1 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:21,120 Matthew Chapter 9, you're gonna go to verse 27 and we're gonna 2 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:28,120 read through verse 34. And as Jesus passed on from 3 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:32,800 there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, Have mercy on 4 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,000 us, son of David. When he entered the house, the 5 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,440 blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, do you believe 6 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:43,120 that I'm able to do this? They said to him, yes, Lord. 7 00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:47,640 Then he touched their eyes, saying, according to your faith, 8 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,040 be it done to you. And their eyes were opened, and 9 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,440 Jesus sternly warned them, See that no one knows about it, but 10 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,160 they went away and spread his fame through all that district. 11 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:04,239 As they were going away, behold, a demon possessed man was who 12 00:01:04,239 --> 00:01:08,600 was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast 13 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,600 out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, 14 00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:16,120 never was anything like this seen in Israel. 15 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,680 But the Pharisees said he casts out demons by the Prince of 16 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:24,520 demons. Lord, we love the the living and 17 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:26,880 active word. We trust that you'll speak with 18 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:29,280 clarity. We trust that the scalpel will 19 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,520 come to do exactly what's needed in our hearts and our minds and 20 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:33,800 our lives. Renew our mind. 21 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,360 Lord, help us to remember that your word is not a book to be 22 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,480 explained. It is a book to be believed. 23 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:42,320 And then it is a book to be obeyed. 24 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:46,520 So bring light, bring revelation. 25 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,320 But most importantly, God bring us even the desire, even the 26 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,920 conviction, even the faith that we need to believe, to trust, to 27 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:57,960 follow and to obey you. We thank you for stirring us and 28 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:00,720 drawing us closer to you in Jesus name, Amen. 29 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,320 So verse 27, as they passed on from there, remember what had 30 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:10,600 happened. Jesus was healing the paralyzed 31 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,120 man. Another man comes and says my 32 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,320 daughter is suffering or my daughter has died. 33 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,280 And then Jesus says, OK, I'll go. 34 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:21,280 The crowds are pressing up against him. 35 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:23,600 There's a mob. Everyone's excited. 36 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:25,720 It's the teacher. He's the All Star. 37 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,160 He's the famous person that everyone wants to get close to, 38 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,800 the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. 39 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,360 She presses through the crowd and says if I can touch his 40 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:36,360 garment, I'll be made well. She does. 41 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,800 So she's made well. Then we find out the daughter is 42 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,200 dead. And now messengers have come and 43 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:43,920 said, don't bother the teacher any longer. 44 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,920 Jesus says just have faith, don't be afraid, just believe. 45 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,840 He goes, raises up this little girl from the dead, and now 46 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,320 right after he's just raised her from the dead and Jesus passed 47 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:59,200 on from there. Two blind men followed him. 48 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,920 He just left Gyrus's house and now we have these two blind men 49 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:07,640 calling out have mercy on us, son of David. 50 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,240 Have mercy on us, son of David. They're calling him son of 51 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,440 David. Culturally understand that this 52 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,520 is a prophetic term that this would have been a guarantee that 53 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:21,240 they would have understood who he is son of David, David being 54 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,640 remember David and Goliath. He's the guy who should POW 55 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,120 killed the killed the giant. He becomes king and God makes a 56 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,560 covenant with David and he tells David one of your descendants 57 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:35,600 will always be on the throne forever and ever and ever. 58 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,360 There's two ways to interpret that there's the way that I 59 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,480 would be likely to interpret it, which would be cool. 60 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,400 That means one of my sons, and then one of my grandsons, and 61 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:47,280 then one of them and one of them and one of them, or another way 62 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,400 that one of mine can be on the throne forever and ever would be 63 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:54,800 one of my great, great, great, great, great grandsons gets on 64 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:56,800 the throne and then never leaves. 65 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,400 That is what happens, the great, great, great, great, great, 66 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,000 which is Jesus, the Son of David. 67 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,560 He is the Messiah, He is on the throne and he will never leave. 68 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:08,400 This is the promise that has been made. 69 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,160 So the Messiah is referred to as the Son of David. 70 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,680 So these men are acknowledging Christ, not as hey, teacher guy, 71 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,519 but they're already honoring him as Messiah. 72 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,120 We know who you are, is what they're saying by calling him 73 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:21,920 Son of David. It's just like saying the 74 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,200 Savior, we know you're the Savior sent from God. 75 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:29,480 We get it, Son of David. And then they go even farther in 76 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:31,920 the, in the back and forth that they have with Jesus to call him 77 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,400 Lord. So they've called him Savior by 78 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,200 calling him Son of David. But then to call him Lord is to 79 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,000 call him Master. Well, which is he? 80 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,520 He's both and he's both. And to the church he's both. 81 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:47,160 And to the world He is the Savior and he is the Master. 82 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:49,800 He's not just one or the other, He's both. 83 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,480 And so these blind men, this isn't this passage is so 84 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,080 interesting because as we go through the whole thing, you're 85 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,800 going to see there are blind men who can see clearly who Jesus 86 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:00,320 is. And then there are men whose 87 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,600 eyesight works and they cannot see who Jesus is. 88 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,360 The blind men can see clearly who Jesus is, but seeing Jesus 89 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,760 is not a matter of the eyes. It is a matter of the heart. 