[0:00] Isaiah 9 verses 6 and 7. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
[0:22] Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end. On the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness.
[0:34] From this time forth and forevermore the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Yesterday we were reminded that in Isaiah's day the kings of Israel and Judah were far from perfect.
[0:49] Indeed many of them were very, very ungodly. And Isaiah is given the wonderful task of proclaiming that one day there will be a wonderful king, there will be a son, there will be a child born, and this one will be given the throne, and he will be the perfect king, the one whom we know as the Lord Jesus Christ.
[1:15] And his name shall be called, we're told, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
[1:27] We looked yesterday at this wonderful counselor in one incident recorded in John chapter 9, where Jesus sees this man who was born blind.
[1:39] He answers the disciples their question when they ask him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? What a situation.
[1:52] What would the wonderful counselor say? What kind of instruction would he give? And he tells him, don't be distracted. Devote yourselves to the work and the glory of God.
[2:04] Don't miss the opportunities. This is the day. We work together. We must work the works of him while it is day. The night comes when no one can work.
[2:17] And don't forget my uniqueness. I am the light of the world. Today we want to look at the same incident in John chapter 9.
[2:28] And this time see how the mighty God is at work in this incident. And what I would like us to do with God's help is imagine this man after it had all happened.
[2:43] And you came and spoke to him and said, what happened? What happened to you today in Jerusalem? And I think the first thing he would say to you is, the mighty God brought me to here.
[2:58] The mighty God brought me to here. Here was Jesus. And remember the disciples asked this question, Lord, who sinned? This man or his parents? And Jesus did not entertain that discussion at all.
[3:12] He didn't enter into sin and suffering. The relationship between the two, no, it was not a time for that. The wonderful counselor has always got it right.
[3:23] And he started speaking about the works of God. He started speaking about it being daytime. This is the day, the opportunity, the day of salvation.
[3:35] We mustn't miss it. And he started speaking of himself as the light of the world. And who's listening in to all of this? But this poor man who's got no eyesight.
[3:48] All he's got is his hearing. And he's listening to it all. And Jesus deliberately is making him hear. He doesn't draw the disciples aside.
[4:00] He deliberately makes them hear. Now, you might say, well, that's not really something in which the might of God is seen. But it is.
[4:11] The mighty God, that is so often the way he starts in someone's life. He just opens their ears. He makes them hear things that they'd never heard before.
[4:22] Things about himself. Things about himself as the light of the world. The way he's able to change things. You're here today really because your ears were opened.
[4:35] Not just your heart or your eyes or your mind or your will. Your ears were opened. You are here because you heard a message. You heard the message of the gospel of salvation.
[4:48] And that message stuck. It's stuck by the power of the Holy Spirit. And that's really precious. Now, you might say, well, it's not something ordinary.
[4:59] All I did was hear one day. And it meant something to me. But, you know, it's not ordinary. There's nothing ordinary about sinners who are dead in sin hearing the gospel with appreciation.
[5:17] A miracle happens. People are born again so that they are able to hear. And this man, he experienced the might of God in the presence of Jesus when Jesus simply spoke of himself in his hearing.
[5:36] And that's happened to every one of you. Will there be anyone sitting in these pews today who came to know Christ without hearing the gospel?
[5:50] Of course not. You have all heard the gospel. You've come into contact with the Savior through this blessed gospel. It's no mistake that the mighty God, the King, sent out people to preach the gospels far and wide.
[6:12] Every nation on earth is to be reached with the gospel. And the end will not come until that has happened. And the might of God will make sure it happens.
[6:25] When you come to hear the gospel being preached, whether it be in the pulpit or in the fireside, just remember, it's the might of God that is at work.
[6:36] Opening people's hearts. And that's what happened with this man here. He heard. He heard Jesus speak of himself as the light of the world.
[6:48] This is the day of opportunity. You can't pass it by. And he said to the man, having put mud on his eyes, go wash in the pool of Siloam.
[6:59] And you know what's amazing? The man did it. He actually did it. He walked through Jerusalem with mud on his eyes.
[7:09] And he went and washed. And that's absolutely amazing. Only the might of God could have made him hear that message with appreciation.
