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Amen. So for those of you that haven't been with us, we've been going through week by week the Gospel of John. We have previously studied 1st Corinthians which I thought was a great book for us as a new church and obviously the Gospel of John has just got some amazing truths in it, great gospel to go through. We're up to chapter 9 now and chapter 9, you know, what a great chapter and interesting chapter as well if you think how, you know, that story there about that blind man is really expanded upon like no other story of a blind person in, you know, in any of the Gospels is it or no other healing is expanded like this. So really interesting, we can get a lot from this and it starts in verse 1 with, and as Jesus passed by saw a man which was blind from his birth and his disciples asked him saying master who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind. Jesus answered, neither have this man sinned nor his parents but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. Let's have a quick prayer. Father I thank you for your word, I thank you for this amazing gospel, I thank you for the truths that we're hopefully going to learn today. Please just fill me with boldness, filled me with your spirit, help me to preach to open hearts and open ears and in all these things we ask in Jesus name, Amen. Okay so first two there and his disciples asked him, say master who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind. Now the first part is quite an odd question isn't it, how did this man sin to be born blind. Brother do you mind just stopping that for a second, thank you. How did, yeah, how did this man sin to be born blind, yeah, you ever thought that when you've read this? So they say, you know, who did sin this man, what, so he sinned in the womb? I don't understand what they mean here but but either they're the type that like to pin any issue on someone sinning and there are many like that aren't there, there are many people there, any problem in your life as a Christian, what sin have they got in their life you know and we could do that can't we, we could all probably be guilty that to some degree when someone's going through a hard time wondering if it's punishment, chastisement but you can obviously go too far the other way with that can't you, you can go to the point where you don't recognise any chastisement in life you know because oh well it's, you know, no way, it can't be anything to do with my sin, now obviously if you're in open sinning, you're willfully sinning, you know that's probably a, you know, a good thing to be thinking about when you're going through a hard time, when you're having chastisement, when there is punishment in life but it's not something we should just assume with people should we, we should just be looking at people trying to pick out the sin, trying to assume they've sinned because that's between them and God and a lot of, we go, we have to go through trials and tribulations, a lot of the time it's for the glory of God to be revealed in that and for other things it's going through life, it's going through the hardships of life as well because God never promised us did he that life would be easy, in fact he promised us that we should, we will have tribulation didn't he. Okay so perhaps they think it's some sort of preemptive punishment for future sins, I don't know, but why his parents? He said master who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind? Well turn to 1 Kings 21, while you're turning I'm going to read you Exodus 20 verse 5, so this is, this is after, this is the Ten Commandments, after the commandment talking about graven images, it says thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. Exodus chapter 34 verse 7 says that this is the Lord, he's talking of himself to Moses, he says keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generation. Now I think we can sometimes gloss over that a bit with the Ten Commandments, now look at 1 Kings, look at chapter 21 and from verse 25, now this is an example, a great example of this with the wicked King Ahab, so from verse 25, but there was none like unto Ahab which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord whom Jezebel his wife stirred up and he did very abominably in following idols according to all things as did the Amorites whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel and it came to pass when Ahab heard those words he rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his flesh and fasted in laying sackcloth and went softly and the words of the word of the Lord came on came to Elijah the Tishbite saying see as how Ahab humbleth himself before me because he humbleth himself before me I will not bring the evil in his days but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house and that's pretty interesting considering how wicked if anyone's read through the book of Kings a few times even once and you focus on Ahab I mean he does some crazy stuff didn't he admittedly a lot probably under the influence of his wife Jezebel but still he he was doing some some terrible stuff now this is fulfilled if you go to 2nd Kings chapter 9 and verse 24 this is fulfilled when Jehu kills Ahab's son Jehoram so we see in verse 24 and Jehu drew a bow with his full strength and smoked Jehoram between his arms and the arrow went out at his heart and he sunk down in his chariot then said Jehu to Bitkiah his captain take up and cast him in a portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite for remember how that when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father the Lord laid this burden upon him and remember we talked about Naboth last week didn't we and about basically them just ripping him off and murdering him to take his vineyard now this is also fulfilled just go forward a couple of chapters 2nd Kings chapter 10 verse 7 where Jehu has the rest of his sons killed and in verse 7 it says 2nd Kings 10 7 and it came to pass when the letter came to them that they took the king's sons and slew 70 persons and put their heads in baskets and sent him them to Jezreel now you could look at that couldn't you you could look at that and say well that's a bit harsh that's a bit harsh it wasn't their fault that Ahab did what he did could you I mean some might okay but it was Ahab's fault wasn't it it wasn't their fault but it was Ahab's fault and he chose to not only ignore God's commandments but to do all sorts of wicked sins alongside his wife Jezebel didn't he Ahab chose to do that he chose to do that turn to 1st Kings 16 and let's just see what you know when we're talking about that you know some of the wickedness Ahab did 1st Kings 16 and from verse 30 and Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him and it came to pass as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians and went and served Baal and worshipped him and he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he