God’s Weapons for the Confounding of Enemies (John 9:24-34 Jeff Kliewer)

Good morning, everyone. Thank you so much for coming to Cornerstone today. We'd love to hear the chatter and the fellowship that's going on As you grab your seats

I just want to make sure that everyone is aware that if you do not get any communication throughout the week from Cornerstone You are missing out

There is a great email that we send out Thursday Friday time frame has all kinds of announcements

There's a note from Pastor Jeff his sermon notes. Everything is there. So if you're not getting that, please make sure that you get that You can get that by going to contact dot

Cornerstone SJ org Cornerstone dot

Sorry contact cornerstone sj org that will give you a Spot to check off a box for getting the newsletter every week

It's great to have you here again John I'm gonna have some announcements for us quite a few

I hear I'm looking to see if my wife's out there

Anyway, it's good to have everybody here I want to put two words out and I'd like you in your heart and in your mind

To let these two words soak in and how does it how does it impact you?

the sovereignty of God The eternal nature of God How do those two thoughts impact you the sovereignty of God The eternal nature of God.

We know that the world is Being led by Satan has so many things that if you if you listen to the news if you're

Aware of what's going on in our in our school systems There are so many opportunities to be to feel overwhelmed or distressed, but you know what?

We have a God who is sovereign and we have a God who is eternal Psalm 145 verse 13 says your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and your dominion endures throughout all

Generations, whatever is going on is not beyond the power of God You think of the beginning of Job where?

It says that Satan Was was in the realms of heaven that one blows my mind in the first place, but God says have you considered my servant

Job? And what goes on in that dialogue is that Satan is going to attempt to prove?

That Job is not all that faithful. And so God enables him allows him to go after Job within limits and And the important message there is that what happens is not outside of the sovereign

Authority of God and what is going to happen today? He can't be changed.

He is eternal the sovereignty of God He is and he rules over all and there is nothing in this world that can change

That that fact and I want you to know and I want you to rest confident in the fact that God can be trusted

Now I got news for you women and I got news for your men your spouse is fallible we are all as people were fallen

But God is trustworthy. He is sovereign. He is eternal and his dominion will last forever.

I Want us to look at some announcements because there's some things coming up and I want you to be excited about them we have we have a

We have congregational meeting not tomorrow, but a week from tomorrow If you are a member,

I encourage you to come and if you're not a member, I encourage you to come there We're gonna be talking about some things.

We have We're going to affirm our new board the deacons and elders. We're going to talk about our budget

We have a lot of people that are seeking membership. We're gonna get to vote on them We're gonna hear a lot of us.

We're gonna hear an update on our building project. Please please come to that meeting So in preparation of that with the budgets going to be

Approved at that meeting today and next Sunday after second service if you are curious about the details of the budget

There will be an availability in one of the rooms for you to listen to what's the details of the budget so that you can?

Be prepared and you can be aware also today Next this coming summer.

We're going to be doing a VBS in together with the rock So there is a planning meeting for that is going to be taking place as well today

So have those things on your mind tomorrow morning gentlemen. It's time to set our clocks very early

We have our six o 'clock men's fellowship breakfast here. We're going to be doing something slightly different We've been reading a book about the

Great Reset Things that are going on in the world culture, but tomorrow what we're going to do is

We're going to take the last chapter of pastor Jeff's most recent book blood red church

There's some very appropriate things for us to consider and to talk about if you don't have a copy of blood red church

See us we have a few extra copies. We could hand out, but that's what we'll be talking about so you can prepare for that tomorrow

Speaking of men, I'd like you to put on your calendar and wives I would like you to tell your husband's to put it on their calendar the men's retreat is at the end of April It's a little bit away, but it's time to be planning set that time aside.

It will be a Friday and a Saturday So we'll be able to check in somewhere around 330 dinner will be at 530 and we will be leaving in mid -afternoon on Saturday to return home

Gentlemen you are all invited please and your sons So this isn't going to be just an old guys gathering if you have sons

And if in your opinion your sons are old enough to participate in a men's retreat

They are invited there is no age determination. It isn't like they have to be 12 years old or over It is up to you

You know your children if you believe your son would benefit from and be able to participate in a men's retreat

Please have them come we also recognize that times are tough difficult finances can be tough.

