Trusting the Voice of God
before I jump into the sermon. I just want to make a comment. One of the things that happened to the beginning of every year is that we rotate some deacons on and some deacons off and this coming year are Deacon chairman Gary Garrison who the Deacon chairman is the one who serves me Lord's Supper every time he is rotating off. And so I just want to say thank you and Gary for your work and your service is the chairman of the deacons for this year's.
This morning we are going to be looking at. The next part of the Gospel of John we've been going through this as we've noted hit John actually says that the purpose of him writing this gospel is so that we may believe that Jesus is exactly who he says he is and this morning we're going to look at two examples that are very similar to each other. They come one right after the other that are designed to point us toward some amazing realities about Jesus. And so if you have a copy of the scriptures with you, I encourage you to open a John for we're going to be in verse 43 through chapter 5 verse 17 need one. There is a Pew Bible in front of you most likely within Arm's Reach and also we will have the text on the screen so that you can see with your own eyes want the word has to say plenty read it for its first and then I will pray and then we will talk through this. John chapter 4 verse 43 is where I will begin. After two days, he departed for Galilee for Jesus himself that testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown. 20 came to Galilee the galileans welcome to him having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at The Feast for They too had gone to the feast so we came again to Canine in Galilee, which is where he had made water wine. Anna capernium there was an official whose son was ill when is man heard that Jesus said come from Judea to Galilee. He went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son free was at the point of death. Jesus said to him unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe official said to him sir. Come down before my child dies. Jesus said to him go your son will live. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was coming down as servants met him and told them his son was recovering. So they asked him he asked them the hour when he began to get better and they said to him yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him the father knew that with the hour when Jesus had said to him your son will live and he himself believed and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee after this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem now, they're in Jerusalem by the Sheep skate a pool in Aramaic called that say it Beth Bethesda, which has five rude Colonnades. In these light a multitude of invalids blind lame and paralyzed. One man there who had been an invalid for 38 years when Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he'd already been there a long time. He said to him. Do you want to be healed? The sick man answered him sir. I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up and while I'm going another steps down before me. Jesus said to him get up take your bed and walk. And it wants the man was healed and he took up his bed and walked now that day was the Sabbath so that you said that the man had been healed. It's the Sabbath is not lawful for you to take up your bed, but he answered them the man who killed me that man said to me take up your bed and walk they asked him. Who is this man that said to you take up your bed and walk now the man who had been healed did not know who it was for Jesus had withdrawn as there was a crowd in the place afterwards Jesus found him in the temple and said to him see you are well send no more that nothing worse may happen to you. the man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him and this is why the Jews were persecuting Jesus because he was doing these things on a Sabbath but Jesus answered that my father is working until now and I am working to take a moment and pray.
Lord Jesus we thank you is we come together this morning? But you are a God who heals? But Lord, I also thank you that. It is not just the miraculous signs that need to be seen.
But that when you speak your word brings about change Lord help us as we go through this this morning to appreciate your word and to trust it pray this in your holy name. Amen.
killing Healing is something that most of us. Would love to receive at particular points in our life. There are times when we can even just have something fairly minor Maybe. Hangnail or cough? We just wish it would go away cuz of the annoyance of and other times it could be something major. cancer
maybe it's a relational healing that we feel like we need there's broken this within our family within our friendships.
As we come to this passage, we see Jesus roll. As healer, but it comes in a way that maybe we don't always expect.
I'm so I want us to look at this this morning through the mindset of when we come to Christ when we need something from him. How do we come and what do we expect?
We're not going to be going through it verse by verse like we might normally because he's two stories running parallel to each other. So I want to show you the similarities between them and then some uniquenesses in there as well. The first thing I want us to see
Is it Miracles are not the thing to look for but rather having faith in the word of Christ? We see the same in both stories in verse 51 Cent In the first story. Jesus says the man who is coming to look for healing for his son go your son will live. In the mantle leave the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
he came looking for a miracle, but what he needed was not to see the miracle right then what he needed to do was hear the word of Christ go your son will live and believe that
it shows up again in verse 8 of the second story that person who needs to be healed who's waiting by the spool. I should tell you something about this pool. So you understand the story a little better the folks. We're laying around this pool. There was a
Urban legend, but it must have been true to some degree. So it's it's unclear just how miraculous this pool tended to be. But every once in awhile, though, the waters would get stirred up at this pool and word had it that the first person who was needing to be healed who got into the pool would get their healing. What's up, when Jesus talks to him? And he says I have no one to put me into the pool. And when I try to get there on my own somebody else steps in first, that's that's what he's getting and he never gets his Blessing because he doesn't have the help he needs or the ability on his own to get it.
