Down Home Preaching

John 5:2-14
Wilt thou be made whole?

John 5:2-14
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. 
10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. 

11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. 

12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? 

13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. 

14 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.

   The Puritans preached from their hearts. They preached from their very own experience with coming to and living for Christ Jesus. They preached that salvation was just the beginning of Life with God through Christ Jesus. They were the angels that troubled the waters for the weak and the sick and the impotent. The Spirit of God was in their sermons to cut away all that was holding Christians from rising to live and serve in the power of God’s word as well as bringing life to the souls that were crawling and begging to be rid of the chains and burdens that held them in sin and certain death. Oh, to be able to preach like the Puritans. Oh, to be able to draw the hidden, golden truths from the scriptures and pour them out in a way that everyone would desire to hear more. My prayer is to preach with power for the Glory of God. My prayer is to open His Word to you for your salvation and strengthening on your walk and ministry in Christ for the Glory of God.  AMEN!

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     I was once listening to a teaching by RC Sprouls and in that teaching, he made the statement to the effect that there is only one truth to any verse of scripture, but the applications are endless.  What he was saying was, you can’t make a verse say what you want but it can speak to you over and over again. The truth in that scripture can be applied to every generation in every changing lifestyle and location but the truth within it will never change. Applying the Word of God to our lives is when we begin to see the power of the truth within it. Taking the word at face value just for the people and times it was written for and about is the beginning of Bible study. Bringing those truths forward and applying them to our lives, our culture, and our surroundings is when we see everything in the Bible was written for our good. Everything Jesus spoke to every person in His time with us, was for us. 

   Before we go any further, I would like to present something plainly to you if you haven’t already grasped this. Everything that is in the Bible is recorded for our benefit. Jesus went to great lengths giving us parables that we may understand the spiritual things in Gods Kingdom by relating them to the physical things of this world. I am here to tell you Jesus did not only tell parables for our good but every place He went had a purpose. Everything He did was for our edification as well as our well-being. Why did Jesus choose this location to heal a man that had been impotent for so long? Why did he say what He did? I am not trying to spiritualize the scriptures. I’m trying to bring to light this is not just a story told about Jesus, but an actual event purposed for our edification. Everything in the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus has been recorded for us to use for our good. We are to hold ourselves up to these events to understand where we are now. These recorded events are as meaningful to each of us today if we will only apply it to our lives and surroundings and habits and even our congregations.

So, as we look at our text for this sermon, we need to not only understand what Jesus was saying to this poor debilitated man but what He is saying to us. Who is Jesus talking too? What are the circumstances? Where is this event taking place? And of course, why is this recorded?  We have lightly touched on the Why but let’s reread our text then look at all the timing, the places and the characters in our text and bring this forward in time to right here, right now. –John 5:2-14

There are 3 things that Jesus says in our text that we must put together to understand the whole.

Wilt thou be made whole?

Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

We will be covering all the points for as each is important in themselves, collectively they are the powerful whole we must understand and live for the glory of God. Let’s begin

    2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

In Verse 2 of our text, we are given a specific location. Not only in Jerusalem, but a pool with the name Bethesda having 5 porches.  A very large pool with even larger porches surrounding it. It is presumed that this location was roofed or at least roofed over the porches making it a safe place or a sanctuary of sorts for those who came to be among many.

Bethesda itself comes from two Old Testament words. The first bayith, meaning house and the second chesed meaning loving kindness or mercy. So, Bethesda was known as the House of mercy or flowing waters. It is said these waters had medicinal and or soothing powers.

  Now before we go any further, I would like for you to bring this information forward to our time and tell me where you would find a House of Mercy, a House of Loving Kindness, a House of flowing waters, a house where the waters have healing and soothing properties.

    Well, I can assure you it is the church or at least it should be. It is God’s modern-day Bethesda where loving kindness and mercy as well as the rich and powerful watering of the Word should always be found. But now for the truth that hurts.

