If you'd please open your copy of your Scriptures to John 9. For those who are visiting, we're continuing through the Gospel of John in the morning and Deuteronomy in the evening service. Last week we focused just on three verses or seven verses of John 9. We looked at the purpose in suffering the reasons why God allows His people to suffer. And we saw that there were a number of reasons. Ultimately, it glorifies God in some way for His people to suffer. He uses those things for His own glory. It's not that the pain itself glorifies God, but what He does with the pain and the suffering brings glory to His name. We should understand that God upholds us as with His very hand. that nothing happens apart from His fatherly hand, and this causes us to be patient when things are difficult and to rejoice and be thankful when He has given us peace. We also see that in an interesting way, suffering is for our good. It's used to sanctify us. Certainly, this particular miracle showcases showcase the work of Christ. And we saw that last week as well, that Christ and his ministry was held up for display of all men. But what this chapter does that I'm going to try to show you this morning is really paint a picture of The salvation of every one of us who are saved. It's the journey of faith or the journey of belief seen in this particular story in this particular narrative. That's actually the title of the sermon. The journey of belief. We're going to see that God always with all of his people. He sovereignly brings us to a place of spiritual sight where there was once blindness and then the response of having our eyes opened. Is that we've? come to Christ in faith and forsaken our old life in repentance. And this faith and this repentance is something that we see through our whole life growing, and as we continue to rely more and more on Christ throughout our existence, that it's also something we see in this man's life, and it's a picture, again, of faith in general. We know this is true in John 9 39 that we'll talk about in just a moment. Jesus himself said, for judgment, I came to the world that those who do not see may see and those who see may become blind. He's taking that miracle and he's applying spiritual truth to it. And we are going to do the same. So this is John 9. It is a long passage. I'll ask you just to remain seated. We usually stand for the reading of God's Word. But remain seated until the very end and I'll ask you to stand. And we will read all 41 verses. This is God's inspired Word. As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, it was not that this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is still day. Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. He anointed the man's eyes with mud and said, go wash in the pool of Siloam, which means scent. So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, is this not the man who used to sit and beg? Some said, it is he. Others said, no, but he is like him. He kept saying, I am the man. So they said to him, then how were your eyes open? He answered, the man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and received my sight. They said to him, where is he? He said, I do not know. They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, he put mud on my eyes, I washed and I see. Some of the Pharisees said, this man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath. But others said, how can a man who is a sinner do such signs? And there was a division among them. So they said again to the blind man, what do you say about him since he has opened your eyes? He said, he's a prophet. The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, is this your son who you say was born blind? How then does he now see? His parents answered, We know that this is our Son, and that He was born blind, but how He now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened His eyes. Ask Him. He is of age. He will speak for Himself. His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. Therefore, his parents said, He is of age. Ask Him. So for the second time they called the man who had been born blind and said to him, give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner. He answered whether he is a sinner. I do not know one thing. I do know that though I was blind, now I see. They said to him, what did he do to you? How did he open your eyes? He answered them. I have told you already and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples? And they reviled him, saying, You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from. Would you please stand now for the reading of the last 10 verses just to honor the holy word of God? The man answered, Why, this is an amazing thing. You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. They answered him. You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us? And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they cast him out, and having found him, he said, Do you believe in the Son of Man? He answered, And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him? Jesus said to him, You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you. He said, Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him. And Jesus said, for judgment I came into this world that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things and said to him, are we also blind? Jesus said to them, if you were blind, you would have no guilt. But now that you say we see, your guilt remains. Amen. Please be seated. The grass withers, and the flower fades. The Word of our God, though, will stand forever. Let us pray for God's help as we study His Holy Word. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Triune God, we honor Your holy name. We pray in Jesus' name that You, Holy Spirit, would enliven our hearts and open our spiritual eyes that this truth may be impressed upon us and our lives changed forever. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in your sight. Oh Lord, our rock and our Redeemer in Jesus name, Amen. So the journey of belief will see that this blind man, this man blind from birth is actually a picture of all of humanity born into the world. completely blind, seeing no light whatsoever. We'll see that this man was given sight from Jesus. And then he was tested by the world and encouraged by Christ. This is the spiritual journey of all of us, and this is the Christian life. But we say that he was born blind. He was blind from birth, and somehow this illustrates our condition. And I believe this is true. I've mentioned this particular example a few times before as we've talked about our spiritual impotence before a holy God. There are many stories in the Internet and on the news about people who were declared dead by a doctor and then actually were not dead unknowingly by the doctors. They were placed in caskets and come to life. They've woken up in a morgue Some one man, unfortunate man, was actually waking up during an autopsy. He woke up. Well, these things have one thing in common. They were all actually alive. They weren't actually dead. They were just thought to be dead, but because of some, I don't know, sloppy medical care or just a really faint pulse or very faint breathing, Many of these happened in third world countries, but regardless, these people were considered to be dead, but they were not dead. What a horrible thing. Even when I was young, one of the most beloved movies of my generation, the hero and the princess bride was taken to a physician to help him come to life. And he was declared not to be all dead, but only mostly dead. Well, this is not the case of Christians spiritually or of men spiritually before Christ. Before Christ, we're not spiritually mostly dead with a little part of us that actually can choose God. That is not what the scriptures teach. Spiritually, we are all dead. Ephesians chapter two is one of the passages where we see this most clearly. where Paul says you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. He's describing the nature of mankind born in sin, in spiritual death, blindness. So to understand this text, we need to start with the understanding that this man reflects all of humanity in their spiritual death, not mostly dead, but completely dead. That's why in verse one, we read that this man was blind from birth. and that this is actually a picture, a spiritual lesson is to be drawn from this. We know this is true because Jesus in verse 39 says as much. He says he came so that the blind would see and those who see would become blind. He's talking about spiritual life and spiritual blindness. This isn't the only place where Jesus talks this way. Indeed, John makes a point of showing us all of the various References to the blindness of humanity. Jesus explained in John 3 in great detail to Nicodemus that unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. He can't see it. This master teacher of Israel, Nicodemus, is told by the rabbi Jesus that he cannot even see the Kingdom of God. He thought he was right with God. And Jesus says, no, you can't see the kingdom of God at all. Why? Because you must be born again. So the implication was obvious, and it's a terrifying thought for Christians, those who proclaim Christ today who are not in Christ. If there are those among us, this should be a wake up. Nicodemus thought he knew something about God, and Jesus says you actually don't even see the kingdom of God. In every church, there are those who profess Christ and who aren't truly His. Do you see the kingdom of God? Do you see Jesus? You can't see unless you're born again. This kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. He's referring, of course, to the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, where God brings the spiritually dead to life. He changes the stony heart to a heart of flesh. So Jesus is teaching this leader of Israel, Nicodemus, that we are not born of blood, or God's sons are not born of the flesh, or His children are not born of the will of man, John 1.13, but born of God. So this miraculous healing of this man born blind just displays for us this same truth. You must be born again. to see the Kingdom of God. Being right with God has nothing to do, is not about primarily your heritage or your parents, your ability, your discernment, your wisdom, your good choices, your membership in a church. Rather, it's all about faith in Jesus Christ, which comes about through the work of God. You cannot be saved apart from a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. You are like this man, blind. And this work of regeneration is not synergistic. It's not. You do a little bit and then God does a little bit. No, God heals you. The totally depraved human will have no inclination toward God at all. Ephesians 2 tells us. And even though this man was told to go to Siloam, we know that Christ healed other people without making them do anything who expressed no faith at all. He just touched it. He went to Siloam for a different reason, and we'll talk about that in a moment. And even in chapter 9, John says that it's clear that Jesus is the one who healed him. When God regenerates this dead man's soul, this blind man's soul, He shows us in the physical healing of his eyes what happens to each one of us. after a heart is changed and your eyes are opened to Jesus, to the truth of the gospel, you run to Him, you worship Him, you see clearly your need for a Savior, and you stand boldly for Him and for truth. You are not one who faces tribulation and falls away. No, you stand for Christ. You respond in faith and repentance, and it is a faith and repentance that is solid and lasts for the rest of your life. Charles Wesley describes regeneration in the wonderful hymn, And Can It Be? The third verse reads, Along my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature's night. Thine eyes diffused a quickening ray. I woke, the dungeon flamed with light. My chains fell off, my heart was free. I rose, went forth, and followed Thee. But you must also understand that being blind, understanding your spiritual blindness is only half of the problem. Yes, he was born blind. But that's just being unable to see. He also lived in darkness, and we all are born in spiritual darkness. John 3.19, Jesus says, this is the verdict. Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. They loved darkness. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come to the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. Ephesians 5.8 For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Verse 11, take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. You see, it's not just blindness, it's also living in darkness and sin. Colossians 1.13, Paul says, He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. 1 Peter 2.9, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. At the end of this chapter, of course, Jesus said, He came that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. And before that, he says, for judgment I came into this world. You see, being blind is only half of the problem. We also are dark and we live in darkness. Steeped in sin. This is illustrated by this man's condition from birth. You must understand that we as man and woman are unable to fix anything on our own. It's only the work of God, otherwise we are powerless and unable and paralyzed and blind and living in darkness. We cannot do anything to remove our own blindness. You cannot see the kingdom of God unless you are born again. And if you repent of your sin and darkness and come to the light, you must have God's help. 1 Corinthians 2.14, the natural person, in other words, the person apart from Christ, does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him. And he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The natural person can't even see the kingdom of God and he can't understand the Word of God. You need the Spirit. Romans 8, 6-8. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law. Indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. This is the state of this man in his blindness spiritually. And it's the condition not just of him spiritually, but all of us before Christ. Well, could this blind man have sung with us as we will sing later? Nothing in my hand I bring. Simply to thy cross I cling. Naked come to thee for dress. Helpless look to thee for grace. Foul I to the fountain fly. Wash me, Savior, or I die. But an amazing thing happened. Jesus saw him. Jesus healed him. In verse 6 and 7, we read that Jesus made mud with saliva, anointed the man's eyes, and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam, which means sent. So he went and washed and came back seeing. We talked about this last week, but the reason for the mud was that he would go to the pool of Siloam, which means sent. Why does John want us to know that? Because Jesus is the One who was sent. The Jews rejected Him, and He's saying, I was the sent One. Now go to Siloam. In other words, He's pointing to the spiritual truth behind the miracle. It's because of Christ who was sent that we can see. This man was given new life. a life-altering change. Yes, he can see with his physical eyes. But we'll see throughout this text that he's also been given a change spiritually. His life changes in the most important way, and that's with his knowledge of Christ. His spiritual eyes are open. And when this happens, the response is always the same. Faith in Jesus Christ, a faith that will not waver. It's a saving grace where we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He's offered to us in the gospel. and then repentance unto life. It's a saving grace as well, where we turn from our sin and to our Savior. We hate our sin and we turn to God and we strive to live to please Him. The move of the Spirit on the heart of man always produces these two things. And it's an increasing change throughout your life. Lowell Ivy. is a pastor who now heads the PCA's Metanoia Ministry, which is a prison ministry. Lowell Ivey will be here on November 10th preaching. He was in prison for over a decade in solitary confinement for many, many years. And in the midst of that, God changed his heart. He heard the gospel and he embraced it. And now he's a minister of the gospel himself. And I find this so fascinating. He leads the prison ministry of the PCA, and it's called metanoia, which is a Greek word that means to change one's mind, to repent. Well, this is what happens. When the chains fall off and your heart becomes free, you rise and you go forth and you follow Christ. So can we see that in this man's life? I think we can. Let's look at the words that he says. We see in this narrative an increasing devotion of this man to Jesus and to the name of Jesus. When he's asked about what has happened, he cannot fail but to speak of Christ. First, look at verse 17. They asked again and said to the blind man, what do you say about him since he opened your eyes? He said, He is a prophet. The power of that particular statement in that context is amazing. There had been 400 years with no prophets. 