God Knows Your Case

KNOWING YOUR CASE

John 5:1-7

Intro: In the reading of our text we find a man who lying at the pool of Bethesda by reason of his infirmity. We also know by reading that he is at least 38 years old if not older. So he has been in this shape longer than the Lord Jesus has been alive. This story to me is rather pathetic on his part than pitiful. The reason I say thins is because for 38 years this man had lain in this shape with others around him. And while Jesus is passing through we do not see one person, including this man calling out on Him for help. This shows the helplessness of man and his inability to do anything for himself. He is so helpless when Jesus asks him “Wilt thou be made whole?” the impotent man replies, “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled , to put me into the pool.” How pathetic of a case he had become. Not even his own people would stay with him until the water was stirred to push him into the pool. He had gotten so helpless he would not even drag himself to the waters edge. He wasn’t look for Jesus to heal him he was looking for Jesus to put him in the water. The truth of the story is he just wanted to know how to get in the pool. But Jesus knew his case. I want to preach on the subject “KNOWING YOUR CASE”

I. FIRST, YOU MUST REALIZE THERE IS A PROBLEM

A. (John 5:3) In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water

B. The people were there because of there problem

C. Friend, you cannot get saved until you get lost

D. Until you realize you are not right with God you cannot realize you got a problem

E. These people had problems physically like many have spiritually

1. Impotent folk – Powerless unable to do anything for himself

2. Blind – Cannot see the right for the wrong

3. Halt – Lame cant stand on their own

4. Withered – To be withered suggest there use to be life

F. It could be you fit in one of these categories and you just hadn’t realized there is a problem

II. SECOND, YOU HAVE TO GET IN THE RIGHT PLACE

A. I do not believe in predestination in the manner of Calvinism.

B. I do not believe in coincidence. I believe everything happens for a reason

C. I do believe in divine intervention and I do believe some things in the Bible are foreordained. (Ex. John the Baptist)

D. But this man happened to be in the right place at the right time and Jesus knew when he’d be there

E. I believe the night I got saved I was at the right place at the right time. Not by mistake but by divine intervention

F. Amazingly, enough there were all kinds of sick people laying around that Jesus could have healed but he picked this man

G. I believe God picks people to heal.

H. No doubt Jesus had to walk around people and step over people to get to him

I. He knew what kind of shape this man was in

J. (John 5:6) When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

K. For a person to ever be saved they have had to have heard the gospel preached somewhere and sometime in their life

III. THIRD, YOU HAVE TO QUIT MAKING EXCUSES

A. I am amazed at the response of this man when Jesus asks him, “Wilt thou be made whole”?

B. He doesn’t answer yes or no he gives an excuse for his condition

C. How many times have we or did we when we were lost give God excuses for not getting in

D. Maybe you have gotten to the point where you know there is a problem and you have been at the right place at the right time but you gave God an excuse

E. This man done the same thing

IV. FOURTH, ONCE YOU GET IN YOU HAVE TO PUT FOR SOME EFFORT

A. (John 5:8) Jesus saith unto him, ,Rise, take up thy bed and walk

B. This man actually had a couple of choices

C. He could have said I will just stay here until the water is moved again

D. He could have said I will wait on those who brought me here to return

E. But the scripture proclaims “And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same say was the Sabbath.