When Love is Greater Than Law

[0:00] Thank you.

[0:30] Thank you.

[1:00] Thank you.

[1:30] Thank you. Thank you.

[2:02] Thank you. Thank you.

[2:34] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. honor this as God's Word with the authority of God Himself. John chapter 5 and beginning in verse 1 says, after this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And now there was in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.

[3:05] In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for 38 years. And when Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, do you want to be healed? And the sick man answered him, sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. And while I'm going, another one steps down before me. And Jesus said to him, get up, take your bed, and walk. And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, it's the Sabbath and it's not lawful for you to take up your bed. But he answered them, the man who healed me. That man said to me, take up your bed and walk. And they asked him, well, who is the man who said to you, take up your bed and walk? Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was.

[4:18] For Jesus had withdrawn, and there was a crowd in that place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, see, you are well. Sin no more, and nothing worse may happen to you. The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this is why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. I can't wait to preach this passage. Pray for me.

[4:51] Some of you already know he's going to get fired up. Pray with me. Pray for me. Let's ask God to talk to us. God, we really want to hear from you. We really, really want to hear from you.

[5:04] We've been learning each week about your power and the powerful name of Jesus. And I pray that tonight we would see it afresh and know that it is true.

[5:15] And that we would stand on the powerful name of Jesus in our own life. And so come talk to us now by your Holy Spirit in this place, as we exalt one name only, and that's the name of Jesus. And we ask it in his name. And God's people said, amen. Amen. You can be seated.

[5:35] Heidi was on cloud nine. Her and her fiance, Freddie, were about to be married. All the preparations for their dream wedding had been planned.

[5:51] And Heidi thought everything was going along fine. She thought everything was good until she showed up one day at work. She turned on her computer and she noticed that she had an email from her to-be mother-in-law.

[6:05] Now, she just assumed this probably has to do with the wedding or the planning. And then when she started reading through the email, she began to feel her stomach get all tied up in knots.

[6:17] And she became very upset. The reason that was the case is because in this email that Miss Bourne, Heidi's future mother-in-law, this is what she wrote.

[6:30] Quote, It's high time. Somebody explain to you some good manners. Yours are obvious by their absence, and I feel sorry for you. Unfortunately for Freddie, he's fallen in love with you, so I can't reason with him as to consider how he might help you.

[6:46] But if you want to be accepted in our family, I suggest you take some guidance. For your own good, for Freddie's sake, and your involvement in our family, do something ASAP.

[7:00] For example, when you're a guest in our home, don't mention what you will or will not eat unless you're allergic. Don't start eating before anyone else or taking additional helpings unless you're given permission.

[7:12] Don't lie in bed until late morning when everybody else is up. You follow in line with the house norms. Make sure to write a handwritten thank you note.

[7:23] You've yet to thank me for the times you've stayed with us. Oh, and stop drawing attention to yourself. I mean, it's tragic that you have diabetes, but you aren't the only person in the world who's a diabetic.

[7:34] I know quite a few people with this condition, and I've never heard them discuss it. I understand your parents are unable to contribute to the wedding cost.

[7:46] One might presume they'd saved over the years for their daughter's wedding. Maybe you should just lower your sights and have a modest wedding that befits your income.

[7:58] You must be patting yourself on the back for having caught the most eligible young man. Well, I pity Freddie. Close quote.

[8:11] Now, Faith Family, I don't know about y'all, but if I had received that email, it would be on like Donkey Kong. I'm telling you, there is enough unsanctified redneck left in me that I'd show that woman some manners.

[8:26] I would show her some manners real quick, right? Well, that email, and some of you may even remember that email. It's several years old, but when it went viral, Miss Bourne became nicknamed the mother-in-law from hell.

[8:40] Probably deserved, right? Now, I'm sure that some of her criticisms of Heidi were legitimate, right? But Miss Bourne has a few issues of her own, amen?

[8:52] Like holding your tongue and maybe being a little kind and not as being so judgmental, to name a few. But I want you to think about what was really at the core of her criticism.

[9:03] Did you notice one of the things that was repeated throughout her email? Things like, quote, if you want to be accepted by our family, or, quote, for involvement in our family, you need to do it this way.

