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Good morning.

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On the theme, God can solve every problem.

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It's absolutely true.

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And that shouldn't surprise us because He runs

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the universe.

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Things on earth are no problem for Him.

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But there are laws according to which God

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operates.

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And we can miss what God has for

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us if we don't understand those laws.

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Jesus said, you shall know the truth and

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the truth shall set you free.

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So I presume from that statement that if

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you don't know the truth, you'll remain in

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bondage.

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Or if you know only partial truth, you'll

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remain in partial bondage.

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You'll be partially free.

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God's promises can be experienced only as we

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believe them.

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And God can solve our problems if we

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understand His laws.

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That's why it's so important to proclaim God's

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word.

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That's why it's so important to study God's

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word, to understand God's ways.

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Many people, all of us who are here,

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and most of us anyway, we could say,

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how did you know Jesus is your savior?

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It's because you heard the truth and you

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responded in faith.

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Now if you had not heard the truth,

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like many people in the world today, or

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like many who have heard the truth, you

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did not respond in faith, you would not

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be saved.

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It's because you understood the truth and you

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understood God's law that you were saved.

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It's the same with the solution to many

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of our problems.

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So I've been looking at the miracles in

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the gospel of John.

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John's gospel has got eight miracles mentioned in

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them.

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Now John saw many, many miracles, but he

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speaks of only eight of them that he

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picked out of all the hundreds of miracles

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he saw Jesus performing in his life.

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And he called these miracles signs.

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I want to show you that first of

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all in John 2 verse 11.

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This beginning of signs.

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The word miracle is never found in John's

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gospel.

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He calls them signs, inspired by the Holy

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Spirit, indicating that every miracle had a spiritual

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meaning that he wanted us to understand.

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And he picked out eight, or the Holy

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Spirit picked out eight, because there are some

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special truths in these eight miracles that they

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were specially called signs.

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And that's why it's good for us to

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study them carefully, because there are truths here

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that have practical application to our daily life.

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So we look first of all at the

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first miracle of Jesus of turning the water

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into wine in John chapter 2.

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And then in the second session we look

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at the second miracle mentioned in John's gospel,

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the second sign in John 4 verse 46.

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Onwards over the royal official's son being healed.

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One of the number of examples in scripture

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where one person's faith benefited another.

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As far as we know that son didn't

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have faith, but the father had faith and

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the son got blessed.

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There are examples like that in scripture and

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that have happened subsequently in these 20 centuries.

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We want to look at the third sign

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and that's in John's gospel chapter 5.

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John's gospel chapter 5.

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And here it is the story of the

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lame man being healed at the pool of

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Bethesda.

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And we need to see what the spiritual

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application of this is for our life.

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Here is the story, let me first explain

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it in a nutshell.

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A man who had been lame for 38

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years.

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He wasn't born lame, he became lame.

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And we are told in verse 14 that

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he became lame due to sin.

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So sometime in his life, maybe he was

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20 years old or he lived in sin

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for sometime.

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And finally as a result of that he

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got punished by God, he became lame.

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Sin often leads to some type of sickness.

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Not every sickness is due to sin, but

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sin does very often lead to sickness as

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well.

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We learn that from this parable.

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And then for 38 years he had been

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at this pool and lying there hopeless.

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He had life, but he couldn't walk and

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therefore he was of no use to society.

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And that's the picture of people, spiritually speaking,

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who are born again.

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Yes, they are born again, they have got

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life, they are not dead, they are not

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like people in the grave.

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Death is also, death is a picture of

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an unsaved person.

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But here is a person who has got

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life, but he is not able to walk.

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Now the New Testament speaks a lot about

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walking.

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If you take a concordance and look up

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the word walk, you will find some interesting

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references, particularly in the epistles.

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It says we got to walk in the

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spirit.

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It says in 1 John 2.6 we

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got to walk as Jesus walked.

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And other verses like that, walk in the

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light, as God is in the light.

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So walking speaks of a life of fellowship

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with God, of victory over sin, overcoming sinful

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habits and not constantly falling.

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Falling, falling, you know a little baby can't

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walk.

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It tries to walk and it falls down.

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That's how we are in the beginning.

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When we are born again, we are like

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little babies, we don't know how to walk.

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The day you are converted, you don't get

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victory over sin.

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You got life, you come out of the

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womb, you are born again, Christ has come

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into your heart, your sins are forgiven, your

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past is dealt with, you are on your

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way to heaven, but you still get defeated

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by the same sins you were defeated by

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before.

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And that is our experience, the experience of

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every believer in the beginning of their life,

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exactly like a baby unable to walk.

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But we know that we'd be seriously concerned

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if that baby is two years old and

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still can't walk.

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And we need to be seriously concerned if

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we've been believers for two years and we're

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still constantly defeated.

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I don't mean an occasional fall, that can

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happen to any of us.

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I can trip going down these steps and

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fall.

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So can you today.

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But that's not because we haven't learned to

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walk, that's accidental.

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And there's a difference between those accidental falls

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that can happen to the most mature saint

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in the world and the fall of a

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baby who hasn't learned to walk yet.

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So, when we talk about victory over sin

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or walking in the light or walking as

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Jesus walked, we're not talking about that type

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of perfection that we'll have only in heaven

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where we'll never fall at all.

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That's impossible on this earth.

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As long as we live on this earth,

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we will fall anytime.

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That's why there's provision through the blood of

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Jesus for cleansing us from sin.

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But, it is God's will that we live

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in victory.

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That we walk in the Holy Spirit and

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not be lame.

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Because this lame man, he needed help from

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others for himself.

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Leave alone helping other people.

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And a lot of Christians are like that.

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They're born again, not only they're not a

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blessing to other people, but they constantly need

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so much counseling and help themselves.

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Now, if you find yourself in a situation

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where you're always needing someone to come and

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comfort you and encourage you and pat you

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on the back and you come to church

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worship services just to hear something that will

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encourage you and you're not able to help

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anybody else, this probably refers to you.

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Now, let's read what it says here.

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John chapter 5, verse 1 and 2.

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First of all, it says here that in

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verse 2, there was a pool in Jerusalem.

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Jerusalem is a place where the center of

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God's worship on the face of the earth

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in those days.

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It was the only place where there was

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a temple.

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And that was a place where, in the

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Old Testament, God dwelt when he was happy

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with his people.

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In Jerusalem, by the sheep gate, a pool,

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which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five

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porticoes, and in these lay a multitude of

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those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered.

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Now, as I've traveled around many churches, I

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see that is a picture of many churches.

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We can say exactly like it says in

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verse 3, in those churches sit every Sunday

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morning a multitude of people who are spiritually

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sick, blind, lame, and withered.

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And it is for such people who are

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not healthy, who are not whole, who are

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not strong, who are not able to use

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their strength to help other people, to bless

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other people, who need someone to carry them

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around because they are blind, who need someone

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to lift them from place to place because

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they are lame, who constantly need a pep

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talk to keep them going till next week.

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It's not God's will that we should be

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like that forever.

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And yet there is a multitude of such

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people all over the world among born again

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Christians.

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Because they are not filled with the Holy

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Spirit.

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In another translation it says a multitude of

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impotent people, that means people who don't have

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power.

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Jesus said when the Holy Spirit comes upon

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you, you will receive power.

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And here were a multitude of people without

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power.

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They had life, but they had no power.

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God has made provision for us, not only

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through the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse

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our sin and give us life, but also

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he has given us this wonderful gift of

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the Holy Spirit to fill us, to give

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us power.

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I want to encourage you to believe that.

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And when you hear that message, don't immediately

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get turned off from that, because you have

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seen the fanaticism of some people who claim

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to be filled with the Spirit.

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Or the love of money that you have

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seen in some pastors who talk about being

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filled with the Spirit.

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Now I am not talking about that type

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of counterfeit.

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I am talking about the real thing.

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And whenever you see a counterfeit, remember there

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is something real.

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Nobody makes counterfeit brown paper.

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They make counterfeit dollars and counterfeit gold and

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counterfeit diamonds.

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So if you see a counterfeit somewhere, you

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can be pretty sure that the real thing

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must be valuable.

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If you see counterfeit gifts of the Spirit,

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oh, be absolutely sure there is a genuine

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thing somewhere and it is pretty valuable.

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You don't get turned off from something because

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you have seen the counterfeit.

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And if I were the devil, I would

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make plenty of counterfeits of the thing that

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was valuable.

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I would make counterfeit born again people, counterfeit

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spirit filled people, counterfeit everything.

275
00:12:53,190 --> 00:12:54,750
Because that is the way to turn believers

276
00:12:54,750 --> 00:12:56,010
away from the real thing.

277
00:12:56,610 --> 00:12:59,950
And get them taken up with unimportant issues.

278
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The most important thing for any believer, if

279
00:13:04,850 --> 00:13:07,130
you are born again, the very next thing

280
00:13:07,130 --> 00:13:09,110
that you need is to be filled with

281
00:13:09,110 --> 00:13:10,470
the Holy Spirit in a genuine way.

282
00:13:10,590 --> 00:13:14,010
Perhaps not in this counterfeit way, definitely not

283
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in that way, but in the same way

284
00:13:15,250 --> 00:13:16,810
the apostles were filled on the day of

285
00:13:16,810 --> 00:13:17,310
Pentecost.

286
00:13:17,630 --> 00:13:19,890
That is the thing that delivers us from

287
00:13:19,890 --> 00:13:23,910
blindness, sickness, lameness and being withered spiritually.

288
00:13:25,050 --> 00:13:26,490
The things that are mentioned here.

289
00:13:27,390 --> 00:13:30,830
Now it says here that Jesus went up

290
00:13:30,830 --> 00:13:33,850
to Jerusalem at the time of a feast.

291
00:13:34,030 --> 00:13:36,510
And when the Jews had a feast, they

292
00:13:36,510 --> 00:13:38,230
had a great time of celebration.

293
00:13:39,150 --> 00:13:41,790
And it is very interesting to see when

294
00:13:41,790 --> 00:13:44,330
all this celebration was going on in Jerusalem,

295
00:13:45,130 --> 00:13:51,710
that Jesus, he went among these poor sick

296
00:13:51,710 --> 00:13:57,450
people in Bethesda, because he wanted to look

297
00:13:57,450 --> 00:14:01,450
for some opportunity to help one of those

298
00:14:01,450 --> 00:14:02,230
poor people.

299
00:14:03,110 --> 00:14:05,610
That is a wonderful example for us to

300
00:14:05,610 --> 00:14:05,950
follow.

