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A Man Called Jesus

April 30, 2023

Scripture referenced 7 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

  • Mark 10:45 Jesus did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many

    45 For the Son of Man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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John 9:1-41

the healing of the man born blind, the main passage of the sermon

1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.

2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 Jesus answered, “Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him.

4 I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work.

5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud,

7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.

8 The neighbors therefore, and those who saw that he was blind before, said, “Isn’t this he who sat and begged?”

9 Others were saying, “It is he.” Still others were saying, “He looks like him.” He said, “I am he.”

10 They therefore were asking him, “How were your eyes opened?”

11 He answered, “A man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash.’ So I went away and washed, and I received sight.”

12 Then they asked him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.”

13 They brought him who had been blind to the Pharisees.

14 It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.

15 Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see.”

16 Some therefore of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” There was division among them.

17 Therefore they asked the blind man again, “What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

18 The Jews therefore did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight,

19 and asked them, “Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

20 His parents answered them, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

21 but how he now sees, we don’t know; or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. He is of age. Ask him. He will speak for himself.”

22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age. Ask him.”

24 So they called the man who was blind a second time, and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.”

25 He therefore answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

26 They said to him again, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t also want to become his disciples, do you?”

28 They insulted him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

29 We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don’t know where he comes from.”

30 The man answered them, “How amazing! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.

31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God, and does his will, he listens to him.

32 Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind.

33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

34 They answered him, “You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?” They threw him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

36 He answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?”

37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.”

38 He said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him.

39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may become blind.”

40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”

41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

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Isaiah (unspecified)

prophecy that hearing they will not hear and seeing they will not understand

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John 3

God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world but that the world might be saved through him

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

2 The same came to him by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”

3 Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”

4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’

8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?”

10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things?

11 Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness.

12 If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

13 No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.

14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

15 that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.

20 For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed.

21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”

22 After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them, and baptized.

23 John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptized.

24 For John was not yet thrown into prison.

25 There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John’s disciples with some Jews about purification.

26 They came to John, and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, the same baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.”

27 John answered, “A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven.

28 You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’

29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

32 What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness.

33 He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.

34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure.

35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.

36 One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

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John 12

if anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them I do not judge him for I did not come to judge the world

1 Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

2 So they made him a supper there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him.

3 Mary, therefore, took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

4 Then Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, one of his disciples, who would betray him, said,

5 “Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?”

6 Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.

7 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial.

8 For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me.”

9 A large crowd therefore of the Jews learned that he was there, and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

10 But the chief priests conspired to put Lazarus to death also,

11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

12 On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

13 they took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”

14 Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written,

15 “Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

16 His disciples didn’t understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him, and that they had done these things to him.

17 The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, was testifying about it.

18 For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign.

19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.”

20 Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast.

21 These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”

22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus.

23 Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

24 Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.

25 He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.

26 If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

27 “Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this time?’ But for this cause I came to this time.

28 Father, glorify your name!” Then there came a voice out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

29 The multitude therefore, who stood by and heard it, said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

30 Jesus answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake, but for your sakes.

31 Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out.

32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

33 But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die.

34 The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?”

35 Jesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he is going.

36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.

37 But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him,

38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

39 For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again,

40 “He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”

41 Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.

42 Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue,

43 for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.

44 Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me.

45 He who sees me sees him who sent me.

46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness.

47 If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

48 He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day.

49 For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

50 I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”

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1 Peter 2

Jesus continually entrusting himself to the one who judges rightly

1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,

2 as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that with it you may grow,

3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious:

4 coming to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious.

5 You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6 Because it is contained in Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen, and precious: He who believes in him will not be disappointed.”

7 For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone,”

8 and, “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

10 who in time past were no people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

11 Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

12 having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

13 Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme;

14 or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.

15 For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

16 as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

18 Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.

19 For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God.

20 For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if, when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God.

21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,

22 who did not sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.”

23 Who, when he was cursed, didn’t curse back. When he suffered, didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.

25 For you were going astray like sheep; but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

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Acts 1:8

you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem Judea Samaria and to the uttermost parts

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

This message worked through John 9:1-41, the account of Jesus healing a man born blind. Pastor Carl traced the story from the healing itself through the man's repeated interrogations by the Pharisees, and then to the moment Jesus found him again and the man worshiped Him. Along the way, the sermon pressed on what it looks like to be a witness to what Jesus has done rather than a lawyer or a judge.

What was said

The disciples' opening question, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents?", set up a false assumption that runs all the way through the chapter and still runs through our own thinking today. Pastor Carl named it plainly: the idea that suffering is reserved for those who deserve it, that a flat tire in a blizzard means you must not be living right. Jesus corrected it at the start. The man's blindness was not a punishment. It was an occasion for the works of God to be displayed.

Jesus healed him in an unexpected way, spitting on the ground and making mud, then sending the man to wash at the pool of Siloam. Pastor Carl noted that Jesus did not do the same thing the same way twice, which is partly why it never got institutionalized into a formula. The man simply obeyed two imperative verbs, go and wash, and the next sentence records that he went and washed and came back seeing.

