All right, let's open back to
John chapter 5. John chapter 5. Last Sunday night
we looked at the gates in the walls of Jerusalem because of verse 2 here in John
chapter 5. It talks about the sheep market
and that word means gate, the sheep gate. This morning we're
going to continue with the story and see what our Lord did for
one certain man right here at this sheep gate. Verse 1 says,
After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up
to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by
the sheep gate a pool which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda,
having five porches. This sheep gate was a door in
the wall of Jerusalem. And this was the place that they
brought all the animals that were going to be sacrificed in
the temple. This is where they brought them
in. Every animal who went through this gate never made it back
out. Open the gate, lead them to their
death. The gate of death. I thought
about Isaiah 53 verse 6 which says, All we, like sheep, have
gone astray. Man, I don't want to wander through
that gate. Do you? Wander through that gate? No
coming back. The gate of sacrifice. The gate of bloodshed. because of sin. That was the
whole purpose of that gate. The wages of sin is death and
all have sinned, but look at verse 2. It says, now there is at Jerusalem
by the sheep gate. Right next to the sheep gate
is a pool which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having
five porches. Do you know what Bethesda means?
Mercy. It means kindness. Right next
to the sheep gate, there's a pool of mercy. Right next to the door of death,
It was a pool of mercy. Verse 5 says, having five porches. I'm sorry, verse 2 says, having
five porches. Verse 3, in these lay a great
multitude of impotent folk. Impotent means without strength,
weak and sick. I've just described myself. That's you and me in this flesh,
isn't it? Spiritually and literally, literally,
my sin is bringing me down. It's bringing me down. I feel tired all the time. It's
because of my sin. Weak and sick. What is this sickness? It's our sin. It's our sin. Verse 3 says, In these lay a
great multitude of impotent folk of blind. They can't see. Spiritually speaking, they can't
see. Can't see God. They can't see
themselves. They can't see their blackness.
They can't see their vileness. They're blind. That word means
blind. And it also means lifted up with
pride. They're lifted up with pride.
Blind. You know what a real good evidence
that God has opened a man or woman's eyes is? Humility. That's a pretty good evidence.
Humility. When God opens a sinner's eyes
to see God, they get low. They get low. They get low. They first come
in up like this, then their back starts to bend like this. They
get low. Why? Fear. Fear. Verse 3 says, In these lay a
great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt. That word means limp, crippled,
lame. They can't walk. The commandment is come. They can't. They just physically and spiritually
can't. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, I'll give you rest. Can't. The only way we're going to come
is if someone draws us. They're lame. I'm lame. Verse 3 says, In these lay a
great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered. That means dry, parched, and
shrunken. That plant just withered, right? I thought about that story of
the man with the withered hand. Do you know what he couldn't
do with that hand? Work. Can't produce any work. Can't work for God. Can't. These were the people that came
to the pool of mercy. He was all those that had a need,
a real need. Well, these people were laying
there, it says in verse 3, waiting for the moving of the water,
for an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled
the water. Whosoever then first after the
troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever
disease he had. Was that real? Would that really happen? Were they really made whole? Well, this states it as fact,
doesn't it? Verse 4 says that they were. The problem for these
poor people was they were waiting on and looking to the wrong thing. Turn on the TV and you're going
to see all these evangelists. performing miracles on the sick. Are they really healed? I don't
know. Maybe. But I can tell you this, even
if they are, that's not what they need. Maybe they are. But even if they are, that is
not what they need. Turn with me to Mark chapter
9. Mark chapter 9 verse 43 says,
our Lord says, And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off. For it is better for thee to
enter into life maimed than having two hands to go into hell, into
the fire that never shall be quenched. Where there worm dieth
not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee,
cut it off. It is better for thee to enter
halt into life than having two feet to be cast into hell, into
the fire that never shall be quenched, where their worm dieth
not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy eye offend thee, pluck
it out. It is better for thee to enter
into the kingdom of God with one eye, blind in the other one,
than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire where their worm
dieth not and the fire is not quenched." A physical healing
is not what we need. I have some loved ones that are
sick right now. Kathy Pruitt is sick right now. And Lynn Nybert is sick right
now. And Mary Bell is sick right now. And you know what? A physical
healing is not what they need. If the Lord touches their body,
then we give the Lord all glory and honor for that. But a physical
healing is not what we need. We need a spiritual healing. I have a sinful heart. And I need something done about
that. Well, back to our text, John chapter 5, verse 4 says,
For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled
the water. Whosoever then first after the
troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever
disease he had. That's false religion right there. That's what that is. False religion. Do you know who salvation is
for in false religion? Those who don't really need it. That's who it's for. Those who
don't really need it. You watch the water. You keep
your good eye on that water. And when you see the water move, you step in. and you'll be fine. All you've got to do is step
in first, and that water will do the rest. Clearly, this pool wasn't for
