Displaying the work of God in your life
John 9:1-12

　　　　　　　　　　

Today, I want to introduce you to a man called Nick. Actually, please look at the screen, because I want to let Nick introduce himself.

(video)

Nick was born into a loving, Christian family. His father is a church minister. He had just started a new church a couple of months before Nick was born. As a child, Nick went to church with his family. But church was difficult for him. Why?

For Nick, church was a dilemma. In fact, life itself was a dilemma for him. In Sunday School, Nick read in the Bible said that he had been made fearfully and wonderfully in God's own image.

He was told that he was precious and honored in God's sight.

Everyone at church told Nick that God loved him just as he was.

But at night, Nick would just cry himself to sleep. He prayed and begged for God to change who he was. He wanted God to change his circumstances. He wanted God to change him.

You see, Nick is not the same as you and me - even though no one had expected it, from the time that he came into this world! Because when he was born, Nick had no arms or legs. Nick was different.

As he grew up, in spite of his condition, he was able to go to school. But because he was obviously so different to the other children, he would get teased. And he started to believe the cruel things that other children would say to him.

And so Nick cried himself to sleep. He wished that he was not like who he was, and he prayed that he would wake up in the morning with arms and legs.

After all, God was supposed to love him. God was supposed to care for him. So surely God would come and answer his prayers. Surely God would take away his sadness. Surely God would change his situation and give him arms and legs.

But every day he would rise to the reality that he was still different. God didn’t change his circumstance.

Why? Why was he like this?

And so Nick came to think that his life had no purpose. But life that has no purpose is life without meaning. And life without meaning is life without hope. Nick came to the point where he felt that if he was so different maybe he had no value.

Then, when he was eight years old, he read Jeremiah 29:11.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

But as Nick read this, he was filled with bitterness and anger towards God. “Plans not to harm me? But I AM harmed! What hope and future could there possibly be for me?

University? A job? Marriage? Even if someone would take him, what could he do? He couldn’t hold his wife’s hand. He would never be able to hold and comfort his children when they cried. What hope and future was there for him?

And so at the mere age of eight, Nick considered, and actually attempted, to take his own life.

(video)　"I challenged God. I said: “God, I know I’m a sinner. I know that I won’t probably have peace until you’re in my heart, but I will not let you into my heart until you answer me: Why – why did you take my arms and legs? Why didn’t you give me what everybody else has?” And I said: “God, until you answer me that question I will not serve you.” And so I wanted to end it. If God wasn’t going to end my pain, I was going to end it myself. So at age 10 I tried to drown myself in a bathtub of 4 inches of water. I told mum and dad “I’m going to relax in the bathtub. Can you put me in the bathtub. And I turned over a couple of times to see if I could do it. But I couldn’t do it."

Then one day, Nick read John chapter 9. It was today’s story that we have just read.

Jesus and His disciples were in the temple at Jerusalem. And they came across this man who was blind. But it was not because of an accident or disease. He had been born that way.

Let’s read the beginning again:

"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (John 9:1-2)


Now, the way of thinking there at this time was that blindness and other such problems were a punishment from God for sin. If you had this kind of problem, it was because you had done something wrong. But in this man’s case, he had been born blind. So, how could it have been his fault? Did he sin in his mother’s womb before he was born? Or was it parents’ fault? Was this man being punished for his parents’ sin?

Why was the man like that?

So, when the disciples, and everyone else, saw this man, what did they actually see? Did they see someone who needed their understanding and compassion? Did they see someone with hope and a future?

Sadly, no. Instead of being moved to respond to this man’s need, they only saw to analyze his situation. To them, this man was only an object to be talked about and studied. Instead of looking forward to offer compassion and action, they looked back to find reason and blame.

But that is not what Jesus does. That is not who Jesus is. Jesus took their focus and turned it up towards heaven.

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." (John 9:3)

The reason for this man’s condition, said Jesus, is to be found in God. Jesus Himself was the answer to the questions of “why” that consumed his life. This man’s purpose in life, the meaning of his life, the reason for his situation, was completely wrapped up in the very concrete, the very personal, plan that God had for him. Until now, this had been a mystery to him, and a misunderstanding to everyone else.

