Title of Message: God’s Will and Healing from John 5
Sermon Notes:
Signs are designed to communicate. This third sign from John’s Gospel tells us that:
1. Some people don’t always want to be healed.
2. God is ultimately sovereign in His actions.
3. This sign was primarily for the religious leaders in Jerusalem.
4. This sign was to reveal Jesus’ identity as the Son of God.
5. Healing is not found in superstition, but in a Savior.
Follow-up Questions from Sunday:
Getting to Know You:
When you were a child, did your family ever have any strange remedies for sickness that they believed in?
Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?
Digging Deeper:
Read John 5:1-15. How would you describe what is happening in these verses?
1. In John 5:1-6, why do you think Jesus chose to heal the oldest person at that pool? Why do you think Jesus asked him this question?
2. Have you ever met people that didn’t want to get well and if so why do you think they are like this? Was there ever a time in your life when you were “stuck” and didn’t want physical, mental, or spiritual healing? Please share.
3. In John 5:8, 14-15, Jesus warned the man that now he is well, do not go back to a sinful lifestyle. Do you think he did go back or do you think he experienced true life change? Have you ever seen someone squander God’s healing touch of grace and mercy in their life? Please share.
4. Read John 5:8-13. What do these Scriptures say about the heart of the religious leaders in Jerusalem? Have you ever experienced religious legalism where people are more concerned with the rules than people? Why do you think some people are like this? How do you think we can avoid becoming like these people as we follow Jesus?
5. We read in John 6:2 that many people followed Jesus because of the “sign” that He did by healing this man in Jerusalem. If “signs” are meant to communicate, what does this healing communicate to you about who God is?
6. Pastor Frank shared a time in his life when right after he prayed to accept Jesus, a shooting star shot across the sky. To him this was a sign from God–at that exact moment–that God was real. Have you ever felt that God sent you a sign in your personal journey?
Taking it Home:
What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?