Once he could see, the people around him did not know what to make of him. The neighbors questioned whether he was really the same man. When they brought him to the Pharisees, the interrogation repeated itself multiple times. The formerly blind man told the same plain story each time: he applied mud to my eyes, I washed, and I see. That, Pastor Carl said, is what a simple testimony looks like. You tell what you know to be true from your own firsthand experience, and that is enough.

The Pharisees had already made up their minds before any of the questioning began. Because Jesus had made mud on the Sabbath, and because the man had washed on the Sabbath, the conclusion was already fixed: this man cannot be from God. Some among them, though, pushed back and asked how a sinner could perform such signs. Pastor Carl pointed to that division as exactly what Jesus had described elsewhere, that what you decide to do with Him separates people. Confirmation bias meant the Pharisees filtered out everything that did not fit, while the formerly blind man had no prior commitment to defend.

The man's parents, when called in as witnesses, refused to say anything beyond confirming he was their son and that he had been born blind. John explains why: they were afraid of being excommunicated from the synagogue. That fear was well-founded. When the formerly blind man grew too pointed in his replies to the Pharisees, they threw him out. And then Pastor Carl paused on what followed: Jesus heard they had put him out and went looking for him.

Jesus found him, asked whether he believed in the Son of Man, and identified Himself. The man's progression through the chapter moved from "a man called Jesus" to "a prophet, I suppose" to "sir" to "Lord," and he worshiped Him. Pastor Carl called that the proper response to recognizing what Jesus had done without deserving any of it.

The closing distinction Pastor Carl drew was between "for judgment" and "to judge." Jesus said He came into the world for judgment, meaning that what each person decides to do with Jesus determines everything. But He also said He did not come to judge the world, He came to save it. That means the church, as the continuing body of Christ, is not called to be His lawyers or His judges. The job is to be witnesses, to tell what He did, and to let people draw their own conclusions about who He is.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

