Rev. Cyril A. Stevens – Sermon 0379AB recorded on July 5, 1981 teaching from John 9:35-10:5 – The Need of Jesus.
Pastor Cyril A. Stevens draws extensively from John 9:35-10:5 to illustrate why individuals need Jesus. Pastor Stevens begins by recounting Jesus healing a blind man and then explores the “professional attitude” of religious leaders, who were argumentative and aggressive, often hiding their own darkness by attacking biblical truths. Stevens then shifts to the “positional attitude,” emphasizing that Jesus is the sole “door” to salvation and eternal life, offering rest and spiritual guidance as the Good Shepherd. This leads to the “personal attitude,” where Stevens describes a deep, aching need within people that only Jesus can fulfill, urging a personal embrace of Christ rather than remaining trapped by the “gates of hell,” which cannot hold those who truly believe. Finally, the “paternal attitude” highlights Jesus’s loving leadership, going before His “sheep” who recognize and follow His voice, contrasting this freedom with the burdens of sin and self-deception that leave people unfree. The overarching purpose is to challenge listeners to shed their spiritual burdens and accept Jesus as their personal Savior.