3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 

In these porches lay a “great multitude” Not just an occasional handicapper here folks!  A great multitude of impotent folk— A huge congregation of people with needs. They obviously know where to go for their needs but not much is getting done. They know to go to the house of loving kindness and mercy but there is something missing. They come expecting to see and by chance experience the presence of God through the moving of the water.

 Oh my, let me assure this also describes the church today! But let’s go back to our text to get a clear view of the ailments within this crowd.

First, we have a more general description with -impotent folk. The word impotent here means weak, feeble, lacking the strength to navigate or perform. 

Second, comes a more specific ailment in the -Blind. Of course, we all know what that means. Unable to see or see clearly. 

Third is the word -Halt. Which means limping or crippled.

Fourth is -withered. Oh my. Nearly wasted away.

Now let me ask how often have we read through these verses without taking the time to get a real understanding of the problems within this great gathering of faithful people?  Yes, I said faithful. They came at designated times for the troubling of the waters that they may be healed. They were Jews believing God could heal them if they just could get there when His messenger was stirring the waters.

So, let’s go back to where we began to make our comparison about these faithful people coming to a House of Mercy, a House of flowing waters, a house where the waters have healing and soothing properties. A House where God can and will show His presence to and for those who come seeking Him.

There are two points that are outstanding here. 

First people coming to churches today are just as in need spiritually as these poor folks were in need physically.

Remember, the Bible is full of physical examples of spiritual events and needs. The church today is full of spiritually impotent, blind, halt and withered souls just waiting for the angel to stir the waters so they may jump in and be healed.

Wow, that brings us to the second point,

The angel.

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water:

Do you know the definition of the word “angel”?

Angel or Aggelos has a very simple one word meaning. Messenger. A messenger of God is the type of angel we are speaking of in our text. There are also evil messengers/angels who do Satan’s bidding, but we are speaking of God’s servants here. 

In Revelation 2 the angels of the seven churches are quite obviously the bishops or pastors of those churches. So, you see the word angel encompasses all of Gods messengers. Angelic host and human. Messengers being sent, carrying Gods word for the good of them whom it is intended. Pastors, Preachers, Ministers, Sunday School teachers all come under the heading of angel when they are messengers of the Word of God.

Now look at verse 4 again and let’s break it down for a closer examination. 

4 For an angel--- an angel. Not a specific angel but a messenger of God nun the less. went down at a certain season—Went to a specific location at a designated time. Into the pool—Into the midst of these poor impotent, blind, halt and withered believers and troubled the waters:  -- and troubled the waters! 

Remember this is the physical example of what we are to experience spiritually. Put this into a modern-day setting.

The angel is a pastor or preacher or minister who stands in the midst of a congregation of impotent believers expounding the truths of the Word of God that these believers would be healed of everything that is holding them back from being bold and powerful children and servants of God! The troubling of the waters is the pouring of the Word. The watering of the Word that saves and heals and lifts and strengthens and grows in every true child of God seeking to live a Christ filled, God centered life.

So, first we have people who are spiritually in need coming to a designated location at a designated time. Is that not what many do on Sunday morning? Some may choose Sunday evening or even a weekday if it is scheduled. What I’m saying is we today have our locations, our Houses of Mercy with regular hours for attendance.

The second thing that is needed is an angel. A messenger. Not just anyone. A real Servant of God! Let me tell you right here and right now. In today’s scheme of things. Real God-fearing servants are not as plentiful as you would presume. Far too many teach and preach from their heads and not their hearts. Far too many are seeking a place to support them for doing little more than repeating what they were taught in the colleges they attended. The real angel of God speaks the truth of God’s word from his heart. It is the Holy Spirit within him that opens the truth of God’s Word for Him to pour it out with the power of God’s presence for all who are in need. Just as surely as the multitudes come to be healed, the messenger of God should be just as sincere in delivering God’s healing Words. Should be filled with desire and need and God given ability to open the Word of God and pour out the hidden truths that take the simply saved but severely impotent to the joy filled, gracious and productive disciples and servants of God.