There are a number of Scholarships that can be made available if somebody wants to come can't come because they don't think they can afford it

We want you there so contact us We do have a level of scholarships that would be made available for that the tomorrow or I'm sorry at the

Congregational meeting next week. We will be affirming the new board as I said the elders and deacons

Jeff's just pastor Graham last week Included then the slate that will be presented

Michael said he's going to put that out tomorrow sometime So everybody will have a chance to see that in advance

This is the second Wednesday week of the month and on the second Wednesday week of the month on Wednesday We have a game night here a time of fellowship

Just enjoying each other's company the fourth Wednesday is a movie night, but this week will be the game night

There is going to be a small group for the high school Starting in a couple of weeks.

It'll be on a Tuesday night at the Meyer house So they will be teaching a Bible study for the high school students

In addition to that we have future events that are going to be going on during the Sunday school class

We're thinking about having a middle school class a basics in faith class But in May we're gonna hold a baptism class, so this is another look ahead

We're going to plan to baptismal opportunities if you're here, and you have not yet had believers baptism

You're interested in it contact us if you would like to participate in it in June We're gonna have a baptismal service out on the lawn and in September We're going to have a baptismal service down the shore

Like we had last year if you're at all interested in that contact us. We would love to have you there

We'd love to have you be baptized if you've been baptized We would love to have you there to share in the experience to encourage to be encouraged

And to be able to witness and to be part of that on Easter we are going to have a sunrise service this year on our property

We recently have been joining in with the rock on their sunrise service We're gonna do one here out on our property and then have the regular service that will be a good

Friday Service in preparation for that. I'm looking to see if my wife is here.

She might be outside I will do this one for her we want to say Thank you for everybody that participated in the women's tea that was held yesterday an incredible event

We had a tremendous amount of help on Wednesday Turning this into a tea room

The men that came and helped serve the women that prepared there was some really good food there

And there still is a little bit of food. I think left over the speaker Terry Cameron All of the people that were involved in the staying after turning this tea room back into a sanctuary

Thank you so much to everybody that provided and we give it the glory to God because it was all for his kingdom

Let's turn to prayer Father we come to you this morning With praise

Surrendering confessing and with hope Lord we praise you because of your everlasting wonder

We praise you for your sovereignty and for the love that you give to us

We praise you because we don't deserve it. But yet in your infinite love from eternity

Past you called We surrender to you dear Lord Confessing that we are weak and that the world with all of its offering is insufficient.

So we surrender to you And we confess to you

Lord because we are sinners Unworthy but yet made clean by the blood of Christ Jesus who prayed in the garden not my will but thine be done even surrendering to God went to the cross taking my sins

Taking the sins of the world We confess our unworthiness and our sin.

We abide in the hope Lord that in eternity future We will be with you. We will be able to share with you and to be part with you.

We We live in that hope Lord we pray for the strength of broke boldly proclaim and to lead generations to come

Our neighbors our friends our family that we would be bold to speak in truth as as even the sighted man spoke boldly

Against the attacks of the religious leaders We seek your power through the Holy Spirit with the psalmist

We proclaim your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom your dominion endures throughout all generations

Father be with those in our midst in need we pray father provide the grace that we can only come from you so that Our family can be drawn to you friends can be drawn to you loved ones can know a

Relationship with you and be with us this morning as pastor Jeff brings us your message prepare his words and our hearts

We pray in Jesus name. Amen Will you stand with me

You gave sight to the blind

I believe that the dead came to life I Believe there are wonders and signs and you'll still the same

Believe every word that you said I Believe there are scars in your hands

That your goodness is good without it You'll never change

I Will tell of your wonders see of your grace

God of creation Knows me by name the

Lord is faithful Yesterday now and always

Always Your mercy is mighty age after age all generations

Yesterday now and always Always I believe you will come in the clouds.

I Believe you are here even now In your presence,

I know there is power power I Tell of your wonders

Mercy is mine

All generations I love your wonders

See of your grace the God of creation Knows me by name the

Lord is faithful yesterday Mercy is mighty age after age all

Generations bow down in praise the Lord is faithful Yesterday now and always

Amen as we prepare for communion shortly We want to focus in on the cross

The death and resurrection of our Savior in Colossians 2 13 through 14

It says you were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away

Then God made you alive with Christ For he gave for he forgave all of our sins

He canceled the records of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross

Let's continue to sing about the cross this morning Oh To see the dawn of the darkest day

