:08:09,500 --> 00:08:14,958 God's people, enslaved them, mistreated them, abused them. 141 00:08:16,875 --> 00:08:20,625 And so God showed up to redeem, to liberate, 142 00:08:20,667 --> 00:08:26,625 to free his people from bondage, tyranny, and oppression. 143 00:08:26,667 --> 00:08:30,417 This is one of the mega themes of the Bible and if you want to 144 00:08:30,500 --> 00:08:34,208 learn more about the Exodus and how, even here at Mars Hill, 145 00:08:34,292 --> 00:08:38,292 it is a foundational story for all of our biblical counseling. 146 00:08:38,333 --> 00:08:40,917 Pastor Mike Wilkerson has done us the kind service 147 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,167 of writing the book, "Redemption." 148 00:08:43,250 --> 00:08:44,625 You should read it. 149 00:08:44,667 --> 00:08:47,625 If you want to understand the Exodus story and how it teaches 150 00:08:47,667 --> 00:08:51,500 the big story of the Bible and how it undergirds life change. 151 00:08:51,583 --> 00:08:56,333 Nonetheless, the way that the story of the Exodus is told 152 00:08:56,375 --> 00:08:59,958 is that God's people were in slavery to this horrible king, 153 00:09:00,083 --> 00:09:04,833 this Pharaoh, and he was beating and oppressing them 154 00:09:04,875 --> 00:09:07,417 in every conceivable way. 155 00:09:07,500 --> 00:09:12,000 And God then raised up a man named Moses as his prophet, 156 00:09:12,083 --> 00:09:14,625 his mouthpiece, and his spokesman. 157 00:09:14,667 --> 00:09:19,792 And through Moses, God spoke to the Pharaoh and commanded, 158 00:09:19,833 --> 00:09:22,167 "Let my people go. 159 00:09:22,250 --> 00:09:24,875 "These are my people. 160 00:09:24,958 --> 00:09:27,125 "These are not your people. 161 00:09:27,167 --> 00:09:30,375 I am the real God, you are a false god." 162 00:09:30,458 --> 00:09:34,125 And so it is a clash between kings and kingdoms. 163 00:09:34,167 --> 00:09:40,083 And then the Pharaoh was told by God through Moses, 164 00:09:40,167 --> 00:09:41,708 "If you do not obey, 165 00:09:41,792 --> 00:09:45,875 there will be escalating consequences, punishment." 166 00:09:45,958 --> 00:09:49,125 And so there were a series and succession of plagues. 167 00:09:49,167 --> 00:09:53,208 And every time that God extended a hand of grace so that Pharaoh 168 00:09:53,292 --> 00:09:57,333 might repent, Pharaoh hardened his heart. 169 00:09:57,375 --> 00:09:58,708 Pharaoh hardened his heart. 170 00:09:58,792 --> 00:10:03,500 He became more defiant, more difficult, more obstinate. 171 00:10:03,583 --> 00:10:10,208 It culminated with the most tragic consequence of all, 172 00:10:10,292 --> 00:10:13,000 and that was the plague on the firstborn. 173 00:10:13,083 --> 00:10:15,917 And things had escalated and Pharaoh had not relented 174 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,125 or repented or released the people of God. 175 00:10:19,167 --> 00:10:21,333 And so the word was given to him, 176 00:10:21,375 --> 00:10:26,333 "Either you let God's people go, or God will judge the whole 177 00:10:26,375 --> 00:10:31,542 nation, and the firstborn son in every home will die." 178 00:10:33,583 --> 00:10:37,833 So it'd be like me losing buddy Zac, my 11-year-old boy. 179 00:10:37,875 --> 00:10:42,708 I can't even--I can't even emotionally go there. 180 00:10:42,792 --> 00:10:45,125 I can't even consider that. 181 00:10:45,167 --> 00:10:49,000 And God was honest and God was just and God was patient 182 00:10:49,083 --> 00:10:52,125 and God was truthful and God warned them. 183 00:10:52,167 --> 00:10:53,833 And they refused. 184 00:10:53,875 --> 00:10:58,208 And death came in a night to all the homes in Egypt and there was 185 00:10:58,292 --> 00:11:04,500 great wailing and mourning as sons died in massive numbers, 186 00:11:06,083 --> 00:11:10,917 with one exception. God had also made a provision: 187 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:17,083 "Those homes that have faith in me, those homes that trust me, 188 00:11:17,167 --> 00:11:19,208 they can demonstrate their faith--" 189 00:11:19,292 --> 00:11:21,708 because faith is an internal conviction 190 00:11:21,792 --> 00:11:25,125 that results in external action. 191 00:11:25,167 --> 00:11:27,917 Faith is an internal conviction-- 192 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,208 books like Romans emphasize this-- 193 00:11:30,292 --> 00:11:32,833 that results in an external action. 194 00:11:32,875 --> 00:11:36,500 Books like James emphasize it in that way. 195 00:11:36,583 --> 00:11:39,417 And God said, "If you have this internal faith in me, 196 00:11:39,500 --> 00:11:41,917 "I want you to have an external demonstration 197 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,917 "of that faith for me. 198 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:52,250 "Take an animal, a lamb, treat it as a substitute, 199 00:11:53,292 --> 00:11:57,167 "sacrifice it so that it dies 200 00:11:57,250 --> 00:12:01,208 "because the penalty for death is sin. 201 00:12:01,292 --> 00:12:06,667 "Take the blood of that Lamb and paint it over the entryway, 202 00:12:06,750 --> 00:12:09,667 "the doorpost of your home. 203 00:12:09,750 --> 00:12:14,125 "And then when death comes, death will literally pass over 204 00:12:14,167 --> 00:12:20,083 all homes that are covered by the blood of the lamb." 205 00:12:20,167 --> 00:12:24,167 And those families who had faith in God demonstrated it 206 00:12:24,250 --> 00:12:28,083 in that way and their sons were spared. 207 00:12:28,167 --> 00:12:30,875 Ultimately then God did liberate his people 208 00:12:30,958 --> 00:12:32,833 through a series of miracles. 209 00:12:32,875 --> 00:12:36,000 They were redeemed to be free to worship him. 210 00:12:36,083 --> 00:12:40,708 That's a story that's part of the big story. 211 00:12:40,792 --> 00:12:45,333 The big story is that we have a Pharaoh named Satan, 212 00:12:45,375 --> 00:12:49,625 that we are in a slavery called sin, 213 00:12:49,667 --> 00:12:53,500 that we need to be redeemed and delivered. 214 00:12:53,583 --> 00:12:57,167 And Jesus is the substitute. 215 00:12:57,250 --> 00:13:03,417 He is the one who sheds his blood so that we literally 216 00:13:03,500 --> 00:13:07,333 might be covered by the blood of not just the lamb, 217 00:13:07,375 --> 00:13:09,208 but the Lamb of God, 218 00:13:09,292 --> 00:13:12,583 so that the wrath of God and the death for sin 219 00:13:12,667 --> 00:13:15,333 would pass over us. 220 00:13:15,375 --> 00:13:18,792 And Paul says just this to the Corinthians when he says, 221 00:13:18,833 --> 00:13:24,000 Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been slain. 222 00:13:24,042 --> 00:13:26,875 Now this happened many, many years 223 00:13:26,958 --> 00:13:29,000 before the coming of Jesus. 224 00:13:29,042 --> 00:13:31,083 And that was prophetic. 225 00:13:31,167 --> 00:13:32,625 That was preparatory. 226 00:13:32,667 --> 00:13:35,000 That was anticipatory. 227 00:13:35,083 --> 00:13:39,833 Preparing God's people for the coming of Jesus, 228 00:13:39,875 --> 00:13:43,833 to connect that story to the story. 229 00:13:43,875 --> 00:13:48,208 And so all of this happens with Jesus going to Jerusalem 230 00:13:48,292 --> 00:13:52,667 at the season of Passover, where he is going to substitute 231 00:13:52,750 --> 00:13:56,333 himself as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, 232 00:13:56,375 --> 00:13:59,208 the Lamb who is our Passover sacrifice, 233 00:13:59,292 --> 00:14:02,417 so that our sin would be atoned for, that our enemy, 234 00:14:02,500 --> 00:14:06,333 our Pharaoh, would be defeated, that our sin would be forgiven, 235 00:14:06,375 --> 00:14:09,083 that we would be redeemed as the people of God 236 00:14:09,167 --> 00:14:12,500 to worship God freely. 237 00:14:12,542 --> 00:14:14,833 And so it's the season of Passover. 238 00:14:14,875 --> 00:14:18,917 And as Jesus is passing through town, 239 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,792 there is this blind, poor beggar. 240 00:14:22,833 --> 00:14:25,917 And let me tell you this, there was not just one. 241 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:30,708 This was a strategic place for those who begged for their 242 00:14:30,792 --> 00:14:33,417 survival to position themselves. 243 00:14:33,500 --> 00:14:37,375 A bunch of spiritual people going to meet with God. 244 00:14:37,458 --> 00:14:42,125 This is probably the best place and time to ask them for money. 245 00:14:42,167 --> 00:14:44,000 So he's not the only beggar. 246 00:14:44,083 --> 00:14:47,417 There are beggars lined up along the roadway. 247 00:14:47,500 --> 00:14:51,208 There are beggars everywhere. 248 00:14:51,292 --> 00:14:54,125 And this particular beggar cries out, 249 00:14:54,167 --> 00:14:59,167 saying something that no one else in Luke's Gospel says. 250 00:14:59,250 --> 00:15:02,000 So it's very significant. 251 00:15:02,083 --> 00:15:08,875 He says, "Jesus of Nazareth," and he speaks of Jesus, 252 00:15:08,958 --> 00:15:11,000 "the Son of David." 253 00:15:11,083 --> 00:15:13,583 And he says it again, "Son of David." 254 00:15:13,667 --> 00:15:15,333 So he says it twice. 255 00:15:15,375 --> 00:15:17,833 "Jesus is the Son of David." 256 00:15:17,875 --> 00:15:21,500 So he cries out as Jesus passes by, 257 00:15:21,583 --> 00:15:24,083 "Jesus, Son of David." 258 00:15:24,167 --> 00:15:25,917 They said, "Be quiet. 259 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,125 "Jesus is busy. He's very important. 260 00:15:28,167 --> 00:15:29,917 "We're going up to Jerusalem. 261 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,917 "You beggars just keep asking. 262 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:34,625 Enough already." 