Glen Bond Picayune MS Sunday Feb. 25, 2007 Subject: Salvation from God's perspective I want to show how God works out salvation in a sinners heart. In doing this we will also see the sovereignty of God. John 5:2-9 2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 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? 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath Look at this man. This man was laying there doing nothing. The Lord came to him and saved him. Is this what you are waiting for? The Lord ask him if he wanted to be made whole, and all the man did was make excuses. Is that what YOU are doing? Are you making excuses for why you are not saved. This illustration is a look at a sinner from Gods side. This man did nothing, and God saved him. When you are saved, you will look back and see that you did nothing for your salvation. This is a view from Gods side. This is NOT how a sinner should seek salvation. If it was, I would be telling you to just sit and do nothing to be saved. Look what God says: Isaiah 65:1 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: He said "I am found of them that sought me not:" There is none of us that would ever seek after the Lord. If the Lord didn't come to us first and prick our heart, we would never come to him. Look at vs 3: In these lay a great multitude... This is a picture of the world, a whole world full of lost sinners. Each one has a different problem. Each one has a his own set of circumstances. The blind man can't find the pool when the water is disturbed. The lame man can't get to the pool. Each had a different need, and every lost sinner has a different need. Each one of us finds some kind of difficulty in coming to Christ. Then, some are more able than others. The blind man was more able to come, but had difficulty in where he was to go because he couldn't see. The blind man could move faster than those that were lame, but had more stumbling blocks to overcome. The lame man could see the stumbling blocks, but didn't have the power to go around them. We all have difficulty, and each one of us is different. You can't say 'oh, he can see and I can't. He won't have near as much trouble as I will.' You must come. You must stop all excuses. God gave each of us the gifts that he wants us to have. He has his own reasons for each of us. Verse 6 tells us that "had been now a long time in that case". This poor man had been waiting and trying a long time to be healed. And I am sure that this man knew that he had little hope of being healed in the pool. But notice one thing, though this mans case was quite hopeless, he continued on waiting for the troubling of the waters, and trying to get there. He kept 'striving to enter in at the strait gate' He didn't say "Oh well, I will never be healed, I am just going to go back and enjoy life as well as I can". A sinner may see little hope of ever being saved, but he will continue trying. I am sure that there were some who came to this pool to be healed, who waited a while and then the cares of the world drew them away before they were healed. This is like the church today. Some will come here, their conscience being convicted, they come and listen to the Gospel for a while, and then return to the world, still lost and without hope. Some of the people around that pool had a much greater opportunity of being healed. Maybe one had only a withered hand. He was able to get into the water much faster than the crippled or blind. But maybe he was to lazy to watch for the troubling of the water, or spent his time sleeping - unconcerned, then some cripple, who was watching, stepped into the pool before he woke up. The man with the withered hand had every opportunity to be saved, yet, because of his love of sleep or laziness, he was never saved. This is like some of us. We are like the man with the withered hand. We have the Gospel preached to us. There are many out there in the world who have never sat under a true ministry, they have never heard the true preachers. Yet, they are hearing the gospel and being saved, while those who have been here many years and have had every opportunity to be saved, go on lost. You must seek the Lord. If you are too lazy, if you have other things to do, you will never be saved. You have everything you need for salvation. Everything is now ready, but you won't come. This impotent man was laying around the pool waiting for his opportunity to be healed. But it is very un-likely that he would ever be healed. This man had a disease that quite effectively disabled him. This man was not able to get to the pool. If our Lord had not come along and healed him, it is quite likley that this man would have never been healed. This is just like every lost sinner, Isaiah 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: That word 'soundness' means health and strength. And this tells us that there is no strength nor health in us. The word "heal" is very appropriate when talking about a lost sinner being saved. If the Lord doesn't come and draw us and make us willing, we will never be saved. Notice that the Lord saved this man and left all the others. and there was "a great multitude of impotent folk,..." But the Lord healed only this one poor sinner. He left that great multitude. Why would our Lord do this? God is soveriegn. He does as he pleases. He saves whom he pleases, and he leaves to perish whom he pleases. You say "thats not fair!". And I agree with you, its NOT fair. If God was fair, he would send us all to Hell and save none. That would be fair! Matt. 15:22 the Psyropenecian woman Luke 12:48 For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: