Matthew 2024

Chris Dryden is gonna come up and read to us from verse 28, and then Dean is gonna come and preach.

Page 907 3. That's Matthew Way. As Jesus went on from there, 2 blind men followed him calling out, have mercy on us, son of David. When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him. And he asked them, do you believe that I am able to do this?

Yes, lord, they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, according to your faith, let it be done to you, and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly. See that no 1 knows about this, but they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. While they were going out, a man who was demon possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus.

And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel. But the pharisee said, it is by the prince of demons that he drives out the demons. Thanks, Chris. Even with everybody.

My name is Dean, and I'm on 1 of the pastors of Cornerstone. It's a great pleasure to be able to come and preach god's word tonight. Why don't we pray before we start? Father, we thank you so much for bringing us here tonight. We thank you that we can gather in the name of Jesus Christ, our powerful king.

And lord, we look to him now. We look to you, to to give us a help as help me as I preach and help help those who are listening to take this word to heart and revel in it. And, we pray that we might, bring glory to your name tonight, and And we pray father that, people would, respond in lots of different ways. And so we ask this in Jesus' name, amen. I don't know if you know, of a social media trend, that starts a bit like this.

You may have seen a real or, a TikTok or or whatever. It goes like this. This is a message for so and so. Fill in the blank name. And so if you're not so and so, keep scrolling.

You may have seen that. Well, I would love to do 1 of them. I would I would really like to do 1. And the person I would love to send a message to you like that is a bloke called Tony Adams. Now you might think who who in the who in the world is Tony Adams.

Here he is. He is a professional footballer, and, he's about 6 foot 2. He's a central defender for 1 of the greatest Arsenal teams ever. One's lot lots of trophies, 66 England caps. It's from a fairly working class background, quite quite a rough background.

Born in romford, raised in Dagenham, where Rob Newman is, He's a big imposing scary looking bloke, really good fender. And, yeah, 1 of my football heroes, I would say. And he's been on my mind recently, because I've been reading his story. He's got an amazing story. So I've I've been I've been thinking about him a lot.

And then, you know, this passage came along, and lo and behold. But I wanna ask this specific question about him. How because I think about this all the time, How is Jesus gonna reach a bloke like Tony Adams? I don't know if you ever think about that. You you've got someone in your life, who you think just how is it gonna be possible for that person to become a Christian?

I I do that a lot, and and most recently for some strange reason that probably shouldn't be explained, it's been Tony Adams. But by his own admission, let me just give you some details about his life. It Growing up, he was not by, you know, he was not the brightest spark. He he couldn't read as a kid, and it absolutely terrified him when the book was passed around the classroom. He was a very, very scared little boy.

And and the place he used to run to for safety was football. He was a brilliant footballer. And then he got signed for Arsenal. And as you do, when you're young and you've got lots of money and lots of time, And when the football isn't there for you, he started drinking and sadly became addicted to alcohol. And, you know, his story is quite, you know, quite quite rough, as a as a I'll I'll read you a little bit, but he basically says, I was lost.

I was utterly lost. He says, I was off the planet. I passed out at 2, 3, 4 in the morning. I don't know. I don't know when.

I woke up Friday morning, seeing the minibar empty, and bottles all over the room, I'd smashed it. I had sex with this girl, and it was nothing. And and I think she could see the pain in my face. I was completely lost. The alcohol wasn't working, nor was the sex.

Nothing was. I was lost. It was 4 days of chaos and mayhem. Now thankfully, Tony Adams has been sober for 20 years. And he got he got clean through the alcoholics anonymous program, and he's now helping other people in, you know, in that addiction, and he's actually got a charity called a sporting chance.

And so this has to make you genuinely happy for him, doesn't it? But but when he but when it comes to Jesus, Tony Adams is still in the dark. He's he's still spiritually lost. And so my question still stands. How is Jesus gonna reach?

How is how is Tony gonna become a Christian? How is Jesus gonna reach him? And I I think it's an important question for us as as a church, isn't it? We are we call ourselves evangelicals. That that's just a long word for gospel.

We we're we're people who believe we've been commanded by Jesus to to love our neighbors, and we've been commissioned to make disciples, to make followers. And, you know, we all know the gospel, don't we? It's it's the simple Explanation is the bad news and the good news. Right? The bad news is that humans are sinful, and the good news is that Jesus is a wonderful savior.

If you want a bit more of a detailed explanation, you could go to our the first question of our catechism, couldn't you? What is our only hope in life and death? I wonder if anyone can, say it, but see, I'll read it for you and see if you get it right. Okay? We believe our only hope in life and death is that we are not our own but belong body and soul both in life and death to god and to our savior Jesus Christ.