Christ on the road to Try To them they'll do the cross

This The power The cross

Christ became For Or the wrath we stand forgiven

To see Written on your face

Bury the awesome way Every Every Oh He quakes as its

Dead are raised to life finish the big tree

This the power Christ To see my name written in the

For through your Is the power

Or One We know in retrospect after the fall we know that before the fall it was

God's Nature, it was his in normal course of events to walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day in the garden

That fellowship which would have been pure In the cool of the day in the garden And sweet And his initiative but then the fall

So we fast forward into the book of Exodus a Family had gone down to Egypt saved from the famine because of God's provision through Joseph and his family came down and for hundreds of years they existed in Egypt to Millions and became enslaved

To the point where their freedom to worship and to experience God would have been suppressed by the slavery for the

Pharaoh in the Egyptian But then

God said take a lamb an innocent lamb Slaughter it put the blood of that lamb on the lintel on the doorpost

Spread it on the threshold in front of your house So that when the angel of death comes he will pass by your house and you will not die

God's initiative Reached out and provided that escape for man for people

And so then they were left They were allowed to leave Egypt God worked in Pharaoh's heart and they were out in the desert and once again

They could express and God gave them their commands that God started to speak to them again at his initiative

But then they send again Kadesh Barnea was horrible that entire generation died

So now let's fast forward to the Gospels and as the time approached Jesus told his disciples go into the village and Prepare the upper room that we could have

Passover together John chapters 13 through 16

Described that wonderful time that they spent together and then 17 his priestly prayer to the father and that they could have enjoyed this fellowship together at his initiative and Then the cross but you see he told them in the upper room that this must happen

And as he is in the garden and he prayed if there is any way let this pass for me yet Not my will but thine be done the sovereign will of the father on display

And so Jesus goes to the cross people did not put him there. He allowed them to put him there and So the way for fellowship is once again restored now

Let's fast forward to the end of the book of Revelation and we know that there is going to be the marriage feast of the

Lamb and for all of us brothers and sisters who have Bowed our knee to the Lord. We will be at that immense wedding feast of the

Lamb sharing fellowship Once again pure and clean at the initiative of the father

As he approached the cross And he told his disciples what was going to happen

At that meal he took bread and broke it and said this is my body broken for you and passed it around And then he took the cup and he said this is my blood shed for you and then passed it around The Apostle Paul And his letter to the

Corinthians expressed to us what happened there Who expressed to us what is available for us because of that you see this is not a ritual

This is not just something that we decide to do on the first Sunday of every month This isn't something we should just casually come before.

This is a celebration This is a remembrance This is a reminder of That body that had to be broken and that blood that had to be shield shed

Because Jesus said not my will But thine be done We are going to partake in this this morning and we need to be partaking in it in a way that reflects

Hearts that seek after God and are not harboring things that we should not be harboring

And so Paul told us that we must examine ourselves Confess our sins don't take this on worthily.

I'm gonna ask the men to come forward, please It says in 1st

Corinthians 11 Wherefore whoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily

Shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, but let a man examine himself And so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup before we take these elements

Let's take a moment in silent prayer and prepare our hearts for what we're about to experience.

Let's pray It's recorded that God said let us make man in our own image and so he made man

He made woman in his image in the nature of him to have fellowship with him

Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount said blessed are the pure in heart, but they will see God And there's that time when those name

Individuals whose name is written in the book of life will share in the marriage feast of the Lamb together this morning

In front of us are these elements that represent the broken body The bloodshed without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin father.

I confess my sins to you. I Need you Lord By the power of your

Holy Spirit, I desire to repent and to turn away from sin to take this remembrance of you

In rejoicing we pray these things in Jesus name For I have received of the

Lord that which I also delivered unto you That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread

When he had given thanks he broke it and said take eat this is my body which is broken for you do this

Remembrance of me let's join together after everybody has received That pure and spotless body hanging on the cross nailed to the cross

Broken for my sin for our sins Hey And it's recorded

After the same manner, he also took the cup when he had stopped saying This cup is the

New Testament in my blood This do ye as often as you drink it

Remembrance of me again receive it. We'll take it together The blood obediently applied to the lintel to the doorposts the threshold allowed the angel of death to pass by The blood shed on the cross

Enables you and me to be in a situation where our sins are washed as white as snow

And so when the accuser stands in front of God and says what a scoundrel God was

Jesus can say I have that one on the cross His blood shed

Take a drink Let's sing together

The mysteries of the cross I cannot The agonies of Calvary You The perfect holy one