had built in Samaria and Ahab made a grove and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were that were before him now that's despite the Ten Commandments warning him of the consequences and look there are consequences for sin aren't there and we all know that there are consequences for sin beyond just on ourselves okay it's not just on ourselves there are consequences for sin and yet praise God that we're you know for eternity we're never going to have to be punished in hell everyone here that's put their faith the Lord Jesus Christ you know is death, burial and resurrection paying for all their sins praise God that we you know we don't have to go to hell but but in life there are consequences aren't there and we've talked about this in previous sermons but it's not just on ourselves there are consequences for our sins now maybe some of those 70 sons were young enough maybe not to have their names blotted out of the book of life yet maybe maybe some of those 70 sons were saved who knows but God had clearly warned his people hadn't he clearly warned about the consequences and despite the split with Judah Israel were still getting warned by God weren't they Elijah was preaching at Ahab preaching clearly Ahab but he continued in his sins it's not God's fault is it it's not God's fault you know we God is who he is God is clear who God is through the Bible isn't it he makes it clear the repercussions and it's up to them and it's up to us whether or not we're going to follow what God says now for us Christians look maybe chastisement from God isn't making us take our sins seriously because sometimes like I said we can excuse them away justify it away oh well well you know I don't think it was chastisement you know it maybe it was just the way things go or maybe it was because of this and we can I think many can probably try and find a way of justifying it and trying to find a way of saying it wasn't and that is sometimes we'll explain it away but the effects on our children and their children is something that we should also consider isn't it we should consider that because look and people might be looking at this secure oh yeah but that's the Old Testament and you know oh that's that mean old God you know oh well that's the you know the Ten Commandments there oh we're living under grace yeah we are living under grace aren't we and praise God we don't have to go to hell praise God we're going to be in heaven but those of you with kids have you ever noticed how young they seem to display some of your sins you notice that now people go oh they're just like their mom or just like their dad and usually it's talking about some sort of sinful trait it's it really now sometimes it's a personality trait which is it but usually it's a flesh isn't it and usually it's a simple trait and I'll tell you what a lot of the time they haven't learned it off you because I know from you know you see little parts of your kids and stuff and they basically just inherited some sort of sin of yours some sort of trait of yours and sometimes it seems to be a bit might like what's the word it seems to be basically just just massively multiplied as well you're looking at your kids and you think okay I remember like sometimes be a bit like that and your kid just is displaying it in a massive way and obviously you want to train that out of your child and you know through the Word of God through how God tells us to train our kids but it is often too young to have learnt them as well from an early age you start seeing those sins and they're being repeated and God said visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generation isn't that another great just just great what's the word great just just encouragement for us not to sin isn't it shouldn't it be shouldn't it just be like look just try your best get that out of your life even if you think oh whatever I deal with the chastisement or is he really going to check out well he knows I'm I'm you know I'm a bit sinful well he understands me you know he knows that I've got the flesh yeah what about your kids yeah even if you want to you want to explain away the chastisement what about your kids we want our kids to live the best life they can and I tell you what let our sins do get visited upon them okay verse 3 Jesus answered neither have this man sinned nor his parents but that the works of God should be made manifest in him okay with this guy here it wasn't a punishment was it it wasn't a punishment it was so that the works of God should be made manifest in him he's about to be healed yeah he's about to be healed now again the worldly view here might be that poor man that poor man blind from birth for God to use him to show a miracle you could see some people trying to say that but just being blind automatically mean a bad life does being blind mean you're gonna have an unhappy life and an automatically bad life you know does does any disability does a disability mean that you're gonna have a really bad unhappy life because I know plenty of able-bodied men and women that seem to have a mess of a life and they're clearly extremely unhappy I'm sure we could all say the same can we there are many people that seem to have everything working well seem to be blessed with all good fortune if you want to call it that and all sorts of you know that all the blessings of life and they're still unhappy they're still miserable I know it's a very wealthy people are very very miserable very unhappy now the world says because the world says you better check for any form of disability so then you can have your baby murdered in the womb doesn't the world say that the world tries to tell you to check to double check they might you don't have this you want to double check so you can make that decision it's wicked isn't it absolutely wicked but what's our line where's the line for health and physical physical ability to decide whether someone is worthy of life it's to decide whether or not we we can justify having them murdered it there is no line is there there's no line absolutely no line it is wicked now this man here he's about to go down in history isn't he he's about to go down in history he's about to get saved and be a great example to millions of Christians worldwide what a blessing hey what a blessing now verse 4 and don't forget this guy's gonna have eternity in heaven as well and that's another thing we've got to remember as well whatever we have in our physical life on this earth that vapor of a life that short time it's nothing compared with the glory that we're gonna have for eternity through eternity and we can so often bemoan whatever we think we should have shouldn't have got in our small life here but it's what you make of it while you're here because it's eternity that matters now verse 4 says I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when no man can work so Jesus is showing a sense of urgency here isn't