263 00:15:34,667 --> 00:15:38,917 And so what he does, he yells louder. 264 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,917 "Jesus, Son of David!" 265 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,875 What does that mean? 266 00:15:45,958 --> 00:15:52,958 Here's a blind man who sees Jesus by faith. 267 00:15:54,500 --> 00:15:59,708 We can easily pass over this title, but it is very important. 268 00:15:59,792 --> 00:16:03,167 Jesus, Son of David. 269 00:16:03,250 --> 00:16:06,667 They would have heard that as a very significant, 270 00:16:06,750 --> 00:16:09,208 theological statement. 271 00:16:09,292 --> 00:16:12,500 This is a declaration that Jesus Christ 272 00:16:12,542 --> 00:16:15,000 is the King of kings. 273 00:16:15,083 --> 00:16:18,208 And this blind beggar is making this declaration 274 00:16:18,292 --> 00:16:21,833 while God's people are under Roman rule. 275 00:16:21,875 --> 00:16:25,625 This was a low point in the history of God's people. 276 00:16:25,667 --> 00:16:29,333 They were not free, they were back under foreign oppression. 277 00:16:29,375 --> 00:16:32,417 It wasn't the Egyptians, now, it was the Romans. 278 00:16:32,500 --> 00:16:35,000 But the laws were written against them. 279 00:16:35,042 --> 00:16:37,917 They were mistreated and abused. 280 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,167 Furthermore, there was significant taxation levied 281 00:16:41,250 --> 00:16:47,167 against them that funded the government that oppressed them. 282 00:16:48,792 --> 00:16:51,125 And so they wanted liberation and deliverance and freedom. 283 00:16:51,167 --> 00:16:54,417 They wanted their Exodus and they wanted a different king. 284 00:16:54,500 --> 00:16:57,667 They didn't want to say, "Caesar is lord." 285 00:16:57,750 --> 00:17:01,208 They wanted their King to be their Lord 286 00:17:01,292 --> 00:17:03,833 and God to be their Lord. 287 00:17:03,875 --> 00:17:07,125 And so he cries out, "Jesus, Son of David." 288 00:17:07,167 --> 00:17:12,208 That was a very dangerous thing to say because it was a critique 289 00:17:12,292 --> 00:17:13,708 of the Roman government. 290 00:17:13,792 --> 00:17:18,000 It was saying, "There's someone above Caesar, and here he is, 291 00:17:18,083 --> 00:17:19,833 the Son of David." 292 00:17:19,875 --> 00:17:21,833 Because David was a what? 293 00:17:21,875 --> 00:17:24,000 A king. 294 00:17:24,083 --> 00:17:26,417 And God makes covenants throughout the Bible. 295 00:17:26,500 --> 00:17:29,667 I've got a whole chapter in this on a book I co-authored called, 296 00:17:29,750 --> 00:17:32,375 "Doctrine," where we unpack the covenants in the Bible. 297 00:17:32,458 --> 00:17:35,208 These are agreements that God makes with his people. 298 00:17:35,292 --> 00:17:37,708 And one of those is something called the Davidic Covenant 299 00:17:37,792 --> 00:17:42,625 where God makes a covenant with his people through King David. 300 00:17:42,667 --> 00:17:47,333 And David started as a poor, rural, 301 00:17:47,375 --> 00:17:50,708 simple boy who grew up to be a mighty king. 302 00:17:50,792 --> 00:17:54,000 And again, that little story connects to the big story. 303 00:17:54,083 --> 00:17:58,333 Like David, Jesus was a simple, humble, rural, 304 00:17:58,375 --> 00:18:02,917 poor boy who grew up to be the King of kings. 305 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,625 And what had happened was when David was king, 306 00:18:07,667 --> 00:18:10,000 God came to him and spoke to him. 307 00:18:10,042 --> 00:18:15,917 And it's in, actually, 2 Samuel 7:8-16. 308 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,125 I'll just read it to you. 309 00:18:18,167 --> 00:18:20,333 Here's what God said to King David 310 00:18:20,375 --> 00:18:24,500 maybe a thousand years before Jesus was even born. 311 00:18:24,542 --> 00:18:26,833 And so here we're connecting all of the Bible 312 00:18:26,875 --> 00:18:29,875 and all the history to Jesus. 313 00:18:29,958 --> 00:18:31,583 "Thus says the Lord of hosts," 314 00:18:31,667 --> 00:18:34,417 that's the God who rules over the angels and the demons 315 00:18:34,500 --> 00:18:36,500 and the entirety of the spirit realm. 316 00:18:36,542 --> 00:18:38,875 "I will appoint a place for my people Israel 317 00:18:38,958 --> 00:18:41,917 "and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own 318 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:44,125 place and be disturbed no more." 319 00:18:44,167 --> 00:18:46,333 And "Moreover, the Lord declares to you that 320 00:18:46,375 --> 00:18:48,167 "the Lord will make you a house. 321 00:18:48,250 --> 00:18:49,708 "When your days are fulfilled 322 00:18:49,792 --> 00:18:51,708 "and you lie down with your fathers, 323 00:18:51,792 --> 00:18:53,792 "I will raise up your offspring after you, 324 00:18:53,833 --> 00:18:55,583 "who shall come from your body, 325 00:18:55,667 --> 00:18:57,667 "and I will establish his kingdom. 326 00:18:57,750 --> 00:19:00,125 "He shall build a house for my name, 327 00:19:00,167 --> 00:19:03,500 and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." 328 00:19:03,542 --> 00:19:05,625 He uses that word here a lot. 329 00:19:05,667 --> 00:19:08,292 "And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure 330 00:19:08,333 --> 00:19:10,292 "forever before me. 331 00:19:10,333 --> 00:19:14,667 Your throne shall be established forever." 332 00:19:14,750 --> 00:19:17,875 Now they had had in their history good and bad kings, 333 00:19:17,958 --> 00:19:21,708 but the best king they ever had was David. 334 00:19:21,792 --> 00:19:27,625 He brought peace, protection, prosperity. 335 00:19:27,667 --> 00:19:31,000 And in his reign was the presence of God. 336 00:19:31,083 --> 00:19:35,833 Peace, protection, prosperity, and the presence of God. 337 00:19:35,875 --> 00:19:38,833 However David was not a perfect king. 338 00:19:38,875 --> 00:19:40,667 He was man after God's own heart. 339 00:19:40,750 --> 00:19:43,417 He also was a sinner and a murderer. 340 00:19:43,500 --> 00:19:44,917 So he was imperfect, 341 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:46,875 though a great king, an imperfect sinner 342 00:19:46,958 --> 00:19:48,833 like the rest of us. 343 00:19:48,875 --> 00:19:51,708 And ultimately, he died. 344 00:19:51,792 --> 00:19:56,500 His reign, his rule came to an end. 345 00:19:56,583 --> 00:19:59,875 And after that, the nation had some very 346 00:19:59,958 --> 00:20:04,208 grievous and godless kings and fell into disrepair. 347 00:20:04,292 --> 00:20:07,125 And God came to David and said, 348 00:20:07,167 --> 00:20:11,125 "There will be a day when I raise up from your family line. 349 00:20:11,167 --> 00:20:14,500 "He's going to be one of your relatives, another King. 350 00:20:14,583 --> 00:20:21,000 Not a little-k king like you, but a big-K King of kings." 351 00:20:21,083 --> 00:20:26,167 He's going to bring peace, prosperity. 352 00:20:26,250 --> 00:20:32,708 He is going to bring the presence and protection of God. 353 00:20:32,792 --> 00:20:36,000 In fact, it'll be God himself. 354 00:20:36,083 --> 00:20:38,333 God is going to rule one day as King. 355 00:20:38,375 --> 00:20:40,083 How do we know it's God? 356 00:20:40,167 --> 00:20:42,667 Because his kingdom will endure how long? 357 00:20:42,750 --> 00:20:44,417 Forever and ever. 358 00:20:44,500 --> 00:20:46,500 That's the kingdom of God. 359 00:20:46,542 --> 00:20:49,292 And this promise was given to David and as you continue 360 00:20:49,333 --> 00:20:52,417 to read in 2 Samuel 7, he was overwhelmed with his promise 361 00:20:52,500 --> 00:20:53,833 from God. 362 00:20:53,875 --> 00:20:56,292 And from that point forward, God's people were aching 363 00:20:56,333 --> 00:21:00,167 and yearning and waiting, "Where is this King? 364 00:21:00,250 --> 00:21:05,208 "The one who brings peace, protection, prosperity, 365 00:21:05,292 --> 00:21:06,833 "and the presence of God? 366 00:21:06,875 --> 00:21:10,125 Where is he?" 367 00:21:10,167 --> 00:21:15,000 And the blind beggar said, "He's right there. 368 00:21:15,083 --> 00:21:19,792 Jesus, Son of David." 369 00:21:19,833 --> 00:21:24,792 This is how Jesus is proclaimed on the earth 370 00:21:24,833 --> 00:21:27,500 as the King of kings, Lord of lords, 371 00:21:27,583 --> 00:21:32,417 God among us, fulfillment of prophecy, 372 00:21:32,500 --> 00:21:34,583 centerpiece of history. 373 00:21:34,667 --> 00:21:38,125 Isn't that amazing that God would choose to do that through 374 00:21:38,167 --> 00:21:44,083 the homeless, poor, unkempt, blind beggar 375 00:21:44,167 --> 00:21:46,708 on the side of the road. 376 00:21:46,792 --> 00:21:50,000 No band would ever debut an album 377 00:21:50,042 --> 00:21:52,875 with that marketing plan, right? 378 00:21:52,958 --> 00:21:56,792 No book is going to be released with that as the advertising 379 00:21:56,833 --> 00:21:58,917 promotional campaign. 380 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:00,875 "How are you going to launch this?" 381 00:22:00,958 --> 00:22:04,333 "Well, we're going to have one homeless guy yell it 382 00:22:04,375 --> 00:22:06,167 "a couple of times. 383 00:22:06,250 --> 00:22:10,208 "And I'm sure from there, billions of people will sign up 384 00:22:10,292 --> 00:22:15,000 for this cause and it'll roll for thousands of years." 385 00:22:15,083 --> 00:22:19,625 Do you know why billions of people agree with this 386 00:22:19,667 --> 00:22:24,000 man's declaration and continue to follow Jesus 387 00:22:24,083 --> 00:22:26,833 a few thousand years later? 388 00:22:26,875 --> 00:22:29,292 Not because he was a powerful man, 389 00:22:29,333 --> 00:22:33,125 but because there's power in the truth about Jesus. 