Your blood has washed away my sin

Jesus The father's wrath completely satisfied

Jesus Once you're in me

Seated at your table Jesus Pitches of your

Once you're in Jesus On to live

So I want

Oh your blood washed away

You have done it all for us

We bring nothing to the table But you bought you brought your own body and blood for the forgiveness of our sin and we say, thank you

Lord your word says the wicked flee when no one pursues

But the righteous are as bold as a lion It is our prayer this morning

God that you would make us bold as a lion bold like the Lion of Judah Christ our

King who endured the cross scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the

Father We pray that you would make us more like Christ today as defenders of the truth help us to be clear in how we speak and to be taught by the

Spirit words that do not come from us in the flesh, but spiritual words that come from you as We uphold the name of Jesus the name that is above every name

That we would not be found ashamed Or silent, but bold like lions in Jesus name we pray.

Amen John Huss was born in 1380 ad

He was a Bible professor in Bohemia Bohemia is close to Poland Ukraine that Eastern European area and He was a professor of theology but as he studied the scripture more and more he recognized that the tradition of The Roman Catholic Church had departed from the pure teaching of God's Word and he began to speak clearly about the gospel

Justification by faith alone and not by the sacraments He spoke against the papacy which had claimed for itself

Authority that actually belongs only to Jesus Christ as the head of the church Well, you can imagine that he was kicked out of his post for this

But he continued to write and he continued to speak even though he was no longer a professor at the

University Finally, he was called to a council in Constance, Germany to stand for the things that he was teaching he was examined and found guilty and then a bishop of Lodi preached a sermon on the destruction of heretics and By that he meant the physical execution of anyone who stood against the

Roman Catholic Church after that sermon John Huss spoke

With courage and with clarity with the commitment to the truth. He said these words

Praying to God may thy infinite mercy. Oh my god pardon this injustice of my enemies

He prayed for the very people who were persecuting him He was then led away to where he would be executed and as he came to that place

He fell down on his knees at the rock at the arrival of his place of execution and he prayed into Thy hands.

Oh Lord. Do I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed me? Oh most good and merciful God With this they lifted him and they shackled him with chains and once again

John Huss spoke saying these words my

Lord Jesus Christ was bound with the harder chain than this is for my sake and Why then should

I be ashamed of? This rusty one His friend the

Duke of Bavaria pled with him to recant and spare his own life But John Huss said no

I never preached any doctrine of any evil tendency and what I taught with my lips.

I now seal with my blood And then a very interesting thing happened at his execution

Remember he was indwelt by the Holy Spirit of the Living God and he had the true word of God They took a chain.

He was fastened now to the chain and they tied him up to the pole where he would be burned But he said to the executioner something very unexpected

You are now going to burn a goose But in a century you will have a swan who you can neither roast nor boil

Did anybody here expect him to say that? You're gonna burn a goose But there will arise a swan in one century that you cannot roast or boil

What did he mean by that well, you'd have to understand that in the Bohemian language Huss meant goose

So he's referring to himself as the goose, but he says to the executioner and all those listening in One century there will arise a swan that you cannot boil.

You cannot roast and a hundred years later one named Martin Luther arose and He nailed 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg and stood and sparked the

Protestant Reformation and when they called him to the Diet of Worms He made his stand like us

He said here I stand boldly for the Word of God in the Scripture against the tradition of men and bound to his own conscience and pure reason and The Word of God he made his stand now as he would have been taken to the place of execution

He was rescued by the Duke of Saxony and taken to a castle where from that castle in a matter of weeks

He translated the entire New Testament from Latin into the German language and by Gutenberg's press now the

Bible went out from that place to all of Europe and The Reformation was afoot the

Swan proved Unstoppable and that's why

Luther is referred to as the Swan Lutherans it's with reference to this prophecy of sorts, but I bring it up the story of John Huss and Martin Luther for two reasons that each of us need to hear about this morning and The first is evident and that is courage

Courage to speak against hostile forces When you're being reviled for the sake of the gospel to speak words

For the glory of your king for he is worthy we need courage to do that it costs

John Huss's life and Many other martyrs during the Protestant Reformation, but secondly

Matthew 10 19 when they deliver you over Do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say

For what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. I have a question for you Do you think John Huss planned to talk about the goose and the swan?

