Hindrance of Repentance

This sermon contrasts the unrepentant man from John 5:1-18 with previous examples of spiritual transformation, aiming to teach listeners how hindrances to repentance manifest. The speaker highlights three major obstacles the paralyzed man exhibits, the first being self-righteousness, evidenced when the man avoids a simple "yes or no" answer to Jesus's question, instead blaming his lack of a helper. The second obstacle is making excuses by blaming others for his predicament, rather than acknowledging any fault in himself, such as poor choices in friends. Finally, the sermon emphasizes the man's self-vindication, noting that he avoids confessing his sins and instead blames both the healthy people and his fellow sick people for his circumstances, thereby refusing to take responsibility for his own actions or need for change.