those who said, I can't. I'm just too weak. I can't. Well, then this pool's not for
you. Clearly this pool was not for
those who said, I can't. I can't even see the water. I'm
blind. I don't even know which way to
go. Well then this pool's not for you. Clearly this pool was not for
those who said, I can't. I'm halt. I'm lame. I can't move. I'm withered. Well, then this pool is not for
you. This pool is for those who can just step in. I wish I could. I really do. But I can't. I just can't. Verse 5 says, And a certain man
was there which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. I would
imagine he'd been there all his life, at least all the time of
his infirmity, 38 years, looking to, waiting on this pool for
healing. Great multitudes devoted their whole lives to
this, their whole lives faithfully showing up Look into that water,
waiting on that water. Now think about this, okay? When that water was troubled,
it wasn't just one person who stepped in, right? Everybody wants the same thing,
right? As soon as that water moved, everybody jumped in, everybody. They dove in, they rolled in. I'm sure family members were
shoving their loved ones in. But only one person came out
healed. Can you imagine the heartache, the sorrow, the crying, the disappointment,
the shattered hope, The despair that came over that
place as they walked out or they were dragged out of that water,
unhealed. Can you imagine that? Turn with me to Isaiah 45. Isaiah 45 verse 20 says, Assemble
yourselves and come. Draw near together, ye that are
escaped of the nations. They have no knowledge that set
up the wood of their graven image and pray unto a God. that cannot
save. Can you imagine the heartache,
the shock, the disappointment of great multitudes of people
who have devoted their whole lives to assembling and looking
to and worshipping the wrong thing. They mean it. I'll leave my family to go do
this. I am sincere. I mean this. I've devoted my life to this.
Can you imagine the sadness? Oh, no. Is that not false religion? I want for the rest of my days
on this ball to worship the true and living God. If He's never
revealed Himself to me, Lord, do it today. I just want to worship
the true and living God. I don't want to be lied to. I
don't want to lie to myself. Tell me the truth. Just tell
me the truth. Back in our text, in John chapter
5, Verse 5 says, a certain man was
there. Not a random man. A certain man. Which had an infirmity
thirty and eight years. Now he's there just like everybody
else. No different from everybody else. Just a weak, sick, broken, ignorant
man. just like everybody else. He's not doing anything good.
He's not doing anything right. He's actually not doing anything
at all. He's just laying there. He's not worshiping God. He didn't
ask them to lay him in the temple. Somebody had to bring him there
every morning. I tell you what, instead of going
to the pool, let's go to the temple today. You lay me right
at the front door of the temple. He didn't ask that, did he? No,
take me back over to the pool. He's worshiping His own flesh.
I just want to be healed. That's all I want. I just want
health, wealth, and happiness. That's all I want. And if he stays right there where
he is, he's going to die in his sins. What a pathetic state to be in.
Isn't that pathetic? What a sad, wretched, shameful,
pathetic state to be in. Did you know in our human state,
that's you and me? Pathetic. Pathetic. Verse 3 says, this man was laying
there amongst a great multitude of people who were in the same
boat he was in. A great multitude. Now see if
you can picture this. A mass of people. A great multitude. And they're all just laying there. And it's hot. The sun is beating down on them.
They're sick. They're spreading germs and sickness
to each other. They stink. They're weak. They're tired. They've been there for years
and years. Their hope is about gone. They're
broken. They're sad. They're depressed. And God comes walking through
the middle of them. God. In the beginning God, He
came walking right through the middle of them. They have no idea. The very God
who made the earth they're laying on, who made the body their soul
dwells in, Walking right by. The actual
God. They're laying there dying. And
their Creator, the Great Physician, goes walking by. The One who
can heal any disease with a word. Any disease. He's walking by. They had no idea who it was.
Do you know how scary that is? You know how scary that is? I
just said that was me laying there. Right? Pass me not, O
gentle Savior. Pass me not. He is passing by this moment.
Your needs to supply. Pass me not. Jesus, thou son
of David, have mercy on me. Do I know who he is? Do I know
who he is? I'm looking at them going, ignorant. Do I know who he is? That great multitude of people
could care less who that man was walking by. All they cared
about was that pool of water. God walked through a great crowd
full of impotent, blind, halt and withered people and not one
of them said one word to God. Not one word. Isn't that sad? Not one of them cried out for
mercy. Not one of them. Not even this
certain man. The wickedness of man. Does that
not tell us the fallen state of man? The depravity and darkness
we're in. Mankind doesn't even recognize
his own God. Doesn't even recognize his own
God. Light walked by. And that proved their darkness. Why was our Lord there? Why did He walk through such
a vile place? It's because He was about His
Father's business. He was there on business. It's because He came to seek
and to save that which was lost. It's because He came not to call
the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Our Lord came walking through
that crowd, passing by men and women, stepping over people who
were laying in the way, with one certain man in view. I can imagine Him seeing this
man walking up to this man with great joy in his heart because
our Lord knew what was about to happen to that man. This man's
about to receive joy like he's never experienced in his life. It says this man had his infirmity
of impotence. He couldn't walk for 38 years. I can see our Lord walking right
up to him and just stopping right there. This man's laying there. Looking at his own. Looking at
this child of the Father. He'd been talking to his Father
about this. He can't be put in time. He was looking at the bride of
the Son. You think He loved that man?
