John 5:1-15

¹ After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ² Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. ³ In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. ⁴ For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. ⁵ Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

⁷ The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

⁸ Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” ⁹ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

And that day was the Sabbath. ¹⁰ The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”

¹¹ He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ”

¹² Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” ¹³ But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. ¹⁴ Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

¹⁵ The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

What is stroke?

A stroke happens when blood stops flowing to any part of your brain, damaging brain cells. The effects of a stroke depend on the part of the brain that was damaged, and the amount of damage done.

The effects of your stroke depend on the type of stroke, the part of the brain that was damaged and the amount of damage.

An Ischemic stroke is caused by a blockage or clot in a blood vessel in your brain. The blockage can be caused when a substance called plaque builds up on the inside wall of an artery.

A Hemorrhagic stroke is caused when an artery in the brain breaks open. The interrupted blood flow causes damage to your brain. High blood pressure weakens arteries over time and is a major cause of hemorrhagic stroke.

Usually, a stroke and a heart attack occur at the same time.

Swallowing may be affected.

Your arms and legs will feel weak or numb.

A stroke can cause slurred speech and often results in immobility.

Seldom can we find an athlete who suffers a stroke. Physical exercise helps lower high blood pressure, which is an important risk factor for stroke. So join the physical exercise of the Ladies every Women’s Fellowship on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays of the month.

Our passage tonight is the third miraculous sign that Jesus performed as listed by the Gospel of John.

The invalid man here suffered for 38 years.

It must have been a great relief for the man to stand and carry his mat around.

He must’ve been jumping and dancing like the crippled man that was healed through Peter and John in Acts chapter 3.

When the Jews or Spiritual Leaders saw him carrying his mat, they were disturbed at the fact that the man was carrying his mat instead of praising God for the miracle of the man being healed.

Last week we learned that the son of a Royal Official was healed because the father believed the Words of Jesus. Today we read that the invalid man himself came face to face with Jesus and got healed.

He heard Jesus’ command.

What can we learn from our passage tonight about healing?

1.  Jesus heals those who want to get well

⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

⁷ The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

That answer is a statement of desperation. Jesus sensed hopelessness in the man.

Can Jesus really heal the sick?

That is not the right question.

Jesus is God and He can heal anybody but the right question is… do you want to get well?

Barber

There was a story of an Atheist barber and a Christian customer. The Atheist barber asked the Christian customer, “If God is love, why does He let many people suffer? If God is powerful enough to heal the sick why is it that there are many people who are sick?”

The Christian customer said…

      “Before I give an answer, let me ask you a question.

Do you know how to cut hair?”

The Atheist barber answered proudly, “Why? Of course! You know that I am very good at cutting hair.”

The Christian costumer responded, “If you are very good at cutting hair, why is it that I can still see that there are many people who have long, messy or unkempt hair?”

The Atheist barber replied, “I wish I could cut their hair but they choose not to come to me so that I may give them a haircut.”

Friends, this is a reminder that God can heal those who are sick but they choose not to come to God.

Physical healing is one of the manifestations of the power of God. God can heal us physically but not without us asking Him for healing.

When we share the gospel, not many appreciate it because they are not desperate about going to heaven.

Pray that God will lead you to the person who is desperate of having eternal life. Pray that God reveals to your friends the punishment waiting for them in hell and that they may seek forgiveness.

The Bible says that a great number of disabled people were with the invalid man but only he was healed.

Why?

Let’s go to the 2^nd point.

2.  Jesus heals those who obey His words

⁸ Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”

⁹ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

Jesus’ ways or means of healing the sick had various and unique methods, techniques or processes. Our Lord can heal the sick just by touching, using mud, or commanding the disease to go away. But one thing is necessary for the healing process.

This is to obey whatever the Lord says and miracles will happen.

Many medical practitioners do not believe in Jesus because Jesus cures somebody in a way that people cannot explain.

In verse 9 the man did not ask Jesus if he was cured or not. He was healed immediately, at once, when Jesus said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” In John 4:50 Jesus said to the Royal Official, “Go your way; your son lives.”

Can you see some remarkable manner in which miracles occur in somebody’s life here?

The Lord Jesus healed those who obeyed His word. Obeying Jesus’ word is a necessary ingredient of experiencing His power in our life.

There is a kind of sickness in the present generation’s mindset that I do not know how to describe. An article from the Winnipeg Free Press published March 18, 2010 tells the side of a story in a crash that killed a cabbie. The title of the article is She’s not laughing anymore.

The teen has become known as the “laughing girl”—a   troubled Winnipeg teen who made headlines across the country with her callous reaction to a stolen-car crash that killed an innocent cab driver in 2008.

Now, the 18-year-old is telling her story for the first time in a letter to the Free Press.

“I know I’ve done a lot of bad things in my life and the crash was about the worst,” the teen begins in a handwritten, two-page letter sent to the Free Press.

