It is a joy to be here. Today we'll be in John, chapter
5. John, chapter 5. But I want to say something first. And today's message is called,
A Divine Encounter. A Divine Encounter at Bethsaida. A divine encounter. Here before us in our text, we
have a divine appointment of God. A divine appointment of
God. This man did not know that he
had an appointment with God in the flesh. The man in John 5 who we're looking
at was a friendless outcast. But like I said, I want to set
the table a little bit in Luke 15, verse 1 to 4. then drew near unto him all the
publicans and sinners for to hear him." Publican and sinners, outcasts
from the Jewish society, the ones who are despised and
looked down at. And the Pharisees and scribes,
the religious folks, murmured saying, This man receiveth sinners,
and eateth with them. I'm so thankful that's in the
Bible. This man receiveth sinners. I'm
so thankful. I'm thankful that the Lord did
receive sinners, and does. And he spake this parable unto
them, saying, What man of you, having a hundred
sheep, if you lose one of them, Let's not leave the 99 in the
wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it. In religion, there's a story
in religion that goes like this. He goes after the lost sheep,
and he finds it, and he breaks its legs so that it can't wander
away. Well, I did some looking into
that. That's just not true. Because then the sheep would
be lame. Look in Luke 15, five, look what
it says. And when he hath found it, when
he found the sheep, right? He layeth it on his shoulders.
Now think of this for us as believers. God finds one of his lost sheep,
he puts it on his shoulders, right? And what does the sheep do? Oh,
he looks lovingly at the Savior. He gazes at the Savior. gazes at the great shepherd's
face. This is marvelous, wonderful,
free grace. And this is why we cry. Look
to Christ. In Luke 15.6 it says, And when
he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, and
saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep
which was lost. Sheep didn't know it was lost,
did it? But the shepherd knew it was. Sheep are just out there
wandering around. But the shepherd knew it was
lost. The joyous could not be, for
I found my sheep, which was lost. I say unto you that likewise
joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repented, more than
over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. The lost sheep never sought the
shepherd, But here in John chapter five,
we're going to see one of God's lost sheep and the shepherd seeks them. One of God's lost sheep, the good shepherd always seeks
his sheep and they hear his voice and they follow him. They follow
him. John chapter 5, let's read the
first four verses here. After this there was a feast
of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at
Jerusalem a sheep market, a pool, which is in the Hebrew tongue
called beseda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, a blind halt,
withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down 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. So our Lord Jesus Christ, who
fulfills the law, all the laws demands as our great substitute,
goes up to keep the feast of the Jews in Jerusalem. In a quick observation, the Greek
word for Bethsaida is defined, house of mercy. House of mercy. And today, today I pray the Lord,
the Holy Spirit will illuminate the scriptures and that we'll
be able to see that this is one of Christ's lost sheep. We'll see the Lord having mercy
on one of his lost sheep. We see God's providence at work
right before our eyes. It was not by chance that he was
in Jerusalem. Yes, he was there for the feast,
yes. But he was also there because
he had a divine appointment with one of his sheep. He had a divine appointment. Think of this in our text, the
great physician approaches. and he was not recognized or
wanted. We saw last week that he is the
light of the world, walking among them that are in
darkness. And verse 3 tells us, verse 3
tells us, there was a great multitude Great multitude of people. They were not only sick, but
they were helpless. Helpless. And think of this, they were
all equally in need. And they were all equally helpless.
They may have had different diseases, but they were all in need. And they were all helpless. Think on this. We're born into
this world in our natural state, all equally in need, and all
equally helpless. And Potin, which sums up our
state, We lack any ability to come to God, impotent. We lack
any ability to come to God, any ability to come to him at all. Blind, there were blind folks. In our understanding and in our
hearts, we are blind to the things of God. Halt, which means crippled. They were crippled. They could
not come to God on their own. They could not come to the pool
on their own. Same as us in our state. We can't come to God on
our own. Withered. Unable to work. We're unable to work our way
to God. So this is a picture. This is a picture of all of mankind. Does this not picture our fallen
helpless state, dead in trespasses and sins? And think of this, if anyone,
if anyone is to ever come to God, he must be drawn if he's
in that state, because he doesn't have the ability to come on his
own. John 6, 44, if you want to turn
there, John 6, 44, Brother John and I were talking
this week about how when he was in the Navy, they would cast
ropes out when they got close to the dock, or the pier. And the men would draw on that
rope, remember? They'd draw, and that big old
ship would just go right over to the side. Think of the Holy
Spirit drawing us to Christ. Just drawing us to Christ. John
6, 44, no man can come to me except the Father which has sent
me. Draw him and I'll raise him up at the last day. No man. That's everyone. No man can come to me except
the Father which has sent me. Draw him and I'll raise him up
at the last day. So here we have the messenger of the covenant.