  1. The pastor opened with the disciples' question about who sinned to cause the man's blindness, and connected it to the common assumption that suffering is always punishment for wrongdoing. Where do you see that kind of thinking show up today, and how has it affected the way you've looked at your own hardships or someone else's?
  2. The formerly blind man's understanding of who Jesus was grew step by step, from 'a man called Jesus' to 'a prophet' to 'Lord.' Think about your own experience. Was your recognition of who Jesus is something that happened all at once, or did it develop over time?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Read the full transcript 8,018 words
Speaker 3I know. I feel so much better. I did not feel good the other day.
Speaker 1Good morning, everybody. How are you? Oh, it feels so good. Does it not feel great outside? Amen.
Hallelujah. Would y'all stand with me? We're gonna lean on the everlasting arms. Sway a bit as you feel led.
Speaker 2What a fellowship. What a joy divine leaning on the everlasting arms. What a blessedness. What a peace is mine leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all arms.
Leaning, leaning, leaning leaning on on the the everlasting everlasting arms. Arms, leaning, What have I to dread? What have I to fear leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my lord so near. Leaning, lasting arms, leaning, leaning, Amen.
Speaker 1Sound like y'all believe that. That's good. Have you any room for Jesus? If you sing, if you know this one, sing it out. Implied is I don't know it very well.
I'm gonna look at the notes. Y'all sing loud if you know it.
Speaker 2Have you any room for Jesus? He who bore your load of sin. He knocks Hasten now his word obey. Swing the hearts to our widely open. Bid him enter while you may.
Second verse. Room for pleasure, room for business, but for Christ the crucified. Not a place that he can enter in the heart for which he died, question mark. Room for Jesus, king of glory. Hey, so
Speaker 1on the last
Speaker 2room and time now give to Jesus. Soon we'll pass God's day of grace. Soon your heart left cold and silent and your savior's pleading room for Jesus king of glory
Speaker 1Would you all have a seat? I've got a few announcements. Tomorrow night, Monday night. Monday nights at first b happens. 06:00 in the evening, it is meal, music, and a message.
Every Monday night, Carl is giving the message. The band is doing the music. I blanked on the doxology this morning. It's alright to blank.
Speaker 2Jesus did not come to be served but to serve.
Speaker 1So Mark 10, Jesus did not come to serve but to be served and give his life as a ransom for many. That's the message. Oh, sorry. Sorry about that. I did I said it wrong.
Didn't come to be served but to serve. Sorry. And give his life as a ransom for many. Yeah, Mark ten. Felix and Guadalupe are cooking a big Mexican feast, so meal music and a message tomorrow night.
At the same time, Awana is happening and there's a special kind of Awana is going to be the Awana store is happening tomorrow night. And if your child, grandchild has a car that's not quite ready for the Grand Prix, the Grand Prix is the next Monday night. So if their car is not quite ready, have them bring the car with them so they can do the final cutting, sanding, weighing, whatever it is that they need to have done. The Awana Grand Prix is the following week. Awana store this week, Awana Grand Prix the next week, and that's the big finale.
They're taking the summer off of Awana. So Monday nights, Awana, that's both happening. The Jackson Hole Men's Alliance is the first Wednesday of each month and this one is one. So, that'll be Wednesday morning, 06:30AM. It's a good time to get together with guys, have a good hearty breakfast and some good fellowship.
The ladies fellowship that has been meeting on the Thursdays at 6PM in the fellowship hall finished up a study this past week, and this is gonna take over for the next three weeks. So it's not just for ladies. This is for everybody. Christian Life and Witness Course, it is something that will be taught by a visiting speaker from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Now this past week, when I was up here doing announcements, I said, hey, if you need anything on Tuesday, you can text us, but we're not gonna be here.
Church office was gonna be closed because Carl and Diane and Mike and I all went to the church encouragement conference, guess they called it. And it was by the same group, so Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. It was the best thing I've been a part of in a long time. This is wonderful. I'm not besmirching this at all.
But this was so encouraging and so helpful and every speaker added to the last speaker. It was just wonderful. So if that outfit is doing this, I think I can say, come on, be a part of it. So Thursday night from seven to nine, I know that's a little late for some of you. Thursday, seven to nine for 05/04/1118.
So that's the next three weeks. This is in anticipation of and hopefully, it is to help strengthen the churches ahead of this event that's happened in September 24 over in Idaho Falls. And the turnout for that, how many people do you think were there, Carl? Lot of folks. Two or 300 pastors and church staff folk.
It was really, really, really good and they're banding together, different denominations getting together. So Kids Fest, September 23. Look up to her September 24. My Sister's Closet. Casey, would you come forward and make this announcement?
Thank you.
Speaker 3Okay. So we have been doing this event for several years. For the who do not know, it's an event that ladies can come to. Basically, you're cleaning out your own closet with all of your nice things that either don't fit you, too small, too big, whatever, but you're donating them to this exchange. Shoes, clothes, jewelry, whatever you want to do with ladies items.
That day we'll be meeting here at 10:00. We're actually changing rooms. We're gonna be in this room for that day. I need helpers on Friday to set it up. It basically looks like a store.
It's wonderful to invite people who don't come to church to this event. You would be amazed with the stuff that you go home with. It's just a really, really fun time, great fellowship, and fun for all the ladies. So make sure that all the items are in really great shape. Know, if they belong on a hanger, bring them on a hanger.
You can put your name on the hanger. I'll give it back to you because I have lots. But it's just a really good time. But if you have questions, the church has my number or you need specifics. You can just ask me.
I'll be downstairs actually today. If you need to talk to me about it, and I'll be here on Sundays. You can just grab me and ask questions, but it's
Speaker 1May a little twentieth, that's coming up.
Speaker 3May 20, yeah.
Speaker 1Alright, thank you. And anything else? Oh, without him. Is that because, never mind. It's a women's event without him, sorry.
Would you all stand without hymns? No. Hymn number five zero four.
Speaker 2Amen.
Speaker 1On the last, there's a sweet, sweet spirit. I think we'll sing this one twice. Actually, let's just close right there. Amen. Y'all can have a seat.
