WEBVTT

00:00:09.879 --> 00:00:12.300
Thank you for listening to this message from

00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:18.660
Lifehouse Church. Good morning, good morning.

00:00:18.679 --> 00:00:21.100
Turn somebody, tell them you almost made it to

00:00:21.100 --> 00:00:23.960
2026. You're getting close. Give them a high

00:00:23.960 --> 00:00:27.239
five, shake their hand, do something crazy, hug

00:00:27.239 --> 00:00:29.559
their neck. Come on, we're almost there, right?

00:00:30.379 --> 00:00:33.859
2025 is almost behind us. 2026 is on the way.

00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:36.240
It is good to have you here this morning and

00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:40.649
worshiping and praying. I love all the community

00:00:40.649 --> 00:00:43.969
that takes place here at Lifehouse. In here,

00:00:44.090 --> 00:00:46.829
in the square, outside the church, we hear about

00:00:46.829 --> 00:00:48.950
it all the time, people getting together, connecting,

00:00:49.109 --> 00:00:51.609
and really following Jesus together. We think

00:00:51.609 --> 00:00:54.869
that is incredibly important. But this morning,

00:00:54.929 --> 00:00:58.649
on this last Sunday of 2025, can you believe

00:00:58.649 --> 00:01:02.810
it, right? Anybody else, this year flew? Yeah?

00:01:02.929 --> 00:01:04.390
Some of you are like, I can't wait until this

00:01:04.390 --> 00:01:05.849
year is being over. Come on, raise your hand

00:01:05.849 --> 00:01:07.799
if that's you. You're like... Thank God it's

00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:10.060
over. It's done. All right. But we're heading

00:01:10.060 --> 00:01:14.700
this morning on this last Sunday of 2025. We're

00:01:14.700 --> 00:01:18.099
heading to John chapter 5. So you can begin to

00:01:18.099 --> 00:01:20.319
turn there. And as you're turning this morning,

00:01:20.359 --> 00:01:22.340
I'm going to just take a few minutes to do a

00:01:22.340 --> 00:01:25.459
little bit of a rewind of chapter 4. I preached

00:01:25.459 --> 00:01:28.200
on this last week or the week before on chapter

00:01:28.200 --> 00:01:32.159
4. I want to do a little rewind on all that that

00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:36.060
I preached. And sometimes when we do that. It's

00:01:36.060 --> 00:01:38.920
good to get the back story to understand the

00:01:38.920 --> 00:01:40.939
story that you're about to tell. How many know

00:01:40.939 --> 00:01:43.299
there's always a story behind a story, right?

00:01:43.659 --> 00:01:47.359
There's always a story. Hearing a story before

00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:49.780
the story sometimes helps you understand the

00:01:49.780 --> 00:01:52.840
bigger picture of what's going on. Over the holidays

00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:54.480
here, over Christmas, our grandchildren have

00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:56.480
been with us. We have five wonderful grandchildren.

00:01:56.659 --> 00:01:59.939
They're all under the age of 10. And when they

00:01:59.939 --> 00:02:01.700
get playing, we've got an area downstairs where

00:02:01.700 --> 00:02:03.819
they go play. They get playing down there. They

00:02:03.819 --> 00:02:06.019
just get lost in playing. But sooner or later,

00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:08.439
it happens. One of them comes upstairs. It's

00:02:08.439 --> 00:02:09.860
usually one of them that think they're the policeman

00:02:09.860 --> 00:02:11.919
of the whole bunch, right? And they come up,

00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:14.680
and they've got to tell the story. And they're

00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:16.419
like, you know, they're just sitting there. They're

00:02:16.419 --> 00:02:17.860
just all sitting there crying. They're like,

00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:21.560
they're all being mean to me, right? Now, how

00:02:21.560 --> 00:02:24.240
many of you know there's more to the story? Come

00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:26.860
on, right? They're all being mean to me. So you

00:02:26.860 --> 00:02:28.560
go down and you start to investigate. You talk

00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:30.479
to the other four grandchildren. They're like,

00:02:30.500 --> 00:02:31.919
well, yeah, they're being mean to them. We're

00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:33.159
being mean to them because they hit us with a

00:02:33.159 --> 00:02:35.280
hockey stick, right? You know, something along

00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:37.620
those lines. You know, there's always a story

00:02:37.620 --> 00:02:40.099
behind the story. And it's good sometimes to

00:02:40.099 --> 00:02:42.680
catch up or to get a recap on what happened in

00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:46.039
the chapter before to help you unfold what's

00:02:46.039 --> 00:02:47.780
going to happen in the chapter that you're getting

00:02:47.780 --> 00:02:49.879
in. So we're going to do a little recap. So in

00:02:49.879 --> 00:02:54.680
John chapter 4, Jesus is traveling north. Judea

00:02:54.680 --> 00:02:57.759
through Samaria to Galilee. Let me say that again.

