Too much stuff in the way there
to see those buttons. Don't know where it came from
either. How about turning with me to John chapter 5, John's
Gospel chapter 5. There is more in this chapter
and just in the portion that we will consider than can possibly
be properly covered. I am trying to get to verses
28 and 29 in John chapter 5, but I do think it would be of
help if we do a quick overview of the first 27 verses. So I'll try to do that as briefly
as I can. Now, I promise you that sometimes
when I tell my folks and myself that I'm going to just read straight
through and not stop, I never seem to make it. So please bear with me and I'll
move as quickly as I can and still try to bring out some things
that are so very important in this chapter. John's method of
writing this gospel under divine inspiration appears to have been
to use various occasions in our Lord's life and ministry, particularly
miracles of healing. There are seven of them in John's
gospel. He calls them signs. And here
in chapter 5 is the healing of the impotent man at the Pool
of Bethesda. The word Bethesda is house of
mercy, just like the word Bethel is house of God. So here it is,
the house of mercy. This is a place for poor sinners,
and we're about to meet one in this glorious and wonderful chapter. After this, there was a feast
of the Jews And Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at
Jerusalem by the sheep market, really the sheep gate, which
is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. And this particular miracle seems
to have covered the period of time after Malachi until the
incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. And even at this point,
our Lord has already begun His public life and ministry. There
are people still waiting around this pool for the moving of the
water. An angel came at certain times. There was a whole host of sick
folks. And the first one in the pool is the one that received
the healing. Isn't it wonderful that in the
gospel The last shall be first and the first shall be last.
If it was the first in line, some of us would not be here
this evening, for sure. And I'd be number one on that
list. In these five porches lay a multitude
of impotent folk, of blind, halt, that is lame, withered. 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." Please remember that in the four Gospels,
the healing of our Lord Jesus Christ to the bodies of men is
a picture for us of what he does to the souls of men. We must
ever keep this in mind and look past the bodily ailment to the
spiritual disease that sin has wrecked and ruined us with. Verse
5 brings out another point that we cannot pass over. And a certain
man, God always, Brother Mahan has taught me this and many other
preachers whom I've heard, including your pastor, God does everything
on purpose, on purpose. Nothing is just incidental, though
it may appear to be. Some people call it accidental,
but there is really no such thing. But this is on purpose. A certain
man, a certain man was there which had an infirmity
thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lie and knew
that he had been now a long time in that case, he said unto him,
Will you be made whole? As if to say that having this
disease for thirty-eight years Perhaps he had reconciled himself
to it and thought he should never be able to be over it. But he
still came to this pool of Bethesda, this house of mercy. And especially
is this true in regard to a sinner. We are born sinners and we improve
on it every day of our lives. And until God comes to us like
the Lord Jesus did to this man, We'll stay in that condition.
And this question has tremendous bearing when applied to a sinner.
Will you be made whole? In this very chapter down at
verse 40, the Lord Jesus tells the Pharisees, you will not come
to me that you might have life. And notice as well that in this
man's case, it was the Lord who spoke to him first. And that's
how it is, my dear friends, with you and me. God finds us and
then we find Him. He seeks us and then we seek
Him. That great hymn goes, I sought
the Lord and afterward I knew. He moved my soul to seek Him
seeking me. It was not I that found, O Savior,
true. No, I was found of Thee. And
that is always the case. It's never the other way around. What a glorious question. Let's
put it to ourselves. Will we be made whole? Will you? Will I? The impotent man answered, Sir,
I have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the
pool. But while I'm coming, another steps down before me. Jesus said
unto him, Rise, take up your bed, and walk." What a powerful, powerful statement. That's how God saves sinners. A divine fiat. He speaks and
it's done. And verse 9 is a revealing verse. I wish I weren't so lazy and
I'd go through all four Gospels and count the times that this
happens. I can't tell you what it is yet.
I've got to read the verse. Okay? Verse 9, And immediately
the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked. And on
the same day was the Sabbath. I sometimes think that the Lord
Jesus deliberately did more of these miracles on that exact
day than any other time. And he did it to fuel the fires
of his enemies, because they could not stand him for that
fact. And they're going to grill this
fellow on what he's doing carrying his bed. And I want you to notice
the difference between how he words his answer to them and
how they respond. Verse 10, The Jews therefore
said unto him that was cured, It is the Sabbath day. It is
not lawful for you to carry your bed. Now look at the man's answer
in verse 11. He said, He that made me whole,
the same..." I keep looking at you and not at my book. "...the
same said unto me, Take up your bed and walk." You remember when
our Lord was at the wedding feast in Cana in John chapter 2? And
they ran out of wine. And Mary was asking Him to intervene. And he brushed her off with a
remark. So she turned to the servants
and said, whatever he says to you, do it. That's what this
guy said. The man that made me whole said,
do it. Do it. Isn't that wonderful? I mean, if anybody should tell
us what to do, it ought to be him. If Mary said to those servants,
whatever he says to you, do it. That's what we can say to you
and to me. Whatever he says do, do it. Do it. Ah, but look how the Pharisees
worded it. Entirely different. Then asked
they him, What man is that that said unto you, take up your bed
and walk." They completely ignore the fact that the man is now
whole, made whole. They don't dare say, who is this
that made you whole and said, take up your bed and walk? And he that was healed knew not
who it was. For Jesus had conveyed himself
away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward, Jesus finds
him in the temple and said unto him, Behold, you are made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing
come unto you." My dear friends, if that means what it looks like
it means, whoever is healed will be sick pretty soon after. I'd
say before you got 100 yards down the road. And if when we're made whole
spiritually, if sinless perfection is required to keep us in that
state, we'll be right back where we were in short order. What is worse than having a disease
that left this man completely without strength for 38 What can be worse? The soul's
diseases of many kinds and types. So don't think that this man
is going to suddenly go back to his original condition. Our
Lord speaks these words in such a way as to wake our minds that we might
think about what he's saying. Sin no more, lest a worse thing
come unto you. There are a whole lot worse things
than being sick. And I'm not making light of sickness.
There are many things worse than bodily pains and ailments and
sicknesses and disease. And they're spiritual. Far worse. Far, far worse. Losing the sense of God's presence. Not knowing his fellowship. Sin
interrupts these things. And we're sick because of it. The man departed, in verse 15,
and told the Jews that it was Jesus which had made him whole.
This man had no idea what they had in mind. And therefore did the Jews persecute
Jesus and sought to slay him because he had done these things
on the Sabbath day. Now look how our Lord responds
to their charge. But Jesus answered them, My Father
works hitherto. That word means up until this
exact moment, up until now. If He doesn't work, if He's not
working right now, this whole world goes away and we with it. My Father works hitherto and
I work. Therefore, the Jews sought the
more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath,
but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal
with God. And indeed, he is. He is. Now, starting at verse
19 through verse 27, I want you to be on the lookout for the
word for, F-O-R. There are five of them in that
span of verses. Then answered Jesus and said
unto them, to the Jews, Verily, verily, this is like saying,
Amen, Amen. And in Revelation 3.14, the Lord
says that He is the Amen. the faithful and true witness."
These words are to be given special treatment. We are to see them,
look at them, and study why they are attached to the statement
that is being made. Amen, amen. I say unto you, now
he's answering the charge of the Pharisees that he's violating
the Sabbath. And far worse than that, he's
made himself equal with God. He said, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees
the Father do. Here's that four. For what things
soever he does, these also does the Son. Likewise, the Lord Jesus
is putting right in front of these unbelieving Jews evidence
upon evidence that He is none other than God in human flesh. There is the first one. The second
one is in verse 20. For the Father loves the Son
and shows Him all things that Himself does. And He will show
him greater works than these that you may marvel. Here's the
third one in verse 21. For as the Father raises up the
dead and quickens them, even so the Son quickens whom He will. And the fourth one is in verse
22. For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment
unto the Son. that all men should honor the
Son even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors
not the Father which hath sent him." Now let that one just settle
on your mind. All the religious groups in this
world who claim to worship God and do not give any glory, nor
honor, nor power to the Lord Jesus. It is purely an empty
profession. Nothing to it. Nothing. Verse 24. Here's that double
verily again. Amen, amen, I say unto you. He that hears my word and believes
on him that sent me, has." Now, those other two verbs were in
the present. This one's in the past tense.
He has everlasting life that enables him to hear God's Word
and believe on God that sent our Lord Jesus Christ. He has
everlasting life. A dead sinner cannot do anything
until he's made alive. Isn't that right? Absolutely. It would defy all reason to say
anything else. And shall not. What did he say
to that guy earlier? Sin no more lest a worse thing
come upon you? Well, put this statement beside
it. and shall not come into condemnation, but is past, E.D., past, from
death unto life." What kind of life? Everlasting life. It cannot have an end. Verse
25, "'Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and
now is. When the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, and when dead men hear, they that
hear shall live." That's beautiful. That's majestic. That's glorious. Just like the one who spoke the
words. The dead shall hear the voice
of the Son of God. Speak, Lord, with the voice that
wakes the dead and make Thy people hear. Verse 26, here's the fifth
four. Boy, that doesn't work, does
it? The fifth four. The five four. For as the Father
has life in Himself, so has He given to the Son to have life
in Himself. Make sure we understand something
now. In regard to these statements, the Lord Jesus has two special
titles. One of them is the Son of God,
and the other one is the Son of Man. As the Son of God, none
of these things can be given to him. But in his deity, perfectly united
and joined to His humanity, the Lord Jesus refers to Himself
as the Christ, the Messiah, the one mediator between God and
men, the man, the God-man, Christ Jesus. Well, you ask me, can
I back it up? And I say, yes, ma'am and yes,
sir, I can. And it's the very next verse.
Verse 27, "...and has given him authority
to execute judgment also." Why? Because he is the Son of Man. These things could not be given
to him as the Son of God, but because he is The Son of Man. The Son of Man. Now, would you
believe that we're already at verse 28 and 29? Let me check the clock. Oh, I'm
not too far behind. I ain't long in the time. You know
that. Well, sometimes. Verses 28 and
29. Look at this very carefully.
I want to talk to you for just a few minutes on the resurrection
of life and the resurrection of damnation. And everybody in
this room is going to be in one or the other. I am and you are. Marvel not at this, for the hour
is coming in the which All that are in
the graves shall hear His voice. My, what a voice that must be. And shall come forth they that have done good. That's
an interesting word, good. They that have done good. under
the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil under
the resurrection of damnation." What is the resurrection of life? If you will turn over one chapter,
John chapter just point out four verses of
Scripture that declare this glorious truth. What is it we're asking? What is the resurrection of life? The first one is in verse 39. John 6, 39, and this is the Father's will
which hath sent me. That of all which He's given
me, all of God's elect that He's given to the blessed surety of
the everlasting covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ. All which He's given me, I should
lose nothing. Well, I thought we were going
to talk about the resurrection of life. Raise it up at the last
day. He doesn't seem to have any doubt
about that. Why should we? Look at verse 40. And this is
the will of him that sent me, that every one which sees the
Son, and believes on him, may have everlasting life. And I'll
raise him up at the last day. Look at verse 44. Brother Mahan quoted this verse
this morning over at Danville. 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. And verse 54. And we're fixing to come to the
Lord's table. What a blessed passage this is.
There's only one food for our souls, and that's the body and
blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who so eats my flesh and drinks
my blood? We're not talking about physically
nor corporally. We're talking about spiritual
food. Spiritual food. Whoso eats my
flesh and drinks my blood has, has everlasting life. Eternal life. I'm going to raise him up at
the last day. Well, what is the resurrection
of damnation? How about turning to Revelation for
a moment? Let me just read you a few verses
of Scripture out of the twentieth chapter. Revelation, chapter
twenty. Now we'll have to speed up a
little bit. Verses 11 through 15. This will answer conclusively
what is the resurrection of damnation. There's no need to pretend there
is no such thing. If there's no such resurrection
as the resurrection of damnation, then we might as well say there's
no such thing as the resurrection of life. And every member of
Adam's race will be in one or the other. Verse 11, Revelation
20, And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was
found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God, and the book plural with an S, the
books were opened, and another book without an S,
singular. Now, you've got to distinguish
those two things. There are the books and the book. And the dead were judged out
of those things which were written in the books. Now, what kind
of dead is this? Dead, dead in trespasses and
in sins. The dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books according to their
works. My friend, any man or woman whom
God judges, whom Christ judges, based on what we have and have
not done, is in the resurrection of damnation. Verse 13, And the sea gave up
the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the
dead which were in them. And they were judged every man
according to their works, and death and hell were cast into
the lake of fire. This is the second death. The second death. And verse 15, I hope you're interested
in this statement. This is vital to understand.
