John’s Account of Jesus Son of Thunder John’s Account of Jesus Mud in Your Eye John 9

Core Values Love, Unity, Faith, Commitment, Freedom, Change A decision backed by the integrity to carry it out over the long-term Commitment isn’t commitment when it’s easy

Core Values Love, Unity, Faith, Commitment, Freedom, Change Committed to: God- Lordship God’s Word- Bible God’s People- Community God’s Purposes in this world

Core Values Love, Unity, Faith, Commitment, Freedom, Change Jesus: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God”- Luke 9:62 “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples”- John 8:31

Core Values We’re not just “living together”

Mud In Your Eye “…I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds…- John 8:58-59

Mud In Your Eye All about which questions you choose to ask…

Mud In Your Eye 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

Mud In Your Eye

Mud In Your Eye What the disciples see: a theological problem to be solved What Jesus sees: a man created in God’s image, in need of compassion

Religion sees rules The Faith sees people God is an enforcer By proxy… God is a lover Therefore…

Mud In Your Eye Only 2 Choices: The man sinned in the womb His parents sinned

Mud In Your Eye "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life…”

Mud In Your Eye Did God make this man blind?

Mud In Your Eye Why is he blind?

Mud In Your Eye Jesus shifts from cause to purpose “It’s all come together under God’s purposes for this man’s blessing and God’s glory”

Mud In Your Eye I can get so caught up in asking “why?” that I miss “what?”

“Why” is self-centered, usually based on comparison Leads to: Pity-parties Self-centeredness Anger/Depression Solitude/Walls

“What” is God-centered, based on faith Leads to: Purpose Strength Direction Community

Mud In Your Eye “…As long as it is day, we must do the work 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”- vs. 3-5

Mud In Your Eye Freebie: Live life now Say it now Redeem it now (“Making the most of every opportunity”) Whatever you’re going to do for God, do it now…

Mud In Your Eye “…As long as it is day, we must do the work 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”- vs. 3-5

Mud In Your Eye Context: blind man, “so that the work of God might be displayed…” Do: What we can While we can All that we can

Mud In Your Eye “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world…” “You are the light of the world…” It’s all about his glory

Mud In Your Eye Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes…

Mud In Your Eye "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing- vs. 6-7

Mud In Your Eye I kissed a girl

Mud In Your Eye For the first time…

Mud In Your Eye Knowing Jesus= for the first time…

Mud In Your Eye 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...”

Mud In Your Eye But he himself insisted, "I am the man.” “How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.

Mud In Your Eye 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- vs. 8-12

Mud In Your Eye 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…

Mud In Your Eye How are the Pharisees going to feel about this? Why?

Mud In Your Eye …Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see”- vs. 13-15 Why “how?”

Mud In Your Eye A guy who was blind his whole life has been healed Instead of rejoicing, the Pharisees are interrogating him to make sure no rules were broken!

Mud In Your Eye When religion is dominant, perversion is inevitable Racism Murder Cover-ups Gossip and Church Splits

Mud In Your Eye Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided…

Mud In Your Eye How do we judge him? Application of our rules? Examination of his works?

Mud In Your Eye Avatar!

Mud In Your Eye Jesus: “You will know them by their fruit…”- Matthew 7:16

Mud In Your Eye …Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, "He is a prophet” - vs. 16-17

Mud In Your Eye The Jews 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?...”

Mud In Your Eye "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...”

Mud In Your Eye …His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him”- vs. 18-23

Excommunication 30 Day vs. Permanent Community Work Salvation Even before the cross, people had to choose between religion and Jesus

Mud In Your Eye A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God," they said. "We know this man is a sinner.” He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!...”

Mud In Your Eye Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?"

Mud In Your Eye It’s impossible to hear the right answer when you’re focused on asking the wrong question…

Mud In Your Eye 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...”

Mud In Your Eye …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 man who does his will…

Mud In Your Eye …Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing”- vs. 28-33

Mud In Your Eye How do you drown a blonde?

Mud In Your Eye To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out- vs. 34

Mud In Your Eye Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?” "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him…”

Mud In Your Eye Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him- vs. 35-38

Mud In Your Eye Process Some guy who put mud in my eye Prophet Son of Man (Messiah) Worthy of worship

Mud In Your Eye Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?...”

Mud In Your Eye …Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains- vs. 39-41

Mud In Your Eye I will never be rescued from the problems I refuse to claim

Mud In Your Eye I am responsible for what God has revealed to me For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse- Romans 1:20

Mud In Your Eye God will be glorified, whether through grace or by justice

Takeaways: What is my commitment level to: Does it show? God, God’s Word, God’s people and God’s Purposes? Does it show?

Takeaways: What do I see? Rules and problems and justice? Or people, needs and grace?

Takeaways: What questions am I asking? Why? (Self-centered) What? (God-centered) What would my friends and family say about my questions?

Takeaways: Do I see time as fleeting and my involvement in this life as an “opportunity” for Jesus? If not, why not?

Takeaways: I will never be rescued from the problems I refuse to claim What do I need to “own up” to today? Will I?