Sin

Gospel of John, please. John's Gospel chapter 5. John chapter 5 and verse number 1. After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is a Jerusalem by the sheep market, a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches, and these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, blind, halt, withered, but they're all doing the same thing.

You'll notice verse 3 says they're waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water, and whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. Now I'm really reading that just to come to verse number 5. And a certain man was there which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

When Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, here's the question, wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, sir, I have no man. When the water's troubled to put me into the pool, well, I'm coming another step of down before me. Jesus saith unto him, rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

And immediately the man was made whole, took up his bed, and walked. And on the same day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, it was on the Sabbath day, it's not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

He answered them, he that made me whole, the same said unto me, take up thy bed and walk. Then asked they him, what man is that which saith unto thee, take up thy bed and walk? And he that was healed was not who it was, for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple and said unto him, behold thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

So that proves to us that a person can be saved and sin after they are saved. Other passages bear witness to that. I want to draw your attention really to the question that is asked this man, wilt thou be made whole? Often in our Bibles before a person is mentioned or their name is given or not given to us, it is often prefaced by the expression a certain individual, a certain man or likewise.

Now a certain blind man. Now what really is it that distinguishes this man at this pool among the multitudes that were gathered there around it? What distinguishes a man at the side of the road and he's blind? And there's all kinds of blind people in Judea. All kinds of them in Jerusalem.

Nothing can be done for them. Almost an embarrassment to society. But what distinguishes that individual from the rest? It's the same thing that distinguishes you from anybody outside this building today.

What distinguished in this is they were going to have an encounter, a meeting if you like, with Christ. Now we call this a gospel meeting because it is that. But it is not just a case of meeting, you meeting friends or meeting individuals.

But this is a meeting whereby, my friend, you are introduced to truths of eternal value and significance that you cannot afford to ignore or simply write them off, young boy, as if I've heard that so many times before. Do you understand that before the silver shovel by county officials or whatever was turned into the sod of this property on the Cougar Road and it was publicly announced that this school will be built here, built here for the purpose of education and so on, all the dignitaries gathered around, God and heaven looked down at the same lot and he said this, my people that are called by my name over there in New Lenox are going to use this building and they're going to gather in it. And on the first day of the week, the best thing that ever happens in any building is going to happen in that building.

They're going to worship God. And do you know what he wants? He wants to make you, my young friend, in this meeting today or older person, a worshiper of himself. If he didn't, this building wouldn't be here and you wouldn't be here either.

What distinguished this man was the one that he was going to meet. But think of the circumstances in the man's life. Sin had done a number on him, as we would say, as it did in the Garden of Eden, as we've been clearly hearing tonight.

I want you to think, first of all, of sinners of paralysis. I mean, our hearts, the heart of a stone is drawn out to a person that is paralyzed. Just something about it.

You look at them and you just feel you want to be the legs and arms that they need to be. A man that I know in our town, his boy, a hard-working electrician, went to work in our big potash mine, made all kinds of money, more money than he likely could use or spend, bought himself a brand new Corvette two weeks ago, drove it out of the showroom, brought it back to Sussex, headed up just a matter of days, took one of his friends for a ride on Main Street, not too far from where some of our Christians live, and began to show him what a 2012 Corvette will do. The result of it, that without a seat belt on, he would lose control of the vehicle, flip it on its roof.

The passenger walks out, that young man today is in the St. John General Hospital, paralyzed. His friends, people that are his friends that work for our boy say, what was he thinking? Yeah, what was he thinking? My friend, what is your thinking tonight? You may never own or drive a Corvette. I never have.

You may never be brought into circumstances like that, but you are likely more privileged than the young man I'm talking about. As people picked up the Kings County Record, a newspaper that I write in weekly, a gospel message, and saw right there in picture, right on the front page, that inverted Corvette, they gasped. Young people thought that, man, if I had something like that, this is what I would do.

But as you are gathered in this meeting tonight, my friend, you are more significant than any Corvette, than anything in life that you could gather together. You are just like this individual. You are paralyzed.

That's why first we noticed Genesis chapter 3, the string of Adam's tongue is tied. Can't answer the question. Was it too difficult? Adam said, God said to him, where art thou? What's wrong with this man here when the Lord says unto him five words in a known tongue? Wilt thou be made whole? And he starts into this preamble while, sir, it's like this, I have no man and so on and so on.

Understand, friend, you have been paralyzed. Sin has paralyzed you. Terrible thing.

It has literally tied you. Because, my friend, the best employment of your tongue would be in the language of Romans chapter 10 and verse number 9, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus is Lord, believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. The best use that this quick tongue of mine has ever been put to was the moment on a summer evening in southwestern Ontario when I to God confessed Christ the Savior started for heaven, no longer going to hell.

Wonderful thing to be saved tonight. Let me ask you, do you want out of the paralysis? Then here's a meeting of a man that can take you out of it. Not only was there a paralysis in this man's life, but sin was like a partition.