he working whilst he can in verse 5 he says as long as I am in the world I am the light of the world so he's doing the works of God is showing himself to be the light of the world now without Christ or at night you can't do the works of God can you okay no one's doing the works of God without Christ you reject Jesus Christ as your Savior you you want to just you know do things you are well yeah you know I like Christianity but I don't need a Savior you know you're not gonna do the works of God are you you can do some works you think are good but all filthy rags aren't they now verse 6 says when he had thus spoken he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay and said unto him go wash in the pool of Siloam which is my interpretation sent he went his way therefore and washed and came seeing now this is amazing miracle isn't he was blind from birth and now he can see but why the spit the clay and the washing anyone thought about that before anyone ever wondered that when you go through through not just this story because there's similar stories in mark 7 and 8 where Jesus spits doesn't he as part of the healing I think there's one way spits on his fingers and puts him in the ear as well he spits on and puts his fingers on the tongue does Jesus need to spit to heal him do you think of course not this is this is Jesus Christ so I believe it's a picture of salvation so I believe that Jesus is I believe it and I might be wrong here you know I'm not dogmatic about this still be interesting what everyone else thinks afterwards maybe but I think he's giving part of himself to this man I think he's spitting on the ground and it's giving himself isn't it's giving part of his body in fact he's giving himself to the ground you could I might be going too far here reading death burial and resurrection there maybe not but resulting in a washed or sanctified body yeah so after is he's giving himself and after is you have a sanctified a sanctified man after is now again I might be way out to lunch on that if I am by all means tell me after is no no no you got that wrong brother and it's actually because you know but I'm interested what other people think so talk to me afterwards about that but the blind man comes back having his eyes open doesn't he so he comes back his eyes are open of course a lot of healing in the Gospels is a picture of salvation but the guy's not saved at this point but it's obviously a lot of it is a picture again I might be wrong there but that's how I see that now verse 8 says the neighbors therefore and they which before had seen him that he was blind said is not this he that sat and begged some said this is he others said he is like him but he said I am he about that he is like him these are neighbors of his yeah but nothing's changed about his appearance other than his eyes opening yeah I'm not suddenly someone different if I got my eyes okay so they're convincing themselves aren't they they're convincing themselves that it's someone who looks identical to him and people do that don't they try any way to justify the works of God the miracles of God and like we've talked about before how many times the family and friends and people you know try and justify in their minds the differences that you might make in your life after salvation don't know yeah and it's like well you know well everyone needs something you know I'm really pleased that you've got something in your life you know you know if that helps you to be good or that helps you not to do this and that and I'm really pleased for you know and they do don't they try their best to justify it to explain it why here they say well he's like him you know but yeah of course it was him now verse 10 therefore said they unto him how were thine eyes opened he answered and said a man that is called Jesus made clay and anointed mine eyes and said unto me go to the pool of Siloam and wash and I went to wash and I received sight then said they unto him where is he he said I know not they brought to the Pharisees him that a full time was blind and it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes so here we go again you know Sabbath day right verse 15 then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight he said unto them he put clay upon mine eyes and I washed and do see therefore said some of the Pharisees this man is not of God because he keepeth not the Sabbath day others said how can a man that is a sinner do such miracles and there was a division among them now remember that Jesus gave them the example in chapter 7 we saw this a couple of weeks ago of them choosing to circumcise on the Sabbath day and to judge righteous judgment okay so obviously they they're happy to circumcise a man if it foot if the eighth day falls on the Sabbath day oh yeah that's fine or a man being you know a boy but but no no you can't heal someone I mean it's absolutely ridiculous isn't it now Luke chapter 12 51 says suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth I tell you nay but rather division and we see a division among them there don't we there was a division among them and Jesus Christ causes division doesn't he it causes much division now verse 17 they say unto the blind man again what sayest thou of him that he hath opened thine eyes he said he is a prophet like I said it was a picture of salvation this guy clearly isn't saved at this point is he okay he's calling him a prophet and many people around the world called Jesus Christ the Prophet they are not saved you are not saved but he not and there's no different way to God and you know the all these billions of Muslims around the world well yeah we believe like they think they've got common ground yeah we believe as a prophet you're denying that he's the Christ that's what you're doing now he knows that he is of God though doesn't he at the least he knows he is of God at this point verse 18 but the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and received his sight until they called the parents of him that had received his sight so his neighbors have brought him to the Pharisees yeah and he has also testified and they still don't believe him yeah so the neighbors have bought him he says why they still don't believe him now you could say okay well if a group of people came in here with a guy claiming that he was blind but was healed we would probably all be a bit skeptical wouldn't we I think we would all be massively skeptical sure yeah sure sure he was healed by that guy there but don't forget we're in John chapter 9 here and when you put the four Gospels side by side there has been literally dozens of healings miracles his fate fame has gone all abroad yeah everyone everyone in the area knows not only that they're seeking him to kill him so they want to kill him at this point they know all this stuff we like a couple of years down the line of his ministry now and it's not that well who is this guy they know exactly who he is they know