Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Neidert. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. I've entitled the message, Can
the Blind Lead the Blind? My text is found in Luke chapter
6, beginning in verse 39. The Lord Jesus says, And he spake
a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into
the ditch? Obviously, the blind cannot lead
the blind. The disciple is not above his
master. The learner is not above his
teacher. He's not going to believe differently
or go beyond him. But everyone that is perfect
shall be as his master. You will believe, I will believe
what those who teach us teach. If my teacher is in error, I
will be in error. If my teacher is telling the
truth, I will believe the truth. Now, blindness. Blindness. Oh, what a horrible thing to
not be able to see. How dependent would a blind person
be upon their guide being able to see? And if that one who is a guide
is blind, what is going to happen? In Matthew chapter 15, we read
beginning in verse 12, then came his disciples and said unto him,
the Lord Jesus, knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended
after they heard this saying? And you know, the Pharisees were
always offended by the things the Lord said, the religious
fundamentalists of his day. But he answered and said, Every
plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted
up. Let them alone, they be blind
leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind,
both shall fall into the ditch. He called these same people in
Matthew chapter 23 blind guides, fools and blind. Think for a
moment about blindness. I remember when I was young,
I always thought the most terrible thing that could happen to me
is if I was blind and I could not see. If you were born blind,
you'd have no idea, no concept of what things look like. You
wouldn't have any appreciation of what is beautiful, nor would
you be able to discern that which is ugly and repulsive. And how
we need a guide who can see. The blind cannot lead the blind. How we need a guide who can see. Now, some are foolish enough
to think they have no need of a guide. That's arrogance. That's presumption. And that's
foolishness. All of us need a guide. And there
are some who just blindly follow anybody, swallowing what they
say. They don't pay attention as to
whether or not their guides really know the truth. They don't see
if what they're saying is according to the Word of God. You know,
most people, I think this is, I need to say this, Most people
who are otherwise very intelligent people seem to check their brains
out when it comes to religion. And they just blindly swallow
and blindly follow whatever some religious leader has to say.
And my friends, that's dangerous. Let me give you an example of
what I'm saying. In our day, the average preacher has this
as his message. God loves all men without exception
and wants to save everybody. He loves those who are in heaven.
With the same love, He loved those who are in hell and wanted
to save them. God wills the salvation of all men. Those men in hell,
He wanted them to be saved, but He couldn't save them because
of something they didn't do. He wills the salvation of the
men in heaven and hell all the same. God wills the salvation
of all men the same. The preaching and teaching of
our day is that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood for everybody. He died for the sins of those
people in hell just as much as He died for the sins of those
people in heaven. He died for all men without exception, wanting
people to be saved, but He can't save you unless you do something
in order to make what He did work for you. And God the Holy
Spirit calls all men the same. Now, if that's so, If God loves
the men in hell and the men in heaven the same, if He loves
all men the same, what does the love of God have to do with salvation?
It didn't do any good at all for those in hell. If God wills
the salvation of all men the same, if He willed the salvation
of those in hell with the same will He had for those who are
in heaven, what's the will of God have to do with salvation?
It didn't do anything for those people in hell. Actually, the
love of God and the will of God have nothing to do with salvation,
if that's the truth. Your salvation is dependent upon
what you do, not what God does. If Jesus Christ shed his blood
for all men the same, If he shed his blood for the men in hell
just as much as he did for those who are in heaven, what does
the blood of Christ have to do with salvation? Absolutely nothing. Now that's just, think about
it. Think about it. Most people just
quit thinking when it comes to religion. They're very intelligent
people otherwise, but they just quit thinking and swallow what
they hear. Now blindness, is used in the
scripture to describe the state of the natural man. 2 Corinthians
4, Paul says, The God of this world hath blinded the minds
of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ should shine unto them. Paul says, If our gospel's hid,
it's hid to them that are lost, those who have been blinded.
