Thank you for listening to this message from
Lifehouse Church. Well, good morning everybody.
How are we doing this morning? Awesome. Living
and active, just like the Word of God. Very good,
very good. Well, if you don't know me already,
my name is Eric. I am the Next Steps Pastor here
at Lifehouse. And we are in the middle of a series.
Anybody know what that series was? Salty, not
sodium, but salty acronym. So last week, Pastor
Kip started us off and it's start a conversation.
This week, it will be ask a question. So conversation,
right? Without conversation, we can't invite
people to know Jesus. We can't talk to them about
Jesus. A conversation must be started. And how
we do that is by asking a question. If there's
no questions in the middle of a conversation,
how do we know that's not really a conversation?
It ends pretty fast, right? You ever been to
those one -sided conversations where you're just
getting unloaded on? Yeah. Questions need to
be asked. It all starts with asking a question.
It's the power of a question that gives us the
opening that we need to give and to bring the
reality of Jesus into another person's heart.
A couple years ago now, Abby and I, my wife Abby,
bought a house, our first house. And if you know
anything about going through the process of buying
a house, it can be an emotional roller coaster.
Each time you have an interest in a house, you
think it's the right one, and then just this
one thing you find out about it, it's wrong.
So there's a lot of questions. It's a process
you have to go through. Questions like, is the
roof okay? Is it in good condition? How old is
it? When were the windows last replaced? How
old is the HVAC? Are there termites? Is it any
infestation? Was it taken well care of? Is the
insulation sufficient for all seasons? Maybe
you visit a house and you ask your spouse, hey,
what do you think? And they say, meh, it's not
for me. That's asking how I know. I thought it
was a good house. But it started with a question.
We had to ask the historical questions. We had
to ask the functional question. Is it working?
We had to ask ourselves, can we make it better?
A question is what got us into these houses to
begin with. Asking questions gave us more clarity
and understanding in what was available to us
and what we could potentially be living in. Asking
questions gave us these opportunities to open
up the doors to these houses and see what was
on the inside of them. And Jesus taught that
if we would ask, it would be given to us. And
eventually the door would be opened. Ask and
it will be given to you, he said. Seek and you
will find. Knock and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks. and he who seeks finds,
and to him who knocks it will be opened. When
we ask questions, we receive answers. If you
ask me a question and I didn't respond to you,
how many would think that would be rude or abnormal,
right? I just blankly stare at you. I don't answer
you. Questions demand an answer. That's how it
goes. The search for a house required questions.
If we never asked the questions, we wouldn't
have gotten very far. If we didn't ask the questions,
we would not have experienced the diversity of
houses, the character, the feel, the new features.
Just like how questions got us inside of the
house, asking questions can bring us into other
people's hearts. Make sense? Asking questions
can bring us into other people's hearts. So if
we're going to introduce Jesus to people, then
we must understand that asking a question is
what gives us the open door. We need to bring
the reality of Jesus into people's lives. Our
main passage today is going to be in John chapter
5, starting with verse 1. So as you flip there,
we're just going to pray. So Father, we just
thank you for this gathering today, Lord. We
thank you that we're all here under one name
under heaven, and that is the name of Jesus Christ.
And Lord, let this gathering be one where hearts
are renewed, open. in receiving of your word
today, that Lord, they may abide in you. And
as you walk with them, as you talk with them,
as you speak into their very being, Lord, that
you would lend power into their lives to be witnesses
in the name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. So verse one,
after this, there was a feast of the Jews and
Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem
by the sheep gate, a pool, which is called in
Hebrew, Bethesda. Having five porches, in these
lay a great multitude of sick people, blind,
lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the
water. For an angel went down at a certain time
into the pool and stirred up the water. Then
whoever stepped in first after the stirring of
the water was made well of whatever disease he
had. And now a certain man was there who had
an infirmity of 38 years. When Jesus saw him
lying there, So in this passage, right, there
is a... It says a great multitude of people,
and not just people, people that are sick, lame,
paralyzed, blind, a great multitude of them.