exactly who he is and what he's been doing and they're still trying to find any way to deny what he's done aren't they they just will not have it they will deny Christ at all costs verse 19 says and they asked him saying is this your son who you say was born blind how then doth he now see his parents answered them and said we know that this is our son and that he was born blind but by what means he now seeth we know not or who has opened his eyes we know not he is of age ask him he shall speak for himself these words spake his parents because they feared the Jews for the Jews had agreed already that if any man did confess that he was Christ he should be put out of the synagogue therefore said his parents he is of age ask him so his parents here by this point are aware that Jesus has healed him aren't they okay because they've said here the in verse 22 these words make his parents because they fear the Jews for the Jews had agreed already that if any man did confess that he was Christ you should be put out in the synagogue that's why they're denying here nothing like the support of your parents right nothing like the support of your parents I read Luke 1251 but turn to Matthew 10 turn to chapter 10 Matthew 10 and from verse 34 Matthew 10 34 says think not that I am come to send peace on earth I came not to send peace but a sword for I am come to set a man at variance against his father and a daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and a man's foes shall be they of his own household okay so look his parents his parents aren't attacking him but they're definitely distancing themselves straight away here aren't they okay so they might not be attacking him at this point but they're distancing themselves in do you think that this is any different maybe in countries where Christianity is illegal do you think this is going to be any different I don't think so because we could look at this now going oh really why would you do that well will it be any different in the tribulation do you think do you think when we're in the Great Tribulation do you think it would be different then I'll tell you what parents will be denying what now I mean it says here Jesus said he came not send peace but a sword he's he has come to set a man at variance against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and it's gonna be like that and it is like that already isn't it it is like that but it's gonna get worse it'll get more extreme but even now if any of you have unsaved parents and maybe quite a lot have unsaved parents here I wonder what they would say if asked what their Christian son or daughter's views are on for example sodomy and the sodomites what do you think they would say to their friends they're their people in their community they're unsaved people at work or anything else oh yeah they're a Christian does that mean that they you know that they don't like gay people or whatever they're gonna say do you think they're gonna do you think they're just gonna say oh you know support you give your viewpoint probably deny it won't they it's all about if they ask your view on traditional families you know what are what yet what their child's view what they're you know they're offspring you know they're adult children for most of you here what's their views on on you know traditional families do they think that women should should stay at home and guide the house and you know and submit to their husband I mean you know what sort of backwards Neanderthals are these and do you think they're just gonna go yeah no they do believe that yeah they'll probably deny it won't they I'm just gonna ask them I don't want to get involved they're not going to support you now a lot of the time a lot of the time these people a lot of the time the unsaved will in private agree with you won't they yeah I'm sure all of us here have had discussions of this you know maybe debates maybe not with unsaved people that claim to agree with everything you say but I tell you I bet they don't in public do they I bet they don't in public what about vaccines do you think they're gonna they're gonna be telling all their family and friends now you know they're anti-vaccine you know they think that it's poison and that you're absolutely mad to be jacking up with some sort of thing you don't even know what it is putting it inside you because you're told that that's gonna make it gonna be good for you you know what do you think that you you know the family oh yeah yeah this is what they think they're not gonna offer it up easily are they what about child rearing as well oh yeah they believe what the Bible says about smacking their children's bottom you know that the Bible says a lot of correction you know do you think they say that I bet they don't do they but here's the thing yeah a lot like I said a lot of time they secretly agree they will agree but in public they won't because it's a fear of being put out of the synagogue or social exciting isn't it it's a social exciting and that's what it is here but we have to make sure don't we as Christians that we don't fear the same because we can sit here and go yeah you know these unsaved I bet they wouldn't support us but do you think we sometimes fear that fear that social exciting we shouldn't but I bet every single person here has done at some point yeah at some point and maybe we'll continue to do so at some point for example how many probably over the over time where people have talked about famous pastors have maybe just agree with everything you know he's all right you know or something else for example past Steven Anderson I bet there's times that people are maybe just not wanted to maybe talk about him too much or maybe others I bet there were I bet there were people around around the states in churches that have probably denied him a little bit at times and pastor Jimenez when he was when he was quite vocal about what the Bible says about certain issues now look I'm not saying you have to walk around with Leviticus 2013 t-shirts on okay could be fun it could be tempting yeah but I'm not saying you have to do that but look we don't have to aim to be contentious especially when we preach the gospel obviously we don't we're not aiming to be contentious we want to go and get people saved we want to preach the gospel want to get people saved but are we ashamed of Jesus sometimes are we sometimes ashamed of the word are we sometimes a little bit embarrassed maybe sometimes just you know I don't want to talk about certain bits of it maybe a little bit nervous about this part of it or what if someone you know someone I know or someone at work or someone in this group or some family member but we shouldn't be should we turn to mark a mark chapter 8 mark chapter 8 verse 38 says whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his father with the holy angels do you want Jesus ashamed of you I know I don't but when and look when you look at the state of the