John 5:1-18
Since Don will be out today, I’d thought I would post my homiletic on the healing at Bethesda.
So here it is:
Title:Jesus, Healer, Lord of the Sabbath and God in the flesh oppose Jewish rulers.
Divisions:* Jesus goes to where the sick are and heals on the Sabbath.
(v. 1-9)
* The Jews create opposition for healing on the Sabbath.
(v. 10-13)
* Jesus declares his Lordship of the Sabbath equating Himself with God.
(v. 14-18)
Principles:* Jesus seeks to heal the sick.
* The world is opposed to the work of God.
* The Lord is continually at work in us.
Questions:* What area are you willing to let the Lord heal you in and are you willing to allow him to work in you according to His will?
* In what ways can you (or the world) be opposed and/or hinder God’s work?
* How is God continually working in you?
The Q&A of Tao of Salvation
Q: What do you do, each day, to stay in contact with your new father?
I love to pray and find quite time with God. When I get out of bed, one of the first things that I do is to thank God for the day. Before I leave to work, I lay hands on my wife and pray for her (while she is still sleeping). When I get on the bus or train, I close my eyes and continue to meditate on God. As I get closer to work, I will open my PDA and read God’s word
Q: Does your spirit feel renewed after you've done them?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you consider yourself an expert at following Jesus?
A: No. I would like to meet one if you know of one.
Q: How did you experience being born again?
A: I came to know the Lord just out of High School. My friend was contemplating suicide and asked me for advice. I told him to go to church the next morning. He came to know the Lord first and then began to pester me. After reading a book written by Josh McDowell,
Evidence that Demands a Verdict, I read the 4 spiritual laws that the book had in one of the appendixes.
Q. What do you think "being born again" means?
A: Asking God for a “do-over”. Realizing that Jesus is the only means that our sins have been forgiven.
Q. Read Ragamuffin Diva's Blog entry. Do you agree with what she says?
A: Yes I agree on some level. Surrendering all to God is a powerful thing if you can achieve it. But, still in all, we all need salvation. And I must add, the only source is from Jesus and what He has done to build direct access to the Father.