400 years. To declare someone as a prophet, besides John the Baptist, who was the only one before him, to declare someone as a prophet is to make a statement of faith. He says, I've been changed by this powerful man You see the beginnings of belief. We don't know exactly when in this process he was regenerated and came to faith, but we can certainly not deny that that did happen. Also, look in verse 25. They said, give glory to God. We know this man's a sinner. This is the second statement he makes. Whether he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. In other words, what this man has done to me, I cannot deny it. This uneducated, probably poor man who's lived on the street his whole life, he's boldly proclaiming the truth to this Sanhedrin of intellect and study. And he says, I once was blind and now I see. Well, the third thing he says is equally amazing. Again, remember, this is probably an uneducated person, a poor man living on the street. And now, if you will, he's going to the White House. To meet the president and all of Congress in their fancy suits, they're going to. They're going to ask him questions and he is not used to. He's never even seen anything like this before and they bring him to. the Sanhedrin, they bring him to the council, the synagogue. And they want him to answer again for his healing. And he basically says, I'm going to defend this man, Jesus. Come hell or high water, I will not deny this man. Verse 30, the man answered, Why, this is an amazing thing. You do not know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes. You can feel Him getting maybe angry, some righteous indignation. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. Again, think of the picture. These are the most educated men in Israel, and they're questioning this poor man who's just been healed. And he's actually speaking truth to them, and they are portraying lies about Christ. They're blaspheming God. You don't have to be smart. You don't have to be educated. You don't have to have gone to seminary to speak the truth about God to your neighbor. And then finally, we see in verse 38 that he says, Lord, I believe, and he worships Him. He worshiped Jesus. He's devoting his life to Christ. He's undergone a complete internal change. He's gone from death to life. He's gone from blindness to sight, both physically and spiritually. And this is what happens to all who believe. Romans 8, 5-8. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law. Indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, talking to those who are born again, You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Because anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. You either have the Spirit of God or you do not. There's no tweener. Ezekiel 36.25, I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness. From all your idols I will cleanse you. I will give you a new heart. and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues and be careful to obey My rules." We see 1 Corinthians 6, 9-11, Paul explaining that those who have the Spirit will not act like they once did. This is from the ASV. Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, speaking of homosexuality, nor abusers of themselves with men, also speaking of homosexuality, or thieves, or covetous, or drunkards, or revilers, or extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. You'll be different. That's why it says in verse 11, and such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of Jesus, the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the spirit of our God. He's alive, this man, for the very first time. He's been opened. His heart has been opened to see Jesus as he truly is. His heart has been opened to see His own sin. And He desires to worship Christ. But then something happens. He feels like the world is coming against Him. Because indeed it is. All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Paul says in 2 Timothy 3. Why is that? Just because the world hates Jesus. And Jesus demands all of our worship. Nothing else can be worshipped. We can have no other gods before Him. Jesus in Luke 14.26-32, He makes this clear. If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear His own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." You say, well, that's a heavy burden. Who can possibly do it? Nobody. Unless the Spirit of God is in you and has changed you. Then He says to count the costs. Before you decide to make a public profession of faith, count the costs. Because you have to be all in. Verse 32, so, therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. You see, with this kind of requirement to serve God and God alone, you should not be surprised if the world comes against you, because you are going to act completely unlike anyone around you. So we see that he was spiritually blind. The second point, that he was given new life, but now we see that he is tested. by the world. The Pharisees go after this man. In the end, they excommunicate him from the fellowship. He's cast out of the church. His parents, they're preserved because they did not stand for Christ. But this man was like, throw me out. Doesn't matter. Why? He has true faith in Jesus. Christ has told us that in this world we will have tribulation. What does this tribulation consist of? Well, a battle with sin, which we all will fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil. 1 John 2.14-16 For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, the pride of life, is not from the Father, but from the world. And also, we face actual persecution in this life from man. Satan and his minions, human and spiritual partners of Satan, will come after you. You are now the seed of the woman in Christ. And the seed of the serpent will pursue you. Revelation 12, 17, the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on all the rest of her seed, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. This is our expectation. But when we are persecuted, like this man was, were to stand strong like this man did. Not like his parents, who just wanted the easiest way out. Talk to him. We don't want to say anything. Can you imagine your son's been born blind and blind his whole life, and now he's miraculously healed? You would think that that would inspire you to faith in Christ. No. It doesn't seem that these parents of his feared God more