Imma invite the ushers to come forward and call this a worship through giving time. Would you pray with me in operatory prayer? God, pray that you'd use us, lord, to reach a lost and dying world. Lord, we were in the same circumstance, part of a kingdom of darkness, and you've removed us and brought us into by your grace, brought us into the kingdom of marvelous light. Lord, would you reflect your own glory off of your humble servants, Lord?
Would you allow what we do? You say that nothing that's done in the Lord's name is ever and in vain. Lord, would you allow us to know what it is that you'd have us do? And would you give us the strength to walk it out? We know that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is active.
That's the sweet, sweet spirit that's in this place. Lord, may we be propelled forward. May the wind of the spirit blow in our lives. May it carry us along, lord, and may we never brace ourselves against that wind. In Jesus name, we ask that you would do your will and your way this morning among us.
Amen. Thank you, Judy. I can only imagine. Wow. Oh, John nine.
Oh, I have been in a study, y'all know, in the synoptic gospel. So, Matthew, Mark, and Luke and it's been chronological and we've been walking through it. We've gotten a couple of stories lately of Jesus doing something on the Sabbath. Right? Whatever he was doing on the Sabbath.
I'm jumping over to John. I believe that when you try to harmonize the gospels, this is where this story fits. If you're reading the gospel of John and you're going through, there are pericopes, little things that are cut around and you can see them. This one doesn't really have a timestamp on it as exactly where it was or when it was in John. But when you look at it and there's increasing hostility around the question, I agree with Thomas and Gundry, the guys who kind wrote this harmony that I'm using as an outline, that this fits right there.
We'll see it as we go. But Jesus heals a man that was born blind, in John nine:one-forty one. And we'll just jump right into it. As Jesus passed by, that's the only timestamp that we have, and that's not any real timestamp at all. But last week we saw, remember, there was the lady who was doubled over and could not stand up at all.
And Jesus, before she asked, called for her to come over. And when she came over, he said, woman, your infirmity has been healed. And immediately, she stood up and glorified God. Right? That was the story last week.
I called back to Matthew and Luke's earlier stories of a healing of a man with a withered hand. And in both of those cases let's just keep going. Let's just keep going. Let's let the text say what it says. As Jesus passed by, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.
And his disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned? This man or his parents that he would be born blind. This is an assumption that was very common in their time, and it's very common in our time. Have you all heard this expression? I'm from the South, so I heard it a lot.
When you say, man, I had a flat tire the other day in a blinded snowstorm in April. I did. This is actually truth. Brand new tires. Didn't have 500 miles on them.
And I'm pulled over on the side of the road. It's snowing like mad. And I mentioned that to somebody back home, I said, I had a in a blinded blizzard, I had a flat tire in April, brand new tires, and he said, you must not be living right. Right? You deserve you deserve the punishment that you get.
Right? Rabbi Hussein, this man or his parents. So it also brings into question generational stuff because in the Old Testament, it does say that the sins of the father visited on the kids. Right? That's that is something that there's a little biblical nugget there, but it also says the blessings of God extend to the thousands generation, okay?
When it says that generational sin goes third or fourth. So Rabbi Hussein, this man or his parents, it gets to the question of fate or destiny or predestination. How did this come to pass? Will he have done something in his life that caused him to be born blind in the first place? Did he sin in the womb?
They considered that a very real possibility. Who sinned? This man or his parents that he would be born blind. So there's an assumption there. Today, I'm gonna go through the whole text first and then come back and try to hit the points that the text has in it.
So Jesus answered. It was neither that this man sinned nor his parents, but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. This man's life is a reason for God's light to shine. It was neither this man's sin or his parents says, not because of the sin, not his sin, not his parents' sin, but so that the works of God might be displayed in him. And then he says something because we must carry out the works of him who sent me.
We must do God's work as long it is day for night is coming when no one can work. There is an end to time. There is an end to the times. Some one of the songs we just sang was saying, you know, what, room for Jesus. While you may, like this is saying the same thing.
You got to be doing the works of God as long as it is day come because night is coming when no one can work. It will be eventually be too late. We must carry out the works of him who sent me as long as it is day. While I'm in the world, Jesus says, I am the light of the world. I love that, but I also I mentioned this morning that this is a continuing body of Christ.
Representative sample right here. Continuing body of Christ on earth is his church which he will build, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. So while I'm in the world, Jesus says, I'm the light of the world. Remember Matthew, he said, you're the light of the world. I'm leaving this with you.
The way that I've been reflecting God's glory, you are now collectively to be reflecting God's glory. While I'm in the world, I'm the light of the world. It's interesting that we're dealing with a blind man when he starts talking about light. It's a really good example. When he had said this, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva and applied the mud to his eyes.
What would Jesus do? I think of this passage every time anybody says, what would Jesus do? I don't know I don't know what would Jesus do in this situation. Right? That's not what I would have thought.
He doesn't do the same thing the same way every time. I think if he did the same thing the same way every time, we would have institutionalized it, and we'd be doing exactly the same thing exactly like he did. Who knows the results? Spit on the ground, mud with the saliva, plied the mud to his eyes. There's a there's a little hint right here too.
And I I John said in the beginning was the word, right? Before creation and nothing was created that wasn't created through him. And then the same thing that God did with the mud of the ground and creation of Adam. Right? He did the same little act, smears it on the guy's eyes.