390 00:22:33,167 --> 00:22:36,667 That's how powerful the truth about Jesus is. 391 00:22:39,167 --> 00:22:42,000 That's amazing. 392 00:22:42,042 --> 00:22:45,875 Now Luke, a masterful storyteller 393 00:22:45,958 --> 00:22:48,500 and a medical doctor, he's writing 394 00:22:48,583 --> 00:22:53,333 the true, Spirit-inspired story of Jesus. 395 00:22:53,375 --> 00:22:59,417 And he has already been connecting Jesus to David. 396 00:22:59,500 --> 00:23:03,500 And because we're--most of us, Gentiles not Jews, 397 00:23:03,542 --> 00:23:07,417 we may just read over it and not fully grasp it. 398 00:23:07,500 --> 00:23:10,417 And so he is taking the story of David and connecting it 399 00:23:10,500 --> 00:23:12,833 to the story of Jesus. 400 00:23:12,875 --> 00:23:16,333 David was a simple boy who became a great king. 401 00:23:16,375 --> 00:23:21,417 And Jesus was a simple boy who is the King of kings. 402 00:23:21,500 --> 00:23:24,125 And there are two places that he had previously connect 403 00:23:24,167 --> 00:23:25,625 Jesus and David. 404 00:23:25,667 --> 00:23:28,792 And I want to share them with you just 'cause I want you 405 00:23:28,833 --> 00:23:31,000 to fully appreciate how Luke is telling the story. 406 00:23:31,042 --> 00:23:35,125 One is in Luke 2:4-6, surrounding the timing of 407 00:23:35,167 --> 00:23:38,000 the birth of Jesus Christ, God became a man. 408 00:23:38,083 --> 00:23:40,667 This is his entrance into history. 409 00:23:40,750 --> 00:23:45,083 "Joseph also went up from Galilee, 410 00:23:45,167 --> 00:23:51,167 from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of," who? 411 00:23:51,250 --> 00:23:53,625 "David," there it is, "which is called Bethlehem, 412 00:23:53,667 --> 00:23:56,875 because he was of the house and lineage of David," 413 00:23:56,958 --> 00:23:59,083 there he is again, "to be registered with Mary, 414 00:23:59,167 --> 00:24:00,792 "his betrothed, who was with child. 415 00:24:00,833 --> 00:24:03,292 "And while they were there, the time came for her 416 00:24:03,333 --> 00:24:04,792 to give birth." 417 00:24:04,833 --> 00:24:07,500 Here's how Luke informs us that the birth of Jesus occurred. 418 00:24:07,583 --> 00:24:10,333 There was a young girl named Mary. 419 00:24:10,375 --> 00:24:12,417 She was probably a teenager, 420 00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:14,667 maybe the age of a junior high student. 421 00:24:14,750 --> 00:24:17,500 She was betrothed, or engaged, legally bound to be married 422 00:24:17,583 --> 00:24:19,167 to a man named Joseph. 423 00:24:19,250 --> 00:24:21,083 She had never been with a man. 424 00:24:21,167 --> 00:24:23,292 She was a godly woman. 425 00:24:23,333 --> 00:24:28,000 And she became pregnant by a miracle of God the Holy Spirit. 426 00:24:28,083 --> 00:24:31,375 So that her child would be Emmanuel, 427 00:24:31,458 --> 00:24:35,958 God with us, Jesus Christ. 428 00:24:37,500 --> 00:24:42,375 Now, her husband-to-be, Joseph, was a carpenter. 429 00:24:42,458 --> 00:24:45,500 Probably a teenage boy, hard-working, 430 00:24:45,542 --> 00:24:49,625 and God revealed to him, "She has not betrayed you. 431 00:24:49,667 --> 00:24:52,125 This is a miracle, the fulfillment of prophecy." 432 00:24:52,167 --> 00:24:55,583 All the back to Isaiah, 700 years prior, 433 00:24:55,667 --> 00:25:01,708 it had been predicted that God would come born of a virgin. 434 00:25:01,792 --> 00:25:04,792 Isaiah 7, here it is. 435 00:25:04,833 --> 00:25:07,417 So Joseph, being a godly man, said, 436 00:25:07,500 --> 00:25:12,417 "Then I will follow through with my commitment to enter 437 00:25:12,500 --> 00:25:14,917 into marriage with this young woman." 438 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,000 They didn't have any intimate relations 439 00:25:17,042 --> 00:25:19,792 until after Jesus was born. 440 00:25:19,833 --> 00:25:21,625 Where was Jesus born? 441 00:25:21,667 --> 00:25:24,833 Well, his parents were from the small town of Nazareth. 442 00:25:24,875 --> 00:25:29,125 But the prophecy had been given 400 years before Jesus' birth 443 00:25:29,167 --> 00:25:33,833 in the Old Testament that the Messiah, the Savior, 444 00:25:33,875 --> 00:25:36,833 the King of kings, God among us, Emmanuel, 445 00:25:36,875 --> 00:25:38,417 would be born in what town? 446 00:25:38,500 --> 00:25:40,667 Bethlehem. The prophecy was given this way: 447 00:25:40,750 --> 00:25:44,208 But you, O Bethlehem, though you are small among the tribes 448 00:25:44,292 --> 00:25:48,583 of Judah, from you will come forth for me 449 00:25:48,667 --> 00:25:51,667 one who is from ancient times. 450 00:25:51,750 --> 00:25:55,625 And the Hebrew there is that he's from eternity. 451 00:25:55,667 --> 00:25:57,667 He's lived forever. 452 00:25:57,750 --> 00:25:59,208 He's without beginning and end. 453 00:25:59,292 --> 00:26:00,917 That's God. 454 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,708 And that this eternal God would be entering into human history, 455 00:26:04,792 --> 00:26:09,000 born in the town of Bethlehem. 456 00:26:09,083 --> 00:26:11,625 Now Jesus' mother and his adoptive father, 457 00:26:11,667 --> 00:26:13,833 they lived in the town of Nazareth. 458 00:26:13,875 --> 00:26:18,167 So how in the providence of God could we have Mary in Bethlehem 459 00:26:18,250 --> 00:26:21,667 at just the right time to give birth to Jesus so that Scripture 460 00:26:21,750 --> 00:26:23,667 would be fulfilled? 461 00:26:23,750 --> 00:26:26,083 Well, the godless king decided, 462 00:26:26,167 --> 00:26:28,208 "I think I can make more tax revenue. 463 00:26:28,292 --> 00:26:31,417 "What I need to do is have a census account for everyone 464 00:26:31,500 --> 00:26:33,417 "so I can increase taxation. 465 00:26:33,500 --> 00:26:35,917 "So everyone needs to go to their hometown where 466 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,625 their family ancestry can be traced to." 467 00:26:38,667 --> 00:26:43,292 Jesus' adoptive father, Joseph, was of what family line? 468 00:26:43,333 --> 00:26:45,625 David. 469 00:26:45,667 --> 00:26:49,792 So he and his pregnant, very pregnant, wife Mary, 470 00:26:49,833 --> 00:26:55,375 went from Nazareth to Bethlehem and Jesus was born in Bethlehem, 471 00:26:55,458 --> 00:27:00,500 adopted into the family line of David, born in Bethlehem, 472 00:27:00,583 --> 00:27:04,875 which is historically the city of David. 473 00:27:04,958 --> 00:27:07,208 Because God rules history. 474 00:27:07,292 --> 00:27:08,917 God is sovereign. 475 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:12,833 God knows the future, that's why the Bible makes promises 476 00:27:12,875 --> 00:27:17,125 and prophesies and predictions that always come to pass, 477 00:27:17,167 --> 00:27:22,167 because it proves that God wrote the Bible and rules history. 478 00:27:24,542 --> 00:27:27,583 The second place we learn the connection between Jesus 479 00:27:27,667 --> 00:27:31,583 and David is in the genealogy. 480 00:27:31,667 --> 00:27:34,417 And in the genealogy, we may just read it, 481 00:27:34,500 --> 00:27:38,375 thinking it's interesting, but for those who knew the Bible, 482 00:27:38,458 --> 00:27:42,000 they knew that Messiah, Savior, King of kings, Emmanuel 483 00:27:42,042 --> 00:27:46,667 (God with us)--he would come through a certain family line. 484 00:27:46,750 --> 00:27:49,333 And so we've learned that he had to come through 485 00:27:49,375 --> 00:27:52,333 the line of David. 486 00:27:52,375 --> 00:27:56,292 And here's what we read in Luke 3:23-37: 487 00:27:56,333 --> 00:27:57,917 "Jesus, when he began his ministry, 488 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:01,333 "he was about 30 years of age, being the son (as was supposed) 489 00:28:01,375 --> 00:28:02,708 of Joseph--" 490 00:28:02,792 --> 00:28:05,125 Joseph, again, was his adoptive, not his biological, father, 491 00:28:05,167 --> 00:28:07,208 the son of who? 492 00:28:07,292 --> 00:28:09,500 David. 493 00:28:09,583 --> 00:28:11,000 See what Luke is doing? 494 00:28:11,083 --> 00:28:16,583 He's connecting Jesus and the Passover, and Jesus and David. 495 00:28:16,667 --> 00:28:19,083 Jesus takes away our sin. 496 00:28:19,167 --> 00:28:22,167 Jesus is our King. 497 00:28:22,250 --> 00:28:26,125 And all of this is proclaimed during the season of Passover 498 00:28:26,167 --> 00:28:29,417 from the lips of the blind beggar. 499 00:28:29,500 --> 00:28:33,875 It's an amazing story. 500 00:28:33,958 --> 00:28:39,000 Now some of you will ask, "If Jesus the King is to bring 501 00:28:39,083 --> 00:28:46,167 "peace, protection, prosperity, and the presence of God, 502 00:28:47,167 --> 00:28:49,917 "then why is the world still filled with sin? 503 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:55,708 Why is there still injustice and tyranny and evil and death?" 504 00:28:55,792 --> 00:29:01,833 Jesus lived, walked ultimately to Jerusalem, was crucified, 505 00:29:01,875 --> 00:29:06,917 became our substitute, the Passover Lamb who was slain 506 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:11,292 so that the wrath of God would pass over us. 507 00:29:11,333 --> 00:29:14,625 He died and was buried, and then he rose. 508 00:29:14,667 --> 00:29:17,125 He's ascended into heaven. 509 00:29:17,167 --> 00:29:21,083 Right now, he is seated on a throne. 510 00:29:21,167 --> 00:29:24,417 And one day, he will return. 511 00:29:24,500 --> 00:29:28,292 When he returns, the kingdom of heaven will overtake 512 00:29:28,333 --> 00:29:30,625 the kingdoms of earth. 513 00:29:30,667 --> 00:29:32,500 And we will have no more elections 514 00:29:32,542 --> 00:29:34,583 and no more politicians. 