Just like a big partition. There was something that, in that paralyzed condition, he just couldn't get over it. Maybe he didn't know what it was.

And you know what it is before I tell you tonight. You're so familiar with the gospel. It's your sin.

It is your sin, young girl. Your sin, dear boy. The Bible says your iniquities have hid his face from you.

Your sins have separated between you and your God. Your sin. Terrible partition.

And there's no way, my friend, around it, over it, or under it. It stands there as a huge blockade. There's only one that can take it out of the way.

Listen to the words of John. Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away, which taketh away the sin of the world. Wonders that moment of my life when I realized that's why Christ died.

That's why he came into the world. Was to take my sin away. Not only was sin to this man like a paralysis.

Not only was it like a partition. You know what it was? It was a partner. It was a partner that he didn't need and nobody ever wanted.

I read just a small clip on cancer the other day. And it was described like this. Cancer is a dreaded partner picked up by human beings and by an animal creation as well.

Cancer. A terrible partner. I have friends of mine that long to wake up tomorrow morning and think I'm free of that.

I have friends of mine and even family that wouldn't want to go back to the doctor. The doctor's nurse calls and said we'd like to see you again. Immediately they think, oh have I not got rid of that partner? Is it true? I'm speaking to someone here tonight and you will live and die with that horrid partner called sin.

When there is one tonight that we're preaching can free you from it. Sin not only is a paralysis sin not only is a partition. Sin is a partner.

You know what I long for? You know what every person, every Christian in this meeting longs for? Sin is the past. Sin being in your past. It was with this man.

My if he didn't know in the words he could have quoted them. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Wonderful thing to be able to say or sin.

Oh the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin not in part but the whole was nailed to his cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord oh my soul. What a night it would be where one soul in this gospel meeting like I was in a closing conference gospel meeting in Sarnia Ontario. Likely unknown to all my cousins that filled the front rows of that auditorium of the Hannah Memorial School.

I went over to that school that night and I thought if there's any way if there's any way that I can be saved I want it tonight. Is that you? My friend it'll come to that. It'll come to a moment of such desperation.

It's not something you'll just saunter into. It's not some moment I mean I had all kinds of ideas how where when I would get saved what verse might be being preached and this is I'm going to understand it like this but my friend when the truth of Luke 19 and 10 flooded my dark soul that the Son of Man had come to seek and to save that which was lost I didn't know I did not care if there was another lost person in the world I knew I was lost. More than that I had God's Word that he come to seek and save me.

That's all I've got to this day. More than that that's all I need. Now it comes down to a question.

Questions from God usually make people uncomfortable. A man by the name of Job was asked all kinds of questions. Job was very uncomfortable with those questions.

Most of them he couldn't answer. We visit hundreds of people. My visits aren't long with people and I do not sit down with people try to take them through some verse.

I do not do it. I do not take some person's name and put it in a verse or tell them to put it in there. God doesn't let me do that.

He's put your name in there. He put my name in Luke 19 and 10. Lost.

Romans 5 and 6 ungodly. 5 and 8 sinners. But I've asked people questions.

Fair or unfair or otherwise. If there's been a clock in the room I've looked at it and watched and it seems like time goes on lead feet. No answer.

I just sit. As hard as it may be for me to do that and hold my tongue I do. After about two minutes that seemed like a forever.

I then say, did you hear the question? And usually they go, my friend whether you answer my question tonight doesn't matter. I do have a question for you dear boy tonight. Why are you not saved? Why in the purposes of God? You in this meeting tonight so favored, so blessed.

Coming from the home that I likely think you come from. Not saved. The Lord Jesus comes to this man.

He asked him a very important question. Notice he doesn't ask him, do you want to walk? That was obvious. He doesn't ask him, do you want to walk? There's reason for that.

You cannot walk until you're made whole. You see I meet a lot of people unfortunately from Mark chapter 2, Luke chapter 9, Matthew chapter 5 that are trying to carry a bed and their sins have never been forgiven. You can't carry a bed until your sins are forgiven.

You cannot walk my friend until you're made whole. As we've been hearing tonight when God created the garden he didn't plant seeds. And he didn't start man off as someone in youth or younger and said hope you grow up.

My friend when God created man the first time he did the same way as he does it the second time. A whole man. Second Corinthians chapter 5. If any man be in Christ he is a new creation.

All things have passed away. All things become new. So the question for the man is will thou be made whole? You know you look at it you read that just like I am for you in the meeting tonight you feel like saying go for it.

Man listen to what he's saying. I mean if you had been healed otherwise by that pool wouldn't you lean over and say hey what's wrong with you? But you can't answer for him. Will thou be made whole? You know there's only one word he needed to say and no more.

All he had to need to say was Lord. Remember what that thief in the cross said? Lord. After that he did not have to say a word.

No man calleth them Lord but by the Spirit. All that man would say yes Lord. Oh no.

Oh no there's reasons. There's reasons why he didn't want to be made whole just like there's reasons why you're not saved tonight. I mean you take a man like Naaman that we read about in the Bible.

