Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Recap of last week
• There are many who are largely ignored by society
• Jesus saw this man in all his need
• The disciples saw him and thought he must have been born ingreat sin
• People suffer from the general effects of sin
• The man obeyed Jesus instruction and came away seeing
• An amazing miracle - but those who knew him doubted
• A proof that Christ was the Messiah
• A greater miracle was to take place - he received spiritual sight
• Look at v13-34 this morning
• 'The cost of becoming a Christian'
• On the way to becoming a Christian he was to go through struggles
• People who align themselves with the name of Christ will face struggles
• Because this man spoke plainly of Jesus he suffered
• What does it mean to become a Christian?
• What it is not - examples
1. Recognise you are a sinner
2. Seeing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (and is our sin bearer)
• There is a cost to becoming a Christian
• What do people preach today?
• Examples
• We must put Jesus first
• If you want to become a Christian - weigh up the cost

Had difficulty with neighbours and friends

• Initially there was some confusion over his identity
• Why did they take him to the Pharisees?
• Perhaps a good motive to prove that Jesus was the Messiah
• People were afraid of the Pharisees
• 7:13 - "No one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews"
• 12:42 - "Nevertheless even among the rules many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue"
• It seems as if this man was being used as a pawn to get at Jesus
• Compare with the woman caught in adultery
• Why was the whole world against Jesus?
• He had done good
• He told the truth about sin but His ministry was searching
• His ministry was counter cultural and exposed their false traditions and hypocrisy
• They hated Him - 15:18
• This man was starting to face opposition because he was starting to show allegiance to Jesus and because he was healed on the Sabbath
• Don't automatically assume that friends and family will remain the same
• Don't expect your friends and colleagues to accept you when you change (for the better)
• Many will not understand and reject you

Had difficulty with the religious establishment

• A religious integration that led to his expulsion from the synagogue
• The main opponents to Jesus are the religious world
• The Church is going to be a separate entity from the synagogue
• True disciples of Jesus Christ are going to suffer
• Jesus was to be crucified within 6 months

The methods they used

1. Jesus does not adhere to our world view and cultural establishments
• He does not keep the Sabbath - v16
• The Pharisees had built up ridiculous rules around the Mosaic law which kept people in bondage
• He healed on the Sabbath
• Examples of those who make similar ridiculous rules
• You are not following our traditions and standards

2. Intimidating this man
• Calling the man more than once
• "We know this man in a sinner" - v24
• They take the intellectual high ground
• The man is honest in return
• He does not give way to pressure

3. Slander
• They reviled him - v28
• The man is gracious in return
• Willfull unbelief does not accept anything
• They become angry at him and cast him out - v34
• Many Christians are manhandled today
• Titus 1:15
• There was to be no interaction with the people of the synagogue
• Sects do this today
• This man was really suffering
• We have seen fundamentalist religions casting people out of the families because they are turning to Christ
• The man would have counted it worthwhile

Had difficulty with his own family

• His parents feared the Jews - v22
• They knew by whom and how he had been healed
• They knew that if they sided with Jesus they would be put out of the synagogue
• The parents were more concerned with themselves than their son
• Because of Jesus there will be division in the family
• 7:43 - Division amongst the people
• 9:16 - Division amongst the pharisees
• 10:19 - Division amongst the Jews
• Jesus brings peace to all who will turn to Him
• To those that reject Him - there is a deep dividing line
• Which side are you on this morning?

Closing Remarks