00:02:58.259 --> 00:03:00.719
He's in Judea. All right, think of it as an Oreo

00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:02.439
cookie. All right, we're just coming out of the

00:03:02.439 --> 00:03:04.719
holidays. Jesus is on the bottom layer of the

00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:06.939
cookie, right? He's in the south. He's traveling

00:03:06.939 --> 00:03:08.939
from Judea. He's going to go through Samaria.

00:03:08.979 --> 00:03:10.759
That's the double stuff, all right? That's the

00:03:10.759 --> 00:03:13.039
white part. He's going to go through Samaria,

00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:15.080
and then he's going to head up to Galilee, and

00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:17.939
he's traveling to the northern part of Israel.

00:03:18.020 --> 00:03:20.780
While he's traveling north, Jesus makes his stop

00:03:20.780 --> 00:03:24.300
in Samaria. Him and his disciples, his followers,

00:03:24.340 --> 00:03:26.400
they're following along. They stop at a well,

00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:29.479
the well of Jacob. And while they're there, they're

00:03:29.479 --> 00:03:30.960
going to get a drink. They're going to take a

00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:33.680
break. And Jesus sends his boys, right, the disciples,

00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:37.110
to town to get some food. While he's there, he

00:03:37.110 --> 00:03:39.669
has a talk with a woman who comes to the well.

00:03:39.770 --> 00:03:41.870
A Samaritan woman comes to the well. And Jesus

00:03:41.870 --> 00:03:43.509
begins to talk to her. And he says, you know,

00:03:43.629 --> 00:03:46.789
I've got water that if you drink of this water,

00:03:46.889 --> 00:03:48.830
you will never ever thirst again. And she's like,

00:03:48.949 --> 00:03:50.689
I want to know about that kind of water because

00:03:50.689 --> 00:03:53.210
I'm tired of carrying water. And he begins and

00:03:53.210 --> 00:03:56.250
he continues on. And he starts to tell her everything

00:03:56.250 --> 00:03:59.830
that she has ever done. That's what the Word

00:03:59.830 --> 00:04:01.719
of God says. That's what Jesus says. He begins

00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:05.000
to unfold prophetically. Jesus tells her everything

00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:07.800
that she's ever done. And she is so convinced

00:04:07.800 --> 00:04:10.280
that he's not only a prophet, but that he's actually

00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:12.860
the Jewish Messiah that is talked about, that

00:04:12.860 --> 00:04:16.339
she sets down her pot, she runs back to the city,

00:04:16.439 --> 00:04:18.899
and she begins to tell the men of the city, hey,

00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:21.079
I met a man who's told me everything I've ever

00:04:21.079 --> 00:04:24.139
done. And she is so convincing in what she's

00:04:24.139 --> 00:04:26.529
speaking to these men that they... They virtually

00:04:26.529 --> 00:04:29.110
leave the city and come out and they meet Jesus

00:04:29.110 --> 00:04:31.930
at that same well. And they begin to try to find

00:04:31.930 --> 00:04:34.089
out for themselves. And they become convinced

00:04:34.089 --> 00:04:36.870
that he is something more than a prophet. And

00:04:36.870 --> 00:04:40.209
they invite him to stay for two more days. They

00:04:40.209 --> 00:04:42.589
believe that he's the Messiah. They believe that

00:04:42.589 --> 00:04:44.569
he's the Christ. They believe that he's God's

00:04:44.569 --> 00:04:47.810
son. And the Word of God says that as he speaks

00:04:47.810 --> 00:04:50.870
to the Samaritans, that many come to believe

00:04:50.870 --> 00:04:53.269
on Jesus. Now, you've got to understand something.

00:04:53.550 --> 00:04:55.829
The Samaritans are not friends with the Jews.

00:04:56.009 --> 00:04:57.389
As a matter of fact, Jews don't talk to Samaritans.