Now now blind man's got mud all over his eyes. And he said to him, go wash in the pool of Siloam, which is translated sent. I think that's fun because he sent him to a place called sent. I think that's why John mentions it parenthetically there. So the man left and washed.
If you look at the Greek here, one sentence right up against the other one, says, go wash. Next sentence, the verbs are went washed, obedient. He just obeyed him. So he left and he washed and he came back seeing. This is man blind since birth.
So the neighbors and those who previously saw him as a beggar were saying, is this not the one who used to sit and beg? And others were saying, this is he. Still others were saying, nobody's like him. This guy must have a twin we didn't know about. The man himself kept saying, no, it's me.
It's me. I'm the one. I was the one that used to sit and beg. I'm the guy. Yes, it's me.
So they were saying to him, how then were your eyes opened? How did this come to pass? And he answered, the man who's called Jesus. This is all he knows of him. Like, this is I like this because there's a progression to the way this guy's understanding of who Jesus is goes.
This man called Jesus, don't know him, some guy named Jesus. He made mud, and he spread it on my eyes. And he said to me, go to Siloam and wash. So I went away and I washed, and I received sight. Is that just the plainest testimony of exactly the story we heard?
Just straightforward as can be. And they said to him, where is he? He said, I don't know. How would he know? He's a blind man with mud on his eyes.
He sent him and he stumbles through the streets of Jerusalem to get to Siloam. Right? And Jesus is not with him while he's going. He just sent him. And he said, where is he?
I don't know. I didn't know him in the first place. He's just some man named Jesus. So they, the neighbors, the asterisk in the New International mean, sorry, the new American Standard Version of the Bible. The asterisk means that it's a historical present.
What it literally says here is they bring this man. They bring this man. It's like getting you into the action. They bring this man who was previously blind. They bring this guy who used to be blind to the Pharisees.
Oh, gracious Pharisees. We see Pharisees and go, oh, no. Now it was a Sabbath. Oh, no. Really?
Oh, this is why I think this story fits right here. In the other stories of Jesus healing someone on the Sabbath, yes, Jesus' disciples had made grain available to eat. Why are your disciples breaking the rules on the Sabbath? Why are they breaking Halakah, our rules about the Sabbath, our traditions? Last week, gave you 39 different possibilities for work on the Sabbath.
And Jesus didn't break any of them. When he had the guy extend his withered hand, he didn't break any rules. When he had the when his disciples or Jesus wasn't eaten of grain, they were. In the case of the woman, she had not asked, and he just had compassion on her and healed her by speaking. So there aren't any rules against speaking on the Sabbath.
Even though the guy got all upset and said to the crowd, you should not be coming here to get healed on the Sabbath. Right? This case, they brought the man who was previously bound to the Sabbath Pharisees. Now it was a Sabbath on the day that Jesus made mud. Uh-oh.
That's work according to them, according to the Halakah, which like I said last week, is five different categories of what is actually scripturally not permitted, what is supposedly not scripturally permitted, a hedge around that, a hedge around that, and a hedge around that. Anything that we might deem as unholy. And how could you call this unholy? A man born blind. Right?
Now it was a Sabbath day on the way. Jesus made the mud, and then he sent that man to Siloam. We don't know how far it was. Could have been over a Sabbath day's journey, but to wash on the Sabbath is against their rules. So go and wash, went and washed, washing itself was against the rules.
So there's an escalation here. Then the Pharisees also were asking him again. So this guy who had already told the story simply as he could, the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, he, this guy, Jesus, applied mud to my eyes, and I washed, and I see. He applied mud, breaks their rules, and I washed, breaks their rules, and I see, breaks their paradigm.
Right? Therefore, some of the pharisees were saying, this man is not from God. No way he can be from God because he doesn't keep the Sabbath. He doesn't agree with us down the line a 100% always. He's not one of us, so he cannot be from God.
Which when I read that, I think, remember Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night? Minority party of the Pharisees maybe comes at night and says, we know that you're from God. Nobody could do what you do if you weren't. That's early in the book of John. This is six chapters later.
This man's not from God because he does not keep Sabbath is one opinion. But others were saying, how can a man who's a sinner perform such signs? Like others of the opinion like Nicodemus, maybe Joseph of Arimathea, maybe Gamaliel, maybe. The one who spoke up and said, listen, if this is from God, there's nothing you can do to stop it in Acts, right? How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?
And there was dissension, some translations say division among them. So they were split, and they're bumping heads over this issue. Well, what you do with Jesus makes a difference. What you do when the question of who Jesus is and what he's done and what he came to do, and we'll get to that before the end of this sermon, I hope, causes division. Remember last week, just last week, did you think I came to bring peace on Earth?
No, I tell you, division. What you decide to do with Jesus will separate brother from brother, father from child, mother from mother, daughter from mother-in-law. It it says that he is the dividing point of all of human, all history. Not just human history, all history. There was dissension among them based on what they did with him.
One, some of them said he's not from God, and others said he has to be. So they said again. So they say again to this man who was formerly blind. What do you say about him since he opened your eyes? First hand experience, eyewitness testimony, pun intended.
He said he's a prophet. He's a prophet. So it's gone from man called Jesus that he didn't know to when he left from Jesus, he was just going doing as he said. He cleans his eyes off. He's he's seeing now he's a prophet.
His frame of reference, the only people who were able able to do this in the Old Testament, Elijah, Elisha, those kind of guys were able to do miracles, so he must be a prophet. I'll go with that. The Jews then did not believe it about him. They did not believe that about him, and so they'd already made up their mind. They had already made up their mind about Jesus, and so they didn't believe it about him, that he had been blind.
You've been you've been just pulling our leg all these years sitting up there, you rotten scoundrel. You've been pretending to be blind your whole life. You couldn't work just so you could get the alms that he'd been blind and that he'd received his sight until they called his parents. So they called his parents in, more witnesses. They called in the parents of the very one who had received his sight and they questioned him saying, is this your son who you say was born blind?
