Union with Christ Is What It's All About
First B Jackson
2016-06-12

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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And it says, so that you might be joined, that is union, so that you might be joined to another, to him, capital H, that's Christ, Jesus, who was raised from the dead. Do you get that? He gives us a purpose clause in there and I love it when they say the so that. When it says so that. Therefore, my brother and you also are made to die to the law through the body of Christ, through his death.

It says in chapter six, that we were united with him into his death but then raised to walk in newness of life. That's what this verse is saying. So that you may be joined to him who was raised from the dead. So, union with Christ through faith is what it's all about. I stole this slide from my own sermon on Galatians three.

It will come up from time to time because union with Christ is really what it's all about. And then he gives us another purpose clause here. In order that we might bear fruit for God. So, not only that we might be joined to him who is raised from the dead, that's knowing Christ but that we might bear fruit for God. We might actually tell of Christ to others so that they might know him.

So, Columbia International University is where I went to seminary and since 1923, their slogan or their motto has been to know him, capital H, Jesus, and to make him, capital H, Jesus, known, to know Jesus, and to make him known and the knowing there is an knowing. Union with Christ and then making him known to others. So, we're going backwards now. It actually has been almost three years, I think, since I was in the book of John, almost three years and we're gonna go back from Romans to John for the rest of this sermon. I hope that you'll see that it fits at least somewhat tangentially, okay?

Work for the night is coming. Earlier in the week, like I said, some of you read ahead in the text and you say, oh, I'm reading this or I read what you said last week and I think XYZ, whatever. But somebody texted me about Thursday of this week and said, what does John nine four mean especially in light of John nine three and it was such a welcome question when I was studying and mired down in Romans seven that I jumped over to that and I thought this these two fit together. Union with Christ is what it's all about. You'll see the slide three or four more times.

But work comes because you are not united with Christ. Not in order to be united with Christ because you are united with Christ. Work for the night is coming. So, here we go in John nine. We're going to go one through 38.

One through 38 are the the verses that we're going to read and it is narrative. So, I'll interject from time to time to shed some light, I hope, on the few things but I want us to see the main points but then at the end, I want to come back and consider nine four. So, as he passed by, that's Jesus, capital H. Jesus saw a man blind from birth and his disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned? This man or his parents that he would be born blind.

Now, to start off with, there were some assumptions. The assumption was and it's part of natural, we'll call it natural theology or primitive religion and primitive religion is very very sticky. We find it in the jungles but we also find it in our own homes. The primitive religion would say that bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people. Suffering is reserved for those who deserve it.

Do you agree with that? No. No. But it's sticky and it comes back and we kind of take that back on but Jesus refutes this notion in the next verse. He said, it says, Jesus answered, it was neither that this man sinned or neither because this man sinned nor because his parents sinned but it was so that the works of God might be displayed or made manifest in him.

So, Jesus answers the bad things happen to bad people, good things happen to good people, suffering is reserved for those who deserve it this way. That's simply not true. Now, both that man and his parents had sinned. They were identified with Adam. Of course, they did have sin but Jesus was saying, it's not because of their sin that they were suffering.

We must resist this kind of thinking. I think about in my teenage hood driving around my old beat up fast car and having flat tires and battery problems and the starter going out again and all of that sort of stuff and I would tell my dad, I had two flat tires this week and had to change the alternator and the starter. He goes, you must not be living right. That's sticky. That's what I'm talking about.

That's primitive religion. Well, if you're living right, you wouldn't have those problems. That's not true and Jesus says that flatly. I think he was joking but I don't know. Not Jesus, my dad.

I'm talking about. Jesus was not joking. Okay. We must work the works of him who sent me as long as it is day. Night is coming when no man can work.

Now, I want to come back to that. I'm not going to dwell on it for long but it says, we, note that, we and a lot of old King James versions that says, I but there's no doubt about it even among the King James folks. It says, we, okay? We must work the works of him who sent me as long as it is day, night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Now, Jesus said that but you remember he also because but because union with Christ through faith is what it's all about. He also said this, you are the light of the world. You are the light of the world. Those of you who have been united with Christ, is Christ Jesus still bodily walking about on this Earth and doing the things he did in the first century. No, bodily.

In you, he is. You are the light of the world. He said, while I'm in the world, I'm the light of the world. No doubt. After his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, you are the light of the world.