515 00:29:34,667 --> 00:29:38,083 We will have one King, Jesus Christ, 516 00:29:38,167 --> 00:29:42,875 who will bring perfect justice, love, mercy, grace, joy, 517 00:29:42,958 --> 00:29:48,667 and generosity to all of his people forever. 518 00:29:48,750 --> 00:29:51,125 That's our Jesus. 519 00:29:51,167 --> 00:29:55,167 And this does correspond with the story of David. 520 00:29:57,667 --> 00:30:04,375 There was a very godless king who was ruling and reigning 521 00:30:04,458 --> 00:30:09,000 when David was anointed as king. 522 00:30:09,083 --> 00:30:13,375 So there's a godless king who's ruling and David is the one 523 00:30:13,458 --> 00:30:16,500 who is going to get rid of the godless king 524 00:30:16,542 --> 00:30:19,417 and going to be the godly king. 525 00:30:19,500 --> 00:30:22,292 And so David is anointed as king, 526 00:30:22,333 --> 00:30:26,000 but the other king is still ruling. 527 00:30:26,083 --> 00:30:29,417 And so there's a long season between the anointing of David 528 00:30:29,500 --> 00:30:32,208 as king and him actually taking the throne 529 00:30:32,292 --> 00:30:34,208 and ruling the kingdom. 530 00:30:34,292 --> 00:30:37,000 And during that interim period between his anointing 531 00:30:37,042 --> 00:30:41,000 and his ruling, he was gathering faithful, 532 00:30:41,083 --> 00:30:45,667 loyal subjects and followers unto himself, 533 00:30:45,750 --> 00:30:48,833 and he was influencing the kingdom for good. 534 00:30:48,875 --> 00:30:55,000 So we find ourselves in history at that time where Jesus has 535 00:30:55,083 --> 00:30:59,833 been anointed as King of kings, he is gathering loyal subjects 536 00:30:59,875 --> 00:31:02,292 unto himself through the preaching of the gospel 537 00:31:02,333 --> 00:31:03,917 and the planting of churches. 538 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:08,500 And that's why Mars Hill exists, to invite you to be loyal to him 539 00:31:08,583 --> 00:31:12,667 as his faithful subjects. 540 00:31:12,750 --> 00:31:15,917 And then just like David did take the throne and rule 541 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:21,000 and reign, Jesus will take the throne and rule and reign. 542 00:31:21,083 --> 00:31:26,625 And so we're in the time between the times. 543 00:31:26,667 --> 00:31:29,708 Well, what happens to the blind man? 544 00:31:29,792 --> 00:31:33,833 We then read that Jesus gives sight to the blind. 545 00:31:33,875 --> 00:31:37,792 Luke 18:40-43, "And Jesus stopped and commanded him 546 00:31:37,833 --> 00:31:39,417 "to be brought to him. 547 00:31:39,500 --> 00:31:41,417 "And when he came near, he asked him, 548 00:31:41,500 --> 00:31:43,625 "'What do you want me to do for you?' 549 00:31:43,667 --> 00:31:45,000 He said, 'Lord." 550 00:31:45,083 --> 00:31:46,500 That's a great statement, isn't it? 551 00:31:46,583 --> 00:31:49,208 The blind guy knows that Jesus is Lord. 552 00:31:49,292 --> 00:31:52,000 "'Lord, let me recover my sight.' 553 00:31:52,083 --> 00:31:54,667 "And Jesus said to him, 'Recover your sight; 554 00:31:54,750 --> 00:31:56,792 "'your faith has made you well.' 555 00:31:56,833 --> 00:32:00,500 And immediately he recovered his sight." 556 00:32:00,583 --> 00:32:02,333 Now let me say this. 557 00:32:02,375 --> 00:32:08,000 We believe that Jesus Christ did heal this man. 558 00:32:08,042 --> 00:32:10,917 We believe it, that it was an actual, literal, 559 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,875 physical healing. 560 00:32:13,958 --> 00:32:17,375 We believe that Jesus did do miracles, 561 00:32:17,458 --> 00:32:21,333 that he does do miracles, and that he will do miracles. 562 00:32:21,375 --> 00:32:22,708 We believe that. 563 00:32:22,792 --> 00:32:24,125 It doesn't happen a lot. 564 00:32:24,167 --> 00:32:25,500 That's why they're called miracles. 565 00:32:25,583 --> 00:32:28,000 By definition, they're unusual. 566 00:32:28,042 --> 00:32:30,125 How many blind beggars were there? 567 00:32:30,167 --> 00:32:31,500 Many. 568 00:32:31,583 --> 00:32:32,917 How many got healed? 569 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:34,833 One. 570 00:32:34,875 --> 00:32:39,625 But we do believe that God can heal, that Jesus does heal, 571 00:32:39,667 --> 00:32:41,917 that Jesus will heal. 572 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,333 This is why we pray for the sick. 573 00:32:44,375 --> 00:32:46,500 This is why James, Jesus' own brother, said, 574 00:32:46,583 --> 00:32:48,167 are any of you sick? 575 00:32:48,250 --> 00:32:50,583 Let the elders anoint you and pray for you. 576 00:32:50,667 --> 00:32:52,708 We do that after our services. 577 00:32:52,792 --> 00:32:54,333 We do that for our people. 578 00:32:54,375 --> 00:32:56,208 We believe in praying for the sick. 579 00:32:56,292 --> 00:33:00,875 And yes, we have seen, and by God's grace we will see, 580 00:33:00,958 --> 00:33:06,667 those prayers answered, and some people actually, literally, 581 00:33:06,750 --> 00:33:11,167 physically healed because God who made the world, 582 00:33:11,250 --> 00:33:15,833 Jesus Christ, rules over the world, Jesus Christ. 583 00:33:15,875 --> 00:33:20,500 And this man is healed. 584 00:33:20,542 --> 00:33:23,500 And for the first time perhaps in his life, 585 00:33:23,583 --> 00:33:29,000 at the very least in a long while, he opens his eyes. 586 00:33:29,042 --> 00:33:32,417 And what is the first thing that he sees? 587 00:33:32,500 --> 00:33:34,292 The face of Jesus. 588 00:33:35,500 --> 00:33:37,833 The face of Jesus. 589 00:33:37,875 --> 00:33:41,125 That's amazing. 590 00:33:41,167 --> 00:33:46,167 And friends, if we have faith in Jesus, we will die, 591 00:33:46,250 --> 00:33:52,208 our eyes will be closed, and our eyes will be open 592 00:33:52,292 --> 00:33:54,500 and who will we see? 593 00:33:54,583 --> 00:33:55,917 Jesus. 594 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:00,125 1 Corinthians 13 gives this promise to all believers. 595 00:34:00,167 --> 00:34:02,917 It says now we see in part, like we're looking through 596 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:08,792 a fogged window on a cloudy day. 597 00:34:08,833 --> 00:34:16,333 But then we shall see him face to face, 598 00:34:16,375 --> 00:34:20,167 face to face. 599 00:34:22,333 --> 00:34:27,500 And Jesus says, "You have faith." 600 00:34:27,583 --> 00:34:30,833 And this is the key, friends. 601 00:34:30,875 --> 00:34:33,167 The key is not just that he has faith, 602 00:34:33,250 --> 00:34:36,583 but he has faith in Jesus Christ. 603 00:34:36,667 --> 00:34:38,333 It's not just enough to have faith. 604 00:34:38,375 --> 00:34:41,625 It's the object of faith because it's not faith that saves, 605 00:34:41,667 --> 00:34:43,625 it's Christ that saves. 606 00:34:43,667 --> 00:34:46,500 It's not faith that heals, it's Christ that heals. 607 00:34:46,583 --> 00:34:52,042 And it's faith in Christ that saves and heals. 608 00:34:55,542 --> 00:34:59,375 Faith is--it is three things theologically. 609 00:34:59,458 --> 00:35:03,500 One, it is truth. 610 00:35:03,583 --> 00:35:06,333 It's the truth about Jesus. 611 00:35:06,375 --> 00:35:11,000 He's Lord, God, Savior, King, Christ, born of a virgin, 612 00:35:11,042 --> 00:35:15,208 Emmanuel, God among us. 613 00:35:15,292 --> 00:35:17,500 He is our substitute. 614 00:35:17,583 --> 00:35:20,333 He is our Passover Lamb. 615 00:35:20,375 --> 00:35:22,083 He is our risen Savior. 616 00:35:22,167 --> 00:35:24,292 He is the sinner's friend. 617 00:35:24,333 --> 00:35:29,583 He is--he is the son of David, the King of kings. 618 00:35:29,667 --> 00:35:34,917 He is, like the blind man said, "Lord above all." 619 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:40,375 It's the truth plus belief, not just knowing the truth, 620 00:35:40,458 --> 00:35:42,208 but believing the truth. 621 00:35:42,292 --> 00:35:44,208 Yes, Jesus is my substitute. 622 00:35:44,292 --> 00:35:46,292 He's my Lord. He's my God. 623 00:35:46,333 --> 00:35:48,583 He's my Savior. He's my King. 624 00:35:48,667 --> 00:35:51,500 He's my substitute. He's my all. 625 00:35:51,542 --> 00:35:54,125 I believe that personally. 626 00:35:54,167 --> 00:35:59,208 So it's truth, belief, and trust. 627 00:35:59,292 --> 00:36:02,333 You trust that. 628 00:36:02,375 --> 00:36:04,917 You say, "You know what? 629 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:08,417 "The truth is the Bible says that Jesus promised 630 00:36:08,500 --> 00:36:10,708 "that he'd never leave us nor forsake us. 631 00:36:10,792 --> 00:36:14,375 "I believe that, so I trust that, even when I don't feel 632 00:36:14,458 --> 00:36:20,000 "like it's true and I feel like God has abandoned me. 633 00:36:20,083 --> 00:36:23,500 I go to the truth and I believe it and I trust it." 634 00:36:23,583 --> 00:36:25,833 And that's an inward conviction that leads to 635 00:36:25,875 --> 00:36:27,667 an external action. 636 00:36:27,750 --> 00:36:32,792 I live as a Christian because I trust. 637 00:36:32,833 --> 00:36:35,000 And what came first for this man, friends? 638 00:36:35,083 --> 00:36:38,000 Was it sight or faith? 639 00:36:38,083 --> 00:36:39,708 What came first? 640 00:36:39,792 --> 00:36:42,125 Faith preceded sight. 641 00:36:42,167 --> 00:36:46,125 Faith always precedes sight. 642 00:36:46,167 --> 00:36:49,708 You have to trust before you see. 643 00:36:49,792 --> 00:36:53,125 You have to trust Jesus before it all makes sense. 644 00:36:53,167 --> 00:36:55,792 You have to begin with faith. 645 00:36:55,833 --> 00:37:01,417 The truth has to be believed and trusted, and then you see. 646 00:37:01,500 --> 00:37:04,625 Some of you are waiting to see. 647 00:37:04,667 --> 00:37:07,375 Let me say you are blind. 