[7:23] So that he wasn't just a hearer of the word. He became a doer. And that's what happens in gospel ministry. But there's a second thing here.
[7:37] This man would be able to say at the end of the day, the mighty God brought me to sea. The mighty God brought me to sea.
[7:50] There he was at the pool of Siloam. Mud on his eyes. Can't see the pool. He knows it's there. Maybe somebody's leading him, guiding him.
[8:01] But there he is at the pool of Siloam. And he reaches down. And he takes some water in his hands. And he washes away the mud. And as soon as he does so, it must have been brilliant.
[8:15] Every connection in his brain that enabled him to see was immediately fixed. Every connection was right. And he was able to see.
[8:27] We're not told, as we are about another man, that he saw imperfectly. And then later on, as Jesus did more, he saw even more.
[8:39] No, no. This man, we're told, he washed and he came back, seeing. He came away from Jesus, having heard a message.
[8:51] And he comes back to Jesus. And he sees the one who is the Savior. The mighty God.
[9:02] What a miracle. I mean, there are miracles of modern science. There are wonderful things happening. You may study the technology. You may watch programs about the human body.
[9:16] Isn't it fascinating? We're only catching up with God. We're only following his footsteps. We're understanding that the smallest parts that we cannot see are as important as the biggest bodies in the universe.
[9:33] God made them all. But God didn't just make them all. He can fix them when they're broken. He can actually heal them.
[9:46] Yes, you could say, oh, that man maybe was blind because of his own sin. Because of the sin of his parents. Because of Adam's sin.
[9:57] There would be no suffering in the world were it not for sin. Well, Jesus the King has certainly come into the world. And he comes as the mighty God.
[10:08] And he's going to restore things. He's going to change things. He's going to restore everything to the way it should be. And he does it in this one man and his two eyes.
[10:23] He restores them both. He comes back seeing. The mighty God enabled him to see. You know, for the rest of his days, it must have been thrilling.
[10:38] But even for the rest of that Sabbath day, how wonderful. He may have thought, I wonder how long this will last. I wonder if it will last an hour.
[10:51] Will I make it into the afternoon? Will I make it into the evening? Will I make it into the evening? But it lasted. He continued to see. And every time people asked him, What happened?
[11:03] He just tells them, He told me to go and wash. And I saw. I see. One thing I know. I was blind. Now I see.
[11:15] And for him, the truth of it was so wonderful. So brilliant. And it's the Lord, the mighty God, who is making this happen.
[11:28] Of course, he's beginning to see things. He's beginning to see things, not just with his physical eyes. He's beginning to see things spiritually. And we'll come on to that in a moment.
[11:40] But isn't it wonderful to know that the mighty God is at work restoring things in Christ. He is the king.
[11:51] And he's not just the king. He's the king acting in God's name. And he's the king acting with the full might of God.
[12:03] God is with him. His spirit is poured out upon him. And God wants him to restore everything so that it'll be just right.
[12:16] Imagine being in a world where all the connections are just right. Imagine a world where things always work.
[12:27] Where our bodies will never fail. Where we will be equipped to do everything that the spirit wants us to do. Imagine being in a world where your mind will not fail you.
[12:41] Imagine being able always to honor him. Always, always, almost repeating the words of Christ, I always do what pleases him.
[12:55] That's your future. That's what the mighty God is going to do. He's doing it through his son Jesus. The mighty God made me to see.
[13:08] But then there's a third thing here. He would say, the mighty God brought me to understand. And that's beautiful, you see.
[13:20] This man, he wasn't just blind and hearing a message that made sense to him. He's not just a man that is able to see with his physical eyes.
[13:33] His mind is opening up beautifully. He is beginning to understand things, especially about the one through whom God healed him.
[13:48] He is understanding things about whom we, the one whom we know as the mighty God himself. You'll notice that the first thing he says about this man when folks are asking him who healed him, he says, the man himself, he says, was a prophet.
[14:08] A prophet. Somebody who is sent by God to speak the message of God. He is a prophet. In verse 17, what do you say about him since he has opened your eyes?
[14:20] He said he is a prophet. Now you can understand that. That's no small thing. He actually believed that Jesus came with a message from God.
