Do You Want to Be Healed?

52 Topical Sermons: Volume 1 Sermon 34. Who We Are and What We Do

34. WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

ILLUSTRATION:

34A number of years ago, our family was in the Dominican Republic on a mission trip. If you’ve ever driven in a developing country, you know how dangerous the traffic can be. Vehicles whiz past, coming within just a few feet of children playing close to the road. One night, my son Sam was playing a game in his own little world, in which he would zig and zag, back and forth from sidewalk onto the narrow street and back. It wasn’t a heavily travelled road; but there was always loud music blaring, and it was pitch dark. From about 10 feet away, I suddenly shouted, “Samuel, don’t move!”

Immediately he froze. About a second later a Moped zipped past him, going 30 mph with no lights on—right where Sam was about to step. My 6-year-old didn’t ignore me, argue, or blatantly disobey. I said freeze, and he froze. That obedience probably saved his life.

1. WE ARE SONS TO LOVE

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.—1 John 5:2

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints.—Colossians 1:4

2. WE ARE SERVANTS TO OBEY

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.—2 Timothy 2:24

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.—Romans 6:22

3. WE ARE SOLDIERS TO FIGHT

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.—2 Timothy 2:3

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.—1 Timothy 6:12

4. WE ARE STEWARDS TO OCCUPY

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre.—Titus 1:7

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.—Luke 19:13

35. THE POWER OF T

In the Sacred Museum of the Vatican, there is a sixteenth-century sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini entitled “Habakkuk and the Angel.” In this masterpiece, Habakkuk is holding a packed bag, as if he is traveling somewhere, and his movement is forward, as if he is walking ahead. However, his movement is impeded by an angel hovering above him, who has grabbed this startled prophet by the hair, as if lifting him to heaven.

There is something about that image that is so apropos to us. Some of us are very much on our own way, walking in a very different direction than God would have us walk. We need to be redirected, to be pulled by the hair, if you will, up into the heavens to see what Habakkuk saw (1:1)—a vision of God. For only a vision of the triune God can produce this kind of … living, walking, moving forward, lifted high … kind of faith

This last year has definitely been a journey.

We done a lot of walking this year, as individuals and as a church. We have gone places where we knew we were to be and God has blessed us with ministry.

We have also walked places we shouldn’t, and

John 5:2–9 ESV

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.

52 Topical Sermons: Volume 1 Sermon 45. How Do You Walk?

ILLUSTRATION:

45In the Sacred Museum of the Vatican, there is a sixteenth-century sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini entitled “Habakkuk and the Angel.” In this masterpiece, Habakkuk is holding a packed bag, as if he is traveling somewhere, and his movement is forward, as if he is walking ahead. However, his movement is impeded by an angel hovering above him, who has grabbed this startled prophet by the hair, as if lifting him to heaven.

There is something about that image that is so apropos to us. Some of us are very much on our own way, walking in a very different direction than God would have us walk. We need to be redirected, to be pulled by the hair, if you will, up into the heavens to see what Habakkuk saw (1:1)—a vision of God. For only a vision of the triune God can produce this kind of … living, walking, moving forward, lifted high … kind of faith.

1. BEFORE GOD—REALITY

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.—Genesis 17:1

2. AFTER GOD—OBEDIENCE

Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.—Deuteronomy 13:4

3. WITH GOD—COMMUNION

And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.—Genesis 5:22

Luke 5:2–9 ESV

and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,

Luke 5:2-