Let your good works be seen by men so that they will glorify your father in heaven. That's actually what Jesus did while he was here. Everything that he did, all of the works that he did, he did with intent that people would glorify God. He said, while I am in the world, I'm the light of the world. And when he had said this, he spat on the ground and he made clay of the spittle and applied the clay to his eyes and right there, I wanna stop.

You know that what would Jesus do? Charles Sheldon's in his steps. What would Jesus do? You ever think about spitting in a blind man's eyes? You know what I mean?

We cannot do exactly the same thing that Jesus did nor can we anticipate what he's gonna do. I think he went out of his way to heal people in a different way every time he did it that we wouldn't think that we could do that formula. So, Jesus spat on the ground, made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to this man's eyes and he said to him, go, wash in the pool of Siloam which translated is sent. I think John actually just thought that that was kind of funny that he said, go and wash in the pool of scent. I'm sending you to wash in the pool called scent.

So, he went away and washed and came back seeing. Now, I could stop the sermon right there and it'd be plenty. Simple obedience of that man stands out. Excuse me. That crackling is my microphone.

Simple obedience stands out for this guy. Now, last week, we talked about imperative verbs and indicative verbs. Indicative verbs is the mode of certainty. It expresses what either happened or happened what happened or what will happen and in imperative verbs are commands. Now, Jesus used two verbs when talking to that man and he said, go and wash and there are two indicative verbs speaking about the man.

He went and he washed. Just that simple. It was obedient. Exactly what Jesus said, he immediately did. Simple obedience is first.

Therefore, the neighbors and those who previously saw him as a beggar were saying, is not this the one who used to sit and beg? And others were saying, well, this is he. Still others were saying, no, but he looks like him. He is like him and he kept saying to him, no, it's me. I'm the one.

Really? I'm the one. I was the one that was blind and now I can see. He was saying, I am the one. It says, repeatedly, habitually.

He was saying it. So, they were saying to him, well, how then were your eyes open? These are the neighbors and people who had seen him out begging. How then were your eyes open? And he answered, the man who is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and he said to me, go to Siloam and wash.

So, went away and I washed and I received sight. That's a very simple statement of exactly what happened in order and they said to him, well, where is he? Capital A is Jesus. Where is this guy? And he said, I don't know because he didn't know.

The results of that man's obedience were that he came back seeing. Go and wash. He went. He washed. He came back seeing.

These are the other results though. The neighbors were confused. Well, this guy used to be blind. In your case, it might be, well, this guy used to be a drunk. Well, this guy used to be pretty awful with the way that he treated women.

Well, this guy used to be pretty awful about whatever. The neighbors were confused because a man that they knew to be blind now was seeing. Confusing neighbors. People asked him, what happened? It begs the question when you've been blind since birth and now you can see what happened.

So, the word got out. He achieved some sort of celebrity, local fame with this and it brought the man some attention. Now, the next verses we're going to see is some of that attention was probably more than he had hoped for. They brought to the the Pharisees this man who was formerly blind. I love just reading formerly blind.

Think about that concept. We served at a school for the deaf for seven years and I'd love for one of those kids to be formerly deaf. They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. Now, it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Oh.

Y'all know who the Pharisees are. They are the religious zealots, absolutely, absolutely united to the law. Torah, they take this man to the Pharisees, the man who was formerly blind, but it was on a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes and then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight and he said to them, he had played, applied clay to my eyes and I washed and I see. Still very simple testimony. Therefore, some of the Pharisees were saying, this man is not from God because he does not keep the Sabbath.

Come on. But others were saying, how can a man who is a sinner perform such signs? And there was a division among them. You know what? Every time that Jesus does anything in someone's life, there will be some who believe, some who snare.

It happens throughout John. You see it all over the place. Happened in Acts. Acts 17 when Paul's presenting to the Epicureans and the Stoics and he presents Christ and him crucified and some of them accepted it says and some of them sneered and some of them said, I wanna hear more about this later. That happens pretty much every time you present Jesus.

How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs and there was a division among them? So, they said to the blind man again, what do you say about him? Since he opened your eyes and he said, well, he is a prophet but he didn't know anymore about Jesus than that. We don't think that this guy had followed after Jesus. They were walking by.

It was a teachable moment for his disciples. It was the work that he must do or had to do that day in the spirit. The man is more or less guessing right here because all it is is that he opened the eyes and that was one of the signs of a prophet, the healings and he said, he is a prophet. Now, the Jews then did not believe it of him that he had even been blind and had received sight until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight. So, they didn't believe the man.