So Tony's life and every life was made for Jesus. And it only makes complete and ultimate sense, doesn't it? In in a in a restored relationship with him. You know, the Christian life is not a bed of roses, is it? But it's the best life.

It's the life that brings the most satisfaction. It's the 1 that that brings the most unshakable joy even in the most terrible storms as as we were hearing last week from Rory. And 1 day, according to the Bible, the whole world, including Tony Adams, will stand before god, and will face his his perfect and just judgment. We will all give an account before a holy god, won't we? And everything we've said and thought and done, will be judged.

And the god of the whole earth, again, we believe the god of the whole earth will do right. He will do right in mercy and justice. By granting eternal life to those who have trusted in him and by, by, you know, even though he doesn't take any pleasure when sinners die, those who don't want him he will send to eternal punishment. Now these these are very sobering realities, aren't they? But these are the things that Jesus taught and preached.

But but Jesus he he always says, doesn't he? Come to me and find forgiveness. Find peace with god. Find ultimate rest. So Tony and all of us will only stand at that last day.

If we're forgiven by Jesus. So how is that gonna happen? How is Jesus gonna reach anyone? How did he reach you and me? Well, this story is gonna help us.

We've been we've been preaching through Matthews's gospel through chapter 8, and now we're in chapter 9 for about 6 weeks. But but these events that that we read about, they they they only record about a week of Jesus' life. And so just cast your mind back Do you remember how it all started? Jesus, he was coming down a mountain, wasn't he? And he saw massive crowds, and there was a buzz.

People were excited about hearing the kingdom of god preached and and they were seeing people healed, left, right, and center. And, you know, it was amazing, and it still continues to be amazing now. So our story tonight continues that sort of that buzz, that excitement. What's gonna what's what's he gonna do next? During this time, you could say Jesus was going viral.

He was blowing up the scene, wasn't he? He was he was fast becoming 1 of the top a list celebrities. But before we get into the story, let me ask you 1 more question. I wonder if you've ever come face to face with someone, like, famous. And if you have, not just, like, saw them across the road, but, like, what did you say to them?

Did you have did you have an opportunity to talk to them? I wonder what you said. Well, for me, I met I've met 2 people that I can remember. 1 of them was Kylie Minogue. Alright?

I didn't speak to her. I didn't have the bottle to do that. I saw her on a train. And we were going to France, I think. And, she was sitting a few rows up, and there she was with her entourage, you know.

And I was sitting there, and I did that classic. I'm looking at my phone. But I'm actually video videoing the person upfront, you know. I wasn't I wasn't brave enough to go talk to her. However, I did, 1 day, I think it was back in the 2 thousands.

I did actually see Tony Adams. And, I lived in Fulham at the time, and I was on Fulham Road, and I I think I just finished work. And across the road, there was this big, big lad. And, he was, I think he was standing outside a kebab shop, So I thought I'm gonna go over and say hello to him. What an idiot?

So I went over, I walked across the road, and and as I got towards him, I I thought I just thought I didn't know what I was gonna say. I didn't really think about it. It just sort of happened. And then He he turned and looked down at me like this and sort of scowled. And then I just sort of lost it, and and I blurted out the first thing that came to my head.

And it was I just said, I think I think I know you. And that was it. And he just he just sort of looked. I mean, sort of turned away and walked off, kept it eating his kebab, you know. It it was not 1 of my finest moments I can tell you.

Stuck in my head ever since. But look, this passage that we're we're reading tonight, we come we come face to face. We've, you know, we we meet 2 people who come face to face with Jesus. And they do not fail to shoot their shot, do they? They they don't pooch it like I did.

But the the thing that makes it even more more amazing is that they were blind. Now, blindness you know, blind blindness today is not a good thing. Is it? It's a it's, it's it must be terrible to be blind. We've got dogs though that can help us and lots of, lots of, we've got opticians and optometrists and eye clinics and eye eye we've even got eye hospitals, like a whole hospital dedicated to eyes.

It's amazing. But back in the first century, there was none of that, and blindness was quite a common thing. You need to you had dust flying in your eyes. You had flies, going from 1 person to other to to the other, carrying diseases, and they spread quite quickly. So, you know, it was it was a terrible thing.

But even though these men are blind, their words tell a a totally different story. So here's my first heading. Okay? My first heading is 2 men who can't see anything, see everything. 2 men who can't see anything, see everything.

How do these men see everything? What what do I mean? Well, I've I've got 3 sub points. Okay? So if you're taking notes, this is for you, If you don't, just just carry on listening.