world when you look at the state of this country let's just focus on this country alone okay when you look at the state of it the adultery of the ridiculous religions because they're ridiculous aren't they okay look you know people go well it's all well how do you choose really what are you talking how do you choose a religion there's a truth it's a clear truth and it is a truth you know when you hear it's the truth or you can pick and choose one of these joke religions and they're a joke you can pick and choose religion when they literally worship a pedophile where their prophet is a pedophile but what on earth and that they don't even contend it there's a couple of apologetic scholars out there that try and argue away somehow but most of them are just like yeah well that was back then you know she was nine what are you talking about let's discuss but the rest of them they're a joke how do you end up in you know you follow Roman Catholicism you choose to do that look at the Pope look at these people again look at the perversion everywhere how like you choose to do that don't you okay it's not well I was just a bit confused I went with that no a lot of the time yeah you're raised like that but you still choose to stay in it don't you you choose to follow that you choose to follow some priest wearing a frock yeah wearing a frock doing bizarre things waving incense and chanting stuff and you choose to do that and that's the same with all of these false religions there they are a joke if you just if you just spent an hour just looking into a few of them looking into the home it's just reading a little bit you could just see joke joke joke like some of the books are ridiculous aren't they and then you've got the Word of God you've got the Word of God now look we've all been there I'm not trying to say all these people assume you look we've all been there but it's spiritual you choose to deny don't you you choose to deny you choose not to seek after God okay and look how on earth in this adulterous and sinful generation of people that are following all these bizarre religions bizarre religions or religions that claim to believe the Bible that completely change it and it only takes just a casual browsing to see that they're not following the Word of God first time I read through the Bible started reading through the Bible and you're in the Gospel of Matthew and within 20 chapters it's telling you not to call anyone father except your father which is in heaven and you're like wow well that's all those C of E churches Catholic churches billions straight away the first chapter of the New Testament sorry first book of the New Testament it's ridiculous isn't it it's ridiculous but they choose to do that so how can we be ashamed in that adulterous generation that seeks after any other form of God this adultery of the ridiculous self-made gods because how many people in our society choose their own God yeah well I'll take this little bit I'll take the heaven bit I like the heaven bit don't really like that hell bit apart for people I really don't like part of the people that do sins much worse than mine and will probably go with hell on those ones but yeah my God you know you don't really have to do it you don't really have to you know understand the gospel I mean you just kind of I'm pretty much good enough and I think heavens gonna have this have that have all the people that I love in it regardless of how they lived and they just made their own God haven't they they've made their own God and that's that's the world over and so many Christians make their own God don't they well what Jesus is who the media's told me so Jesus walks around saying peace and he's got long hair and you know and wears a dress according according to the world according to the world that's how Jesus is isn't it that's their own God they've made their own gods but how can we be ashamed of the Word of God in this adulterous generation have made their own joke of a god the open sin everywhere you look you walk you walk out of here you walk down the street to go soul-winning and it is just filth everywhere isn't it absolutely you hear the conversation of people walking past you just effing and blinding and and the junk they're talking about and the way they're dressed as well yet we're ashamed of God in his word but we do sometimes get ashamed don't we but how wicked are we how wicked are we to be ashamed of that in this adulterous and sinful generation because it is so sinful you're walking out there and literally across the road you're walking past a pub with a lot of guys that have probably been sitting in there since midday spending what little money they have and they're just sitting there and they're you know stumbling through their words by now stumbling through the pub yet we can still be ashamed of this Word of God this Word of God that said not to even look upon fermented alcohol fermented wine wicked isn't it how can anyone be ashamed of Jesus in his in his words when talked some money worshipping fool who dresses his kids like whores and rent boys because they do don't they and that and look I'm you know that's so that's what the word says doesn't it in the attire of an harlot and it is disgusting how people dress dress their children and and how they want their wives dressed and everything else and how they dress their boys as well how they dress their you know how men dress pretty much nowadays is a joke most the time as well yet we can be ashamed of God and his Word in front of these people these people who just worship money that's all they care about well their kids are just goodness knows what what they look like just unbelievable isn't it like what you trying to do to kids it really winds me up yeah it really does we've got family members who do this and it gets me angry because you just how have you dressed your daughter who is like not even double digits yet how do you dress her like that you that is vile yeah and it's like you're trying to get in their head what are you doing how about you know how about in fact like we said earlier some moron some absolute fool according to the Word of God because a fool is sending this out there is no God who claims to believe science yet he's never even learnt the periodic table never got past that at school yet yet we're somehow ashamed of God not in his Word in front of these people oh well I believe inside yeah we went through this obviously this morning I'm not gonna re-preach that but what a joke how can we be ashamed in front of these people yet we are we we do don't we we can be like that we shouldn't be ashamed to be a housewife there are women there are Christian mums around the world that get ashamed to be a housewife we're talking some cross-dressing career woman who only sees her child at the weekends how can you be ashamed you know well yeah well I might be getting back to work oh well I'm just a housewife just a housewife wow just a mum that