So, they're going to call his parents and question them saying, is this your son? Who you say was born blind? It shows that they were incredulous already. Then, how does he now see? And his parents answered them and said, we know that I, this is our son.

We're sure of that and that he was born blind. We're sure of that. This is kind of simple testimony on their part. But how he now sees, we do not know or who opened his eyes? We do not know.

Ask him, he is of age, he will speak for himself. His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, the religious leaders, zealots for the law. His parents said this because they're afraid of the Jews for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Jesus, him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. For this reason, his parents said, he is of age. Ask him.

They did not wanna be kicked out. They did not wanna be shunned. They did not wanna be cut off from their assembly, the synagogue. So, a second time, they called the man who had been blind and said to him, give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.

If your eyesight has been received, then just give glory to God. God, we're giving you an out here. Please, give glory to God. Not this guy because we know this guy is a sinner. We've already made up our mind about Jesus.

He's not part of the deal and he then answered, whether he, Jesus is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. John Newton stole those words in Amazing Grace. I once was blind but now I see. Whether he's a sinner, I do not know.

He didn't know that. He can't testify to that fact but he does know that though I was blind, now I see. So, they said to him, what did he do to you? How did he open your eyes? And he answered them, I told you already and you did not listen.

Why do you wanna hear it again? You don't wanna become his disciples too, do you? Getting a little smarty pants with him and they reviled him and said, you are his disciple but we're disciples of Moses. There's a choice and we've been presented over and over with that choice in Romans five, six, seven, and eight. It will come back again and again.

Either, you are identified with Adam and in Adam's sin and in the law of Moses, you've identified with that and your union is with that and these Pharisees are saying, we are disciples of Moses. We are not disciples of Christ. They knew that they were not united with Christ. In fact, they were divided as to who Christ even was. You were his disciple but we're disciples of Moses.

We know that God has spoken to Moses. We're sure of this but as for this man, we do not know where he is from. They didn't even know where Jesus is from but Jesus, let's go on. The man answers and said to them, well, here it is. An amazing thing that you do not even know where he's from and yet he opened my eyes.

We know that God does not hear sinners, right? This man is stating back their faulty assumptions. We know that God doesn't hear sinners. Oh, we all know that and we know that bad guys are the ones who are blind. We know that God does not hear sinners but if anyone is God fearing and does his will, he hears him.

Since the beginning of time, it has never been heard that anyone open 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 and are you teaching us? So, they put him out. Ain't that horrible?

They excommunicated and they pushed him out completely. Now, the man's simple testimony is the is or simple testimony in a court of law. Anywhere, your simple testimony is just telling what you know to be true based on your firsthand experience. So, if you're called to testify in court, you can only say what you know about. You are not supposed to testify as to what someone else said about the incident.

It's just what you know. Otherwise, it's hearsay. The results of this man's simple testimony is that the naysayers got involved. In that day, they were the Pharisees. In Jackson, it might be all manner of people that would be naysayers against Christian testimony.

Tons of different groups have assembled themselves on the internet and they're against everything. The naysayers got involved. They questioned him and they didn't believe him. Although all he had given was a simple testimony of what he knew to be true based on his first hand experience and they threatened him. Give glory to God.

We know this man's a sinner. You know the right answer. And they bullied him and ultimately, they excommunicated and kicked him out. So, simple Christian testimony is telling what you know to be true based on your first hand experience. Your union with Christ.

You know what your life life was like before. I actually heard a story from Sunday school this morning that happened during the nine. Somebody came in and said, there's a fellow this morning that said, I used to be in a completely different and I was always anxious and always upset and always hurting and always feeling like I had not done enough. But when Christ came and I was united to him, I now experience peace. That is a simple testimony based on the facts of what that guy knows.

His first hand union with Christ. I wanna say this too just so you know. Some of you feel like, well, I had I have not studied the Bible long enough or I have not studied theology long enough or I don't know exactly. Can't remember all the verses to the Roman road. I don't know how to start a conversation about Jesus.

There is no valid theological argument against a changed life. If you are blind and you now see, you can say that. If you are drunk and now you're sober, you can say that. If you were profligate in your lifestyle and now, you walk circumspectly and humbly before God, you can say that. How the spirit leads?