It's not because it can't be seen or doesn't make sense, but
it's because the natural man is spiritually blind. You know,
when Adam fell, our first father in the Garden of Eden. When Adam
fell, he became spiritually blind. Now, his eyes were opened physically. The scripture says when he fell,
their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked, but he
became spiritually blind. And that is seen by the fact
that now he tries to hide from the presence of omniscience and
omnipresence. God is everywhere at once and
knows all things, and he tries to hide himself from him. He
became spiritually blind to the true character of God. There
was a time when he knew, but now he doesn't. He became blind
to his own sinfulness, trying to cover himself with those fig
leaf apron righteousness. Now it's blindness to the character
of God that makes a man believe he can be saved by his works.
He does not see that those works are nothing more than filthy
rags before God because he's blind. They could never satisfy
a holy God. He's blind to the true character
of God by thinking that what he could do could satisfy a holy
God. The only reason someone believes
in free will is his spiritual blindness. Now, what does it
take to see? Well, there's two things. It takes light and it takes a
seeing eye. Now, if I don't have light, even
if I have a seeing eye, I might as well be blind. I must have
light before I can see, but it also takes a seeing eye. The
light may be there, but if I don't have the seeing eye, the gift
of God, I won't see anything. I must be given an eye to see,
and I must be given light. Now, in John chapter 8, I'd like
you to look at this passage of Scripture if you have an access
to a Bible. In John chapter 8, verse 12, we read, Then spake
Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world. I am the light of the world. Now what a statement. Why did
he say that? What was the context of him making
that statement? Now in this passage of scripture
we read in John chapter 8 verse 2, and early in the morning he
came again into the temple and all the people came unto him
and he sat down and taught them. And the scribes and the Pharisees
brought unto him a woman taken in adultery. And when they had
set her in the midst, they said unto him, Master, this woman
was taken in adultery. In the very act, she was caught
red-handed. There's no question whatsoever
about her guilt. Now Moses, in the law, commanded
us that such should be stoned. But what sayest thou? You see,
they thought they had the Lord in a pickle. They thought we
got Him condemned. If He says, stoner, we can say,
where's your mercy? You talk about being the friends
of sinners. And if He says, let her go, we can say, where's your
respect to the law of God? Why, God said stoner, and you're
not doing it. They thought they had Him in
a situation where He would be condemned with any answer he
gave. This they said, tempting him
that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down and
with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them
not. And when they continued asking
him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, he that's without
sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again
he stooped down and wrote on the ground. And when they heard
it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one
by one, beginning at the eldest, even to the last, and Jesus was
left alone and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had
lifted up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her,
Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned
thee? She said, no man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither
do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. Then spake
Jesus again to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Now, the Lord is the light. Jesus
Christ is the light as to how Christ could look at that woman
who was guilty of that crime and say, I do not condemn you. This is only understood in light
of the gospel. You see, this woman's act of
adultery, all this woman's sin became Christ's sin. He stood
as a substitute for that woman, and He represented her. Her sin
became His sin. He was punished in her place,
and His perfect righteousness becomes hers, and now He can
look at her and say, I do not condemn you. You see, there's
nothing to condemn her for, because Christ saved her. Now Christ
is the light as to how God can be just and yet justify somebody
like this woman or like me or you. Christ said, I am the light
of the world. How precious that light is to
a believer. Aren't you thankful when the
Lord gives you light as to how God can accept you and love you
and embrace you? Now, there's a blindness that's
worse than spiritual blindness, and that would be judicial blindness. When God leaves a man to himself
so that he cannot see, In John chapter 12 verse 37 we read,
But though he had done so many miracles among them, yet they
believed not on him, that the saying of Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed
our report? And to whom hath the arm of the
Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe,
because that Isaiah said again, He hath blinded their eyes. God blinded them. That's what
that says. He, God, hath blinded their eyes,
and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their
eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and
I should heal them. Now, there's a time when the
Lord leaves a man to himself, when he rejects the light he
has, and God turns the lights off. judicial blindness. I'd like to read a passage of
scripture in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 that says something
about this issue beginning in verse 9 of 2 Thessalonians chapter
2. Even him whose coming is after
the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders
and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish because they received not the love of the truth that
they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong
delusion that they should believe a lie that they all might be
damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Oh, what a horrible thing when a man is left to himself and
blinded eternally so that he'll never see because he didn't receive
the light that was given to him. judicial blindness. Now, all
men by nature are spiritually blind. blind to our own condition
of sinfulness, blind to the character of God, and we won't see until
God gives us this spiritual light. And there's a judicial blindness,
and what a horrible place that is to be. But did you know that
there's a good kind of blindness? Let me read about it in John
chapter 9. This is after the Lord had healed
that man who had been blind from his birth. We read in verse 39,
and Jesus said, For judgment I am coming to this world, that
they which see not might see, and that they which see might
be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which
were with him heard these words and said unto him, Are we blind
also? Jesus saith unto them, if you were blind, you'd have
no sin, but now you say we see, therefore your sin remaineth.