You know, God's not who we think He is. He's who He is. And whosoever was not found written
in the book Without an S, the book of life
was cast into the lake of fire. Now, there are several other
verses we could turn to, but I think the case is proved beyond
a doubt. There is a resurrection of damnation, and there is a resurrection of
life. And this is as plain as words
can make it. If you and I don't understand
this, it's because I don't want to understand it. Secondly, having answered what is the resurrection
of life and what is the resurrection of damnation, Two questions come to mind. In 1983, I was asked to preach a baccalaureate
sermon at the high school where my daughter had attended. And John 529 was my text. You know, I ain't been invited
back. And they said I had five minutes.
I just ignored that part. You can't say anything in five,
I can't in five minutes. What is this thing about those
that have done good, done good? That's probably, next to barbecue,
that's probably the most misunderstood word in the English language. I hope there's some Texans here
tonight. Scripture says, Romans chapter
3, there's none good. No, not even one. Bless God in his blessed Son. His children are made good. Made good. There's a verse of
Scripture in Psalm 125. As a matter of fact, there's five verses
in that psalm, but there's just one I want to talk to you about.
challenge you to look at this and take it home with you and
think about it. Verse 4, Psalm 125, verse 4. We've got the word good in here. Do
good, O Lord, unto those that be good. Now, if we're going to be good,
God has to make us good in His Son who is nothing but good. We're made righteous in Christ.
We're holy in Christ. We're sanctified in Christ. You
can't get any more holier than that. You can't get any better,
I start to say, gooder than that. That's good. I do mean good. Listen to it again now. Do good,
O Lord, to whom? Those that be good. Isn't this the whole issue in
regard to our souls? We find out that the worst thing
about us is what we are, not what we do. The worst things
we have ever done are our religious sins. Do good, O Lord, unto those
that be good. And if you'll turn to Matthew
chapter 7, I'll try to answer that question, how much evil
do we have to do to be in the resurrection of damnation? I'm trying to find it in John
and it's not there. It's Matthew chapter 7 and the
verse is 23. Let me read 21 to 23. Not everyone that says to me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. but he
that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will
say to me in that day, the very day that we read about in Revelation
chapter 20, and they'll say, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
or preached in your name, and in your name have cast out devils,
and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess
unto them I never knew you. They said they knew him, but
that is not the question, my friend. Does he know me? Depart from me, you workers of
iniquity. And if you will take at your
own leisure, take Matthew 11, I think it's verses 20 through
24, maybe 20 through 25. Our Lord tells Capernaum that
compared to Sodom and Gomorrah, hell will be far greater punishment
for them than for Sodom and Gomorrah. Why? Because the Lord Jesus had
spent so much of his public life in that town. And they rejected
him. Unbelief, my friend, is the sin
of all sins. They that have done evil under
the resurrection of damnation. So how can anybody be raised
to a resurrection of life? I'll leave you with one verse
of Scripture, if I can find it. Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
chapter 9. Try to put these two things together
in one single verse. Here it is. Go your way, eat your bread with
joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God now accepts
what? Your works. How can that be so? Let me read
it again. Go your way. Now listen. If Christ is my only way, Eat your bread with joy, if Christ
has been made to my poor soul the bread of life. And drink
your wine with a merry heart, if his love is better to me than
wine." And look what happens. God now accepts your works. What did he do before? Not accepted. Accepted in the Beloved.