First, our point, right, because they they see everything because they are convinced of their need. They see everything because they're convinced of their need. Look look at, verse 27 with me, were you? As Jesus went on from there, 2 blind men followed him calling out, have mercy on us, son of David David. So just imagine the scene.

So you've you've got Let's call them let's call them Jacob and Joseph, shall we? Just for just for argument's sake. So Jacob says, Joseph, did you hear what Jesus said to the Roman soldier? He was amazed. He said he had marvelous faith.

He'd never seen anything like it. Joseph says, j yes, Jacob. I've heard. I've heard the he said, I haven't even found this kind of faith in all of Israel. Jacob says, Joseph, hold my beer.

And Jacob says, Joseph says to Jacob, Jacob, find someone else to hold your beer. I'm coming too. So so there they go. They're they're following Jesus. They're shouting out these words and and they're calling out to Jesus, have mercy on me, have mercy on us, son of David.

They're they're asking and calling out in the street for mercy. And it it it seems at first like they're they're pretty convinced, aren't they? They're pretty convinced that they're that they're, you know, they they're they're very convinced of their need. When you think about it, Only pe only people who are in need ask for help, don't they? You've got to, you know, you've got to be desperate.

I I I say this to certain children of mine a lot. You know, if if you need help ask, just just ask It's quite it's quite a hard thing to do sometimes, because you just wanna do it yourself. But look, if if you need something, ask, just ask. And these men, they ask. And what does Jesus do?

So he turns around and he says, there it is. Look at that faith. I found it. Israel does her faith. I knew I'd find you, boys.

Is that what he says? Doesn't doesn't does he? No. What does he do? He totally blanks them.

What's what? He he he ignores them and walks into a house. And he can almost hear the door close behind him, can't you? And you think, what what Jesus? Is is this some some kinda sick joke?

But, you know, I wonder sometimes you see those little videos, don't you? Of like, and and I'd I would never do this, and I don't know why they put them online, but they are sort of funny. They, somebody moves the furniture around for a poor old blind dog. You know, it's terrible. It's sort of what Jesus seems to be doing here.

Is this is this a sick joke? Now it it could be, and it probably was because Jesus, he he didn't wanna do too many public miracles. You know, and and that seems to sort of tally up with verse 30 where he's given them this stern warning. But I I I think something else is going on here. I think Jesus is testing them.

He's he's asking how much do you really want this? Are you are you gonna come after me? I'm not just gonna give you on a plate. And and also think about it. It's easy to get caught up in a crowd, isn't it?

You know, it's easy sometimes to say stuff and You're not you don't really know what you're saying. You don't really mean what you're saying. You're just going along with the crowd. So Jesus, he tests their desire for help. He he wants to know, are they convinced of their need?

And so let's find out, shall we. Verse 28, when he had gone indoors, the blind man came to him. His plan works. Jesus gets them away from the crowds and the peer pressure, And he he wants to find out what's really going on, doesn't he? Listen to what 1 Bible commentator says about this little scene.

He says it's all very well to take a decision for Jesus on the flood tide of emotion at some great gathering or in some little group charged with spiritual power, but after the crowd, a man must go home and be alone. After the fellowship, he must go back to the essential isolation of every human soul. And what really matters is not what a man does in the crowd, but what he does when he's alone with Christ. Jesus compelled these men to face him alone. This this has to happen, isn't it?

For for someone to become a Christian, to someone for someone to be reached by Jesus, they have to face Jesus alone. If if people are really convinced that they need him, they will eventually come face to face with him. And if they're not convinced, then they won't. And and this this this might be, this might be quite, like, realty to some of you recently. I've I've had a chat with I've just just sort of bumped into a a few people this week.

And some of you have invited people to taste and see, you know, this event we had in on Thursday, a couple a couple of people I chatted to. They they they asked a bunch of people And they all said no. And you know, good friends. And, you know, it was politely. Thank you.

I know your faith is important to you, but, you know, I I no. No. No. Thank you. You know, very polite.

Others you know, make the excuses. Oh, my bus was late or, but, you know, the the fact that the the fact is, unless those people are convinced of their need, they will never come to Jesus. Will they? So it seems these blind men, they are convinced of their need. They they can see it, can't they?

So they follow Jesus into the house. When he when he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him. The blind men's need was obvious to them. Their eyes were broken, and they didn't wanna stay in the dark. Did they?