is probably the hardest job in the world isn't it the hardest job in the world yeah how many women will be ashamed at times around certain women dressed in their trouser suits you know who maybe if on the one day they managed to finish work early enough to pick their kid up from the school gate or something else when they're not in the child minders in the morning and in the evening and the after-school clubs and everything else yet how many are like that even though the Bible says at first first Timothy 540 you don't have to turn there I will therefore that the younger women marry bear children guide the house give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully that's what my Bible says I don't know what your Bible says that's what my Bible says yeah how many women are ashamed of it ashamed of doing what the Word of God tells them to ashamed as a man a lot of the time to have a standard low-paying job when talking to some money obsessed workaholic whose family can't remember what he looks like because that's again the country over aren't there men the country over whose families are probably forgotten half the time what they look like because all they want to do is earn money earn money cash cash cash well well you know it's a well-paid job well what but you're working 12 hours a day you're working you know five hours from your house or whatever it is well you know it's more money more money more money how can you be ashamed how can you be ashamed of having a job that just about pays the bills around people like that we shouldn't be should we but how many men are how many men are a little bit uncomfortable about the job they have but what did what did God say in Hebrews 13 5 he said let your conversation that's your behavior be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have for he have said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee that's how we should think shouldn't we but how often are we ashamed of that a shame to keep you and your family away from perverts when talking to someone who drops their little kids off at some club or school with open sodomites so they can go to the gym because I've seen that many times women in their active where dropping a kid off at the at the morning club or in the evening club you know just some like you know some little kids gym where there's just a low I've seen him like you go past you seem like at the shopping said some of those have these little crashes and it's like open sodomites say I'll just drop the kid off now I could do what I want like how on earth but yet yet people can be ashamed to say the reason that they want to keep their kids away from those oh well well you know I just like to look after my kid now how about you just say what the Bible says because the Bible says in Proverbs 4 14 enter not into the path of the wicked and go not in the way of evil men avoid it pass not by it turn from it and pass away we shouldn't be anywhere near him should we well I don't want to be anywhere near people like that I don't want them anywhere near my children because the Bible is clear isn't it yeah how many people are a bit ashamed well we're just giving them another reason you know now don't get me wrong if you're preaching the gospel I'm not saying you go out there you have to preach all the contentious the hard truths of the Bible no we're preaching the gospel yeah we're trying to be an ambassadors for Christ we don't have to go into this stuff but tell you what when it's about issues like this we don't have to be ashamed do we should we be ashamed no no way how on earth can we be ashamed of Jesus in his words in this adulterous and sinful generation because it is isn't it we should be proud of his word proud of his word not proud of yourself proud of his word proud of the Lord Jesus Christ yeah wear him on your sleeve but the blind the blind man's parents were weren't they the blind man's parents were ashamed they were they didn't want to you know the social exclusion didn't want to admit that their son had just been healed by Jesus Christ he had healed their son blind from birth it was blind for both the hours and days of prayer can you imagine imagine your son was blind but can you imagine how much he would have prayed every single day you would have been praying and perhaps money spent on physicians of no value I think most people would have done wouldn't they spent money on physicians of no value he's just answered those prayers I don't know what age this guy is but at some point as an adult so at least 20-plus years going by the Bible standards later done what they had probably long ago given up on yeah and and these words spake his parents because they feared the Jews and by the way they weren't being threatened with death were they they were just being threatened by being kicked out of the synagogue which was which was teaching a lot of lies anyway which was teaching a lot of teaching a work salvation think how many of our parents had prayed that we would be safe when we're older prayed that we would live a good life I bet they did I bet even you know even any person might have come from maybe quite neglectful parents I bet still at times they would have just hoped and maybe prayed to whatever version of God for some of them that we'd live a good life that made maybe we wouldn't die I'll tell you what none of us are dying spiritually are we none of us are going to spiritually die none of us I hope are going to live a wicked life or at least you know I hope even being in this church listening to the Word of God that you're trying your best not to at least you know you you're trying trying at least part of your best not to and I tell you what that's a damn sight better than what you were before that isn't it because I tell you I look back to how I was before I got saved before I started reading the Word of God and trying to live for God and getting in a church and I was a different person and but how many of our parents wanted that wanted us to be safe and we know that we're under the shadow of God's wing aren't we yeah right now right now I bet many of them would deny who really made that difference hey I bet the vast majority would deny this Jesus Christ isn't it they were trying to find some excuse find some reason now look at verse 24 back in back in John 9 there then again called they the man that was blind and said unto him give God the praise we know that this man is a sinner okay yet ironically he is giving God the praises and it's quite an ironic verse there because he is giving God the praise he answered and said whether he be a sinner or no I know not one thing I know that whereas I was blind now I see then said they to him again what did he do to thee how opened he thine eyes he answered them I have told you already and ye did not hear wherefore would ye hear it again will ye also be his disciples then they reviled him and said thou art his disciple but we are Moses disciples