Malachi 3, 1 says, behold, I will send my messenger and he shall
prepare the way before me And the Lord, the Lord whom you seek,
shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant,
whom you delight in. Behold, he shall come, saith
the Lord of hosts. Here we have Jehovah Rapha, the
Lord, our healer. The Lord, our healer. So what a condition we are when
we're born into this world, dead in trespasses and sins. We're
just like these folks here. And were it not for sovereign
mercy, we'd still be in that situation. And think of this. If it weren't
for sovereign mercy, all of humanity would perish if God hadn't chosen
people. But he did. He chose a people,
and they're his sheep. And we saw today, this morning,
he shall not fail, and he redeemed them. He shall not fail. He will save his sheep. John
5.5, and a certain man was there which had an infirmity 30 and
eight years. Now here's something interesting
for us to ponder. It says that there was a multitude
of people here in verse three, but the Lord Jesus Christ passes
by all those folks, all those folks, and he comes face to face
with this man. Face to face with him. Who made this man to differ from
all the multitude of people? I ask you, beloved of God, who
made you to differ amongst all the multitude of people that
we live with? Only God. Only God. This is one of Christ's sheep
here in our text. This is one of Christ's sheep. And he's called here a certain
man. A certain man. This is one who God had given
to Christ in eternity. So who made him to differ from
all the other people? Well, see, it's God. It's God,
and it is only God who made him to differ, and no one else. No
one else. Now, this man has no clue that
he's one of God's sheep. He has no idea. Did we before the Lord saved
us? Didn't have a clue. But ponder what we looked at
in Luke 15. Here we have before us God incarnate
in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ, the man, the God-man
mediator in the flesh, the great shepherd of the sheep seeking
after one of his lost sheep. For the Son of Man has come to
save, come to save that which is lost. For the Son of Man has come to
seek and to save that which was lost. He came to save His people
from their sins. And He did it. He did it. He's
a successful Savior. And let us notice, let us notice
in our text too, As I said earlier, we see the shepherd seeks the
sheep. The shepherd seeks the sheep,
not the other way. In religion, they tell you the
sheep seek the shepherd. But in grace, the shepherd seeks
the sheep. Oh, what a picture we have of
us before the Lord saved us. We were wandering sheep. wandering around this world of
woe, doing whatever we pleased, whatever we pleased, thinking
we had it all together, right? I know I did. Thought, oh, I'm
going to heaven based upon, because I'm not as bad as that guy over
there. We always find someone worse than we are when, well,
no, scripture really puts us in our place, doesn't it, when
we realize, no, we're, We're no better than anyone else. But
that was our thoughts and our minds. But when God starts to
reveal himself to you, when the shepherd finds one of his lost
sheep, and you're being drawn by the Holy Spirit of God, oh, what mercy the sinner finds
in Christ! What mercy! Grace! Grace to cover all my
sins! Not just one or two, but all
of them. Free grace. Sovereign grace. And as Brother Newton said, amazing
grace. Amazing grace. Now in our text, we do not know
what happened to have him in this condition that he was in. But this lame man was in in this
condition before Christ was born into the world. Christ was always God and is
always God, but he came into this world. And in our next text,
the Lord Jesus Christ shows us his deity and his divinity. Remember, Christ is God and man. Look at verse six, when Jesus
saw him lie, and knew that he had been now
a long time in that case. There's an interesting little
phrase. He saith unto him, wilt thou be made whole? And here
we see our Lord's deity as he knows all men. He knows all men. How did he know that he'd been
sick like that for years? Well, we looked at the fact last
week that our Lord knows all men, doesn't he? He knows all
men. And now here we see it again
right before our eyes. God in the flesh. Turn with me
if you would to John chapter 10. God knows all things about everyone.