than man. Rather, they were afraid of these Pharisees. But this man's reply shows us something. You don't need to say everything to testify to Jesus Christ. You don't need to talk to people in some powerful theological way. You just need to talk about Jesus truthfully. Who is Jesus? And often the most simple and clear statements about Jesus are powerful. Whether he's a sinner or not, I do not know, the man said. One thing I do know, I was blind and now I see. When we're questioned about Jesus, whether you feel like you're being persecuted or not, you need to be truthful and bold. And his powerful witness to Christ. He didn't have any theological training that we know of. He wasn't ordained. He just had the Holy Spirit. And he knew what God had done. God promises that He's with us. He'll never leave us or forsake us. Jesus says when you're arrested and brought to trial, and this man may have been the first brought to trial for Christ, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time. For it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. In His greatest sermon, Jesus said that we are to be bold for Him as well. You're the salt of the earth. You're the light of the world. Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. You don't light a lamp and put it under a bushel. No, you're to be bold. You're to put it on a stand. And then persecution will come. If you're living like this, it will bring persecution to you, which is why Jesus says in the same sermon, blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. A slave is not greater than his master, Jesus said. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. What is persecution exactly? Pastor Tom Askell says, when a believer is spoken to derisively or abusively because of his devotion to Christ, he's at the point of experiencing persecution. Granted, it's not as severe as the violence that is carried out against those who are made to suffer physically, but it is nonetheless real. And the same is true for slanderous accusations that are made about believers because their devotion to Christ. In Matthew 5, Jesus even talks about it. Blessed are you when people insult you. That's a verbal persecution, isn't it? They insult you because of Christ. When they persecute you, this is verbal and physical. When they falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, this is verbal again. When you're persecuted because of Christ, Christ says, rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven. So we're not to be surprised that the fiery trials have come upon us because of Christ. This man was persecuted verbally. They called him a sinner. You're born in utter sin. They implied that he was not of the appropriate intellect to teach them. Would you teach us? And then they physically persecuted him and forced him out of the church. He was a social outcast. To be outside of the Jewish synagogue or outside of the Jewish church was to be an outcast. They cast him out. And he stood firm. But that wasn't the end of the story. Let's conclude with Jesus' words to him. He was actually encouraged by Christ. who told all of us, after He told us to go and make disciples of all nations, to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, to teach them all that He's commanded us. And what did He say? Surely, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age. And He was there with this man. Do you believe in the Son of Man? And this man said, Who is He, sir? Jesus said, You have seen Him, and it is He who is speaking to you. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped Him. He could see physically, but now His spiritual eyes are open. When He heals us, when He regenerates our souls, when He gives us faith and repentance, He doesn't leave us alone. He encourages us. He's with us. He speaks words of comfort, comfort to His people. He's redeemed you and He's called you by name and you belong to Him. He says that He will never leave us or forsake us. He says that He is our Helper and we should not be afraid. He says He's our Good Shepherd and lays down His life for the sheep. And He said He's sending the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, our Advocate, and leaving us with peace. And He commands us, do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. You see a bruised reed, He will not break. In a smoldering wick, He will not snuff out. He tends His flock like a shepherd and you, in Christ are in His flock. He gathers the lamb in His arms and carries them close to His heart. I'm going to read this hymn, and then we'll take the Lord's Supper. This is written by William Tidmadsen. It's a hymn called, Lord, I was blind but could not see. Lord, I was blind. I could not see. In Thy marred vision any grace. But now the beauty of Thy face is radiant vision dawns on me. Lord, I was deaf. I could not hear the thrilling music of thy voice. But now I hear thee and rejoice and all thine uttered words are dear. Lord, I was dumb. I could not speak the grace and glory of thy name. But now, as touched with living flame, my lips thine eager praises wake. Lord, I was dead. I could not stir my lifeless soul to come to thee. but now since thou hast quickened me, I rise from sin's dark sepulcher. Lord, thou hast made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, the dead to live, and lo, I break the chains of my captivity. Let us pray before we partake of the supper. Father in heaven, thank you for your good word. Thank you for encouraging our souls in Christ. Thank you that the gospel which was true for this man is true for us as well. You have given us so many good things. You have blessed us with health and peace. Lord, you have opened our blind eyes to see your face. Lord, we pray that we would be encouraged by this man and that we would be encouraged by your spirit to stand strong for you in Jesus' name.