648 00:37:07,458 --> 00:37:10,833 You begin with faith and then you see. 649 00:37:10,875 --> 00:37:12,708 You don't have all the answers. 650 00:37:12,792 --> 00:37:14,833 You won't know all the details. 651 00:37:14,875 --> 00:37:19,125 There is no certainty regarding the future and God's purposes 652 00:37:19,167 --> 00:37:21,917 and provisions and plans for our lives. 653 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:28,000 But what we do is we trust him by faith. 654 00:37:28,083 --> 00:37:31,667 And in time, we see. 655 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:37,708 This is a story that connects to the story. 656 00:37:37,792 --> 00:37:42,333 I pray it would connect to your story, that your story would be, 657 00:37:42,375 --> 00:37:49,083 "Yes, I trust Jesus and now I see more clearly." 658 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:55,708 And all of this is in fulfillment of a promise 659 00:37:55,792 --> 00:37:58,167 that God gave. 660 00:37:58,250 --> 00:38:04,125 In Isaiah 61:1, 700 years before Jesus was born, 661 00:38:04,167 --> 00:38:06,208 a promise was given. 662 00:38:06,292 --> 00:38:10,917 You will know that the one you've been waiting for has come 663 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:13,000 when some things happen. 664 00:38:13,083 --> 00:38:18,125 Now, knowing this, Jesus early in his ministry enters into 665 00:38:18,167 --> 00:38:20,917 a synagogue on the Sabbath to read the Scriptures. 666 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:24,208 He unrolls the scroll of Isaiah. 667 00:38:24,292 --> 00:38:29,917 He goes to Isaiah 61:1 and he reads it. 668 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:33,167 Luke records this. 669 00:38:33,250 --> 00:38:38,208 He says in Luke 4:18, quoting Isaiah 61:1, here's Jesus, 670 00:38:38,292 --> 00:38:41,000 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me." 671 00:38:41,083 --> 00:38:47,417 Jesus functioned, led, preached, taught, healed, cast out demons, 672 00:38:47,500 --> 00:38:50,667 predicted the future by the power and the presence 673 00:38:50,750 --> 00:38:53,000 of God the Holy Spirit. 674 00:38:53,083 --> 00:38:55,333 Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. 675 00:38:55,375 --> 00:38:57,625 Jesus was compelled by the Holy Spirit. 676 00:38:57,667 --> 00:39:00,208 Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit. 677 00:39:00,292 --> 00:39:03,375 Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit. 678 00:39:03,458 --> 00:39:06,417 Jesus obeyed by the power of the Holy Spirit. 679 00:39:06,500 --> 00:39:11,500 He was and is God, but while on the earth he chose to submit 680 00:39:11,583 --> 00:39:17,500 himself to the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit as an example 681 00:39:17,583 --> 00:39:22,000 for you and I to follow in as believers to live our lives 682 00:39:22,042 --> 00:39:25,333 not by our own power, but the supernatural, 683 00:39:25,375 --> 00:39:30,375 life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. 684 00:39:30,458 --> 00:39:33,333 He says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, 685 00:39:33,375 --> 00:39:36,917 "because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. 686 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:39,917 He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and," 687 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:41,417 what? 688 00:39:41,500 --> 00:39:44,833 "Recovering of sight to the blind, 689 00:39:44,875 --> 00:39:47,625 to set at liberty those who are oppressed," 690 00:39:47,667 --> 00:39:51,708 to Satan and sin and addiction and death and oppression, 691 00:39:51,792 --> 00:39:55,500 "to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 692 00:39:55,542 --> 00:39:59,583 Isaiah says, "You'll know that it's all coming true when you 693 00:39:59,667 --> 00:40:05,708 see a few things, one of which is the blind see." 694 00:40:05,792 --> 00:40:08,000 Jesus began his ministry 695 00:40:08,083 --> 00:40:10,917 reading this prophesy, and then said, 696 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:15,583 "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 697 00:40:15,667 --> 00:40:19,500 What he's saying is, "The whole Bible's about me. 698 00:40:19,542 --> 00:40:23,500 "Isaiah 700 years ago told you I was coming. 699 00:40:23,583 --> 00:40:25,292 "Here I am. 700 00:40:25,333 --> 00:40:30,500 "If you don't believe me, watch my works, heed my words. 701 00:40:30,583 --> 00:40:34,625 "I'm going to preach and I am also going to testify 702 00:40:34,667 --> 00:40:38,333 "through my miraculous power. 703 00:40:38,375 --> 00:40:40,500 "When you see the blind see, 704 00:40:40,542 --> 00:40:43,292 you will know that God is among you." 705 00:40:43,333 --> 00:40:46,333 So all of this is in fulfillment to the Bible. 706 00:40:46,375 --> 00:40:50,417 And this man is blind, and then he sees. 707 00:40:50,500 --> 00:40:53,208 He trusts and then he is delivered. 708 00:40:53,292 --> 00:40:56,667 And he experiences two miracles at once. 709 00:40:56,750 --> 00:40:58,917 He experiences a physical miracle, 710 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:00,625 where his eyes are opened. 711 00:41:00,667 --> 00:41:02,708 He experiences a spiritual miracle, 712 00:41:02,792 --> 00:41:08,208 where his soul is also opened and able to see. 713 00:41:08,292 --> 00:41:12,167 And so he is able to say, "Jesus of Nazareth, 714 00:41:12,250 --> 00:41:16,000 Jesus, son of David, Jesus, my Lord." 715 00:41:16,083 --> 00:41:19,333 That's a supernatural miracle in his soul. 716 00:41:19,375 --> 00:41:21,417 And his eyes opened physically. 717 00:41:21,500 --> 00:41:24,792 And so he experiences two miracles simultaneously: 718 00:41:24,833 --> 00:41:28,125 one physical, one spiritual. 719 00:41:28,167 --> 00:41:31,083 Here's my question: Do you have faith in Jesus? 720 00:41:31,167 --> 00:41:34,917 Do you have trust in Jesus? 721 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:37,500 Otherwise, the power of the Holy Spirit is not 722 00:41:37,542 --> 00:41:39,208 unleashed in your life. 723 00:41:39,292 --> 00:41:41,875 It is like an outlet and a plug. 724 00:41:41,958 --> 00:41:44,875 They have to be connected. 725 00:41:44,958 --> 00:41:47,625 Your laptop and mine, or your phone and mine, 726 00:41:47,667 --> 00:41:50,333 they don't recharge if we just plug the cord in. 727 00:41:50,375 --> 00:41:53,333 We also have to plug the cord in to the power source, 728 00:41:53,375 --> 00:41:55,833 the source of life. 729 00:41:55,875 --> 00:41:59,875 Jesus Christ is the object of faith. 730 00:41:59,958 --> 00:42:03,500 Faith is plugging in to the resurrection, 731 00:42:03,542 --> 00:42:07,875 Holy Spirit life of Jesus so that we might experience 732 00:42:07,958 --> 00:42:12,125 his power transforming our life. 733 00:42:12,167 --> 00:42:14,292 That includes spiritually in this life, 734 00:42:14,333 --> 00:42:16,625 where we're changed by the power of Jesus. 735 00:42:16,667 --> 00:42:20,000 This man was changed by the power of Jesus spiritually. 736 00:42:20,042 --> 00:42:23,125 Some of you will experience physical healing in this life. 737 00:42:23,167 --> 00:42:25,875 Some of you, your physical healing will come on the other 738 00:42:25,958 --> 00:42:28,708 side of this life after the resurrection of the dead 739 00:42:28,792 --> 00:42:31,583 in the fullness of the kingdom of God. 740 00:42:31,667 --> 00:42:35,208 But the children of God receive both spiritual and physical, 741 00:42:35,292 --> 00:42:38,208 supernatural healing, life-changing, 742 00:42:38,292 --> 00:42:42,750 history-altering power from Jesus. 743 00:42:44,875 --> 00:42:50,083 And what does this mean for you and I? 744 00:42:50,167 --> 00:42:52,500 This is a story that's part of the big story, 745 00:42:52,583 --> 00:42:54,583 and I hope would be your story 746 00:42:54,667 --> 00:42:56,417 because here's the truth, friends. 747 00:42:56,500 --> 00:42:58,375 We are the blind man. 748 00:42:59,167 --> 00:43:02,292 We are the blind man. 749 00:43:02,333 --> 00:43:04,417 This isn't just something that Jesus did. 750 00:43:04,500 --> 00:43:08,583 This is something that Jesus still does. 751 00:43:08,667 --> 00:43:12,375 Luke 18:43, "And immediately he recovered his sight 752 00:43:12,458 --> 00:43:14,708 "and followed him, glorifying God. 753 00:43:14,792 --> 00:43:18,000 And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God." 754 00:43:18,083 --> 00:43:20,500 Now, this is confirmed by who? 755 00:43:20,542 --> 00:43:22,125 Who writes this book? 756 00:43:22,167 --> 00:43:24,000 Luke. What's his vocation? 757 00:43:24,083 --> 00:43:26,000 Medical doctor. 758 00:43:26,083 --> 00:43:32,167 So this is a certified miracle confirmed by a medical doctor. 759 00:43:33,250 --> 00:43:35,917 And how does this man respond? 760 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:38,333 What does faith look like for him? 761 00:43:38,375 --> 00:43:43,500 Again, faith is truth and it's belief and it's trust. 762 00:43:43,583 --> 00:43:47,875 It's an internal conviction that leads to an external action. 763 00:43:47,958 --> 00:43:49,708 Here's his external action. 764 00:43:49,792 --> 00:43:52,083 Number one, it's worship. 765 00:43:52,167 --> 00:43:53,917 He worships Jesus. 766 00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:56,208 It says he glorified God. 767 00:43:56,292 --> 00:44:00,208 He's praising Jesus, he's happy, he's excited. 768 00:44:00,292 --> 00:44:02,500 He's celebrating. 769 00:44:02,583 --> 00:44:05,583 "Here's who Jesus is. Here's what he's done for me. 770 00:44:05,667 --> 00:44:08,125 "He's changed my life. I can't believe it. 771 00:44:08,167 --> 00:44:10,000 Thank you, Lord." 772 00:44:10,083 --> 00:44:13,833 Worship, worship, worship is what comes out of 773 00:44:13,875 --> 00:44:16,833 a faith-filled heart. 