Do You Really Want What God Wants For You? Series

The end of October rolled around, and about 200 students turned in their papers, while 50 students showed up empty-handed. “Oh, please,“it was homecoming weekend, and we ran out of time.”

Sproul relented once more but warned them, “This is it. No excuses next time. You will get an F.” The end of November came, and only 100 students turned in their papers. The rest told Sproul, “We’ll get it in soon.” “

Sorry, it’s too late now. You get an F.” They howled in protest, “That’s not fair!” “Okay,” Sproul replied, “you want justice, do you? Here’s what’s just: you’ll get an F for all three papers that were late. That was the rule, right?”

“The students had quickly taken my mercy for granted,” Sproul later reflected. “They assumed it. When justice suddenly fell, they were unprepared for it. It came as a shock, and they were outraged.”

• Unanswered question about this situation is why this man? Jesus is surrounded by a multitude of sick folks so what is unique about this particular man who was sick even before Jesus was born on earth.

MAN’S ANSWER with the EXCUSE for his continued hopeless condition showed how he was at the end of his options. There was no other hope but Jesus. Many people are still working down their own personal list of solutions and aren’t ready to turn this over to Jesus while they might still solve this and get come credit for the change that might come.

GOD WORKS IN THE LIVES OF DEPERATE PEOPLE: Desperately want to change and see no other hope but God and in desperation cry out to Him.

We live in a sin-damaged world and we will suffer many struggles in life and things that are not fair. Obstacles don’t disappear for a believer but actually increase. Jesus did not deny this man had lived a horrible past and lay in a difficult present but Jesus was offering Him a victorious future and the struggles and obstacles could be the very arenas that God could be seen in the man’s life.

THE POWER BY THE POOL: 8 Jesus said to him, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk."

“Do you want to be made well?” (Jn. 5:6). The man answered with an excuse that was overpowered by the command of Christ: “Rise, take up your bed, and walk” (v.8).

1. Jesus tells the man to get up. By Himself

The man’s excuse was that he had nobody to help him, and Jesus doesn’t ask somebody to come over to help, but asks the man to get up himself.

Jesus could have said, “Peter and John help this man to his feet”. But He didn’t.

Sometimes we cheat ourselves out of God's blessings in our lives because we want them to come through a person.

You don’t need to wait til you get to church to deal with something between yourself and God. Do it right where you are WHEN He speaks to your heart about it.

My life took a dramatic turn in January 29, 1979. 32 years ago yesterday. I had grown up in church but had been very sporadic for at least 6 years or so. When my life was changed there was no Christian I could point to that had any part in it. No witness from anybody, no great example, no amazing sermon.