Now did you hear what was said in that passage of scripture?
Christ came to give sight to the blind, and he came to blind
those who see. Now what in the world did he
mean by that? Now if you're someone that cannot
see why God would look your way in mercy. You cannot see why
God would have any favor toward you at all. You believe yourself
to be a sinner. You believe yourself to be far
from God, and you don't know why he would ever show mercy
to someone like you. You cannot see why God would
have favor toward you. Now if you're somebody like that,
you're the one He came to save. You see, He's given you spiritual
sight. There was a time when you didn't
see that, and you do now. And the reason you see this is
He's given you spiritual sight. He's given you a glimpse of what
you really are and who He really is. And you see God in His holiness
and you in your sinfulness and you say, how could He ever have
anything to do with me? That's the person He came to
save. Now, if you're one who says,
well, I see why God would save me because I did this and I did
that and I quit this and I started that. I can see why God would
save me. Look at the things I've done for him. Look at the things
I've given up. You've been blinded. You've been blinded. You don't
see. If you think that God could accept
anything that you do, it's because you don't see his character and
you don't see your own sinfulness. I want to show you a man who
was spiritually blind, but he was given sight. And I pray that's
what takes place as you and I consider this passage of scripture. It's
found in Acts chapter 8. It's the story of the Ethiopian
eunuch being given saving faith. Now in Acts chapter 8, we read,
beginning in verse 26, And the angel of the Lord spake unto
Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south, and to the
way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is a desert. And he arose, and went, and,
behold, a man of Ethiopia. and eunuch of great authority
under Candacy, queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her
treasure, had come to Jerusalem for to worship. Now this man
was not a Hebrew. He was a Jindal. He was from
Ethiopia. He was a black man. And he knew
something about the God of Israel because he was going to Jerusalem
to worship. He knew something about the God
of Israel. He knew something about the Passover.
And he came during the Passover. And he knew he wanted to worship
God. And he was returning from Jerusalem.
And I have no doubt he was just as empty as he was when he got
there. He knew that he hadn't met God. He still was in darkness and
ignorance. But he was doing one thing that
was very good. He was reading the Bible. And
remember, the Bible is God's revelation of Himself. If you
want to know who God is, He makes Himself known in this book we
call the Bible. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God. And He was reading from the prophet
Isaiah. He was reading from Isaiah 53,
as we're going to find out in a few moments. Well, he was returning
and sitting in his chariot and read Isaiah the prophet. Then
the spirit said unto Philip, go near and join thyself to this
chariot. And Philip ran thither to him
and heard him read the prophet Isaiah. Evidently the man was
reading out loud. Philip came to his chariot, listened
as he read. And then Philip asked this question,
Understandest thou what thou readest? Now, most people would
say, well, here's what I think it means. Or, why are you asking
me that? I already know what it means.
Or, here's what a multitude of answers most people would give.
