PART 5 CARING ENOUGH TO SAVE

TEXT- JOHN 5:1-9

INTRODUCTION

A WOMAN MAS SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN AND COULDN'T GET BACK TO SHORE AND STARTED YELLING FOR HELP. A MAN JUMPED IN THE MATER TO SAVE HER. HE GRABBED FOR HER HAIR, AND HER WIG CAME OFF. THEN HE GRABBED FOR HER FOOT, AND HER ARTIFICIAL LEG CAME OFF. HE MADE A LIFE-SAVER'S GRAB FOR HER MOUTH, AND HER TEETH CAME OUT. FINALLY HE YELLED, "HEY LADY, IF YOU WANT ME TO SAVE YOU, YOU'VE GOT TO COOPERATE A LITTLE BIT!"

TODAY OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN JOHN 5:1-9 AND THE TOPIC OF MY MESSAGE IS, “CARING ENOUGH TO SAVE PEOPLE.”

THIS MORNING IS OUR CARING SUNDAY AND ME ARE EMPHASIZING OUR CHURCH THEME, "THE CHURCH THAT CARES."

WITHIN YOUR BULLETIN THERE IS A LIST OF GOALS WHICH ME HAVE SET FOR OURSELVES THIS YEAR.

IF WE WANT TO BE KNOWN AS A CARING CHURCH, THEN WE MUST FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE JESUS HAS GIVEN TO US. BECAUSE HE IS THE ONE WHO HAS GIVEN THE BEST EXAMPLE OF A CARING ATTITUDE.

IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN WE ARE GIVEN SEVEN DIFFERENT MIRACLES JESUS PERFORMED DURING HIS PERSONAL MINISTRY HERE ON EARTH.

EACH ONE OF THESE MIRACLES SHOW US HOW THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD. THEY EMPHASIZE HOW JESUS HAS POWER OVER TIME AND DISTANCE, THAT HE IS ETERNAL AND ALL-KNOWING.

JOHN 20:31 BUT THESE ARE WRITTEN THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, AND THAT BY BELIEVING YOU MAY HAVE LIFE IN HIS NAME.

BUT THE MIRACLES THAT JESUS DID ALSO SHOW US HOW MUCH HE CARED FOR OTHERS. THESE MIRACLES ARE MORE THAN THEOLOGICAL PROOFS, THEY ARE PRACTICAL TRUTHS.

HERE IN OUR TEXT WE FIND THE STORY ABOUT THE MAN WHO WAS A PARALYTIC BEING HEALED BY JESUS.

JESUS ALWAYS CARED ABOUT THOSE WHO WERE IN NEED.
HE CARED ENOUGH TO TAKE THE TIME THAT WAS NEEDED TO GET PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN PEOPLE’S LIVES. HE WOULD TALK TO PEOPLE TO FIND OUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS WERE AND THEN WOULD TAKE CARE OF THEIR NEEDS.

THIS IS THE KIND OF EXAMPLE WE NEED TO FOLLOW IN CARING FOR OTHERS TODAY. THIS IS THE KIND OF CHRISTIAN GOD WANTS ALL OF US TO BE TODAY. IF WE WANT TO BE KNOWN AS A CARING CHRISTIAN OR A CARING CHURCH THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE TO GO TO THEN THE LIFE OF JESUS WHO CARES ABOUT ALL OF US MORE THAN WE COULD EVER KNOW.

THE MIRACLES OF JESUS SHOW US THAT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE NEED TO GET INVOLVED IN PEOPLE’S LIVES AND MINISTER TO THEM.

THROUGH THESE MIRACLES WE CAN SEE HOW JESUS HELPED PEOPLE, FORGAVE PEOPLE, COMFORT PEOPLE AND DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING FOR PEOPLE. THEN WHY DOES HE NEED YOU AND I? IT IS BECAUSE HE WANTS US TO PARTICIPATE WITH HIM IN HIS MINISTRY TO OTHERS. YOU SEE, THERE IS A MINISTRY FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. JESUS DOESN’T WANT US TO BE SPECTATORS, HE WANTS US TO BE PARTICIPATORS.

THE PROBLEM IS SOME PEOPLE JUST DON’T CARE.

IT’S LIKE DAVID ONCE SAID:

PSALM 142:4 WHEN I LOOK BESIDE ME, I SEE THAT THERE IS NO ONE TO HELP ME, NO ONE TO PROTECT ME. NO ONE CARES FOR ME.

AS WE FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON THIS MIRACLE I WOULD LIKE US TO NOTICE THREE REASONS WHY WE SHOULD ALL CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER.