JOHN 9 MOVING FORWARD INTO A NEW SEASON2020 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: John 9 Moving Forward Into A New Season

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2020. So here's this guy. He's blind. He's healed by Jesus. And now he has this whole new life ahead of him. And so I've titled the message this morning, Moving Forward Into a New Season.

moving forward into a new season. Here is this guy who now is heading into a life that he's never experienced before. He's heading into situations and conversations and circumstances that he's never experienced before. And there's some exciting things that come with a new season.

It's a fresh start. And for you and I, we have many occasions in our lives where we have a new season. Maybe it's a new job that we start. Maybe it's a new relationship that we enter into, moving into a new home, heading into a quarantine season, and then out of a quarantine season, heading out of school or into school, into a new grade, out from an old grade. There's these

new seasons that happen in our lives. And they're very exciting in many ways. It gives us a fresh start. We have a fresh batch of mercy to live out and make changes from what we did before. We have a chance to shape the direction and maybe remake some of the decisions that we made in the previous season and a chance to do better, to walk with the Lord in the way that he desires for us to.

And so here, as we look at this blind man, we get some lessons from his example of how to move forward into this new season that lies ahead of us. And so we'll consider four points to help us think about and consider this blind man and what he experienced and his example that he set for us. And so the first point is found here in these verses that we just read, and that is to make more of your own decisions.

Make more of your own decisions as you head into a new season. And maybe that's you right now heading into a new season. Maybe you're preparing to head into a new season. You're looking forward to the end of one season and transitioning into the other. There's an encouragement here as we look at this man to make our own decisions.

to be able to recognize that others cannot make all of our decisions for us. As much as it's tempting many times to let everybody else or let others around us make decisions for us, there's also a great need for us to personally choose and decide what it is

that the Lord wants us to do. Well, as we look at these verses, verses 18 through 23, what we're seeing here is the religious leaders really upset about this miracle that has taken place. And they don't like that it happened on the Sabbath. They don't like that it was done by Jesus because it authenticates his ministry. And so they're trying to put a stop to it. They're trying to hush the word and not allow people to talk about it. They're trying to shut down the whole thing.

And so they bring in the parents. It tells us in verse 18 that they did not believe that he was actually born blind until they called the parents in and interviewed them. They didn't believe that he was born blind. They thought they were trying to, you know, pull a trick. They thought they were just trying to, you know, put on a show. And so they call in the parents, but the parents...

As they are responding to this interview, are very nervous. They're all freaked out because, well, we kind of miss it in our culture perhaps, but this was a very serious occasion. This was an occasion that would be similar to being in a courtroom. This was in their synagogue. These were official proceedings by the religious leaders.

And as the parents are called in, the way that they respond, the way that they answer could make some huge differences in their lives. It tells us that the parents are fearful in verse 22. It says, 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.

And so as the religious leaders are asking the parents these questions, they have this great anxiety and fear upon them because if they make a wrong move, if they answer a wrong way, they could be put out of a synagogue. And that's different than, hey, you can't come to church.

to be put out of the synagogue for them meant you will not participate in our community any longer. It wasn't just an excommunication from a religious service, but it was, hey, other Jewish people will not be allowed to buy or sell

in transactions with you. You won't be able to hang out with them. You won't be able to spend time with them or be in the community. You will be an outcast of society if you are cast out of the synagogue. And so they're feeling that pressure. They're really recognizing, wow, if we say the wrong thing, then we will be cast out of our society as a result. And so his parents are very careful. They say, okay, well, we know that he's our son. That's clear. We can't deny that.

We know that he was born blind. No need to question that. We can testify that is the truth. But they were reluctant to say how it was that he now had sight. And it's interesting because the way it's described here in verses 22 and 23, it's clear. They say he is of age. You can ask him. But it's not that they didn't know how he had been healed.

Because John specifically says they said it this way, not because they didn't know, but because they feared the Jews. And so here you have this blind man's parents. They're answering honestly that he's their son. They're answering honestly that he was born blind, but they're afraid to say, to testify that it was Jesus who performed this miracle in their son's life. And so they say he is of age. Ask him.

And it highlights a couple things for us. And again, the point is make more of your own decisions. And that's necessary for a couple of reasons. One of those reasons is other people are not always going to have what's best for you in mind. They're not always going to be, even if it's your own parents, sometimes for a variety of reasons, they're not going to accurately represent God in your life.