Someone asked me one time where I got my theological education and I answered quite simply, “On my knees with my Bible open.”

God doesn’t choose the qualified. He qualifies the chosen!

So, we have opened this text to our present-day setting. First, we have believers coming to church in spiritually poor or lacking health and we have God’s angel or messenger taking the Word of God and bringing it to life. Opening the truths of the Word and pouring it out on the congregation. Why? So, they will be healed.

Now some of you may be a bit thrown off here about coming to be healed but I can assure most people, even those or maybe especially those who have attended church for most of their lives are in need of healing, in need of strengthening and in need guidance. In need of direction and protection.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 

Just for a moment I would like all of us to think about the church today. Not all that long ago communities circled around the church. Did you know you can’t have a community church if you don’t have a church community?  I’m going to let that sink in for a moment. Yeah. The community church was the foundation for the community. People were not just attendees, but they worked with and for each other. They shared what they had. They helped each other to grow and prosper. They lived like the first church in Acts 2.  My grandmother used to tell me about how the women would get together and can and cook and bake and it was all for the good of each other. The men would work together on their farms and houses, and it was all done in the joy of the Lord. The church led the communities, and the communities were the church!

Today there are no community churches because the people who make up the communities live for themselves! Communities are rag tag, run down, drug and violence filled, broken, adulterous, mecca’s practicing everything God has declared to be an abomination. 

Yet there are some who seek to be healed. There are a few who consistently come to a local meeting house, a House of Mercy, a House of Loving Kindness to seek a better life. A stronger, purpose filled life. And what do they find? Well, I can only pray they find a messenger who lives to preach. A messenger who deliverers The Word of God in such a way that these folks are cut deep and healed all in the same powerful sermon. Folks need to see where they are lacking. They need to understand that a little sin is still all sin to God. They need to understand we are all ailing from one thing or another. We are all impotent without the truth of the Word being poured out on us and over us and around us for our good. No matter how good a Christian you may seem to be there are always short comings in our lives that need addressed. Things that need to be changed and strengthened. There is always more we can do for the glory of God. Righteousness is what you do for others. That’s why we can only live in Christ’s righteousness because He is the only one who has ever given His all, for all.

   Once again, I pray to be a messenger of God like the Puritan’s who lived to preach from their hearts for the good of the multitudes. They preached to show the sin in the world and preached for them who had come for the stirring, healing, and watering of the Word. Amen! 

And what are the words Jesus spoke that we all should be hearing now?

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? 

Oh, my beloved listeners and readers. Here is the question we all should keep in the forefront of our minds and our hearts!

Wilt thou be made whole?

Wilt thou be righteous in the eyes of the Lord? Wilt thou lay down the sins that you still carry and hide from others? Wilt thou rise to live for each other? Wilt thou walk in the lighted path the Lord has prepared for you? Wilt thou live for the one true God who gave His only begotten for you? Wilt thou be the church in your community? 

  Jesus didn’t ask this man if he just wanted to be healed! He asked, “Wilt thou be made whole?”

Think about this, folks!  Here comes the stirring of the water! Jesus was asking this man if he wanted to be more than just healed. Is that not what Jesus is still asking each and every one of us yet today? 

Oh, how sad it is when preachers teach that we need to ask God to help us with our short comings and infirmities. It is true that God is always ready and willing to hear and give to the sincere soul when asked but why are we taught to limit our healing? Why are we taught use the word “just” in our prayers? 

“Oh Lord, if you would just help me with this or that.”   We limit ourselves by only asking for what we consider to be bad or sinful or harmful to our salvation at the present time. Or we pray for just a little of something that would ease the pain of everyday life. 

Jesus asks us in the Bible. For the Bible is the living Word of God, Wilt thou be made whole?

Just this or that is not being made whole. It’s asking for a Holy Band-Aid. It’s limiting God. 

James 4:3
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 

Fix my problem Lord so I can go on doing what I think is right!