Now, before I go on right there, think about this. Who sinned, this guy or his parents? That's the opening for this. The disciples asked the question, who sinned? This guy or the parents?
And if you go through the logic between the pharisees that are arguing, one of them is saying, we know he's a sinner, so this doesn't compute. The other is saying, but he's gotta be from God because he does these great things. Their presuppositions or assumptions are revealed. This says, is this your son who you say was born blind? So then how does he now see?
Those parents have been living under the cloud that either they were sinners or their son was a rotten sinner. Because that's the assumptions from everybody around them. Can you imagine? I mean if they go to church and the prevailing notion is if you have a handicapped child, it's because of something you did. It's a punishment from God for you and for them.
How horrible. So they question the parents, is this your son who you say was born blind? And how does he now see? And his parents answered and said, we know that he's our son. And there's not a twin we've been keeping in the house.
Yes. We know that this is our son. And we know that he was born blind. It was not an easy path to get us as far as we've gotten. But how he now sees, we don't know.
I mean, they they had not seen what happened. They didn't know. They're saying they didn't know. Or who opened his eyes? We don't know.
Ask him though. He's of age. He'll speak for himself. He is a majority age and can speak as an adult. So ask him.
He'll speak for himself. Now John gives us an explanatory note that his parents said this because they were afraid. They were afraid. At this point, the whole of the Pharisees and well, most of the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin, they had already started plotting against him, looking for some way they could I'm thinking in Spanish. Sorry.
Excuse me a second. What's that in English? Trap him. Some that trap him into, you know, cancel him. That's what they wanted to do.
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already reached the decision, they'd already made up their minds, that if anyone confessed Jesus to be the Christ, that that person would be excommunicated from the synagogue. So they're asking for their eyewitness I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.
Ask him. He's old enough. Ask him. It was for this reason that his parents said, he's of age. Ask him.
They were afraid of the consequences of that. So for a second time, they summoned the man who had been blind. I love just that line. The man who had formerly been blind. And said to him, give glory to God.
We know that this man is a sinner. They'd already made up their mind about him. We already have judged this guy to be a sinner. We know he's a sinner. You give glory to God for your healing, not to this guy.
And he answered, hey. Whether he's a sinner, I don't know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. That's my testimony is I was blind and now I see. So they said to him, what did he do to you?
Exactly how?
Speaker 2What did he do to you?
Speaker 1How did he open your eyes? And he answered, I've already told you that already. If you go back in the text, you see he already told him plain as day. I told you already, and you didn't listen. Why do you wanna hear it again?
You don't wanna be his disciples too, do you? You can hear a little sarcasm sneaking into this guy's. You don't wanna become his disciples too, do you? And they got so mad. Remember last week's synagogue leader, indignant?
They got so mad at the guy. They spoke to him abusively, and they said, you're his disciple. We're disciples of Moses. Oh, my. They're taking law over grace.
That man had done nothing. That that that man had done nothing. He hadn't even called out and asked Jesus to heal him as far as we know. Didn't know who Jesus was until this man called Jesus. Right?
Somebody says, yeah. That was Jesus. Man called Jesus. Right here he says, I don't know if he's a sinner or not. I don't have any idea.
The progression though is still moving forward. You do not wanna become his disciples too, do you? They spoke abusively to him and said, you're his disciple. We're disciples of Moses. Moses representing the law.
The law only does good for letting you know how you fall short. It has no power to save. They're rejecting the one who had the power to save and legalistically basing their existence off of their allegiance to the law. We know that God has spoken to Moses. No doubt about that.
But as for this man, we don't even know where he's from. We don't know this guy. And the man answered and said to him, well, here's the amazing thing that you don't even know where he's from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God doesn't listen Listen to this guy. This is the blind man saying this.
We know God doesn't listen to sinners. I've had
Speaker 2to live my whole life
Speaker 1under this cloud of suspicion that either I sinned or my parents. We know God doesn't listen to sinners but if someone is God fearing and does his will, he listens to him. Since the beginning of time, it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. And they answered him, you were born entirely in sins.
So they're answering the disciples' questions. Okay? Disciples asked, who sinned? These guys, the Pharisees said, you were born entirely steeped in sin. And yet you're, Hugh, illiterate.
You're teaching us? So they put him out. Excommunication. They kicked him out of the church. They kicked him out of the synagogue.
They put him out. This was what his parents feared that they were gonna do to them. They would lose the fellowship of the body. They would lose the benefits of being a part of the chosen people of God. Excommunicated.
Now, if you go back to Exodus and Leviticus, when God is giving the law, he's saying that if somebody is this way or does these things, you should put them out. Some things were you should stone them. Others were you should put them out to protect the purity of the people. So they based it off of something biblical, but they didn't have a heart of compassion. They didn't have a heart of grace.
What had he done to get put out? He believed Jesus and his eyes were opened. He he had not done anything. Being a smarty pants to the Pharisees is not excommunication worthy. Right?
That's what he was. He's a little bit of a smarty pants. So they put him out. Jesus heard that they had put him out. Oh, golly.
They went their separate ways. Jesus sends him somewhere. They're in two different places, and then you remember that guy you healed yesterday? They put him out. So it says Jesus heard that they had put him out, and upon finding him, he was looking for him.
Isn't that sweet? Because, actually, think about this. That guy really didn't even know who Jesus was. A man called Jesus. Every time he told the story, said it something like that, just this guy.
Who is he? A prophet? It's my guess. I don't know. He did a miracle.