Nothing is hid from Him. He knows who his sheep are. And
this man is one of his sheep. John chapter 10 verse 14 to 16,
I am the good shepherd and know my sheep. And I'm knowing of mine. When
he reveals himself, they know him. As the Father knoweth me,
even so I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep."
There's who he died for. In Sunday school, we looked at
he shall not fail. Well, if Christ died for everyone,
as some claim, and there are people in hell, then he failed. But we know he
shall not fail. Why? because he laid down his
life for the sheep. He died for his people, and he's
redeemed them from their sins. He shall not fail. And other
sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring,
and they shall hear my voice. Oh, they shall hear his voice.
There is no doubt they'll hear his voice. And there shall be one fold and
one shepherd, So he sees this man and he knows
he's one of his sheep. As one commentator said, Christ
delights to help the helpless and have mercy on whom he will
have mercy. Notice how he singles this man
out, so he passes by all those folks, right? He passes by all those folks
and he singles this man out when Jesus saw him. The eyes of the great savior
of sinners was fixed upon this man just as it's fixed upon his
sheep, all of them. Turn, if you would, to Isaiah
chapter 49. And think of this, too. There's
many other people, right? Because it says there's a multitude
of people there. But his eyes are fixed on this man. Here was one of the many who
were given to him in eternity by God the Father. And the Lord Jesus Christ knew
this man. He knew all about him. Is he knowing him from eternity?
And look at Isaiah 46, 16. He's knowing this sheep of his
for a long time. Why? Because his name was graven
upon his hands. Behold, I have graven thee upon
the palms of my hands. Thy walls are continually before
me. The Lord Jesus Christ knows his
people. Isaiah 49, 16. Behold, I have
graven thee upon the palms of my hands. Thy walls are continually
before me. He loves his sheep with an everlasting
love. And think of this. If you're
saved, it's not by your decision, although you came to Christ.
They are not by your works, it's by the sovereign mercy of God
in Christ. Free grace, free and sovereign
grace. Back to our text in John chapter
five, verse six. When Jesus saw him lie and knew
that he had now been a long time in that case, he saith unto him,
wilt thou be made whole? And notice it's the Lord who
first moves here. It does not say in our text when
the man saw Jesus, does it? This man's not seeking Christ. And as I said, he passed by so
many to get to this man. And remember this, the Lord Jesus
Christ will never pass by his sheep. Never. Scripture declares, when Jesus
saw him, here we have a seeking Savior and a needy sinner. Christ Jesus the King, the Good
Shepherd, seeking the lost sheep. The Lord asks in this question,
wilt thou be made whole? Now, this is not for information.
is this is the God of glory asking this question. The Lord knew he was desirous
to be healed. But John Gill made a short comment
on this and he said the question was asked to raise hope in this
man of a cure. Look at verse seven. The impotent
man answered him saying, sir, I have no man when the water
is troubled to put me into the pool, but while I'm coming, step
it down before me. He didn't have a clue who Christ
was. He didn't know who was speaking
to him. He didn't know who was asking
this question. He did not know that Christ could
heal him by a word. And so this is a man's state
before us. He's helpless to get himself into the pool. He's friendless. He's got no
one to help him even get in there. And he's hopeless as someone
always makes it before he can get in there. But Christ is the unfailing friend
of the friendless, isn't he? He's the friend of sinners. He's the helper of the helpless. He's the great physician. And
here he will heal a helpless, hopeless, friendless man who
is one of his sheep from eternity. What a picture we have before
us of Christ saving a lost sinner. Look at verse eight. Jesus saith
unto him, rise, take up thy bed, and walk. What God commands will
come to pass. This is God in the flesh commanding
this man to do. Remember, 38 years he'd been
in this condition. 38 years. Here's a picture of God's
irresistible grace. Here's a picture of God's saving
power. Christ commands and it immediately
comes to pass. Remember the leper, Lord, Lord
if thou will, I will. Power in our great king's words.