90 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,600 And the men who don't have working eyes see clearly, while 91 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,640 the men who do have working eyes can't see Jesus. 92 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,480 And this whole passage will keep will reveal that to us. 93 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,040 This whole passage reveals that when a person wants Jesus, they 94 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:32,560 can have him, but when a person doesn't want Jesus, there's no 95 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,440 evidence he can provide that will change their mind. 96 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,160 There's a common argument among Christians that gets made. 97 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,840 You have to do enough good works in someone's life to earn the 98 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:48,680 right to share the Gospel. On one hand, what they're saying 99 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,440 on if, if what they mean by that is let your good works shine and 100 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:54,960 let your light shine before men, that they will glorify your 101 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:56,400 Father, then I'd say, well, yeah, that's good. 102 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,600 That's the word, but there are not some prerequisites that we 103 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:01,760 have to lay out before the gospel can be shared. 104 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:03,560 Why? Because the gospel isn't bad 105 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,120 news. The gospel is good news. 106 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,680 So the Christian who believes the gospel is is bad news has to 107 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:11,880 like buffer it with good at good works. 108 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,960 I bought your groceries. Now I have some bad news. 109 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:17,360 You're a Sinner, but God loves you. 110 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:21,760 No, no, no, it's all good news. Jesus is king, He's Lord, and he 111 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,240 has died for your sins and he will pull you out of your sin. 112 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,480 But all this is still good news. But we don't have to do 113 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:30,080 anything. We don't have to earn anything. 114 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,680 And yet, of course, yes, let your good works shine before 115 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:35,080 men. You're full of the love of God, 116 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:38,120 so of course the love of God is going to pour out of you and go 117 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,840 into people's lives. So that's the automatic life of 118 00:06:40,840 --> 00:06:42,600 the Christian. We don't have to make some false 119 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,360 dichotomy here. But if anybody reveals that 120 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,200 doing good works does not earn the right to be heard, it's 121 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:53,800 Jesus who constantly does good works and then still gets told 122 00:06:53,840 --> 00:06:56,960 you have a demon. You are demon possessed. 123 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,600 It's funny, I see Christian leaders who are truly faithful, 124 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:03,800 who are truly deliberate with the scriptures to tell the truth 125 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,400 and the whole truth. I see them get the most 126 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:10,080 ridiculous accusations that the ones who are the most faithful, 127 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,600 who who actually do good works in the earth by preaching the 128 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,960 gospel, I see they are the ones who are called cult leaders. 129 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,200 I'm going wait a second. How is this guy a cult leader or 130 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:23,160 how's this guy, how's this guy teaching a doctrine of demons? 131 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,160 But what what happens is when people who are influenced by the 132 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,880 God of this world come across the truth, they actually make 133 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,280 the, the gaslighting accusation. They, they, they've, they've 134 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:35,680 seen a mirror and then they project that onto them. 135 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,160 So Jesus says that some of the Pharisees obey their father, the 136 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:40,960 devil. That's what he tells them. 137 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:43,480 They said, they said our father is Abraham. 138 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:45,600 And Jesus said your father is the devil. 139 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,320 They didn't like that very much. Jesus forgot to be nice that 140 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,360 day. Jesus wasn't a nice guy. 141 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:54,960 Just be clear. Again, Jesus was a good guy. 142 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:57,480 Different. Nice guy wants to please people. 143 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,360 Good guy wants to love people and tell people the truth. 144 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,040 He'll do the right thing at the right time, which is what Jesus 145 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,560 always did. But Jesus does all these things. 146 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:07,040 I've raised somebody from the dead. 147 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,520 I've healed somebody. I cast out demons. 148 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:13,200 The blind men can now see and let me cast out another demon. 149 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,920 And the Pharisees go must be with the power of demons. 150 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:19,120 He's doing these things. Is that what Satan wants for 151 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:22,400 people? Satan wants demons not to 152 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:25,000 possess people. The logic is broken, of course, 153 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,320 but it's irrelevant. You can't reason with them. 154 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:28,960 Why? Because it's not a matter of 155 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:30,480 their mind. It's a matter of their heart. 156 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:32,720 A hard heart is going to say hard. 157 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:34,760 And you're going to go, if only I could do this. 158 00:08:34,919 --> 00:08:37,720 If only I could do that. St. the pressure is not on you. 159 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:42,600 The the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and all you need to 160 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,960 do is continue to tell the truth and continue to love people. 161 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:49,200 The rest lies between them, their heart and the Lord. 162 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:52,720 Your jurisdiction, your responsibility is to be a 163 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,360 witness. So let's look at these verses in 164 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:57,160 detail. Verse 27. 165 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,840 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed 166 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:03,000 him crying aloud, had mercy on us, son of David. 167 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:05,680 So the crowd again is still probably pressing in. 168 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:08,560 Now Jesus sent away the professional mourners get out of 169 00:09:08,560 --> 00:09:09,800 here. She's not dead. 170 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,600 She's sleeping, speaking, things that are not as though they 171 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:13,800 were. And they're leaving the house. 