774 00:44:16,875 --> 00:44:20,083 He has worship that leads to a witness. 775 00:44:20,167 --> 00:44:22,333 It says that the other people saw this 776 00:44:22,375 --> 00:44:24,417 and they began praising God. 777 00:44:24,500 --> 00:44:28,708 Part of our ministry, friends, is to boast and to brag, 778 00:44:28,792 --> 00:44:32,417 but not about ourselves, about Jesus. 779 00:44:32,500 --> 00:44:34,708 "Here's who he is. Here's what he's done. 780 00:44:34,792 --> 00:44:36,417 "It's amazing! 781 00:44:36,500 --> 00:44:38,583 Here's what he's teaching me." 782 00:44:38,667 --> 00:44:41,625 As we boast in the Lord, as we tell our stories, 783 00:44:41,667 --> 00:44:44,333 you tell your story. 784 00:44:44,375 --> 00:44:47,917 And some of you, your story, like this man, 785 00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:53,792 it starts very shameful and painful. 786 00:44:56,083 --> 00:45:00,208 It doesn't start, "Everything was great and I met Jesus 787 00:45:00,292 --> 00:45:05,625 and it's still great." 788 00:45:05,667 --> 00:45:12,792 His story is, "I was blind and I was homeless and I was haggard 789 00:45:12,833 --> 00:45:16,833 "and I was an outcast and I was rejected and I was poor 790 00:45:16,875 --> 00:45:21,000 "and I had a scraggly beard and hadn't had a haircut in years. 791 00:45:21,083 --> 00:45:26,500 "And I had a threadbare coat and I sat by the side of the road 792 00:45:26,583 --> 00:45:30,875 "and I tried to guilt religious people into giving me money. 793 00:45:37,750 --> 00:45:42,000 "And then I met Jesus and he changed me, 794 00:45:42,083 --> 00:45:44,333 "and I've never been the same since. 795 00:45:44,375 --> 00:45:46,333 And he's fantastic." 796 00:45:46,375 --> 00:45:48,000 That's the story. 797 00:45:48,042 --> 00:45:51,000 And the truth is that's always the story. 798 00:45:51,083 --> 00:45:54,208 One way or another, if we're honest, 799 00:45:54,292 --> 00:45:57,000 the story begins shamefully. 800 00:45:57,083 --> 00:45:59,000 It ends gloriously. 801 00:45:59,083 --> 00:46:02,583 The difference-maker is Jesus. 802 00:46:02,667 --> 00:46:06,833 And this man, he has worship, he's really excited, 803 00:46:06,875 --> 00:46:11,917 that leads to a witness, as he can't hide his story. 804 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:14,125 Don't hide your story. 805 00:46:14,167 --> 00:46:15,875 "Oh, but I've done some horrible things." 806 00:46:15,958 --> 00:46:18,000 Then talk about them. 807 00:46:18,042 --> 00:46:20,125 "Some terrible things have been done to me." 808 00:46:20,167 --> 00:46:22,208 Then talk about them. 809 00:46:22,292 --> 00:46:25,000 And talk about the difference that Jesus makes and the hope 810 00:46:25,083 --> 00:46:29,417 that Jesus gives and the redemption that Jesus provides. 811 00:46:29,500 --> 00:46:32,625 Because your worship is part of your witness. 812 00:46:32,667 --> 00:46:34,500 And then, thirdly, he has a walk. 813 00:46:34,583 --> 00:46:36,292 And this is true of all Christians. 814 00:46:36,333 --> 00:46:38,083 It doesn't begin with sight. 815 00:46:38,167 --> 00:46:40,500 It begins with faith. We trust in Jesus. 816 00:46:40,542 --> 00:46:43,875 He does a miracle to open our understanding, to see him. 817 00:46:43,958 --> 00:46:47,625 We worship him, we witness to him, we walk with him. 818 00:46:47,667 --> 00:46:50,292 And it literally says this man, what did he do? 819 00:46:50,333 --> 00:46:51,708 Followed Jesus. 820 00:46:51,792 --> 00:46:54,292 This is probably the simplest analogy of the Christian life. 821 00:46:54,333 --> 00:46:56,583 You know what it means to be a Christian? 822 00:46:56,667 --> 00:46:59,000 Trust Jesus and stick close to him. 823 00:46:59,083 --> 00:47:03,125 Go where he goes, do what he does, stick close to Jesus, 824 00:47:03,167 --> 00:47:05,292 walk with him. 825 00:47:05,333 --> 00:47:07,000 Walk with him. 826 00:47:07,083 --> 00:47:09,167 So it's about worship, witness, and walk. 827 00:47:09,250 --> 00:47:10,833 That's evidence. 828 00:47:10,875 --> 00:47:13,292 That's the external demonstration of the internal 829 00:47:13,333 --> 00:47:18,625 transformation that comes to someone who meets Jesus. 830 00:47:18,667 --> 00:47:20,292 He walks with Jesus. 831 00:47:20,333 --> 00:47:23,375 Now, there are four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, 832 00:47:23,458 --> 00:47:26,375 and John that each tell the biographical story of Jesus. 833 00:47:26,458 --> 00:47:28,292 And they emphasize different details. 834 00:47:28,333 --> 00:47:29,833 They don't contradict one another, 835 00:47:29,875 --> 00:47:31,500 but they supplement one another. 836 00:47:31,583 --> 00:47:34,500 And over in Mark 10, he gives us the account of 837 00:47:34,542 --> 00:47:35,917 the healing of this man. 838 00:47:36,000 --> 00:47:37,708 And he actually provides his name. 839 00:47:37,792 --> 00:47:39,708 You want to know what his name is? 840 00:47:39,792 --> 00:47:41,625 Bartimaeus. 841 00:47:41,667 --> 00:47:44,708 Bart. Bart. 842 00:47:44,792 --> 00:47:47,167 Guy's name's Bart. 843 00:47:47,250 --> 00:47:51,000 And it's not in the Bible, but church history and some 844 00:47:51,083 --> 00:47:55,583 reputable Bible scholars say the reason that Mark included his 845 00:47:55,667 --> 00:47:59,958 name is this guy became pretty legendary because he was 846 00:48:00,083 --> 00:48:04,708 fully committed to Jesus for the rest of his life. 847 00:48:04,792 --> 00:48:07,833 When his eyes were opened, he could have went anywhere, 848 00:48:07,875 --> 00:48:09,625 he could have done anything. 849 00:48:09,667 --> 00:48:11,208 What did he do? 850 00:48:11,292 --> 00:48:13,083 Followed Jesus. 851 00:48:13,167 --> 00:48:16,167 That's what his new heart, by the power of the Holy Spirit, 852 00:48:16,250 --> 00:48:18,125 wanted to do. 853 00:48:18,167 --> 00:48:21,125 Jesus didn't look at him and say, "You now belong to me. 854 00:48:21,167 --> 00:48:22,833 "I'm your new slave master. 855 00:48:22,875 --> 00:48:24,333 "You're chained to me. 856 00:48:24,375 --> 00:48:25,917 Follow me wherever I go." 857 00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:27,417 No way. 858 00:48:27,500 --> 00:48:29,167 His eyes opened up, "It's Jesus! 859 00:48:29,250 --> 00:48:31,083 "I'm going to stick close to you. 860 00:48:31,167 --> 00:48:32,917 "That's what I want to do. 861 00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:36,000 "Now that I have a new heart, new nature, new desires, Jesus, 862 00:48:36,083 --> 00:48:38,833 wherever you go, that's where I'm going." 863 00:48:38,875 --> 00:48:42,292 And history records, so it's not an equal authority of the Bible, 864 00:48:42,333 --> 00:48:47,417 that this guy actually got up and followed Jesus to Jerusalem. 865 00:48:47,500 --> 00:48:51,417 I don't even think he probably took time for a shower. 866 00:48:51,500 --> 00:48:53,500 It's like, "Jesus has got a huge posse 867 00:48:53,583 --> 00:48:55,333 "and one really stinky homeless guy. 868 00:48:55,375 --> 00:48:56,875 What's that?" 869 00:48:56,958 --> 00:48:59,500 "Oh, that was Blind Bart." 870 00:48:59,583 --> 00:49:01,875 "Well, now that he could see, he should shave." 871 00:49:01,958 --> 00:49:04,875 "Well, he'll get to that, but Jesus walked away and he just 872 00:49:04,958 --> 00:49:07,792 "wanted to stick close, so he'll get a haircut when Jesus 873 00:49:07,833 --> 00:49:11,333 "slows down, but Bart has been right next to Jesus ever since 874 00:49:11,375 --> 00:49:15,958 he got a new heart and some functional eyes." 875 00:49:18,542 --> 00:49:20,625 History tells us that he followed Jesus 876 00:49:20,667 --> 00:49:23,417 all the way to the cross. 877 00:49:23,500 --> 00:49:25,000 All the way to the cross. 878 00:49:25,083 --> 00:49:27,500 He was there with his eyes that now worked, 879 00:49:27,583 --> 00:49:33,167 watching his Lord get murdered. 880 00:49:36,292 --> 00:49:38,833 And apparently, if history's correct, 881 00:49:38,875 --> 00:49:44,500 when Jesus died and was buried, Blind Bart didn't abandon him. 882 00:49:44,583 --> 00:49:47,000 He hung around. 883 00:49:47,083 --> 00:49:50,708 I'm sure he was telling other people, "Look, I know he's dead. 884 00:49:50,792 --> 00:49:54,208 "I promise you, I've seen what he can do. 885 00:49:54,292 --> 00:49:55,667 "He'll figure this out. 886 00:49:55,750 --> 00:49:57,500 Just wait a little while." 887 00:49:57,542 --> 00:49:59,792 Three days later, Jesus rises from death 888 00:49:59,833 --> 00:50:01,292 and there's Blind Bart. 889 00:50:01,333 --> 00:50:04,333 "Hi Jesus! 890 00:50:04,375 --> 00:50:06,167 "Nice to have you back. 891 00:50:06,250 --> 00:50:09,208 My eyes still work. Where are we going now?" 892 00:50:09,292 --> 00:50:11,292 And he followed Jesus. 893 00:50:11,333 --> 00:50:13,708 And after Jesus ascended into heaven, we don't know, 894 00:50:13,792 --> 00:50:15,917 Blind Bart might have been there with functional eyes. 895 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:17,792 "There goes Jesus, okay. 896 00:50:17,833 --> 00:50:19,667 "I can't follow him now. 897 00:50:19,750 --> 00:50:22,500 "That's--I got a 30-inch vertical. 898 00:50:22,583 --> 00:50:25,875 That's not going to be enough." 899 00:50:25,958 --> 00:50:29,583 History records then he became a witness, preaching about Jesus, 900 00:50:29,667 --> 00:50:31,875 talking about Jesus, going places, 901 00:50:31,958 --> 00:50:35,833 telling his testimony for the rest of his life. 902 00:50:35,875 --> 00:50:39,500 That's a Christian, somebody who meets Jesus, gets changed, 903 00:50:39,583 --> 00:50:43,833 never recovers, worships, witnesses, walks with him. 904 00:50:46,042 --> 00:50:47,625 Walks with him. 905 00:50:47,667 --> 00:50:50,417 And friends, what keeps us from this 906 00:50:50,500 --> 00:50:52,833 is another form of blindness. 