And Jesus does not take him down to the water Stir It Up and tossing it.
He just says get up.
An invalid for 38 years get up. Take up your bed and walk. An amazing thing there is that the miracle she needed was not to get into the pool. The miracle he needed was to believe that Christ could really say something and it would happen. He needed to believe in the word of Christ.
So often people look to the miracle as the be-all end-all and if this happens throughout scripture, but it happens today two people want the sign more than they want the Jesus who performs the sign. Jesus knew it when the first guy came to him. In verse 48, he says not not just to him because the you here is actually a plural you he's speaking to the guy and all the people around him unless you see signs and wonders y'all won't believe.
What's he getting at? Everybody gather around this guy knew Jesus was there if there was any hesitancy to come up and ask Jesus all the people around him were probably like go ask him go ask him if it'll do it'll be really cool. Get to see another miracle from him. Jesus knows this you're not here because of me and you're here because we want to see what I can do.
This is a valid question for all of us to answer as people who confess Christ Are we more interested in what Jesus can do for us to make our lives easier? Or more interested in him. That's the call. The call is a call to Christ. John Wright's this gospel so that we believe in Christ not so that will think wow. I wonder if I can get another cool Miracle happen. Cuz that's altimate lie not what it's about. The people wanted to see Miracles because they had seen them. It scene. What are you done in Jerusalem at the feast they had all gone down there. They're back home. He comes back. They all want to see it again Encore performance, please Jesus.
But I also find it interesting that they are faithless Wonder does not prevent Jesus from doing a miracle. He does not look at their facelessness and go because what you really want is a sign not me. I'm not going to give the sign instead. He says even though your faith list, I will be faithful to do what God called me to do and heels. Oh that we could be faithful. Even when others around us are faithless.
And so he brings the miraculous healing this needed. now in the first story the guy has to go back home again. He came a long distance to see Jesus. It took him more than a day to get back home. Again. We know this because it says he he wanted Jesus to come down sometime before his child dies. Eddie's going down and he finds out yesterday the healing happened. So he he went he walked home. Trusting what Jesus said was true had to fall asleep that night not knowing his son was healed. But if that man slept a wink that night it's because he believed the word of Jesus wakes up the next morning finally his servants that are coming the other way like when those math problems train leaves here train leaves here. Where do they meet face is somewhere on the way home they meet And he says when did it happen? How's 7th hour yesterday? Immediately she knows it didn't even take a second for that information that I didn't know to travel between Jesus and my son he spoke it and it happened more than a Day's Journey away. It's happened instantly.
This produces at a salinity to State. He had to have some Faith right keep believe the word of God and went away go your son will live. He had to believe enough to say, okay. I'm going home. I'll take you at your word. But all when he found out the details behind what got it done that short everything up for not only him but his whole household. Will you can imagine the sun when he gets home and sees his dad and he's feeling better and like to have them doing good and doing good. Yeah, you know what happened? I talked to this guy and he said you were going to be well in the very same moment. Please set it your fever broke. I wish I could take you back up there right now and erudition to him because this is amazing what he's been able to do his whole family believes in Christ through the miracle.
Which leads me to my second point in this text the right response to God's word is to believe it. Inverse 50 he believes and he goes and inverse 9 the man takes up his bed and walks. Belief is not just a mental understanding. Christianity when we say we believe in Jesus and who he is and what he's done for us, we're not just saying mentally I understand some stuff. We're saying I so understand it and know that it is true that it affects the way I live. And so the belief of the man whose son was sick causes him to be able to turn around and go home, even though he hasn't seen that his son is healed. He believes Jesus word. For the man who was an invalid for 38 years.
It caused him to be willing. to stand imagine trying that some of you young people won't understand this older older folks in the congregation. You'll get this one as you get older. You reach a point where when you go to stand up you feel it. Sometimes you hear it. Sometimes it's a company with a little
That's just when you've been sitting down for 10 minutes. Imagine you haven't been able to walk for 38 years.
And some guy comes along and says to you get up. The faith it takes to test those 38-year atrophied legs and say, okay. I've never done this in 38 years, but I'll give it a shot. Undefined I should start up. the closing and I can hold the bed and stand. and I can
the feeling I must have going on in his head when he trust in the Lord enough to try and saw the blessing happened to his own body. I imagined would be overwhelming is not surprising to me at all that Jesus could disappear into the crowd and the guy didn't exactly keep track of where he was at the time because he was probably so thoroughly amazed with the fact I can stand up carry something and walk. But he was just lost for a moment and Jesus gets away.