172 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,640 Like, what's he doing in there? We know he's done some amazing 173 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:18,240 things, but what's he doing in there right now? 174 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:20,280 So the crowd's probably waiting outside. 175 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,440 Gyrus is inside with his wife, with a couple of disciples, with 176 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:26,440 their daughter, who's now alive. Jesus comes out. 177 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:27,960 The crowd's going. What happened? 178 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,120 What happened? Jesus moves on. 179 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:34,720 The crowd's following him and two blind men start yelling, Son 180 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:38,400 of David, have mercy on us, Messiah, Saviour. 181 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:41,400 By the way, it was also prophecy that the Messiah would open 182 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:45,600 blind eyes. And of course, until he started 183 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:47,840 healing literal blind eyes, I'm sure everyone would have 184 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:50,600 interpreted that to say, well, blind eyes means like 185 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:54,240 spiritually blind, which is also very important, which is what I 186 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:55,720 mean. I'm actually going to emphasize 187 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:57,920 that today. So every time we preach on 188 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,360 healing, I always make fun of the perspective that says, now 189 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:03,280 this is a spiritual point. And today I'm going to make the 190 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:05,280 spiritual point more than I'm going to make the physical one. 191 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,160 But let's be fair. What do you think the two blind 192 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:10,440 men thought about healing that day? 193 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,120 Do you think that they thought, man, my, the eyes and my heart 194 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:15,720 have been opened? Or do you think like, wow, I can 195 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:18,840 see stuff. It's kind of obvious, right? 196 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,640 So is there a secondary application to make? 197 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:25,400 Absolutely, yes, 1000%. And it's faithful and it's 198 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:27,840 right. The Messiah opens all kinds of 199 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:32,840 blind eyes, spiritually blind eyes and blind eyes. 200 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:35,480 He does it all. Of course He does the greatest 201 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,600 miracle, the most important miracle, the blind eyes of our 202 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,480 heart. Of course, with that, won't he 203 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:44,280 also give us freely all things, all these? 204 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:45,760 Well, that's not as important as that. 205 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:49,040 We all agree on that fact that the spiritual blindness is more 206 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:50,360 important than the physical blindness. 207 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,240 And yet he includes the lesser things with the greater. 208 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:55,120 Of course, I'll give you the greatest thing. 209 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:56,640 Can I have a billion dollars? Yeah. 210 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,520 Can I have 10? No, you shouldn't worry about 211 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:01,760 the $10. These things matter to the Lord 212 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,280 because they matter to us. These are objectively good 213 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,640 things that the Messiah does because the Messiah reveals the 214 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:10,840 whole Kingdom. So the crowd is pressing in two 215 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:12,760 blind men to follow are following him. 216 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:17,000 But this begs the obvious question, how? 217 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:20,840 How are blind men following him in the crowd? 218 00:11:21,560 --> 00:11:25,600 Two blind men, Jesus later would talk, wouldn't would would coin 219 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,440 the phrase the blind leading the blind that we use today in 220 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:30,120 language all the time. He was talking about the 221 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:33,000 Pharisees leading people, the spiritually blind. 222 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:34,480 That was what he was referencing later. 223 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,400 But here we have the literal blind leading the blind 224 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:42,600 stumbling together. Jesus, son of David have mercy 225 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:46,480 on us, staggering through the streets, struggling with the 226 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:49,560 mob, holding on to people. God me man, where is he? 227 00:11:49,560 --> 00:11:51,840 Where's the master son of David have mercy on us. 228 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:57,120 And what does Jesus do? He goes to the house that he was 229 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,240 going to. He's not making it easy on him. 230 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:04,640 Like if I were to write the story, if I was to be in control 231 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,840 of all this, I'll be like. And then Jesus turned and 232 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:11,000 stopped and was like, everyone get out of the way. 233 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:13,720 But Jesus proceeds all the way to the house. 234 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:17,600 The crowd is pressing. 2 blind men are following, but they're 235 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:19,720 having a harder time, probably even a harder time than the 236 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:21,440 woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. 237 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:23,920 They call out. Jesus keeps walking. 238 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:26,520 They follow him all the way. Maybe to Peter's house where he 239 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:29,400 was staying. That's that's my guess anyway. 240 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:31,920 What's he doing? He's testing them to see if they 241 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,920 really do have faith. Everyone, everyone, you and I, 242 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:40,560 both, any, any day of the week, we would all choose something 243 00:12:40,560 --> 00:12:43,280 better over something worse, right? 244 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:45,000 Thank you, Pastor. Obvious. 245 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,800 If I had the choice between something better and something 246 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,480 worse, I would always choose the something better. 247 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,080 There's no trickery here. I'm just just making some plain 248 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:57,800 statements. So knowing that if that was all 249 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:01,120 that was required in our lives to I'd prefer the better thing 250 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,720 compared to the worst thing. If all that was required for us 251 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:08,080 to then say, dear God, please insert something better, that 252 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:10,600 wouldn't be the same thing as having a living faith. 