There's no valid theological argument against your changed life. There's a guy I know who when he was saved, his first year probably, maybe seven, eight months, mainly his testimony was this. It's big smile. Jesus, man. He's like this.

It's just, I don't know anymore to say than that. What's the difference? Jesus, man. Alright. Amen.

Amen. Now, we'll close it out here nine thirty five through 38. It says this, now Jesus heard that they had put him out of the synagogue and finding him because Jesus knows he's only helped this guy in the temporal realm. So far, he's helped him with his sight. But he had not helped him in any any eternal sense as far as union with Christ goes.

Although, just because he had been healed by Christ, the naysayers thought, you're his disciple. I was just an innocent bystander or a guilty bystander when he healed me. He didn't know anymore about him than that. Jesus heard that they put him out of the and finding him, he said, do you believe in the son of man? And he answered, who is he, lord, that I may believe in him?

And Jesus said to him, you have both seen him and he is the one who is talking with you. Now, that man having been blind since birth. I bet he remembered voices and he knew exactly who was talking to him. It was the man that healed him. Do you believe in the son of man?

He answered him, who is he lord that I may believe in him? And Jesus said to him, you've both seen him and he's the one who is talking to you. And he said, lord, I believe and he worshiped him. Amen. So, simple worship is the third thing.

In nine thirty six, he wanted to know, who is he, lord, that I may believe in him And he said, lord, I believe and he worshiped him. As soon as Jesus revealed who he was. Amen. That's simple and immediately fell to his knees, I'm sure and worship him. Union with Christ through faith is what it is all about.

Simple obedience, go wash. He went, he washed. Simple testimony. I don't know how he did it. I just know that he did it.

Simple worship. My lord and my God, like Nathaniel said. Now, Acts one eight, I mentioned it a little while ago. We're called to be his witnesses. Jesus said, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts but I want you to look and notice this, simple testimony is really, really important.

We're called to be his witnesses, testify to what Jesus has done for you but we are not called to be his lawyers or his judges, alright? Do you remember last week when I played the little clip of the girl in the in the car seat and she keeps on saying over and over, you worry about yourself. You worry about yourself. You worry about yourself. You worry about your first hand experience of God and relaying that to people rather than calling balls and strikes on other people's lives, okay?

If they've invited you in by all means, help em be accountable but if they haven't, you might be one of the naysayers. You don't wanna find yourself in that position. So, the application points, allow God to challenge your natural assumptions and some of that is about primitive religious stuff where bad things happen to bad people, good things happen to good people. Allow God to challenge that because that's just not true true. The Bible says that God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

I used a picture. It's actually an Ethiopian portrait of Jesus in this event where he's healing the blind man. It's a black Jesus and a black guy and that challenges my natural assumption right there. I think Jesus is a guy with long flowing. No, not really.

Like all the pictures we see, right? No. Allow God to challenge your natural assumptions. Some of it actually might be race related. You might actually have through your childhood or through your upbringing that there is a difference and there might be a superior ority or an inferiority as it involves race.

Some of us might have an assumption about a certain sin that it's worse than all others. This morning, I received news from Ryan actually had heard it on the news. I think it reported it to me that last night in Orlando, Florida, fifty people had been killed. Fifty people, and three more were in the hospital, in what was a gay bar in Orlando. It's the biggest mass shooting in US history.

And I know. I'm I'm sad to say I know that there are going to be there's going be some Christians sometime today who will be on the news that says, well, they got what they deserved. Bad things happen to bad people and they're bad people because of this. We're all bad people. We're all bad people.

We all are sinners. Allow God to challenge your natural assumptions. And try to see sin like God does. That it's all black and it's all bad. Okay.

The three points, simply obey. Whatever it is that God says to do, whatever it is that the spirit of God says, since you are united with Christ, you've been given his Holy Spirit. There's a still small voice that prompts and directs. Whatever it is says to do, do it. Simply obey and it's great when it happens immediately and I think that's where work for the night is coming and it's pointed because you don't know how long you have.

Work, work, when you've got the work ahead of you, do it. Simply obey and simply testify. You don't have to get all theological about it. When they say, how is it that God saves? I don't know.

I know that he did it through the cross. I know he did it through belief. I know he does it through faith. It's by grace but I don't know the actual mechanics of it. I don't know anymore than that.

By grace through faith. That's what I had to humble myself to ask him for the grace that he'd offered. That's all I know. Simply testify and back away. Don't try to explain it any further than that and simply worship.