907 00:50:52,875 --> 00:50:56,375 And what I love about the Bible is the Bible will take physical 908 00:50:56,458 --> 00:51:01,000 truths and use them to teach spiritual truths. 909 00:51:01,083 --> 00:51:03,875 Because the same God who rules over the physical world 910 00:51:03,958 --> 00:51:06,208 rules over the spiritual world. 911 00:51:06,292 --> 00:51:10,917 And so the Bible often uses the analogy that sin is like 912 00:51:11,000 --> 00:51:17,333 blindness. That sin is like blindness. 913 00:51:17,375 --> 00:51:20,500 Paul says to the Corinthians, as one example, 914 00:51:20,583 --> 00:51:23,000 there are many in the Old and New Testament, 915 00:51:23,042 --> 00:51:25,375 that the god of this world has what? 916 00:51:25,458 --> 00:51:28,500 Blinded the minds of unbelievers so they don't see the glory 917 00:51:28,583 --> 00:51:30,208 of God and Christ. 918 00:51:30,292 --> 00:51:32,000 See, non-Christians are not stupid. 919 00:51:32,042 --> 00:51:33,792 They're blind. 920 00:51:33,833 --> 00:51:36,833 Yelling at them won't make them see. 921 00:51:36,875 --> 00:51:40,833 Hating them won't make them see. 922 00:51:40,875 --> 00:51:43,417 Telling them, "It's obvious. 923 00:51:43,500 --> 00:51:45,167 Do you not see it?" 924 00:51:45,250 --> 00:51:47,417 "I'm blind. No, I don't. 925 00:51:47,500 --> 00:51:50,833 "And now you just seem mean and cruel. 926 00:51:50,875 --> 00:51:53,500 "And since I've always been blind, 927 00:51:53,583 --> 00:51:57,333 I don't even know what you're talking about to have sight." 928 00:51:57,375 --> 00:51:59,667 Does this explain some of your frustration with non-Christian 929 00:51:59,750 --> 00:52:03,000 family, coworkers, friends? 930 00:52:03,042 --> 00:52:05,208 "Jesus is God. How come you can't see that?" 931 00:52:05,292 --> 00:52:07,833 "I don't." 932 00:52:07,875 --> 00:52:10,500 So we need to pray for a miracle of God, 933 00:52:10,583 --> 00:52:13,917 where Jesus touches them and opens their spiritual eyes 934 00:52:14,000 --> 00:52:19,083 just as he's opened our spiritual eyes. 935 00:52:19,167 --> 00:52:20,792 But sin is like blindness. 936 00:52:20,833 --> 00:52:24,000 Number one, it is an incurable condition. 937 00:52:24,042 --> 00:52:26,500 This man's condition was incurable. 938 00:52:26,583 --> 00:52:28,208 He needed a miracle. 939 00:52:28,292 --> 00:52:30,083 Our sin condition is incurable. 940 00:52:30,167 --> 00:52:32,708 We need Jesus to do a miracle. 941 00:52:32,792 --> 00:52:39,333 Number two, sin blinds us so that we don't see God clearly. 942 00:52:39,375 --> 00:52:44,083 We don't know him rightly, particularly about Jesus. 943 00:52:44,167 --> 00:52:47,583 Had you, for example, asked me prior to Jesus opening my 944 00:52:47,667 --> 00:52:51,417 blind eyes at the age of 19, "What do you think about Jesus?" 945 00:52:51,500 --> 00:52:53,833 "Oh, he's a nice guy, said some nice stories, 946 00:52:53,875 --> 00:52:55,833 helped some people, fed the poor." 947 00:52:55,875 --> 00:52:57,208 "Is he God?" 948 00:52:57,292 --> 00:52:58,708 "I don't see that." 949 00:52:58,792 --> 00:53:00,167 "Is he Lord?" 950 00:53:00,250 --> 00:53:01,583 "I don't see that." 951 00:53:01,667 --> 00:53:04,417 "Is he coming again to judge the living and the dead?" 952 00:53:04,500 --> 00:53:05,833 "I don't see that." 953 00:53:05,875 --> 00:53:07,583 "Should he tell you what to do?" 954 00:53:07,667 --> 00:53:09,083 "I definitely don't see that." 955 00:53:09,167 --> 00:53:11,625 I didn't see Jesus for who he was. 956 00:53:11,667 --> 00:53:16,125 When we're spiritually blind, we don't have the ability to cure 957 00:53:16,167 --> 00:53:17,500 our incurable condition. 958 00:53:17,583 --> 00:53:20,167 We don't see God and Christ for who he is. 959 00:53:20,250 --> 00:53:23,208 Number two, we don't see ourselves for who we are. 960 00:53:23,292 --> 00:53:25,125 We don't. 961 00:53:25,167 --> 00:53:28,583 We don't see ourselves for who we are. 962 00:53:28,667 --> 00:53:31,333 So some of you think, "I'm a really good person." 963 00:53:31,375 --> 00:53:33,500 You don't see yourself. 964 00:53:33,583 --> 00:53:36,000 Some of you would say, "Oh, I see myself. 965 00:53:36,083 --> 00:53:40,000 I see how sinful, broken, damaged goods I am." 966 00:53:40,083 --> 00:53:43,583 But if you don't have any hope, you don't have any joy, 967 00:53:43,667 --> 00:53:48,167 you don't have any Christ, you don't have any sight. 968 00:53:48,250 --> 00:53:53,917 People tend to see themselves as not needing a Savior 969 00:53:54,000 --> 00:53:57,917 or either being beyond salvation. 970 00:53:58,000 --> 00:54:01,333 One leads to pride. The other leads to despair. 971 00:54:01,375 --> 00:54:04,292 Neither lead to Jesus. 972 00:54:04,333 --> 00:54:06,417 We don't see ourselves. 973 00:54:06,500 --> 00:54:07,833 You're not damaged goods. 974 00:54:07,875 --> 00:54:09,208 You're not beyond hope. 975 00:54:09,292 --> 00:54:11,000 You're not broken irreparably. 976 00:54:11,042 --> 00:54:12,792 You're not beyond the grace of God. 977 00:54:12,833 --> 00:54:14,917 How'd we look at Blind Bart? 978 00:54:15,000 --> 00:54:20,250 There's no hope for him apart from Christ. 979 00:54:22,042 --> 00:54:25,167 But in Christ there's hope for him. 980 00:54:25,250 --> 00:54:29,375 Now, with Blind Bart, there's no hope in him. 981 00:54:29,458 --> 00:54:31,792 But in Christ, there's hope for him. 982 00:54:31,833 --> 00:54:34,792 You and I, exactly the same. 983 00:54:34,833 --> 00:54:39,000 There's no hope in us, but in Christ there's hope for us. 984 00:54:39,083 --> 00:54:42,083 So we could see ourselves and see our sin and be honest 985 00:54:42,167 --> 00:54:45,417 and be repentant and come clean and tell the story. 986 00:54:45,500 --> 00:54:48,375 And the story is, we're the villain, he's the hero. 987 00:54:48,458 --> 00:54:49,792 It was a total wreck. 988 00:54:49,833 --> 00:54:51,167 He showed up. 989 00:54:51,250 --> 00:54:53,375 I love Jesus. 990 00:54:53,458 --> 00:54:57,333 And thirdly, categorically, but fourthly in my points, 991 00:54:57,375 --> 00:55:04,500 we don't see--we don't see others clearly because of sin. 992 00:55:04,583 --> 00:55:08,417 Some of you look at people, you think, "They're beyond hope. 993 00:55:08,500 --> 00:55:10,208 "They're beyond help. 994 00:55:10,292 --> 00:55:12,208 "I don't know what to do for them. 995 00:55:12,292 --> 00:55:15,083 I don't know what to do with them." 996 00:55:15,167 --> 00:55:17,000 See, once our eyes are spiritually opened, 997 00:55:17,083 --> 00:55:19,833 we see people as Christ sees them. 998 00:55:19,875 --> 00:55:21,667 "Ah, they're blind. 999 00:55:21,750 --> 00:55:23,833 "They need Jesus. 1000 00:55:23,875 --> 00:55:26,708 "They need the power of God. 1001 00:55:26,792 --> 00:55:28,417 That's what they need." 1002 00:55:28,500 --> 00:55:31,292 And it gives us a heart of compassion because we remember, 1003 00:55:31,333 --> 00:55:33,583 "I was blind too. 1004 00:55:33,667 --> 00:55:37,000 "And without Jesus, I'd be as blind as they are. 1005 00:55:37,083 --> 00:55:40,667 "And so I'm not angry with them but I'm brokenhearted for them. 1006 00:55:40,750 --> 00:55:43,500 "And if I'm going to talk to them about one thing, 1007 00:55:43,583 --> 00:55:45,458 it's going to be Jesus." 1008 00:55:48,583 --> 00:55:50,833 I got the most encouraging letter today. 1009 00:55:50,875 --> 00:55:54,708 Most of my letters are not encouraging, just so you know. 1010 00:55:54,792 --> 00:55:57,125 A judge in Oregon today sent me a letter. 1011 00:55:57,167 --> 00:56:01,375 It was on my desk and it had the--had this on it, 1012 00:56:01,458 --> 00:56:05,083 had 2 crisp $100 bills. 1013 00:56:05,167 --> 00:56:07,500 A judge sent me 2 $100 bills. 1014 00:56:07,542 --> 00:56:11,000 My first thought was, "This could be bad." 1015 00:56:13,750 --> 00:56:16,833 And the judge said, "Apparently some years ago there was 1016 00:56:16,875 --> 00:56:23,833 "a homeless kid who was a meth addict who came to your church 1017 00:56:23,875 --> 00:56:29,833 and met Jesus and was talking to you," to me, 1018 00:56:29,875 --> 00:56:32,708 "and said--" and I think--I don't remember the story 1019 00:56:32,792 --> 00:56:34,333 but apparently, according to the letter, 1020 00:56:34,375 --> 00:56:37,625 I asked him something like, "Is there a safe place you can go 1021 00:56:37,667 --> 00:56:39,625 to get clean and to get better?" 1022 00:56:39,667 --> 00:56:41,917 And he said, "I could go home to Oregon." 1023 00:56:42,000 --> 00:56:44,167 I said, "Well then, now that you have Jesus, 1024 00:56:44,250 --> 00:56:47,167 you need to go home to your family and a safe place." 1025 00:56:47,250 --> 00:56:50,500 He said, "I can't afford it," so I gave him $100 to pay 1026 00:56:50,583 --> 00:56:51,917 for his bus fair. 1027 00:56:52,000 --> 00:56:53,708 I took it out of my pocket. 1028 00:56:53,792 --> 00:56:55,583 And the judge said, "He's doing great. 1029 00:56:55,667 --> 00:56:57,000 "He's still walking with Jesus. 1030 00:56:57,042 --> 00:56:58,375 "His whole life has changed. 1031 00:56:58,458 --> 00:57:01,000 Here's $200, do it 2 more times." 1032 00:57:01,083 --> 00:57:05,167 And I read that and I just thought, "That's amazing." 1033 00:57:05,250 --> 00:57:12,375 I mean, on my desk this morning, homeless, drug-addict, meth kid, 1034 00:57:12,458 --> 00:57:15,708 I don't know how many years later, doing great. 1035 00:57:15,792 --> 00:57:17,125 Still what? 1036 00:57:17,167 --> 00:57:20,708 Worshipping Jesus, apparently witnessing for Jesus 'cause 1037 00:57:20,792 --> 00:57:24,583 the judge knew about it, and walking with Jesus. 