253 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:13,360 Can you see that I prefer this over that? 254 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,560 Well, so do Lab Rats. They can teach them to push 255 00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:18,520 different buttons, but that doesn't mean that the that the 256 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,760 men who run the lab have a have a warm, loving relationship with 257 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,480 the rats, right? So they can teach them here's 258 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:26,640 where to go get cocaine, which is what they train them with. 259 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,000 And then they can teach them how to, oh, when I push that, I get 260 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:31,600 an electrical shock. No, thank you. 261 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,480 So they can learn that. But the Lord didn't create us as 262 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:37,000 Lab Rats. He created us to love him, to 263 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:41,440 walk with him and to pursue him. And the Lord will often draw out 264 00:13:41,680 --> 00:13:46,480 your faith at the same time while building your faith while 265 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:49,320 at the same time encouraging your faith. 266 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:53,400 So the Lord wants a living faith, and the Lord wants us to 267 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:55,640 walk with him. So the Lord is creating an 268 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:59,960 opportunity for persistence for these men, an opportunity for 269 00:13:59,960 --> 00:14:03,080 persistence because persistence is a part of living faith and 270 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,480 persistence is a prerequisite for Jesus over and over. 271 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:08,840 We see that theme throughout Chapter 9. 272 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:14,440 The friends of the paralyzed man was that persistent. 273 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:17,800 They didn't just sit around and go, well, I guess if the Lord 274 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:19,920 wants to heal our buddy, he'll come to this house. 275 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:22,840 Lord, if you want to heal him, then just show up tonight and 276 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:25,320 heal him. They persisted and they pursued 277 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:29,120 and they ripped a man's roof off of his house to get to Jesus. 278 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:33,200 The teaching on fasting that He gave that requires persistence. 279 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:35,920 All this is in Chapter 9. This is a theme that the Holy 280 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,520 Spirit was bringing here through Matthew as He was having him 281 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:40,720 write this. The woman who had been bleeding 282 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:44,560 for 12 years pressing through the crowd again, persistence. 283 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:49,160 The two blind men persistent. All these people have a faith 284 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:54,240 that looks like something. Our obedience, our love for God, 285 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:56,600 our faith is not merely a heart thing. 286 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,600 It begins as a heart thing, but it has an outward expression. 287 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,480 I love my wife. I love that. 288 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:04,880 That's great, man. What fruit could you point to, 289 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:06,320 brother? I can point to this and this and 290 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,160 this and this and this. Of course you can, because that 291 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:12,280 love in your heart has to have an outward expression. 292 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:14,600 How do you love your wife? I just love her in my heart. 293 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:17,960 OK, that's weird, bro. I don't know. 294 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:20,600 I'm starting to actually think you probably don't love your 295 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:22,920 wife. Oh, it's just it's in my heart. 296 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:25,560 You mean it's in your heart? If it was in your heart, it 297 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:27,240 would come out of your mouth. It would. 298 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:31,680 It would impact your hands and your feet and your whole life to 299 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:33,600 a wife. Oh, I respect my husband. 300 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:35,600 I submit to my husband. Oh, what's that look like, 301 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,680 sister? Well, you know, in my heart, 302 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:41,000 like, OK. So does your husband know that 303 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:42,200 you respect him? Well, no. 304 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:43,520 Yeah. I bought some around, talked to 305 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,160 him like he's a child. But, you know, in my heart like 306 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:48,320 I respect him. I don't know. 307 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:50,320 I don't think that it works how you think it works. 308 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:52,920 So in the same way I have, I have faith. 309 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,280 I'm trusting in the Lord. I'm standing on his promises. 310 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:58,640 OK, What's the expression of that? 311 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:00,560 Is that showing up some way? Well, it's just in my heart. 312 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,240 Well, I would argue that things that are really living in our 313 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:05,440 heart are going to have outward expression. 314 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:06,680 And I think you would agree with that. 315 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:08,760 Our first two examples that made a lot of sense. 316 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:10,600 We come to this third and we're like, no, I like it to just be 317 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:12,400 in my heart. It's going to have an outward 318 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,720 expression when it's living. It's going to look like 319 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:15,800 something. It's going to taste like 320 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:17,240 something. It's going to have action. 321 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,880 We talked about that last week, how the woman with the issue of 322 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:21,360 blood, she just made her own rules up. 323 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:23,480 If I've touched the hem of his garment. 324 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:28,440 She said to herself, you know these guys who are just setting 325 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,840 the terms, Jesus, you come lay your hand on my daughter, she'll 326 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,240 be healed. Hey, you just speak the word and 327 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,640 my servant will be healed. Who are you telling the Messiah 328 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,440 what to do? Jesus says I love it, living 329 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:42,080 faith, I love it. It's not bossing Him around, 330 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:45,560 it's honoring Him because He is the source of our faith and He 331 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:48,680 is the object of our faith. We're not just mustering up our 332 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:50,840 Christianity and going, I'm awesome. 333 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:54,640 No, Jesus is awesome and my trust in Him is growing because 334 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:58,360 I'm looking at Him. But sometimes it's hard to know 335 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:00,640 where He is. The blind men could relate to 336 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:03,200 that. Some of you are in seasons right 337 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:05,560 now where you're going, it's hard to see the Lord. 338 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:07,960 It's hard to find the Lord. The Clark, the Clark family, we 339 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,000 had some good conversation in the living room the other night. 340 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:12,480 We were worshipping the Lord and we talked about how many of us 341 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:16,359 felt dry, felt cracked, felt empty spiritually walking with 342 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:18,560 the Lord, securing Christ. Don't misunderstand anything, 343 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,119 but we're saying I feel this is a dry moment. 