And sometimes because of fear, sometimes for other reasons perhaps, there's going to be a difference between the testimony of what the Lord would say and the testimony of what others around you say. But we also see that making your own decisions, it's an important part of growing up. You know, when you're born, you don't make a lot of decisions.

But as you grow, what you get to make more, previously, you didn't get to decide what you eat. Now you get to decide, okay, what kind of cereal you want. Later on, you get to decide, do I want cereal or do I want eggs or do I want a candy bar? As you grow, you get a little bit more freedom to make decisions. You get a little bit more opportunity to make decisions. And I want to encourage you this morning, as you head into a new season, this is some opportunity for you to

to make some real decisions. You are of age. Now, that doesn't mean you get to make all your decisions, that you have full authority of your life because, well, perhaps you are still within the authority of your parents. But there's this transition that happens as you grow and you begin to have more freedom and get to make more opportunities or have more opportunities to make decisions for your life that will change your life and impact your life.

And there's times where we can't let others make those decisions for us. In Joshua chapter 24, we have that famous passage in verse 15 where Joshua says, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. He says, look, if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, well, then you choose who it is that you're going to serve. But as for me and my house, Joshua says, we will serve the Lord. At that time, Joshua is making the choice for his whole family.

He's choosing on behalf of his whole family that they are going to serve the Lord. And that was perfect and appropriate for that time. But you know, his kids, Joshua's kids would grow up and it would come to a point where they're of age. And now it's not appropriate for them to just do it because that's what dad decided.

but to make their own decision to follow the Lord. And each one is going to have to make their decision to follow the Lord, whether or not they're going to be faithful to the Lord like Joshua was. And so Joshua says, as for me and my house, he makes the decision, but later on his family will have to make their own decision. Now, here again in the passage of John 9, we see the parents knew what happened.

And they make a different decision than their son makes. Their son is not going to be ashamed to testify that it was Jesus who worked this miracle. And so they make a different decision. They say he's of age and it was the right thing for him because, well, he does the right thing in testifying of Jesus. And so as you head into a new season, make more of your own decisions.

Take on that responsibility. Take on that independence and make decisions to honor the Lord in the things that he has spoken to you about. Well, moving on to verse 24 and 25, the second point to consider is to remember what you have experienced. Remember what you have experienced. In verse 24, it said, 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. He answered and said, whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know.

They call the blind man now, the previously blind man, to the courtroom. Now he's in the proceedings. Again, it's a very serious matter. They even swear him in.

When they say, give glory to God or give God the glory, it's kind of like what we would do in a courtroom where you raise your hand and you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. That same type of thing is caught up in this idea of give God the glory. They're calling him to take an oath and to promise that his testimony that he's about to share is true. And they say, we know this guy is a sinner, so your story can't be true.

Now, their presumptions are false, right? But based on their presumptions, they decide this can't be true. This really didn't happen. And so this man responds and says, you know, I can't answer whether or not he's a sinner. I don't know all the information about this man who healed me. I don't know all of that. But here's what I do know. Though I was blind, now I see.

And he held on to, even though I don't have all the answers, even though I don't know all of the information, even though I can't explain all of the details, here's what I know. I was blind and now I see. He held on to this experience, this work, this miracle that took place in his life. The commentator H.A. Ironside says, we who are saved are not simply resting on someone else's say-so.

not even the believing the word of God itself, but there's come within us an experience, an ever deepening knowledge of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ with us through the years that enables us to say from the heart, I know. We don't just rely upon somebody else's say so, but we, as we walk with God, we have our own encounters with God and we get our own experiences with God. And as we do,

We need to remember those experiences. We need to remember what God has done in our life. And you could think of a blind man being healed and think that he would never, ever, ever forget that, right? There's no need to tell him to remember what you've experienced. Well, on this day, this is, you know, the day that it happened, the day that he was healed, of course he remembers it. But you know, as much as we are convinced that

that we'll never forget when God speaks to us or works some powerful way in our lives, we do forget. Even when God does incredible things. You remember when Joseph was in prison and there was the two guys with him and he interprets their dream and

The butler is going to be released from prison, and he says, hey, when you're released, butler, remember me. And butler said, oh, yes, for sure. I will remember you. And then it tells us in the next verse, he was released, and he forgot all about Joseph. This great, incredible thing happened. This powerful dream, the interpretation, it was all true. And then somehow, we forget. Psalm 106 tells us that the children of Israel forgot their Savior who had done great things in Egypt.

