Would you like to get well?

A mother called her son on Sunday morning to make sure he got out of bed and was ready for church.

“I’m not going,” he replied.

“Yes, you are going, so get out of that bed!” his mother demanded.

“Give me one good reason why I should go,” said her son.

“I’ll give you three good reasons.

One, I’m your mother, and I say you’re going.

Two, you’re forty years old, so you’re old enough to know better.

And three, you’re the pastor, so you need to be there.”

I know that some Sunday’s it’s actually hard to get to church. For whatever reason. Tired. Sick. Or just Sick and Tired. But I am so glad you came here today.

No matter what is happening in our lives right now there is one thing we all have in common.

Jesus is Worthy. Jesus is the Lord. Jesus is Awesome. Jesus is Great.

He is the WORTHY Lamb. We look forward to eternity when we get to join that eternal praise crying out HOLY, Holy, HOLY. Worthy, Worthy, Worthy.

Jesus is the King of Kings. He is so Worthy.

Today, I encourage you to take the focus off the “issues” of life and focus on Jesus. When you do I can tell you that your breakthrough is on the way.

We have been in a sermon series called “Hold Nothing Back”. I hope maybe you’ve been encouraged to hold nothing back in more areas of your life. Really, holding nothing back is what it’s going to take if we are going to live a purposeful life committed to the kingdom of God.

God is still working in this world. He’s not done with us and He’s not done with those who are still lost. He desires that no one would perish, but that everyone would come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

God is STILL doing GREAT things and we get to be part of what He is doing.

We might not feel like it sometimes, but inside of us is everything we need to overcome every attack of the enemy. Inside of us is the authority we need to not only live as overcomers, but the authority to change this ever darkening world.

Inside us, who believe in Christ, is the Holy Spirit who gives Power.

We get to let other people know who Jesus is, what He’s done in us, and that He is still doing great things!

To build faith that causes us to hold nothing back, we are going to focus on a story told by John recorded in chapter 5 of his good news.

We are going look at what happened when Jesus encountered a man who was in need of physical healing.

I really like the gospel of John. He wrote from a different perspective than the other gospel writers. He wasn’t writing just to record history, he was writing with a purpose to prove Jesus really was the Saviour and that if people believe on Him the would be saved.

Look at what he wrote in chapter 20

John 20:30–31 (NLT)

30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book.

31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

John didn’t write just to record history. He wanted his readers to KNOW that by believing in Jesus they could be saved!

John wrote what is probably the most famous verse in the bible.

John 3:16 (NLT)

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

This is the good news of who Jesus is and what He did for all of us. To John this is the most important truth he would have written about, and it’s from this perspective we must read his gospel.

And really, if we want to hold nothing back in our faith, we need to have the same perspective.

The heart and truth of the gospel is that God loves us.

It’s so important to know that God is not “up there somewhere” looking to cast judgement. Some people never walk in their full potential because they don’t understand how God sees them. They don’t understand His GREAT LOVE.

Jesus demonstrates this compassion and love that leads to healing in John 5.

When we read this story I want, above all else, for you to see the love of Christ. Jesus is on display for us to marvel. This same Lord that had compassion is the same Lord that has compassion for you today.

When you hear what Jesus said that day, you might just hear Him saying that same thing to you today. He longs to take you from where you are to a place of wholeness. Healed. Free. Walking out of where the enemy has kept you.

As we go through this passage today, we have the opportunity to see Jesus in action. This is a window into who He was when he walked on this earth and who He is now calling us to believe in Him.

John 5 tells us of a place where there were five porches and in the middle of this area there were two pools. It was known as the pools of Bethesda.

Here are a couple artist rendering of what it would have looked like.

Here is a picture of the ruins that remain of the pools.

This place was constructed as a bathing pools for people living in the city. Over time it became a place associated with superstition. People believed that at certain times and angel would descend to the pool, stir up the waters, and the first person to get in would be healed.

During this time in history there were many people who needed physical healing. People would come from all around to lay near the pools hoping for a miracle.

One day Jesus was walking through the city and came to the pools at Bethesda. He encountered a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. Jesus simply asked the man if he wanted to be healed.

The man told Jesus that he did, but that he had no hope of getting into the water first after the angel touched it because other people could move more quickly. Jesus listened to the man and then calmly told him to pick up his bed and walk. The man did what Jesus said and walked out of there.

What a great story! It was a miracle. Everyone there at the pools knew this man had been sick for 38 years. This man had no hope. Jesus, in an instant, changed the situation. Jesus was hope fulfilled.

Jesus can CHANGE your situation! What he did for that man. He can do for you.

Jesus was very popular! He was a healer! He was doing things that had been prophesied about the Messiah. It was pretty exciting for most people.

Everyone except the religious leaders were excited about Jesus. In the same chapter we can read that those leaders were upset with Jesus for healing on the Sabbath.

They didn’t care about the man who was healed. They were actually plotting to find a way to stop Jesus.

As we study this scripture we need to find ourselves in the story…Are we the followers learning a lesson from their teacher, one of the sick people in desperate need, or are we part of the religious leaders who don’t understand Jesus? Maybe we are all three!