Your life can be lived as worship unto God through your giving, through your singing, through your study, through your loving, your children, your grandchildren, your family, strangers, passersby, wanderers, simply worship. Union with Christ through faith is what it is all about. Now, I'm going to go back to 94 again and I want go through this because work for the night is coming. That that whole thing. The work for the night is coming.

Hit me this week in a different way than it ever had before. So, I'm going try to share that with y'all now. We, that is Jesus and another group of people, right? Jesus and somebody else is we. Since it's Jesus speaking, Jesus and all who are united with him.

We must work the works. Ephesians two eight and nine says, we are saved by grace through faith so that no one can boast. Ten says, we're his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto or towards good works which he's prepared in advance for us to do. We must work those works. Of God, him who sent Jesus as long as it is day.

Now, the metaphor from day and night here shows that our window is limited. Our window of opportunity for the work that God has prepared for us is limited. Night is coming when no one can work. Now, I know a lot of y'all have felt like it was a lot brighter day in your youth and it's a lot darker time now and it's must be fading quick towards twilight and dark and that's true. So, when God prompts you to do something, a good work of whatever description, do it.

Just do it. Simply obey And I guarantee you, if you do it, you'll see some crazy stuff because I know when I do things that he prompts me to do, I see some crazy stuff. And then testify to that fact. What you've seen firsthand. I have seen people set free from addictions.

I've seen people that are set free from bad bad situations from going round and round and round and circular logic in their heads. Work the works of him who sent Jesus. Work God's work as long as it is day because night is coming when no one is going to be able to do anything else. This is saying, seize the day. There's an urgency to the gospel.

If you understand it and you have accepted it, then share it and I think that's it. Now, we're going to go right into a time of communion right now. So, Judy's going to come forward and play. Could I get the frontline team to come forward to distribute the elements and we're going to start with the bread and I'll pray. As they come forward.

Jesus, I thank you for the perfect life that you live, that you were working the works of the one who sent you always, that you never faltered or fell away. You lived by the spirit of God, by the Holy Spirit, you ordered your steps in humility, you went even to death on a cross so that that body that had walked this life just like we walk it. Tempted in every way just as we were tempted but without sin. You had a perfect life to offer. You did not have to die.

Except on our behalf. Paul speaks of that union with Christ in his death. Lord God, would you show us that you are our substitute? Would you allow that union with you and death to allow us to be raised to walk in newness of life, united with Christ instead of the law. New covenant instead of old covenant.

Thank you for your precious, precious blood that was spilled but right now, we ask your blessing on this bread. Representative of your body, a meaningful symbol. In Jesus name, would you bless us as we distribute it here? Amen. Now, on the same night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread after supper and after having given thanks, he broke it and he said, to those who are united with him, this is my body which is broken for you.

Take and eat and do it in remembrance of me. Jesus, I thank you for that perfect life given for the precious blood spilled. As we distribute this cup, Lord, I pray that you would bless it and bless each one who partakes and lord, if there's anyone here who does not know you, who's not experienced you, who's not united with you, and they have to let this cup pass. They don't know what it means to be cleansed, washed in the blood. Lord, I pray that you'd draw them through the humble walk and witness of these that are gathered in your name right here today.

So, lord, would you please bless this cup and each one who would partake and for those who have to let it pass, would you, this week, convict them of their sin, convince them of your righteousness, and draw them unto yourself. In Jesus name, we ask you for this blessing. Amen. In the same manner that Jesus had taken the bread, he took the cup after supper and he said to those assembled there, those united with him. He said to them, that this is the new covenant in my blood.

They knew the old covenant. They understood the ramifications of the old covenant. Jesus said, this is the new covenant in my blood. Take this and drink and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. Paul goes on to say in first Corinthians 11 that each time that we do this, we celebrate the Lord's death until he comes again and having known that that death is where our union with Christ takes place.

Reckon yourselves as dead to sin. Would you stand with us as we sing one closing hymn? Whatever work he gives for you to do, do it.

I can hear my savior calling. I can hear my savior calling I can hear my savior calling take thy cross and follow follow I'll go with him with him all the way

I will say this, this week, lord, would you bless us each with an opportunity that is clear enough that we see it so that we may act out in simple obedience. God, would you give us the words to say at the appropriate time and for that, lord, we'll thank you and worship you when we return. In Jesus name, you allow each one here to worship you this week with everything that they do. Amen. Amen.