I think that came to his mind taught by the Spirit and then the Bible then he quotes

Here Matthew 10 19. He didn't quote it. But what Jesus said in Matthew 10 19 comes true in his life

He was taught what to say in that hour of his trial. He sang hymns and quoted the

Psalms as he burned in that flame and It was told that he had a smile on his face as he vanquished

The enemy by his obedience even unto death turn with me to John chapter 9

Where we will see a model of this courage this Clarity and these words that are taught by the

Spirit in verses 24 To 34 it is the words of the sighted man

He is speaking with Courage and words taught by the Spirit that did not come from him and in the same way church all of us

Will at some point be called To speak this way Now, I don't think it's likely that anybody here will be taken to the flame

It's very unlikely that any of us will die a martyr's death just because of the time and location where God has blessed us to live in a free country

Where free speech is to some degree still protected but just across our northern border a

Canadian pastor was arrested this week for speaking and preaching the gospel at a quote -unquote drag queen story hour and Words will be given to him when he stands before the judge

We may never stand before a judge but you stand before the judge of your friends and your family and your co -workers and people on Facebook or Instagram or whatever the newest

Social media is these days and my question to you is will you have words taught by the

Spirit? Will you have courage? To speak for the name that is above every name

Do you speak? This is a story for courage and it will come from 24 to 34 but indulge me for five minutes to review where we were last week

Because you can't really understand the confounding of these enemies until you see how they're blinding minds

With their confusion and their tradition and their fear The miracle that happens in the first seven verses of John chapter 9

Reveal that Jesus is in fact the Messiah Even the

Pharisees in their midrash tradition had identified three unmistakable marks of Messiah One he opens the eyes of a blind man who was born blind

Two he heals lepers and three He is able to deliver a demoniac

Without that demoniac speaking. Let me take those in reverse order a Demoniac a

Jewish exorcist would require of the demon that he share its name

Remember Legion when Jesus did the same thing. What is your name? Well, the problem with a mute demoniac is you can't tell the mute man to speak his vocal cords don't work

So the Jewish midrash said when Messiah comes he won't require a demon to speak

He can exercise demons by his own power without the demons name

Make sense Jesus did that very thing Identifying him as the

Messiah Healing lepers when he healed the ten lepers We're told he then sent them to the priest to vindicate that this is in fact the healing of lepers

Indicating that he is Messiah. Remember only one of them came back to say, thank you Jesus but in John 9 a man born blind is

Suddenly able to see and this should be evidence enough to the leaders who even taught these traditions

That he is in fact the Messiah however, there's a spiritual war going on and The devil blinds the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ First way he does that is by confusion

As soon as the story began to be told that the blind man was healed Someone came and sowed confusion and said oh no.

No, no, that's not the guy from the gate He only looks like him.

He's a look -alike You guys are mistaken. No, no healing happened here and the whole crowd the neighbors were thrown into confusion finally, they asked the guy and he's like I am the man and The confusion was cleared up a little but they said well who healed you

Where is he and the final matter was settled with I don't know in other words.

Everybody was confused what happened There was once an Ethiopian Riding in a chariot coming from Jerusalem and he was reading

Isaiah chapter 53 he grew up before him like a tender shoot and he thought who is this that grew up before God and He was led like a lamb to the slaughter and like a sheep before the shearers was innocent

It was silent. He did not open his mouth and The Ethiopian was confused

Who is this talking about that was led to the slaughter? He was buried in a rich man's tomb.

Who's the rich man? Where's the tomb? The Ethiopian was thoroughly confused by Isaiah 53

He sees the light of life and is satisfied. It's the will of the father to crush him what is this talking about until Philip the

Evangelist came along and Jumping up on that chariot. He began in Isaiah 53 from that very place to explain that the prophecy spoke of Jesus the

Christ and He showed him that it was Jesus who did not open his mouth on trial

It was Jesus who laid down his life not for his own sins, but for the sins of others buried in the rich man

Joseph of Arimathea's tomb in the garden and he rose from the dead and saw the light of life and It was the will of the father to crush him because Jesus was a sacrifice for sins and just like this boom

His eyes were open The blind Ethiopian was not physically blind

He was spiritually blind and his eyes were opened by the preaching of the word

Guys as we look out into the world around us People are confused

Who is Jesus? They don't know What are these prophecies?