[9:17] Or, quote, fall in line with the house norms. Now, let me ask you all. Have you ever known anybody, don't point, have you ever known anybody so obsessed with their rules and their ways and their customs and their traditions that they were willing to isolate, humiliate, or even intimidate another person?

[9:42] How many of you all have ever known somebody like that? How many of you, we're not going to go there. How many of you all had that teacher in school that was super, super strict?

[9:54] Anybody? How many of you had that parent that never let you have any fun? Rule number three. You will not cry, or whine, or laugh, or giggle, or sneeze, or burp, or fart.

[10:10] So, no, no, no annoying sounds, right? Does this count as annoying? Very. Very.

[10:21] Or how many of you had that co-worker, or you currently work with a co-worker, they think it's their job to keep everybody else in the office in line. You're totally harsh in the office, mellow.

[10:34] I can't stop this investigation. It is my job. Whoa, you are a volunteer. I volunteered for this job. And that's not the same. It is my duty. Volunteer duty. To investigate the crime scene. I have six more interviews to go, and then I will reveal what I know.

[10:48] There are some of you I know you're relating to that. I also know some of you, you grew up in churches that were extremely strict, and they had rules. You know, the whole don't smoke, drink, or chew, or date girls that do.

[11:02] That kind of rule, that kind of strict thing. Or most of you, in one situation or another, you've been able to relate to somebody who's extremely strict with rules.

[11:14] What have you got in your mouth? Nothing. Nothing, eh? Lyle. Gum.

[11:25] Chewing gum online, eh? I hope you brought enough for everybody. I didn't know there was going to be so many.

[11:41] Boy, is he strict. All right, so all of us, through all those examples, in one way or another, you probably have been around somebody, or you've been in a situation where somebody was very strict when it came to the rules.

[11:56] And what you also know is that if you happen to break one of those sacred rules, like all heck would break loose. And that is exactly what happens here in John chapter 5.

[12:11] Jesus is going to perform a miracle, and in doing that miracle, he's going to break one of the religious rules, and the religious leaders are going to get their holy undergarments in a wad.

[12:24] All right? Now watch what happens here in verse 2. It says, There was in Jerusalem, by the sheep gate, a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.

[12:37] And in these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for 38 years.

[12:48] Now, the first observation that I want us to see in this text is this, that Jesus is greater than your situation. Jesus is greater than your situation.

[12:59] John tells us that Jesus is in Jerusalem. Here in Jerusalem, there is this pool called Bethesda. It's a place, the text says, where multitudes of sick and lame and crippled people would gather.

[13:16] And they would gather at this pool because there was a legend that an angel would come down and touch the water and stir it up. And if you entered into the pool, it would heal you.

[13:29] Now, you can imagine the chaos that this creates. This is like Black Friday for the last TV. There is a mad rush of a multitude of people trying to be healed.

[13:42] The text tells us that at this pool is a man who has been lame for 38 years. Now, get your mind around that.

[13:52] 38 years. Maybe he's the oldest one there. We don't know. But what we know is for 38 years, he has been sick. 38 years, he can't get to the water. 38 years, he's dependent on other people.

[14:05] 38 years, nothing has ever improved. 38 years, every day has been the same. If his life and his situation is going to change, he needs a what, faith family?

[14:20] A miracle. He needs a miracle. Now, I wonder if any of you here tonight or those of you watching online have ever felt this way about your situation.

[14:31] It's never going to change. Pastor, I'm never going to get married. I'm never going to be able to overcome my addictions.

[14:43] Pastor, I'm never going to get back on my feet again. You don't understand. It has been five years. It's been 10 years.

[14:54] It's been 38 years. And nothing has ever changed. And I would say to you, that's exactly how this man felt. He felt like his situation changing was impossible.

[15:08] It's been so long and nothing's ever changed. Nothing ever will. Now, Jesus, for some reason, bypasses everybody else in this multitude of people, and he goes after this man, and he asks him a question.

[15:27] Verse 6. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, Do you want to be healed?