So at one point or another, this is the place
where people that were in this type of condition
went. It formed a community of sick people. You
know what makes a community? It's a group of
people that have a common heart, mind, and purpose,
right? In this case, it was them. They needed
healing. They were eagerly anticipating that
healing. Because once the water moved, it meant
that they could finally walk again, that they
could finally see again. There's a problem, though.
Because even though they all have this common
goal of healing, Only one can get healed at a
time. And it's the first person to the pool that
steps into it. Now, it might have been pretty
difficult for them to go to this pool, right?
It's kind of hard to get to a pool if you can't
walk. Kind of hard to get to a pool if you can't
see. Or if you're just really weak. So we could
probably say that they needed help. They needed
help to this pool. If you didn't have family
or close friends, it was that much harder for
you because they're the ones that more than likely
were the ones helping you to get your healing.
But one day, one day, Jesus walks into the community
of sick people, a community where people needed
healing, and yet Jesus, led by the Spirit of
God, comes up to this one man, one man among
thousands maybe, and he asks them that question,
do you want to be made well? So I don't know
about you, but that seems like a pretty silly
question to ask a sick person. Hey, do you want
to feel better? Are you doing okay right now?
Is the cough too much? No, do you want to be
made well? Yes, I would love to feel well right
now. So why? If it's such a given that he would
want to feel better, to be healed, why ask that
question? I believe it gave him. an open door
into this man's heart. It opened a door to have
a real conversation that is bedridden and unable
to move himself. So asking the question invites
others to have a real conversation. We all desire
real conversations in our life. We all desire
to have a sense of community where we can have
real conversations, but it's hard to have a real
conversation. if no one is taking initiative
in asking a question. And unfortunately, in today's
culture, it's more common to walk past somebody
and not talk to them. No questions are being
asked. Real questions are about helping people
discover and bring to awareness the reality of
God. It's about asking questions that we... that
some are ashamed or afraid to talk about. Like,
how is it that sin can affect me so deeply? How
can I feel so confused and discouraged and lonely
all the time? How is it that I have this shame
on me? But it's also understanding that Jesus
is greater than sin, and people aren't meant
to stay there. But that's where the conversation
starts. Jesus is the realest fact. A real conversation
is one that is immersed in all that is true and
authentic. Colossians says this, since you have
been raised to new life in Christ, set your sights
on the realities of heaven where Christ sits
in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think
about the things of heaven and not the things
of earth. For you died to this life and your
real life is hidden with Christ in God. Real
life in Christ equals real life answers. God
determines what is real. And heaven is the ultimate
display of what is real, true, and authentic.
Amen? When Jesus asked the man the question,
do you want to be well? He was trying to shift
this man's perspective from a deceptive earthly
knowledge to that of a heavenly knowledge, a
heavenly reality. Heaven, Jesus, was engaging
with this man, engaging with earth, and earth
wanted to be like heaven. everything that is
in the word of God is something we can use to
ask a question to people, to bring God back in
the conversation because his word shows us all
that is true. Jesus prayed, right? Jesus prayed
that the word, that they would be made clean
and holy by your truth. Teach them your word,
he says, which is truth. The word of God determines
what is real by what it teaches. In humanity,
is longing for whatever is real now. I was in
a situation a while back ago at work, and on
this day, it had been a long, hot, humid day,
and this person got really upset because they
felt betrayed by a co -worker because their expectation
was that they should be helping them help do
their job. And she voiced that to him, and the
other person didn't take it very well. And as
a matter of fact, he became bitter towards them.
And I talked to her afterwards. And between the
frustration on her face and the venting to me,
I let her talk and waited until she was finished.
And I asked her the question, do you forgive
them? Right? No words necessary. Just one question.
Do you forgive them? And they said, oh, Eric,
why should I forgive them? I mean, I can forgive
them, but I'm not going to forget what they did
to me. And I said to them, well, then you haven't
forgiven them. She said, what do you mean? I
said, God does not remember our trespasses against
him once we ask for forgiveness. Matter of fact,
he was on the cross and he pleaded with the father
to forgive them because they don't understand
what they're doing right now. He didn't say,
father, I forgive them, but I won't forget this.