They don't know what they mean Although there's hundreds of these prophecies. They don't know them and They need you to be a

Philip an Evangelist to go and clear up the confusion and point them to Christ Jesus the

Messiah the first blinding force in the world is simply confusion People don't know the second is tradition

Because as soon as it was shown that Jesus healed some Pharisees said

He must be of the devil not of God Because he healed on the

Sabbath Now they didn't get that from the Word of God they got that from their own tradition from the

Jewish Midrash and as recorded by Maimonides this obsession with Leveling crevices as we looked at last week

That in order for Jesus to have made the mud he would have spit on the ground which would have changed the earth

Which is like plowing a field By their reasoning and by their tradition if they disturb the earth and make mud that way he's working on the

Sabbath now this was not a Reasonable interpretation of the law

This was their tradition Blinding them from the truth of who

Jesus was Now for those of you in school You probably don't have anybody at your school

Who's worried about leveling crevices when they spit, right? But you probably have a lot of people who are convinced that there's no such thing as absolute truth

That all gods and all paths to God are equally valid and nobody can falsify the beliefs of anybody else this postmodern ism is the tradition in our culture and Pluralism that there are many ways to God and many gods

And it really is a matter of personal private opinion These are the traditions of our culture and these are the things that blind people from seeing the light of the gospel of Christ and So what is needed?

One who will come with the truth of God's Word Whose mind is sharp? Who understands and is able to disambiguate?

tradition from truth and Help people to see their own presuppositions and overcome those with the truth of God's Word in Other words tradition blinds people but truth opens eyes

Now lastly there was one other thing that kept people from seeing the light in the case of the parents

You can't tell me that They didn't see what was happening. Their boy was born blind

When that boy opened the womb and they looked into his eyes and they tried to get his attention

It wouldn't have been but a matter of days before they realized He wasn't responding.

He was blind and born blind and They raised him and they led him by the hand and they wept for him because he couldn't participate in sports with his friends and They were very sad when they put him out as a beggar

Because their family must have been impoverished in order to do that If they could have provided for him, he wouldn't be begging on the streets in Jerusalem and So here come these parents

Seeing this very boy that they raised now Jumping and delighted and seeing the light of day you can't tell me that those parents didn't know that Jesus is the

Messiah and According to verse 22 of chapter 9 his parents actually refused to answer the question not because they didn't know but because of fear fear blinds minds

They were afraid of being desynagogued put out of the synagogue Which would have separated them from their economic opportunity in their life their social life

Everything would have been disrupted but because of fear They refused to make the good confession that Jesus is the

Christ So here are the three devices of Satan confusion tradition and fear

These three keep people from coming into the light Jesus is the light of the world, but people refuse to come to him for fear that their deeds would be exposed

Confused blinded by tradition and afraid afraid so let's read the story now

And we'll move quickly today 24 to 34 so for the second time they called the man who had been blind said to him

Give glory to God We know that this man is a sinner. He answered Whether he is a sinner.

I do not know One thing I do know That though I was blind now

I see That's a good answer They said to him

What did he do to you, how did he open your eyes? He answered them

I Have told you already and you would not listen Why do you want to hear it again?

Do you also want to become his disciples and They reviled him saying you are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses notice

They didn't say of God, but of Moses as part of their deception We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man

We do not know where he comes from the man answered why this is an amazing thing you do not know where he comes from and Yet he opened my eyes

We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will

God listens to him Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind

If this man were not from God he could do nothing Great answer they answered him you were born in utter sin, and would you teach us and they cast him out

Now I wish the story ended with the opening of their blind eyes

But that was not God's will in this case it was rather God's will to confound his enemies

By the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left by the preaching of truth He glorified

Christ by the testimony and he here glorifies Christ in his suffering

God allowed John Huss to go to the flame and He allowed this sighted man now to be kicked out of Jewish life

No longer part of the synagogue no longer able to worship or to participate economically he suffers greatly and Yet as we read the rest of the story next week.

You'll see that his reward far surpasses Everything that was stripped from him This week just three quick points from the three responses as truth warriors

We need to be relentlessly committed to objectivity to the facts

We cannot be like those Who think

Arbitrarily Who are subjective in thinking and unclear in conclusions number one we must

Be committed to truth Verses 24 and 25 in 26 and 27 we're going to talk about listening being able to listen well and hear what people say and by the

Spirit answer words that are appropriate to the moment and then lastly that courage and application of the

Word of God So in 24 and 25 What did they mean in verse 24 and 25 when they say give glory to God?