[15:40] Now, at first, that seems like an obvious question. Well, of course he does. But I think that's actually a very important question. And I would ask you to kind of zone in for a moment on that question.

[15:51] Do you want to be healed? The reason why I think that's an important question is because sometimes we're afraid of what life will be like on the other side.

[16:02] If you've ever seen Shawshank Redemption, which means have you ever turned your TV on, you remember the Brooks. He got so used to life in the prison that he couldn't imagine what life would be like to be free.

[16:16] And there's a real prisoner's mindset that takes place when you think this is all life is ever going to be. I heard about a prison in British Columbia at Fort Alcan.

[16:29] The prison was being dismantled. They found locks that were attached to heavy doors, two-inch steel bars that covered the windows. But you know what was interesting?

[16:40] The walls of the prison were made of clay and paper. But what they did is they painted those walls to look like iron.

[16:52] And all they would have had to do is one hard push into the wall and they could have knocked them down. But the prisoners, listen, the prisoners assumed they would never break through.

[17:07] That's a real mentality that it's easy for us to get into. It's never going to change. It's never going to be any different. This is just how it's going to be.

[17:19] And the question for you is, do you want to be healed? Jesus asked him that, and here's his response. Verse 7. The sick man answered him, sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up.

[17:36] And while I'm going, another steps down before me. Now that's a bit of an interesting response, is it not? I mean, you see, first of all, a bit of defeatism.

[17:47] I can't. It's not possible. There's no way that I can get there. Some of you, again, can relate to that. But secondly, here's what's interesting in this, is that he's more focused on the pool than he is Jesus.

[18:01] Now that's not very common in most of the miracles in the Gospels. I mean, think, for instance, last week. The official whose son is sick is coming to Jesus because he's focused on Jesus.

[18:15] When this man is asked, do you want to be healed, he's entirely focused on the pool. In fact, he doesn't even know who Jesus is. And later on, we're going to find out he still doesn't know who Jesus is.

[18:29] And even still, look how Jesus responds. Verse 8, Jesus said to him, get up, take up your bed, and walk.

[18:41] And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Can you imagine this guy's reaction? Can you imagine how excited this guy is?

[18:52] For 38 years, somebody's had to carry me stuck on a mat. 38 years, it's the same thing every day. And now he can rise and walk and dance. It's a miracle.

[19:05] Faith family, what have we seen over and over again, even in just these first few weeks? There is nothing, and I mean nothing, impossible with Christ.

[19:16] No matter what the situation is, no matter how bleak, impossible it seems, there is nothing impossible with Jesus.

[19:26] Now let's pause for just a moment, and let's ask at this point in the text, what does this miracle teach us about Jesus? Because one of the things that we mentioned in the introduction was miracles point you to the miracle worker.

[19:39] It's not about the miracle itself, it's about the one who does the miracle. And so what does this teach us about Jesus? Three quick things. Number one, the knowledge of Jesus.

[19:51] The text says that Jesus knew this guy's situation. He knew he had been there a long time.

[20:01] It's likely that's why Jesus sought this man out. I don't know if this encourages you, but it should. Jesus knows your situation.

[20:14] Have you ever felt like, man, nobody knows. Nobody knows what I'm going through. Nobody knows what it's like to be stuck on a mat. Nobody knows what it's like to be in this relationship. Nobody knows what it's like.

[20:26] Jesus knows everything about you. He knows everything you're going through. He knows every hurt you're experiencing and everything you're suffering.

[20:39] Jesus knows you. And that's pretty remarkable. Amen? Secondly, not only the knowledge of Jesus, but the compassion of Jesus. How many of you noticed something different about this miracle than the one last week?

[20:55] And the answer would be, there's no faith involved. Are you with me? There was faith involved last week. Your faith, you know, Jesus will often say something like, your faith has made you well.

[21:09] Or it's clear that the official was trusting and believing in Jesus. This guy doesn't even know who Jesus is. And Jesus still heals him.

[21:20] Why? Jesus has a thing for broken people. Jesus, as we see throughout these miracles, has a heart of compassion. And he heals this man even though this man does not have faith in Christ.

[21:38] He's a good, good God. Amen? Knowledge of Jesus. Compassion of Jesus. And third, which is what John continues to emphasize, is the power of Jesus.

[21:49] He wants us to see that this man gets up with a word at once. That just like in John 4, all Jesus had to do from 20 miles away is say, your son will live.

[22:04] And guess what? That very moment his fever left him. From 20 miles away. He didn't have to go touch him. He didn't have to be close. He could just speak the word.

[22:14] And the same thing here, John wants you to see, this guy didn't have to do anything. All Jesus had to do was say, get up. And the man got up, got his mat, and walked.

[22:28] That's the power of our Christ. There is nothing he can't do. So the first thing that I want you to see from this text, and I hope that you are taking this practically and personally, it's this.

[22:42] Jesus is greater than your situation. Jesus is greater than your situation. I'm going to keep going to all of you. Amen. Jesus is greater than your situation.

[22:54] Like, I want you to believe that. The whole reason I'm doing this series is I want to build within you a fortified faith that doesn't blink, that knows that Jesus is powerful and there's nothing impossible with him.

[23:10] Whatever you're going through, whatever you're in, whatever, Jesus is greater than that. And that's what this passage shows us.

[23:21] Here's a man thought his situation was impossible and would never change until Jesus came along. That's the first thing. Now, why does John want us to see this response of Jesus?

[23:36] It's because he wants you to compare the response of Jesus to the response of another group who, like the mother-in-law from hell, don't even acknowledge this guy's transformation.

[23:49] Instead, all they care about are their rules. Watch what happens next. Verse 9. Now that day was the Sabbath.

[24:02] So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, it is the Sabbath and it's not lawful for you to take up your bed. Here's the second observation that I want you to see and it's this.

[24:14] Love is greater than the law. Jesus is greater than your situation. And second, love is greater than the law. I don't know about you, but when I read those verses, I want to punch something.

[24:27] I probably need anger management classes or something, but like I read that and I seriously want to like break something. What a bunch of grumpy, crusty, old men.

[24:39] This guy, can I rant for just a minute? Say preach, preacher. I'm going to, this is a rant, okay? This guy for 38 years he's been in this community. They know him and they don't even say congrats.

[24:55] They don't even say, man, that's fantastic, Bob, because that's a Jewish name, right? Or whatever, right? Like, that's so cool. Like, man, when did that happen? And tell me your story.

[25:06] And because I've known you, I've walked by you, I've seen you from a distance. And for 38 years you haven't been able to walk. What happened? No, all of this group can say is, you realize you're not supposed to carry your mat on Saturday.

[25:21] Yeah, really? Like, are you with me? Like, I just want to, in Jesus' name, punch something. It's so infuriating.

[25:32] All they're concerned about is the law. They don't care about this, man. They don't care that an unbelievable and impossible transformation has happened in his life.

[25:45] All they care about is carrying mats. Now, the law that they're referring to is not the Mosaic law. It's their oral tradition. The Mosaic law, as many of you know, taught about the Sabbath.

[25:59] The Sabbath law was for man's good. It was according to God's design. But, of course, it wasn't good enough for the religious leaders. They had to add things to that.

[26:09] In fact, they added 39 different categories. Not 39 things. 39 different categories of things that you couldn't do on the Sabbath. Examples like you couldn't look in a mirror.

[26:21] You might be tempted to pluck out a gray beard or a gray hair, which I've got more and more coming in. Don't amen that. You couldn't take bread to your neighbor, but you could throw it out your window to your neighbor.

[26:34] If you threw something in the air with one hand, you had to catch it with the other. You couldn't take a bath on the Sabbath, which doesn't really make sense.

[26:44] How do you have a Sabbath without a...never mind. You couldn't walk more than 1,999 paces. You could eat grain, but you couldn't separate the grain from the chaff. You couldn't help somebody who was hurt, and you couldn't carry something from one place to the next.

[27:02] And on and on and on and on these rules would go. In other words, the religious leaders took what was a blessing, Sabbath rest, and they turned it into a burden, which is exactly what religious people do.

[27:17] They forget the why behind the what. Now, the problem is some of you are thinking about somebody else.

