The Changing Power of Jesus
Junior Camp Report Night 2023 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I really love many aspects of camp but there are some that are not so great things as. The hill and guard duty at night are among those.
One of my favorite things about camp is that we get away from our world and busy lives, and focus completely on God. We hear a message in the mornings, in the evenings, and even a devotion before bed. There are many decisions made at camp every year. There are some decisions that last through our lives. I surrendered to preach at camp and many of you could probably say something similar. But there are many that don’t allow the lasting change of Christ to carry throughout their lives.
Maybe it’s because change is a difficult thing. Maybe, its simpler than that. Maybe its as simple as they just don’t want to. I have realized more and more that people do just want they want to do. In our text tonight, Jesus asked this man, Wilt thou be made whole? Do you want things to change? I understand that this text show us Jesus’ authority, over this physical body, and the sabbath, and to forgive sin. But as we look at the text I just want to focus in on this man’s response.
Some people don’t want to accept their need for change. The story is told about a doctor who told a man to give up red meat, so he stopped putting ketchup on his hamburgers.
We like things to be comfortable. We create habits in our lives to make things easy for us. Why? Because most don’t like change. We sit in the same places in church, we eat the same foods from week to week, we shop at the same places. I really don’t like using the self checkouts at Walmart. Mostly because I don’t work for Walmart. If I wanted to check my groceries out I would fill out an application. But really it’s because I don’t like change.
Many know my testimony. I won’t go into everything but their was a time in my early 20’s that I wanted to go my own way and do the things that I wanted to do. I knew the Lord had called me to preach, I knew He wanted me to confess my sins before Him and get back to doing want I know I needed to be doing. I remember when I was in the middle of all of the rebellion. The college Sunday school class teacher pulled me aside and called me out. I did just what man in the text did. I made excuses, I didn’t want to put in the effort, and I was looking for God to work in the experiences that I wanted Him to work. As we read our text focus with me on how the man response and see His excuses, his effort, and the experience he was looking for.
After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
As we look at this story tonight. Put yourself in the shoes for the impotent man. Jesus is standing before you and you have the problems of your life in your hands. Many are struggling with sin, or the weights and pressures of this life. And Jesus is standing before you and He asks the same question to you. “Wilt thou be made whole?” Do you want things to change? In the moment that my college Sunday school teacher called me out. He asked me, “Travis, do you want to change?” At the time, no I didn’t but as I left and reflected on his words. I realized that he was right.
Excuses
Excuses
When faced with the question from Jesus this man did the same thing that we all do.
The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
I can almost hear the whimpering tone in this mans voice. I heard this tone this week, when I asked some of the boys to take a shower, or sweep, “But I did that yesterday...”
All of us have been here, have we not? The Lord comes knocking on our hearts door and says, you need too… fill in the blank. Yet we think that we are the exception to God fixing the problem. Or how we know.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But my sin is the one thing He can’t or won’t forgive. There are many examples of excuses in the Bible.
Remember Moses? God said to him, to go and tell the pharaoh and my people that it’s time to go. And what did Moses do? Made excuses.
And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.
And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?
Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
The Bible tells us that God’s anger was kindled against Moses for his excuses in verse 14. God was prepared to use Moses without Aaron's help.
We all do this. But Our world tries to reinforce this in our society. Saying there is always someone else to blame.
I used to be charge of leading a crew of guys to clean a school building. Just like most places when someone is sick or out the work still had to get done. So when someone is out the higher up people would either send a sub if one was available or they would send someone from another building. One night I needed a sub for the night shift so they send me someone from another school. While cleaning He pours acid toilet cleaner all over the bathroom floor on purpose. When I came in the next morning it had reacted with the ammonia in you know what. because he also didn’t mop. It had created a gas that was so strong that we have to close off part of the school to air it out. So I called him. He said, that he didn’t know. So I explained to Him that stuff is for the toilet Only! and that it was a dangerous chemical that should only be used as instructed and we went on our way. Few months later. I need a sub, and they send me the same guy. When I came in the next morning, what did I find? He had poured the acid on the floor again! When I called, and He made excuses to me about why he had used it on the floor. Let just say I was not happy.
But we do this to God. He has given us His Word to help guide us in our life and has given us all the help with need to overcome.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Maybe it’s time to quit making our excuses to God and own up to the problems and just lay them at His feet to let Him take care of them. We make our excuses but sometimes we also don’t want to out in the work either.
Effort
Effort
Look at this man’s effort.
And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
He also says in verse 7, “ I have no man to help me.” apathy or laziness is high in our world today.
I was talking with Ms. Jorene who had taken some water to a homeless lady in the park near her home. In the conversation Ms. Jorene said, “I will pray things get better for you.” When the lady just replied, “Oh, no please don’t worry, I choose this life. I don’t want to work for a living.”