Now how much, these these 2 men knew about their sort of spiritual need? We're not really told, but but back then, physical problems were were much more tied to spiritual problems. You know, they we don't know, but they may have, they may have become blind because they did something sinful wrong. But even if they didn't, even if they were just born blind, you know, it they they were still, they they were still sort of outcasts. They were still, like, shut out from from normal life.

They most of them were beggars. But but that's how Jesus saves people, isn't it? We we must we must come to understand. We must be convinced that we are beggars. We are blind.

Spirit, we who have come to Jesus We we did so because we know that we are broken, not just physically, although that may be true, but spiritually. We might be the, you know, the the epitome of perfect health. We might be a fine specimen of a man. I won't point to I won't point any fingers out, but, you know, inside our hearts, We are sick. Aren't we?

We are sick and without cure. We're not just broken. We are rebels and liars. You could say well, the Bible does say we have heart disease. If you if you wanna a verse for that, Jeremiah 17 9.

This is a verse I committed to memory years ago. It's an amazing verse. It says this, the heart is deceitful above all things. And beyond cure. Who can understand it?

That's what we're like, isn't it? And, you know, maybe maybe we need to do a little privileged check, don't we? You know, why is it often the sick and the outcast and the foreigner and the poor, the broken who see their need most keenly. It doesn't doesn't mean that if you're rich or brainy or beautiful or healthy, doesn't mean that you can't be convinced of your need, but but it seems a lot harder, doesn't it? We think about it, that how many Christian celebrities are there in Hollywood.

But I wonder so I wonder if you're seeing now, I wonder if you're understanding more about how these men who can't see a thing, see everything. They they get they see it, don't they? They they get it. They're convinced of their need. Otherwise, they wouldn't have called out.

They're convinced of their need so they cry out, and they get face to face with Jesus. Here's my second sub point. Okay? So they're they're convinced of their need, but they also exercise their faith. They exercise their faith.

You just you see the the test isn't over. Jesus asks them when when he's got them alone and he's staring them in the face, he asked them a question. Let me reverse, say, verse 28 again. When he had gone indoors, the blind man came to him, and he asked them. Do you believe that I am able to do this?

Now it's quite amazing if you slow down and think about, these, this verse, this question. How are these how are these men supposed to know Jesus' is able? They they you think about it. They've they've never seen a miracle. They've never seen a miracle, haven't they?

They may have heard about them, but they're sort of 1 step back from everybody else. So when they say in the end, you know, the the end of verse 28, they they answer the question and their answer is yes, lord. We believe, yes, lord. This is this is a extraordinary. They simply take Jesus at his word.

And this goes to show, in fact, that the stuff they were shouting back on the street, they really did mean it. They really did believe it. Do you remember do you remember what they were say they they were saying? They they were shouting out, have mercy on us. Son of David.

They were saying they were basically saying, we believe that you are god's promise king. We we believe you're the Messiah, the chosen 1. We believe the stories, the prophecies, the promises. The the promise is like Psalm 72 12, which says this for he will deliver the needy who cry out. The afflicted who have no 1 to help.

We believe that. They they believe versus, like, maybe they were taught this in Sunday school as a kid. You know, Isaiah 30 35. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way, say to those with fearful hearts, be strong. Do not fear.

Your god will come. He will save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be open, and the ears of the deaf beyond stopped then will the lame leap like a deer and the mute tongue shout for joy? This is what they believe. This is why they're shouting those those things out.

It's very impressive. Would would would I have done that? Here are 2 men who can't see anything that see everything, don't they? Can you see that? They see everything.

They see who Jesus is. They see their need, and they they exercise their faith in Jesus who is powerful and able. And so verse 29 says this. Then he touched their eyes and said according to your faith, let it be done to you. And their and their site was restored.

Wow. What a moment. What's an amazing moment that must have been. And and I I just wanna point out the the beautiful, like, dance of faith that that's going on in these little interactions. I picked the word exercise on purpose.

Right? Because it's you doing it. You exercise, don't you? You might be an you might be someone who exercises. You might be someone who's on the treadmill.

Yeah. Maybe you're, maybe you look like leg day or arm day. You know, I've got someone like that in my house you lift your weights, but you do that solo. That's what you do that solo. You exercise those things solo.

But exercising your faith is more like a dance. It's a dance between partners. His little unknown fact about me, when I was a little boy, I was a dancer. I couldn't remember a step now. Probably got 2 left feet, but, My mom my mom basically forced me didn't force me.

Said, do you want to go to a dance school? Yes, ma'am. Yeah. Sure. I'll go because there was a room full of girls.

That's why I went, and there was just me. Nobody wanted to dance with me, so I had to get, danced with the the teacher, which was very depressing. But the reason I say this is because in a dance, there's a leader and a follower. There's a there's a subject and an object, isn't there? Yeah?