[27:29] And I need you and I need me to think about ourselves. Here's what I mean. Are we the kind of people that are so focused on our system, on our institution, on our ideology, on our political agenda, that we actually isolate the very people we've been called to serve?

[27:53] This isn't just a religious leader problem. This is an us problem. Is we start loving the structure of a thing more than the person that thing existed to serve.

[28:08] And I bet it wouldn't take you long in your life to think of a relationship that you have isolated because they don't walk your line. Because they don't march to the steps you think they ought to march to.

[28:23] And what we, myself included, need to be reminded of is that the law is greater than love. Look at this on the screen. When what is best for people is not most important to you, you are at odds with the will of God.

[28:38] People are always more important than principles. And of course, this guy doesn't even want to break the Sabbath. That's what's shocking to me. It's not like this guy in his heart wanted to violate the commandment.

[28:50] He just wants to walk for the first time in 38 years. Can you blame the guy? And notice the freedom this guy has. When I was over there, we were singing about freedom and I had my hands raised.

[29:03] This is the freedom that I rejoice in and by God's grace, I stay in because this is what God has set me free from. One of the many things throughout my journey.

[29:14] Look at verse 11. But he, the lame man, answered them, the religious leaders, the man who healed me, the man said to me, take up your bed and walk.

[29:27] Do you know what that man is saying here? Do you see what's in that response? Here's what the lame man is saying. And this is what I hope will be true for us. Can you tell I'm getting excited? He's saying this. I'm just doing what the man who healed me told me to do.

[29:41] I don't really care about your rules. I don't really care about your authority. All I know is there's a man who healed me and there's a group who ignored me.

[29:55] I'm going with the guy who healed me. Amen? I don't really care about your stupid, silly rules that keep you from ministering to me.

[30:07] I care about the man who loved me enough to come heal me. In other words, the argument that I'm making, notice this on the screen, is that the lame man not only has freedom in his legs, he gets freedom from the law.

[30:22] He gets free from religion. And that's the freedom that I celebrate in gospel proclamation and celebration that we are not under the bondage of the law anymore.

[30:36] We have been set free in Jesus Christ. And notice this on the screen. When Jesus does a work of grace in your life, you will lose your fear of religion and religious people.

[30:52] And some of you knew when I said, I can't wait to preach this, you're like, yeah, he's going to... Because you know this is a big deal for me. There are some of you that have grown up in religious traditions and you have layers of fear and guilt and shame.

[31:08] And what I just want to say to you is that when Jesus has done a work of grace in your life, you can let go of that fear. You don't have to live under those chains anymore.

[31:20] And I assure you by God's grace, you don't have to have that fear here at Faith Family. Amen? Because we are much more about the healing work of Jesus's grace than we are the made-up laws and rules of man.

[31:36] And if I have anything to do with this ministry, that is certainly the culture that we are about. So this lame man not only gets freedom in his legs, he gets freedom from the law because he can look at the religious leaders and say, you can take your laws and roll them up.

[31:57] All I know is there's a man who healed me and I did what he said to do. I don't care what you say to do. I'm doing what the man who healed me said to do.

[32:09] That's freedom. Amen? That was worth your price of admission right there. But let's get back to the text. Let's get back to the text. Jesus clearly is doing this on purpose.

[32:21] I love this about Jesus. He could have waited till the next day. He didn't have to do it on the Sabbath, but he's doing it purposefully on the Sabbath. In fact, John, if you're reading through the Gospel of John, you'll notice that John has been actually showing us how Jesus is turning things upside down all over the place.

[32:41] I mean, he went to the temple, John 2, and runs people out. And then, you're not going to believe this. I'm glad you're sitting down. He goes to Samaria. Oh! And he doesn't just talk to a Samaritan.

[32:54] He talks to a Samaritan woman who's had four or five husbands. I mean, Jesus is doing things that go way outside what everybody expects.

[33:07] He's turning things upside down. And he's doing the same thing here by performing this miracle intentionally on the Sabbath. As C.S. Lewis said in that famous line, he's not a tame lion, but he is good.

