Saturday, August 24, 2019

SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart That Values - Jesus and a Man Born Blind - Sermon Outline (A blog post for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church in Livonia, MI, on August 25, 2019)

SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart That Values - Jesus and a Man Born Blind - August 25, 2019

Video - Easy Worship

Prayers

INTRODUCTION

A leper - A heart that touches
A Centurian - A heart that marvels
The Samaritan woman at the well - A heart that accepts
The Two Daughters (bleeding and Jairus daughter) - A heart that cares
The Pharisee and the woman who anoints Jesus' feet - A heart that confronts
The Canaanite woman - A heart that reaches
The blind man - A heart that restores
A hurting dad - A heart that comforts
A tax collector - A heart that transforms
A guilty woman - A heart that forgives

I.  RIDDLE ME THIS - THE DISCIPLES' VIEW

Riddles - real questions inside real situations

Riddler "Riddle me this . . . "

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?””
‭‭John‬ ‭9:1-2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  Rabbinic teaching
1.  Predestinarians view - For sins that will be committed
2.  Prenatal view - For sins committed in the womb
3.  Past life view - For sins committed in a previous life

B.  Suffering
1.  Product of divine correction
2.  God's instrument in developing our faith or character
3.  Merely the byproduct of living in a sinful world
4.  Equip us to help others when they suffer

II.   THE POWER OF MYSTERY - THE NEIGHBOR'S VIEW

“His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.”
‭‭John‬ ‭9:8-12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  How did this happen?
B.  The blind man's response
He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
C.  "Where is he?"
Dr. Girdwood's "Gospel of John" approach to evangelism

III.  DOUBT AS DEFAULT - THE RELIGIONISTS' VIEW

“They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.”
‭‭John‬ ‭9:13-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.”
‭‭John‬ ‭9:28-34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  Making bricks on Sunday
B.  Doubters challenge the blind man
C.  The formerly blind man challenges the doubters
"Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
D.  Name call and throw him out

IV.   THE POWER OF FEAR - THE PARENTS' VIEW

“They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.””
‭‭John‬ ‭9:18-23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  Fear in place of celebration
B.  Political speak in place of candor

V.  A PERSONAL LOVE - JESUS' VIEW

“He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:3-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The compassion of Jesus In light of his accusers plot

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”
‭‭John‬ ‭9:1-7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  "As he passed by" from the end of Chapter 8
B.  He stopped to care for a man born blind
C.  Compassion over blame

VI.  A GOSPEL PERSPECTIVE - ROOTED IN PERSPECTIVE

“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me.”
‭‭ John‬ ‭9:4a‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  The Mission of Christ
1.  “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

B.  The Gospel Mandate to Go
1.  “Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.””
‭‭ John‬ ‭20:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬
2.  “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””
‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭28:18-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬
3.  “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
‭‭ Mark‬ ‭16:15-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

CHALLENGE

Go to them.  Don't wait for them.

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