Jesus - Deliverer Series

Sermon Brief

Date Written: February 12, 2011

Date Preached: February 13, 2011

Where Preached: OPBC (AM)

Sermon Details:

Series Title: Falling in Love With Jesus

Sermon Title: Jesus – Deliverer

Sermon Text: John 5:1-15 [HCSB]

1After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda in Hebrew, which has five colonnades. 3Within these lay a multitude of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed [—waiting for the moving of the water, 4because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had]. 5One man was there who had been sick for 38 years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been there a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to get well?" 7"Sir," the sick man answered, "I don't have a man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I'm coming, someone goes down ahead of me." 8"Get up," Jesus told him, "pick up your bedroll and walk!" 9Instantly the man got well, picked up his bedroll, and started to walk. Now that day was the Sabbath. 10So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed." 11But he answered them, "The man who healed me, that man said to me, 'Take up your bed, and walk.'" 12They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" 13Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you." 15The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Introduction:

Robert had graduated from High School, attended Abilene Christian University where he rec’d a degree in Latin. He went on to teach at a Community College in the St. Louis area. Robert was active in his church and went on many mission trips, ultimately surrendering to the mission calling on his life where he ended up in Portugal. Robert had been a missionary in Portugal for 6 yrs, and this is where he had met his wife AND where he had led so many people to the Lord.

In looking at Robert’s life, you can see great successes and great accomplishment. But to look at Robert… you may wonder how... You see Robert has severe cerebral palsy. His hands and feet are twisted to the point they are useless. He cannot feed himself, comb his hair, bathe himself, brush his own teeth… Robert cannot even dress himself!

He cannot drive, ride a bike or even go for a walk as he is confined to a wheelchair. But in spite of that, Robert answered the call of God in his life in 1972. Robert moved to Lisbon, Portugal BY HIMSELF and rented a hotel room. He hired a tutor to teach him the language and every day he would station himself in the park out beside his hotel and hand out tracts about Jesus.

Do you know what Robert was recently quoted as saying? He said, “I have EVERYTHING I need for joy in my life!” You see Robert does not see things as the world sees them… He does not see his condition as an excuse nor does he allow his cerebral palsy to limit his service OR cloud his attitude toward His Savior.

But that is not the way the world sees things in our society today. You hear, “It’s NOT my fault!” That phrase is uttered for almost every egregious action that there is... all to relieve themselves of any responsibility for their actions. Today, EVERYONE seems to believe that they are the victim of something else and NO ONE seems to want to take personal responsibility for their own actions.

But this did NOT start in our society… but it has been around since the Garden of Eden. Do you remember the story about Adam and Eve in the Garden… Eve partook of the fruit… she was deceived by the serpent, and then she had Adam eat of the fruit… they were BOTH disobedient.

When God came in the cool of the evening and asked Adam why he had done it… he said, “It’s NOT my fault God… SHE made me do it!” God turned to Eve and she said, “The Serpent tricked me… it’s his fault!” Neither of them would take responsibility for their actions.