301
00:14:05,950 --> 00:14:11,090
Christianity is not all just celebration and feast.

302
00:14:11,910 --> 00:14:14,150
That is part of it, certainly, we are

303
00:14:14,150 --> 00:14:14,990
not against it.

304
00:14:15,750 --> 00:14:17,930
But in the midst of it all, to

305
00:14:17,930 --> 00:14:22,690
look for opportunities in some Bethesda somewhere, where

306
00:14:22,690 --> 00:14:25,670
there are people who are in need, who

307
00:14:25,670 --> 00:14:27,330
need your help.

308
00:14:27,330 --> 00:14:29,950
There is a lovely verse in the book

309
00:14:29,950 --> 00:14:36,720
of Nehemiah, chapter 8 and verse 10.

310
00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:38,800
Part of it we all know and we

311
00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:39,820
sing it in our songs.

312
00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:43,120
The joy of the Lord is your strength.

313
00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:45,580
But there is another part of that verse,

314
00:14:45,700 --> 00:14:47,740
which is not so well known among Christians.

315
00:14:48,940 --> 00:14:55,100
It says, eat the fat and drink, and

316
00:14:55,100 --> 00:14:58,340
then when you have done that, send portions

317
00:14:58,340 --> 00:15:02,560
to those for whom nothing has been prepared,

318
00:15:02,740 --> 00:15:05,720
for those who don't have what you have.

319
00:15:07,810 --> 00:15:09,590
That is true Christianity.

320
00:15:10,070 --> 00:15:12,430
Joy of the Lord is your strength, eat

321
00:15:12,430 --> 00:15:16,610
the fat, drink, and then think of those

322
00:15:16,610 --> 00:15:19,290
who don't have what you have.

323
00:15:19,390 --> 00:15:22,030
Very few people think of that after they

324
00:15:22,030 --> 00:15:23,590
have eaten and drunk.

325
00:15:23,590 --> 00:15:25,730
But Jesus' mind was always like that.

326
00:15:26,030 --> 00:15:27,390
You go to Jerusalem and see all these

327
00:15:27,390 --> 00:15:30,250
people celebrating the feast and you think, perhaps

328
00:15:30,250 --> 00:15:31,870
there are some people who couldn't come here.

329
00:15:33,450 --> 00:15:34,850
Perhaps there are people who couldn't come here

330
00:15:34,850 --> 00:15:37,030
because they were lame or blind.

331
00:15:37,850 --> 00:15:38,810
Let me look for them.

332
00:15:39,310 --> 00:15:40,810
His heart was always like that.

333
00:15:42,110 --> 00:15:45,090
He enjoyed the celebrations, I am sure, but

334
00:15:45,090 --> 00:15:46,130
then he also thought of that.

335
00:15:46,250 --> 00:15:48,630
And that is how a true Christian lives

336
00:15:48,630 --> 00:15:49,230
in the world.

337
00:15:49,230 --> 00:15:51,390
And so he went to Bethesda.

338
00:15:52,250 --> 00:15:54,490
We read in Psalm 41, it is a

339
00:15:54,490 --> 00:15:58,270
very lovely passage, which says, I want to

340
00:15:58,270 --> 00:16:01,010
read this to you, How blessed is the

341
00:16:01,010 --> 00:16:04,630
man, think of this, How blessed is the

342
00:16:04,630 --> 00:16:07,710
man who considers the poor.

343
00:16:09,610 --> 00:16:12,750
The Lord will deliver him in a day

344
00:16:12,750 --> 00:16:13,190
of trouble.

345
00:16:13,190 --> 00:16:15,890
You know, all these blessings listed in Psalm

346
00:16:15,890 --> 00:16:20,910
41 are for people who think about those

347
00:16:20,910 --> 00:16:23,490
who are poorer than them and who have

348
00:16:23,490 --> 00:16:25,450
a thought and a consideration for them.

349
00:16:26,390 --> 00:16:29,450
Who don't selfishly think only about all the

350
00:16:29,450 --> 00:16:30,650
wonderful things God has given me.

351
00:16:31,650 --> 00:16:33,830
The Lord will deliver him in a time

352
00:16:33,830 --> 00:16:34,250
of trouble.

353
00:16:35,190 --> 00:16:36,750
The Lord will protect him.

354
00:16:37,790 --> 00:16:39,390
The Lord will keep him alive.

355
00:16:40,270 --> 00:16:42,390
He will be called blessed on the earth.

356
00:16:43,170 --> 00:16:45,290
The Lord will not give him over to

357
00:16:45,290 --> 00:16:46,290
the desire of his enemies.

358
00:16:47,050 --> 00:16:48,870
The Lord will sustain him when he is

359
00:16:48,870 --> 00:16:49,210
sick.

360
00:16:50,310 --> 00:16:52,130
And when he is ill, the Lord will

361
00:16:52,130 --> 00:16:53,290
restore him to health.

362
00:16:54,050 --> 00:16:55,630
What a lot of things the Lord does

363
00:16:55,630 --> 00:16:57,710
for those who just consider the poor.

364
00:16:57,890 --> 00:16:58,930
That is here on earth.

365
00:16:59,790 --> 00:17:01,230
And then in the final day when we

366
00:17:01,230 --> 00:17:04,030
stand before him, the Lord will say, come

367
00:17:04,030 --> 00:17:07,990
you blessed of the Father, inherit the kingdom

368
00:17:07,990 --> 00:17:13,960
because when I was sick, you visited me.

369
00:17:14,780 --> 00:17:16,440
You didn't heal me, you didn't have the

370
00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:18,720
power for that, but you visited me.

371
00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,839
When I was hungry, you fed me.

372
00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,640
When I was thirsty, you gave me something

373
00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:24,180
to drink.

374
00:17:24,700 --> 00:17:26,700
When I was in prison, you couldn't come

375
00:17:26,700 --> 00:17:28,120
and set me free, but you came and

376
00:17:28,120 --> 00:17:29,340
encouraged me there.

377
00:17:30,260 --> 00:17:32,020
And the righteous will say, Lord, when was

378
00:17:32,020 --> 00:17:32,280
that?

379
00:17:32,360 --> 00:17:35,220
We never saw you sick or hungry.

380
00:17:35,220 --> 00:17:36,600
He says, when you did it to the

381
00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,440
least of these, my brothers, you did it

382
00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:39,760
to me.

383
00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:42,020
There is something we can learn from that

384
00:17:42,020 --> 00:17:44,900
example of Jesus, who when everybody was celebrating,

385
00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:49,380
thought about the poor, helpless people who could

386
00:17:49,380 --> 00:17:51,040
not join in those celebrations.

387
00:17:51,820 --> 00:17:54,260
And that is a way of thinking that

388
00:17:54,260 --> 00:17:56,860
we need to develop and live in all

389
00:17:56,860 --> 00:17:57,380
the time.

390
00:17:57,980 --> 00:17:59,460
That is the way of living a happy

391
00:17:59,460 --> 00:18:02,860
and a useful Christian life on earth.

392
00:18:02,860 --> 00:18:04,200
So that is one thing we can learn

393
00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:04,680
from there.

394
00:18:05,180 --> 00:18:07,760
And we read here that when in this

395
00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,920
pool of Bethesda, all these people were waiting,

396
00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:13,300
verse 3, the last part of verse 3,

397
00:18:13,360 --> 00:18:15,880
for the moving of the waters, for an

398
00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:20,580
angel went down at certain seasons into the

399
00:18:20,580 --> 00:18:22,220
pool and stirred up the water.

400
00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,520
And whoever then first, after the stirring up

401
00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:28,120
of the water, stepped in was made well

402
00:18:28,120 --> 00:18:30,580
from whatever disease in which he was afflicted.

403
00:18:31,180 --> 00:18:32,540
Everybody did not get healed.

404
00:18:32,700 --> 00:18:34,000
It was the first person who managed to

405
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,080
jump in who got healed.

406
00:18:37,620 --> 00:18:40,340
And this is one of those small mercies

407
00:18:40,340 --> 00:18:44,620
that God provided for a rebellious nation.

408
00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:47,180
The Jews were a rebellious people.

409
00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:49,060
We read much about that in the history

410
00:18:49,060 --> 00:18:50,340
of Israel in the Old Testament.

411
00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,540
But even when they were rebellious, God showed

412
00:18:55,540 --> 00:18:56,720
some mercies to them.

413
00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:58,700
And one of these mercies was this angel

414
00:18:58,700 --> 00:19:01,460
going down and stirring this pool.

415
00:19:02,700 --> 00:19:05,520
And one person, whoever jumped in first, would

416
00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:06,220
be healed.

417
00:19:06,980 --> 00:19:09,700
Not everyone, but the first person.

418
00:19:09,860 --> 00:19:13,080
I think this reminds me of hospitals and

419
00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:16,980
doctors in a world full of sin, full

420
00:19:16,980 --> 00:19:20,160
of rebellious people who have no interest in

421
00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:20,540
God.

422
00:19:20,900 --> 00:19:22,200
The world is full of such people.

423
00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:26,500
God has still provided medicines and hospitals and

424
00:19:26,500 --> 00:19:30,200
doctors, small mercies for those who are sick

425
00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:31,240
because He is compassionate.

426
00:19:31,460 --> 00:19:33,200
And it says here in verse 5, a

427
00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:35,500
certain man was there who had been 38

428
00:19:35,500 --> 00:19:37,260
years in his sickness.

429
00:19:39,730 --> 00:19:41,370
Now, I want to do a little Bible

430
00:19:41,370 --> 00:19:41,970
study here.

431
00:19:42,550 --> 00:19:44,290
It's good to know the Scriptures, you know.

432
00:19:44,910 --> 00:19:46,870
I'll tell you something, the reason for that.

433
00:19:47,830 --> 00:19:50,970
The reason I, in my preaching, the reason

434
00:19:50,970 --> 00:19:52,870
why I stick to Scripture so much is

435
00:19:52,870 --> 00:19:55,750
because, like Paul said, I don't want your

436
00:19:55,750 --> 00:19:58,270
faith to rest in the wisdom of men,

437
00:19:58,970 --> 00:20:00,730
but in the power of God, in the

438
00:20:00,730 --> 00:20:01,330
Word of God.

439
00:20:02,010 --> 00:20:04,070
Faith doesn't come by listening to stories.

440
00:20:04,690 --> 00:20:06,110
Faith comes by the Word of God, it

441
00:20:06,110 --> 00:20:06,330
says.