[14:32] He's a prophet. prophet. Why else did he obey him? Why else did he go to the pool of Siloam? Jesus said, go, wash, and he did it.
[14:44] Why did he do it? Because he believed that this was a prophet sent by God and he obeyed instinctively. A change had happened.
[14:57] He already understood him to be a prophet. somebody who came with a message from God for him specially.
[15:09] Isn't that exactly what has happened to you? Do you realize that your conversion was an act that was special for you in the eyes of God?
[15:25] He deliberately sent that message of the gospel to you so that you would hear it. You might say, well, it wasn't Jesus the prophet who came to me.
[15:38] It was a minister or an elder or a godly father or a godly sister. It was somebody in the community that brought the message to me. No, these were the channels.
[15:53] These were the agents that God used. It was Jesus who came to you. In fact, Jesus came with the message through these people.
[16:06] And it was meant for you. You were not excluded. You were included. It was as special as it was for this blind man.
[16:17] He knew he was special that day. He knew that this man wasn't just a prophet. He was a prophet sent to speak to him. Isn't that amazing?
[16:30] Have you ever managed to get over the fact that God opened your ears so you could hear the word he always meant for you?
[16:42] It's no small thing. The mighty God, you see, he doesn't just send a message. He doesn't just open your ears to hear the message.
[16:54] He actually convinces you. It's the word of God. Remember the Thessalonians. Thessalonians, they were Christians there in the church in Thessalonica.
[17:11] And how were they converted? Paul came to them with words. No. It was much, much more than that. The word of God was there when Paul preached.
[17:22] And the Holy Spirit blessed it to them. They heard the word of God with the Holy Spirit, with much conviction. They were absolutely certain God was speaking to them.
[17:36] And they turned from their idols. They turned and they began to serve the living and true God. They began to wait for a Jesus they had never seen before.
[17:47] they were expecting him to come. They've been with him now for 2,000 years. Brilliant. The word of God came to them.
[18:00] Oh, you know, there's a mighty work going on in the world today. You won't hear of it on the news at 10. You won't hear of these things. You won't read of it in the newspapers, but there's a mighty work of God going on.
[18:14] God is making people understand a message that's been sent to them personally. But there's more than that.
[18:26] This man is brought to understand Jesus, not just as a prophet. Much, much more than that. He actually sees that this man, as he says in verse 31, is a worshipper of God.
[18:43] We know that God does not listen to sinners. If anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, God listens to him. This is what the man says.
[18:55] The man who came to me as a prophet from God, I know he worships God. I know that he's doing the will of God, and I know God listens to him.
[19:10] Now, isn't that quite amazing? What does he know about Jesus? He knows that Jesus has been sent with a message, and Jesus is a worshipper even as he is a preacher.
[19:24] He is honouring his father even as he's declaring the message, I am the light of the world. That's what he says to the blind man, and at the same time, he's worshipping God.
[19:37] It's as if he's saying to the father, Father, in your honour, I want to tell people, I am the light of the world, and I want them to follow me so that they will know you.
[19:49] And that's it. He's a worshipper of God. And this man somehow spiritually understood that this Jesus is a worshipper of God.
[20:05] And this Jesus is doing the will of God. Isn't that amazing? He actually believes that this person who's speaking to him, especially doing God's will, go and wash in the pole of Siloam.
[20:23] Is that God's will? The man says, yes. Just as you, when you heard the message of the gospel, repent and believe in the good news.
[20:35] Is it meant for me? And you said, yes, it is. I know it is. This is God's will for me.
[20:47] That's why you heard it. That's why you understood it. But he also says, God listens to this man.
[20:59] God listens to him. But you might say, Jesus hasn't asked for anything. Hasn't he? he? Hasn't he?
[21:13] Not all of Jesus' prayers are audible. Remember when Jesus was standing at the tomb of Lazarus, he prays audibly in front of the people and then asks Lazarus to come out.
[21:31] God said, but here he doesn't audibly pray to the Father, open the eyes of this man. And yet this man believes that Jesus asked God to open his eyes and God listened.
[21:51] that's beautiful. That's what happened to you, you know. Friday night we were talking in the fellowship about intercession.
[22:03] That's exactly what happened. Your eyes were opened because somebody stood between you and God and asked for you.
