2020-05-26 Engage Podcast - Dare to be like Christ (John 9v1-34)

In this podcast episode, Christopher discusses the story of Jesus healing a man who was blind from birth. The man's neighbors and the Pharisees were skeptical of the healing and questioned the man about it. The Pharisees refused to believe that Jesus was from God and expelled the man from the synagogue. Christopher reflects on the importance of obedience to God's instructions and the need to live differently from the world. He encourages listeners to be kind, loving, and willing to share their faith in Jesus with others. Hello, it's Christopher with your Engage podcast today. We're going to be reading from John chapter 9 Starting in verse 1 as Jesus was walking along. He saw a man who had been blind from birth Rabbi, the disciples asked him. Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents sins? It was not because of his sins or his parents sins Jesus answered It was it happened so that the power of God could be seen in him We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned to us by the one who sent us The night is coming and then no one can work But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world Then he's been on the ground made mud with saliva and spread the mud over the blind man's eyes Then he told him go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam Siloam means scent So the man went and washed and came back His neighbors and others who knew him as a beggar blind His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg some said he was and others said no, he just looks like him But the beggar kept saying yes, I am the same one They asked who healed you what happened? He told them the man they called Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me go to the pool of Siloam And wash yourself So I went and washed and now I can see Where is he now? They asked. I don't know he replied Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees Because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus made the mud and healed him the Pharisees asked the man all about it So he told them he put the mud over my eyes and when I washed it He put the mud over my eyes and when I washed it away I could see some of the Pharisees said this man Jesus is not from God for he is working on the Sabbath Others said but how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs? So there was a deep division of opinion among them Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded what's your opinion about this man who healed you? The man replied. I think he must be a prophet The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see so they called in his parents They asked him. Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see his parents replied? We know this is our son and that he was born blind But we don't know how he can see or who healed him ask him. He's old enough to speak for himself His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah Could be expelled from the synagogue. That's why they said he's old enough ask him So the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him God should get the glory for this because we know this man. Jesus is a sinner I don't know whether he is a sinner the man replied, but I know this I was blind and now I see But what did he do they asked how did he heal you look the man exclaimed I told you once didn't you listen Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too? Then they cursed him and said you are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses We know God spoke to Moses, but we don't even know where this man comes from Why that's very strange the man replied. He healed my eyes and yet you don't know where he comes from We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will Ever since the world began no one has ever been able to open the eyes of someone blind if this man were not from God He couldn't have done it You were born a total sinner. They answered are you trying to teach us and I threw him out of the synagogue All right, so lots to unpack here first thing It's not necessarily the first thing in the order But it's something that we just mentioned that might be something you're you're wondering you might be asking Chris. What's the synagogue? Well, I'm glad you asked synagogue. It's kind of like church for the Jewish people So that that's that's basically what that is. And so they threw him out. They're like, oh you cannot be part of the synagogue You can't be part of our church basically because you believe Jesus is from God You know and so as it said earlier, you know Those parents were afraid because they'd already said that anybody who believed Jesus was from God would be thrown out of the synagogue not be allowed to be Part of the church anymore basically and You know, obviously that was important to them That's a community and you also have to understand that in that culture in that time The synagogue wasn't just like the way we go to church now where for a lot of people It's a very casual thing for some people. It's a very unimportant thing but in their day the cultural impact of the synagogue and the Jewish religion affected every single part of their lives and so to be kicked out of the Synagogue was to be pretty much ostracized in the Jewish community, you know, you were basically a nobody at that point So it's a pretty big deal Besides that, you know, I want to talk about this healing, you know, I believe God can heal has healed will continue to heal He doesn't always Choose to heal I guess in certain situations and that's a whole confusing thing that can be Frustrating to figure out sometimes but that's a bit of a separate subject But if you guys want to know more about that, you can ask me about that But I will say it's interesting, you know first he says he put mud over the blind man's eyes in verse 6 And then he told me go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam. Isn't that interesting? You know, Jesus could have just said You're healed and yet he asked him to do something. It isn't as though He had to achieve his own healing, but oftentimes God Wants us to do something, you