It sounds like a prophet to me. And then Jesus heard they put him out. And upon finding him because he was looking him. He said, do you believe in the son of man? Son of man, Jesus' favorite name for himself throughout the gospels.
He calls himself son of man more than anything else. Son of man, son of God. They are the same thing. It's different verbiage. This one didn't bring as much fire.
Okay. Son of man, one who is like a son of man in Daniel and Ezekiel. Son of man is a messianic term, but it was something that it wasn't as out there out front and inflammatory saying, son of God. Do you believe in the son of man? And he answered the blind, formerly blind man said, and who is he, sir?
That I may believe in him. I'm ready. I'm ready to I'm ready to believe in him. I haven't made up my mind. But do you believe in the son of man?
Maybe he recognized Jesus' voice. He hadn't seen him. When he wandered away from Jesus, he had mud on his eyes, still blind. He answered by saying, and who is he sir that I may believe him? And Jesus said to him, you have both seen him just now.
And he is the one who is talking with you. If you ever hear anybody say, Jesus never claimed divinity or deity. He did. Right there he did. That's a messianic term that he claimed for himself.
I'm the guy. You're looking at him. You're looking at him. The man who's formerly blind. He's the one who's talking with you right now.
And he said, I believe, Lord. So it went from just a man called Jesus through maybe a prophet, I guess, pro prophet. And then, sir, do you believe in the son of man? He said, sir. And then, I believe, lord, and he worshiped him.
Someone worthy of worship, worthy of praise. Amen. So I'm gonna go back now and just pick up the start off with the assumptions. The assumptions, natural theology or primitive religion. I mentioned this from time to time.
I mentioned at the beginning of this, you must not be living right because we know what? That bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people and suffering is reserved for those who deserve it. That's not true. That is not true. And we must resist that kind of thinking.
It's easier for us if we think in our piety, our holy holiness, holier than thouness, if we think, well, they wouldn't have so much trouble if they would just live by the by the gospel. They wouldn't have so much trouble if they just lived it out. Well, what did Jesus get for walking out perfectly the will of God? Crucified. What did all of the disciples get?
I mean, John was exiled for a long time, but all of them were martyred. Right? We gotta resist that kind of thinking. So here are three suggestions just from this story on seeing the works of God in our everyday lives. I'm trying to take it from, I think, of the best stories in the New Testament.
It's one of my favorite because it's got such an ample, like, back and forth and the dialogue and all the stuff. Jesus separating from him and then coming back and finding him. That's just so good. There's so much good. I want you to think about something though.
In the case of the earlier man with the withered hand and with the woman that was doubled over, it said, and the crowd glorified God for what's going on. It doesn't say that here. It immediately, they took him to the Pharisees. Like, it doesn't say, and they were so overwhelmed. Well, they were they seemed to be amazed by it.
Amazed, and it happened on Sabbath. And you heard what happened last week on the Sabbath. Right? They take him to the Pharisees. Simple obedience.
Jesus uses two imperative verbs, go and wash. And the next sentence says, he went and he washed. Obedience is important. And it's simple. It's simple.
If you get the direction, go for it. Right? So the results of his obedience right there was he came back seeing. That's the result. Oh, the neighbors were confused.
There's a guy who goes to church here that he's been going to church here seven, years probably. And right at the beginning, God grabbed hold of him and changed him, just transformed his life. And he was hanging around with his family and friends and they were like, what's happened to you, man? You're completely different. You aren't the way that you used to be.
You're different. What's going on? And he, through tears, would just say, Jesus, man. I love that. It's my favorite testimony.
Jesus, man. I I don't know. But the neighbors were confused. Isn't this the guy? I didn't know he had a twin.
No. They confused. And people ask him about what happened. Well, of course, they're gonna ask what happened. You're different.
Word gets out. And then it brought him some attention. So he had a platform based on what Jesus had done, and he comes up with the next thing, simple testimony. His testimony is what? Any simple testimony in a court of law is like this.
Tell them what you know to be true based on your firsthand experience. Like if you have to go to traffic court and you tell what happened, all you do is tell what you know. You don't have to tell everything about motive from everybody else. You just say, this is what I saw. But your simple Christian testimony is, tell them what you know to be true based on your firsthand experience with Jesus.
Right? This is what he did. I don't know how he did it. I just know that he did it. We sang in the first service, I don't know how you convict men of sin.
I don't know how, but I know whom I have believed. Right? There's no valid theological argument against a changed life. If God has set you free, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. I don't know how he did it.
I just know that he did it. Amen. If God has transformed you, don't be afraid to say so. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. So the results of this simple testimony are right here.
The naysayers got involved. Of course, they did. They're everywhere. So in that time but if you give your simple testimony, there will be people that try to talk you out of that testimony. If you say, I'm going to go on the mission field.
I feel like God's called me into this work, wherever it is, whatever it is that you're doing. There'll be people that are you really sure about that? I don't think he's going to do that. But you're so great here. We're to miss you.
Yes, but this is what he's called me to. Naysayers got involved and they will get involved. Naysayers around us all the time. The clickity clicker, quick clicking, Preston. They questioned him and they didn't believe him.
They questioned him, but they'd already made up their mind and what he said didn't fit their already preconceived notions. So they questioned him and they didn't believe him. If you go into the situation with an open mind and you hadn't made up your mind, then there's a possibility that you'll believe. But have you all ever heard of confirmation bias? When you believe something, you will get rid of everything else that doesn't fit your own view of things.
So they questioned him and they didn't believe him. Then they threatened him and they bullied him because they're mad, partially at his sarcasm, I'm sure. They threatened him and they bullied him and ultimately they excommunicated him, kicked him out, shunned him, put him outside of the fellowship. So there will always be naysayers. If you're trying to do undertake a work for the Lord, there will be plenty of people that will be wet blankets.