[22:13] you. He asked for your salvation. The most beautiful thing of all is that God sent him to ask him for your salvation.
[22:27] God gave the sheep to him and now he asks the Father save these sheep. That's happened to you. So this man, he actually believes that God listens to Jesus on his account.
[22:49] There's more than that. When Jesus heard that the man had been cast out, imagine casting out of your fellowship people who believe that Jesus is a prophet, that Jesus worships God, that Jesus is doing the will of God, that God listens to Jesus.
[23:08] Imagine casting somebody out who believes that. That's awful. But Jesus heard that they had cast him out. He went and found him and said, Do you believe in the Son of Man?
[23:25] Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him? You've seen him. It is he who is speaking to you. Isn't that beautiful? He tells him he's the Son of Man.
[23:39] He doesn't even explain who Son of Man is. He doesn't expound Daniel chapter 7 and verse 13 and 14. He doesn't say that this Son of Man is the name of a king, a king who goes to the Ancient of Days.
[23:56] The Ancient of Days gives him power, power to rescue the suffering saints of the Most High. He doesn't explain these things. He just says, do you believe in the Son of Man?
[24:11] And the man just says, who is he, sir? I'm listening to you. Who is he that I may believe in him? I'm ready to believe if you point him out to me.
[24:23] I trust you. You're the prophet. You're a worshipper of God. You do the will of God. God listens to you. You're the one to my open. You tell me and I'll believe.
[24:37] And Jesus says, you have seen him. It is he who is speaking to you. And he reminds him almost in reverse order of what happened.
[24:49] You're seeing him. Remember, your eyes were opened. I'm speaking to you right now. Your ears are opened.
[25:02] And that was all the man needed. That's all he needed. He believed. Lord, he says, I believe. And he worshipped him.
[25:19] This mighty God is bringing him to understand more and more and more.
[25:29] is that your experience. It begins with hearing the gospel. It begins with see, it goes on to see things that you've never seen before.
[25:44] You're able to see the glory of God. And increasingly, you're seeing that glory in the face of Jesus Christ. who is it who has increased in your estimation since you first began following the Lord?
[26:06] Have you learned to explore God himself? God as he is in Jesus. Jesus as your God, man, saviour.
[26:19] have you explored him? Have you been impressed with him? Have you seen increasingly, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3, have you seen the glory?
[26:32] And it's going from strength to strength. You're seeing more and more. It's beautiful. This man, I think he was a believer in God at the beginning of the day.
[26:48] He's a believer in God who is present in Jesus by the end of the day. He believes that God is at work through this mighty God, his own son, Jesus.
[27:08] So far, then, have you heard? It's a miracle. Are you seeing? It's a miracle.
[27:20] Are you understanding? That's a miracle. Do you know this? At every stage of the Christian's life, you are intended to learn, to grow, to increase, to abound.
[27:38] If you look at the verbs that Paul talks and uses when he is encouraging Christians, he uses the verb, I know he says you have faith and love in the Lord Jesus Christ and you know what?
[27:55] I'm praying for you. You've been converted, but I'm praying for you. What are you praying for us, Paul? That you might grow in wisdom and understanding, that you might know him more and more, that you might increase in the knowledge of him.
[28:14] Paul, is there more to know? You are right, there is more to know. You can have a lifetime exploring this person, this mighty God, and you will still feel that there are depths that you haven't fathomed.
[28:32] If a stage ever comes where you feel your God has become manageable, you've got him in a box, you've put him in a file, you can put him on your computer in a folder, you can stack him as one of your treasured possessions, you've got him, you've nailed him, you've understood him.
[28:55] If that's where your God is, I'm afraid that you are wrong. You do know him, but you realize how much there is to know.
[29:09] Can you imagine this man as the day went on when he was being challenged by people, challenged by the Pharisees, challenged by the leaders, challenged even by the Lord himself, and every time, instead of under the challenge, being crushed and saying, oh no, I must have got it wrong.
[29:30] This wasn't a prophet. This wasn't somebody who worships God. Yes, he must be a sinner. You've got to be right. You're educated people. You're the leader. Yes, you must be right.
[29:42] I got it wrong. Sorry. No. Even under the challenge from the most learned people in the community, he refuses to back down.