know, not to prove anything to him, but to often approve something to ourselves You know to show that we are willing You know, Jesus usually asked a question when people wanted to be healed like do you believe do you believe I can heal kind? of thing, you know these kinds of things and I Think that is because he wants us to have more than a physical healing, you know, this life is temporary so at the end of the day as much as it is is an amazing blessing to be healed from a Sickness or thing like that? This life is temporary. It doesn't last forever, but eternity does last forever and so with that You know, he's looking at our character the thing that will last, you know our spirit He's not as interested in the body that's here today and gone tomorrow, you know the fact of the matter is we're all going to get old one day and Hopefully, we'll all be pretty healthy, but we'll never be as healthy as we are at our age today When we're quite a bit older, that's just natural It's the natural state of deterioration of humankind of life in this temporary world But the beauty is that in the next world in heaven, that's not going to be a thing So obviously God is much more concerned with something that's lasting then basically putting a bandage on a broken leg, you know a Physical healing is such a temporary thing in the grand scheme of it all but it's interesting the man You know Jesus spit on the ground made some mud and put it on the guy's eyes and I I think we would be like you what? Are you doing crazy, man? But this guy didn't and he obeyed he obeyed what God asked him to do He went what Jesus asked him to do. He went to wash himself in the pool of Siloam Which is Very, you know interesting. It's interesting. It also mentioned Siloam means scent I'm not sure where that factors into things in here, but take from that what you will and These Pharisees had such a hard time they had an easier time believing that this was a guy who is pretending to be blind or That he had it was just a guy who looked like the guy who had been blind It was easier for them to accept that and to accept the fact that Jesus Was the Son of God was one with God and came to save us They just would not be willing to accept that fact Sometimes we'll try and do anything to believe that what Jesus says isn't what it is You know, we'll look at things in the Bible and we'll say I don't really like what that says I don't really like what it says about sin about relationships about You know honoring my father and mother. I don't like about old. I don't like all these things I don't like that. It asks me to Be unselfish to be forgiving to not seek revenge We'll look for ways that that doesn't apply well, you know if Jesus only knew how annoying Stacy was If Jesus only knew how annoying my friend Greg was You know or if Jesus only knew what I was going through Well, the fact of the matter is friends that Jesus does know what you're going through He knows exactly what you're going through. He sees you every day and He loves you That's why he sent his son. So what God sent his son to die for us To both take the payment that we owed the debt that we owed to God because of our Spiritual rebellion towards God and to pay for it But also to leave us an example of sacrifice he laid down what was comfortable for him and instead Did what would bless us? Think of what our lives would be like if we were to live that way if we were to live in such a way that we would lay down our pride our Preferences our comfort to bless other People whether that meant being kind and loving the unlovable Whether that meant taking time out of our day To for charitable things to give to someone in need to give of our times to give of our money to give of our comfort for someone else a simple example is You've got a sweater. Your friend is wearing a t-shirt. They're cold and you let them wear your sweater Maybe they're gonna ruin your sweater. It's your favorite sweater But you want to bless them and that kindness may be Temporarily lost on them but in the long run Those little actions build up and they'll see the kindness and understand there's something different about you And you'll have that opportunity when they ask you what's different about you why are you so kind And maybe they won't ask you maybe three four friends later after that friendship is ended They will be in friendship with somebody else who has that similar kind of kindness and like why are you so kind? I knew this person who was kind like this before too and That person will have that perfect set of they say well, you know It's because of Jesus because of the kindness he gave me because I know that my life is not about this world that whether we have pandemics or or wonderful Scenarios outside it doesn't matter because in the long run. This is just a very fleeting life That comes and goes like the wind But one day I'll be with Jesus in heaven, I'll see him face-to-face And that's what I'm looking forward to Not just because heaven's a wonderful place because Jesus Loves me so much and I feel his love inside of me and I might say that's the weirdest thing I've ever heard But they might say, you know, I'd like to know more about that anyways Obedience to what Jesus asks us to do and speaking out of what? He's done for us sharing the testimony that this guy said if this man were not from God He couldn't have done it. He was willing to say That Jesus was the one Actually, in fact Yeah, he was willing to call him out by name We need to be willing to call out Jesus by name to our friends and family when they ask What that hope is why we're different We also have to live in obedience to Christ so that they can see that we are different That we aren't living the same kind of selfishness as them I don't say that to condemn them, but we have been given the Holy Spirit to help guide us to help us Be more than that So we have to be more than that. We have to Work on that kindness. We have to choose that kindness. We have to choose that love We have to choose to look in God's scripture in the Bible and see what was Jesus like and to be like that Ourself dare to be like Jesus today All right. God bless guys