442
00:20:06,810 --> 00:20:10,010
Faith comes by hearing, Romans 10, 17, and

443
00:20:10,010 --> 00:20:11,090
hearing by the Word of God.

444
00:20:11,250 --> 00:20:14,290
Stories will only excite you, stimulate you, make

445
00:20:14,290 --> 00:20:14,710
you laugh.

446
00:20:15,130 --> 00:20:17,650
But God's Word will produce faith.

447
00:20:17,650 --> 00:20:19,950
And that is what we need more than

448
00:20:19,950 --> 00:20:22,550
anything else in our life on this earth.

449
00:20:23,570 --> 00:20:25,450
And if we don't get into the Scriptures,

450
00:20:25,730 --> 00:20:29,150
if you neglect the Scriptures, you'll never get

451
00:20:29,150 --> 00:20:29,570
faith.

452
00:20:29,990 --> 00:20:31,830
If you're not serious about reading the Bible,

453
00:20:32,290 --> 00:20:34,910
I'd say forget about having faith, forget about

454
00:20:34,910 --> 00:20:37,650
experiencing 99% of what God has for

455
00:20:37,650 --> 00:20:37,790
you.

456
00:20:39,230 --> 00:20:40,070
That's the truth.

457
00:20:41,270 --> 00:20:44,150
I'm sorry to see so many people around

458
00:20:44,150 --> 00:20:45,690
the world, everywhere I go, it's the same

459
00:20:45,690 --> 00:20:48,950
in India, where people are not serious about

460
00:20:48,950 --> 00:20:49,630
studying the Scriptures.

461
00:20:50,430 --> 00:20:52,170
And what a lot they're missing.

462
00:20:53,190 --> 00:20:54,070
What a lot they're missing.

463
00:20:55,050 --> 00:20:56,830
They'll discover it when they stand before the

464
00:20:56,830 --> 00:20:56,950
Lord.

465
00:20:57,010 --> 00:20:58,850
Maybe they'll get into heaven, because their sins

466
00:20:58,850 --> 00:20:59,270
are forgiven.

467
00:20:59,790 --> 00:21:01,590
But they'll have such a lot of regret

468
00:21:02,410 --> 00:21:04,170
when they see the Lord and get into

469
00:21:04,170 --> 00:21:07,990
heaven, and discover how useless their earthly life

470
00:21:07,990 --> 00:21:12,070
was, how much they complained and grumbled and

471
00:21:12,070 --> 00:21:14,550
lived in bad moods and anger, and so

472
00:21:14,550 --> 00:21:17,830
many things they could have overcome, if they'd

473
00:21:17,830 --> 00:21:20,190
only read God's Word and had faith.

474
00:21:20,770 --> 00:21:23,630
My dear brothers and sisters, you don't need

475
00:21:23,630 --> 00:21:24,790
stories to tickle your ears.

476
00:21:24,970 --> 00:21:26,090
You need to know God's Word.

477
00:21:27,490 --> 00:21:28,790
And the more you get to know God's

478
00:21:28,790 --> 00:21:31,190
Word, the stronger you'll be.

479
00:21:31,910 --> 00:21:33,530
There's a lovely verse in 1 John 2

480
00:21:33,530 --> 00:21:36,990
which says, the Word of God remains in

481
00:21:36,990 --> 00:21:41,090
you, and you have overcome Satan, the evil

482
00:21:41,090 --> 00:21:41,390
one.

483
00:21:41,830 --> 00:21:45,470
The reason many Christians cannot overcome the evil

484
00:21:45,470 --> 00:21:47,230
one in their daily life is because the

485
00:21:47,230 --> 00:21:48,530
Word of God is not dwelling in them.

486
00:21:48,990 --> 00:21:50,090
How do you expect a person to be

487
00:21:50,090 --> 00:21:51,170
strong who doesn't eat food?

488
00:21:52,990 --> 00:21:54,570
God's Word is meant to be food for

489
00:21:54,570 --> 00:21:55,070
our spirit.

490
00:21:55,970 --> 00:21:57,150
So here's a little Bible study.

491
00:21:58,530 --> 00:21:59,330
38 years.

492
00:22:00,610 --> 00:22:02,170
Many of you are serious about Bible study.

493
00:22:02,250 --> 00:22:03,470
I want to encourage you to spend a

494
00:22:03,470 --> 00:22:05,770
little money and buy a book called A

495
00:22:05,770 --> 00:22:06,510
Concordance.

496
00:22:08,030 --> 00:22:10,190
A Concordance is something that tells you all

497
00:22:10,190 --> 00:22:12,110
the places in the Bible where the same

498
00:22:12,110 --> 00:22:13,590
word occurs.

499
00:22:14,230 --> 00:22:15,510
It's one of the first things I bought

500
00:22:15,510 --> 00:22:17,950
when I had little money, more than 40

501
00:22:17,950 --> 00:22:18,510
years ago.

502
00:22:19,370 --> 00:22:20,430
And I still have that book.

503
00:22:20,470 --> 00:22:21,890
It's been a tremendous blessing to me in

504
00:22:21,890 --> 00:22:23,230
my study of the Scriptures through all these

505
00:22:23,230 --> 00:22:23,850
40 years.

506
00:22:25,170 --> 00:22:28,010
38 years is mentioned only in two places

507
00:22:28,010 --> 00:22:28,510
in the Bible.

508
00:22:29,910 --> 00:22:31,190
You can find that in a Concordance.

509
00:22:37,190 --> 00:22:42,090
But you won't find the spiritual meaning of

510
00:22:42,090 --> 00:22:43,030
that in the Concordance.

511
00:22:43,150 --> 00:22:44,490
For that you've got to meditate and ask

512
00:22:44,490 --> 00:22:45,850
the Holy Spirit to teach you something from

513
00:22:45,850 --> 00:22:46,090
that.

514
00:22:46,610 --> 00:22:47,310
38 years.

515
00:22:47,550 --> 00:22:51,890
This man was lying there for 38 years.

516
00:22:52,910 --> 00:22:55,710
And the other place where it's mentioned is,

517
00:22:55,910 --> 00:22:57,470
you don't have to turn to it, if

518
00:22:57,470 --> 00:22:59,450
you want to you can, Deuteronomy chapter 2

519
00:22:59,450 --> 00:23:02,730
and verse 14 where it says that the

520
00:23:02,730 --> 00:23:04,950
children of Israel, you know the story, they

521
00:23:04,950 --> 00:23:08,810
were brought out of Egypt and they crossed

522
00:23:08,810 --> 00:23:09,410
the Red Sea.

523
00:23:09,550 --> 00:23:10,810
There's a picture of people who are born

524
00:23:10,810 --> 00:23:12,090
again by the blood of the Lamb.

525
00:23:13,290 --> 00:23:14,730
Through the Red Sea is a picture of

526
00:23:14,730 --> 00:23:15,410
water baptism.

527
00:23:16,550 --> 00:23:18,610
A cloud coming down upon them is a

528
00:23:18,610 --> 00:23:19,890
picture of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

529
00:23:20,010 --> 00:23:22,350
They had this threefold experience that all the

530
00:23:22,350 --> 00:23:23,230
early Christians had.

531
00:23:23,590 --> 00:23:25,170
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, baptized

532
00:23:25,170 --> 00:23:26,770
in water, baptized in the Holy Spirit.

533
00:23:27,730 --> 00:23:29,230
But was that the end of their Christianity?

534
00:23:29,230 --> 00:23:30,590
Was that the end of their journey?

535
00:23:30,670 --> 00:23:31,630
That was only the beginning.

536
00:23:32,810 --> 00:23:34,450
And then they walked around through the desert

537
00:23:34,450 --> 00:23:36,250
for two years.

538
00:23:38,170 --> 00:23:38,930
That was God's plan.

539
00:23:39,910 --> 00:23:41,270
And at the end of two years they

540
00:23:41,270 --> 00:23:43,950
came to a place called Kadesh Barnea.

541
00:23:45,090 --> 00:23:47,430
It was on the border of this promised

542
00:23:47,430 --> 00:23:47,850
land.

543
00:23:48,690 --> 00:23:50,130
Now God had promised them, I'll take you

544
00:23:50,130 --> 00:23:52,050
out of Egypt and into the promised land

545
00:23:52,050 --> 00:23:52,450
of Canaan.

546
00:23:53,230 --> 00:23:54,910
But with 600,000 of them they never

547
00:23:54,910 --> 00:23:56,010
got into the promised land.

548
00:23:56,390 --> 00:23:58,330
Because when they came to this Kadesh Barnea,

549
00:23:58,330 --> 00:24:02,540
they said, these giants are too big, we're

550
00:24:02,540 --> 00:24:02,940
scared.

551
00:24:03,460 --> 00:24:04,680
They didn't have faith in God.

552
00:24:04,940 --> 00:24:06,960
And they turned back and God said to

553
00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,120
them, Okay, you're going to spend the next

554
00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:13,420
38 years in the wilderness.

555
00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:15,300
Till you all die.

556
00:24:17,830 --> 00:24:20,850
It's exactly the same picture of people who

557
00:24:20,850 --> 00:24:22,190
don't go into a life of victory.

558
00:24:23,290 --> 00:24:26,130
But who live, what I would say, a

559
00:24:26,130 --> 00:24:27,790
life under the law.

560
00:24:29,310 --> 00:24:32,910
Romans 6.14 is a wonderful verse which

561
00:24:32,910 --> 00:24:36,610
says, Sin cannot be master over you if

562
00:24:36,610 --> 00:24:37,610
you are under grace.

563
00:24:40,050 --> 00:24:41,530
And if I were to paraphrase it, it

564
00:24:41,530 --> 00:24:43,490
says, If you are under law, sin will

565
00:24:43,490 --> 00:24:44,550
be master over you.

566
00:24:44,970 --> 00:24:46,430
There are only two options we have.

567
00:24:46,630 --> 00:24:49,410
To live under law or under grace.

568
00:24:51,010 --> 00:24:53,670
And basically, let me explain that to you

569
00:24:53,670 --> 00:24:54,490
in very simple words.

570
00:24:54,490 --> 00:24:57,550
To live under the law means you're struggling

571
00:24:57,550 --> 00:24:59,970
forever and ever and ever and ever to

572
00:24:59,970 --> 00:25:00,910
try and please God.

573
00:25:02,830 --> 00:25:04,350
It's a frustrating life.

574
00:25:05,210 --> 00:25:07,350
It's pictured in the Old Testament like 38

575
00:25:07,350 --> 00:25:08,810
years of wandering in the wilderness.

