<<THROWBACK SERMON: April 22, 2007 – borrowed and inspired by a sermon preached by Royce Cornelius>>
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.”
Notice:
- Impotent = to be weak, feeble, to be without strength, powerless, to be weak in means, needy, poor, sick.[1]
- The impotent folk waited for another to help them. They were looking for a Savior
- A certain man = we don’t know his name, whether he was married, what his infirmity was, or his age, only that he was in that infirm condition for 38 years.
- vs. 6, “Wilt thou be made whole?” = Other translations read:
- NASB, “Do you wish to get well?” – removes the importance of the word “whole”
- RSV/ESV, “Do you want to be healed?”
- NEB, “Do you want to recover?”
- The man’s restoration back to wholeness relied on his obedience to the command of the Lord.
- Whole = sound, of a man who is sound in body to make one whole (i.e. restore him to health), metaphorically: teaching which does not deviate from the truth.[2]
Consider the reality that many in our churches are:
- Religious, but not saved
- Churchy-fied, but not sanctified
- They holler, but are not holy
- Speak in tongues, but don’t allow the Holy Ghost to direct their lives
- Come to the altar, but don’t give their whole self to God
- Satisfied with less than purity, holiness, morality, complete transformation
Wilt thou be made whole?
Do you really want to be saved?
Are you really seeking God in every aspect of you life?
Have you truly tried to clean up all the deficits of your personality, nature, urges?
Have you really tried to present yourself to God as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Ro. 12:1)?
Are you really striving not to be “conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Ro. 12:2)?
Do you really want to stop doing what’s ungodly?
Do you really want to please God and obey His Word?
Do you want to be made whole?
In the Apostolic church we tend to close our eyes to what’s obvious in our churches – – that there are those among us who really don’t want to be made whole.
We choose to ignore the deficits among us, and even in our own lives, ignoring the fact that some of us are not whole, and are still crippled by:
| Jealousy | Envy | Hatred |
| Gossiping | Back-biting | Strife |
| Digging up the past | Tale-bearing | Lying |
| Playing the busybody | Arrogance | Pride |
| Lust | Self-righteousness | Looking down on others |
| Spiritual superiority | Bad attitudes | Anger |
Denying the truth that there are still cripples among us – – that there are still those among us not living up to the Bible standard of salvation and holiness. This denial stymies the free flow of Holy Ghost and hinders a true sovereign move of God in our midst.
Do you really want to be made whole?
Are you saved?
- What are you saved from? Hell?
- Are you saved from Lust? Pride? Arrogance? Ditch Digging?
- These examples of unrighteousness are indicators that some of us still need to be made whole.
- Signs that some of us like being weak in some area, or another.
Do you really want to be saved?
Can you really and truly sing, with a clear conscience, “I Am a Friend of God?”
Can you really do that when you’re backbiting, gossiping, holding grudges, and full of lust?
Kenneth V. Reeves wrote: “Whoever digs up another person’s forgiven sin, and remembers in his conversation what God under forgiveness (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; 1 Jn. 1:7-10) cannot remember (Heb. 8:12), probably makes the sin of the other person his own property.”[3]
Do you want to be whole?
Are you striving deep down in your heart to live right and holy, or do you hide behind lying on the altar when in the church house and living ungodly away from it?
Anyone can be moved to the altar through the emotional impact of an anointed and convicting sermon, but it is what you do on your own that defines who you truly are.
Lionel B. Fletcher wrote:
“To be hidden from observation is a severe test of character.”[4]
“The thoughts that are welcomed in our minds…are a reflection of our true selves as we appear in the sight of God.”[5]
Wilt thou be made whole?
Jesus saves completely and wholly, not partially or half-way.
You’re either saved, or you’re not – holy, or not – right, or not.
Do you want to be saved?
God won’t heal your body and leave you spirit and soul unsaved.
He doesn’t do a half-way job and leave you mean, bitter, arrogant, contemptuous, hateful, and full of lust.
He doesn’t save you and leave your nature, personality, and urges messed up.
Jesus saves all the way. He saves to the uttermost. He saves completely.
Colossians 2:10-12, “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
2 Cor. 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
True salvation delivers you from the state of being a cripple. Bible salvation delivers you from the need to strut your stuff, show-off, to play the peacock.
Hebrews 2:1-4, “1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
When you’re saved you’re delivered, rescued, set free, and brought out of all the unrighteousness you’ve ever been guilty of sinning.
1 John 5:17, “All Unrighteousness is sin.”
You can’t be saved with sin tucked away somewhere in your life, like some hidden guilty pleasure.
Romans 1:32, “…they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Do you really want to be made whole, to recover, to be healed?
To be saved?
Do you want to live outside of sin? Do you want to live free and clear of a crippled life?
Max Lucado wrote:
“I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.”[6]
Jesus is coming back for a church that is whole: “…a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27).
If you want to be made whole then there’s something you and only you have got to do. A decision, drive, and desire that stems from your own hunger to be made whole and righteous: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6).
Your spouse, parents, pastor, friends, and children can’t do it for you.
You must obey the Word of God and decide to be led by the Spirit of God and not your urges, personality, or lust.
You must fully obey the Bible Standard for salvation: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).
Paul asked the question:
Ro. 7:14-25, “24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
Who can make you whole? Only Jesus!!
Peter & John’s faith in the name of Jesus Christ wholly heals the lame man:
Acts 3:16, “And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”
Do you want to be saved? Come to Jesus.
Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?
[1] Thayer and Smith. “Greek Lexicon entry for Astheneo”. “The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon”. Retrieved: 4-22-2007. <http://www.biblestudytools.net/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=770&version=kjv>.
[2] Thayer and Smith. “Greek Lexicon entry for Hugies”. “The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon”. Retrieved: 4-22-2007. <http://www.biblestudytools.net/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=5199&version=kjv>.
[3] Reeves, Kenneth V. (1990). The Lost Sons of God. Inspirational Tapes & Books: Granite City, IL.
[4] Fletcher, Lionel B. (1933). The Pathway to the Stars. Hunt, Barnard & Co., Ltd: London, England. p.23.
[5] Ibid. p.25.
[6] Lucado, Max. (1999). When God Whispers Your Name. W Publishing Group.
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