I want you to look at a few verses in Ephesians. This is recorded for us that we may understand the fulness of what Christ is asking us.

Ephesians 3:16-21
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;                                                                                                                       17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,             18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,                                                                                                                 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Verse 16---It is God’s desire for us to be made whole!                        
Verse 17---It can only come through faith and love for, in and through Christ Jesus!                             Verse 18 --- It is His desire that we comprehend there are no limits!                                                      Verse 19---No limits to His love for us and His desire for us to know that love!                                    Verse 20--- No limits to what He can and will do in us and through us!                                                 Verse 21--- And that is what makes the church whole! That’s what builds and binds the church into a church community and a powerful God-fearing, God Honoring country and World!

   But it must start with each and every individual who seeks to be healed. Every one of us who has weaknesses and short comings and downright sinful behaviors and habits. Every one of us who seek the stirring and healing of the watering of the Word. Everyone who knows there is so much missing in their lives. Everyone who desires to rise in the strength and the knowledge and the powerful direction of the Lord. 

   Pray above and beyond yourself. Pray for glorious outcomes. Pray for great God glorifying events and for increasing purpose in the lives of fellow Christians and then rise up to live in God’s answers for you and all you live for!

  Wilt thou be made whole?

Will you just keep coming and hoping for God to do something or show you something that might be what you need to do or hear? Will you continue limiting God with your “just” prayers that may or may not fix an immediate problem?

Or Wilt thou be made whole?  Will you cry out to God in Love with Christ Jesus and desire to be a God glorifying, member of the church! Seeking to help and increase and live for others.  Will you desire to live in the righteousness of Christ instead of just claiming it!   Righteousness is what you give, it is not something you get or wear or show on special occasions.  It’s how you live for others.  Its walking in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior. It’s living for Christ by living for others.  

For me to be whole is to open God’s Word and allow His Spirit to show me what He wants me to preach. I am to open the Word of God to those who will come and desire the stirring and the healing of the living Water of God, His Holy Word. It’s what I am called to do for others in the righteousness of Christ. I am being healed and being made whole because God has shown me, I need to rise in His strength, by His direction to live for others for His glory.

Where are you?

Wilt thou be made whole?

Jesus asked one man. One impotent believer in God one simple question and the man immediately answered that he was not able to reach the waters in time and he had no one to help him.

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. 

You know what I see in this verse in our day. In our time. I see folks going to church. I see people spiritually weak, feeble, lacking the strength to navigate or perform.  I see people blind to the overwhelming power in the love and promises of God. I see congregations just limping along, just barely able to make ends meet and keep the doors open. And I see folks just withering away while they wait for a Servant of God, a messenger, a preacher who can stir things up in their lives. Someone who lives to preach instead of preaches for a living! A messenger that’s serves and speaks with the purpose of delivering what God has and is ready to deliver for all who will step into the truth of the Word.

Yes, that is what we are talking about. 

Look at what Jesus says to this poor man after he gives his reasons for being in this weak, and helpless and impotent state for so long.

 Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

What? Get a handle on this!  Jesus did not touch him, nor did he touch Jesus. Jesus gave him a command that certainly would have been against everything this man felt or believed to be possible in his own strength, yet there he was in the House of Mercy, the House of loving kindness because he believed in God. He believed God would send an angel that he per chance would be healed.

This whole place was full of believers, but they were all in very poor, helpless, failing and useless conditions. Wow, once again a very profound description of the church today. Houses full of believers unable to perform their one purpose in this life. To glorify God!

So, the command still stands today! Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 

Rise---Don’t just sit there! Rise! Well, you might ask how? 

Look at this impotent man as our teacher. Jesus told him to rise which was the one thing he was sure he could not do.