Power, God incarnate in the flesh. The Lord Jesus Christ, he speaks
with power. He speaks with authority. Remember,
Lazarus come forth, what happened? Lazarus came forth. That's a
picture of us too, dead. He speaks to his sheep, come
forth, and they come forth. They flee to Christ. Thy people
shall be made well in the day of his power. Look at John 5, 9. It's an immediate
healing. And immediately the man was made
whole and took up his bed and walked, and on the same day was
the Sabbath. He was immediately made whole,
just like that. That's why I always say God can
save you without you moving a muscle, because it's a heart work It's
a heart work. He must do the work. He must
do it all. In an instant, this man is made
whole. In an instant. Oh, when God saves a sinner,
he's instantly made a new creature in Christ. Born again in the
Holy Ghost. Regenerated by his power. Forgiven for all his sins. by the King of Kings and the
Lord of Lords. And this is why we cry, flee
to Christ, flee to Christ, look to him. Oh, may he make you willing. May he make you willing. We here who are saved, we're
simply saved sinners, aren't we? We're ones who God has had mercy
upon. We don't deserve it. Not at all. We can't earn it. But God has had mercy upon us.
And he's done it all. We who are saved were not seeking
Christ when he saved us. But he sought us out. He sought us out. Oh, may there
be one here today who the Lord's seeking out. Oh, may he draw you. May he grant you faith to believe.
May he grant you faith to believe. 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. Well, here we go. Here
we go. Here's religion. Oh my. This man, 38 years. He'd been in this condition.
They knew. They'd seen him. 38 years. He's just been cured. It's a
miracle of God. Oh, what do religious men do? Here we go. They get angry that
he's carrying his bed on the Sabbath. But there's the miraculous power of God.
A miracle has occurred. You're carrying your bed on the
Sabbath. Blind. Blind to the things of
God. These men get angry. And think
of this, too, how religion can entangle people with works. It
just entangles you. But there's freedom and liberty
in Christ. Religion can entangle you, and
then we preach that Christ did it all. He did it all. Our salvation is not based upon
what we do, but based upon what Christ has done. And this man was acted upon. Immediately, he was made whole. Christ died on the cross for
sinners. This man needed Christ desperately. And it's only his blood that
redeems us from our sins. We can never, we could never
ever do anything that would satisfy God's law and justice. Look at
verse 11. He answered them. He that made me whole, the same
said unto me, take up thy bed and walk. He made me whole. And he told me, he told me, take
up thy bed and walk. The one who made him whole, who
did this wonderful miracle, told him to take up his bed. Turn
with me if you would to Luke chapter 5. This one is none other than God
incarnated in the flesh. Luke chapter 5, verses 20 to
25. The miracles of Christ prove
that he was God in the flesh. Only Christ who is God in the
flesh has the power to forgive sins, right? This lame man testifies that
the one who healed me, he commanded me to take up my bed and walk.
Testifying of Christ's divine power. Look at Luke chapter five,
verses 20 to 25. And when he saw their faith,
he said unto him, man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And here we
go, the religious folks again. And the scribes and the Pharisees
began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies?
Who can forgive sins but God alone? They don't have a clue
who Christ is. These are men who studied the
word. Blind leading the blind. But when Jesus perceived their
thoughts, being God, he answering, said unto them, what reason ye
in your hearts, whether it is easier to say, thy sins be forgiven
thee, or to say, rise up and walk? But that ye may know that
the Son of Man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, he said
unto the sick and the palsy, I say unto thee, arise and take
up thy couch and go into thine house. And here we go again.
