Becoming Better (2)
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Colossians 3:23
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
Colossians 3:23
John 5:1-13
NIV Version
“Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.
One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ” So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?” The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.”
John 5:1-3, 5-13 NIV
“Becoming Better”
Introduction
My brothers and sisters there is a saying that says its not so much as to what a person say, however its what a person does. In other words the saying is that Action speak louder than words.
If we are not careful my brothers and sisters we will get comfortable saying things without actually moving toward and working toward what we are have said out of mouth. Truth of the matter is we can have all the faith in the world, we can have the correct words but if we dont have works it’s dead. The bible said it like this, faith without works is dead, and we know that it is said that without faith its impossible to please God.
Which to me seems contradictory of the scripture that says.
he old objection against the doctrine of salvation by grace, that it does away with the necessity of good works, and lowers the sense of their importance, although it has been answered a thousand times, is still alleged by many. They say if men are not saved by works, then works are not necessary. Also: Action; Activity; Deeds; Good Works; Works of the Law
So your faith and your works work together to please God.
My brothers and sisters it’s oftentimes let me speak for myself that we pray and sit around and wait for God to drop a miracle in our life. However, sometimes the miracle requires your participation.
Most of those in the bible who Jesus provided a miracle for had to participate in the process. In other words they had to Do something.
It was the woman with the issue of blood that had to press her way to get to Jesus before he could heal her from her desease.
It was Zacheaus who had climb up on a Sycamore tree before he was healed.
It was Blind Bartameus that had to cry out Jesus son of David, have mercy on me.
Even the man with the withered hand was challenged to stretch forth his hand to get his healing.
My brothers and sisters we must u
Colosssians 3:23 explains it best
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
My brothers and Sisters when you listen to the voice of God and adhere to the voice of God, people may leave out of your life, people may leave the Ministry or the church but, God will strengthen you and push you forward.
One of the many things I always try to evaluate in all I do. Is defining my WHY, why do I do what I do. I would ask everyone here to define your why.
Because believe it or not there is a WHY behind everything we do.
If our WHY is to please God and is to do heartily unto God and not men, it doesn't matter the when and where it’s going to produce positive results.
Text
Here we find in the text, Jesus doing what he do, heartily unto God and not unto men,It was the Sabbath day and according to the Law there was not supposed to be any work done on the sabbath, including healing. But Jesus understood thay he as doing for the Glory of God.
He saw this man who had been in this condition for so long the first Question he asked him was "wilt though be made whole" in other word Do you want to become better?
Because if the truth be told often times we can be in a predicament for so long we become comfortable and content and not want better.
The man replied sir, I have no one to put me in when the water is troubled, someone would jump in front of me, Jesus immediately told him to pick up his mat and walk. He immediately made this man BETTER, this man picked up his Mat and walked, the religious folks because it was the sabbath found something to talk about the asked wthe msn who healed him on the sabbath, but Jesus because his motives were right, did not stick around and wait for the applause of the crowd but the Bible said he that he he slipped away into the crowd, his mission was to please God,
When reading the text there are several points that stands out to me when I think if the theme Becoming better, the first thing that stands out is
Body
The man immediately blamed others for his situation he said sir, evertime I desire get to the pool someone will come in front of me
If we notice in the text everyone did not have the same issue. but they were all at the same place
John 5:3 states that some were blind.
Some were lame and some were paralyzed.
This lets me know that for some it required more than others to get to pool………
The blind could probably feel their way to the pool….
Those who were lame could most likely limp their way to the pool…….
But those who were paralyzed were at a greater disadvantage because although they see the pool……
They could not quite get there….
Such is the case with this man.
He could see were he needed to get but he stuck were he was……..
—Preaching point—I came to encourage those who want to become better
Who can see the vision that God showed you but in the midst of your seeing it seemed like you are stuck in your condition.
While reading I thought it would seem that with this man being sick for 38 years it would be kind if someone after getting their healing would help this man get his healing and become better but in his case he was stepped over by those who had just got their healing...and he was stepped over by those getting their healing—
——So he seemed as though he was lost in the shuffle
Jesus seeks out those who have been stepped over
If you’ve been stepped over
It’s a good time for Jesus to step in
——A lot of people are hard on the man at the pool because he was in that condition for 38 years
We say things like he was sitting around waiting for someone to do something for him.
We say things like he should have just pressed harder to get to the pool.
But the truth of the matter is he was dealing with an issue that no matter what he could do he could not do on his own.
——————He needed Jesus he needed Jesus to make him better.
That’s like many today there are some areas in our life that no matter how hard we try to get better in a certain area it’s seems as though we are stuck. Can I just encourage that we must seek his face and his will if we really want to get better.
So Jesus arrives at the pool and he realizes the man had been in his condition for a long time and decided that he was the one he wanted to heal.
Before Jesus healed him he asked a question that seemed as though it was an obvious question.
He asked him “Do you want to get well”
In other words do you want to get BETTER.
———Jesus asked him do you want to get well the man response was an excuse instead of an answer. He could have easily said yessir I want to get well yessir I want to do better.
However, his response was “sir, I have no one to put me in the water and every-time I try to get in when the water is troubled.
Someone steps in from of me”
I come to encourage those of us who can say every time it seems as though I’m in the breakthrough here comes the enemy.
Every time it seems as though I’m making progress someone or something comes in distract me from where God has brought me from.
Every time I take two steps forward it seems as though i get pushed three steps backward.
