Men of Courageous Faith - week 1

People of courageous faith learn that we are the Lord’s billboard.

Scripture Text: John 8:59-9:12

John 8:59–9:12 ESV

So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

It was normal for a Jewish person to think a physical handicap or a behavior issue was the result of sin. Jesus told them it wasn’t an issue of sin, but so that God might be displayed in his life.

Do you have limitations in your life that can only be solved by Jesus? What are they? God knew this man’s potential if his sight was restored. My limitations are about God’s activity being displayed. The more I think life is about what I have accomplished; the less God’s work is displayed. God knows your potential. God knows your limitations. God’s development of your potential PLUS the Holy Spirit’s strengthening your limitations EQUALS a beautiful life that allows you to confidently display God’s work.

Look at verse 8 – talk about an awkward moment. His neighbors and people that knew him as a beggar were talking about him. Isn’t that guy? No, it just looks like him. I’m sure that’s the guy. It can’t be him, he’s blind. Those conversations happen, but the guy is standing close enough to respond to the conversation. I’m the guy. It’s me. I’m still the same person, except now I can see.

What happened? It was this guy named Jesus. He spit on the ground, put the mud on my eyes and told me to go wash them. Now I can see, but I’m the same guy.

This week, some of you will begin to see God doing some things in your life. I’ve been praying you would make some decisions to help you confidently and courageously follow Jesus. When your friends at home notice you’re different – if they ask what happened to you - take the example of the blind man (that man named Jesus…). It was Jesus!

I remember one year of high school camp when I noticed God doing some things in my life. I came home with different priorities and one of my closest friends (Brian) chose not to be my friend. Brian lived four houses away from me, six or seven lockers separated us at school, and we always sat next to each other at church. It was difficult, but God provided several other friends that were better influences in my life.

Will you allow God’s activity to be displayed in your life?

People of courageous faith pursue discipleship.

Scripture Text: John 9:13-17

John 9:13–17 ESV

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

The Pharisees are back in the conversation. Some of them deny that Jesus is even associated with God because he doesn’t fit in their way of life. Controversy is brewing by the minute. Religious people that do not display God’s work tend to have a shrinking view of God. When they asked the formerly blind man about Jesus, he said Jesus was a prophet. In verse 11, he said Jesus was a man. Now, he said Jesus is a prophet.

Ephesians 3 teaches that we will never understand the fullness of God while on earth, but our view of God should become bigger as our faith grows.

People of courageous faith refuse to be a cowardly Christian.

Scripture Text: John 9:18-27

John 9:18–27 ESV

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” So for the 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.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 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?”

The Jews denial of who Jesus was created a twisted reality of the situation. In verse 8, nobody denied the man was blind. Reality changed when the man acknowledged God’s work in his life.

The Pharisees asked his parents if he was truly blind at birth. They were such cowards. They would not give credit to Jesus for the miracle of sight.