Bible Text: John 5:1-15 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: Mighty in His Power
Do You Want To Change Your Life?
Review: Our #1 Priority: Evangelism!
Forgiveness Brings Freedom.
Our past failures, sins and wrongs can and will paralyze our present and future.
Maturity
Maturity is doing the WILL of the Father, living by the WORD of His Son Jesus Christ, and allowing the WORK of the Holy Spirit in your life.
Spiritual Maturity Is Being Like Christ.
Ephesians 4:13 In the unity of common faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, we arrive at real maturity, the measure of development which is meant by the fullness of Christ.
John 5:3-4 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
Jesus came to offer GRACE that went beyond the physical needs of being sick, injured or disabled.  Jesus is offering us:
HEALING
HOLINESS
WHOLENESS
Do You Want To Get Well?
Why did Jesus ask this question, rather than Could you have faith in the MESSIAH who is sent from God?
YES/NO/EXCUSE?
Acknowledge our need
Decide to let God’s WILL be done
John 5:6-7
Jesus Offers Us Radical Transformation.
Only when we admit our need will we receive HIS Mighty Power of His grace and the miracle of salvation.
John 5:8-9
Do we want to REALLY get well and grow up?  Do we REALLY want to get over our past?  Do we REALLY want to change?
Jesus comes to the place of our need.
Jesus talks with us directly.
Jesus walks with us.
John 5:10-13 And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed. He answered them, He who made me well said to me, Take up your bed and walk. Then they asked him, Who is the Man who said to you, Take up your bed and walk? But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.
This was a Great Miracle – his SINS were FORGIVEN!
John 5:14-15 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you. The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
Matthew 9:4-7 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, why are you thinking such evil thoughts?  Is it easier to say, your sins are forgiven or Get up and walk? I will prove that I, the Son of Man, have the authority on earth to forgive sins. Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, Stand up, take your mat, and go on home, because you are healed! And the man jumped up and went home!
God Heals
Psalm 34:18-22 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all…The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.
Jerusalem: center of worship
Sheep Gate: place of sacrifice
Gate(s): symbol of authority
Bethesda: house of grace
Porches: place of human suffering
What is Maturity?
Having completed growth and development
To bring to completion
Spiritual maturity is the development and growth that comes by knowing, being, and doing Jesus in our lives.