John Chapter 5:7-17

Right now, keep your eyes offer yourselves and considering your well I've tried this before and it didn't work. Tried before and failed God never fails without him. You can't do anything with him all things are possible.

Maybe you here this morning thinking you not a child living a Christian life and I couldn't do it. I figure maybe just one call to be a Christian.

I couldn't do it. Jesus died for you to forgive you of your sins and the strengthen you so that you could walk out the Christian life and that friend that's only way you can do. Perhaps this morning. This is the day that will change the rest your life. Jesus says to come to him for forgiveness asking for forgiveness turn from your always to his way, welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is a senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina to continue teaching in John chapter 5 with the message.

It's possible with God. One of locomotive David McGee's associate pastors in a brown into the program today welcome brother Bob Hope you for listening right now. You do not change the radio station with all this going on in our country thoughts going on in the world. God wants to speak directly to you today maybe you feeling hopeless feeling fearful you feel like you can't do anything about what's going on around God can today want to speak to you right where you are at. Hope you listen this is an excellent time to listen as David McGee begins his teaching. It's possible with God. We are in John chapter 5 in verse 10 the Jews therefore said them was secure.

It is the Sabbath is not lawful for any carrier bed and answered them and said he who made me well send me take up your bed and walk and they said then they asking who is the manager said that you take up your bed and wall. But the one who was healed not know who it was for Jesus had withdrawn a multitude being in that place again know it strikes me and it's an amazing thing. Look how quietly Jesus did this miracle. The guy didn't know his name.

He didn't know who it was. Jesus is so cool any Jesus is awesome. You know didn't say Jesus Christ of Jesus Christ ministries natural international Inc. on I want to invite you to attend in the evening with Jesus Christ presented a Jesus Christ ministries international corporate didn't do that quietly healed and that the way most healings real healings legitimate feelings happen quietly so God gets the glory. It's amazing how religious people are missing this miracle look at the questions I didn't say to that guy was by the pool for 38 years and asking that they were missing a miracle right underneath her nose live because they were being religious guys. You know what this happens now the we get so religious understand when I when I use the word religion and I know that using a positive light. James but when I use the word religion. What I what I think of is an empty vein tradition of man trying to arrogantly reach up to God in his own works. That's not the good news that's not the gospel. The gospel is that Jesus the Lord has reached down and the miraculous way. Verse 14. Afterwards, Jesus found him in the temple and said see you have been made well send no more or less the worst thing come upon you. That's an interesting thing to say and it makes me wonder, and I don't know some of the commentaries get more in depth, but there being something present but this man apparently might've done something to cause this condition. Sin and illness are always tied together, but let's be honest, sometimes they are Jesus is given a morning and I think it's it's a good morning while because you many of us who have been delivered from certain things need to be very careful with those things. If you've been delivered from drugs or from alcohol or pornography or whatever.

Be very careful in those areas because the Lord is desiring to seal off those areas and we shouldn't be playing around with those areas because if you give a Toda Satan let me guarantee you he's gonna run with and of the strategy has proven effective in your life before he will go back to that strategy should be careful, be careful in these areas.

I've seen people get careless in an area that they been delivered from and they regret it because truly it was worse than it was before now that means that let me say this, I read I totally reject the concept of once an addict always not. I don't believe that I believe you can be healed and you can be set free, but you need to be careful in this area.

Jesus and pick up your mat and and and wall and leave site. No, you should probably leave your mat here because you know who knows how long this healing thing last you know you might be laying the mark to just leave them out there. Prepare yourself that your E might be lame again and do I think we got healed somebody else about you see in the Hebrew Scriptures in the Old Testament when he healed somewhat.

He heals people of leprosy and their skin is softer than before they got it says they have the skin of a baby to what that something to obtain in the Middle Eastern desert is when got healed. Somebody God heals about and I think this also suggests a man spiritually God's greatest miracle God's greatest gift is his greatest offer is to forgive us of our sin. What an amazing thing. And yet, you realize that it is not always our priority to me.

What if Kevin had come up here this morning to guess what guys this week we we we went out to the cemetery and and we had 25 kids get rates from the dead. We had 25 kids who were blind, you can now see 25 deaf kids who could now hear what our response be limited been more enthusiastic than here in 25 kids got sick convicting Lee to me. I watched, which is the greater miracle salvation by far. It's a miracle we can't even comprehend or understand. We can even describe to its fullness. How God can take a center in Clinton guy can take somebody it was going to hell and send 11 my mind can't even wrap around that to God's greatest deed met man's greatest need, though, neglect that glorious off extended to every person here this morning. Verse 15 Amanda Parton told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well as man when turning in Jesus. He just was proclaiming that Jesus was the one who made him well that's awesome statement mean I'm here this morning. You know why because Jesus has made me well.

Praise God, not this, not that not this man of that manner. This thing or that thing. But Jesus is made me well. Jesus has made me whole visit says in one version.

Tell people about what the Lord is done for you think they can argue doctrine with you. They can argue prophecy. They cannot argue what God is done in your life when you tell me nice to be miserable now got the joy of the Lord used to be on the burden of sin and now I feel the joy. Forget they can't argue with that.

