Changed on the Inside

Pastor Peter Linnecar shares from John 9, from the story of the man born blind, where we see that Jesus is interested in all our lives, and knows what we need. He is the one who seeks us out, even when we are in our darkest moment, and changes everything.

As we look at scriptures today, you’ll see that God is interested in your life, and wants to change you on the inside for the better. Sometimes when we think about God, we forget His ways aren’t our ways, and that His thoughts aren’t our thoughts. He’s good and He loves us – God is love.

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Isaiah 55:8 - 11

Whenever God speaks, the word has a purpose which will be fulfilled. He never says something He regrets. He will always work out His purposes.

Mark 10:27 says things impossible with man are possible with God. He works out things in His way in His time.

Who sinned?

John 9:1 – 2

Jesus and the disciples saw the same thing but reacted differently. To the disciples, it was a blind man, and they wanted an answer as to why he was blind. Sometimes we can’t work out why certain things happen. I don’t claim to have the answer to everything. But as far as God is concerned, we may be trying to get answers to questions we shouldn’t be asking, because Jesus’ answer was completely the opposite of what they expected.

John 9:3

There are circumstances happening in your life because God wants to get your attention and reveal more of Himself than you have ever known before. He’s interested in your life. He was so interested that He came to this earth to seek and save that which was lost. He wanted to change you on the inside. The way you started off in life was wrong. We are sinners, and we know we are.

I am the light of the world

John 9:4 – 5

Jesus Himself is the light of the world, and He’s come to dispel the darkness and sin within us. The disciples couldn’t figure it out. There was a situation and something must have caused it, because things shouldn’t have been that way. But Jesus said the works of God would be manifest in the blind man.

John 9:6 – 7

It didn’t happen there and then. The clay was put on his eyes and he was told to go and wash and when he did, his eyesight was given.

John 9:8 – 12

Jesus made the clay, touched his eyes, sent him off, and while he was away, Jesus went on His way. The man returned having had his miracle, able to see for the first time in his life – and he didn’t know where Jesus was.

John 9:13 – 34

“And they cast him out.”

What a reaction. The Pharisees doubted the man who claimed that he was born blind and that Jesus had healed him. Those five words, “And they cast him out,” struck me, because our sin has shut God out. When we start off in life, we’re against God, and we do not want Him. We want to do our own thing. But we try and try, and it doesn’t work. It’s as if we’ve cast ourselves out – our sin has brought a shutter down between us and God.

Romans 5:6

At the right time God sorted things out, to break through the shutter and get hold of us. He wants to change the sin and wrong thought life with His life inside you.
This man who was given sight for the first time in his life, was asked about Jesus and was trying to work it out – He must be of God because look at what’s happened to my eyes.

When you were at your wits’ end, Jesus heard you when you prayed. God is organising things to increase that relationship with Him - He is your heavenly Father. He loves you and provides for you.

I wonder who told Jesus what had happened to the man.

John 9:35 – 38

“Lord I believe.” The reason you can say that is as a result of Jesus finding you. Through the Cross of Calvary, you were on His mind, and at that point He took in Himself your first life, your sin. It was then a case of God’s Holy Spirit speaking to you and drawing you. He’s brought you to this point in time where He says, “Do you believe on the Son of God?” What do you say?

Romans 10:8 – 10

Lord, I believe

All Jesus asked was, “Do you believe on the Son of God?” The man answered, “Who is He?” I am the one who healed you and the one who is speaking to you now. “Lord, I believe. I’ve been trying to sort things out on my own, and I’ve made a mess.”

Is it fair that some people come across this truth and others don’t? Don’t think like that. I’m talking about God in relation to you. Why did things start out as they did in Israel all those years ago? Why am I preaching like this there in England? I don’t know. But it’s how God speaks to you, how you realise that He gave His son so that you could be born again. You could be thinking, I know I need that. I try to lead a good life, and time and again I fail. There are some things I’ve given up on because I can’t overcome them. Jesus knows that, and He wants to point out you can’t do it on your own. Your sin is preventing the life you want to live. The only way to live that life is when Jesus Christ comes inside and causes you to start again with His life inside you.

This man, born blind, got his sight back and by the end of this encounter with Jesus, he could also see spiritually.

John 9:39 – 41

God loves an honest heart. I know some of you are being honest with yourselves, and realise inside right now that God is speaking to you. Respond to that voice. Say “Lord I believe. Sort me out. Change me from the inside.” And He will.

God has already made provision for what you need. He loves you and He will reveal Himself to you through His provision.

Jesus gets very personal because He loves you.

The Good Shepherd

There is a huge contrast between those shepherds who are concerned only for their own interests, and the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. Whatever our needs in life, if we hear His voice, we will find that He has already prepared the way.

Jesus was talking to the Pharisees after healing the man who was born blind. When the man returned after being healed Jesus had moved on, but later Jesus came and found the man again.