344 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:23,240 This is a dry season. I need more of the Lord's 345 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:25,400 outpouring. I need more of his presence. 346 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:29,600 Like I'm, I'm not filled up. I'm not overflowing like I 347 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:32,080 should be, Like I want to be. So what did we do? 348 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:35,160 We pursued the Lord in worship and in prayer. 349 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:37,200 That was it. It's Lord. 350 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:39,000 We're we're. I'm a blind man. 351 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,680 Stumbling. Lord, somehow I lost you in the 352 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:43,440 crowd. But I'm not going. 353 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:47,960 Well, I guess I'll go home now. No, No, no, no, no, no, no. 354 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:48,920 I'm not leaving. I'm fine. 355 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:50,280 Where'd he go? He went in some house. 356 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:52,600 Which house? Which house? 357 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:54,040 Over there. Over where? 358 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:55,320 Over here. Thank you. 359 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:58,760 Not, not, not. Hey, Jesus done for the day. 360 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,760 He's healed a lot of people cast out a lot of demons come back. 361 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:03,640 No, I'm not coming back tomorrow. 362 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,240 I want him now. You're being a little bit rude. 363 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,600 You're right. And still I won't leave until 364 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:11,840 I've had him. This is a persistence. 365 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:14,360 Peter's life is like, is it ever going to end? 366 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:15,960 He's like, I know, babe. I know. 367 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:18,880 Like, it's, it's exciting times, babe. 368 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:20,560 She's like, I cannot cook for all these people tonight. 369 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:22,240 I was not ready for that. Jesus. 370 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:23,720 Like, it's OK. I can multiply stuff. 371 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:27,920 We'll make it happen, but they get to come inside the house. 372 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,160 They come in with Jesus all the way in. 373 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:33,440 But sometimes it's hard to know where he is. 374 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:37,280 That is an opportunity for you and for me, for persistence, for 375 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:39,840 devotion. The blind men knew about that. 376 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,800 So did Job, who remained faithful to God through terrible 377 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:46,880 suffering. So did Jacob, who wrestled with 378 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:51,800 God to receive his blessing. We must follow Jesus even when 379 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,760 it's hard. We get this with marriage vows, 380 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,000 right? And sickness and in health. 381 00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:02,400 If we're rich or if we're poor, if it's good or if it's bad, 382 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,920 we've got this devotion. We've got this understanding how 383 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:11,880 much more with Christ when we want to be LED deeper into Him. 384 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:13,960 We want to walk more closely with Him. 385 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:17,560 Even when we can't see Him, we still pursue. 386 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:20,360 We actually need to call out to God. 387 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,760 We don't become passive when we feel like the Lord is distant 388 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,600 because he's not. First of all, he's as close as 389 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:30,120 the mention of it as his name. And yet we still need to call 390 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:32,760 out to God and not have a passive approach that says if 391 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:34,720 God wanted to help me, he would just do it. 392 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:38,680 If God wanted me to feel His presence, I would just feel it. 393 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:43,280 Well, sure I can. I can follow you. 394 00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:46,640 Unless he wants you to pursue him, unless he wants you to 395 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,200 follow him, unless he wants you to know him more and he doesn't 396 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:53,360 want to train you as a lab rat, He actually wants your desire, 397 00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:55,680 your will to show up in a relationship with him. 398 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,880 Hebrews 11/6 tells us. And without faith, it is 399 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:03,040 impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to 400 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:08,160 God must believe that he exists. OK, we can check that box, but 401 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,040 unfortunately so can the demons. OK. 402 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:13,120 So like we're we're in a broad category at this moment. 403 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:15,080 Whoever would draw an ear to God. 404 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:16,560 I want to draw an ear to God. All right, well, there's a 405 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,520 couple qualifiers here. You must believe that he exists. 406 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:23,120 Check. And that he rewards those who 407 00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:26,240 earnestly seek him. Believe he exists. 408 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:28,520 That's the easy one. The devil believes he exists. 409 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:33,480 The demons believe he exists. Everybody believes he exists #2 410 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,200 you must believe that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 411 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:39,480 The woman with the issue of blood knew something that a lot 412 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:42,840 of people don't. The the Centurion knew something 413 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:45,200 a lot of people don't. I can just tell. 414 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:46,680 I know his nature. I know his character. 415 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:48,720 He rewards those who diligently seek him. 416 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:51,040 He rewards those who diligently seek him. 417 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:54,520 Not with a formula, but with a messy living, stumbling through 418 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:56,960 streets, knocking on doors. Is this the right house? 419 00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:58,560 Is that the right house? He's in here. 420 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:02,080 Jesus, son of David, had mercy on us. 421 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:07,800 Jesus is probably tired. He's probably tired all day. 422 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:12,200 Remember the the the word became flesh with all of the 423 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:15,240 limitations of flesh. The man needs to sleep. 424 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:18,080 The man needs to eat. The man needs to use the 425 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:20,080 restroom. The man needs a minute to 426 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:22,720 breathe. And yet, even when he's 427 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,080 retreated for the day, somebody else comes and he doesn't say 428 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:28,520 no. Your blindness is a part of the 429 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:31,080 Lord's will for your life. Or he doesn't say no. 430 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,680 Wait till the morning, because they're just there. 