“But I’ve said sorry over and over again.”

“I know and remember all the cruel and negative things I said in the past, but I was a younger girl trying to play a tough guy role, when I’m nowhere near tough.”

“You guys won’t let anyone really forgive me.

You guys continue to try and explain how I’m so unremorseful, how I don’t care about anything that’s happened.

Well you guys are wrong!

I ain’t saying anything I did was right, though.”

“I’m hoping you will let me move on with my life instead of making me feel like I’m trapped in this crisis that I’m already going to have to live with.

I have feelings and a life to turn around, which you guys aren’t making any easier for me.”

Can you identify what kind of sickness the girl has?

My father called it the present generation culture sickness.

How can this present generation of TMEC be healed from what he called the Present Generation Culture Sickness?

By obeying the Words of Jesus you will be healed.

Parents if you sense that your children is infected with this sickness, pray that they will love the Word of God and be obedient to it.

Jesus heals those who want to get well.

Jesus heals those who obey His words and…

3.  Jesus heals those who pursue righteousness

¹³ But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.

¹⁴ Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

Here is something that many of us Christians need to understand.

Are you a Baptist?

Do you believe in the Baptist faith… “Once saved always saved?” Do you believe also in the Baptist faith… “Perseverance of the Saints?”

This doctrine asserts that, since God is sovereign and His will cannot be frustrated by humans or anything else, those whom God has called into communion with himself will continue in faith until the end. Those who apparently fall away either never had true faith to begin with or never had true faith to return to.

Do you believe that when you prayed that sinner’s prayer you were saved?

Many evangelists tell you that if you pray to receive Jesus in your heart you will be saved. If you are serious in your faith, you need to read the fine print which is more important.

Back in the day when we were not yet Canadian citizens, my parents and my ate attended an oath-taking for 82 New Canadian Citizens from 23-countries at the Maples Collegiate. They were in that oath-taking ceremony for the New Canadian Citizens because my ate, who was at the time only had a student visa was requested to sing the National Anthem O Canada.

During the oath-taking my parents followed along when the judge led the oath-taking in English and French.

After that the judge handed out a certificate and card to those who had taken the oath. The judge welcomed them as new citizens of Canada. The certificate they received is an assurance that they can avail of any privilege given to a Canadian Citizen. Those new Canadian Citizens will not be deported to their country of origin anymore. They have the right to stay in Canada as long as they want.

      The Judgment Day is near.

God will separate those who will live in heaven from those who will be thrown into hell.

      If you have the certificate of citizenship in heaven you will stay in heaven. Even if you have prayed the Sinner’s Prayer….Even if you have prayed to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior you will not enter heaven if you don’t have that seal of citizenship in heaven.

During the oath-taking ceremony my parents and ate did take part in the oath-taking. My ate even led the singing of O Canada. The judge should have granted them some consolation.

We might come to church Sunday after Sunday. You might also do worship leading. You might also raise your hand, but you will be surprised come judgment day if you are not included in the welcoming of the citizens of heaven.

Our Lord Jesus said in verse 14 “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

We learned in the past that when Jesus says something, He speaks beyond our human comprehension. You need to be sure that the Holy Spirit is reigning in your heart. The Holy Spirit is the seal that assures us that we truly have received eternal life when we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord.

How do we know that the Holy Spirit is reigning in our hearts?

Check the fruit of the Spirit.

Do we have Love for our brethren? Do we have joy listening and obeying to God’s word? Do we have peace in the midst of problems? Do we have patience to pray for the church, our family, our pastors, our leaders, our friends? Do we have kindness when people insult us? Do we have goodness when people are not good to us? Do we have faithfulness in following Jesus even when we hear not so good words from other members? Do we have gentleness when others are rough?Do we have self-control in material temptation, physical temptation?

Is it hard to bear the fruit of the Spirit?

Hardship brings deeper rejoicing.

Difficult challenges bring greater feeling of satisfaction.

If you are playing basketball, and you are playing against a small boy and you win… do you feel great?

How about if you are playing against an NBA player?

Great is your rejoicing when you reach heaven because you persevere in your faith here on earth.

At the cross Jesus said to the thief in Luke 23:43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Both the thief and Paul will be in heaven.

But the thief and many of us will be watching Paul receiving:

1. the Crown of Glory for faithful Servants.
   2. the Crown of rejoicing for soul winners.
2. the Crown of Righteousness for those who love—look forward to His return
   4. the Incorruptible Crown for lives of purity
   5. the Crown of Life for Christian Martyrs

CONCLUSION:

      Today, I challenge you to renew your love for God.

If you are not sure that Jesus has given you eternal life, tell Him now. “Lord Jesus, I believe you paid all my sins on the cross. Be the Lord and Saviour of my Life from now on until eternity.” If you are very sure that God has given you eternal life through Jesus Christ, thank Him once again and rededicate yourself to His leading and to be obedient to His Word.

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