Going to the next level II
Review last week. Going to the next level.
John 5:2-9
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.(*are we waiting for the moving of the spirit today?) 4 For an angel went down at a certain season (Times of revival) 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. 5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 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? 7 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. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
· Are we waiting for the moving of the spirit? Are we looking only for the seasons of revival?
· Do you want to get well? What a silly question. Or is it?
· Do you want? Wilt thou
2309 thelo or ethelo in certain tenses; to will, to have in mind, to intend
a) to be resolved or determined, to purpose
b) to desire, to wish
c) to love, to like to do a thing, to be fond of doing
d) to take delight in, to have pleasure
· Was Jesus asking? „Why haven’t you done anything till now?“ Think about it. Let’s assume he was there for 30 years. Some of the people on the front were healed. There were five porches surrounding the pool. Why didn’t he crawl to the edge of the water and wait? I mean you can crawl pretty far in 30 years. Zb.. 3cm a day x 365 days a year = almost 11meters a year. x 30 years = almost 330 meters.
· Has our infirmity become our life? Has it become all we talk about? Has it become our way of getting what we want? Has it become our excuse not to do or become what we are supposed to be? Is our excuse why we do not have to try like others?
· His excuse:
· I have no Man to help me! (I have no money, I have no connections, I have no education, I have no…) ..
· While I am trying…someone else…
· Jerry you have such wonderful testimonies because you know people in America. I started out in poverty, financial, soulish, spiritually.
Rom 4:13-24
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
· Faith operates when there is no reason to Hope. You see as long as there is a possibility to do it another way, we don’t need hope or faith. But when there was no longer any reason to Hope that it would work and you keep on hoping and believing, that pleases God.
· He considered not his own body, now dead,..his own ability, knowledge….What ever you can do will always cause an Ishmael. God will bless it, but it will be your curse. God will bless your stupidity because he said that he would bless you.
· Neither the deadness of Sarah’s womb. The ability of others around me. Just like the man at the pool waiting to be healed. I have no man… If you are looking to people to be your source, God will not open this door.
· God will let those things that we are trusting in die (in usefulness) until we learn to trust in him. We have the opportunity everyday to give up our trust in other things and trust God.
· Are we trying to help God?
Abraham believed God! being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Then what is my part? What is my responsibility? We must learn to respond to his ability.
God has the ability, we respond.
· Rise, take up thy bed, and walk John 5:8
· Rise : Get up, wake up, get out, get a life,…to arouse, to cause to rise, to arouse from sleep, to awake, to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life, to cause to rise from a seat or bed etc., to cause to appear, to bring before the public
· Take up: airo (ah'-ee-ro);a primary root; to lift up; by implication, to take up or away; figuratively, to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind), specially, to sail away (i.e. weigh anchor); by Hebraism [compare 5375] to expiate sin: KJV-- away with, bear (up), carry, lift up, loose, make to doubt, put away, remove, take (away, up).
· Walk: 4043 peripateo-to walk:
a) to make one's way, progress; to make due use of opportunities
b) Hebrew for, to live
1) to regulate one's life
2) to conduct oneself
3) to pass one's life