HOW MANY OF US HAVE GONE ON VACATIONS?THEN WHILE DRIVING ON OUR VACATIONS BEFORE REACHING OUR DESTINATIONS WE STARTED GETTING SLEEPY. MANY OF US WOULD GO TO THE NEXT EXIT, OR STOP AT THE FIRST CONVENIENCE STORE AND GET A CUP OF COFFEE. AFTER DRINKING THE COFFEE, THE COFFEE WOULD AWAKEN US AND WOULD PROVIDE A LIFT. MANY TIMES AFTER REACHING OUR DESTINATIONS OUR LIFT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE COFFEE WOULD LEAVE US. YES, THE COFFEE GAVE US A LIFT, HOWEVER THAT LIFT DID NOT LAST.I PROPOSE JESUS TODAY, FOR HE CAN RAISE UP A BOWED DOWN HEAD,HEAL A BROKEN HEART, AND GIVE US A LIFT THAT WILL LAST.
CONDITION OF THE MAN (VS 2)
A. LAME
B. LONGTERM ILLNESS (COULD NOT MOVE, NO MOBILITY, NO MOTIVATION)
C. LEFT (HE WAS LEFT AT THE GATE DAILY)
CRY HE MADE (3) ASKED ALMS
HE WANTED A BANDAID WHEN HE NEEDED STITCHES
CHRISTIANS ON A MISSION (VS 4) "LOOK ON US
( IF WE ASKED THE WORLD TO LOOK ON US WHAT WOULD THEY SEE?)BUT BETTER YET WHAT DID THIS MAN SEE?
A. LOYALTY (IN VERSE ONE THIS IS THE HOUR OF PRAYER, NOT MORNING WORSHIP. MANY OF US JUST MAKE IT FOR ONE SERVICE, AND WE FORGET ABOUT AFTERNOON SERVICE, TRAINING UNION, BIBLE STUDY, AND PRAYER SERVICE.)
B. LIGHT (THESE MEN ENCOURAGING DESPITE THE LAME MAN’S EMPTINESS. WE AS CHRISTIANS NEED TO GIVE HELPING HANDS TO A HURTING HUMANITY.
C. LOVE (THESE MEN WERE SO CONCERNED ABOUT THIS MANS CONDITION THAT THEY GAVE HIM THE LIFT THAT HE NEEDED. MONEY WOULD HAVE SENT HIM BACK TO THE GATE ON THE NEXT DAY, BUT THESE MEN INTRODUCED JESUS CHRIST AND THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE.
CELEBRATION OF HIS MIRACLE (VS 8)
WALKED
WORSHIPED (WENT INTO THE TEMPLE)
WITNESSED (PRAISING GOD)
WHEN GOD HAS DONE SOMETHING FOR US, WE NEED TO CELEBRATE OUR MIRACLES.
THE SONGWRITER SAYS " I WAS SINKING DEEP IN SIN, FAR FROM THE PEACEFUL SHORE, VERY DEEPLY STAINED WITHIN, SINKING TO RISE NO MORE, BUT THE MASTER OF THE SEA, HEARD MY DESPAIRING CRY, AND FROM THE WATERS HE LIFTED ME NOW SAFE AM I. IT WAS GOD’S LOVE THROUGH JESUS THAT LIFTED ME.
I TELL YOU HE CAN CURE OUR CRISIS
HE CAN HEAL OUR HURT
HE CAN DESTROY OUR DEMONS
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU TODAY, BUT YOU CAN HAVE THIS OLD WORLD BUT I’LL TAKE JESUS FOR MINE,BECAUSE HE CAN GIVE YOU A LIFT THAT WILL LAST.