As you follow the children of Israel out of the wilderness and they see the miracles of God and then 10 days later, they've already forgotten the miracles of God. This is part of our tendencies in nature. We forget.

Even when God has done great things. And so what we need to remember as we head into a new season, there's going to be different challenges. There's going to be different experiences. And we need to not lose sight of and not forget the things that God has already done. Remember what you have experienced. Well, moving on, and we're not going to cover all of these verses, but verses 26 through 34, point number three is hold your ground with gentle boldness.

This court proceeding continues and the religious leaders are interviewing and really applying a lot of pressure upon this blind man to change his story because they don't like it. Verse 26 says, then they said to him again, what did he do to you? How did he open your eyes? He answered them, I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?

Then they reviled him and said, you are his disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses. As for this fellow, we do not know where he is from. And so again, in this very serious matter, he's been sworn in and they're saying, tell us again, how did he open your eyes? And they had a problem with the method that Jesus used because he made mud and it was the Sabbath day and they said, that's forbidden. He didn't break, Jesus didn't break God's laws, but

He did violate their traditions in the making of mud. Also in the healing on the Sabbath day, that violated their traditions. And so in this interview, they're applying pressure. They're really saying, look, conform. Change your story. Tell us again. They're asking again, not because they want to know, not because they didn't hear it the first time, but because they want a different story. They want him to succumb to the pressure and then, okay, I give in. Okay, I will say something different. And

They're trying to persuade him to not give glory to Jesus in this. But he holds fast. He says, do you also want to become his disciples? I'm his disciple, the blind man says. I'm following Jesus. He's changed my life. Do you also want to be his disciple? He's holding fast against the pressure that is being applied by these religious leaders. He's standing strong in the face of this

Really persistent opposition. It tells us in verse 28, it says they reviled him. They reviled him. They're coming against him with disgust. They reviled him and said, no, no, no, we're Moses' disciples. He was very firm and

in his holding to his faithfulness to the Lord. But at the same time, he wasn't disrespectful about it. Even though they reviled him, they were disrespectful towards him. He wasn't disrespectful back to them. And so again, I made the point, hold your ground with gentle boldness as you make your own decisions.

As you decide, I'm going to follow Jesus. I'm going to take this path. This is what God wants me to do. There is going to be some pushback many times in your life. There's going to be those who don't agree. And maybe there's going to be a lot of pressure applied. Hey, conform, fit into our vision, fit into what we want. But when the Lord's led you in a certain direction, you need to hold that course.

Doesn't mean you have to be disrespectful. You don't have to revile back just because they've reviled you. Be firm, be gentle, but be bold. This guy holds fast. He said, no, Jesus worked this miracle and God heard him. And this man is from God.

In the next few verses, we're going to move on from those for the sake of time, but hold your ground with gentle boldness. There's always people around us telling us what we should think, what we should do, what we should say. Be respectful, be gentle, but be bold and firm to follow the course that God has set before you.

Well, then finally, I want to encourage you, number four, to grow in your relationship with Jesus. As we head into a new season, it's a new opportunity for us, and we're not done growing. We don't have all the information yet. We haven't, you know, matured all the way yet. There's plenty of room for us to develop deeper relationships with the Lord and grow in our fellowship with him. I want to read verses 35 through 38. It says, 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? He answered and said, who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? And Jesus said to him, you have both seen him and it is he who is talking with you. Then he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped him. Here's something that you can count on as you head into a new season.

As you face new experiences, new challenges, maybe exciting, maybe stressful, but whatever it is that you might be going through, you can count on Jesus to know what you are going through. As this guy is now excommunicated, he really is cast out of their society. He's an outcast now. It's not, again, that he just can't come to church, but he is being pushed out of the community as a whole.

He's going to be rejected and scorned by the religious leaders, by the Jewish people. And it says, when Jesus heard that, he went and found him. Here he is in this moment of need, in this shock. And wow, I thought it was a good day. I got my sight back today. And then all of a sudden now you're an outcast. What he thought originally was a great day, now it's turning out to be a more difficult, more sour day than he would have imagined. But here's Jesus.

right on the spot, right when he needs him, Jesus knows what he's going through and he shows up to reveal himself to a greater degree. And this is what the Lord does in our lives. As you head into a new season, grow in your relationship with Jesus. Yes, you're gonna face new things and different things. And you may be joyful about that. You may be scared about that. Whatever side you fall on, that's okay. Look to Jesus. Jesus is right there with you, right in the midst of the situation.