1038 00:57:26,583 --> 00:57:29,083 See, this isn't just something that Jesus did. 1039 00:57:29,167 --> 00:57:32,917 This is something that Jesus does. 1040 00:57:33,000 --> 00:57:36,417 And isn't it great that we get to be a part of it? 1041 00:57:36,500 --> 00:57:37,917 That's amazing. 1042 00:57:38,000 --> 00:57:40,292 And we get to talk to people about Jesus 1043 00:57:40,333 --> 00:57:41,917 and see their eyes open up. 1044 00:57:42,000 --> 00:57:46,917 We get to see literal salvation in the midst of what we call 1045 00:57:47,000 --> 00:57:48,833 Mars Hill Church. 1046 00:57:48,875 --> 00:57:51,000 I never get over this. 1047 00:57:51,083 --> 00:57:53,208 I never get over this when you're--see, 1048 00:57:53,292 --> 00:57:57,417 'cause we get to be kind of in the position where we're with 1049 00:57:57,500 --> 00:58:03,292 Jesus, alongside of him, talking to people about Jesus. 1050 00:58:03,333 --> 00:58:05,167 "Okay, let me tell you about Jesus. 1051 00:58:05,250 --> 00:58:08,625 Let me tell you about sin and who he is and what he does," 1052 00:58:08,667 --> 00:58:11,333 and all of a sudden we see blind people see. 1053 00:58:11,375 --> 00:58:14,125 And literally, their spiritual eyes open up and you know whose 1054 00:58:14,167 --> 00:58:16,167 face they get to see? 1055 00:58:16,250 --> 00:58:18,125 They get to see our face. 1056 00:58:18,167 --> 00:58:21,208 And the hope is that they would see the love of Christ 1057 00:58:21,292 --> 00:58:24,375 in the face of his people and that Jesus would allow us, 1058 00:58:24,458 --> 00:58:26,833 this is amazing to me, I never get over this, 1059 00:58:26,875 --> 00:58:29,917 that Jesus does this for people and that sometimes he puts us 1060 00:58:30,000 --> 00:58:32,375 there and says, "Okay, you try it. 1061 00:58:32,458 --> 00:58:34,833 You talk to them about me. See what happens." 1062 00:58:34,875 --> 00:58:36,500 "Okay Lord. 1063 00:58:36,542 --> 00:58:38,500 "Alright, well, here's--oh my gosh, 1064 00:58:38,542 --> 00:58:40,500 they were blind and now they see." 1065 00:58:40,542 --> 00:58:42,708 He's like, "I know, that's what I do." 1066 00:58:42,792 --> 00:58:45,500 That's amazing. 1067 00:58:45,542 --> 00:58:47,708 We get to be a part of that. 1068 00:58:47,792 --> 00:58:50,917 We get to talk to people about Jesus and see them go from 1069 00:58:51,000 --> 00:58:53,292 spiritual blindness to sight. 1070 00:58:53,333 --> 00:58:55,000 They see Jesus. 1071 00:58:55,042 --> 00:58:56,708 They worship him. 1072 00:58:56,792 --> 00:58:58,167 They witness. 1073 00:58:58,250 --> 00:58:59,917 They walk. 1074 00:59:00,042 --> 00:59:05,625 One day they die, they rise, and they see him face to face. 1075 00:59:05,667 --> 00:59:10,833 And some of you would ask, "Well, is this about religion?" 1076 00:59:10,875 --> 00:59:13,708 It's not, it's about Jesus. 1077 00:59:13,792 --> 00:59:16,333 Jesus already told us earlier in Luke's Gospel, 1078 00:59:16,375 --> 00:59:19,333 it's a great line, "Religion is the," what? 1079 00:59:19,375 --> 00:59:23,917 "Religion is the blind leading the blind." 1080 00:59:24,000 --> 00:59:25,792 That's religion. 1081 00:59:26,583 --> 00:59:28,083 That's religion. 1082 00:59:28,167 --> 00:59:29,500 Think of it this way. 1083 00:59:29,542 --> 00:59:32,833 Think of a line of people, think of a long line of people. 1084 00:59:32,875 --> 00:59:35,792 Blind guy, shoulder on--hand on the shoulder of another guy. 1085 00:59:35,833 --> 00:59:38,083 Okay, next guy, he's blind too. 1086 00:59:38,167 --> 00:59:40,417 Next guy, blind, blind, blind. 1087 00:59:40,500 --> 00:59:44,625 Long line, hundreds, thousands, millions of people. 1088 00:59:44,667 --> 00:59:50,125 Everybody in line is blind with their shoulder, 1089 00:59:50,167 --> 00:59:51,500 has a hand on it. 1090 00:59:51,583 --> 00:59:53,375 Somebody's trusting them. 1091 00:59:53,458 --> 00:59:55,125 Faith. 1092 00:59:55,167 --> 00:59:57,333 Their hand is on someone else's shoulder, trusting them. 1093 00:59:57,375 --> 01:00:00,292 They all have faith but not saving faith 'cause they have 1094 01:00:00,333 --> 01:00:01,792 the wrong object. 1095 01:00:01,833 --> 01:00:04,000 It's not faith that saves, it's Christ that saves, 1096 01:00:04,042 --> 01:00:06,000 and it's faith in Christ that saves. 1097 01:00:06,042 --> 01:00:08,625 You get all the way to the front of the line. 1098 01:00:08,667 --> 01:00:10,000 "Okay." 1099 01:00:10,083 --> 01:00:13,000 It's usually at the front, there's a guy in a hat, 1100 01:00:13,083 --> 01:00:14,417 you know? 1101 01:00:14,500 --> 01:00:18,292 There's a guy in a hat wearing a robe or a dress or a guy 1102 01:00:18,333 --> 01:00:20,500 wearing a dress or a suit, looks very official. 1103 01:00:20,583 --> 01:00:23,292 You get to the front, you think, 1104 01:00:23,333 --> 01:00:26,125 "Well, I hope that guy's not blind." 1105 01:00:26,167 --> 01:00:28,625 'Cause everybody's got faith in him. 1106 01:00:28,667 --> 01:00:33,167 You get to the front, "Oh man, it's a blind guy." 1107 01:00:36,667 --> 01:00:40,875 They're all following a blind guy, and they're all blind. 1108 01:00:40,958 --> 01:00:44,500 This isn't going to end well. 1109 01:00:44,542 --> 01:00:46,625 That's religion. 1110 01:00:46,667 --> 01:00:51,333 Religion is the blind leading the blind. 1111 01:00:51,375 --> 01:00:54,667 What we're talking about is blind people, 1112 01:00:54,750 --> 01:00:59,208 spiritually speaking, having their hearts and their 1113 01:00:59,292 --> 01:01:04,625 understanding and their minds opened up to see the face of God 1114 01:01:04,667 --> 01:01:09,500 and the face of Christ and to, by faith, 1115 01:01:09,583 --> 01:01:12,208 put a hand on his shoulder. 1116 01:01:12,292 --> 01:01:13,917 Just say, "Jesus, I trust you. 1117 01:01:14,000 --> 01:01:15,667 I'm following you." 1118 01:01:15,750 --> 01:01:17,875 'Cause he's the King and he brings a kingdom 1119 01:01:17,958 --> 01:01:20,625 that never ends. 1120 01:01:20,667 --> 01:01:24,208 Have you met Jesus? 1121 01:01:24,292 --> 01:01:27,417 Do you know him? Do you trust him? 1122 01:01:27,500 --> 01:01:31,708 Do you worship him? Do you walk with him? 1123 01:01:31,792 --> 01:01:37,000 If not, I pray that today you would have your eyes open. 1124 01:01:37,042 --> 01:01:38,625 Why don't we do this? 1125 01:01:38,667 --> 01:01:41,333 Why don't you close your eyes and I'll pray for us. 1126 01:01:41,375 --> 01:01:44,917 Father God, as we close our eyes, 1127 01:01:45,000 --> 01:01:50,417 we remember that apart from Jesus, we are spiritually blind. 1128 01:01:50,500 --> 01:01:53,000 We don't see you Lord, we don't see ourselves, 1129 01:01:53,042 --> 01:01:55,208 we don't see others. 1130 01:01:55,292 --> 01:01:57,958 We are blind. 1131 01:02:00,042 --> 01:02:02,208 God, for those of us who are Christians, 1132 01:02:02,292 --> 01:02:06,708 we just want to humbly say, "Thank you for spiritual sight." 1133 01:02:06,792 --> 01:02:10,125 Thank you for opening our eyes, spiritually speaking, 1134 01:02:10,167 --> 01:02:15,000 that we might see Jesus, that we might see ourselves and our sin, 1135 01:02:15,083 --> 01:02:18,000 that we might see others, that we might know that there is 1136 01:02:18,083 --> 01:02:22,000 no hope in us but in Christ there is complete hope for us. 1137 01:02:24,667 --> 01:02:28,292 God, as our eyes are closed, we remember those, God, 1138 01:02:28,333 --> 01:02:31,500 who are still blind spiritually. 1139 01:02:31,542 --> 01:02:34,000 We pray that you would open their hearts and minds. 1140 01:02:34,083 --> 01:02:38,500 We pray that you would have us to be your voice and face to 1141 01:02:38,542 --> 01:02:43,333 love and to serve and to speak about Jesus and that the gospel 1142 01:02:43,375 --> 01:02:46,333 would have the power of opening blind eyes. 1143 01:02:46,375 --> 01:02:51,167 Forgive us for the times, Lord, that we've been angry or mean or 1144 01:02:51,250 --> 01:02:57,000 pushy or rude to people who are blind instead of sympathetic and 1145 01:02:57,083 --> 01:03:00,667 compassionate and patient and prayerful and truthful. 1146 01:03:02,667 --> 01:03:08,792 God, as well, I pray for those who are here that don't know 1147 01:03:08,833 --> 01:03:13,875 you, maybe they know about you, maybe they're religious. 1148 01:03:13,958 --> 01:03:17,333 I pray, God, that you would send the Holy Spirit to open their 1149 01:03:17,375 --> 01:03:20,708 understanding to give them spiritual sight. 1150 01:03:20,792 --> 01:03:25,667 And Holy Spirit, we invite you to remind us of this magnificent 1151 01:03:25,750 --> 01:03:30,333 spiritual truth taught through a physical story, 1152 01:03:30,375 --> 01:03:32,708 that you open blind eyes. 1153 01:03:32,792 --> 01:03:34,833 So God, every time we open our eyes, 1154 01:03:34,875 --> 01:03:37,333 please send the Holy Spirit to remind us, 1155 01:03:37,375 --> 01:03:40,000 Jesus opens blind eyes. 1156 01:03:40,042 --> 01:03:45,417 God, every morning, perhaps, when we're tired or frustrated 1157 01:03:45,500 --> 01:03:52,208 or complaining or ungrateful and our eyes open, 1158 01:03:52,292 --> 01:03:55,792 let us start with worship and thanks. 1159 01:03:55,833 --> 01:03:58,000 And let us remember that, 1160 01:03:58,083 --> 01:04:02,208 God, you have opened our blind eyes. 1161 01:04:02,292 --> 01:04:07,333 God, every time we squint, every time we rub our eyes, 1162 01:04:07,375 --> 01:04:12,833 every time we open our eyes, please remind us of this great 1163 01:04:12,875 --> 01:04:18,125 story of Blind Bartimaeus and just let us remember 1164 01:04:18,167 --> 01:04:20,125 we're just a Blind Bartimaeus. 1165 01:04:20,167 --> 01:04:22,375 In Jesus' name, amen.