How often we have listened to preachers telling us we are to be servants and evangelists and ministers to the poor and teachers to the young and on and on and very few ever Rise to become what the word of God commands. We are so sure within ourselves that we cannot for one reason or another that we do not answer the call even though we believe in God and come looking for healing for that very weakness. We have so many excuses for a lack of time, so many reasons for a lack of ability and so many fears that hold us back and keep us down until we wither away. Individually and collectively as the church. But the command is Rise. Rise in the power of faith. It doesn’t matter to God what you think you can do. It matters to God what you believe He can do in and for and through you. Your strength is in the casting off of fear itself whispering in your ears. Fear keeps you from receiving the clear and powerful truth in the scriptures. Keeps you from hearing the commanding voice of God through His living Word, Christ Jesus!

Rise means to physically begin to do the things you have always wanted to do, things you were afraid to do and things you were convinced you could not do. 

Look at this poor impotent man. Are not those the three things that held him down for 38 years?

Wanting something is much different than needing something. Wanting is self-centered. Needing is seeking to be better. Being afraid you will not succeed leads to waiting until you are sure of success. In your own strength that wait can be a lifetime. Being convinced you can not do something is proof you bow to Satan. Everyone is handicapped in one way or another. But that should never keep anyone from diligently seeking to glorify God.

Being saved is just the first step in your walk with Christ. The impotent man was a believer in God, but he never understood God’s desire for him to be more. Such is much of the church today.

take up thy bed,

Within this command from Jesus are the words take up thy bed,. What is Jesus saying here? Don’t stay where you are. You have places to go and things to do. Rise up and don’t come back. Don’t test the waters, walk in the waters of the word. Live in the truth and the power and the promises of the Word. Weak is what you were, strong is what you will be. Live in it. Don’t come back! 
Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 and walk.--  Don’t just stand there!  You have just discovered you not only can do what you’ve always wanted and come to the realization you never have to go back to the fears and doubts and selfish wants that held you for so long. So, it’s time to do what God has called you to do from the very beginning of your new life in Christ!

It’s time to walk the path that God will light for you. It’s time to glorify God through Christ who strengthens you. It’s not for your glory you walk a righteous path. Christ raises us to walk a righteous path for the glory of God. We are saved through faith not of works.

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The works come after your salvation. They are the works God has chosen for you. 

Ephesians 2:10
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

They are the works you never believed you could or would do before and yes even after you were saved. You see this is the point of this sermon. Just being saved is where many if not most Christians are and have been for many, many years. Poor, impotent, blind, halt and withered Christians never being lifted by the power of the presence of Christ Jesus. Jesus is the living Word of God. He is the water of life.

John 4:14
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Revelation 22:1
1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

This is why I preach the Word of God. This is why I take the time to break the scriptures down and stir up the truths within so believers can drink up the goodness and rise and take up their beds and walk above what the world says they must be. It hurts me to see the church today so impotent, so blind, so halt and so withered.  Assuredly most of the blame goes to the messengers who are not and can not stir up the waters that a real healing can occur.  Christ is not present by His Spirit in the hollow and shallow sermons they preach. 

There is one more thing that Jesus spoke to this man and in extension to us. Remember everything Jesus did and spoke in His time with us was for our good. Now look at His final words to this man.

Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

Behold –You have heard my words and in faith you have risen to go and do what God wills.

 thou art made whole: -- You are healed of your fears, and you are no longer weak because you have come to know my presence as well as my strength in and for you.

  sin no more, -- Wow, sin no more.

Well, you may be asking yourself just what was this man’s sin?  Did Jesus know about something that was not revealed to us? Of course, Jesus knew everything about this man. He knew everything about every person that was there. But God doesn’t hide the truth from us in His Holy Word. So, to think this man’s sin was something unrelated to this healing is incorrect. Every detail of this event is recorded for our edification. 

In the recording of the adulterous woman (John 8) being brought before Jesus it was quite easy to know what Jesus was talking about when He told her to go and sin no more. 

The key to understanding the sin is understanding the reasoning for the sin. Now I want you all to pay very close attention to this. This man had lain helpless for many years. He believed God could heal him by sending an angel to make it possible but oh it never had happened because, 
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. 

