How to not go blind as the blind start to see

How to not go blind as the blind start to see - Many people who think they are spiritually minded often miss out on the miracles God is working in and around their lives. It can be easy to think God is going to what what He is going to do the way you expect Him to do it. How do you stop being so religiously minded that you can be some earthly good? Learn exactly how with the message - How to not go blind as the blind start to see

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What tends to happen in every move of God is that the ones effected the most in the last move, or another move are the ones who get offended with the new move. The denomination’s with the least difference tend to have the biggest fight.

I went to the Alliance Seminary in Regina for a couple weeks of spring classes after my first year of Seminary. I was working more in the church in the fall and wanted to get some credits taken care of sooner rather than later.

Now both the Alliance and the Pentecostal Movement historically came out of the Holiness movement in the late 1800’s. There is very little that separates the two theologically. They have a “Teach not, forbid not” policy on speaking in tongues and and most pentecostal groups will have tongues as an initial evidence of being filled with the Spirit.

The first week I took a course on developing websites and I happened to mention I was attending the Baptist seminary in Edmonton. I got along famously with everyone. It was an incredible week. A few of us actually tried to catch an oilers playoff game in a local bar, but one person really didn’t feel comfortable with that, even when we ordered soft drinks.

The next week I took a Creative Proclamation of the Old Testament course and mistakenly mentioned I was working in an independent pentecostal church. And I was iced out that week.

People were visibly angry with me. If I sat at their table at lunch break, they’d move. I’d walk into class the pre-class discussion ended with glares. If I said anything in class, someone would contradict me. Someone actually stopped me in the hall and stuck their finger in my face and spat out, “I’ve never spoken in tongues and I’m still a Christian.” “OK” was all I said back. I wish I wound have said, “and they’ll know all us by our love.” It was unreal.

One person asked me what I really believe, because he realized he’d only heard others tell him what I believe about speaking in tongues.

The only thing I was able to do was shoot hoops with someone in the evenings. We started the first week I was there. We never talked, just shot hoops. I think I knew his name was Mark and he knew I was Trevor.

God is so good.

The last lunch of the week, the lunch room was full and I found room with my friend who I was shooting hoops, so we started to talk. I found out he was doing work with churches in Northern Saskatchewan. I told him I had friends who were doing that too. Had he heard of Allen and Kandi Lagore and Dan and Lana Morgan?

“Oh, of course” he said.

“Oh you’re Mark Ramshaw!” I cried out and everyone in the lunch room heard me. “You speak in tongues in the language of people you’re ministering to. You haven’t learned the language, God gave you the language.” He was agreeing with me so I felt I draw the line for the people now listening in. “Wow, so there is more to tongues today than just building ourselves up in the spirit. Who would have thunk it?” Some eyes went to the ceiling, some went to the floor. Everyone seemed really uncomfortable. Mark and I just continued our conversation.

God vindicated me.

But honestly. The closer we are to someone theologically, or geographically or in community, the quicker we are to take offence and put them in whatever box we see fit.

We can’t stop people judging us. We can control our judgment of others.

I want to go through one of the incredible stories John tells about Jesus and unpacked it for what it might mean for us today and going forward with what God has for us.

Before we do that, can I pray?

John 9:1 - 41 NLT As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! His neighbours and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!” “Where is he now?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he replied. Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them. Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.” The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.” So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.” “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.

John lays out the process that sometimes happens with people awakening to the truth of the Good news…

Blind get sight

V, 11 This man they call Jesus

V. 17 He is a prophet

V. 27 “do you want to become his disciple too?”

V. 38 Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him.

John compares that with the religious people who should know better…

Sight go Blind

V. 16 so they were divided

V. 18 Still did not believe

V. 24 we know this man is a sinner.

V. 34 How dare you lecture us

V. 40 What are we blind too?

Good news and a warning

Good news… people will come to a growing awareness of the nature of Jesus. Keep loving. Keep sharing. God comes on us like a growing awareness. Be patient. Love always.

Warning… watch your heart. Don’t expect God to do things the way you expect him to do it.

Don’t become bitter.

Remember last week I spoke about How to Win the Hostile and Hiding and said when the ones who are hostile and the ones who are hiding will be leading the charge in places we can’t go because we don’t know the terrain or how to fight the battle?

The ones who think they know how God will work are the ones who get upset when He doesn’t do things the way we expect - we know this man is a sinner because he healed on a sabbath.

Who do you align with on this story?

It may be the one who said “I once was blind, but now I can see.”

I like seeing myself growing in greater and greater knowledge of Christ.

But honestly, more often I know I’ve seen God move so much, I expect I know how he’ll work next. If I don’t watch my heart, I can easily be like the religious people in Jesus’ day.

And you can easily as well. You are in great danger of being offended at the next move of God if you don’t keep yourself from being ineffective and unproductive.

How to keep from being ineffective and unproductive

2 Peter 1:3-9 NIV84 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Peter is telling us we can become nearsighted and blind. We can be like the religious people who didn’t get what God was doing because Jesus healed on a Sabbath. We can be the roadblock in people’s way to discovering real relationship with God.

Or we can recognize that God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him. And that through His glory and goodness He has given us great and precious promises so that through these great and precious promises we can participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption of the world caused by evil desires.

You want to keep from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of God.

You don’t want to grow blind as the blind start to see.

You want to remember PATIENCE

How to keep from being ineffective and unproductive and not go blind as the blind start to see

PATIENCE

P - Put faith into action James 2:14-17

A - Always do good James 4:17

T - Teach and be teachable James 3:13

I - Invest in self-discipline James 1:12

E - Engage in tenacity James 1:2-4

N - Navigate the Divine James 1:19-21

C - Care for others James 1:27

E - Echo God’s Love 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

P - Put faith into action

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James 2:14-17

Faith is our starting point. Because God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him. And that through His glory and goodness He has given us great and precious promises so that through these great and precious promises we can participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption of the world caused by evil desires. We start with faith.

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Do I believe He will reward me for seeking Him?

A - Always do good

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. James 4:17

Add your faith Goodness (moral excellence)

Since we have been equipped to live like Jesus, we must work to add goodness, or "moral excellence," to our faith. This means that we will work to do good, by God's power, in the world now, as Jesus would in our place. This goodness becomes the foundation for the rest of these qualities.

Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. Galatians 6:10

Am I doing the good I know I ought to do?

T - Teach and be teachable

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:13

…to goodness, knowledge…

We are also to add knowledge. This is a deeper understanding of our God, through His Word, and prayer, and so forth, which informs our goodness. Merely wanting to do good is not enough; we must know what good is by knowing God.

Am I always learning?

I - Invest in self-discipline

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

…to knowledge, self-control…

We must add self–control. Without the ability to control ourselves, our knowledge of good, and the desire to do it, are both worthless. Self-control is the moment-by-moment restraint of our urges. This is the ability to make the right choice, in those moments when temptation strikes us.

Am I relying on Holy Spirit for self-control?

E - Engage in tenacity

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4

…to self-control, perseverance…

We must add perseverance. Perseverance is the ability to practice self–control over time. Our sprints of doing good turn into marathons. Our moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, day-by-day choices eventually turn into lifestyles. Perseverance is the ability to maintain self-control, even when the pressure of temptation continues to attack us.

Do others say I persevere?

N - Navigate the Divine

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. James 1:19-21

…to perseverance, godliness…

We add godliness. This keeps our goodness from being merely human goodness. This is godly goodness. This is a moral excellence which reflects the nature of God Himself instead of the temporary, earth–bound "goodness" of people.

Am I becoming more and more like Jesus?

C - Care for others

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27

…to godliness, brotherly kindness…

Phileo love (Mutual Affection)

We must add brotherly kindness, or affection, alongside godliness. The idea is that we become motivated to do good for each other. This is supposed to come from a sense of connectedness. This is the type of connection experienced in the closest of families. And, truly, our brothers and sisters in Christ are our family. Peter calls us to "make every effort" to develop a familial affection for each other. Hard as it may be at times, we should strive to really "like" each other, so that we want to do good for one another.

Do others know I care for them?

E - Echo God’s Love

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

…to brotherly kindness, love…

Agapeo (Love)

We come to pinnacle of these qualities: love. God is love, and the goodness of Jesus was motivated both by His love for the Father and His love for us. Peter's term for "love" here comes from the Greek root word agape, which refers to a selfless, sacrificial concern for the good of others. It is love that we choose. It makes sense, then, that our ultimate reason to do good is the same self–sacrificing love that Christ showed for us.

Make the choice to love.

Will I still choose to love when I don’t agree?

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.