He's all taken up with a spot. He needed to be made whole? No. Get the spot looked after.

That spot is what has defiled the whole of you. But he says it's just a spot I thought the prophet would come out and strike his hand over the leprosy. I would be healed.

What's this business about going down into the Jordan and dipping myself? Did he want to be made whole? No. I meet people friend that were like a salvation that would keep them out of hell. Beyond that nothing else.

Well my friend I want to tell you something. Salvation comes in a complete package that makes you whole. That gives you the desire by a divine birth to love the Lord Jesus and want to live for him.

I met a lady just here a while ago. She said to me, so she says you're telling me that you know after you get saved you can just kind of live as you like and be as you like and so on. I said yeah yeah you do have that opportunity.

She said oh that's what I was afraid of. I said I'm not afraid of it. She said what do you mean? I said I would like to so live.

I would like to so live that I would never sin or grieve God again. Oh she says would you have to live like that? No I said you wouldn't have to. You'd want to.

Will thou be made? You see there's three questions, three aspects. First of all it is a question of the will. Okay it is a question.

It comes right down to it. It is a question. That's what the Lord says to him.

Will thou be made whole? He says oh sir um when I am coming another step it down before me and without going into details that's another of a different kind. You know what he's saying? While I'm coming there's somebody that he's just a little worse than I am and I'm such a nice man I just step back and let him go. My friend that doesn't fly.

Lots of people think that way. That's the man's thinking. Maybe he's waiting for another troubling in the water.

I mean other people got it that way. What about him? Had nothing to do with it friend. Any more than a blind man that the Lord Jesus would command and he could see would say where's the mud? Where's the mud? Didn't you use mud? Did you spit the ground somewhere? Didn't see that? My friend God chooses how he wants to save anybody because he doesn't have to save anybody and he has asked this man will thou be made whole? That was it.

That's where the man stopped. Is that where you're stopped tonight? Yeah I wouldn't mind being saved but you know I would kind of like to see that was like the man that was we call him the other thief. He said if thou no he doesn't say be the Christ no no he's not sure.

He says if thou be Christ save thyself and us. If you're one of many just get me out of this mess. The other man's so different.

What did he want? He wanted what was whole. He wanted a kingdom whatever. He just wanted to be with the Lord.

Will thou be made whole? And this man says sir I have no man when the water's troubled to put me into the pool but while I am coming another steppeth down before me. While I am coming. Did you hear it? While I am coming.

I sit with men that are in their 70s and 80s and they have been coming since they were your age. Men whose fathers are in heaven overseers in the assembly. Not saved.

Not saved. But they've been coming. They've been coming.

Preachers have come. They've been coming to meeting. It isn't they don't believe but while they're coming.

Nobody gets saved while they are coming and nobody gets saved while they're going. What's it say in Matthew chapter 25? It says while they went to buy. While they went to buy the bridegroom came.

My friend God doesn't honor your intentions today. You know what God honors? Absolute faith in him. This man no no no he's just not so sure about it.

Finally Jesus says to the man now comes the big test. Okay. Rise take up thy bed and walk.

Without looking down at your bible what's the next verse say? He took up his bed and walked and was made whole. Got reverse order. It's the wrong way.

The bible says immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked. Notice the order. A bed.

A bed usually is the thought of something that's comfortable. Something that makes a person comfortable. A man said to me this summer.

He said you know this seems to be. I said I just take from your preaching this seems to be bothering you more than it's bothering me. I said that's very obvious very obvious and very evident.

I said you know why that is? Sin makes a comfortable bed for people. You've been so long in it you don't even know you're in it man. I'm speaking to some and you can sit in the gospel with me like this and be so comfortable.

That's just the preacher. His time's up. He should be sitting down.

My clock says he's got one minute but my friend eternity's ahead of you tonight. I leave you with this one question. You can answer it before God.

Wilt thou be made whole? Shall we pray? Our father we thank thee for this weekend that we've enjoyed so much together as thy people. We thank thee for the enjoyable fellowship. No people like God's people.

Wherever they are to be found upon planet earth there is no people like them. We bless thee Lord for the dear believers here in New Lenox that have called us together for their conference. Bless them in all the labor and the effort.

And our father we do return thanks for thy wisdom for the planning of God. Long before we knew anything about it God would actually bring a place like this to the attention of our brethren. And here we are tonight protected by the laws of the land and being served so to speak by the school board itself to gather in this building.

Bless this weekend the ministry of it to our hearts we pray. Bless the gospel preached last night and again tonight to some of this meeting that are in desperate need of being made whole. There's young children here tonight that have been paralyzed by sin.

That partition is so real. May they realize there's one that has taken it away by his death in Calvary. Trust the one who says to them tonight.

Wilt thou be made whole and shall be saved. Father we would give thanks for the food that we're about to partake of again. Constantly coming back to the inn.

Giving thee thanks for meeting such a temporal need. We give thanks in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.