now remember that Jesus said in John 5 46 for had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me okay these Jews don't believe Moses they claim they do but they don't verse 29 we know that God spake unto Moses as for this fellow we know not from whence he is the man answers said unto them why here it is a marvelous thing that you know not from whence he is and yet he'll open mine eyes I really like this guy don't you guys he's pretty amusing isn't he now we know that God hereth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doeth his will him he heareth since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind if this man were not of God he could do nothing now there's some great wisdom there isn't there it's a great wisdom that this guy's been blind from birth who's out there begging and again you've got to question his parents for that haven't you he's out there begging but this guy he's giving wisdom to the so-called religious experts isn't he and you know I say this to people sometimes and you know I had a guy actually I was I was preaching the gospel this week to someone at work yeah and this guy is is you know you know what we would call nowadays a Jew and quite a very wealthy Jew as well and he kind of he runs all these managers all these houses all over central London stuff and so so we start talking about the Bible and stuff and and he said yeah but don't you have to be really intelligent to really understand it you know this is he said we don't have to be really intelligent to really understand it I said to him no you don't you need to have the Holy Spirit in you to understand the Bible and then what I went on to explain to him is that my my you know I was talking about you know my nine-year-old son I said my nine-year-old son understands the Word of God better than any scholar theologian or anyone else that you can name to me and that's the truth isn't it because they don't even understand John 3 16 they don't understand just giving you a shout out there Jack but they don't they don't do they don't understand John 6 47 they don't understand verse after verse after verse in the Bible yet for him in his mind yeah but you've got to be a scholar to really know the Bible and and here it's the same that you know the Pharisees are sort of like you know who on earth are you to tell us this because we're the Pharisees you know we're scholars we're what does pride do to people but like you said to him here he said we know that God hereth not sinners but if any man this is verse 31 be a worshipper of God and do with his will him he heareth now you know to be heard by God as well and there's a good good good verse there and of course like this guy isn't you know he's not God narrating the Bible is he and this guy isn't you know he's not someone on he's not Jesus talking here either but he's giving us some truth here okay and you can see if you read the Bible there's some truth here obviously not everything written in the Bible is truth the Bible is truth but there you know when it's some man talking in the Bible that doesn't mean that it's truth because a lot of people say a lot of lies and rubbish in the Bible don't like for example you look through the book of Job you know his three friends they're just talking nonsense half the time aren't they but but God's not saying it's not saying thus saith the Lord and this isn't saying thus saith the Lord but we can analyze this and look at this he's saying but if any man be a worshipper of God and do with his will him he heareth and look you know to forgot to hear your prayers a lot of the time you know it's important that we're trying to live for God isn't it it's important that we're not going to have that block on our on our prayers there as well and he said since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind if this man were not a god he could do nothing so how's he healing all these how's he doing these amazing things if he's not a god now cue the the Pentecostal here the charismatic the you know holy healings and everything else looking at the okay see look but the thing is these guys let's be honest aren't really healing people are they okay so they might claim to you know but I would love to see them go through a Children's Hospital in fact a hospital in general and go and heal a load of people not some set up stooges that come up on their stages in front of everyone because if they really were healing they could go to some pretty you know pretty good places where people need healing couldn't they yeah but you never see that happen do you so no if this man were not of God he could do nothing this is this is the Lord Jesus Christ here and in verse 34 they said they answered said unto him thou was all together born in sins that dost thou teach us and they cast him out so when you contrast it with Jesus explaining why he was blind it just shows how wrong they are as usual obviously doesn't it what was their reason for casting him out what was their reason for casting him out didn't do anything did he what'd he do he just told them told them a truth and they've cast him out the synagogue Jesus heard that they had cast him out and when he had found him he said unto him does thou believe on the Son of God he answered said who is he Lord that I might believe on him and Jesus said unto him thou has both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee and he said Lord I believe and he worshipped him the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God is speaking to him and he gets saved yeah saved by the Word of God doesn't he and Jesus said for judgment I am come into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind right there there are many whose eyes are open by the Word of God aren't there okay many people whose eyes are open by the Word of God who see not yeah but there are many whose eyes are closed forever by the Word of God as well aren't there there is a point and again we don't know what that point is that there is a point when you've heard it when you know it in fact even just just that innate awareness of it can be enough can't it but when you're getting that that Word of God preached to you you're hearing the Word of God it's clear and you just keep shutting your eyes and not wanting to put your faith on the Lord Jesus Christ there is a point when it could close your eyes isn't it no I'm not gonna go into this again so we've had a bit of this already it just comes up a lot don't it okay verse 40 and some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words and said unto him are we blind also Jesus said unto them if you were blind you should have no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth so had they been blind they would likely have got saved wouldn't they had they been blind they would likely have got saved they might have been humble enough to get saved it's those that think they know it all that will die in their sins isn't it they will die in