In fact, some of them will see that in you and will ask about what happened near death is an opportunity to witness and I've known people thinking this is by far the more often miracle that he got forgiven ever since I've seen people who didn't get healed physically, but he did get healed spiritually. I watched my mother-in-law died of cancer, painful death, but some glorious happened as the diagnosis came forth, and that the point they were saying what this is not curable or operable. We had given her a couple of pastor Chuck's teaching tapes. She came back she should you have really enjoyed the states you have some more secure we do so we gave her for five more. She came back like two days later and said hey sick these things are great. Yes, the more they say, so we gave her like a whole chapter of John and she was just listening to these tapes all the time and then we were made aware that she was calling people and saying you know what I just want you to know that you know I did this to you way back when I switch. No, I'm sorry.

As for your forgiveness and tell her to do that, she started doing this you start calling people today. I know you did this to me.

I just want to call let you know I forget and then one night she went to be with the Lord. She get him physically until she went to be with the Lord. She got her healing she got her spiritual healing. Here she got her physical healing.

There you know what God knows I wonder what she had been healed spiritually.

She wouldn't have been physically afflicted will be right back with more from David McGee on cross the bridge right now there's a word from associate pastor DA Brown hey Bob excited to be here today with you want to pray for some people in the cities and our listening audience in California Santa Maria Scotia Shasta so dad so cool. South Lake Tahoe and Stockton, God, thank you for the people in the cities listening today we pray that they would have an expectant heart right now Jurgen is speak to them right where they're at and the situations are going to God, we pray that you would protect them if there is some the listening audience who are sick. Today we pray that you please healed them. Hello, we pray that everyone will be in a Bible teaching Bible believing church and get those pastor's wisdom on how to navigate the waters in a tumultuous situation in Jesus name, amen, amen. Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse by verse 16. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill him because he had done these things on the Sabbath and how twisted religion can make us when when John writes here says the Jews understand everybody around Jesus at this point is Jewish. The speaking of the Jewish leaders and look at how twisted religion can make people or person or these leaders. This man had been miraculously healed 38 years of man afflicted in the leaders got upset because he didn't on the Sabbath. Life lesson here is religion can get in the way of a relationship with God. Religion can get in the way of relationship with God years ago. There's a bumper sticker. I'm not religious, I just love the Lord is a good I was a good people religious you ask on the heaven will tell you yes they go to church by someone asked ask if you're going to have so what if God been good anybody depending upon their own goodness to get to heaven is in great deal of trouble you can't be that good.

Your best day, not good enough to stand there is sinless perfection. None of us can reach that standard of sinless perfection, bad news, good news is Jesus Christ. When he died on the cross made the offer to each and every one of us to be washed in white clean but don't trust and religion don't trust in works you. It's interesting you think Jesus knew it was the Sabbath.

I'm beginning to did he know this guy was going to going to the temple. I'm thinking he did but he did it anyway you hated seat and it's interesting because the whole concept of the Sabbath ownership by his interesting it comes from others in Hebrew etc. huts nine shows an error by omission. Sheesh she got she is, it's the number seven.

That's where we get our word for Shabbat or the Sabbath, but to she by oneself in Hebrew is to make a promise to make a promise. That's where we get our word for Shabbat or Sabbath look what they had twisted the Sabbath into and understand God there's a couple concepts meet explain the quick there's Levitical, which is according to the Levites, according to the word of God.

What you could do and what you couldn't do on the Sabbath and their dinner was what was called rabbinical rules and regulations, meaning the stuff the rabbis would come up with concerning the Sabbath.

I don't see that Jesus ever broke the Levitical law and some people don't understand that he did not break God's law.

He was perfect but he didn't really care about the rabbinical law because they came up with all kinds of silly stuff.

They are had false teeth, but you could wear on the Sabbath, because you would technically be carrying some of them. Is it just me or is that we you can have a handkerchief in your pocket because technically you are carrying it. But if you take a handkerchief out and you penned it to your lapel than technically was part of your clothing and I was okay. You can only walk a certain distance on the Sabbath, but if you had a long rope and tied it to your house will technically you had left her house yet, so then you could go a little bit further and it still be a Sabbath day's journey that we laugh because it's ever so crazy and it's so humorous, but don't pick up any rocks that the real is we got a lot of awareness day about church about the Sabbath and about stuff like that. I hear it all the time. Years ago, and I was playing music and Christian born-again believer had longer hair than I have now had an earring in my ear confess before you publicly in this hinge that I was ministering to said I see you got your fact that you like and whatever my pastor called really, because yeah there was a little kid that came our church is like 12 or 13 he came in he said on the second row. He was a visitor.

Never been there before and in the middle of teaching. The pastor stopped his teaching looked down at this young man said, you know, I'm glad you're here. You're welcome here, but you need to leave your fact I get home from the pulpit where you guys stop in the parking lot out here one day and he asked the people to working in the parking lot.

He said you know, can I come in your church address the way I am sure because I was just a church down the road that I tried to go in and they said if I was going to attend there needed to be dressed appropriately, that I could not come in the way that outstrips these people that explain the Jesus's behavior with that at some point, I wouldn't want to be in their shoes.