I guarantee it. And there will always be cost. I I haven't written very many songs in my life, but I've written a couple, a few. One of them was in Spanish, and it was even though it cost me, I will worship you. Even though it cost me, I'll worship you.
There will always be cost. And then simple worship. This is the next thing. So it's simple obedience gives him a platform to give his simple testimony, which he did repeatedly anytime anybody asked. And then when Jesus comes back to the man because he was looking for him, who is he lord that I may believe in him?
He said, it's me. You're looking at him. And he said, lord, I believe. And he worshiped him. That is the proper response.
Here it is. He answered by saying, who is he sir that I may believe in him and you have seen him, formerly blind man, and he's the one who's talking with you and I believe Lord. So it ends up with this man called Jesus is now this guy's Lord. Amen. And he worshiped him.
So those are the three points that I kinda draw out of the text. And then it continues there, 39, forty, and forty one. Jesus said, it is for judgment that I came into this world So that those who do not see may see. This formerly blind, now seeing, and those who see may become blind. You remember the prophecy from Isaiah was, and hearing they will not hear, and seeing they will not understand.
Those who think they know it all will become blind. So for judgment, up here, the four judgment. It is for judgment that I came into this world. I think that we adjust that to be, well, Jesus is gonna judge. Jesus is the judge.
Jesus is the one that's gonna be judging. But if you listen to John, and you listen to Jesus, when he's talking to Nicodemus in John three, for God did not send the son into the world to judge the world. It's not to judge the world. This time, first coming. It's definitely not.
But that the world might be saved through him. He's on a rescue mission. John 12 repeats it again after this passage. John nine. If anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him for I didn't come to judge the world.
I didn't come to judge the world. I came to save the world. I am on a rescue mission. I am the light of the world. Then saying, you are the light of the world, if we're the continuing body of Christ, for judgment versus to judge is an important distinction right here.
It is for judgment. What you do with Jesus, what you judge Jesus to be makes all the difference in your eternity, makes all the difference in your life. If you judge Jesus to be the Lord, it orders your life and your eternal future differently than if you judge him to be a liar or a lunatic. Or if you judge him to be doing things by the power of Beelzebub, if you judge him to be just somebody, great teacher, he's just a man called Jesus, I don't know. When you get to the place of him being Lord, that makes all the difference.
So that those who do not see, wow, I see. And those who say, we've got this. We're we're disciples of Moses. We've got this all figured out, and you're wrong. You get less and less able to see what God's trying to do.
So I wanna say from acts one eight, it is, and you will be my witnesses, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the very uttermost parts. We are to be his witnesses. We are not to be his lawyers or his judges. We are not the judge. When it says Jesus was continually entrusting himself to the one who judges rightly in first Peter two, God is the only righteous judge.
He's not asking us to be his lawyers or his judges, just his witnesses. You tell the story of what he did for you. So that's that. And then the last two verses, those who were with him from the pharisees heard these things that he was saying and said, we're not blind too, are we? You're not saying certainly you're not saying.
With all of our religious education, and all of our devotion, and all of our effort, and all of our sacrifice, certainly you're not saying that we're the blind ones. And Jesus said, if you were blind, you'd have no sin. I I I would take that if you admitted that you don't know. I would take that, and I would forgive that. But now that you maintain, we see and we're the only ones that see clearly.
We see your sin remains. Judgmental is not a good thing. If we are the continuing body of Christ and we are on the same mission that Christ was on, I mean, that's the definition. Right? If we are the continuing body and it is for judgment that he came into the world, It's not to judge.
It is for judgment. So the outsiders should be able to look at Christ and go, he's gracious, and he's good, and he's merciful, and he's loving, and he cares. I wanna be a part of that for judgment. It's not to judge. Here are some application points.
They're broken out. It's the same thing I've said three different ways, but here it is again. Allow God to challenge your natural assumptions. I see this so clearly. I can't even imagine anybody seeing it otherwise.
If they just agree with me, everything would be fine. People suffer because they do bad things. People are blessed because they do good things. Nope. Allow God to challenge your natural assumptions.
Your way of seeing things, your opinion is not the most important thing. Simply obey. Simply obey. Whatever it is that God is calling you to do, simply obey. That would give you a platform from which you may simply testify and just tell what he did for you.
It's good. Jesus man is a perfectly valid point. Simply worship. I think that when you recognize the transformation that he did graciously because we didn't deserve it, he shared his unmerited favor with us mercifully because what we did deserve was bad. What he gave us was something good.
Simply just worship him and realize that Jesus came for judgment, and that's a good thing. To you said to serve not to be served. That's the same distinction about judgment. Right? He came to be judged and not to judge.
He came on a salvation rescue mission. I think that's the last slide. Would you stand with me? And we're going to sing this one. This is speaking of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
This is one that I probably sung a half a million times in my life. It's just as fresh right now and we'll sing as many verses as come up on the screen. Altar is always open.
Speaker 2I come just as I am and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blood to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, oh, lamb Without a lamp of God, I come. I come. Just as I am the will I
Speaker 1come. Amen. And can we close with the doxology? That work for as a benediction today. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Speaker 2Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise father, son, and holy ghost. Amen.
Speaker 1Amen.

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Written up from the message given at First B Jackson. If something here reads oddly, the recording is the record.

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