Humanity put Jesus on the cross to die. And he
still forgave us completely. Doesn't remember
it. She said, I hadn't really realized that before.
I will go over and make it right with him. So
you see, asking the question, do you forgive
him? Opened up the door to where the reality
of Jesus was. It was brought straight into her
heart. It was a heavenly answer. Heaven engaged
with earth and earth wanted to be like heaven.
The word of God shows us what is real and true.
But 2 Timothy 3 .16 says, all scripture is inspired
by God and is useful to teach us what is true
and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.
It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches
us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare
and equip people to do every good work. So if
it's equipping us, By teaching us what is real,
we can be equipped with a question to ask people.
Because we know Jesus. We know what is true and
real. Knowing the word allows us to ask good
questions that invite Jesus into the conversation.
Jesus asked the lame man a good question. It
was something that seemed pretty obvious by human
standards. But Jesus wanted to discuss the reality
of heaven to him, which is where he would find
his healing. So when was the last time that we
asked somebody a question based off of scripture,
not based off what we thought or what this person
thought or what the news said, but off of scripture?
What is the Holy Spirit trying to get into your
spirit to make real and active, to ask somebody
a question, to bring Jesus into it? When we ask
that question, the doors of their hearts are
infused with the truth of Jesus. So are we praying
for opportunities to ask others questions? Maybe
it's somebody at work, a family member, or someone
at the store, so that they can engage in a real
conversation, so that they can engage with a
real Jesus. Amen? Questions are special, though.
They're special in that the way that if we do
not ask them, we stay on the course that we've
always been on. Right? If you don't question
something, nothing changes. This lame man had
never gotten asked that question of, hey, maybe
this isn't working. It's been 38 years. Perhaps
we could try something different, right? No,
no, I'm going to keep going. This is going to
work. But when Jesus came on the scene asking
a question, the lame man proved to be challenged
in what he was putting his hope in. So questions
also challenge what we are currently believing,
what we are currently putting our hope in. And
we all have something that we put our hope in.
If you didn't have hope in something when you
woke up, you wouldn't even get out of bed. But
hope is what ignites the desire to get to the
destination we want to be at. If we have hope
in something, then we will go to where we believe
that something will be. The caution is that The
stuff we hope for may be real and genuine, but
the methods we pursue to make that hope a reality
can be contradictory to God's word. We can hope
for a secure future and chase wealth at the expense
of integrity, family, or rest. We can hope for
purpose and meaning, but use the method of self
-promotion or image building instead of serving
where God calls us. We can compromise morals
in order to maintain a sense of love and belonging.
All of these, the hope is genuine and it's real,
but the methods are not God's heart or plan for
us to meet those needs. One day, this layman
was given hope by somebody, word on the street,
a rumor down the road, hey, that pool over there
has healing powers. the angel of the Lord will
come down one of these days. We don't know when,
but if you just wait there, eventually it'll
come and it will heal you. Oh man, that's incredible.
Like, I can't even move, but that's amazing.
I need somebody to help me. He's got hope now.
Hope for healing, because before, probably didn't.
He's got hope. He believes that he can do it.
When that angel shows up for the very first time,
when he sees that, He is all go. Nothing's going
to stop him. Rules go out the window. His opportunity
comes. He doesn't get there in time. The opportunity
comes again. Someone gets in front of him. The
opportunity comes again. He gets pushed out of
the way. So on, so forth for 38 years. Each time
he deals with the same disappointment, the same
discouragement. It's like someone keeps knocking
on the door, but he never gets there on time
to meet them. They are gone by the time he gets
there. This repeated cycle of having hope and
falling short goes on for 38 years. Do y 'all
know what the definition of insanity is? I can
kind of hear it. Doing the same thing over and
over and over again and expecting a different
result, right? This is insanity. This man is
doing the same thing over and over again, getting
the same results for 38 years. Never once, at
least it's not recorded, he didn't question this
method. No one asked him, do you really think
this is the answer that we should be putting
our hope in right now? Matter of fact, God was
never in the equation. This seemed to be a religious
superstition of the day, and he was devoted to
it. Again, his hope is real and strong, but it's
not in the right thing. This is what Jesus challenges
when he walks up and asks, do you want to be
made well? And what this man placed his hope
in rises to the surface. Here's what he says.