That I when I was a boy, I was the subject, and she was the she was the leader. She was teaching me to dance and, I was the follower. But and this is what's going on here. Look, just let's just go over these verses again. Do you believe that I am able to do this?

Says Jesus? Yes, lord, they replied. Men, then he touched their eyes according to your faith that it be done to you, and this sight was restored. Is is a wonderful dance, isn't it? When when Jesus put his hands on their eyes, they were they were leaning into it and saying, I believe.

I believe. I believe. I believe he could do it. He's powerful. Just, you know, thinking about this a little bit more.

Something I learned, a while ago, and I wanna pass on to you because it's really been helpful to me. Our our sixteenth century brothers had a great way of, of breaking down what was what we're doing when we are having faith. We're doing they they used to say we're doing 3 things. We're knowing we're agreeing and we're trusting Those are the 3 sort of pillars of faith. Right?

Knowing, agreeing, and trusting. So look at the interaction again from verse 27. As Jesus went on from there, 2 blind men followed him calling out have mercy on us son of David. There's knowledge there, isn't there? They they know.

It it the knowledge gets tested, but there's there's they know some they know content about this person. And when he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, do you believe that I'm able to do this? Yes, lord, they replied. They're they're agreeing, they're aren't they? They're they're assenting, they're agreeing.

They're affirming that they believe. They had to do that. And then version of 29, then he touched their eyes and said, according to your faith, let it be done to you, and their sight was restored. And there's the trusting. There's the trusting.

So the leader, Jesus, the leader, said let it be done, and the followers, it was done according to to their faith. These men, the followers, the ones who are doing the faith. They are face to face with Jesus, and their faith is directed straight at him. You you're all dancing right now with faith. You know that?

Yeah? You're you're all I mean, you're not moving. You don't don't move. Please don't dance in your chairs, but you're all dance you're you're all doing the dance of faith with your chairs. Aren't you?

Yeah. You you came in. You sat down. You didn't question the chair. Did you look at it and go, that leg's a bit dodgy, don't know if I trust that.

You just sat down, didn't you? Cause you've done it over and over again. You knew something about the chair. I've sat there before. It works.

I'm gonna sit down, and you did. And you're dancing. You're dancing to dance a face with a chair. You, you know, we we have to remember when it comes to faith. Our faith is only as good as the object that we're putting it into.

Again, another example, real quick, the profits of bail on the mount on a mount on Mount Carmill. They were exercising their faith, weren't they? But it did them a fat lot of good. They were they were they were on the treadmill. Please, please.

Burn the sacrifice. Burn the sacrifice. They were lifting the weights. They were they were even injecting steroids to try and no bait beef up their faith, beef up their belief, but it did it did them no good. Because they were they were trusting in a lie.

There was nothing there. But these men, they attach their faith to Jesus, and he is real, and he is powerful. So they have taken up the dance of faith, and they will never be the same. And that's what that's that's available to us, isn't it? They take up the dance of faith with Jesus, and we're never the same.

So these 2 men, they couldn't see anything, they see everything. You could say you could say they saw Jesus even before they laid eyes on, couldn't you? They saw Jesus by faith, and then they were able to see him with physical eyes that he had fixed for them. And Jesus wants us to exercise our faith. He wants people to exercise their faith as they come to know him.

He wants us to show we believe. He wants us to, you know, show he he wants he he says to someone who is investigating him. He says, look, I've I've lived the perfect life. I lived the life that you couldn't. I obeyed every single 1 of god's rules, and it's all for you.

And I want you to believe that. Do you believe that? Yes. He says, look, I died on the cross. I sacrificed.

I I came in in your place. I died. For you, do you believe that? I want you to I want you to I wanna know if you believe that. And and his his death busting resurrection.

He wants us to believe that too. He wants us to believe that he really did rise from the grave. And think about it. Faith is is is how we continue the Christian life, isn't it? We don't get away from it.

We don't graduate from it. And that's why we pray for our friends. And that's why we preach and teach, and we make persuading arguments, even though sometimes it's not arguments that work. But there is there has to be a content, doesn't there? Sometimes it it is that thing in their life where they just they they know their need.

And, you know, they they stop making excuses. They really know the content is true, but they're making lots of excuses to not follow it because they they like their sinful ways or they they they're scared what might happen to them if they say I'm trusting in Jesus. You know, you know, we baptize people on the press profession of their faith. We we walk daily, trusting that god is able to do far more than we can ever ask or imagine. So we don't just come in by faith.