[29:54] Even when he's cast out of the synagogue, and he's probably the most lonely believer, he still doesn't back down. He doesn't say, oh please, don't put me out.
[30:06] Just keep me in your fellowship. That's what I need more than anything else. No, no. They cast him out because he would not back down. Why?
[30:18] Because he knew the truth about Jesus. And he knew it so much that he wouldn't give it up for anybody or anything. And when Jesus challenged him, do you believe in the Son of Man?
[30:35] man? I mean, you might have thought when Jesus found him, you might have thought, well, Jesus will hug him. Jesus will say, well done to you.
[30:49] You believe that I'm a prophet, that I worship God, that I do the will of God, that God listens to me. Well done to you.
[31:00] But Jesus says, I want you to know even more about me. Do you believe in the Son of Man? You see, there's big theology here.
[31:12] And he wants the man to grow in understanding. And that's why God sends out people filled with his spirit, equipped to share the gospel, equipped to explore the treasures of scripture.
[31:29] That's why he has brought people like yourselves into fellowship with one another, so that you can explore God together. There is so much to know.
[31:40] Do you know Jesus as the Son of Man? Do you really, really think of him in Stornoway in the Isle of Lewis as the Son of Man?
[31:53] You call him Lord, you call him Jesus, you call him Christ. Do you worship the Son of Man? Or is that a no-go area?
[32:06] Jesus seems to be beckoning us, find out more about me. I wonder, I've often wondered, this man, once Jesus left him, did he go and find somebody who had the Hebrew scriptures and says, can you look up Son of Man for me?
[32:29] Can you tell me what's there in Daniel? Can you help me to know I believe in him, but I just want to know more about whom I have believed?
[32:45] And isn't that what's true of all of the Lord's people? But you see, this man hasn't just been brought by the mighty God to hear, brought by the mighty God to see, brought by the mighty God to understand, this man has been brought by the mighty God to worship.
[33:07] To worship. And it's pure and simple. He worshipped him. I believe, Lord, and he worshipped him.
[33:20] I wonder what happened at that moment. Did he go down on his knees? Was he prostrate before him? He could see him.
[33:34] I mean, Jesus would have looked like any human being. Probably average height, two eyes, a nose, a mouth, the same features as any human being.
[33:50] And yet here's this man on the first day which he's ever been able to see in his life. And he's worshipping someone who looks like a man, but whom he knows to be more than a man.
[34:07] He is the mighty God. And he's utterly unashamed of it. You're worshipping a mighty God.
[34:19] You are. a Christian, a Christ one. But think of the thrill that you are worshippers today, of one who is the mighty God, who opened your ears, your eyes, your heart, changed your will, and you are characterised today as a Christian, a Christ one, a worshipper of God in Jesus.
[34:58] Beautiful. The mighty God. You heard his counsel. You've experienced his power. Let's now sing some verses from Psalm 116.
[35:13] Psalm 116 in the New Sing Psalms. That's on page 154.
[35:32] 154. And we'll sing there verses 1 to 9. You can, if you like, think of the blind man, now seeing, singing such words.
[35:48] You can think of yourself, now seeing, singing such words. You can think of your fellow believers, and rejoice with one another, because this is true of you.
[36:01] I love the Lord, because he heard my voice, he listened when I cried to him for aid. I'll call on him as long as I shall live, because he turned to hear me when I prayed.
[36:16] Psalm 116 verses 1 to 9. Let us stand to sing. I love the Lord, because he heard my voice, praise, he listened when I cried to him for aid.
[36:44] I call on him as so so as I shall live, because he turned to hear me when I pray.
[37:02] The courts of death, great and lived and guilt me, upon me gave thee anguish of the grave.
[37:23] With grief and trouble I was overcome. Then on the name of God I called Lord say, the Lord our God is high and full of grace, O righteous and compassion it is thee, the Lord protect all those of childlike faith.
[38:13] When I was in great he rescued me. Rest, O my soul, God has been good to you.
[38:34] Are you, O Lord, rest, did my soul come there, my feet from some way, and my eyes from tears, that I made it for you, while I have breath.
[39:07] mezza she fish for buffalo