And he wants to reveal himself more. He says, hey, do you believe in the Son of God? And the blind man, previously blind man, he says, well, who is he? I want to believe in him. I don't know who he is. Who is he? And Jesus says, it's me. And he reveals himself in a more clear way, to a greater degree, so that this man now knows Jesus better because he was cast out, because he had this encounter with the Lord.

Pastor David Guzik says, when the healed man declared his loyalty to Jesus by sticking by him before the hostile Pharisees, he was rewarded when Jesus revealed more of himself to him. When you are faithful, when you are faithful to the Lord, there's a reward of greater depth and

There's a reward of greater knowledge. There's a reward of a greater relationship with the Lord. You get to know him as you walk with him through thick and thin. And so this morning, as we consider this example of the blind man, again, I want to encourage you regarding moving forward into a new season. For some of you, there's a new season ahead.

Summer. For some of you, there's a new season ahead. It's moving on from one grade to another grade, moving on from one school to another school. For some of you, there's a moving forward into a new season of life where there's perhaps a new home in store or new job in store, new role, new opportunity. There's various seasons that we are led through in this life. As you head into that new season, whatever that might be for you,

Again, I encourage you to make more of your own decisions. Don't just let your spouse make all your decisions for you. It's time for you to take some ownership of your life and your relationship with the Lord, to hear from the Lord and make some decisions about what it is that God wants for you. As you grow up, youth and kids, now you don't start rebelling from your parents and just do whatever you want to, but there is opportunity. And maybe you need to negotiate this a little bit with your parents, right?

I need to make some decisions. I need to hear from the Lord and do what it is that God wants me to do. As you head into the new season, don't just let other people, don't check out and let other people, you know, sit there and make the decisions and drive the car. You step up. You hear from the Lord. You have an encounter with God and make decisions according to what God is speaking to you.

Secondly, remember what you've experienced. God's worked in your life. You can look back at the previous season and if you've been walking with him, you have some encounters with him. You have some things that he has spoken, some ways that he's worked. Hold on to those things.

God established the feast for the nation of Israel that they would remember every year. Maybe you need to do that. Have a feast a certain time of the year, certain day of the month, and just reflect and remember what it is that God has done for you that you can hold on to his faithfulness as you head into a new season. And remember how he's come through in the past and how he's worked in your life previously.

As you face opposition, as there's difficulty, hold your ground. Be gentle, but be bold. Don't give in, don't compromise just because people around you, everybody around you, society around us doesn't like what it is that the Lord has called you to and the path that God has put you on. Hold your ground and you be faithful to the Lord. Even if your parents aren't faithful and they out of fear say, oh, we don't know. They knew, but they allowed fear to change their testimony. Don't change your testimony.

Hold firm to what God has spoken to you and what God has done in your life. And then finally grow in your relationship with Jesus. You get a fresh start as you head into this new season. His mercies are new every morning. It's a fresh batch of mercy for you. No matter what you did the previous day, no matter how well you did in the previous season, right now going forward, you have this fresh opportunity to draw near to the Lord.

to know him, to develop a deeper, a closer, a real relationship with him. Here we see this blind man. He lived his whole life one way, but now he gets a fresh start. He gets to decide what kind of life he will live, and so do you. You get to decide. Today's a new season. What kind of life are you going to live? How are you going to behave going forward? What mistakes are you going to repeat? And what mistakes are you going to learn from?

Move forward into this new season with a real relationship with the Lord, hearing from him, responding as he speaks, and then holding fast the course that he set you on. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, for the new seasons that you bring about in our lives and the fresh opportunities. Lord, to let the old things go, let the mistakes of the past and, uh,

the wishy-washiness of the past. Thank you, Lord, for giving us opportunity to grow beyond those things and to have a fresh start with you. We pray, God, that you would help us to look to you, to believe in you, to trust in you, and to walk with you. I pray, God, for each of us as we face new seasons, new opportunities, new challenges. Lord, would you help us to be faithful witnesses to you. Lord, that our testimony would not change.

But Lord, whether we're around other believers or whether we're out there in the world with a variety of people around us, Lord, may we be diligent and faithful to represent you and to be honest about who you are and the work that you've done in our lives. Help us, Lord, to make the choice to go forward in the way that you've called us to. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

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