Yet, many many Christians are just the same with God. We know the truth of the children’s church song to, “read your Bible and pray everyday.” Yet they just don’t. no other reason.
“The only way wickedness Prevails is when good men do nothin.”
Jesus is standing before many today, asking, “Do you want real change in your life? Do you want to be free from your burdens, do you want to be free from the chains of Sin? Then come to me all that are burdened and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Yet, they say, nah, or they say, “you mean I have to do something?”
He also that is slothful in his work Is brother to him that is a great waster.
There are some that are just lazy. This man had been here 38 years. You think by now he had just given up? You may say, but you don’t understand how long I’ve dealt with this infirmity. And when it started I prayed and I prayed and I did everything I could to get it taken care of. You just don’t understand how difficult it is to keep going. You’re right I don’t. But God does.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings as eagles; They shall run, and not be weary; And they shall walk, and not faint.
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
I don’t understand but God does. I know that true follower for God. Those who really want things to change in there lives. those that wanted to be healed by Jesus. Those people they don’t quit.
This man had quit.
Just think of the woman with the issues of blood. She did everything She could to get to Jesus. She knew that all she needed was to touch the very edge of His garment and she would be healed. The Bible doesn’t tell us very much about her personality. But I know she wasn’t a quitter. She did everything she could possible do, then she found Jesus.
Have you given up? Have you quit putting in the effort? Do you want things to change?
Experience
Experience
Verse 3 - 4 tells us there was a great multitude of people waiting for the waters to be stirred where is was believed they would be healed. Not much is known about this pool here. But John tells us that when an angel stirred the water the first to step into the pool was healed. I know this about this man. He was looking for a religious experience to happen in his life.
There are many that are fooled into thinking that a “religious” experience is what a person needs to bring the change or healing for your life.
What you need is Jesus. He is standing before the world, yet even thousands of years after His death there are those looking for religion to make everything better. What is obvious here is that this pool wasn’t even to bring the change this man needed. But Jesus was.
Naaman in Elisha day was like this. He too was looking for God to work in a certain way.
And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
When we think that God can only work in these ways but not in others we are limiting the power of God. We are putting God in a box. You don’t need a flash of light in the sky, or a big emotional feeling. You need Jesus. He is standing before you asking. Wilt thou be made whole?
Conclusion
Conclusion
In verse 14 Jesus finds this man in the temple. Imagine this in the account: “Man, are you ready for a changed life of responsibility and accountability?” This man had always excused his sin and his ways, but those excuses are about to be erased. Notice that some time had passed since the healing, and Jesus found this man in the temple. Whether that speaks of the man’s sincere devotion to God or not. This sounds like a warning from Jesus: “Behold, thou are made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” Was he afflicted because of his sinful ways? It appears to be so. It’s as if Jesus tells him, “Don’t forget the amazing act of grace that has come to your life. Awake to righteousness, and sin not. Sin had you paralyzed. Now live a different life.” what if the man would have responded, “Now wait, Jesus. I wanted to be healed from my miserable condition, yes. But I don’t care for you to have control of my life. I already have my own lifestyle.” That response would be absurd.
Yet, Jesus’ words are the same to every believer. I was helpless and bound in my sins and Jesus set me free and like this man at the pool, I received a new life - a whole new life I could have never known without Jesus. Now, I owe Him everything! What if we said to Him I am now free from sin I want to live my own way. It was be like a slap in the face. Yet we do this by the way we live our lives.
Sin is the infirmity of the soul that afflicts every man. Until Jesus eliminates or removes your sin, you can no more come to God than the man could enter the pool. You can’t walk with God; sin has paralyzed your legs and feet. You can’t serve Him; your hand and arms are paralyzed. You can’t see God; your eyes are blinded by sin. You can’t hear spiritual. Every human effort frustrates the problem more and more. When Jesus comes to you, you can only receive the same grace He offered to this man. He alone can make you whole. The law, good works, baptism - none of these can say “rise!” Only Jesus has the authority over your sin.
It takes two things to be free from the paralyzing effects of sin both are made possible by Jesus. Believe and call.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Do you remember a time in your life when you believed and called out to Jesus to save you from your sin?
But hear in the question that Jesus asked this man: Wilt thou be made whole? Do you want things to change in your life?
Even though this man had excuses, even though he had given up, even though he was looking in the wrong place. Jesus still offered him grace. and healed Him. He made a change in this man simply because of grace. He can make a change in yours as well.
As we stand together with our heads bowed and the instrumentalist come. This is the part of the service that allows you to response to the Lord. If He is pulling on your heart this is your time to yield to Him. Do you want things to change? or are going to use the excuses, thing that is takes too much effort, or look for some religious experience before you yield.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Come now, have you decided to follow Jesus? Pray