In whatever position you find yourself today I believe that God wants to speak to your heart.

One thing that all three groups had in common was that they were in NEED.

I am CONVINCED that God can help those who are in need.

The truth is that...

We all Need Jesus

God knows that we are in need. Instead of turning on us in our need He turns to us with grace and mercy.

Grace is undeserved favor or love from God. We can’t earn it…He gives it to us as a gift. None of us are perfect, in fact, if we were honest, we would admit that we have all done many things that we aren’t proud of in our lives. Actually, we all deserve judgement.

Mercy is when we when we don’t get the punishment we deserve.

There was once a tired farmer who decided to take a break under a walnut tree. As he was sitting there he looked down at the pumpkin vines and said to himself, “How strange it is that God puts such big heavy pumpkins on a frail vine that has so little strength it has to trail on the ground!”

And then looking up into the cool branches of the tree above him, he thought, “How strange it is that God puts small walnuts on such a big tree with branches so strong they could hold a man!”

He said, “If I were God I would have done things differently!”

Just then a breeze caused a walnut to drop from the tree. That walnut hit the farmer right on his head. As he was rubbing his head he said, “Thank you God that wasn’t a pumpkin up there instead of a walnut!”

I think we should be thankful that God does things differently than we do! So many times we like to cast judgement instead of grace or mercy. When someone does something wrong to us, we want them to pay!

But God is different, He values people. People who have done nothing to earn His love.

John’s story reveals the fact that as people we are in need, and that He meets our need with grace, mercy, and love.

John 5:2 NLT

2 Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches.

Bethesda means “house of grace” and this is what it became for this one man.

Jesus saw all those sick people waiting for a miracle. He was moved with compassion and He singled out a man to heal that day.

John 5:3–5 NLT

3 Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. 5 One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years.

This man was no more deserving than the others, but Jesus chose him.

This is a beautiful picture of salvation, and how it ought to humble us to know that we are chosen - not because of what we have done or what we bring to the table - but because of His great grace.

Ephesians 1:4 NLT

4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

Now, we might be tempted to feel bad for the other people there that weren’t healed. Well, we don’t actually know they weren’t healed.

Remember from John 20:30 that he is giving us examples of just some of the things Christ did.

But even if Jesus only healed that one man, we find a quick lesson about how we approach God with our needs, we shouldn’t question God’s plan or grace in action.

Remember walnuts are better than pumpkins. God has a plan. He knows better than we do...

Romans 9:14–16 NLT

14 Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! 15 For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” 16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.

When we look at this situation we are reminded of how we come to Christ. We are all in need. Even after we give our lives to Him as Lord we still need daily help to make it through this life.

The great news is that Jesus was showing to all those who are need, physically and spiritually, that He alone has the power and authority to heal.

“Holding nothing back” means we recognize that we are in need. God, through Jesus, meets our needs. We need to believe in Christ as our hope for salvation and our hope to walk in victory in this life.

What He has given to us is a gift that we must accept.

We can only accept if we recognize we are in need.

Ephesians 2:8 NLT

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

When we recognize that we need God the good news is that...

Jesus is Ready and Willing

John 5:6–8 NLT

6 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” 7 “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” 8 Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

Is it kind of funny that Jesus asked this man if he wanted to be healed?

Who wouldn’t want healing! This guy had been sick for 38 years and he was still putting his faith in a superstition that he knew very well that he could never receive because no one would help him get in the water ASSUMING the superstition was true.

This man WANTED to be healed. Why else would he be at the pool day after day, disappointment after disappointment? He absolutely wanted to be healed.

Why would Jesus ask such a seemingly silly question? I think it’s because He hasn’t STOPPED asking that question.

It sure seems to me that people reject Jesus all the time. Even though God is ready and willing to heal broken hearts, minds, and souls people turn to all sorts of things (superstitions) instead of turning to the one who can really help.

Jesus is willing to change every life that is willing to receive Him. The problem is that some people don’t want Him.

They will look to every other source.

Think about this situation again, Jesus - the Son of God - was standing in front of this sick man asking if he wanted to be healed and listen to the response of the man...

John 5:7 NLT

7 “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

I have no one to put me into the pool…He was still looking at the physical problem not realizing the the Healer of the world was standing right in front of him!

This man is guilty of the same thing that we can find ourselves doing, he was confusing the physical with the spiritual. Jesus came to offer him physical healing from a spiritual source, but this man still has his eye on the what he could accomplish.

Jesus comes to us offering healing. Jesus offers us a position in HIS family. He says that if we believe in Him that we can do GREAT things.

We can be guilty of looking that the “reality” or physical. We say things like - I’m not smart enough, I am not good enough, God couldn’t love me, I have been too wicked, It won’t work for me...

The problem is that too many times people are looking for a physical solution to a spiritual problem.

And the truth is…there are some things that no one can do for themselves!

It takes the power of God, the conviction of the Spirit and the blood of Jesus for spiritual healing. Salvation. Freedom from our sin, past, and shortcomings.

You need to know that He is ready and willing to help you today!

