Are You Ready to Get Fit?

Introduction (5m)

New Year, New You?

Adverts: Toys, food, Coca Cola > Boxing Day Sales, holidays, WW, SW, gym. Veganuary. Dry January.

Risk of jumping on bandwagon - new series: Leading a Healthy Lifestyle

Why do we need to look at our lifestyles?

The example of Mark Driscoll

Very famous American pastor. So well regarded amongst evangelical churches, council member of the Gospel Coalition. Regularly invited to speak at Christian conferences around the world, including UK. But in 2014, resigned as pastor of Mars Hill Church, Seattle. A large number of present and former church leaders have lodged complaints: Creating a climate of fear. Verbally abusive language. Lack of self-control. Arrogant, domineering attitude.

Such an important example of Christian leadership gone wrong that 7 years later, magazine, Christianity Today, began a podcast series, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, looking at the problems and trying to learn lessons from it.

Why am I telling you this story?

Because if we’re not careful, many of us could fall into same pattern. MD like Marmite. Easy to dismiss his problems as a one- off. Sad truth: not much difference in emotional/relational maturity between Christians and rest of the world.

Do any of these remind you of anyone you know?

NB: Not a dig - adapted these from the book Emotionally Health Church, Pete Scazzero.

1. An officer who never says, I was wrong or Sorry? 2. A local officer who constantly criticises others? 3. The high-control volunteer who cannot accept other points of view? 4. The husband busy serving in the corps, unaware of his wife’s loneliness at home? 5. The musician who interprets any suggestion as a personal attack and personal rejection? 6. The local officer struggling with feelings of bitterness and resentment towards the officer but afraid to say anything? 7. The exemplary soldier or adherent who tirelessly volunteers in four different ministries in the corps but rarely takes personal time to take care of themselves? 8. The member of the congregation who is never transparent about their struggles or difficulties?

I can see some of myself in some of those:

Many [Christians] are supposedly “spiritually mature,” but remain infants, children, or teenagers emotionally. They demonstrate little ability to process anger, sadness, or hurt. They whine, complain, distance themselves, blame, and use sarcasm - like little children when they don’t get their way. Highly defensive to criticism or differences of opinion, they expect to be taken care of and often treat people as objects to meet their needs. (Pete Scazzero)

Why is that the case?

Received training

In: Worship, Prayer, Bible Study, Even how to talk to someone about Jesus.

But the church does not often train Christians:

How to look beneath the surface in their lives. How to break the power of how their past influences the present. How to live in brokenness and vulnerability. How to know your limits. How to embrace grief and loss. How to make Jesus their model for loving well. How to slow down in order to lead with integrity.

That’s what we’re going to be exploring through this series

How to keep both emotionally and spiritually fit. But through passage, God has a question to ask you first:

Explanation (5m)

Jesus is confronted by a pathetic sight

John 5:3 NLT

Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches.

‘A great number of disabled people’

Not just a few, but hundreds. All sick. Many with undiagnosed illnesses. Some so feverish they had to stay in the shade to avoid the heat of the sun. The blind - those born blind, those who had become blind. The withered. The lame:

What a pitiful crowd of broken humanity! It does not take much imagination to see those withered, wasted bodies, to smell the stench, to see the filth, and to sense the pathos of the old and young among that impotent, suffering humanity. (Pastor Kent Hughes)

Do You Want to Get Well? What a Question!

Jesus comes to the man in our story and asks him, ‘Do you want to get well’? What a question! Jesus asks man, who has been ill for 38 years, if he wants to get well. Some must have thought the sun had got to Jesus! There are some questions you don’t ask!

Never ask a football manager if he’s going to win the next match, even if it’s against Norwich City! He’ll say there are never any easy games in football, it’s a game of two halves, the opponents are better than their record, etc.

‘Are you alright’?

Jesus’s question is so ridiculous, WBC don’t even teach you not to ask it when you go on hospital visitation!

But not such a ridiculous question. He would have lost a good living. If he was healed, he’d have to get up and work like everyone else.

Application (5m)

Not such a ridiculous question to ask ourselves either: Do we want to be transformed?

Do you want to be well? Many of you will nod your head. I do too. We say yes, but nothing ever happens. The old, broken patterns continue. We may say we want to be healed, changed, but in our heart of hearts, we don’t.

I understand. It’s hard. I find it hard. Sometimes, I think it’s impossible!

Trusting God and his grace to look deeply inside us can be frightening

But he continues to ask us, Do you want to be well? Once the cripple had answered that question, he then had work to do. Jesus told him to take up his mat and walk. That must have been hard, having not walked for 38 years. And if you want to change, then, in the power of the HS, you will also have to work hard to dig beneath the surface.

First, sit with God and listen to your body

Ask what your body might be telling you about your feelings - A knot in the stomach, A tension headache, Teeth grinding, Hands clenched, Sweaty palms, Tight neck, Foot tapping, Insomnia.

You will need to take time in silence to be able to do this.

With God, you might need to ask yourself difficult “why” questions:

Why am I always in a hurry? So impatient? Why anxious? Why do I need others to tell me I’m doing OK? Why do I dread meeting so-and-so? Why do I avoid confrontation?

Already, you might be saying - I don’t want to get well! Not if it involves us

But remember, just as Jesus was in the horrible, distressing scene around the pool of Bethesda, He’s with you too. However sinful and flawed you discover yourself to be, Jesus says you are more accepted and loved than you could ever dare hope.

So, do you want to get well?

If so, then I invite you to take this journey with me over the next few weeks. Invite Jesus to heal and transform you. He can!

Next Steps

Video: Healing Waters

Video: Healing Waters - ISS | 6:00