But I want us to see this man's humility. And he said, how can
I except some, and he said, How can I except some man should
guide me? I have no idea what any of this
means. I know this is the word of God,
but I don't understand it. I can't understand it. How can
I except some man should guide me or lead me? That's the same
word that the Lord used when he said, can the blind lead the
blind? The answer is no. They'll both
fall in the ditch. How can I understand what this means except some man
should guide me. I am in the dark is what this
eunuch was saying. And he desired, Philip, that
he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture
which he read was this. He was led as a sheep to the
slaughter. Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ
in Isaiah 53, Like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened
he not his mouth. He didn't speak to defend himself.
He willingly let them do this to him. In his humiliation, his
judgment was taken away, and who shall declare his generation?
For his life is taken from the earth. Quoting from Isaiah 53,
that's that chapter where it says, he was wounded for our
transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him. All we like sheep have gone astray.
We've turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord hath laid
upon him the iniquity of us all. It pleads the Lord to bruise
him. He hath put him to grief. He heard all that from Isaiah
53. And the eunuch answered Philip and said, as he'd been reading
Isaiah 53, he said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet
this, of himself or of some other man? And Philip told him of the
some other man, the God. Scripture says, then Philip opened
his mouth and began at that same scripture and preached unto him,
Jesus. This substitutionary lamb being
spoken of, this lamb that was slain is the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the lamb of God. And I would
have loved to heard this message. He preached unto him, Jesus,
who he is, the God man, what he did. He died on Calvary's
tree to put away sin. And that's what he did. Thou
shalt call his name, Jesus, for he shall save his people from
their sins. When he said it is finished,
his people were saved from their sins. He preached unto him. Jesus. And as they went on their
way, they came unto a certain water. And the eunuch said, See,
here is water. What doth hinder me to be baptized? Now no doubt Philip had already
told him about baptism. Whoso believeth and is baptized,
the same shall be saved. Now, baptism, the act of going
under the water and coming back up is not what saves a man. Baptism
is the believer's confession of Christ. When I'm baptized,
I confess what I believe. I confess that my only hope is
that when he lived and kept the law, I was in him and he did
it for me. My only hope is that when he
died, I was in him, and he died for me and paid for my sins.
When I'm baptized, I confess that my only hope is that when
he was raised from the dead, everything God required of me
was paid for, that he did it all. That's what baptism means. He did it all. That's my public
confession of him. Now, this Ethiopian eunuch had
heard what Philip said with regard to baptism, and they come to
a pool of water, and he says, see, here's water. What hinders
me from being baptized? Perhaps I don't know enough.
Perhaps I haven't experienced enough. I want to know if I should
not be baptized. And Philip answered, if thou
believest with all thine heart. thou mayest." And he answered
and said, I believe. And notice what he didn't say.
He didn't say, I believe that I'm saved. He didn't say, I believe
that Jesus Christ died for me. He didn't say, I believe I've
been born again. He said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God. He believed that with all his
heart. He believed who Christ was, the
eternal Son of God. And if you believe he's the eternal
Son of God, you believe he must be successful in what he did.
You can't believe that he can die for you and you end up being
lost anyway. No, you believe who He is. He said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God. He had been given spiritual sight. He began this conversation in
blindness. He had no idea as to what Isaiah
53 meant, didn't even have a clue. God turned the lights on, He
gave him eyes to see, and He gave him the light of the gospel. And he believed, then we read
in verse 38, and he commanded the chariot to stand still, and
they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch,
and he baptized him. He was given light. Can the blind lead the blind? Can someone who is blind to how
God saves sinners, someone who is blind to the true character
of God and the true character of man, can that man lead others
to the Lord? No, he can't. The blind cannot
lead the blind. They'll both fall into the ditch. But thank God there is light,
the light of the gospel. And God does give sight to the
blind, just like he did to this man. The light of how he can
save, how he can embrace, how he can accept you for the sake
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God for spiritual light. The Lord said, I am the light
of the world. I am the light. light as to how
a holy God can save someone like me or you. Thank God for that
light. Now we have this message on DVD
or CD. If you call the church, write
or email, we'll send you a copy. This is Todd Kniper praying that
God will reveal Himself to you. That's our prayer. Amen. To request
a copy of the sermon you have just heard, send your request
to messages at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Or you may write or call the
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