We are all sick and in need of healing, Jesus is willing to heal us, we just need to trust that He is able. We must stop looking around for something else we can do in our own strength or power.

This applies to all areas of our lives. Salvation - yes - eternity is sealed. But we are still alive right now and the enemy is coming at us with all he’s got - Jesus has got us covered. We don’t rely on our own strength.

Romans 8:37 NLT

37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

We repent of things that are not of God and those chains of bondage the enemy has wrapped around our feet are broken. Don’t stay where Jesus found you. Stand up! Be free.

Don’t leave this place the same.

Christ is the only way to be set free.

We find ourselves in the position this man finds himself. In need.

If we are honest, with ourselves and with God, we’d admit that things aren’t perfect. That WE aren’t perfect.

I’m so thankful that Jesus is here. He is asking each person in the room and watching online the same question. “Would you like to get well?”

If we are all in need and God is ready and willing to meet our needs then we need to know how to receive from Him.

Here’s how we receive from Jesus today.

Child like faith and obedience

There was a little girl named Cindy. She and her mother spent a fun day shopping at a mall.

All day long, Cindy and her mother held hands and enjoyed being together. Cindy knew she was in good hands, so she never questioned her mother’s leading as they shopped.

When they were all done shopping they walked out of the mall to the parking lot to their car.

Cindy stopped and stared at the sea of cars, cars of every type and color as far as the eye could see. “Mommy, what will we do? How will we ever find our car?”

The mother replied, “Cindy, you trusted me to take care of you this far. Don’t you believe I can get you safely home?”

Cindy thought for a moment, then said with a peaceful smile, “I don’t understand how, but I believe you, Mommy.”

Faith and Obedience will always be involved if we are going to receive anything from God. Salvation, healing, freedom, or anything else. These are things that must be part of a believers life.

John 5:6–9 (NLT)

6 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

7 “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

8 Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

9 Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking!

Jesus tells the man to get up and walk.

Jesus just told this man to do something that he hasn’t been able to do in 38 years, if ever. To me, this is a pretty incredible command! Don’t just hear the words…think about how crazy this would be if it happened in front of your eyes. We have to put ourselves there if we are to understand who Jesus is and what He can do...

It was incredible, BUT it was simple.

All that was required on the part of this man was simple child like faith and obedience to the call of Jesus.

It’s so simple that we have a tendency to want to make it more complicated. Christ is calling you today and I’m convinced you are trying to make it harder than it needs to be.

When He calls us to a new place of faith everything comes to mind doesn’t it? We start to bargain. God, if you, then I statements start to happen...

Or we say, I’ll come to you if this or that happens.

What would people think if I...?

Or what if I trust God and then nothing happens?

That little girl in the parking lot had questions too. She had no idea of where that car was or how to even get home. She could have freaked out and made things a whole bunch more complicated. BUT instead she placed her hand in her mothers and TRUSTED.

We might not understand some things, but that doesn’t mean we can’t trust God.

When God speaks to our heart we need to stand up and start walking, our only necessary response to Christ is faith!

Jesus comes to men who have lived their entire lives in the grip of sin.

He passes by and says, “Get out of the gutter and follow me!” People refuse because it sounds too simple.

And guess what? It is!

Jesus doesn’t require perfection; He requires faith in Him!

I suppose that is why it is so easy for little children to be saved. They are used to depending on others for what they need. Mama and daddy take care of everything, so it is easy for them to trust Jesus and be saved!

We big smart and powerful adults are different. We are conditioned to make our own way in the world. We are taught to stand on our own two feet.

You know what I think? We need to be a little more childish.

Mark 10:15 NLT

15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

When this man responded to Jesus’ command by faith, he was immediately healed and he was able to get up and walk. This miracle required no input from the crippled man, all he had to do was get up and walk at the command of Christ.

This miracle only happened because there was a need, Jesus was willing, and the man responded in faith with obedience.

At the beginning of this message I told you that God is STILL doing GREAT things and we get to be part of what He is doing.

We might not feel like it sometimes, but when we accept Christ we have everything we need to overcome every attack of the enemy. Inside of us is the authority we need to not only live as overcomers, but the authority to change this ever darkening world.

My question is this…Jesus is standing in front of you today and is asking you if you want to be well.

What do you need from Him today? f

It may be physical. It might be spiritual.

Life is full of opportunities. There are two things that happen with EVERY opportunity. We can take advantage of them or let them pass.

38 years that man laid there waiting for an opportunity. God in His grace showed up that day and offered him healing. He had a choice to receive or to let it pass.

I love what happened. Jesus said “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

Then the man simply did just that! He saw the opportunity and he took it! He rolled up with mat and walked right out of there!

He didn’t even question the opportunity. He took it and was healed.

Are you walking out of here healed today?

I don’t know your story. But I know the one who can change it forever. You might need to trust Jesus as your Lord for the first time today. Great, confess Him as Lord, believe, and be saved. You might need to be set free from a sin that has plagued you. The enemy is defeated, claim the victory today! You may need healing in your body. Jesus healed that man, and He can heal you too.