The key issues are:
1. Who is Jesus really? (Is he from God?)
2. What has he been sent to do?
3. Who has true sight?
Outline:
The 5th Sign - Jesus gives sight to a blind man (9:1-41)
Jesus and the blind man (9:1-7)
• (v. 1) Jesus sees the blind man – God pursues us in our spiritual darkness by his delight and initiative
• (v. 6) Jesus proves that he is the Light of the world by giving sight to the blind man
The Pharisees judge Jesus (9:8-34)
9:8-12 :: The neighbors are confused
• Transformation happens by God's supernatural power and gracious work in our lives
• (v. 12) We are witnesses to Jesus by simply telling what he has done for us
9:13-17 :: The Pharisees and the man, part 1
• (v. 15) Opposition to Jesus is fueled because of the Sabbath laws
. The man’s sight is the evidence of his healer's power and authority
• (v. 16-17) the religious experts ask for the beggar’s judgment regarding Jesus
9:18-23 :: The Pharisees and the man’s parents
• (v. 18) The Jews refuse to believe
. Unbelief blinds many from the simple truth about Jesus
• (vv. 20-23) The parents confirm the son’s blindness but distance themselves from Jesus because they are afraid
9:24-34 :: The Pharisees and the man, part 2
• The beautiful simplicity of a transformed life is the most powerful witness to the glory and grace of God in Jesus Christ
• Transformation by God’s grace leads to bold allegiance to Jesus
• (vv. 28-29) The Pharisees ridicule the man
. Those who have been changed by Jesus have a firm foundation, therefore we must not revile when reviled against (Isaiah 53; Matthews 5:11/ Luke 6:22-23; 1 Peter 2:21-24 )
• (vv. 30-34) The man is amazed at the Pharisees' unbelief and is cast out
The truth about sight and blindness (9:35-41)
• (vv. 35-38) To truly see is to put one’s faith in Jesus
• (v. 39) Jesus is the righteous, who makes right (good) judgments
• Blindness is a condition for sight in the kingdom of God
• Acknowledging our blindness is the requirement for seeing
. (vv. 40-41) the Pharisees reveal their hard-heartedness and blindness
• Jesus confirms that they do not see (unbelief) and therefore their guilt remains
• One must recognize their spiritual blindness in order to have spiritual sight. This is the only condition for receiving spiritual sight.
THE MAIN POINT:
The glory and grace of God are displayed in Christ as he gives spiritual sight (faith) to those who will humbly trust him; "blindness is the channel of belief" (Edward Klink)
May 31, 2020
Give Sight to the Blind
May 31, 2020 • Pastor Josh Kee
October 18, 2020
October 18, 2020 • Pastor Phil Burggraff
Passage: John 21:1–25 Theme: Glory and Grace Followed What following means for the church: 1. We have a mission to continue Jesus’ work. 2. Our catching of people depends solely on the person and work of Jesus. 3. Church life reflects participation in and fellowship with Jesus. What following means for the leader: 1. Our love for one another stems from Christ’s love for us. 2. Love for Christ leads to the action of caring for Christ’s sheep. 3. Our lives are at Christ’s disposal. Main Idea: Those focused on the glory and grace of Jesus Christ will follow their Lord wherever he leads to accomplish his mission and care for his sheep.
October 11, 2020
October 11, 2020 • Pastor Phil Burggraff
Theme: Glory and Grace Commissioned Passage: John 20:19–31 As the new creation of Jesus Christ, we possess: 1. Peace grounded in Jesus’ work (19–20) 2. a Mission started by the Father (21) 3. Participation in God through the Spirit (22) 4. the Authority of God on earth today (23) 5. a Faith based on witness to Jesus Christ (24–29) Main Idea: God culminates his work on earth in the body of his Son, the church. He has commissioned us to • Declare Jesus is the Christ. • Display Jesus is our life. Application Questions: • When you think of peace, what comes to mind? From what you recall from the sermon and what is spoken of elsewhere in scripture, how does the Bible describe peace? • How does v. 21, “as the Father has sent me, I am sending you,” impact your view of missions? What does it indicate about you personally? • How do we as believers forgive sins today (v. 23)? • What do vv. 24–29 teach us about belief? Do you truly “believe” Jesus’ words that you are blessed because you haven’t seen but believed? Why do you think we still look for signs/indicators from Jesus in order for us to believe? • How do we live out the purpose of the gospel in vv. 30¬–31 today?
October 4, 2020
October 4, 2020 • Pastor Phil Burggraff
October 4th 2020 - The Reality of the Empty Tomb John 20: 1-18 The reality of the empty tomb: • The report of Mary and the women (1–2) • The discovery of the two disciples (3–9) • The elicited response of the disciples (10) Truths that we can make from the empty tomb: 1) The empty tomb produces belief in those who are truly the children of God. 2) The empty tomb indicates a new creation has dawned. 3) The empty tomb demonstrates Jesus possesses the power and authority of God. Mary’s experience indicates the following concerning our sorrowful condition: 1. The resurrected Jesus made atonement to overcome grief with grace. 2. The resurrected Jesus made a relationship with God possible again for fallen sinners. 3. The resurrected Jesus made his followers into the true family of God. Main Idea: By his resurrection, Jesus overcomes grief by enabling a relationship that will never end.