The implication here is That he's hiding something as a matter of fact this expression comes directly from Joshua 7 19

Some will remember Joshua 7 is the story of AI They've already won a great victory in Jericho But a guy named

Akin took some of the spoils of that war and he buried those items under his tent he was hiding something and The objective evidence that something was wrong is that they lost the next war they went to AI and they got wiped out by their enemy and When they called

Joshua in verse 7 chapter 7 verse 19 Joshua says my son give glory to God Give glory to God and what that means is stop hiding stop lying tell the truth.

That's what they're saying here in John 9 24 give glory to God. However, they're not looking at the objective evidence

Follow me in AI the objective evidence is something's wrong here

Because we just got wiped out by our enemies and according to Deuteronomy 28 and 29. We will chase five will chase a hundred

Israel will win victories as long as they're obedient The problem is they just lost a great battle

Now exactly opposite of that The good news is that the blind man just received a sight

The objective evidence is that God is at work to bless and to open blind eyes

Let's celebrate we didn't just lose we just won and so look at the answer in verse 25 He refutes

They're not so subtle comparison to Aiken in Which they claim he's hiding something he refutes that with objective evidence pointing to the facts

Whether he is a sinner. I do not know He would have no way of knowing that he had no access to the life of Jesus to validate one way or the other

But committed to the evidence look what he says One thing I do know That though I was blind now

I see and Those are powerful words There's nobody in the history of the world who's opened blind eyes

Some say well our prophet is Muhammad Who is the true prophet of God?

The one validated by God Almighty by the answer of prayer that he would open blind eyes

The evidence points to the miracle worker Christ Jesus himself the one who fulfilled all of these prophecies of a coming

Messiah the objective evidence points that Jesus is the Christ and Your testimony gives objective evidence

Imagine who you would be if Christ had not interposed in your life But for the grace of God there go.

I every good thing in my life Is no testament to me It's to the fact that God opened these blind eyes, and I saw

Christ and now he showers these blessings on me That I don't deserve but for grace

And here go I and the evidence of our lives Christians is a testimony that we have seen

He appeals to objective evidence here Jesus is the Christ Secondly he's a great listener

By the way you guys are listening. Well. I can tell everybody's paying attention. That's good James says be slow to speak quick to listen slow to become angry

Look what it says here in verses 26 and 27. What did he do to you?

Can you hear the disdain in their voices? What manner of magic is this what sorcery did he work on you

What trick are you playing? How did he open your eyes now

There are great disadvantages to being born blind but there is an advantage that I can think of and That is blind people will tend to be better listeners than those who can see

Compensating for lack of sight they are always aware of what's going on around them, and they listen and they think and Hear that advantage in his life comes into play

Because he listens well They'd already asked him this question, and he takes note of that in his mind look what he says in verse 27 he answered them

I Have already told you and You would not

Listen Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples and that was a phrase taught by the

Spirit in the moment to confound the enemies because the truth of the matter is that Jesus opened his eyes and They're not wanting to hear it

The evidence is before them Very often in our lives.

We will be confronted with false prophets false teachers Those who reject the gospel who stand against the gospel that we preach and Church we have to be better at listening in order to refute people right at the point of their disagreement

We need to be better listeners We're told by Paul in 2nd

Corinthians chapter 10 That we do not fight like those of the flesh

We do not fight with weapons of the flesh But our weapons are mighty for the destroying of strongholds

We take captive every thought and make it obedient unto Christ This does not refer to our own mental struggles so much as apologetics

It refers to arguments that people make against Christ being able to hear what is said and take that thought

Captive pin it down hold it down take it captive And make it obedient to Christ and that's exactly what this man did

Why would Christians who serve the king of kings and lord of lords simply turn away and walk away?

When people are reviling the king now a gentle answer turns away wrath

We shouldn't just be abrasive and constantly looking to pick a fight, but when people are directly opposing the king

Shouldn't the servants of the king be willing to stand and speak? Well we first have to listen

To hear what they're saying and then directly engage that and here's the promise of Matthew 10

Jesus gave it to us in these moments Don't even worry about what you're going to say

The spirit will teach you what to say in that moment I Can't tell you how many times

I've seen that true in my own life in apologetics Where the Lord gives you the words and teaches you what to say, but you have to be willing to speak and You have to be trained in the word of truth rightly handling it rightly dividing the word

Let's look at this last point Now it gets to the point where they are reviling him

Verse 28 you are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We don't know where this guy comes from Again, he listens and says ah that's an interesting thing