00:04:57.389 --> 00:05:00.009
Samaritans don't talk to Jews. And Jesus and

00:05:00.009 --> 00:05:02.029
his disciples are there. Now, I believe this

00:05:02.029 --> 00:05:03.709
personally. I believe that Jesus was beginning

00:05:03.709 --> 00:05:06.949
to teach his disciples something. He had very

00:05:06.949 --> 00:05:09.629
Jewish disciples, okay? They were all Jewish.

00:05:09.730 --> 00:05:11.389
And he began to teach them that we're going to

00:05:11.389 --> 00:05:14.250
go outside the circle of our Jewish community

00:05:14.250 --> 00:05:16.029
and we're going to begin to share the gospel

00:05:16.029 --> 00:05:19.339
with everybody. Jesus leaves that area of Samaria,

00:05:19.420 --> 00:05:21.459
right? That's in the middle. He leaves that area

00:05:21.459 --> 00:05:23.879
of Samaria, and he comes into the area of Galilee.

00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:26.660
And this is the area where he previously did

00:05:26.660 --> 00:05:28.779
his first miracle, where he turned water into

00:05:28.779 --> 00:05:31.519
wine. And as he enters there, a man from Capernaum

00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:34.420
comes up. He's actually a nobleman from Capernaum,

00:05:34.420 --> 00:05:37.430
and his son's about to die. He wants Jesus to

00:05:37.430 --> 00:05:39.769
come. He wants him to heal him. And Jesus says,

00:05:39.889 --> 00:05:42.370
just go ahead and go on your way. Your son's

00:05:42.370 --> 00:05:44.870
going to be fine. He lives. He didn't even need

00:05:44.870 --> 00:05:47.389
to go. He speaks this, and the boy is healed

00:05:47.389 --> 00:05:50.350
that very hour. This is the second miracle that

00:05:50.350 --> 00:05:53.670
takes place in this area of Galilee. Jesus leaves

00:05:53.670 --> 00:05:56.970
this location and begins to head towards Jerusalem,

00:05:57.089 --> 00:05:59.889
where we pick up today. And you might say, well,

00:05:59.949 --> 00:06:02.269
why did you give us all that, right? All these

00:06:02.269 --> 00:06:04.550
accounts that we read in chapter 4. Well, because

00:06:04.550 --> 00:06:07.050
all these things begin to help us understand

00:06:07.050 --> 00:06:10.050
that Jesus has very strategic objectives while

00:06:10.050 --> 00:06:13.110
he's taking his disciples and he's training them.

00:06:13.189 --> 00:06:15.750
First is to preach the kingdom of God to everybody,

00:06:16.050 --> 00:06:18.430
everywhere. He's bringing the kingdom. He's talking

00:06:18.430 --> 00:06:20.930
about salvation is near. It has come near you,

00:06:20.990 --> 00:06:23.769
which is him himself, right? Salvation is there

00:06:23.769 --> 00:06:26.970
before you. Jesus is Messiah. And secondly, he's

00:06:26.970 --> 00:06:29.290
training his disciples. the minister and spread

00:06:29.290 --> 00:06:30.970
the gospel because he's not always going to be

00:06:30.970 --> 00:06:33.029
with them. He wants them to see what he's doing.

00:06:33.149 --> 00:06:35.110
He wants them to hear the truth. He wants them

00:06:35.110 --> 00:06:36.769
to hear the mysteries. He wants them to live

00:06:36.769 --> 00:06:38.889
the life that he's living and minister the same

00:06:38.889 --> 00:06:42.509
way so that when he's gone, they carry the torch

00:06:42.509 --> 00:06:45.829
so that they can adequately minister to others.

00:06:45.910 --> 00:06:49.470
So in John chapter 5, it gives us one more opportunity

00:06:49.470 --> 00:06:52.430
to look at a truth that Jesus is going to bring

00:06:52.430 --> 00:06:54.649
out. Something that he's going to teach the disciples

00:06:54.649 --> 00:06:58.819
that we need to hear as well. Amen? So, listen,

00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:00.620
I gave you like a half an hour to get to John

00:07:00.620 --> 00:07:03.459
chapter 5. Are you there? All right, great. John

00:07:03.459 --> 00:07:06.079
chapter 5 verse 1 says this. After this, there

00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:08.399
was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to

00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:12.240
Jerusalem. Now there was in Jerusalem by the

00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:15.139
sheep gate a pool, which is called in the Hebrew

00:07:15.139 --> 00:07:18.910
Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a

00:07:18.910 --> 00:07:22.250
great multitude of sick people, blind, lame,

00:07:22.550 --> 00:07:25.209
paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.