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John 9:36 - 41

Jesus told the Pharisees that if they were blind, they would have no sin, but because they claimed to see, their sin was still inside them. The Pharisees were kidding themselves. They didn’t see. The man born blind could now see and wanted to know the person who healed him.

The Pharisees were in positions of importance, linked to the Temple, teachers of the law, and they lorded it over other people. When Jesus spoke about shepherds, the Pharisees would have known what the Old Testament taught on the subject.

Ezekiel 34:1 - 4

The prophets – the shepherds – were only out for themselves.

Ezekiel 34:5 - 16

Ezekiel 34:23 - 24

Verse 23 prefigures the verses we will now look at, where Jesus said “I am the good shepherd.” There is one shepherd, the bishop of your souls. When He said that, the Pharisees and the others knew the background. There were shepherds who only lived for themselves. Their lifestyle was paramount; the people were not. Everything was geared to them, not to the people. God said, “I will seek them, will feed them, will provide for them.”

John 10 shows that what Jesus said resonated with His hearers.

John 9:41 – 10:5

Remember the context. He has just told the Pharisees that they were fooling themselves, convinced that they knew what they were doing and how to preserve their lifestyle. They said they saw, and therefore their sin remained, because they didn’t admit their need, they didn’t admit what was inside. The sheepfold - four walls with one door – anyone who doesn’t come in by the door is a thief. This would have hit the Pharisees between the eyes.

Jesus is far more interested in you than you know. He knows each of you by name, and He wants you to be aware that He is the Good Shepherd, that He does provide and has made every provision for your well-being.

John 10:6 - 7

Before it was a case that you had to go in through the door. Now He is saying He is the door.

John 10:8 - 9

This was a revolutionary thought to the people who were listening. Jesus was ascribing to Himself who He was. He was describing Himself. From our perspective, we can look back and see how things worked.

It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter if you’ve written yourself off, thinking you’re not good enough, thinking that your problems are too difficult to solve. He’s saying He is the door. You are safe – safe from the consequences of your sin, safe from retribution, safe because you have Christ’s life in you. Some of you have written yourselves off, but I want to confirm God is saying to you, “I am aware of you more than you know.” He loves you. Some of you have have wondered but He has heard your prayers and does hold your future in His hands.

The freedom will be there to go in and out to find the pasture. The sheep will be cared for. It even goes to the point where if the sheep were in danger, the shepherd would give his life to care for the sheep.

John 10:10

In verse 9, a man will be saved, go in and out and find pasture. By contrast, the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. What a revolutionary thing Jesus was saying! And the Pharisees were listening.

John 10:11-16

There’s a direct link back to Ezekiel. And Jesus now extends this to include both the Jews and the Gentiles.

John 10:17-18

You’ll be saved, go in and out, find pasture. Sometimes, people ask about God’s guidance, and what is the right way for a person’s life. God is interested in you. And He’s so careful to get it right for you. He’s so careful that He’s sorted things out in advance for the best – the best way to fulfil the destiny He has for your life.

Isaiah 30:18 - 21

You’ll hear His voice. His sheep know His voice. You may think “But I’m not important. God won’t speak to me like that.” Why not? We’re talking about anyone here, you don’t have to be something special. He knows what you’re facing, and He knows that if you keep going forward, you’ll hear a voice saying ‘This is the way’.

In 1978 I went for a financial job in London. An agency sent me to see a Mr Low at National Mutual. They said the agency had sent me to the wrong company by mistake. I said, “Well, do you have a job?” And that’s how I got the job. God wanted me in National Mutual. If you’re moving, the rudder of a ship can be effective. If you’re stuck in dry dock, it won’t. You have to go forward, and you can trust God to sort it out. He specialises in providing for you because He loves you.

Psalm 37:4 - 5

Delight yourself in the Lord. “But my heart’s wicked”. How does that stack up? You’re a Christian. You’re delighting yourself in God. So He’ll create in your heart that desire which He will then meet. Everything will tie in. You have abilities and skills. Delight yourself in Him and He will give thee the desires of thy heart.

Psalm 37:5

Ephesians 2:10

He knows the future. Your times are in His hands. And your voyage of discovery in life is to rejoice in the provision of God for you in ways you never expected. He loves you. If any man hear His voice, he will find pasture.

1 Peter 5:6 - 7

Humble yourselves. Don’t make out that you see if you don’t. Be honest. Realise God is listening to you on the inside, and He has the answer already.

John 10:27 - 28

He’s talking to the Pharisees here as well. No matter what anyone says, no man will pluck you out of Jesus’ hand.

John 10:29

God is greater than all. There is no way He’s not in control and making provision for you.

John 10:30

I don’t know how you got here today or what you were thinking. Possibly you were wondering about your future. Jesus says to you today, “I am the door. By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved and go in and out and find pasture.”

He gives eternal life, which you experience now.