The past weeks I've been teaching through the gospel of John, beginning with chapter one verse one.  Right now I'll only give a summary of the most recent outline/message.  Yesterday October 23, 2005 the message I gave for the service was in English and Estonian; pretty much a direct translation verse for verse, statement for statement.

The title of the message was, Salvation and the Proof Thereof - John 5:1-16.   

Bethesda means, "place of mercy."  For 38 years this man was in a hopeless and helpless condition.  No one showed care for him but the Lord.  The man didn't ask to be cured but to enter the pool.  Jesus didn't help him into the water but helped him by his own word to arise.  Without that first word to arise, nothing else could have been realised.

John 5:1-16 follows the acronym EAT (Evidence, Acknowledgement, Testimony)

Evidence of salvation - command to rise:
The impotent man had no other hope.  A person cannot live for God unless they are saved, unless they have risen (born again through faith in the word of God, from above and have received Christ as personal savior)

Obedience to the command to arise, the man did so at the word of Jesus.  We are to look above, upon heavenly and eternal things.

• look upon the crucified and risen Saviour (Ephesians 5:14)
• Jesus is alive and is set on the right hand of the throne of God (Acts 2:30; Hebrews12:2)
• salvation comes through the power of a resurrected Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16)

Acknowledgement of salvation - command to take up your bed:
The impotent man was before dependent on it but now being cured, his life is dependent upon God.  The bed now also has a new use.

Obedience to the command to take up the bed, showed a life change.  We acknowledge that change because of Christ's power.

• salvation is not of ourselves but of God's power, God's doing (Ephesians 2:8,9)
• put off the old and put on the new: God does not leave voids but has replacements (Ephesians 4:22)
• old things are passed away, all things are become new: material objects can be used for God's glory (II Corinthians 5:17)

Testimony of salvation - command to walk:
The impotent man could now live as never before imagined. Seeing things eternal and acknowledging a life change due to the gospel, there is the command to walk or live for God.

Obedience to the command to walk speaks of a life for God.  The Christian walk or lifestyle testifies of what God has done and is doing in and through us.

• a life for God will lead us to the house of God.  That is where Jesus found that man. Bible, music, fellowship (John 5:14)
• a believer is not ashamed of Christ, careful to not cast pearls before the swine (John 5:14)
• hypocrites hold to a form of religion while denying the power of God (II Timothy 3:5; Matthew 15:9)

Saved people are to feed on their salvation, the scripture says "rejoice in the Lord."  
EAT: Evidence, Acknowledgement, Testimony
Evidence: power of the gospel, looking on eternal things above
Acknowledgement: it is all of God, the change is not in ourselves but through His grace
Testimony: living the salvation publicly