The sick man answered him, sir, I have no man
to put me into the pool when the water is stirred
up. But while I am coming, another steps down
before me. So Jesus challenged him where the
man, where he was putting his hope. It was at
this moment of asking, do you want to be made
well? That the lame man starts to think, well,
well, you know, maybe I can't get well this way.
I've tried getting to the pool for 38 years now,
and I always fall short. I've waited for somebody
to help me. No one's helping me. So yes, I do
want to be made well. But is there another way?
Where else could my hope go to be made well?
The question Jesus asked challenged him, changed
his perspective from expecting to get his healing
from people or things into the Lord himself.
Amen? What he waited 38 years for happened in
an instant. People often place their hope in
broken systems, things that worked at one time,
but over time it just doesn't work anymore. Sometimes
we're in denial that something isn't working
when it's supposed to, like relationships, a
job, a family dynamic, maybe our phones. Piece
of trash. When our hope is on default, And in
the wrong things, it's a good sign we're putting
a Band -Aid on and not getting healing. We can
rationalize our broken methods to be working
in its own way. But the bottom line is, it's
about surrendering your hope into Jesus Christ.
Amen? We do not always realize it when we're
putting our hope in the wrong place. That is
why asking a real question can challenge where
you have put it and bring it back to the Lord.
A question can challenge what people currently
place their hope in. It's not about finding people
out. It's not about having all the right answers,
but it's about seeing how we can redirect their
hope and their focus to the one true God. Do
you want to have a sense of purpose? Do you want
to have a good, healthy family and community?
Do you want to have a sense of love and belonging?
These are all things that human beings want.
It's a given. It's a yes. But what are their
methods of getting that? Because it starts with
Jesus. Hope is to be placed in Jesus. In him
is wholeness. In him is healing. He is the one
that gives us all a hope and a purpose in this
life. Amen. Everybody should be saying amen there.
He wrote our story long before we ever knew our
story. And the people that are out there who
don't know Jesus yet, they have a story too.
They have a hope too, but they don't know where
to put it. So what if we tried by asking the
questions to help challenge their methods? Asking
questions like, do you want to have peace? Do
you want to know your purpose? That is something
they may already know, but at least it opens
the door for them to meet Jesus. The anticipation
of this lame man was out of all... Knowing that
he would have been there trying for 38 years,
and it wasn't working, and Jesus was right in
front of him. Maybe for the first time in this
guy's lifetime, do you want to be made well?
If this person was asking, then clearly they
wanted help. I think what happened next completely
surprised the lame man. I think when Jesus asked
him that question, he's like, finally, I'm going
to get some kind of lift into this pool. But
that's not what happened. What happened was Jesus
gave a command that required a response. That
response would lead to his healing. So for this
reason, the spirit of God is always wanting to
minister and convince lost souls of their need
for a savior that can take away all their sins.
If we listen to God and ask the questions he
gives us, our question can lead to... a faith
decision that brings life change. So asking a
question can lead to a faith decision. A decision
made in faith is one that says, I have heard
from God, I have made a decision to do whatever
he says, whether that's convenient or inconvenient,
rational or irrational, favorable or unfavorable
to me. That's what faith does. It does it anyway.
But asking a question can often wipe away what
people hold on to. and beckons them to respond
and hold on in faith what God is speaking to
them. The lame man asked a question. What a wonderful
question it was, was asked a question by Jesus.
Do you want to be made well? In short, he says,
yes, I do, but I can't. No one is helping me.