576
00:25:08,990 --> 00:25:10,930
40 years altogether, including the two years they

577
00:25:10,930 --> 00:25:12,210
took to get there.

578
00:25:12,530 --> 00:25:15,830
So this 38 years, mentioned there and mentioned

579
00:25:15,830 --> 00:25:19,330
here, speaks of a life of struggling under

580
00:25:19,330 --> 00:25:22,630
the law and never succeeding.

581
00:25:22,630 --> 00:25:24,950
I can imagine, picture this man now, this

582
00:25:24,950 --> 00:25:25,930
lame man.

583
00:25:26,490 --> 00:25:28,030
You never know when this angel is going

584
00:25:28,030 --> 00:25:28,270
to come.

585
00:25:28,350 --> 00:25:29,490
At least if you knew the date, you

586
00:25:29,490 --> 00:25:30,590
could stand near the pool.

587
00:25:30,670 --> 00:25:31,570
But you don't know the date.

588
00:25:32,130 --> 00:25:33,270
You don't know when he's going to turn

589
00:25:33,270 --> 00:25:33,510
up.

590
00:25:34,690 --> 00:25:37,630
Here's this man, hoping, waiting, waiting, waiting.

591
00:25:37,770 --> 00:25:39,450
And suddenly the angel comes towards the pool

592
00:25:39,450 --> 00:25:40,670
and he crawls.

593
00:25:40,750 --> 00:25:41,850
And by the time he's crawled, somebody else

594
00:25:41,850 --> 00:25:42,290
has jumped in.

595
00:25:42,350 --> 00:25:42,870
He's missed it.

596
00:25:44,950 --> 00:25:46,530
And then he tries next year, and next

597
00:25:46,530 --> 00:25:47,110
year, and next year.

598
00:25:47,130 --> 00:25:48,190
He says, I'll make it next year.

599
00:25:48,590 --> 00:25:49,610
10 years go by.

600
00:25:50,450 --> 00:25:51,090
20 years.

601
00:25:51,690 --> 00:25:52,590
And he doesn't make it.

602
00:25:52,590 --> 00:25:53,690
Just like a lot of Christians.

603
00:25:55,510 --> 00:25:57,210
And after some time, he just gives up

604
00:25:57,210 --> 00:25:58,770
and moves far away from the pool and

605
00:25:58,770 --> 00:25:59,510
says, no use.

606
00:26:00,650 --> 00:26:01,450
38 years.

607
00:26:02,350 --> 00:26:03,730
Defeated, defeated, defeated.

608
00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:06,900
Is there someone like that here?

609
00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:08,560
Defeated.

610
00:26:09,500 --> 00:26:11,180
You've given up all hope of a life

611
00:26:11,180 --> 00:26:11,540
of victory.

612
00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:13,880
You've heard about victorious life.

613
00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:14,960
You've heard of a deeper life.

614
00:26:15,100 --> 00:26:16,400
You've read books about it.

615
00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:17,900
You've heard of some people who've come into

616
00:26:17,900 --> 00:26:20,600
a life and you've tried and never succeeded.

617
00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:22,920
You're just like this man who tried and

618
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:24,720
tried and finally just sort of gave up

619
00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:25,280
all hope.

620
00:26:27,410 --> 00:26:28,250
And you're still struggling.

621
00:26:29,470 --> 00:26:32,630
Life under the law, when there is a

622
00:26:32,630 --> 00:26:33,510
better life possible.

623
00:26:34,830 --> 00:26:39,210
And Jesus came all the way to the

624
00:26:39,210 --> 00:26:40,050
pool of Bethesda.

625
00:26:41,750 --> 00:26:43,670
And as you read here, he healed one

626
00:26:43,670 --> 00:26:43,930
man.

627
00:26:44,270 --> 00:26:45,190
How many people were there?

628
00:26:45,310 --> 00:26:46,870
Verse 3, a great multitude.

629
00:26:47,490 --> 00:26:51,050
I believe a multitude must mean at least

630
00:26:51,050 --> 00:26:51,790
five or six hundred.

631
00:26:51,910 --> 00:26:53,210
More than there are here this morning.

632
00:26:54,670 --> 00:26:57,370
A multitude of sick people.

633
00:26:57,930 --> 00:27:00,670
And Jesus comes in and heals one person.

634
00:27:01,530 --> 00:27:03,750
Who said that Jesus healed every sick person

635
00:27:03,750 --> 00:27:04,150
he met?

636
00:27:04,890 --> 00:27:05,650
He didn't do it here.

637
00:27:06,550 --> 00:27:08,210
He didn't even heal one percent of them.

638
00:27:08,910 --> 00:27:10,590
One out of all those six hundred people

639
00:27:10,590 --> 00:27:11,190
lying there.

640
00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:14,700
But he knew whom to heal.

641
00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:17,460
He knew who was desperate.

642
00:27:18,180 --> 00:27:19,700
He knew who was needy.

643
00:27:21,100 --> 00:27:22,260
And I want to tell you this morning.

644
00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:26,820
There can be a multitude of people sitting

645
00:27:26,820 --> 00:27:27,180
here.

646
00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:31,760
And the Lord may have come this morning

647
00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:34,060
just for you.

648
00:27:36,220 --> 00:27:39,140
Because he knows how desperate you are.

649
00:27:39,860 --> 00:27:41,220
How much you've failed.

650
00:27:42,020 --> 00:27:44,420
How much you've tried and tried and tried

651
00:27:44,420 --> 00:27:44,980
and tried.

652
00:27:45,660 --> 00:27:47,940
And are on the verge of giving up.

653
00:27:48,180 --> 00:27:49,740
Perhaps giving up your faith.

654
00:27:52,260 --> 00:27:53,440
I want to tell you God loves you

655
00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:53,940
this morning.

656
00:27:54,860 --> 00:27:55,640
Jesus loves you.

657
00:27:55,740 --> 00:27:56,740
He's got hope for you.

658
00:27:56,900 --> 00:27:58,580
Even if nobody else has.

659
00:27:59,380 --> 00:28:00,560
He has hope for you.

660
00:28:01,660 --> 00:28:03,260
He has come to bless us.

661
00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,340
Like he came to bless this man over

662
00:28:07,340 --> 00:28:07,800
here.

663
00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:09,540
But he asked him a question.

664
00:28:10,380 --> 00:28:11,560
Now I want to say one more thing.

665
00:28:11,620 --> 00:28:13,460
As I told you earlier in verse 14.

666
00:28:13,460 --> 00:28:15,160
You read it says.

667
00:28:15,660 --> 00:28:17,240
Jesus told him later on after he was

668
00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:17,360
healed.

669
00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:18,500
Don't sin again.

670
00:28:18,940 --> 00:28:20,620
Lest something worse come upon you.

671
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,940
So this fellow's lameness came because of some

672
00:28:24,940 --> 00:28:25,280
sin.

673
00:28:26,780 --> 00:28:29,140
So in a sense he was reaping what

674
00:28:29,140 --> 00:28:29,840
he had sown.

675
00:28:31,140 --> 00:28:33,280
Maybe in his youthful days, in his teenage

676
00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:33,700
years.

677
00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:35,220
He had done all types of things.

678
00:28:35,820 --> 00:28:38,400
And finally got this sickness that made him

679
00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:38,780
lame.

680
00:28:41,250 --> 00:28:44,170
And he was reaping for 38 years.

681
00:28:45,740 --> 00:28:49,380
You know the devil doesn't tell us when

682
00:28:49,380 --> 00:28:50,340
we begin to sin.

683
00:28:51,020 --> 00:28:52,260
How many years we're going to reap.

684
00:28:52,860 --> 00:28:54,260
He never tells anybody that.

685
00:28:55,180 --> 00:28:56,440
He didn't tell Eve.

686
00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:58,720
You know if you eat this tree.

687
00:28:59,220 --> 00:29:00,380
I'll give you a picture of what the

688
00:29:00,380 --> 00:29:02,680
next 6,000 years of human history is

689
00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:03,300
going to be like.

690
00:29:06,020 --> 00:29:07,760
Or even the next 50 years.

691
00:29:09,060 --> 00:29:10,900
She would not have gone anywhere near that

692
00:29:10,900 --> 00:29:11,180
tree.

693
00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:16,560
And if God were to show you the

694
00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:17,120
future.

695
00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:20,080
We'd avoid a lot of sins that we

696
00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:21,100
are indulging in.

697
00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:23,740
So carelessly today.

698
00:29:24,540 --> 00:29:25,740
This man was reaping.

699
00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:27,900
We see around us people reaping because of

700
00:29:27,900 --> 00:29:28,380
their sin.

701
00:29:28,820 --> 00:29:30,500
But even though he was reaping.

702
00:29:31,500 --> 00:29:32,780
Jesus came to him.

703
00:29:34,100 --> 00:29:35,160
He came to him.

704
00:29:36,540 --> 00:29:39,840
I praise God that I don't have to

705
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:40,100
reap.

706
00:29:42,940 --> 00:29:46,660
Because Jesus reaped it all for me.

707
00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:48,320
On the cross.

708
00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:50,420
And that's the good news of the gospel.

709
00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:53,260
A man reaps what he sows.

710
00:29:54,180 --> 00:29:54,420
True.

711
00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:57,280
But if I come to the Lord and

712
00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:57,740
say Lord.

713
00:29:58,060 --> 00:29:59,140
I acknowledge my sin.

714
00:30:00,300 --> 00:30:01,760
And I don't blame anybody else.

715
00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:02,700
I blame myself.

716
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,920
He has taken my reaping for me.

717
00:30:06,820 --> 00:30:07,880
He's taken it for you.

718
00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:09,860
You don't have to reap.

719
00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:12,160
That punishment that sin deserves.

720
00:30:12,300 --> 00:30:13,900
And Jesus came to tell this man.

721
00:30:14,180 --> 00:30:15,240
That he could be healed.

722
00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:17,560
But he had to ask him a question.

723
00:30:18,660 --> 00:30:19,300
Verse 6.

724
00:30:19,660 --> 00:30:21,500
When Jesus saw him laying there.

725
00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:23,400
And knew that he'd been there.

726
00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:26,200
Already a long time in that condition.

727
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:27,100
He said to him.

728
00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:29,380
Do you want to get well?

729
00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,200
Now that seems such a ridiculous question.

730
00:30:34,020 --> 00:30:35,980
To go to a hospital and ask a

731
00:30:35,980 --> 00:30:36,400
sick person.

732
00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:37,300
Do you want to get well?

733
00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:39,160
Do you want to get healthy?

734
00:30:40,380 --> 00:30:41,480
Do you want to be healthy?