Now, this man did not know Jesus. He didn’t know that Jesus was there. He
couldn’t see Jesus, He didn’t go to Jesus. It was Jesus who saw him. It was Jesus who went to the man.

And as Jesus shone His love and truth into this man, the eyes in his head, and the eyes in his heart, became opened to who Jesus really was. When he saw who Jesus was, he came to understand who he himself was. And as we continue to read more of this story, we will see that it was Jesus who was the answer to the questions of “why” in his life.

"… this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

But this man’s questions are also our questions. Why am I here? What is the purpose and meaning of my life? Why is there suffering? Why do I hurt? Where am I going?

These are the ultimate questions that we all have. And as Nick shares, the complete and satisfactory answer can only be found in one place.

(video) In life if you don’t know the truth then you can’t be free, because then you’ll believe that the lies are the truth. But once we realize that when we read the Word of God, and you know the truth of who you are…I’m not a man without arms and legs. I am a child of God. I am forgiven of my sins. I am an ambassador of the King of the kings and Lord of lords. I am nothing but a servant of the Most High God. This is not about Nick. It’s not about Nick’s capacity and capability to become this conqueror. I am nothing. I am nothing. God, though, lives in me, and I now live in his strength. Whatever Jesus conquered, I conquer.

I believe if God doesn’t give you a miracle, you are a miracle of God for somebody else’s salvation. And I thank God that He didn’t answer my prayer when I was begging Him for arms and legs at age 8, because guess what: Because I have no arms and legs, He is using me all around the world.

Just because we can't see something it doesn't mean that it's not real. Just because you can't see the plans that God has for you, that doesn't mean that God doesn't have a plan for you. Even though we can't know what tomorrow holds, we can know that God holds tomorrow. And we can know God himself.

You might have been crying out to God to change your circumstances. You might have been begging Him to change your life. Please know that He can. Please believe that that is His desire! But He might not do it in the way you have been asking. He might not even change your situation. But if you are willing He will change you!


As Nick said, there is no point in being complete on the outside if you are still broken on the inside!

The greatest disability in life does not involve our arms or our legs. It is not our ability to see or hear. Our greatest disability – the biggest thing that steals our freedom and takes away our strength – is the absence of the peace and security that comes from knowing you are absolutely and unconditionally loved. If you don’t know that, then you are left with guilt that steals your freedom, and fear, that robs you of your strength to live.

There are two things in life that we need to know:
1. Am I loved? and
2. Am I going to be alright?

Our need to know these two things seems even greater in times of suffering – when we are facing a crisis. But when we suffer, there is no hope to be found in comparing our pain with other peoples pain. Our situations might be different but everyone’s suffering is real.

True hope, true peace, true freedom and joy, can only be found in Jesus. Because it is only Jesus who is able to forgive us of our sins. It is only Jesus who is able to free and cleanse our hearts from guilt. That is because Jesus Himself paid the penalty for our sins on the cross. And in place of that guilt that Jesus took from us, He instead gives us the peace and the joy of eternal life, together with Him in heaven.

The Bible tells us that:
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)

Jesus gives us God’s perfect love! Jesus gives us meaning in life. He enables us to fulfill our purpose in life. Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit to live within us and to strengthen us to become more than conquerors.

(video?)　"Hope is in the name of God: the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hope is when you compare your suffering to the infinite, immeasurable love and grace of God. Isaiah 40 verse 31 says: “Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings as eagles.” I didn’t need my circumstance to change. I don’t need arms and legs. I need the wings of the Holy Spirit and I am flying because I know Jesus is holding me up."

(So,) our circumstances don't need to change for us to become happy. When I am weak, I am strong. Nick personifies that verse. You can see his pain. But at the same time you can see his strength. You cannot argue with the joy in his eyes. That is the strength of the Lord. That is the joy of the Lord.

That is the same strength of the same Lord who will enable you to live above your weakness. That is the joy of the Lord that will lift you up out of your suffering. And when the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.

Paul tells us through the Letter to the Romans that:

"…you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." " (Romans 8:15)

And when you cry out to God as your own father, then you are indeed a miracle of God! And when you do cry out to God as your father, the work of God is right then at that moment, and will continue to be, displayed in your life!