SF338 - Defeating Man's Disabilities - 3 of 7 The Miracles of the Master (John 5 1-9)
Defeating Man’s Disabilities
The Miracles of the Master – Part 3 of 7
John 5:1‑9
INTRODUCTION
Series Background
John is a book of miracles. If all the miracles that Jesus had done were recorded, there would not be enough books to contain them. We are learning that, a miracle is a sign with significance, that we might know him and have life through Him.
Everyone is looking for life
We all want a better life. We want to know life lived to the fullest. The problem is we look for life in all the wrong places.
Sermon Background
This is the third miracle Jesus performed. It took place in Jerusalem by the pool of Bethesda. Bethesda means "house of mercy." This miracle demonstrates the Lord’s mercy toward us. In tonight’s lesson, we will learn three things concerning the man’s condition, the master’s question, and the miraculous conclusion.
1A. THE MAN'S CONDITION
1B. He was helpless (John 5:5)
This man was an invalid he was literally without strength. For thirty-eight years, he had been an invalid. He could not help himself; he could not come to Christ. What a picture of our spiritual condition.
Romans 5:6 (NASB) 6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
He had no strength, no power. We may say “I lift weights,” But we are not talking about physical strength. We may say, “I have a good education,” but we not talking about intellectual strength. We may say, “I have money,” we are not talking about financial strength. We are talking about something entirely different from what the world calls strength.
We are talking about the strength to be godly. An unsaved man has power to do what he wants but not what he ought. This man had no strength.
2B. He was hopeless
He had been and invalid for 38 years, nothing had changed. Each day he lay by the pool hoping for a miracle and each evening he went home disappointed. He had no reason to believe that this day would be any different.
2A. THE MASTER'S QUESTION (John 5:6-7)
1B. Jesus knew what the man really needed.
Jesus knew that this man was focused on his physical need. He knew that the man wanted to walk. He also knew that the physical need was not the greatest need. The man’s physical condition was God’s means of showing the man his real need, His spiritual disability.
Matthew 5:30 (NASB) 30“If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
2B. Jesus forced the man to face his utter inability to change his situation.
No matter how hard we may try we cannot, indeed we will do anything to save ourselves. Indeed, we are by our very nature sinners and unless God by His grace changes us we cannot and will not come to him. Jesus was forcing this man to see that not only could he not get himself to the pool, he could not get himself to God. Just like he had to have someone else bring him to the pool, he needed someone else to bring him to God, that someone is Jesus! God by His grace and through His word changes the heart of sinful man so that we gladly and willfully repent of our sins and place our faith in Christ. We must see our inability and our sin. Thank God for His grace!
3A. THE MIRACULOUS CONCLUSION (John 5:8)
This miracle provides an illustration of Salvation
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV) 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Three prepositions are found in these verses.
1B. "By" Grace
He was an invalid he could not heal himself. If he was to be healed, it had to come from some other source. Only God could heal him. Only God can save us from our sin.
Jesus told him to do the impossible. Jesus told him to do something he had neither the power nor ability to do. Becoming a Christian involves the impossible plus the unreasonable plus Jesus Christ. We have neither the power nor the ability to be saved; our sin has separated us from God.
The story is told of that the preacher, Harry Ironside was preaching on sidewalk. A former drunk was giving testimony of salvation. And a well-dressed man told him he was dreaming. A little girl tugged on the man’s coattail and said mister that is my daddy. God has changed him, we have clothes to wear and food to eat and he is a different man. If he is dreaming, please do not wake him up.
The only proof this lame man had was the Word of Christ, but that is all he needed.
2B. "Through Faith"
The lame man did what Jesus said and he walked. This lame man did not even know who Jesus was but because of Jesus what was crippled now had strength.
This faith is a faith that works. "Take up your bed,” he had been trying to take up his bed for 38 years and had not gotten one step closer. Jesus says step out of line. Leave behind your old inability, your sin, and walk a new way.
This faith is a faith that walks. What Jesus is saying is that there is no room for relapse. You cannot, will not go back after you have stepped out in faith. Paul writes in Romans 13:14 (NASB) 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
We are to make no provision for our sinful nature. Repentance demands that we rid ourselves of those things that have marked our old way of life.