You think love was in His heart at that moment for this man? Verse 6 says, He knew that He
had been now a long time in that case. He knew everything about
that man. He knew all his sin. He knew
everything about that man. Before He was formed in the belly,
He knew Him. Verse 6 says, When Jesus saw
him lie, and knew that he had now been a long time in that
case, he saith unto him. I'm quite positive that no one
else heard what he said. I'm quite positive. When our Lord speaks to a sinner,
He speaks directly to that sinner. There was no way he would have
allowed anybody else to believe he was talking to them. He asked
a question to this man, and this guy over here says, yes, no,
I'm talking to him. He spoke individually to one
certain man. I can see Him coming down to
where that man was, down on the ground. He's laying there. Man can't come up to Him. And God gets down on the ground. And He whispers in this man's
ear, Do you want to be healed? Will thou be made whole? Our Lord was first of all going
to make this man acknowledge, I'm sick. I need to be made whole. That's what he does to every
single sinner that he saves. When God wrestled with Jacob,
He broke his thigh. And He said, What is thy name?
And He said, Jacob. Sinner. That's my name. Wilt thou be made whole? Do you
need to be made whole? Can you make yourself whole?
You've been here 38 years now. Has any of it worked? Wilt thou
be made whole? Verse 7 says, The impotent man
answered him, Sir, I have no man. When the water is troubled,
to put me into the pool. But while I am coming, another
steppeth down before me. He thought salvation was in the
mains. He had no idea it was in the
man standing right in front of him. God is talking to him, blind. There was nothing in this man
worthy of salvation, at all. He didn't make one cry for mercy.
When the Lord asked him if he wanted to be made whole, he didn't
say, yeah, Lord, I do. He didn't say that. He proved that there wasn't one
drop of faith in him, not in and of himself. This man was
spiritually dead. God said, do you want to be made
whole? And this is what he said, I don't
know of anyone who is able. I don't know of anybody who's
able. I have no man to put me in the water. You know, if salvation depends
on anything first being in us, then there's not one sinner that's
going to be saved. There's nothing there. There's
nothing there. God was talking to this man.
There was nothing there. Without form and void. Do you
know what salvation is dependent on? Jesus Christ. That's it. Well, in spite of
this man, verse 8 says, Jesus saith unto him, rise. He didn't give that man a suggestion.
He gave him a command. Get up. Rise. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
is not an invitation. We're going to give an invitation
at the end of this service. No, we're not. Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's a command. Live is not an option. It's a command. He said in verse
8, Take up thy bed. You're not staying here. You
don't need your bed here anymore. You're not coming back to this
sick and sinful place anymore. Take up thy bed and walk. Simon, Andrew, James, John, follow
me. Gabe, follow me. It's a command. Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. Turn with me over to 1 John 1.
1 John 1, look at verse 6. If we say that we have fellowship
with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light,
as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all
sin. Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. Walk. Our text, verse 8 says, Jesus
saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately
the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked. And on the same day was the Sabbath. Salvation is of the Lord. It's
of the Lord. Now this man, he didn't know
all the ins and outs. He didn't know all the ins and
outs. Look at verse 12 in our text. Then asked they Him, What
man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed and walk? And
he that was healed wist not who it was. For Jesus had conveyed
Himself away. A multitude being in that place.
I don't know. I don't know. I can't put it
into words. Listen to this song, I love this.
It says, I know not why God's wondrous grace to me he hath
made known, nor why unworthy Christ in love redeemed me for
his own, but I know whom I have believed. I don't know why. Why did he pick me? I don't know.
I don't know. I know not how this saving faith
to me he did impart, nor how believing in his word wrought
peace within my heart, but I know whom I have believed. I know not how the Spirit moves.
I don't know. Convincing men of sin Revealing
Jesus through the Word, creating faith in Him. But I tell you
this, I know whom I have believed. He said, I don't know. Look at
verse 10. The Jews therefore said unto
him that was cured, it is the Sabbath day. It is not lawful
for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, he that made
me whole, the same said unto me, take up thy bed and walk. And that's exactly what I did. I'm going to listen to Him. I'm
going to trust Him. He's my Lord. He's my Savior. He's my God. Well, after He'd healed this
man, he had this infirmity 38 years, no telling how long he'd
been at this pool, a man who probably most of the people around
him knew. He came there every day. They
knew each other. They talked to each other. After
the Lord God spoke the living word and this man got up and
picked up his bed and walked away. Did you notice how many
of the people around him saw the Christ for who he is and
started crying out for mercy? Zero. Isn't that sad? The awful state
man is in by nature. Isn't that so sad? You know what
we have to say to all that? Thank God for grace. Thank God for grace. Start to
finish, there's just nothing good in this old sinner. In this
blind, crippled, lame sinner. It's all of grace, isn't it?
Start to finish. Well, let's stand together.