431 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:39,520 We're knocking, so this is a lesson for us to call out to God 432 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,680 for your physical healing, for your everything, whatever it may 433 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,280 be. Pursue, persist. 434 00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:49,440 He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek him. 435 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,520 And then look what he says according to your faith. 436 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:00,840 Verse 28, I'll read it all to you. 437 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,920 When he entered the house, the blind man came to him and Jesus 438 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,400 said to them, do you believe that I am able to do this? 439 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:12,080 They said to him, yes Lord, yes Master. 440 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:15,640 Then he touched their eyes saying, according to your faith, 441 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:19,280 be it done to you. Interestingly enough, he didn't 442 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,440 say according to my power, according to my will. 443 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:24,960 Hang on, are we making a big deal about faith again? 444 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,360 Well, remember, faith is still in Christ. 445 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:29,560 It's not that their faith was like, you've earned it. 446 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:31,640 That's not the point. The point is their faith was in 447 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:33,560 Him. Do you believe in me? 448 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,520 Is your faith big in me? Yes, Lord, you're awesome. 449 00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:40,960 Right answer. I am, and therefore you receive. 450 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,040 But he made the clear connection, as he does many 451 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:47,760 times throughout the Gospels, that my faith is connected to my 452 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:51,880 reception, to His promise that I must be the new wineskin who can 453 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:54,680 receive the new wine. If I'm not the new wineskin, 454 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:56,880 then then the new wine won't be poured out. 455 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:01,520 Jesus is drawing out and building your faith to ask, to 456 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:05,600 seek, and to knock. To ask, to seek and to knock. 457 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,440 We've talked about this before when we when we preached on that 458 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:10,400 when you knock on the door, do you go? 459 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:14,840 I guess they don't want to see me today. 460 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,400 I'm leaving. No, maybe they didn't hear. 461 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:21,200 I'll give it a second. Oh, maybe they still didn't 462 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,960 hear. Ding Dong, You're staring in the 463 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,480 ring doorbell. Hey, it's me. 464 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:28,840 Let me in. I know you're home. 465 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:30,800 I know you're there. I'm not leaving. 466 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:34,400 I know you're inside. I came to see you. 467 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:37,440 Jesus is drawing out, building your faith. 468 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,720 Ask, seek. Knock. 469 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,440 Now I wish it was. What, Like a lab rat? 470 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:46,880 That's our flesh. That's our flesh. 471 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:49,640 That is very selfish. That's not Worshipful. 472 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:51,920 That actually doesn't even want to commune with the Lord. 473 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:54,800 I get that. I feel that same thing man. 474 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:58,200 I wish it was just. I know that's our flesh talking 475 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:00,040 though. But that's not how the Lord made 476 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:01,720 us to walk with him in the cool of the day. 477 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:04,920 And if I don't want a fellowship with the Lord now, what makes 478 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:06,680 you think I'm going to want a fellowship with the Lord in 479 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,120 heaven? I don't really love God and I 480 00:24:09,120 --> 00:24:10,400 really don't care about being with him. 481 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,600 Now my friend, what makes you think you'll want to be with him 482 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:15,840 then? Well, I just don't want to go to 483 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,240 hell, my friend. I would examine yourself to see 484 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:22,240 if you really be in the faith. Amen and I would and I would say 485 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,120 that that could be a that should be a giant red flag to you that 486 00:24:25,120 --> 00:24:27,640 you that you're not Oh, but I've prayed a prayer after the 487 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,960 preacher as have millions. And yet what we're talking about 488 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:35,520 is being regenerate A regenerate life is a new life, a new life 489 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:39,120 will love Christ and love his presence, not just his 490 00:24:39,120 --> 00:24:42,680 blessings, but him himself to be with him. 491 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:48,320 But here we have Jesus at the end of a long day, tired, but 492 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:50,480 look at his mercy. Look at his kindness. 493 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:55,800 He touched their eyes. Jesus is not in any way depleted 494 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:59,520 from the love of God. He might be depleted in His 495 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:02,760 energy, but He's not depleted in power and He's not depleted in 496 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:04,280 love. He gently touches, maybe at the 497 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:07,120 same time, you know, maybe he just gently, maybe He was 498 00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:09,360 seated, maybe he was standing in this house. 499 00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:11,080 He gently touches these two friends. 500 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:14,760 And the first thing these guys get to see when they open their 501 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:20,160 eyes is their Lord is their master, is the Son of David, is 502 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,280 the Messiah. Jesus is merciful. 503 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:24,920 Jesus is kind. He's kind like that to you. 504 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:28,880 He's kind like that to you in in everything. 505 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:31,760 I need forgiveness of sin. I need freedom from shame. 506 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,760 Jesus touches your heart to relieve that burden. 507 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:36,880 Jesus touches your heart to comfort you. 508 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:38,840 And the first thing you see, all you've been seeing is your 509 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:40,640 shame. And you come to him and he 510 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,080 touches you and you just see his smiling face again saying, I 511 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,200 love you son. I love you daughter. 