[33:20] He's not a tame lion. You can't box him in, but he sure is good. Faith family, if you want Jesus against you, just make up rules that are not in the Bible and cut and paste your Bible verses to fit your campaign.

[33:35] And while you will look good in the eyes of your own law, you will have failed to realize the greatest of these is love. For in the kingdom, notice this on the screen, in the kingdom, love is greater than law.

[33:52] Love is greater than law. So do you see these things in the text? Jesus is greater than your situation. This guy thought it's impossible till Jesus came along.

[34:05] Second, love was more important than the law of the religious leaders. Now what happens next is strange. I mean, to this point, when I'm studying the passage, it's like, I don't know what to do with these other verses initially, at least on the surface, because at first glance, you're kind of left scratching your head saying, I don't know what you're doing, Jesus.

[34:27] Do you remember last week when I gave you some examples of responses that Jesus gives that just leave you thinking, huh? You remember the Mary comes to Jesus and says, they're out of wine.

[34:41] And Jesus says, woman, what does this have to do with me? And that's not how you talk to mama, right? It's not the response you'd expect.

[34:52] The officials, the official comes to Jesus, my son is sick, and Jesus says what? All y'all want is another son, and you won't believe unless I give you one.

[35:04] This guy's hurting. His son is in a crisis. He's going to die. Jesus, do you not have any compassion here at all? Jesus says, Jesus catches up with this guy in the temple gift shop later on, and he just says something that's strange.

[35:24] Watch what happens, verse 12. They ask him, the lame man, who is the man who said to you, take up your bed and walk? And the man who had been healed didn't know who it was.

[35:37] For Jesus had withdrawn as there was a crowd in the place. Okay. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, see your will, sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.

[35:58] Are you, anybody with me? Like, that's just strange. I mean, you'd think Jesus would find him in the gift shop and be like, man, you're healed, let's celebrate.

[36:08] But he says, be careful, don't sin, or something worse will happen to you. So I'm going to ask three questions. Here's the big idea. Salvation is greater than no sickness.

[36:19] Salvation is greater than no sickness. Now let me unpack that. Question number one. Why did Jesus only heal one man? There's a multitude, according to John.

[36:33] In fact, the text says that when the crowd formed, Jesus fled. What was all that compassion talk? Why only one?

[36:45] Second question. Why does Jesus tell him to stop sinning? I mean, it's true that some people thought that sickness corresponded with sin.

[36:55] So you committed sin, you got sick, but there's no evidence of that in this passage. Jesus, he hasn't done anything for 38 years. Why are you telling him to stop sinning?

[37:08] Thirdly, how could it possibly get worse? I mean, first of all, that's just a bit cold to say, hey, stop sinning, or something worse might happen to you.

[37:22] Like, Jesus? Really? That's your introduction? Like, what is he getting at? What is he driving at that something worse might happen?

[37:34] And how could it get worse than being lame for 38 years? Does everybody understand, at this point, why I'm perplexed with the text as I'm studying it?

[37:44] Like, help me, Holy Spirit, make sense of this. And here's what I believe is happening. Y'all with me? I think each one of those things is showing us why Jesus did the miracle.

[37:57] That is, he only did it to one. He tells the guy to stop sinning and warns him that it can be worse. And the answer of those three questions gets to what Jesus is doing.

[38:10] And I'm going to teach this by saying something that means the same thing as what Jesus says here. In other words, I'm going to use some different words that won't change the meaning of what Jesus says to this man and see if it begins to start making sense to us.

[38:29] So, if Jesus would have said this, instead of stop sinning, something worse may happen, what if it went like this? Repent, stop sinning, so you don't spend eternity without God.

[38:46] Something worse than sickness will happen to you. See, if we were to say repent so you don't spend eternity without God, if I put it that way, I wouldn't change the meaning at all, and it actually fits with what the New Testament teaches.

[39:04] Now, hang with me, hang with me, hang with me. Add to that that this man has yet to put his faith in Jesus, right?

[39:15] According to the text, he doesn't even know who Jesus is yet. So, here's what I think is going on here. I think Jesus is calling this man to salvation, which gets to the very reason he performed the miracle.