Jesus gave that command, and it acted as a helping
force, a helping hand for him to stand up, for
the first time perhaps in his entire life. When
Jesus gives a command, how many of you know that
it holds the same kind of power that created
the universe, that one word could create the
universe all over again? So Jesus gave that command,
and the person responded due to the power that
was just given to him. It required a decision.
God never supersedes human beings' free will.
He can't just zap somebody and everything is
all better. to come into agreement. Just as he
had responded to the water being moved by the
water, so now the Holy Spirit is stirring in
his heart to get up and walk. He did as Jesus
commanded and he stood up into a new life in
Jesus Christ. This was the opportunity Jesus'
question provided because Jesus asked a question.
He gave this man an opportunity. to act on the
decision of faith that would make him well. He
could have kept his faith in the pool. He could
have kept going on. Hey, 38 years is nothing.
What's the year 39? What took 38 years was now
an instant because he decided to listen to the
word of God and respond to it. He was just going
through the same emotional disappointment over
and over again. But this one question allowed...
faith to rise up in his heart. And he stood up
and he walked. And as a result, he experienced
the freedom that is only found in the name of
Jesus. Asking a question opens the door for people
to experience Jesus' life and resurrection power.
But oftentimes we try to harden our own strength
to reach the lost. We don't always let the Holy
Spirit guide us, giving us the words to speak.
Allow us to have a word for somebody that faith
may rise up in their being as well. That demonstration
of simple trust in the word of God is what allows
us to reach people. Jesus asked a question. He
didn't put pressure on himself, but he did put
his dependence on the Holy Spirit and what to
say and what to ask. And as a result, Jesus...
Jesus' words to them were spirit and life. What
was now dead became alive. A dead circumstance
became a thriving circumstance. Freedom was a
result. Asking that question is what opens the
door for the reality of Jesus to be a thing in
somebody's life, to enter into their being. If
we give answers apart from asking other questions,
you're talking to a closed door. Questions open
doors. but answers up with unprovoked questions
is talking to a closed door. Does that make sense?
It will not enter their hearts unless they're
asked to open up. Paul said this, I have been
crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who
live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which
I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the
son of God who loved me and gave himself for
me. That is what we want every person in this
world to declare. That is no longer they who
live, but it's Christ living in them. And they
now live by faith in the son of God. Zach and
the wish team, if you'd come up. You know what
a good question to ask for any circumstance.
Like I can't, I have a hard time thinking of
a circumstance where this would be a bad question.
And it's, how can I pray for you? Right? Prayer.
Prayer opens doors. Prayer, everybody, I mean,
I tell people all the time, if I feel led to
pray for somebody and they're like, no, no, no,
I can't do that. I said, the worst thing that
can happen is nothing. So why not? Right? It's
an open door for heaven to invade their heart.
Now with that open door, the spirit is giving
provision into their heart. stirring in new things
in them. And these new things just need a response
by them. A decision inspired by the faith of
God's spirit working in them. He is awakening
their senses to the reality of Jesus Christ.
We shouldn't be timid to impart faith into another
person because come on, sometimes we don't have
faith, but we need each other to impart faith
into one another, right? Believers believe and
our belief actually gets other people to believe
in Jesus. Ultimately, it'll be up to them to
stand up and walk in the name of Jesus, into
his freedom, into his truth. That's up to them.
But if you would just believe and ask them a
question, the door of their hearts would be opened
up to believe. Jesus did not send us out into
the world as children without power. He gave
us authority to preach the good news and share
this gospel with everyone. Jesus stated to the
disciples, as the Father has sent me, so I also
send you. Right? Just as Jesus was sent to die
for mankind's sins, just as Jesus was sent to
minister to the lost, heal the brokenhearted,
and save them from their sins, we are also on
mission to do that as well. Not by our own authority,
but the Lord's authority. He gave us authority
for a specific assignment, for a specific task.
We're finishing what he started. Too many people
out there who are just going through the motions
of what people have told them what to do and
what to be in this life. If they get a bad hand,
that's just life. But guess what? It's not working.
