Church notes - 9th July 2017
9th July
Psalm 23
The LORD provides and guides.
'Praise is rising': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F1ADeQcIIU
John 9: 1 - 12
'On the altar of our praise': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkggIy2t35s
Prayer - for those who are persecuted. (Especially Christians who fled from Pakistan, only to face persecution in Thailand. Also Christians in North Korea.)
'This is how we know': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K67jH43tpjo
'There is hope in the promise of the Cross': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLW0zV6eqeY
John 9
- Disciples
Question: Who sinned? Why did this happen?
vs 3 - 5
Neither him, nor his parents.
It is due to the Fall - Genesis 3
Of course, sin has consequences! e.g. Drink Driving causing a crash!
Job
His friends were being simplistic when they suggested that Job done something wrong.
- The Man born blind
After he was healed, there was confusion - People wondered whether this was the same man.
vs 17 - He thought of Jesus as a prophet,
He wasn't intimidated by the Pharisees, even though he was thrown out of the synagogue.
A progression - A growing understanding of Who Jesus Is.
vs 11 - 'The man called Jesus'
vs 17 - A prophet.
vs 38 - worshipping as the Son.
- The Pharisees
They saw that the Sabbath had been violated.
Confused amongst themselves. The majority didn't believe that a 'sinner' could produce such a miracle of healing.
The man's parents didn't share in the joy. The Pharisees had bullied them!
The Pharisees had reached the conclusion that Jesus was a sinner, but there was no dissuading the man from what he knew to be true.
They thought that the Messiah would have the same legalistic worldview as they, but Jesus' worldview of grace is completely different.
We need to ensure that our worldview doesn't reflect the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees.
vs 39
Proverbs 26:12
The Pharisees were wise in their own eyes!
We are responsible for our own hearts.
vs 41
We need to have a journey similar to the man who had been born blind.
Christian growth is about taking a series of steps towards being more like Christ.
What would it mean to for you to take one step towards being more like Jesus?
'Your Great Name': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zpLPh6LibE