We continue by faith, don't we? The the the dance of faith with with the lord. So back to the house. What was it like? What was it like in that house?

What was it like? I tell you what, it would not have been like this room for a fact. I know you're all ver you've you're being very, good, students and you're listening very calm a year. But, man, This house must have been absolutely going nuts when when those eyes were were open for the first time. It must have been so exciting.

It must have been such an amazing thing. I can I can just imagine you know, like, and and this this this is what was probably happening? There was his disciples in the house. There were hundreds of people outside, busting to get in. But do you know what's going on here?

Do you know what's happening? You know, they're they are convinced of their need, aren't they? They're they're exercising their faith, but they're also experiencing mercy. They're also experiencing mercy, and that's how they can see everything. So that's my third sub point.

They're convinced of their need, they're exercising their faith, and thirdly, they experience mercy. And this mercy, this is this is part probably my favorite part of the story. This mercy is overflowing. It runs all the way through this story. Their eyes are open.

They're probably jumping around the house, praising the lord, and these boys are raring to go. They're they're out. They're gone. They're out. They're they're they're praising the lord.

They're running out of the house. They're trying to get through the crowd who are craning their necks and and and sort of trying to get in the doorway. But then the mood the mood sort of changes, and Jesus grabs them by the scruff of the neck, and he brings them back in. He says, now listen. And everyone gets a bit serious.

Whoa. Hold on a minute. Thought we were having a good time here. He says, listen. Verse 30, Jesus warned them sternly.

When you talk to a child, you have to lower your voice. What little 1 that is. Right? Now listen. Stop that.

Don't do that. Jesus, he warned him sternly. See that no 1 knows about this. The last 31, but they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. That just killed me when I read it first, like, you know, over and over again.

Now here's my theory. Alright. In Israel, you become a man when you're 12 years old. K? You have your bar mitzvah, and that's that's when you are classed as a man.

Okay? My theory is that these these men are teenage boys, okay, because they totally ignore what Jesus said. They went out and did the exact opposite of what he told them to do. Now I've I've, you know, to be honest, I probably think it's got more it's got more to do with, you know, Jesus wanting to sort of keep preaching in the towns. He doesn't want he doesn't wanna he doesn't wanna create a scene.

So that's why he does this, but but they ignore him, don't they? Now, here's the thing. I I I I would I love this. I've I noticed that he doesn't do anything about it. He he he doesn't go after them, does he?

He doesn't go looking for them to tell them off and, you know, to bring them back and say naughty. I'm gonna take my miracle back now because of that. He didn't say that, does he? And I I think I think this verse is here to show us a couple of things. I think, this this we're we're told this to show the effect that this miracle had on these men.

And I also think it it shows us the overflowing mercy of Jesus. These now fully seeing men were not only they're not gonna let people hear the end of it. Are they? We were hearing that phrase the other week. They're not gonna let people hear the end of their praise for Jesus.

They're out, and they're telling everybody. I used to be blind, but now I see. And not even Jesus could stop them. And he wouldn't want to. They're gonna be forgiven even if it messes up his preaching plan.

And it made me think, you know, Jesus Jesus' mercy will always be more than you or I can budget for. Isn't that wonderful? Jesus is mercy will always be more than we can budget for. Sometimes I think, you know, people think that Jesus is a bean counter, doesn't he? Counting counting sins and, you know, but he's not.

He's merciful. His mercy has no floor or ceiling. We sing that song with the kids. Wide wide as the ocean. High as the heavens above.

Deep deep as the deepest sea is my savior's love. And I I just I was really I was really challenged. I was really convicted. Does does my mercy? Does your mercy reflect this is do you have the same level of mercy as Jesus?

1 example, is there's another celebrity that's actually it looks like he may have become a Christian recently, a bloke called Russell Brand. And he's, you know, he's online. He he posts stuff all the time. He's always excited about reading the Bible. I just think brilliant.

That's great. And then you go to the comments and everybody's moaning, you know, everybody's moaning about him. Oh, you shouldn't be wearing that, or, oh, did you got that wrong? Shut up. That's what I wanna say.

Stop being a jonah. You know, go off and go onto your little hill and sit under your little plant that you didn't grow for yourself and leave us alone. Right? We, you know, I wanna say, look, you know, hold your hands up. By their fruit, you will know them.

Right? He's still young. He's but I'm not gonna I'm not gonna trample him. I want I want him to know the wide mercy of Jesus. You know, we wanna pray for him and and hope that he's getting good teaching.