Because there was no one there to pick him up and put him in the water. It was always someone else’s fault. Things just never worked out. But oh well maybe next year! 

Are you getting a glimpse at the sin here? Are you seeing a correlation between this man and church attendees today?  

Let me make something clear. When you are saved you become a child of God. Adopted into the Kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ. We as Christians are called to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Bringing love and joy and peace into the world. We are to be the light of Christ shining here and now. We are called to obedience to the Word that we should walk and work and serve in the love of our Lord and Savior just as He walked and worked and served to save us. It was His perfect obedience throughout His ministry here that we are to follow. Our lives are to mirror His. Our purpose is to show Christ lives in us for the glory of God. 

Faith and obedience cannot be separated. You cannot believe in God, you cannot believe in Christ Jesus and then do as you please. You can not treat the Holy Spirit like he’s some extra power you need to ask for to do something you think God would approve of.  When you are saved you are sealed with Holy Spirit. 

God is already in you, but you must submit to His will. You don’t need to be saved to grow up and get a job and have a family and a house and cars and maybe a few other things. You don’t need to be saved to travel or just stay at home and grow old and as Solomon stated we will all surely die. These bodies will never leave this world. You see the unsaved and the saved act and look and do and don’t do the same things. The only difference is that the saved have the promise of the Holy Spirit in them. That’s what Faith in Christ brings you immediately. The sin is never rising in the power of the presence of that Spirit. Never grasping the truth of God in you, Jesus with you and the Holy Spirit for you. 

Excuses, excuses, excuses!

Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more,                                          
Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.                                                             
Do you see the sin is knowing and not doing. God wants you to know He is here to help you in every way to glorify Him. It is your purpose in this lifetime. It is the end of all men, to Glorify God.      When you are saved you become not only a child of God but a servant of God. That is faith and obedience in a nutshell. A servant ministers to someone. We need to understand the word minister does not just mean someone who stands in front of a congregation and preaches the Word of God. It means to serve, to take on the care of someone or their belongings. A caretaker to and for someone. When you are a minister to God you serve God in whatever capacity He has pre-ordained.   Once again, Ephesians 2:10
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

That service, those works are your ministry! Yes, we all are called to minister to God in a ministry for God. It can be as simple as helping someone else in the ministry they already have but nun the less it is your ministry you are to rise in, take up and walk in. 

So, let me ask you here and now. How many of you Faithful Followers of Jesus Christ have a Spirit filled ministry that is Glorifying God right now?---------

How many always wanted to start a ministry of some kind but just never could decide what to do? ---------

 Wilt thou be made whole?

What are you waiting for! Do you think God wants His children to be weak and just limping along at being a Christian? Are you not called to live for Christ in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit? Look folks. I’m doing the best I can by the ability and direction that God has given me. I am His sent messenger to stir things up here! I am called to open His Word and pour out the truth for anyone who will listen and rise and take up your life and walk in the path of Christ. 

If you are listening to or reading this sermon today, and know you have been impotent in obedience, blind to the truth, just limping along in your faith, maybe even for many, many years; now is the time to be made whole. Just saved is not whole. Living in and for and with Christ Jesus is when you are spiritually healthy. You are made whole in faith AND obedience!

Now that you know the truth you can’t go back. You will be denying the truth of the Word. You will be excusing yourself from the good works that God has pre-ordained for you. You may never get another opportunity to glorify God in His blessing of strength and provision that is waiting for you. 

Now that you know,

Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

There is a warning that comes with this lesson. 

Sin no more. Fear is a sin. It is a sin that will hold you at a level far below what God has for us to live now and forever.                            

Psalms 27:1
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?                             

Being filled with the joy of the knowledge of Gods Word and living in the presence and Power of Christ Jesus with His Spirit in you is the best way to break away from fear. 

Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Know the Word of God. Believe the Word of God. Be made whole in the Word of God by rising and living for God.

Wilt though be made whole!

Or will your fears consume you and a worse thing come unto thee.?

Pastor Steven Freede

Down Home Preaching Ministry

11/20/24