[39:34] Look at this on the screen. Jesus did not do the miracle just so the man would not be sick. Jesus did the miracle so that the man would be saved.

[39:46] Because salvation is far more important than no sickness. This man's healing was a sign. It was a single intentional miracle that is pointing to something greater than physical sickness, namely spiritual death.

[40:06] And notice this on the screen. Jesus did not come into the world to help the sick. Jesus came into the world to save the lost. And that's why he didn't heal everybody there.

[40:21] Because the purpose of his ministry is not to heal everybody of physical sickness. His purpose is to call people to salvation in him.

[40:32] That's what I believe he's doing with this man. And for those who are saved, what do you get? The promise of a kingdom where for eternity you will never be sick.

[40:48] Which is why you ought to want the Savior more than you want the no sickness. Amen? And that's what I've been preaching in this series. You need to be careful that your coming to Jesus is not just because you want the no sickness.

[41:03] It needs to be that you want the Savior. And that's what Jesus is pointing us to in this sign. And once you see that this is a call to salvation from Jesus, then you begin to understand the fundamental difference between the gospel and religion.

[41:21] between what Jesus wants for this lame man and what religious leaders want for the lame man. Preach, preacher. I'm almost done. Here it is. Look at this on the screen.

[41:32] Religion wants you to behave. Jesus wants you to be saved. Religion says, Hey!

[41:43] Quit carrying your mats on Saturdays! That's all they care about. Jesus wants you to behave. Jesus wants your life for eternity with God.

[42:01] Religion just wants you to behave. Jesus wants you to be saved. Because salvation is greater than no sickness.

[42:13] So I want to go back as we close, and I want you to think about each one of these three main points in a practical application way. Here's the first. Jesus is greater than your situation.

[42:24] Faith family, what are you going through that you feel is impossible? What have you been stuck in for five years, ten years, 25 years, 38 years, that you've given up all hope?

[42:36] Listen, I'm not promising you that Jesus is going to set you free from that, but I promise you Jesus can. And continue to pray and seek and go to the one who has power over your life and knows every detail of your situation.

[42:56] He is greater. Amen? Secondly, love is greater than the law. Love is greater than the law. Who have you isolated in your life?

[43:06] Because of your system? Because of your agenda? Because of the institution? Who is it that you have failed to show love because you're so consumed in whatever law?

[43:19] Please don't be like one of the religious leaders here where all you're concerned about is mats or how people vote or what dress code they have and you don't care at all about their heart, about who they are, about the fact that they're a human being created in the image of God.

[43:43] Oh, that we would not be mat checkers, but that we would be servants of Jesus who love more than we care about law.

[43:56] Law is important. Law is important. Law is important. But the greatest of these is love. Here's the third one. Salvation is greater than no sickness.

[44:08] Salvation is greater than no sickness. Even if you never get out of the situation that you're in, there is one situation I guarantee you you can get out of and that is lost for eternity, separated from God.

[44:24] That's a miracle I can promise you Jesus will do if you will look to Him by faith. Amen? And having a Savior is far more important than not having a sickness.

[44:38] Look to Him, believe in Him, and know Christ as your Savior. Faith family, let us not be like the mother-in-law from hell.

[44:48] Someone who cared more about law than love, politics than people, and commands than compassion. Let us be like the one who came down from heaven.

[45:01] The one who not only put aside man-made traditions of the Pharisees, he even put aside his own personal preferences when he prayed, not my will but yours.

[45:15] And for three days, Jesus was not stuck on a mat. He was placed in a grave. And on the third day, he got up and walked.

[45:29] That, faith family, is the miraculous love of Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, thank you for what you've taught us tonight.

[45:40] These are very practical things for us to think about. That Jesus is greater than our situation, and love is greater than law. That salvation is greater than no sickness.

[45:53] And so help us, having experienced the miracle of salvation in Christ, to be servants for Christ. Not people who are out there trying to condemn, but people who are out there seeking to love.

[46:06] And to point people to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So I pray that we would learn much from this passage, and by your grace, apply this passage as we live for you in Jesus' name.

[46:22] Amen.