"Present Yourself Approved To God" Text: Jn. 9:24-34 Scripture Reading: II Tim. 2:14-16

1. "Present Yourself Approved To God"Text: Jn. 9:24-34Scripture Reading: II Tim. 2:14-16

2. Intro II Tim. 2:14-16 (NAS) 14. Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 16. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, II Tim. 2:15 (KJV) 15. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. • Many people do not “accurately handle the word of truth” • (Discern truth from error) • Two examples: Those who profess to know how to handle the word of truth accurately, and one who does it! "Present Yourself Approved To God"

3. Intro • John 9:1-41: Blind man (healed) vs. Pharisees • Jn. 9:1-7: Jesus heals the man born blind. • Jn. 9:8-12: His neighbors began asking him how he came about seeing. • Jn. 9:13-17: The man is questioned by the Pharisees for the first time. • Jn. 9:18-23: His parents are called in and questioned. "Present Yourself Approved To God"

4. Intro Jn. 9:24-34 24. So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner." 25. He then answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." 26. So they said to him, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" 27. He answered them, "I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?" 28. They reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29. "We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from." 30. The man answered and said to them, "Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. 31. "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. 32. "Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33. "If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." 34. They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?" So they put him out. For saints to be “approved to God” we must “accurately handle the word of truth!” "Present Yourself Approved To God"

5. Improperly Handling God’s Word Jn. 9:16, 24 16. Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, "This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." But others were saying, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And there was a division among them. 24. So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner." • The Pharisees were confronted by truth and instead • turned to their biases • They dismissed the miracle stating Jesus was not from God because He was a sinner, and they mentioned He did not keep the Sabbath. • They taught that healing could only be done on the Sabbath if it was life-threatening. • Mt. 12:1-14; Mk. 2:23-28; Lk. 6:1-11:Jesus healed on the Sabbath and answered their questions concerning such and declared, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Mt. 12:3-8). • They ignored His miracles and sought to kill Him! • Jesus even taught from I Sam. 21:6! "Present Yourself Approved To God"

6. Improperly Handling God’s Word Jn. 9:15, 20, 27-29 15. Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, "He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see." 20. His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 27. He answered them, "I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?" 28. They reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29. "We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from." • As “Disciples of Moses” they should have known what • Moses taught about Christ… • Deut. 18:15 • Jn. 1:45 • Jn. 5:45-47 • Jn. 6:14 • Jn. 7:26, 40-42: “The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they?” (7:26) "Present Yourself Approved To God"

7. Improperly Handling God’s Word Jn. 9:34 34. They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?" So they put him out. • The Pharisees taught incorrectly on the matter of one • being born in sin • “You were born entirely in sins.” • The greater the affliction was the blacker the sin had been. • This notion was thought by Job’s friends, and disproved – Book of Job (42:7-9) • Ezek. 18:4, 20: God says, “The soul that sins will die.” Sons will not be punished for the sins of the father and vice versa. • Jesus’ disciples asked about who sinned, the man born blind or his parents? – Jn. 9:1-3 Those who should have known and taught the truth, instead were presented as not approved to God because they improperly handled “the word of truth!” "Present Yourself Approved To God"

8. Properly Handling God’s Word Jn. 9:30 30. The man answered and said to them, "Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. • “Here is an amazing thing!” • In response to their assertion that they didn’t know where Jesus was from, the man told them that by the Scriptures one can know He was from God! "Present Yourself Approved To God"

9. Properly Handling God’s Word Jn. 9:31 31. "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. • “We know that God does not hear sinners” • Is. 59:1-2: Isaiah in his time made this very clear (I Pet. 3:10-12). • The healed man said he didn’t know if the One who healed him was a sinner or not but knew he was once blind but now can see (9:25). "Present Yourself Approved To God"

10. Properly Handling God’s Word Jn. 9:32 32. "Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. • “Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that • anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind” • (Not recorded in O.T.) • Is. 35:4-6: Isaiah pointed to a time when this would happen. • Mt. 11:1-5: John the Baptist’s disciples came to ask Jesus if He was the One they were waiting for and Jesus quoted from Is. 35:4-6 saying, “The blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the leper is cleansed, the dead are made alive.” "Present Yourself Approved To God"

11. Properly Handling God’s Word Jn. 9:33 33. "If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." • “If this man were not from God, He could do nothing” • He logically and accurately concludes that Jesus could not be a sinner! • Jn. 20:30-31: John stated the reason for his writing the gospel is for people to read of the miracles and believe in the Son of God. • This man didn’t have John’s gospel, but saw the miracle and believed – 9:27 The word of God can give confidence to boldly state the truth even if it is unpopular and carries consequences with the hearers! (Jn. 9:34) This man presented himself to a hostile crowd “approved to God” by “accurately handling the word of truth!” "Present Yourself Approved To God"

12. Conclusion Jn. 9:35-39 35. Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36. He answered, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" 37. Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you." 38. And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Him. 39. And Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." The man was born blind but was able to see – He understood the Scriptures! (Jn. 9:35-39) We can too!(Eph. 3:4; II Tim. 2:15) Do you study so that you may see? "Present Yourself Approved To God"

13. Conclusion Jn. 9:40-41 40. Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, "We are not blind too, are we?" 41. Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'We see,' your sin remains. The Pharisees could see but were blinded by pride – The fulfillment of the Scriptures they professed to know was standing there and they denied Him! (Jn. 9:40-41) We can too!(Mt. 10:33) Are you blinded by pride? "Present Yourself Approved To God"

14. Conclusion “Be diligent (KJV: “Study”) to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15) "Present Yourself Approved To God"

15. “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” Hear The Gospel (Jn. 5:24; Rom. 10:17) Believe In Christ (Jn. 3:16-18; Jn. 8:24) Repent Of Sins (Lk. 13:35; Acts 2:38) Confess Christ (Mt. 10:32; Rom. 10:10) Be Baptized (Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16) Remain Faithful (Jn. 8:31; Rev. 2:10) For The Erring Child: Repent (Acts 8:22), Confess (I Jn. 1:9), Pray (Acts 8:22)