Dangerous Substitutes for the Real Truth

Dangerous Substitutes for the Real Truth…
(and how Jesus corrected each)
John 5:1-17

1. Substitute #1: culture.
   1. Three false conclusions: the lame man’s culture said,
      1. this is as good as it gets
      2. there is nothing you can do
      3. this is your normal. (John 5:5)
   2. One powerful truth: Jesus said, do you want to get well? (John 5:6)
2. Substitute #2: limitations.
   1. Limitations bring helplessness and hopelessness. (John 5:7)
   2. Jesus brings restoration to your lost years. (John 5:8)
   3. Your mat: you carry IT, no longer let it carry YOU.
3. Substitute #3: legalism.
   1. Jesus restores and frees: walk by My restoration in your life. (John 5:8-9)
   2. Legalism confines and restricts: walk by our rules. (John 5:10)
4. Substitute #4: the status quo.
   1. The status quo always seeks a human standard of blessing.
      1. Don’t walk around like everyone else.
      2. Don’t sin any more; new life is now yours.
   2. Jesus always offers an eternal blessing. (John 5:14, 17)

Questions for Further Study:

1. Why might someone prefer rules and regulations to freedom?
2. In what way are relationships more important than rules and regulations?
3. For what event did Jesus go to Jerusalem? (John 5:1)
4. Who came to the pool near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem? (John 5:2-3)
5. How long had the one invalid man been at the pool? (John 5:5)
6. What did Jesus ask the invalid man? (John 5:6)
7. How did the invalid man respond to Jesus’ question? (John 5:7)
8. What did Jesus command the invalid man to do? (John 5:8)
9. What happened to the invalid man after Jesus spoke to him? (John 5:9)
10. On what day of the week did this miracle take place? (John 5:9)
11. What did the Jews say to the healed man? Why? (John 5:10)
12. How did the healed man respond to the Jews’ question? (John 5:11)
13. What did the Jews ask the healed man? (John 5:12)
14. Why didn’t the man know who healed him? (John 5:13)
15. What did Jesus tell the man he had healed on their second encounter? (John 5:14)
16. What did the healed man do after he spoke with Jesus a second time? (John 5:15)
17. In what way do you think life is unfair?
18. When have you felt as if life has dealt you a bad hand?
19. When have you felt that God was waiting too long to do something you’d trusted Him to do?
20. When do we tend to get impatient with God’s timing in our lives?
21. On what in life, other than God, do we sometimes depend?
22. Why do we attempt to take matters into our own hands, rather than trust God to work them out?
23. When has someone tried to squelch your freedom in Christ with religious rules or regulations?
24. Why do some people care more about keeping certain “religious” rules than they do about developing a meaningful relationship with Jesus?
25. What rules tend to interfere with your enjoyment of your relationship with Christ?
26. In what way has Jesus made you well?
27. What is something you need to trust God with today?
28. Who is someone you can encourage to enjoy his or her relationship with Christ this week?
29. What “religious” rule that hinders your relationship with Christ will you make secondary to that relationship this week?