I know it's what happened. He believes what happened to him was a good thing.
That one a couple their comments particularly about this second gentleman here who have been an invalid for 38 years. The goal was to be the first one in the pool get your healing. He probably been there for quite some time. I'll show you in a minute why I think it is that he was older than 38 years old think something happened to him to get him into the situation. He was in. But he's been sitting there. A long time since Jesus knew he had been there a long time.
Did you ever want the Lord to move? And you don't see him move in the time frame you were looking at. Are Jesus I want you to do something. Could you do it by next week?
What do you do to a Jesus who doesn't show up for 38 years?
What do you do in your life when you're praying Lord save my brother my father my friend Lord Heal and you don't see it happen and you're waiting and continuing to pray and continuing. Hope for the healing to come the thing. You have to understand about Jesus is he was not late. Jesus came exactly when she needed to and it needed all 38 years for this guy. For Christ's timing to be perfect in his life. Don't doubt the Lord's timing even when it seems slower than you think it should be.
Because when it's time for him to move he moves in amazing ways.
He also was right on time for the boy who needed to be healed. It didn't need to go all the way down there. He didn't need another day to pull things together. You need to stop by Walmart and pick up a prescription.
He healed them exactly when he needed to be healed the seventh hour of that particular day was exactly the right time for it to happen.
God is very good in his timing. There's another question that comes up here in the example of the person who was paralyzed. And that is the Jesus does not start by walking up to him out of all the people that wear their walking up to him and saying can I heal you? Note the question Jesus asks. First sex when Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time. He said to him. Do you want to be healed?
It was clear the man did cuz his response is I want to get in the pool where the healing happens and I can't and somebody always beats me to it. And that's why I'm stuck here all this time. He wants to be healed.
I do not want to call any of you out specifically. So if it's hit you particularly hard, it's not intentional on my part, but it is on the holy spirit's part are there areas in your life right now that you know you need healing in but at the same time, you're like just not quite yet that habit that addiction that hurt that you hold onto that messes up so much stuff over and over, you know, it needs to go.
Let me hold on to it. Just a little longer.
Jesus starts with a question. Do you want to be healed because the man needs to know that there's a connection between the desire for Christ to move in your life. And seeing God transform your life.
So he does want to be healed.
Is another question we could ask ourselves is why?
Why do we want the ceiling is it just for us? Is it for others? What's the heart motivation behind it? Christ new in both these situations where they were at. A new that although their reasons may not have been perfect. He was ready and willing to heal. I said I want to talk about why the one man was there for more than 38 years. I believe it says in verse 5 one man was there who had been an invalid for 38 years? but if you jump all the way down to verse 14 when he finds him later in the temple, Jesus talks to him and says senior well sin no more that nothing worse may happen to you.
I think what Jesus is saying here is there was sending your life that caused you to become an invalid in the first place for 38 years. That's been dealt with don't go back to that again. Don't be in that sin that got you in trouble in the first place that you don't end up worse off than 38 years of paralyzed body. Worse than 38 years of being paralyzed. Yes. There is something worse. And Jesus knows it and you and I brothers and sisters who are Christians we know there's something worse than just a physical body. That doesn't work. Right a separation from God a lack of a relationship with him for eternity. Is much worse much worse and so he wants him to understand now. You've been made whole you've had an encounter with me.
Stay there. Don't go back to what you had before it didn't work before and it won't work again. Do you hear me? Whatever it was that had you trapped before you came to Christ. It's still a struggle in your life right now. It didn't work before and it won't work again. Christ saved you from it. You don't need to go back to and you have something better now. The cause of the Christian life is not just a call to make sure you do this and don't do that and follow this list the rules and don't break any of these over here. It is about A Life That's So transforming you don't even want the stupid things you used to want before cuz you beheld something so much more Glory. She want to stay there.
What do we do when we're in that place when we seen God's goodness move. So powerfully in our lives. I think we can get an example from both of these people as to how they responded when we have seen the work of Christ in our lives. We will tell others regardless of the outcome.
Could be you tell somebody about about what Christ has done in your life and they're like, whatever. I think there's another explanation in Jesus for it or they could be like that is really amazing. I want to know more and the fact that they might not accept what you tell them has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you should tell them the motivation for telling people is not because We expect a positive result from them. The motivation is God has done so much for me. I cannot keep silent if I had to. Look at the two responses one is positive one is negative here. The positive one is the first example. He goes home. He's heading home he finds out his son is healed. He rides home at his house his whole household believes. Well, that's that's the great evangelism. Right? You meet somebody they encounter Christ. They have a life-changing moment with him. They believe his were they trust him fully they go home and tell their family and their whole family believes can't get much better than that. But look at the second guy. He gets healed and he happens to get healed on the Sabbath the day of rest the day where you're not supposed to carry stuff around. And instead of being thrilled that a guy who wasn't walking is walking. They say to him you can't carry that around that's not lawful today.