Some of us are like the story I heard about a father who told his son not to go swimming. The father came home saw the boy in swimming. Did I not tell you not to go swimming? I did not mean to I just went to watch. And it was hot, so I dangled my feet in the water. And before I knew it, I was swimming. The father said, “But you have your swim suit on.” The boy replied, “ Yea I wore it just in case I got tempted.” We must make no provision for the flesh. Take up your mat and get it out of the way.
3B. "For" Good Works
We must get the order straight. Jesus said “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” He did not tell him to walk first; he said, “rise” first. You need to stop trying to live the Christian life without a relationship with Christ. You can walk with Jesus only after He has transformed you into a new person. We experience this transformation when we repent of our sins and place our faith in Christ alone.
APPLICATION
Jesus is teaching a great lesson by the healing of this man.
Sin has left us broken and disabled. No matter how hard we try, we cannot heal (save) ourselves. He says to us “trust me, rise, take up your bed and walk.” Will you obey His command to repent and trust in Him today?
John 5:1‑9
INTRODUCTION
Series Background
John is a book of miracles. If all the miracles that Jesus had done were recorded, there would not be enough books to contain them. We are learning that, a miracle is a sign with significance, that we might know him and have life through Him.
Everyone is looking for life
We all want a better life. We want to know life lived to the fullest. The problem is we look for life in all the wrong places.
Sermon Background
This is the third miracle Jesus performed. It took place in Jerusalem by the pool of Bethesda. Bethesda means "house of mercy." This miracle demonstrates the Lord’s mercy toward us. In tonight’s lesson, we will learn three things concerning the man’s condition, the master’s question, and the miraculous conclusion.
1A. THE MAN'S CONDITION
1B. He was helpless (John 5:5)
This man was an invalid he was literally without strength.
For thirty-eight years, he had been an invalid. He could not help himself; he could not come to Christ. What a picture of our spiritual condition.
Romans 5:6 (NASB) 6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
He had no strength, no power.
We may say “I lift weights,” But we are not talking about physical strength. We may say, “I have a good education,” but we not talking about intellectual strength. We may say, “I have money,” we are not talking about financial strength. We are talking about something entirely different from what the world calls strength.
We are talking about the strength to be godly. An unsaved man has power to do what he wants but not what he ought. This man had no strength.
2B. He was hopeless
He had been and invalid for 38 years, nothing had changed.
2A. THE MASTER'S QUESTION (John 5:6-7)
1B. Jesus knew what the man really needed.
Jesus knew that this man was focused on his physical need.
The man’s physical condition was God’s means of showing the man his real need, His spiritual disability.
Matthew 5:30 (NASB) 30“If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
2B. Jesus forced the man to face his utter inability to change his situation.
No matter how hard we may try we cannot, indeed we will do anything to save ourselves.
3A. THE MIRACULOUS CONCLUSION (John 5:8)
This miracle provides an illustration of Salvation
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV) 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Three prepositions are found in these verses.
1B. "By" Grace
He was an invalid he could not heal himself.
If he was to be healed, it had to come from some other source. Only God could heal him. Only God can save us from our sin.
Jesus told him to do the impossible.
Becoming a Christian involves the impossible plus the unreasonable plus Jesus Christ. We have neither the power nor the ability to be saved; our sin has separated us from God.
The story is told of that the preacher, Harry Ironside was preaching on sidewalk. A former drunk was giving testimony of salvation. And a well-dressed man told him he was dreaming. A little girl tugged on the man’s coattail and said mister that is my daddy. God has changed him, we have clothes to wear and food to eat and he is a different man. If he is dreaming, please do not wake him up.
2B. "Through Faith"
This faith is a faith that works. - "Take up your bed”
This faith is a faith that walks.
Ø What Jesus is saying is that there is no room for relapse.
Romans 13:14 (NASB) 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
Ø Repentance demands that we rid ourselves of those things that have marked our old way of life.
Ø Some of us are like the story I heard about a father who told his son not to go swimming…
3B. "For" Good Works
We must get the order straight. Jesus said “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” He did not tell him to walk first; he said, “rise” first.
You need to stop trying to live the Christian life without a relationship with Christ.
You can walk with Jesus only after He has transformed you into a new person. We experience this transformation when we repent of our sins and place our faith in Christ alone.
APPLICATION
Jesus is teaching a great lesson by the healing of this man.
Sin has left us broken and disabled. No matter how hard we try, we cannot heal (save) ourselves. He says to us “trust me, rise, take up your bed and walk.” Will you obey His command to repent and trust in Him today?