You're admitting that you are speaking from a place of ignorance what you don't know you don't even know where he comes from but hey let me remind you of something objective and factual

I Was blind and now I see he won't let them change the subject

He holds them to that fact, but notice as he goes on verse 31

We know that God does not listen to sinners But if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will

God listens to him. I Think that this particular sighted man

Was well versed in the scripture. He knew Psalm 66 18 If I had harbored sin in my heart

God would not have listened to me He's seeing that Jesus prays and God answers and He's using the

Word of God now like a sword for the truth Verse 32 never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind

He's referencing their law and that law had come out of Isaiah 42 this is the first servant song that when

Messiah comes a Wounded reed he will not break a smoldering wick. He will not snuff out.

He will open the eyes of the blind and So the Word of God is

Confirming that Jesus is the Christ and this man the sighted man is wielding it like a sword

He knows the word and That is his weapon It's ours as well

He says if this man were not from God he could do nothing and that conclusion is true

Now lastly in verse 34, wouldn't it be great again?

if They said, okay, you're right. Jesus is the Messiah But in this world don't expect that to be the reaction of those who oppose

Christ It will be grace that will open the eyes of some But that road is narrow and few people find it the broad and easy way is the way of the world which rejects the claim of Christ and most people will choose that easy way and They will only revile you all the more here he is thrown out of the synagogue

So count the cost In closing as we're looking at this passage here.

We have the model of a man of courage a lion The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion how long had this man been born again when this trial came to him a

Matter of days, we're not talking about John Huss the theologian or Martin Luther the theologian we're talking about a man newly born again and Brought on trial his life hanging in the balance

He stood like a lion and with courage and conviction preach the truth that Jesus is the

Son of God He didn't have the full understanding yet that comes a few verses later, but he declares that he comes from God Make no mistake

How much more we who live in this country should so sheltered so protected by the providence of God how much more should we be willing to speak and Defend the truth of God's Word I don't know what that's gonna look like, but I am convinced of this that every one of us in this room

Will have our own John 9 24 to 34 moment It's gonna happen at your workplace

Or online or in in your own family your extended family When some begin to revile the name of Christ You relentlessly hold to the facts you listen and you pray and the

Word of God Which you have treasured in your heart and stored up. It will come pouring out of you in ways you did not expect words taught by the

Spirit But that's why we do what we're doing now, we're we're investing for that moment

We're sharpening the sword now so that in that day. It will be a sharp two -edged sword

We're studying the word like a workman to show ourselves approved who does not need to be ashamed

So we thank God for this example that we have and let it spur us on Andrew Brunson Was thrown into jail in Turkey a number of years ago and His two years in prison were not an easy time

They were marked by great suffering He had to discipline himself to dance before the

Lord and quote scripture to himself in order to not give up during that time But eventually he was delivered and now he goes about preaching the gospel and continuing in this ministry his reward will be great in heaven and So it will be for you.

We're gonna see this next week in the final verses of this chapter To know Christ and his suffering

That's our inheritance that is our vindication from the Lord I close with Isaiah 54

Verse 17 no weapon that is formed against us shall prosper

Amen no weapon that is formed against us shall prosper But our inheritance is to rebuke and refute those who stand in judgment against us and this is our inheritance and our vindication from the

Lord, let's pray Father we thank you for this example in your word of a man of courage

One who would stand for his king and be willing to suffer for his king and And Jesus we likewise confess you are the king of kings in the

Lord of Lords you alone open blind eyes My prayer Lord this morning is that there's if there's anybody here

Who has not seen the light? That Jesus is the light of the world That they would come and believe the good news

Give them eyes to see just like he healed the blind man And give us who do believe courage to speak

Commitment to the facts to objectivity the ability to listen and The sword of the

Spirit in our hand with which to fight we pray in Jesus name.

Amen He is my lights my strength

I saw this corner stone Solid ground

Burn through the fiercest drought storm What heights of love?

What depth of peace? When tears are still when striving

Return here in the love of Christ I Was This is the power of Christ Here is a power by my strength

In Christ in Christ To Christ alone

Till he returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ, I'll stand Here in the power of Christ I'll stay

Be sober minded Be watchful your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour

Resist him firm in your faith knowing that the same kinds of suffering

Are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world and after you have suffered a little while The God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore

Confirm strengthen and establish you to him be the dominion forever and ever.