735
00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:43,240
Do you want to walk?

736
00:30:44,580 --> 00:30:46,280
One would think of course I want to

737
00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:46,720
get well.

738
00:30:46,820 --> 00:30:47,940
But it's not always true.

739
00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:48,320
You know.

740
00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:52,260
I've seen a lot of people in India.

741
00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:53,500
Who are beggars.

742
00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:54,520
Who got leprosy.

743
00:30:55,500 --> 00:30:57,480
And their noses and fingers are all eaten

744
00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:57,740
up.

745
00:30:59,180 --> 00:31:01,080
And they go down the streets.

746
00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:02,880
Of our city.

747
00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:04,740
Come to our gates.

748
00:31:04,740 --> 00:31:06,580
And wander around begging.

749
00:31:08,940 --> 00:31:10,120
And if you were to ask them.

750
00:31:11,260 --> 00:31:12,380
Do you want to be healed?

751
00:31:14,340 --> 00:31:15,420
The answer is no.

752
00:31:16,460 --> 00:31:17,820
Because they won't be able to beg anymore.

753
00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:21,400
Their earning money through begging.

754
00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:23,620
Is dependent on their physical disfigurement.

755
00:31:25,380 --> 00:31:27,400
It's a terrible thing that they do.

756
00:31:27,500 --> 00:31:29,600
They even catch little children in India.

757
00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:31,140
Kidnap them and disfigure them.

758
00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:31,840
Cut out their tongue.

759
00:31:31,940 --> 00:31:32,540
Cut out their hands.

760
00:31:32,900 --> 00:31:35,300
In order to make them beggars.

761
00:31:35,300 --> 00:31:37,160
To beg for money.

762
00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,160
And a lot of this.

763
00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:40,940
That goes on.

764
00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:44,100
And they make them.

765
00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:45,380
And these people.

766
00:31:45,660 --> 00:31:46,880
Who kidnap these children.

767
00:31:47,020 --> 00:31:47,920
And put them there.

768
00:31:48,380 --> 00:31:49,300
As beggars.

769
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:51,680
Usually get the money.

770
00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:52,880
Just for getting drunk.

771
00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:55,620
Terrible things that go on.

772
00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:57,760
Where the gospel is not preached.

773
00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:00,240
So it was a very valid question.

774
00:32:00,300 --> 00:32:01,060
Do you want to get well?

775
00:32:01,700 --> 00:32:03,560
Do you want to finish lying here?

776
00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:05,000
Do you want to finish with your begging?

777
00:32:05,660 --> 00:32:06,800
And do you want to earn your own

778
00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:07,020
living?

779
00:32:08,340 --> 00:32:09,440
Do you want to get well?

780
00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:11,600
Of course this man wanted to get well.

781
00:32:12,100 --> 00:32:13,660
But that's a question the Lord asks us

782
00:32:13,660 --> 00:32:13,900
too.

783
00:32:14,780 --> 00:32:16,760
Do you really want to have victory over

784
00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:17,060
sin?

785
00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:19,780
Do you want to be free from sin?

786
00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:22,100
We may say yes, I want to be

787
00:32:22,100 --> 00:32:22,660
free from sin.

788
00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:23,680
Do you know what it means to be

789
00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:24,380
free from sin?

790
00:32:24,940 --> 00:32:27,680
It means forgiving that person who hurt you

791
00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:28,240
so badly.

792
00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:30,360
Do you want to do that?

793
00:32:31,140 --> 00:32:32,740
Do you want to forgive that person totally

794
00:32:32,740 --> 00:32:33,820
completely from your heart?

795
00:32:34,180 --> 00:32:35,140
Who hurt you so badly?

796
00:32:36,300 --> 00:32:37,600
Do you want to be free from the

797
00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:38,140
love of money?

798
00:32:38,340 --> 00:32:39,280
Do you know that the love of money

799
00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:39,780
is a sin?

800
00:32:40,260 --> 00:32:41,840
The Bible says the love of, not money.

801
00:32:42,060 --> 00:32:42,880
Money is not evil.

802
00:32:43,460 --> 00:32:45,220
But the Bible says the love of money

803
00:32:45,220 --> 00:32:47,860
is the root of all evil.

804
00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:48,980
All sorts of evil.

805
00:32:50,940 --> 00:32:52,060
A lot of people don't want to be

806
00:32:52,060 --> 00:32:52,660
free from that.

807
00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:54,060
They don't want to be free from the

808
00:32:54,060 --> 00:32:54,480
love of money.

809
00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:55,900
They want to spend all their life pursuing

810
00:32:55,900 --> 00:32:56,180
money.

811
00:32:57,020 --> 00:32:58,800
They don't want to forgive certain people.

812
00:32:59,940 --> 00:33:01,400
They say, anybody but that person.

813
00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:06,000
Well, they don't want to get well.

814
00:33:07,700 --> 00:33:09,020
So what can the Lord do for them?

815
00:33:10,060 --> 00:33:11,160
It's a question the Lord asks you.

816
00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:12,200
Do you really want to be healthy?

817
00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:14,440
Do you want to walk like Jesus walked?

818
00:33:15,260 --> 00:33:15,620
Healthy?

819
00:33:17,100 --> 00:33:17,460
Spiritually?

820
00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:19,620
So that's a question that we need to

821
00:33:19,620 --> 00:33:19,920
answer.

822
00:33:20,100 --> 00:33:21,540
Do you want to get victory over sin?

823
00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:22,920
Do you want to walk in the Spirit?

824
00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:25,280
Do you want to spend your time reading

825
00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:28,160
the scriptures more than you watch television?

826
00:33:29,460 --> 00:33:30,560
It's a pretty searching question.

827
00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:33,620
How many people would say, yes Lord, I

828
00:33:33,620 --> 00:33:35,220
do want to know your scriptures.

829
00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:37,160
You know, it's one of the great tragedies

830
00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:39,100
of our time is a whole lot of

831
00:33:39,100 --> 00:33:41,400
young people who don't know the scriptures but

832
00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:43,540
know the names of the movie stars and

833
00:33:43,540 --> 00:33:47,440
the baseball players and whatever other games they

834
00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:47,860
play here.

835
00:33:48,820 --> 00:33:50,620
I know in India there are a lot

836
00:33:50,620 --> 00:33:53,340
of Christian young people who know more about

837
00:33:53,340 --> 00:33:56,860
the scores and records that people have beaten

838
00:33:57,780 --> 00:34:00,380
in various games who don't know the scriptures.

839
00:34:02,020 --> 00:34:03,500
And the Lord asks, do you really want

840
00:34:03,500 --> 00:34:03,980
to get healthy?

841
00:34:05,340 --> 00:34:06,840
To be healthy is to be like Jesus.

842
00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:08,300
To have an interest in the things Jesus

843
00:34:08,300 --> 00:34:09,080
was interested in.

844
00:34:09,159 --> 00:34:10,260
Do you want that type of life?

845
00:34:10,780 --> 00:34:12,260
I'll tell you honestly, a lot of Christians

846
00:34:12,260 --> 00:34:12,780
don't.

847
00:34:13,380 --> 00:34:14,960
Because a lot of things they are interested

848
00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:16,040
in will have to go away.

849
00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:18,860
But for those who are sick and tired

850
00:34:18,860 --> 00:34:20,179
and say, Lord, all this is empty.

851
00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:22,580
What am I going to get out of

852
00:34:22,580 --> 00:34:23,420
all this in eternity?

853
00:34:24,900 --> 00:34:26,300
I want to ask you, my dear brothers

854
00:34:26,300 --> 00:34:28,580
and sisters, the things you spend your time

855
00:34:28,580 --> 00:34:31,940
with today, what benefit is it going to

856
00:34:31,940 --> 00:34:33,440
bring you 2,000 years from now?

857
00:34:34,300 --> 00:34:36,199
2,000 years from now, even if you

858
00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:39,040
go to heaven and you sit there and

859
00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:43,460
you think back over your life, what benefit

860
00:34:43,460 --> 00:34:45,159
is going to accrue to you 2,000

861
00:34:45,159 --> 00:34:47,239
years from now, the way you spend your

862
00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:47,820
time today?

863
00:34:48,139 --> 00:34:50,199
It's a very good question to ask yourself.

864
00:34:51,380 --> 00:34:52,540
Get to know the Scriptures.

865
00:34:53,179 --> 00:34:55,179
Come to the Lord and say, Lord, I

866
00:34:55,179 --> 00:34:56,560
want to live a healthy life on this

867
00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:56,780
earth.

868
00:34:57,100 --> 00:34:57,820
I want to walk.

869
00:34:57,920 --> 00:34:59,320
I don't want to be like those lame,

870
00:35:00,100 --> 00:35:04,580
impotent, blind, withered people lying there in Bethesda,

871
00:35:06,180 --> 00:35:08,200
useless to other people.

872
00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:11,260
And the sick man replied, he says, Sir,

873
00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:13,980
I have no men, verse 7, to put

874
00:35:13,980 --> 00:35:15,480
me into the pool when the water is

875
00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:15,980
stirred up.

876
00:35:16,780 --> 00:35:18,260
See, his dependence was on man.

877
00:35:18,420 --> 00:35:20,740
Everybody around there, all those 600 people, were

878
00:35:20,740 --> 00:35:21,120
selfish.

879
00:35:21,720 --> 00:35:23,060
Everybody thought about himself.

880
00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:24,180
I've got to get into the pool.

881
00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:27,580
You wouldn't find one man there who's trying

882
00:35:27,580 --> 00:35:29,160
to help somebody else get into the pool.

883
00:35:30,060 --> 00:35:30,500
No.

884
00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:31,880
They're all there for themselves.

885
00:35:32,180 --> 00:35:33,840
I jump in first, get healed, and walk

886
00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:34,080
out.

887
00:35:35,500 --> 00:35:37,240
And that's the picture of the human race.

888
00:35:38,700 --> 00:35:42,980
Selfish, self-centered, everybody thinking about themselves.

889
00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:47,340
So no wonder this man said, Lord, I've

890
00:35:47,340 --> 00:35:49,200
sat here for 38 years.

891
00:35:49,860 --> 00:35:51,580
Not one man has ever come to help

892
00:35:51,580 --> 00:35:51,880
me.

893
00:35:52,900 --> 00:35:54,380
You're the first person who ever even came

894
00:35:54,380 --> 00:35:55,580
and inquired about my condition.

895
00:35:58,180 --> 00:36:02,860
And then, Jesus said to him, Arise.