512 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:49,120 It's under the blood. It cost me a lot and you're 513 00:25:49,120 --> 00:25:53,200 worth it because I said so. Now go and sin no more. 514 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:55,560 Walk with me, talk with me. Let me grow you. 515 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:57,720 Let me teach you, let me show you my way. 516 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:02,960 Stay close, don't wander again. I'll try, Lord, I'll try. 517 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:06,640 But if you do, you have an advocate with the Father, the 518 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:10,080 Lord Jesus Christ. He is God's way of dealing with 519 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:13,680 your sin, not you paying the price on your own. 520 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,640 The only price we pay is the price to crucify the flesh and 521 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:20,680 to stay close to Jesus. The cost that really isn't a 522 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,280 cost at all. He's gentle with our physical 523 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,480 ailments and with our spiritual ones. 524 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:29,080 Your sin and my sin. He touches not the eyes, but the 525 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:33,600 heart, and He makes you clean if you need your eyes touched, Yes, 526 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,320 your actual literal eyes. He'll touch those too. 527 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:41,120 We're going to close. Let's go to verse 30 now. 528 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:43,760 We'll start wrapping up, it says. 529 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:47,560 And their eyes were opened and Jesus sternly warned them. 530 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:51,760 See that no one knows about it. This is kind of funny to me. 531 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,480 This is a literal stern warning. Matthew makes it plain. 532 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,200 He doesn't just say, hey, guys, do me a favour, keep it down. 533 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:00,560 He gives an actual stern warning to them. 534 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,640 And I have to wonder, like, do they look at each other like, is 535 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:06,760 he being serious? Lord, are you messing with us? 536 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,280 Well, you want us to go back in the street and be like, oh, I 537 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:12,960 don't know how to get home. Like, what are we supposed to do 538 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,680 when we leave here with the crowd outside still like, hey, 539 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:20,040 guys, how are you today? Oh, fine, I don't. 540 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:24,000 How are you? There's that part of just how 541 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:27,680 it's going to be obvious. But even more importantly, what 542 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:31,160 about their joy of busting out of that house and going? 543 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,840 I mean, did Jesus roll his eyes as soon as he hears them leave 544 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:36,720 and they just start screaming and shouting in the streets? 545 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:40,480 Everybody's going. These guys should have known. 546 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:44,160 And by the way, this totally blows out of the water the 547 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:46,320 argument. Jesus only healed during that 548 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:50,800 time and during that period to advertise his ministry to spread 549 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:54,080 the word about his Kingdom. Then why does he so often tell 550 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:58,360 people, hey, don't tell anybody, don't tell anybody anything 551 00:27:58,360 --> 00:28:01,240 about this? I thought he's supposed to be 552 00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:03,920 promoting his ministry. So there there's different 553 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:06,120 reasons as to why he might have, but that certainly couldn't been 554 00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:07,920 one of them. One of the reasons might have 555 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:10,840 been just that like he's trying to minimize the crowd at this 556 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:14,400 point still, instead of having everyone seek only for one 557 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:17,360 thing. But it's it's just theoretical. 558 00:28:17,360 --> 00:28:20,800 We're not sure, but I wonder if they laughed. 559 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:23,400 I wonder if they thought are, are you serious? 560 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:25,680 I'm, I'm literally going to go tell everybody like tonight. 561 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:28,480 I'm not going to go to sleep and I'm just going to go around all 562 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:32,600 night long and looking at things, enjoying my eyes, and I 563 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,280 can't wait to see the sunrise in the morning and rejoicing over 564 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:36,920 it and worshipping over it. Why? 565 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:40,000 Because when Jesus has changed you, you have to tell somebody. 566 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,840 If somebody tells you to shut up and don't tell anybody, you know 567 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:45,520 what you're going to do. When Jesus has changed you, 568 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:47,160 you're still going to tell somebody. 569 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,560 Ask every Christian in a communist nation around the 570 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,720 world. Ask every Christian and Islamic 571 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:55,520 nation around the world. When they say shut up, don't 572 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:59,480 tell anybody, the Christian says you judge for yourself whether 573 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:03,600 or not it's right for you, for me to obey you or God, but I 574 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:06,240 can't help but talk about what I've seen. 575 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,120 I can't help but talk about what the Lord has done for me. 576 00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:12,320 This is the automatic overflow for the Christian. 577 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:15,280 I'm going, what do you mean don't tell anybody? 578 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:19,120 What else would I do? I am going to be your witness 579 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:24,680 and then we're going to go to verse 32 as they were going 580 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:27,440 away. Behold, a demon possessed man 581 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:30,160 who was mute was brought to him. Peter's wife had to have loved 582 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:32,080 this even more. The blind guys. 583 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,920 All right, they're gone. We're done for the night, right? 584 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,520 Let's get Jesus comfortable. She wants to take care of him. 585 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:39,680 Maybe Peter is settling in, putting kids to bed. 586 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:41,680 Hey, there's a demon possessed guy at the door. 587 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:46,040 Should we let him in too? Sure, let him in. 588 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:49,080 Let's go. Why not just keep him coming? 589 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:52,960 But Jesus, come on in. Come on in. 590 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:54,680 So this man is mute. He can't speak. 591 00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:57,680 This isn't to say that every time a person is mute that it's 592 00:29:57,680 --> 00:29:58,880 a, a demon. We don't know. 593 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:01,800 There's a lot of mystery around demon possession in the 594 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:03,200 scriptures. We don't get told a lot. 595 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:05,200 We get told people are demon possessed. 596 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:08,440 We see Jesus, tell him, shut up. Then we see, then we see him 597 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:10,120 asking, what's your name? And they're like, am I supposed 598 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:11,120 to shut up? Am I supposed to talk? 599 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:14,080 And he's like come out. And then like we, we see that 600 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:16,920 Jesus is dominant over demons and it's not a it's not a fair 601 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:18,840 fight. It's not like, Oh no, who's 602 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:22,200 going to win in the 12th round? It's like Jesus walks in and 603 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:25,680 stomps them a mud hole in their head in the first round KO. 604 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:29,000 But at the same time, there's still mystery as to how these 605 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:31,040 things work and how do these things happen to people. 