And look, if he's opening the Bible, I heard him talking about EXECul the other day. It was amazing. He was blown away by EXikul. And, you know, he's he's done a lot of drugs as well. So I think, you know, some of it some of it made even more sense than usual.

So but yeah. Jesus' mercy is so much so much more than we can figure out so much more than we could budget for ourselves. So so these men, these men, they can't see anything. They see everything because they're convinced of their They exercise their faith in Jesus, and they experience the mercy of Jesus. They're they they they they come to him as their their savior.

Isn't that wonderful? That's how Jesus saves. And that's what I'm that's what I'm praying for Tony Adams, but wait, we're only halfway through the story. And now it's time for my second, like, big head in. Okay?

And That's alright. Maybe that's the buzz of the, teaching, you know? That's alright. Just chuck it chuck it all out, chuck it in the bin. That's alright.

Yeah. Smash it up. Hammer. We can wait. It's okay.

Little break. Little sealer. Let's turn everything off, shall we? It's okay. It's alright.

We can splice it. We can we can splice it. Listen to be fair. To be fair, maybe some of you needed a little break anyway. Alright?

Is that it? Hey. It's not gone. It's not gone, but don't don't worry about it. Is it?

Oh, it's buzzed. I got my right. Okay. Now, listen. Second heading.

Right? We get to the second part of the story. 1 man who can't say anything says everything. Right? 1 man who can't say anything says everything.

And listen, I've just got 1 sub point here. I only need 1, and and that is more mercy. More mercy. The praise is ringing out from these men, but the miracles, they just keep coming like a conveyor belt, don't they? We just 2 2 are going out.

One's coming in. Look at verse 32. While they were going out, a man who was demon possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. Now this must be I don't know. I would love to know about but this must be the shortest miracle in the Bible.

In fact, it's not even a whole verse. It's it's verse 33 a. It's it's the half verse miracle. I think we should write a book about that. Right?

Look look at verse 33 a. When the demon had been driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. It's so quick. It it's it's reported in the past tense. But what is in that word spoke?

There's a world in there, isn't there? What what did he say? This man, he's he's overtaken by evil. He had no say in the matter, no control. And I I don't think there was ever a man who needed so little convincing that he was in need.

Was there? Do you think? Can you think about anyone else that needed more convincing? He was utterly powerless to call for help. He couldn't call for help.

He couldn't say have mercy, son of David. He couldn't say that. But that doesn't stop mercy. Mercy overcame the evil that he could not. Mercy and Connor came along, didn't it?

It came and broke the chains and drove out the evil spirit who was making him a prisoner. And I just I would love to know what he said when he spoke. He no doubt he no doubt said everything he needed to say. I I just can't wait to meet him. Maybe I was I was thinking this, this this actually might be a really good idea for a game in a car when you're on a long a long road trip.

Right. What what did what did the mute say when Jesus, freedom? Yeah. I I wanna try that 1 day. That'll be a a ripping good game, won't it?

What what did he say? Geez, you know, Jesus. Thank you. Was that what it was? Or mercy, hallelujah.

Is that what it was? Or Glory to Jesus. Who knows? It must have been something like that. Maybe he was the 1 who who led the crowds in amazement.

A song came into my head when I read when I read this verse. The crowd was amazed verse 33 and said nothing like this has ever hap ever been seen in new in Israel. Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel. A song popped into my head and I had to go looking for it, and I found it. And it was a doctor doolittle, musical, from 19 67, and there's a song that says, have you ever seen anything like it in your life?

It's and there's push people use and all kinds of funny animals. But that's what he's that's what they're saying, isn't it? Have you ever seen anything like it? Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel? This is amazing.

I just would have loved to have been there, and and here we are. Jesus has brought us there. But verse 34, the pharisee said it is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons. They have to bring it down, don't they? They're the, they're the party poopers.

The pharisees still hate Jesus and are losing their minds. They literally they don't make sense. Do they? I don't understand what they're saying. And I I wouldn't blame you for thinking that the spirit that Jesus drove out of the the man who was mute went into them.

But the crowds, they go nuts. They are amazed. They respond in spontaneous praise. And this this should be our response, shouldn't it? To all that Jesus has done for us.

Mercy and Connor has has come and has convinced us of our need, we have exercised our faith in him and we have experienced his powerful prison breaking mercy. This is how Jesus reaches people. And remember, this is how he keeps us going as well. And that's why we have these wonderful little cups of juice and bread. We're gonna take that in a minute.

The lord's supper, that's what we do. We're convinced of our need. We we put our faith in Jesus. We'd, you know, we we eat, we feast on him by faith, and we experienced mercy. That wonderful.