896
00:36:04,700 --> 00:36:07,640
Take up your pallet and walk.

897
00:36:10,130 --> 00:36:14,870
When Jesus speaks a word, there's always power

898
00:36:14,870 --> 00:36:15,410
in it.

899
00:36:17,460 --> 00:36:20,880
Thousands of years ago, he said, Let there

900
00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:21,400
be light.

901
00:36:22,540 --> 00:36:23,140
And there was light.

902
00:36:26,990 --> 00:36:28,650
He said, Let there be a firmament.

903
00:36:28,830 --> 00:36:30,290
The heavens separated from the earth.

904
00:36:30,390 --> 00:36:31,990
Let trees come out of the earth.

905
00:36:32,070 --> 00:36:33,110
The trees came out of the earth.

906
00:36:33,190 --> 00:36:36,510
There's a tremendous power in the Word of

907
00:36:36,510 --> 00:36:36,850
God.

908
00:36:36,950 --> 00:36:38,810
That's why if you believe this is the

909
00:36:38,810 --> 00:36:40,350
Word of God, there's a tremendous power in

910
00:36:40,350 --> 00:36:40,770
it.

911
00:36:40,810 --> 00:36:41,670
It can bring life.

912
00:36:42,510 --> 00:36:45,130
And when Jesus spoke the word, saying, Take

913
00:36:45,130 --> 00:36:49,590
up your pallet and walk, immediately the man

914
00:36:49,590 --> 00:36:51,890
became well and took up his pallet and

915
00:36:51,890 --> 00:36:53,510
began to walk.

916
00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:57,720
The Bible calls the Word of God the

917
00:36:57,720 --> 00:36:59,840
Word of His Grace.

918
00:37:00,460 --> 00:37:04,040
In Acts 20 verse 32.

919
00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:07,000
The Word of His Grace.

920
00:37:07,980 --> 00:37:11,320
The meaning of that is that in every

921
00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:15,840
word, in every command of Scripture, in the

922
00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:19,160
New Testament, there's a grace that is supplied

923
00:37:19,940 --> 00:37:21,440
to keep that promise.

924
00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:25,400
God doesn't tell us to do something without

925
00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:27,020
giving us the grace to do it.

926
00:37:27,860 --> 00:37:29,680
Don't ever think that He'll ask you to

927
00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:30,320
do something.

928
00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:32,240
He spoke about forgiving others.

929
00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:34,980
God will not ask you to forgive somebody

930
00:37:34,980 --> 00:37:36,840
else without giving you the grace to do

931
00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:37,120
so.

932
00:37:37,940 --> 00:37:40,820
If you send your little boy to the

933
00:37:40,820 --> 00:37:42,940
store to buy something, you'll always give him

934
00:37:42,940 --> 00:37:44,260
the money to buy it.

935
00:37:44,260 --> 00:37:46,500
You won't send him without the money.

936
00:37:47,100 --> 00:37:48,940
And God doesn't tell us to do something

937
00:37:48,940 --> 00:37:50,760
without giving us the power to do it.

938
00:37:50,980 --> 00:37:52,980
When Jesus spoke to this man, Get up,

939
00:37:53,740 --> 00:37:55,120
take up your bed and walk.

940
00:37:56,060 --> 00:37:57,220
He gave him the power.

941
00:37:57,300 --> 00:37:58,400
Otherwise, how in the world could he do

942
00:37:58,400 --> 00:37:58,560
it?

943
00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:01,380
How in the world can we obey the

944
00:38:01,380 --> 00:38:02,120
command of Scripture?

945
00:38:03,540 --> 00:38:04,280
Rejoice always.

946
00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:05,600
How in the world can I do it?

947
00:38:07,100 --> 00:38:08,560
Rejoice 24-7.

948
00:38:10,240 --> 00:38:12,580
That's what it says in Philippians 4-4.

949
00:38:13,020 --> 00:38:14,240
You think that's possible?

950
00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:17,120
You believe that behind that word is a

951
00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:19,740
grace that can help you to be free

952
00:38:19,740 --> 00:38:23,620
from bad moods, free from murmuring, complaining, grumbling.

953
00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:26,880
Imagine what will happen in your home if

954
00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:28,060
you began to live like that.

955
00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:30,920
There's grace behind every command.

956
00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:31,980
Believe that.

957
00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:35,260
If you don't believe that, you go back

958
00:38:35,260 --> 00:38:35,800
under the law.

959
00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:36,960
Oh, I've got to do this.

960
00:38:37,020 --> 00:38:38,500
And I try and I try and I

961
00:38:38,500 --> 00:38:40,120
try and I spend 40 years wandering in

962
00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:41,300
the wilderness and never get anywhere.

963
00:38:42,340 --> 00:38:44,640
We've got to believe that when God told

964
00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:46,640
those Israelites, go into the land of Canaan

965
00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:48,100
and occupy it.

966
00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:49,820
He was going to give them power to

967
00:38:49,820 --> 00:38:50,600
kill those giants.

968
00:38:50,780 --> 00:38:52,960
And Joshua and Caleb discovered that later on.

969
00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:56,680
That's what this man discovered.

970
00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:00,440
That there was power given there in his

971
00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:01,340
legs all of a sudden.

972
00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:06,120
It says here in verse 9 when he

973
00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:07,280
began to walk like this.

974
00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:09,060
Verse 9, the last part.

975
00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:11,640
Now it was the Sabbath on that day.

976
00:39:13,140 --> 00:39:16,300
See, Jesus had a wonderful way of healing

977
00:39:16,300 --> 00:39:17,760
people on the Sabbath day.

978
00:39:18,580 --> 00:39:20,860
Because he knew that would really irritate the

979
00:39:20,860 --> 00:39:21,380
Pharisees.

980
00:39:25,110 --> 00:39:28,970
I almost feel that he sometimes used to

981
00:39:28,970 --> 00:39:30,370
look at people and say, wait till the

982
00:39:30,370 --> 00:39:31,370
Sabbath day, I'll heal you then.

983
00:39:35,820 --> 00:39:38,360
It's true, it's a tremendous ministry of irritating,

984
00:39:38,620 --> 00:39:43,920
legalistic, religious people, working them up to help

985
00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:45,780
them to see this is not what God

986
00:39:45,780 --> 00:39:46,160
wants.

987
00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:47,260
This is not religion.

988
00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:49,760
All these silly rules and regulations.

989
00:39:50,740 --> 00:39:54,000
It's a life of love and joy and

990
00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:56,760
victory and peace and fellowship with others and

991
00:39:56,760 --> 00:39:58,760
being good to others and blessing others.

992
00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:01,580
Not all these silly little rules and regulations.

993
00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:05,340
And when the Jews saw him, verse 10.

994
00:40:05,420 --> 00:40:06,100
Now listen to this.

995
00:40:06,140 --> 00:40:07,760
This is the most amazing.

996
00:40:08,340 --> 00:40:12,000
Here we see the utter selfishness and self

997
00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:14,400
-centeredness of religious people.

998
00:40:15,260 --> 00:40:18,900
Of religious people whose religion consists of rules

999
00:40:18,900 --> 00:40:21,140
and regulations and not the love of God.

1000
00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:24,960
Now when they saw this man, they probably

1001
00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:26,820
had gone by that pool many times and

1002
00:40:26,820 --> 00:40:28,780
seen this man lying there for 38 years.

1003
00:40:29,140 --> 00:40:31,580
Probably everybody around knew about this man.

1004
00:40:32,720 --> 00:40:35,480
And when the Jews saw this man who

1005
00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:39,000
was cured, what should they have said?

1006
00:40:39,780 --> 00:40:41,040
Praise the Lord!

1007
00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:42,780
How in the world did you get healed?

1008
00:40:42,780 --> 00:40:44,400
This is wonderful brother.

1009
00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:45,900
Tell me how it happened.

1010
00:40:46,260 --> 00:40:47,940
They didn't say that.

1011
00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:50,860
They looked at the calendar and said, Hey,

1012
00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:51,840
this is Saturday.

1013
00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:56,900
You shouldn't be carrying your bed on a

1014
00:40:56,900 --> 00:40:57,720
Sabbath day.

1015
00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:05,420
Even a worldly unconverted person would have rejoiced

1016
00:41:05,420 --> 00:41:06,060
with this man.

1017
00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:07,320
But not religious people.

1018
00:41:07,820 --> 00:41:09,760
I tell you, religious people are some of

1019
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:11,700
the hardest people to get along with.

1020
00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:16,400
They grow old with their religious rules and

1021
00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:20,000
regulations and become sour and hard to get

1022
00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,360
along with and difficult people when they get

1023
00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:23,060
old.

1024
00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:27,160
Don't ever be like such people.

1025
00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:29,940
And if you don't want to be like

1026
00:41:29,940 --> 00:41:33,820
such people, start when you're young to follow

1027
00:41:33,820 --> 00:41:36,860
the religion of Jesus Christ of love and

1028
00:41:36,860 --> 00:41:40,500
goodness and joy and peace and faithfulness and

1029
00:41:40,500 --> 00:41:42,220
humility and self-control.

1030
00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:50,980
And when you see a sinner converted like

1031
00:41:50,980 --> 00:41:54,680
this man walking, don't look at what dress

1032
00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:55,400
he's wearing.

1033
00:41:57,080 --> 00:41:58,720
Is that the right type of dress for

1034
00:41:58,720 --> 00:41:59,280
a Christian to wear?

1035
00:41:59,340 --> 00:42:00,060
That'll come.

1036
00:42:01,980 --> 00:42:02,420
Wait.

1037
00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:08,200
Today that's what a lot of Pharisees do.

1038
00:42:09,060 --> 00:42:11,120
They're not so excited that the person's converted.

1039
00:42:11,260 --> 00:42:12,080
I mean, hold up.

1040
00:42:12,140 --> 00:42:13,940
Heaven is rejoicing that a sinner has repented.

1041
00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:16,440
Jesus said the angels rejoice when a sinner

1042
00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:16,880
repents.

1043
00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:18,100
But not these Pharisees.

1044
00:42:19,240 --> 00:42:21,020
Hey, there's a little rule we are not

1045
00:42:21,020 --> 00:42:21,380
following.

1046
00:42:21,420 --> 00:42:22,700
We've got some rules in our church, you

1047
00:42:22,700 --> 00:42:22,800
know.

1048
00:42:22,820 --> 00:42:23,800
You're not following that rule.

1049
00:42:30,700 --> 00:42:31,540
How do I know all this?

1050
00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:32,500
I was like that myself.

1051
00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:33,180
That's how I know.