Paul states it like this I find this law at work that Every time I desire to do good evil is always present”
However, it’s in the moment that we decide to make up in our mind that we WANT to become better that we will be able to overcome ever tactical and stragetic plan that he has over our life.
My brothers and sisters as we Journey through Jesus Ministry we see the most of his miracles throughout the New Testament often required effort from the individual who was expecting the miracle.
We find Zachues who was a tax collector robbed people and was considered to be corrupt in this time. However, when he heard that Jesus was in town.Because of his short stature he use his arms and his legs to climb-up a sycamore tree to see Jesus and Jesus brought salvation to his house.
We see it with the Women with the issue of blood who used her arms to pressed her way through the crowd.
Blind Bartamauas used his voice to yell out to the top of his voice “have mercy on me”.
However, in John we find a situation that’s different from other miracles in the bible. We find a man that did not have physical capabilities to climb up the tree or press through the crowd.
We find a man that may not have had the energy to cry out with a loud voice.
We find a man that unlike the other miracles mentioned did not notice Jesus. However, we find a man that Jesus noticed.
We find a man that did not get Jesus attention, however, Jesus Got his attention.
As I begin to study and read the scriptures. I thought to myself. How many individuals are in the same situation as this man. Were it seems as though we have exhausted all of our resources.
How many people have spent all of their energy and is now at a place in our life when it seems as though we don’t have the energy to cry like Bartameaus. We don’t have the capability to climb like Zacheuas. We don’t have the hope to push as the women with the issue of blood.
My brothers and sisters what we find in John is a man that wanted to get better but was at his ends wit.
We find a man who was sick for 38 years. He had heard that there was a pool at Bethsheda and everyone who had any illness if they could get into the pool when water was troubled would be healed of their illness and become better.
In the Hebrew term this placed was mentioned as Bethesda-
Bethesda-Means house of mercy-or the house of outpouring.
A fitting term for people desperate needing a cure from there disease.
This house of mercy could be compared to what we call the house of worship or Church in a sense that it was a place of healing for those who needed it.
As I begin to read the text I notices something in the text that I have never noticed as many times as Ive read this scripture. Because I
always interpreted this scripture that the man was at the pool for 38 years.
However, the bible says that he was in his condition of being invalid for 38 years. It did not mentioned how long he was at pool. The bible did not say if this man was 38 years old and suffered this invalid from birth or was it an event that occurred that placed this man in an invalid situation.
I begin to use my spiritual imagination and wonder. What was it that happened in this man that cause him to become invalid?
I begin to use my spiritual imagination and wonder how did this invalid man arrive at the pool since he may have been invalid when he got to the pool.
I begin to use my spiritual imagination and picture the excitement of this man once he heard that there was some hope for him and if he could only get to this pool he would be made whole and become better.
However, Once he arrived at the pool the picture that was in his mind fades away as he begin to see invalid people their that was only concerned about their own miracles.
As he began to notice people pushing over one another just to get to the pool.
I can imagine the disappointment in his face when he noticed that the place that was supposed to be the house of mercy and place of healing was not what he expected.
I came to encourage those who have had their moments dealing with people that we thought was supposed have our back. Only to find out they were only concerned about their own miracle.
Believe it or not my brothers and my sisters sometimes the people that should be carrying us to the pool may step on us to get to the pool.
That’s why appreciate your Pastor
Because He has a heart to get people in the pool.
But some people will come to church and do as the people at this pool and step over the ones who may seem insignificant.
That’s why I’ve learned that I can’t look down on anybody because the truth of the matter is we all have issues.
It may not be same issues but we all got something that we need to receive from God.
If we notice in the text everyone did not have the same issue. but they were all at the same place
John 5:3 states that some were blind.
Some were lame and some were paralyzed.
This lets me know that for some it required more than others to get to pool………
The blind could probably feel their way to the pool….
Those who were lame could most likely limp their way to the pool…….
But those who were paralyzed were at a greater disadvantage because although they see the pool……
They could not quite get there….
Such is the case with this man.
He could see were he needed to get but he stuck were he was……..
—Preaching point—I came to encourage those who can see what you want…..
Who can see the vision that God showed you but in the midst of your seeing it seemed like you are stuck in your condition.
While reading I thought it would seem that with this man being sick for 38 years it would be kind if someone after getting their healing would help this man get his healing but in his case he was stepped over by those who had just got their healing...and he was stepped over by those getting their healing—
——So he seemed as though he was lost in the shuffle
Jesus seeks out those who have been stepped over
If you’ve been stepped over
It’s a good time for Jesus to step in
The question I have is do you want to do better,
When you to do more, God will work it out to where you will do better.
When you do more, God will turn you beauty into ashes,
When you do more, God will turn your weeping to joy.
When you do more God will turn your pain into purpose.
When you do more, god will turn your pity into power,
When you do more God will turn your failure into success,
When you do more. God will turn your Pit into a palace,
When you do more God will turn your worry into worship,
When you do more God will turn you goin to great,
Do more and watch God work…
Just as this man decided to get better. When we decide to we want to get better, we can expect opposition, when we want to get better we can expect sometimes the people who should be pushing us to become better will sometimes push over us to get to their better. But can I just encourage you that no matter what you face, no matter what you deal with. Make up in your mind that better is coming.
When we are becoming better we can’t focus our attention on what’s others or doing and saying. Must focus on what God. If this man would have focused on what others said he would have still been in his same condition. However he focused on what Jesus told. Jesus told him to pick up his mat and walk. People would have said it’s the sabbath you are forbidden to pick up your mat.