And immediately, instantaneously, immediately
he rose up before them and took up that wherein he lay and departed
in his own house Glorifying God, giving him all the glory and
all the honor and all the praise for what he had done. So the lame man testifies that
the one who healed me commanded me to take up my bed. John chapter
five, verses 12 to 13. Then asked they him, what man
is that which said unto thee, take up thy bed and walk? And
he that was healed was not who it was for Jesus had conveyed
himself away, a multitude being in that place. So they asked
him, they questioned him, who was this? Who told you to do
this? He could not tell them as Christ
had disappeared into the multitude of people. These religious works mongers
are trying to hunt down who told them to do this. Turn with me
if you would to Galatians chapter five. If anyone tries to yoke you with
the works of religion, just rest in this portion of
scripture right here. Galatians chapter five, verses one to five. Stand fast,
therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, the
believers free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Don't be entangled again by the yoke of works-based religion. It's bondage. We have freedom
in Christ. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you,
that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For
I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he
is a debtor to the whole law." Folks that want to live by the
law, they've got to fulfill the whole thing. I can't do that,
but Christ did it for me. Christ is becoming no effect
unto you, whosoever you are justified by the law. Remember the pinprick
works? Put just a pinprick of works
into grace, and it's no longer grace. Christ is becoming no effect
unto you. Whosoever of you are justified
by the law, you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit
wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. Oh, just rest in Christ. Don't get tangled up in the yoke
of bondage. Those of us who have come out
of religion, let us never be entangled again in that yoke.
Do, do, do, do, do. Well, we believe done. He did
it all. And the hardest thing for me
is just to enter into that rest. Just to rest and trust in him. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless
I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me, and the life which I live I now live in the flesh, I live
by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself
for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness
come by the law, then Christ is dead and vain. Galatians 2
verses 20 and 21. Look at verse 14 in our text
in John 5 again. But afterwards Jesus findeth
him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing
come unto thee. So our Lord finds him in the
temple, and no doubt he's praising God. No doubt he's praising God
for what the Lord's done for him. He knows it's a miracle. 38 years he was in the condition. So he's in the temple praising
God. He goes to the house of prayer
and praise. And our Lord charges him to sin
no more. Sin no more. He's not saying that he'll be
free from all sin. John Gill has some good light
on this. He says, the mercy he had received
laid him under an obligation to guard against sin, in which
there would still be a proneness in him. So we're safe sinners,
right? Nor did our Lord imagine that
he could hereafter live without sin. but that he should not indulge
himself in it. He should go back to his old
ways and give himself unto it and
live in it. So religion, think of this too.
Turn with me if you would to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Think
of this. In religion, it tries to motivate
you by duty, doesn't it? It did when I was in religion.
And I said earlier, whenever I talk about it, don't think
I'm being condescending. I came out of all this stuff. I'm not
trying to be condescending. I came out of all that workspace
just junk. And it was always motivation
by duty. You got to do this. You got to
do that. You got to do this. You got to have your little checklist.
Well, I don't want a checklist. My king did it all. So I'm not
motivated by duty, I'm motivated by love. In 2 Corinthians 5, 14 and 15
tells us, for the love of Christ constraineth us. It's the love of Christ that
keeps us from doing things that we shouldn't do. And always remember,
never, I was talking to John again about this, and Sister
Ruth, don't ever, don't ever, don't ever forget the rock you
were hewn from. Don't ever forget where the Lord
saved you from. The pit you were in. Don't ever forget that. But now, for the love of Christ
constrains us, because we thus judge that if one died for all,
then all were dead. And that he died for all, that
they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves. We don't
live unto ourselves anymore, we live unto Christ. The love
of Christ constrains us. Turn afterward to 1 John. The
love of Christ constrains us from sin. but unto, so we live
unto our, sorry, which should not henceforth live unto ourselves,
but unto him which died for them and rose again. So our motivation
is the love of Christ. We are motivated by love, not
by duty. And we know that we still sin,
don't we? Look at what 1 John says, 1 John
1, 9 and 10, and 1 John 2, 1. We know we sin, we're motivated
by law of not duty, and praise God, we have an advocate with
the Father. Look at 1 John 1, 9. If we confess
our sins, we sin and we confess to Christ. Brother Henry Mann
said we've repented, we're repenting, we continuously repent. We continuously
come to Christ in our walk Well, we're pilgrimaging here on earth.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If
we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word
is not in us. Look at verse one of chapter
two. My little children, these things
write I unto you, that you sin not. Don't indulge yourself the
way we used to. And if any man sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. He is
righteous. That's our Savior, the righteous
one, the righteous one. Our last verse in chapter five
will be verse 15.