1052
00:42:36,210 --> 00:42:38,590
I was a legalist to the core.

1053
00:42:38,690 --> 00:42:39,750
I'm sorry to say that.

1054
00:42:40,370 --> 00:42:41,930
But the Lord took me that way to

1055
00:42:41,930 --> 00:42:45,250
show me the corruption of this legalistic religion

1056
00:42:46,510 --> 00:42:49,090
and I thank God he's delivered me.

1057
00:42:49,730 --> 00:42:50,110
Hopefully.

1058
00:42:56,390 --> 00:42:58,810
I was going to say hopefully 100%.

1059
00:42:59,330 --> 00:43:04,710
But I sometimes see streaks of legalism still

1060
00:43:04,710 --> 00:43:07,150
in me here and there in some situation,

1061
00:43:07,390 --> 00:43:10,610
but by God's grace, I don't judge now.

1062
00:43:11,270 --> 00:43:13,390
I say, Lord, please deliver me from that

1063
00:43:13,390 --> 00:43:13,630
too.

1064
00:43:13,990 --> 00:43:16,470
You know, legalism is like a big fat

1065
00:43:16,470 --> 00:43:17,030
onion.

1066
00:43:17,890 --> 00:43:20,270
It's got layer after layer after layer after

1067
00:43:20,270 --> 00:43:20,670
layer.

1068
00:43:21,150 --> 00:43:22,450
It takes a long time to get rid

1069
00:43:22,450 --> 00:43:23,070
of it.

1070
00:43:23,330 --> 00:43:26,590
We throw the whole onion away and seek

1071
00:43:26,590 --> 00:43:27,350
to follow Jesus.

1072
00:43:28,690 --> 00:43:30,410
He healed people on the Sabbath day and

1073
00:43:30,410 --> 00:43:33,910
he told people, listen, you hypocrite, if your

1074
00:43:34,410 --> 00:43:36,410
donkey is thirsty on the Sabbath day, what

1075
00:43:36,410 --> 00:43:36,730
do you do?

1076
00:43:36,790 --> 00:43:37,870
Let it die of thirst?

1077
00:43:38,030 --> 00:43:38,330
No!

1078
00:43:38,970 --> 00:43:41,610
You take that donkey to the watering trough

1079
00:43:41,610 --> 00:43:42,430
and give it water.

1080
00:43:43,290 --> 00:43:44,070
Isn't that work?

1081
00:43:47,380 --> 00:43:47,680
Yeah.

1082
00:43:49,340 --> 00:43:51,500
He says, so also I do good on

1083
00:43:51,500 --> 00:43:52,160
the Sabbath day.

1084
00:43:52,540 --> 00:43:55,220
And this man said, well, he says, I

1085
00:43:55,220 --> 00:43:56,660
don't know about all that, but the person

1086
00:43:56,660 --> 00:43:58,500
who told me verse 11 made me well

1087
00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:00,920
said, take up your pallet and walk.

1088
00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:03,080
And so I walk.

1089
00:44:06,340 --> 00:44:08,420
And those of you, I want to give

1090
00:44:08,420 --> 00:44:09,020
you a word.

1091
00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:11,600
When some legalist comes to you and says,

1092
00:44:11,740 --> 00:44:12,960
why are you doing this?

1093
00:44:13,220 --> 00:44:14,740
You say the one who gave me eternal

1094
00:44:14,740 --> 00:44:16,180
life told me I'm free.

1095
00:44:22,720 --> 00:44:26,400
He told me and I don't care what

1096
00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:27,480
you think about me.

1097
00:44:27,840 --> 00:44:29,880
I have a relationship with someone else up

1098
00:44:29,880 --> 00:44:30,280
in heaven.

1099
00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:33,100
He told me I'm free.

1100
00:44:36,350 --> 00:44:39,470
Now I'm not I'm not trying to give

1101
00:44:39,470 --> 00:44:42,330
you an excuse you ladies to dress in

1102
00:44:42,330 --> 00:44:44,190
an immodest way or something like that, because

1103
00:44:44,190 --> 00:44:46,270
there you'd be tempting other people and causing

1104
00:44:46,270 --> 00:44:47,190
other people to sin.

1105
00:44:47,850 --> 00:44:50,170
You know, you can take a word like

1106
00:44:50,170 --> 00:44:52,170
this and say, yeah, the Lord told me

1107
00:44:52,170 --> 00:44:52,970
to dress as I like.

1108
00:44:53,030 --> 00:44:53,850
No, he didn't.

1109
00:44:58,340 --> 00:45:01,020
He told you to dress modestly and decently.

1110
00:45:01,620 --> 00:45:03,480
So that you don't cause other people to

1111
00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:03,740
sin.

1112
00:45:04,220 --> 00:45:06,880
So, you know, the devil is great at

1113
00:45:06,880 --> 00:45:07,420
quoting scripture.

1114
00:45:07,560 --> 00:45:09,220
He quoted scripture to Jesus too, don't forget.

1115
00:45:09,800 --> 00:45:11,740
So he can try and use a word

1116
00:45:12,260 --> 00:45:14,560
and make liberty an occasion for the flesh,

1117
00:45:14,660 --> 00:45:15,520
like the Bible says.

1118
00:45:15,620 --> 00:45:16,700
So we've got to be careful there.

1119
00:45:17,780 --> 00:45:19,800
But then that's a good word for us

1120
00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:21,240
to say, this is the word that the

1121
00:45:21,240 --> 00:45:23,360
Lord has spoken to me and I'm not

1122
00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:24,900
going to be bound by all these silly

1123
00:45:24,900 --> 00:45:25,660
rules and regulations.

1124
00:45:25,860 --> 00:45:26,480
I want life.

1125
00:45:26,620 --> 00:45:27,800
Life is the important thing.

1126
00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:29,920
But he didn't know who had healed him.

1127
00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:33,860
Later on, because Jesus had slipped away.

1128
00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:35,020
That's another wonderful thing.

1129
00:45:35,160 --> 00:45:36,620
I was saying that in the first meeting,

1130
00:45:36,740 --> 00:45:40,380
how Jesus would heal people and then slip

1131
00:45:40,380 --> 00:45:40,660
away.

1132
00:45:42,020 --> 00:45:43,960
He didn't want people to know.

1133
00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:47,240
It's so different from the way healing meetings

1134
00:45:47,240 --> 00:45:48,100
are conducted today.

1135
00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:51,520
He didn't get the fellow out and get

1136
00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:54,140
the crowd and say, hey, give your testimony

1137
00:45:54,140 --> 00:45:55,780
so that everybody knows I am the great

1138
00:45:55,780 --> 00:45:56,100
healer.

1139
00:45:59,020 --> 00:45:59,980
He never did that.

1140
00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:01,240
He was so happy that the man was

1141
00:46:01,240 --> 00:46:01,560
healed.

1142
00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:03,920
He said, I'm so happy that you healed.

1143
00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:04,480
Don't tell anybody.

1144
00:46:04,480 --> 00:46:06,300
Just praise the Lord and go home.

1145
00:46:07,760 --> 00:46:09,780
He slipped away, it says in verse 13.

1146
00:46:09,840 --> 00:46:11,440
You see that again and again and again.

1147
00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:14,100
The scriptures, it's a characteristic of Christ and

1148
00:46:14,100 --> 00:46:16,520
a characteristic of every Christ-like person.

1149
00:46:16,780 --> 00:46:18,260
He does good and slips away.

1150
00:46:19,500 --> 00:46:20,940
A good example for all of us to

1151
00:46:20,940 --> 00:46:21,180
follow.

1152
00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:24,500
So we don't get any credit for ourselves.

1153
00:46:24,660 --> 00:46:25,900
Much more for us to follow.

1154
00:46:26,440 --> 00:46:27,400
He was the son of God.

1155
00:46:27,720 --> 00:46:28,680
We're human beings.

1156
00:46:29,220 --> 00:46:30,480
He had a right to get glory, but

1157
00:46:30,480 --> 00:46:31,000
not us.

1158
00:46:31,860 --> 00:46:34,500
And it's a shame when Christians do things

1159
00:46:34,500 --> 00:46:36,420
and seek to draw attention to themselves.

1160
00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:39,740
We need to learn to slip away.

1161
00:46:41,040 --> 00:46:41,980
Verse 14.

1162
00:46:42,580 --> 00:46:43,760
Jesus found him in the temple.

1163
00:46:44,940 --> 00:46:45,660
Isn't that wonderful?

1164
00:46:46,900 --> 00:46:49,960
That the man, after he was healed, he

1165
00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:50,980
didn't go to a restaurant.

1166
00:46:51,280 --> 00:46:52,660
He went to a place of worship.

1167
00:46:54,100 --> 00:46:55,400
Praise God for that.

1168
00:46:56,040 --> 00:46:57,260
He said, the first thing I need to

1169
00:46:57,260 --> 00:46:58,980
do is to go to the temple and

1170
00:46:58,980 --> 00:47:00,680
praise the Lord for what he's done.

1171
00:47:02,300 --> 00:47:04,180
Because that's the place where Jesus will find

1172
00:47:04,180 --> 00:47:04,540
you.

1173
00:47:05,600 --> 00:47:07,040
If he had gone to the restaurant, Jesus

1174
00:47:07,040 --> 00:47:07,780
wouldn't have found him.

1175
00:47:08,540 --> 00:47:09,940
He went to the temple, and Jesus is

1176
00:47:09,940 --> 00:47:10,940
usually there, by the way.

1177
00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:13,400
In the church, in the place of worship.

1178
00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:14,900
Today we don't have a physical temple or

1179
00:47:14,900 --> 00:47:17,800
church, but in the place it can be

1180
00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:18,340
in our home.

1181
00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:21,940
And we always get more when we go

1182
00:47:21,940 --> 00:47:22,880
back to thank God.

1183
00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:25,400
And that's what this man found.

1184
00:47:26,340 --> 00:47:27,860
You know, you can get a healing, get

1185
00:47:27,860 --> 00:47:30,300
a blessing from God, and that's it.

1186
00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:32,080
But you go back to thank God, and

1187
00:47:32,080 --> 00:47:33,200
you'll discover you get something more.

1188
00:47:33,720 --> 00:47:35,220
Which you wouldn't have got if you hadn't

1189
00:47:35,220 --> 00:47:36,180
gone back to thank God.

1190
00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:38,680
What did this person get?

1191
00:47:39,040 --> 00:47:43,760
He got a revelation on who Jesus was.

1192
00:47:44,900 --> 00:47:47,060
He said, Jesus found him there.