At that point we turn the day of worship day of healing and the legalism and Rick empty rituals taken a day in and changed it into a prison of regulations and restrictions Jesus challenges those things today just like you challenge them, then the notion that you need to come dressed a certain way, your looking a certain way.

What was it really interesting as I started digging and seen the number of times Jesus healed somebody or did some on the Sabbath, discovered image on the seven times I think that we would miss the point. There is the demoniac in Capernaum. Okay Fernando, Peter's mother-in-law, the impotent man in Jerusalem. They were talking about here. The man with a withered hand woman bound together. The man with dropsy and the man born blind.

I used to make a point there's no happenstance or circumstances that just will. As the saying is coincidence is not a kosher word is what the rabbis seven times and that this in healing these people was one of the reasons the religious people of the day hunted him down in them until they put him to death on the cross. They hated hated them because they violated their religious ritual. But even in executing him for these violations that didn't work either, that it did state that when reverse. Jesus answered them, said my father has been working until now and I have been working does the Lord work on the South he does the work shown us with the Sabbath. A picture of rest, a picture of Jesus and keep in mind to week we get a concept confuse from Sunday school when it says the Lord rested on the seventh day he did and rest because he was tired these God he Rasta give us a model of the rest that we can have in Jesus Christ was a spiritual concept, the new living translation. This verse reads, but Jesus replied, my father never stopped working so I should. I was I'm just going to touch base on this, but this gives me this makes me wonder. They said they is as a thousand years in the Lord's 2000 years since Jesus the about 4000 years before that.

Which means 6000 years brings us to this point I don't believe that we've been here. Billions and billions of years.

There's too much evidence. If you look at scientific evidence. There is way too much evidence that that whole thing is been made up and see there is coming. The thousand year reign. The millennial reign of Jesus which perhaps might represent that Sabbath rest because he then you've got 6000 years and then you got the 1000 years. I'm not dogmatically say and that's the way it is that I find it very interesting. But Jesus says I'm hearing says my father, Jesus, and said our father, a wooden be in trouble. At this point but he said my father when he said that he placed himself on the same level of God and will see the rest of this chapter.

They understood what he was saying they understood the claim that Jesus was saying, I am deity. I am the same level as God, they change accusation from breaking the Sabbath. The blasphemy and Jesus openly proclaimed his deity and end the religious leaders can disprove it.

Worse yet, he went around healing people proven his deity. And you know what people that say Jesus never said he was God. In other either, they we haven't read the Bible or study the Bible are the being openly dishonest is Jesus plainly working to get in a lot of detail about this next week, but he plainly claimed to be God, and they watched him display his power. Not once, not twice, but over and over and over again placed it back helpless.

They couldn't silence them all. They tried to silence them through execution, but again that in work. You can keep Jesus quiet, and even pilot knew that what they said when they said they said we wanted to seal the guards on both sides remember about is the best you can. There buddy seal it up real good, paraphrased with what translation theory is Jesus will be silenced lifeless. And there's religion can't silence Jesus religion can't silence even when his death came the proclamation that would change the world change history change time change my life. Change your life's power of God and still change lives today.

I don't know what's going on in in in each person's life today only what you're going through, which are struggling with.

I don't know. It's something that you're able to overcome, but something that's overwhelming you befriend. I know that God is able. I know God is able to give you the strength to overcome even if you been dealing with this for 28 3848, 58 years God is able. This morning I think you saying that some people you know I get up and walk. You know you you're blaming you probably won't start out walking real well, but I'm asking you to walk right now.

Keep your eyes off yourselves. You can sit there and go well. I've tried this before and it didn't work. Tried before and failed God never fails without him. You can't do anything with him all things are possible. Maybe you here this morning thinking you not truck a child living a Christian life and I couldn't do it. I figure maybe I just when called to be a Christian. I couldn't do it. Jesus died for you to forgive you of your sins and the strengths and you so that you could walk out the Christian life and that friend that's only way you can do it and perhaps this morning is the day that would change the rest of your life. Jesus says to come to him for forgiveness. Ask him for forgiveness. Turn from your waist to his ways.

Change your mind literally in the Greek is what repent, change your mind from thinking that you can do it to know and you can't do it, but he will do it for you begin to live out your faith and as for the power of God, change your life change your heart.

Friend, you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I can have a new life now done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible. You've been forgiven you've been born again, so congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make.

God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working in your life will DA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners each day. You can wake up with encouragement from Pastor David to the word of God with his email devotional life lessons to consider a daily reading plan and a thought to meditate on throughout your day. From the heart. David McGee, that sounds good Pastor day and again. It's been great to have you with us on the program today but tell us what else can a listers find on cross the bridge.com. If you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday.

Why not join us for our life for 10 AM Eastern time or on Thursday night at 7 PM this visit, cross the bridge.com and click on a lifestream link. There you will experience a live service from David's home church. The bridge North Carolina again. That website is cross the bridge.com. Thanks again for listening and join us next time. As David McGee continues teaching verse by verse in the gospel of God