606 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:34,880 But this man can't speak, so he can't talk. 607 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:39,760 Never was anything like this scene in Israel after the demon 608 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:42,640 was cast out. The man can now speak. 609 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:46,120 The man is in his right mind. And of course, the conclusion of 610 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:52,200 the Pharisees is demons. Demons must be casting out 611 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,320 demons. I see the fruits of the Kingdom 612 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:56,960 here. I see the fruits of the Messiah. 613 00:30:57,080 --> 00:30:59,680 What was their issue? They had a lot and and by the 614 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:01,000 way, not every Pharisee was like this. 615 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:02,160 We always lump them all together. 616 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:05,480 There was Pharisees who followed Jesus and loved him faithfully. 617 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:07,760 Jesus had everybody at every level. 618 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,680 He had like the pro NFL players were following him. 619 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:13,320 They didn't have that. But those guys, there was some 620 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:14,720 of them. Like he had people everywhere 621 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:17,840 who followed him. It wasn't just a certain group, 622 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:22,040 but the Pharisees, the ones who were really blind in their 623 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:24,320 heart. What do we learn? 624 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:28,200 It is better to have blind eyes than to have a blind heart. 625 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:30,600 That's what's better. It's better. 626 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:33,560 If you had to pick, you would pick blind eyes. 627 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:37,960 Of course, if you have blind eyes and you have an open heart, 628 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:40,640 then the blind eyes can be taken care of as well. 629 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:43,560 But God gives grace to the humble. 630 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:46,080 This is the principle you see throughout Scriptures, and you 631 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,920 see the pride of people works against them as their own 632 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:52,000 judgement. It's brilliant, it is brilliant, 633 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:54,680 it is the sovereignty of God working brilliantly. 634 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:57,800 When I'm prideful, my own pride is my own judgement. 635 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:01,640 Similar to like when Romans talks about men were consumed 636 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:04,320 with passion for other men, women were consumed with passion 637 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:07,240 for for women and the Lord gave them up to their desires. 638 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:10,080 What was, what's the judgement? The judgement is you can have 639 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:13,200 it. The judgement is eat your fill. 640 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:16,640 You know, when you grab the poison cup, the judgement is the 641 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,360 Lord allows you to drink in the same way. 642 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,120 Pride always does that in the heart. 643 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:24,480 When you say I know better, the Lord says, oh, you know better 644 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:26,600 and let you have the conclusion of that. 645 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:28,320 It's by his mercy that he would interrupt. 646 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:31,000 It's by his grace that he would intercede, that he would 647 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:33,000 intervene. This is why humility is so 648 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,360 important, why we want to keep ourselves humble, keep ourselves 649 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:37,640 soft, keep ourselves. I've had that word rolling in 650 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:39,720 me, Natalie, and I've been meditating on it and talking 651 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:42,280 back and forth about it. That new wineskin, Lord, keep me 652 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:45,440 soft, keep me supple, keep me usable so you can pour in new 653 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:49,720 wine, pour in new wine, make me a new wineskin again and again. 654 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:52,920 Heavenly Father, I pray for your precious people. 655 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:56,560 I ask that you would keep us soft, keep us tender, God, keep 656 00:32:56,560 --> 00:33:00,120 us seeking, keep us eager. For those who feel like it's a 657 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:03,080 dry season, for those who feel like they are weary, they are 658 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:07,520 thirsty, they are hungry and they need more of you, God give 659 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:10,880 them just that determination, that persistency of faith, that 660 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:12,480 living faith that would call out. 661 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:15,920 They would say I am dry, I am thirsty and I'm going to the 662 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,120 river. I'm not waiting for a river to 663 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:21,040 come to me. I'm not staying stuck where I'm 664 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:27,720 at in the desert, but I will seek knowing that Jesus promised 665 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:29,480 me. If I if I seek, I'll find. 666 00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:34,040 If I ask, I'll receive. If I knock, the door will be 667 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:37,520 opened. Jesus, make us a people who will 668 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:41,840 first qualify for that promise. Make us a people who asks, who 669 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:50,080 seek and who knock. Jesus, son of David, tender and 670 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:54,800 kind Messiah, have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. 671 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:59,200 Lord, Lord, Master, we submit to you. 672 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:08,000 We need more of you now. Bring us back to devoted prayer. 673 00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:14,320 Bring us back to hungry searching, to real prayer. 674 00:34:16,159 --> 00:34:20,360 Not not just a a memorization, but a hungry, humble prayer. 675 00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:23,920 A prayer that might break the rules that we've been used to. 676 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:26,639 They might break societal customs, they might break the 677 00:34:26,639 --> 00:34:30,280 traditions of man. But a prayer that will move the 678 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:34,679 heart of Jesus, a prayer that will move the Holy Spirit where 679 00:34:34,679 --> 00:34:38,040 he'll say that is living. That's real faith. 680 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:42,920 Build our faith, build our persistency, build our devotion 681 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:47,600 in all things, in all areas. Make us more faithful to you. 682 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:51,840 Open the eyes of our hearts so we can see and know all that you 683 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:58,760 have intended for us. We love you, we thank you, we 684 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:06,680 seek you, all of you, and now the Lord bless you and keep you. 685 00:35:08,240 --> 00:35:11,200 The Lord make his face shine down upon you and be gracious to 686 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:14,040 you. The Lord lift up his countenance 687 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:19,840 upon you and give you great peace in Jesus name, Amen.