1193
00:47:48,200 --> 00:47:50,200
And then he discovered it was Jesus.

1194
00:47:52,290 --> 00:47:53,730
It's like the ten lepers.

1195
00:47:54,630 --> 00:47:56,570
All ten got healed, we read in Luke

1196
00:47:56,570 --> 00:47:57,030
17.

1197
00:47:57,870 --> 00:48:02,370
One man came back and said, thank you

1198
00:48:02,370 --> 00:48:02,570
Lord.

1199
00:48:02,650 --> 00:48:04,090
And he got salvation as well.

1200
00:48:04,470 --> 00:48:05,470
What did the other nine get?

1201
00:48:05,730 --> 00:48:06,530
Physical healing.

1202
00:48:06,850 --> 00:48:08,210
What did the tenth fellow get?

1203
00:48:08,650 --> 00:48:10,590
Physical healing plus salvation.

1204
00:48:10,990 --> 00:48:12,510
All because he came back.

1205
00:48:12,610 --> 00:48:13,950
The Lord said, your faith has saved you.

1206
00:48:15,150 --> 00:48:15,790
That's wonderful.

1207
00:48:16,890 --> 00:48:20,510
Many of us have missed something more.

1208
00:48:21,030 --> 00:48:23,590
Because we got a blessing, and we never

1209
00:48:23,590 --> 00:48:26,850
came down to worship God and say, thank

1210
00:48:26,850 --> 00:48:27,330
you Lord.

1211
00:48:28,730 --> 00:48:30,970
And in the temple, we read here that

1212
00:48:30,970 --> 00:48:34,130
Jesus told him, don't sin again, verse 14,

1213
00:48:34,550 --> 00:48:36,710
lest something worse befall you.

1214
00:48:37,750 --> 00:48:41,110
The church is a place of correction, rebuke,

1215
00:48:41,390 --> 00:48:41,790
warning.

1216
00:48:43,250 --> 00:48:45,770
Don't sin anymore.

1217
00:48:48,190 --> 00:48:50,450
Does Jesus say words like that?

1218
00:48:51,570 --> 00:48:52,490
Read it.

1219
00:48:52,710 --> 00:48:53,510
Verse 14.

1220
00:48:55,080 --> 00:48:57,300
Do not sin anymore.

1221
00:48:57,720 --> 00:48:59,380
You know what he told the woman caught

1222
00:48:59,380 --> 00:48:59,940
in adultery?

1223
00:49:00,700 --> 00:49:02,320
Exactly the same words.

1224
00:49:03,020 --> 00:49:07,220
Woman, I don't condemn you, but don't sin

1225
00:49:07,220 --> 00:49:07,740
anymore.

1226
00:49:09,040 --> 00:49:12,660
It's a word that Christians today need to

1227
00:49:12,660 --> 00:49:13,080
hear.

1228
00:49:13,640 --> 00:49:15,520
I don't condemn you.

1229
00:49:16,440 --> 00:49:17,340
Praise the Lord for that.

1230
00:49:18,360 --> 00:49:20,800
Don't sin anymore.

1231
00:49:21,760 --> 00:49:22,960
Take sin seriously.

1232
00:49:23,880 --> 00:49:26,120
I believe that's very important.

1233
00:49:30,490 --> 00:49:31,190
And the reason?

1234
00:49:32,190 --> 00:49:38,090
Because if you sin again, something worse can

1235
00:49:38,090 --> 00:49:38,830
befall you.

1236
00:49:40,190 --> 00:49:43,510
Did Jesus threaten people with something worse?

1237
00:49:44,250 --> 00:49:45,710
Did he warn them?

1238
00:49:45,750 --> 00:49:46,550
He certainly did.

1239
00:49:47,310 --> 00:49:48,830
That something worse was hell.

1240
00:49:50,450 --> 00:49:52,950
And Jesus warned him, if you can go

1241
00:49:52,950 --> 00:49:56,710
back to your sin again, something worse will

1242
00:49:56,710 --> 00:49:57,130
happen.

1243
00:49:57,670 --> 00:49:59,990
You got lame, the next thing won't be

1244
00:49:59,990 --> 00:50:00,710
lameness.

1245
00:50:01,890 --> 00:50:03,150
It will be eternal fire.

1246
00:50:04,070 --> 00:50:06,550
So we see that sickness is sometimes meant

1247
00:50:06,550 --> 00:50:07,470
to save us from hell.

1248
00:50:09,170 --> 00:50:12,430
I had an aunt of mine who was

1249
00:50:12,430 --> 00:50:13,150
totally unsaved.

1250
00:50:13,250 --> 00:50:13,850
She got cancer.

1251
00:50:15,570 --> 00:50:17,110
And that made her turn to the Lord.

1252
00:50:17,270 --> 00:50:18,730
She died, but she went to heaven.

1253
00:50:19,250 --> 00:50:20,890
Would never have gone there if she hadn't

1254
00:50:20,890 --> 00:50:21,530
got that cancer.

1255
00:50:22,310 --> 00:50:24,750
So God turns Where did the cancer come

1256
00:50:24,750 --> 00:50:25,250
from?

1257
00:50:25,310 --> 00:50:26,190
The devil, of course.

1258
00:50:26,710 --> 00:50:29,150
But God used the evil for good.

1259
00:50:29,230 --> 00:50:30,850
God's always in the business of turning evil

1260
00:50:30,850 --> 00:50:31,210
to good.

1261
00:50:32,010 --> 00:50:35,670
So, sickness, we see here, can turn a

1262
00:50:35,670 --> 00:50:37,250
man away from sin.

1263
00:50:38,610 --> 00:50:40,630
And we read here that for this reason,

1264
00:50:40,710 --> 00:50:44,530
verse 16, the Jews were persecuting Jesus because

1265
00:50:44,530 --> 00:50:45,810
he was doing these things on the Sabbath.

1266
00:50:45,930 --> 00:50:48,850
You know, you can get so blind to

1267
00:50:48,850 --> 00:50:53,650
the good that people are doing that you

1268
00:50:53,650 --> 00:50:56,990
can find some small little thing in them

1269
00:50:56,990 --> 00:50:57,470
to criticize.

1270
00:50:57,830 --> 00:50:59,650
They did that even with Jesus.

1271
00:51:00,850 --> 00:51:02,270
And religious people are like that.

1272
00:51:03,270 --> 00:51:04,810
I don't mean spiritual people.

1273
00:51:04,910 --> 00:51:07,650
I'm talking about religious as opposed to spiritual.

1274
00:51:08,430 --> 00:51:09,450
Jesus was spiritual.

1275
00:51:09,610 --> 00:51:10,650
The Pharisees were religious.

1276
00:51:11,050 --> 00:51:12,510
Religion is full of rules and regulations.

1277
00:51:12,610 --> 00:51:14,490
Such people are very picky about little, little

1278
00:51:14,490 --> 00:51:14,810
things.

1279
00:51:14,930 --> 00:51:17,870
They try to pick out and are completely

1280
00:51:17,870 --> 00:51:20,050
blind to all the good that this man

1281
00:51:20,050 --> 00:51:20,310
is doing.

1282
00:51:20,390 --> 00:51:21,410
That's how they were with Jesus.

1283
00:51:22,030 --> 00:51:23,030
I want to say one last thing.

1284
00:51:24,770 --> 00:51:26,050
Jesus said in verse 17.

1285
00:51:27,370 --> 00:51:28,730
I want to paraphrase these words.

1286
00:51:28,830 --> 00:51:30,350
My father's working until now and I myself

1287
00:51:30,350 --> 00:51:30,730
working.

1288
00:51:31,430 --> 00:51:33,170
Because he was doing these things on the

1289
00:51:33,170 --> 00:51:34,750
Sabbath, verse 16, they criticized him.

1290
00:51:35,170 --> 00:51:38,810
And Jesus said, My father does not have

1291
00:51:38,810 --> 00:51:39,370
a Sabbath.

1292
00:51:42,080 --> 00:51:43,240
He works seven days a week.

1293
00:51:44,700 --> 00:51:46,640
You know, the only Sabbath that God had

1294
00:51:46,640 --> 00:51:48,440
was the one described in Genesis 2 at

1295
00:51:48,440 --> 00:51:49,940
the end of creation.

1296
00:51:50,800 --> 00:51:52,280
God rested on the seventh day.

1297
00:51:54,200 --> 00:51:55,420
And then what happened in the next chapter?

1298
00:51:56,000 --> 00:51:57,320
Man sinned.

1299
00:51:57,380 --> 00:51:59,380
And once man sinned, God began to work

1300
00:51:59,380 --> 00:52:00,620
again and he never stopped working.

1301
00:52:01,300 --> 00:52:02,140
He never had a Sabbath.

1302
00:52:03,780 --> 00:52:06,420
And Jesus said, Since my father doesn't have

1303
00:52:06,420 --> 00:52:09,200
a Sabbath, I don't have a Sabbath too.

1304
00:52:10,560 --> 00:52:12,680
We need physical rest and Jesus sometimes would

1305
00:52:12,680 --> 00:52:13,880
go for physical rest, but there was a

1306
00:52:13,880 --> 00:52:15,960
sense in which he was always working, even

1307
00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:17,080
when he was resting, he was praying.

1308
00:52:18,380 --> 00:52:21,280
God has never stopped working because man's in

1309
00:52:21,280 --> 00:52:21,560
sin.

1310
00:52:22,240 --> 00:52:24,080
Because there are poor people, withered people, lame

1311
00:52:24,080 --> 00:52:26,780
people, sick, spiritually all over the world.

1312
00:52:27,580 --> 00:52:31,700
And if you're in fellowship with God, you

1313
00:52:31,700 --> 00:52:33,720
need to have a concern for a world

1314
00:52:33,720 --> 00:52:35,700
that is lost in sin.

1315
00:52:37,160 --> 00:52:40,140
Because our Heavenly Father is concerned.

1316
00:52:41,400 --> 00:52:42,660
Let's bow before God in prayer.

1317
00:52:45,600 --> 00:52:49,240
You are invited to visit our website on

1318
00:52:49,240 --> 00:53:51,820
the internet at www.cfcindia.com If

1319
00:53:51,820 --> 00:53:55,920
you would like to receive a weekly message

1320
00:53:55,920 --> 00:54:00,240
by Zach Poonen by email, please send us

1321
00:54:00,240 --> 00:54:09,660
your email address to cfclitatouchtellindia.net.

1322
00:54:23,620 --> 00:54:26,800
The Lord bless you richly.