In Response to God—Lesson 4
Do I Have a Pulse?—John 5
FOCUS: Our sinful choices result in death, but the One we worship is the giver of life
and offers us victory over death, which gives us even more reason to praise &
worship the LORD alone
FUNCTION: We will be reminded of what God has done to give us life more than once
so we respond to the challenges of this life with praise & worship
I. The Blessing
II. Last week we talked about the spiritual battle for our worship
III. Intro: Are you excited to worship this morning? Why?
A. Let me remind you of a GREAT reason! We worship the God who gives life—TWICE!
1. Man became a living being by God breathing life into him
2. After choosing sin, God provided life again (Colossians 2:13)
3. WE HAVE VICTORY OVER DEATH!!!
B. Did you come like this (unpopped popcorn) or like this (Popped popcorn)?
1. The unpopped corn is a mess/not healthy to eat—Cannot change itself—needs outside help
2. The popped corn is complete—healthy to eat—Useful to others
C. DO YOU WANT TO GET WELL?
1. In John 5:6 a crippled man is laying by a pool believed to bring healing & Jesus asks this?
a. Belief was that angels stirred the water & 1st in is healed (underground spring fed pool)
b. Why else would he be there? Or, does Jesus know something?
c. Jesus heals him & tells him to pick up his pallet & walk—But it is the Sabbath! (5:9)
d. Emphasis of the story—Brings conflict w/the Pharisees & eventually death (5:18)
2. On Jesus’ 1st trip to Jerusalem in John, He restored worship @ the Temple (2:13-22)
a. Now, on His 2nd trip, John shows Him restoring the purpose of Sabbath
b. Sabbath was given to man as a time to rest, refocus, give thanks, reset priorities
c. God made mankind for worship & then gave us a gift to help
d. Unfortunately, what the Pharisees do is take the gift and make it into a burden!
e. Crippled man was given New Life, but they criticize & complain rather than rejoice!
f. They had come up with a list of 39 activities that could not be done on the Sabbath
g. Carrying, burning, extinguishing, finishing, writing, erasing, cooking, washing, sewing, tearing, knotting, untying, shaping, plowing, planting, reaping, harvesting, threshing, winnowing, selecting, sifting, grinding, kneading, combing, spinning, dyeing, chain-stitching, warping, weaving, unraveling, building, demolishing, trapping, shearing, slaughtering, skinning, tanning, smoothing, marking (listed in the Mishna)
h. These categories were defined in more ways—Made it hard work to keep it! Irony!!!
D. Look @ the statements of the Pharisees in 5:10 & 12—No congrats! No celebrating!
1. More concerned about carrying a mat than rejoicing w/a man healed after 38 years!
2. They don’t ask, “Who is the one with the power to heal this way?” but who said to do this?
E. The point of the Sabbath—to look beyond our limited perspective & daily routine to see God in our midst!
1. Here is an incredible display of God in their midst & they focus on a broken rule
a. Jesus loved this paralyzed man enough to do what brings persecution & the cross
b. It is not really a broken rule if the Son of God speaks it into happening
c. He said on another occasion (Mark 2:27) the Sabbath is made for man, not . . .
d. It is a gift
2. Have we fallen into this type of thinking?
a. Instrumental music & people respond to invitation but some walk out
b. Whitney coming forward @ end of internship
3. Did we come this morning to be this (unpopped) or this (popped)?
a. Only God can complete us!
IV. INVITATION
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. How has God given you life? Physically? Emotionally? Spiritually? How does remembering His gift of life produce worship in your heart and soul?
2. Do you have any areas in your life where it might be appropriate for Jesus to ask if you want to get well? Why do we find it easier sometimes to stay unhealthy than to let Him heal us and change our lives?
3. Are there times or situations in which it seems people are restricted in the amount of life they are allowed to show in their corporate worship? Why, do you suppose, some are afraid of emotion and clear displays of excitement and praise for life?
4. Do you agree that there are times we have missed out on celebrating God in our midst because we were afraid of breaking man-made rules? How do we change this in loving and respectful ways that maintain unity?