their sins and I had that today I had a first door we knocked on today and and the guy answered the door and oh yeah yeah we got it you know it's really nice at first we go to this Baptist Church and oh okay so I asked him you know the million-dollar question you know if you were to die today you hundred percent sure you go to heaven you know well yeah because I've repented you know repented of my sins you know and everything else so okay so you start trying to gently go oh well well you know you caught me on the spot here I talked to my wife's then the wife comes over okay so again you start trying to show her the gospel and and you know that it quickly turned angry okay it quickly turned angry then he's going you know I'll just tell you when you go you know there's no point talking to us I'm going well I'll show you from the Bible that what you're saying oh yeah we agree with that we that's not what you said you know this is what the Bible says you know it doesn't say you got repent of your sins repent of your sins is nowhere in the Bible at all yeah how many of these wicked churches are telling people that they have to repent of their sins to be saved look we should repent of our sins every day shouldn't we every single day but it's got nothing to do with salvation Wow add in those few words and you just completely pervert the gospel and it's another gospel let's just add in some words about and and their church has added that in like every other so-called Baptist Church probably in this town and pretty much across the nation have added in of your sins to repent repent and believe it look repent and believe change your mind and believe yes stop believing what you did and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation you cannot give up your sins anyone who thinks they has is a fool and the truth is not in them is it it's absolutely wicked but obviously I didn't preach that on the door apparently that's not too successful yeah so so I was I thought I was being pretty you know pretty gentle but then he started telling me that you know I tell you I when you go knock another because we already you know we're already saved you know okay well when you go and knock on other doors you know you'll be I said well what am I being he said you need to stop being like that I said being like what he said he's so you know aggressive aggressive I'm just trying to show you the Word of God now anyway so the anger got up more and more I'm just saying look you know you know can I just show you from the Bible didn't want to know do you know the doors getting slammed in your face daring to try and preach the gospel and like I said the other way isn't it ironically funny probably not funny really I shouldn't really laugh it sometimes that's all you can do how you knock on a door where they claim to be Christians they claim to be Baptist they claim to believe the Word of God and you dare try and show them how to get saved instead of saying I'll be interested in your viewpoint they're angrier than the atheist they're angrier than the person from the false religion who claims not to believe the Bible I'm just trying to show you the Bible yet the spirit is spiritual isn't it and well so anyway ended up shutting the door angrily that I was trying to preach the gospel I got quite a few verse alleys and then literally sort of two doors later was it two doors later she came out and said I'll just have you know we will not be visiting your church because in their mind we just so want to get people in the church we just want you in here to give you a toy but just to sit on there and so we can have bigger numbers and so I'll get paid more by whoever sent me or whatever else you know and and I think before this he did oh no before he shut the door he asked me so um he said so are you one of these strict Baptist I said no we're not Calvinists okay good good are you with the Baptist Union then no why not because the Baptist Union tells everyone they got to repent their sins as well so he said so he said no so you're truly independent yes we are truly independent we don't believe in unions or anything else telling us what we should and shouldn't believe okay so obviously I did say no we are I said we are he says you're not linked to understand apart from our sending church apart from ascending Church you know so anyway so you know eventually shut the door and you know and then and then she came out and got angry and told her she will not be visiting and you know all we want to do is try and say but but this person is one of these isn't it that because she says we see because he says we see therefore their sin remains that they they're not gonna get forgiven they're not gonna have their sins washed away because they're they're so prideful they they just cannot cannot for the life of them imagine that they have been at a church for however many years and could not actually know everything there is to know about the Bible even though I I would hazard a guess they've never read it through once never read that that Bible through once and how sad isn't it how sad but but that's that's the way it is but fortunately amongst all of that we all today we got seven salvations and and yesterday we got 28 salvations and you know in a week before we got 14 salvations last Sunday and amongst it all amongst dealing with these people amongst sadly all you're doing really is a lot of the time the words damning them isn't it but amongst it all we're finding people that are humble enough that have a contrite spirit and want to listen to the Word of God and get saved and amen for that and we'll just keep going out keep preaching the gospel and on that let's let's pray father I thank you for your word I thank you for for what a great great story in the Gospel of John and you know in a way some kind of amusement there as well with the way that the blind man deals with these these wicked Pharisees and I thank you for your word thank you for a salvation that is so simple that is truly the gift that you tell us it is a free gift you tell us it that it is in Romans 5 and you know and that there is there is nothing we have to do other than believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved on thy house we thank you for that we thank you for for a great gospel we thank you for for the free gift we thank you for everything you do for us we thank you for this church for this for this King James Bible for these people and we just pray that you just help us all have a great week now I hope us all have a week where we just where we don't we don't want to deny you we don't want to be ashamed of you we want to you know to stand on your word to not be ashamed of you and your words in this sinful and adulterous generation help us to to be the shining lights you want us to be help us to go out and get your gospel out this week and be back here next week for another great day at church and in Jesus name we pray all this amen