Satan the Thief (2)

Intro; So the message this morning was about Satan being the chief “Thief” who’s main goal is to keep the blind, blind, and to weaken the testimony of the christian through discouragement by robbing them of the joy we have in following our Shepherd.

Let’s start off tonight by backing up into chapter 9 and see how Jesus’ healing of the blind man set the stage for His teaching about the sheepfold.

John 9:1–25 NKJV

1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. 8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” 9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.” 10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.” 12 Then they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.” 13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” 18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.” 25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

Works of God; 1-3

The blind man represented the nation of Israel and mankind as a whole. He was born blind like all men are, blinded to the light of God in Christ.

Jesus came to open the eyes of the spiritually blind that we could see the light of His grace. But He had to start with Israel for they had received the covenant of God through Abraham.

Genesis 12:1–3 NKJV

1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Though this blind man who was healed did not know all about what had happened, or the full extent of who Jesus was, he did think Jesus was a prophet and that Jesus was the one who healed him.

John 9:35–38 NKJV

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” 36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” 37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” 38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

1. How does the concept of Jesus as the Door of the sheepfold relate to the idea of salvation in Christianity?

Religion, law, rituals, good works or any idea man has concocted in his mind cannot save him. Only putting faith in Christ can save a person.

A Door is an “exclusive opening” into another realm, dimension, life.

Example; there was only one door into the Ark

There was only one door/curtain into the Holy of Holies

Only one door of the sheepfold

The only door to God is the cross of Calvary and Jesus hung there

There is only one path to life and it’s the narrow one/exclusive and few find it!

2. What actions did the Pharisees take in response to Jesus’ healing of the blind man?

They cast him out of the synagogue.

Why do you think that was detrimental to the Jew to be cast from the synagogue? The Jews life revolved around the worship of YAWEH. To be cast out meant to be a life without hope. [Compare to a life of a muslim being cast out of their religion]

3. How can we compare the thieves and robbers of that day and culture to those who are in our day and culture?

Prosperity preachers, name and claim it preachers, entertainment churches, etc…

4. What can we do to guard against the influences of “thieves and robbers” in our spiritual lives?

Spiritual discernment!

1 John 4:1 NKJV

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

5. What does your ‘sheepfold’ look like in your life, and how can you make it a safer place?

Your sheepfold is your home and family. We need to protect it by guarding the door of what comes into our home and into the eyes, hearts and minds of our children. As parents we are the authority under God in our home, not the children. we need to make good but tough choices of what and who comes into our home!

Joshua 24:14–15 NKJV

14 “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

1 John 2:15–17 NKJV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.