Now, listen, I started talking tonight about Tony Adams, and, I wanna finish on this. I wanna finish on this. I'm just gonna read you a a a really short section from, from his book. And he recalls a memorable personal highlight. I love this story.

He he he half volleys for footballers, this you're like this. If you're not a football fan, I'm sorry. But it is a good story. I promise. He's he's, he half volleys a goal from Steve Bold, put he put a a through ball through against everton.

Right? It was 4 nil. Okay? It asked him on 4 nil, and it sealed the victory. And he says, when I was a young player at Arsenal, Kenny Samsung would often make a run from left back and demand the ball, and he and he used to shout, stick me in.

I'm gone. He said totally says, I always had it in mind that I would like to do that 1 day. The time arrived at last. Stick me in. I'm gone.

I shouted to Steve Bold. He did, and I was. The moment was all the more magical because it came via my weaker left foot on which I had worked hard where's the footballers? Worked hard since the age of 10 or 11. Yeah.

Work hard work hard on the left foot. The aftermath of that goal embraced bliss and a oneness with myself that verged on the spiritual. It's amazing, isn't it? That sums it up the Sky commentator Martin Tyler said in his commentary on that day, and indeed it did. My final pose and here's the here comes the, the picture.

My final pose of arms outstretched in a moment of pleasure and serenity would form the image used when the club decided to put up a statue of me outside the Emirates Stadium nearly 14 years later. It's a goal in a moment I'm still asked about. But this is this is the bit. Right? The euphoria of that title winning day was up there with the moment not long after quitting drinking, and the physical obsession to drink had been taken away from me.

When I came to believe that there was a higher power in my life. Some people choose to call it god, as outlined in the AA program. It felt like a force looking out for me, and which could help me enjoy a sober life. It meant I need never feel alone. And while on bad days, I may not have been able to recognize it, it was always there.

On my good days, its presence is obvious to me. Isn't that amazing? He's he's talking about Jesus there, and he doesn't know it. He's he's not there yet, but man he's close. So I wanna I wanna finish, I wanna finish by doing this.

I'm gonna talk to Tony Adams. Right? I'm gonna do a message. Right? So I'm gonna look at the camera and you can this message is for Tony Adams.

If you're not Tony Adams, keep scrolling. Tony, I'm I'm sorry for being weird the other time when I met you. And I'm really glad you're sober. And I want you to keep going. Keep helping others.

I I I really honestly do wish you the best. But in your book, you refer to your higher power as an it, but but I I really wanna tell you that it was Jesus all along. It was Jesus that helped you. He made you. Did you know that?

He made your left foot and your right foot, and he gives you every single breath you take. He was the 1 that gave you your moment of clarity when you realized that drinking was the worst. And I I I want you to be convinced about your need for Jesus. I want you to be convinced that you need his forgiveness for all of your sin, and he will he will save you. He will forgive you.

I want you to put your faith in his life and death and resurrection. I want you to call out for his mercy. The bliss and oneness with god that you will have when you do that, will really and truly sum it all up. Come to Jesus, Tony. His arms were outstretched for you.

And they still are. Let's pray. Finally, we thank you for this little story that, is you've you've given to us that was recorded by Matthew. And we thank you for the things it teaches us about, our needs for you. But we thank you for, We thank you for, how true and wonderful you are.

We we thank you that we can trust the Bible. We thank you that, these these things that were written are are trustworthy and true and can be tested and can stand up to scrutiny. And, lord, we pray for we pray for our friends, lord, we we might even name 1 now. And lord, we know that sometimes it's not arguments they need, but but it's something else. It's sometimes they need to come to rock bottom.

Sometimes, they just need us to continue being a friend until they they realize it, lord. We know that ultimately, you're the 1 that opens eyes, opens opens hearts, but lord, they do need to be convinced of their need and, and they need need to exercise their faith. And so we pray they would do that. In doing so, we pray that they would experience your wonderful mercy. We thank you that we have experienced your wonderful mercy.

Thank you for opening our eyes spiritually. Thank you for thank you for opening our lips. Thank you for rescuing us from the devil. Thank you that we can use our mouths to praise you. And lord we pray you would you would help us to keep doing this.

We thank you for these these, elements we have behind us, the bread, and the wine. The juice lord, we we thank you that they represent the body and the and the blood of Jesus. His body broken for us. Bloodshed. And lord, as we take this and remember his death, and as we do it together as a church, we pray, you would nourish us, you would feed us.

You would, help our help our faith to get strong. As we as we dance with you, lord. And so we, we thank you again for this time together, and we pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.