Even though they have a genuine hope. What they
are doing is not giving them that sense of purpose
and belonging, that sense of fulfillment and
peace. Many people do not know what is real,
but they live in what they think is real every
day as they go through life hurting. But Jesus
is the realest thing. He determines what is real
and important. He alone has the words of eternal
life. He alone can teach us the truth. And knowing
Jesus allows us to ask good questions. good questions
because we have a good, good father that knows
how to answer our questions when we have them.
These questions are going to invite people into
the life and truth that Jesus embodies. People
live day by day with hope, but in methods that
prove to be empty and void. Yet over and over
again, they do not get the results they have
labored. so hard for? How are people going to
know their hope is in the wrong thing? How are
they going to know what is real? How are they
going to be able to make a decision of faith?
It can only start with asking a question, a question
imbued by the Spirit of God, to reintroduce Jesus
to people. If we know Jesus, we can engage with
others by asking them questions. If Jesus uses
a question to get somebody healed, surely his
sons and daughters can do the same thing. They
can ask a question that can provide healing into
their spirits. What an amazing opportunity we
have as a church body to reach out to people
and ask a question, to be on this privilege of
a mission to reach the lost, to give people the
answer that is in Jesus' name. Believe it or
not, we are a part of his plan. We are a part
of his plan of outreach, of lost souls. Are you
willing to be sent by God today? Are you willing
to ask a question to whoever he sends you to?
If yes, God will use your willing heart to bring
the reality of Jesus into a person's heart. And
let me say this, you do not need a degree to
preach the gospel. You do not need a degree to
share the good news. You do not need that. But
the Holy Spirit will give you 100 degrees of
power to win a lost soul into his kingdom. Amen.
He is the one that qualifies you. He is your
degree. He can turn up the heat and change a
human heart. So here is my question to you. Are
you ready to be and willing to be used by the
Holy Spirit? Are you willing to listen? Are you
willing to hear the question that he has for
the person in front of you? Maybe it's, hey,
how are you really doing today? Maybe it's, how
can I pray for you? Maybe it's, hey, I've been
kind of struggling with my purpose. Like, what
do you think your purpose is? Because once we
get them into the flock, into the reality of
Jesus, clarity and understanding happens. We
don't always have the answers, but if we seek
him first, he'll give us the answers. He'll give
us what we need according to his will. You guys
doing right back there? Say the person next to
you, are you ready? Are you ready? Oh yeah, there
we go. So I'm gonna pray and we're gonna go into
a song. And just allow the Lord to just minister
to your heart. There's never a moment in time
where you feel more alive than when you're doing
the will of God. I think sometimes we're walking,
but we're not really living. I think sometimes
we get caught up in our own mess and we forget
what it's like to truly live. And it all goes
back to what Jesus said last. Go, therefore,
and make disciples of all nations. So, Father,
we thank you. We thank you for the privilege,
Lord, of knowing you. We thank you just for the
honor it means to be in your presence, that this
broken world was paid for by you, Lord. that
your royal blood was spilled out for our mankind,
that we may enter into the joy of the Lord. Oh,
God. God, let that joy burst forth in our hearts
now. God, as we seek your face, as we seek your
heart, God, give us understanding of your will,
Lord, that, We don't have to have all the answers,
but Lord, if we can just ask a question, according
to your will, according to the human heart, where
they're placing their hope, God, use us, send
us to be that vessel of redirecting their path,
a path of darkness into a path of marvelous light.
And God, if there's anybody here that is, still
fearful or afraid or just not sure what that
next step is. Lord, burst courage and boldness
into their being, Lord. Just remind them that
their life is not their own. Their life belongs
in eternity. Eternity with you. So what could
faze us? You are with us, and boy, are you with
us. Never do we have to doubt that you're with
us. You're here in our midst now. Lord, we've
received your word. Let heaven come. Let heaven
come. We thank you, Lord. In your matchless name
we pray. to this message from Lifehouse Church.
We pray that you were impacted powerfully by
this message. If you have been personally affected
by our ministry and you would like to partner
with us as we love God, love people every day,
visit our website at www .lifehousecog .com.