Now I love his response because it's so perfect. It's not.
I've chosen to reject that. It's the guy who healed me told me to. And so this tradition that you have that I'm not allowed to carry more in the certain pound worth of way at a certain distance or else it's considered work on the Sabbath means less to me than the guy who healed me saying get up and walk and take your bed with you. When Christ speaks to us and I should clarify something here. How does Christ speak to us? Nowadays? Is it an audible voice of Jesus standing in front of us? No, not usually this word. It's the Bible when we read it and it tells us amazing things about what should go on our life and people around us a well. You need to do it this way and you need to do it that way and all this other stuff. We want to listen to wise counsel when it's around us. But at the same time we cannot neglect the word of God for the opinions of people.
So he gets a negative response. You shouldn't be up walking around carrying your bed. And he says that he told me to. And then when he finds Jesus, he goes around telling people it was Jesus who killed him and then the persecution starts on Jesus because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. There are times when the blessing of Christ in our lives does not necessarily make things easier. It's this it's this weird concept. We have sometimes in our head that if we believe in Jesus everything goes smoothly from then on out those of us who've been Christians while we can tell you. Otherwise, we know that sometimes when you become a Christian, it makes things harder and that's okay because the blessing of Christ is greater than any hardship. We endure for the sake of Christ.
Even Jesus who heals him gets persecution for healing him. Jesus answers that my father is working until now and I am working. His answer is God never stops to rest on a Sabbath and the Son of God doesn't need to stop and rest on the Sabbath either. I will see you in the verses that follow when we get into it this gets Jesus into a good bit of trouble. But he's right.
He doesn't have to take a rest on the Sabbath because in the same way that God the father is sustaining his people all the time the sun through whom all things were created is constantly sustaining it all the time. He doesn't need to take a day off as a matter of fact if Christ stopped working for a day, we'd all not be here anymore. And so he maintains his work because that's what the Son of God. Praise God. He's willing to work every single day on behalf of his people. So, where do we go with this? Where do you take two stories like this that are about miraculous healings and apply them to your own life was I said before one of the key things to realize it wasn't the miracle itself. That was the focus. The miracle was just the vehicle through which faith in Jesus as the Christ is highlighted here. So if you walk away with one thing walk away with the understanding that you can look to Christ in faith for everything if he can do the miraculous, he can do the mundane and everything in between. secondly the new year
many of us make New Year's resolutions for those of us in the church. We often tend to say things like yeah. I'm going to get a Bible reading plan on going to read the Bible everyday this year and then oh, well, welcome to the half of you that I've already stopped, right?
The commitment to reading the word of God regularly to listening to the voice of God in scripture. The motivation behind that is not a resolution that I have to do this the motivation that will keep you in the word of God on a regular basis is a strong desire to know and hear from God. And have at your fingertips the promises of God when you see them put on display in your life. If you just do it as a chore you burn out quick. But if you engage the word of God because you know, that is where killing is found. That is where life is found. That is where all the yes and amen of the promises of God are found. You will find that there is no other book you're anxious to get into
New to Bible reading you may want to start with the Gospel of John since we've already been going through and you can remind yourself as of the things that you work ahead and maybe I'll even surpass where we're at in the sermon series and you can be excited about what's coming on a given Sunday cuz your leg read that I'm looking forward to it. Wherever you start and wherever you begin look for Christ and what you're reading. I want to stay take a few moments to be able to pray. If you are visiting with us this may seem a bit different to have just a silent time for a little bit. But here's what I want us to do. I want to take a moment and pray that the word of Christ as the old hymn says would dwell richly in US.
What I mean by that is that God's word would be the thing we treasure in our hearts. Not just individually. Don't just pray for yourself. Look pretty as a church that we would be marked by a love of hearing God speak in his word and living our lives in response to that. Is there something going on in your life that you particularly want pastoral prayer 4th will be up front here for a few moments. We can pray with you. If it's something that you want to sit down and really spend some time praying about with us. We love to do that to the holiday schedule is over or offices her much more open than they were the last couple weeks. So feel free to call and scan and schedule a time to come in and just sit down and talk and pray would love to do that as well in a little bit when we're done. I will close this in prayer and will continue from there. Let's take a moment before the Lord.