Sermon Preview – Week of August 28


Our preaching text for Sunday will be John 5:1-18. John 5 begins a section that runs through chapter 7 where John introduces the opposition Jesus will encounter through the rest of his earthly ministry. Yes, there has been some controversy up to this point, but now the opposition will become very public and sometimes officially sanctioned. Someone hearing this for the first time may wonder what Jesus did to make people so mad at him. Did he slander them? Did he take something from them that was not his?Did he harm them or their families? Did he threaten them with some kind of violence? These are the kinds of things that generally illicit the kind of hate and vitriol that Jesus endured from the Jewish religious leaders. However, the thing that triggers their opposition is not slander, theft, threats or violence of any kind, it begins with Jesus healing an invalid on the Sabbath. Really? This is what creates such tension and vitriol? This is what stirs the hate that spirals into them sentencing Jesus to die on the cross? Well, this is where it begins at least. Jesus’ actions at the pool of Bethesda triggers a reaction from the Jewish religious leaders that motivates them to make Jesus’ death their mission. Over the next few weeks in John 5 we will learn a lot more about that, but this week we focus on the miracle itself. What’s the point of the miracle? What do we learn about Jesus through this miracle? Is there anything for us to learn about ourselves? What do we learn about the purposes of God’s kindness and compassion? As you can see, there is much for us to learn and apply to our lives from this encounter at the pool. May the Lord bless the hearts of His people through the power of His Word this week!


Sermon Title: “Healing At The Pool Of Bethesda”

Sermon Text: John 5:1-18

Meditation Passage: Isaiah 35

Call To Worship: Psalm 111

Benediction: 1 Corinthians 15:55-58


Songs For Sunday:

Jesus! What A Friend For Sinners

Be Thou My Vision

How Sweet And Aweful Is The Place

My Heart Is Filled With Thankfulness

There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood

O Great God


 

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