00:07:25.310 --> 00:07:27.649
For an angel went down at certain times into

00:07:27.649 --> 00:07:30.490
the pool and stirred up the water. And whoever

00:07:30.490 --> 00:07:33.110
stepped in first after the stirring of the water

00:07:33.110 --> 00:07:36.149
was made well, whatever disease they had. Now,

00:07:36.170 --> 00:07:37.829
if you read up on this a little, some speculate

00:07:37.829 --> 00:07:41.310
that this was a Jewish legend. That took place.

00:07:41.449 --> 00:07:44.089
But I'm going to take it in God's word. It doesn't

00:07:44.089 --> 00:07:45.970
say it was a legend. As a matter of fact, there

00:07:45.970 --> 00:07:49.110
were people all around this pool. There's five

00:07:49.110 --> 00:07:51.529
porches around this pool. This was a big pool

00:07:51.529 --> 00:07:53.790
area. And there were people all over waiting

00:07:53.790 --> 00:07:56.730
for the water to stir it. The word of God says

00:07:56.730 --> 00:07:58.329
what the word of God says, right? For it says

00:07:58.329 --> 00:08:00.430
an angel went down at a certain time into the

00:08:00.430 --> 00:08:02.610
pool and stirred up the water. And whoever stepped

00:08:02.610 --> 00:08:04.610
in, it was like first come, first serve. Whoever

00:08:04.610 --> 00:08:06.610
stepped in first after stirring the water was

00:08:06.610 --> 00:08:09.029
made well of whatever disease. So there were

00:08:09.029 --> 00:08:11.129
people, sick people laying all around this pool

00:08:11.129 --> 00:08:14.089
just waiting for the water to stir so they could

00:08:14.089 --> 00:08:16.589
get in. Verse 5 says this, now a certain man

00:08:16.589 --> 00:08:21.850
was there who had an infirmity 38 years. How

00:08:21.850 --> 00:08:24.850
many of us have a long time to be sick? I'm lying

00:08:24.850 --> 00:08:29.329
to you after 38 minutes. Truth, right? Dixie

00:08:29.329 --> 00:08:33.090
will confirm she's a Bernard, right? 38 years.

00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:36.620
And when Jesus saw him lying there and knew that

00:08:36.620 --> 00:08:38.100
he had already been in that condition a long

00:08:38.100 --> 00:08:40.700
time, he said to him, do you want to? Say, do

00:08:40.700 --> 00:08:43.740
you want to? Do you want to? Turn to somebody

00:08:43.740 --> 00:08:46.100
beside you and say, do you want to? That's a

00:08:46.100 --> 00:08:47.899
pretty open -ended statement, right? Do you want

00:08:47.899 --> 00:08:50.159
to be made well? That's what he says to him.

00:08:50.220 --> 00:08:52.019
And the sick man answered. He said, sir, I have

00:08:52.019 --> 00:08:54.379
no one to put me into the pool when the water

00:08:54.379 --> 00:08:56.580
is stirred up. But while I'm coming, another

00:08:56.580 --> 00:08:59.080
steps down before me. Jesus said to him, rise,

00:08:59.240 --> 00:09:02.360
take your bed, and walk. And immediately the

00:09:02.360 --> 00:09:05.000
man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

00:09:05.259 --> 00:09:09.120
And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore

00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:13.659
said to him, who was cured? It's the Sabbath.

00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:16.019
It's not lawful for anyone to carry your bed.

00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:19.419
He answered them, who made me well said this

00:09:19.419 --> 00:09:22.460
to me, take up your bed and walk. And they said

00:09:22.460 --> 00:09:25.039
to him, who is the man who said to you, take

00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:27.700
up your bed and walk? But the one who was healed

00:09:27.700 --> 00:09:30.529
did not know who it was. For Jesus had withdrawn

00:09:30.529 --> 00:09:34.509
a multitude being in that place. Afterward, Jesus

00:09:34.509 --> 00:09:36.789
found them in the temple and said to him, See,

00:09:36.909 --> 00:09:39.570
you have been made well. Sin no more, lest the

00:09:39.570 --> 00:09:42.330
worst thing come upon you. The man departed and

00:09:42.330 --> 00:09:44.549
told the Jews that it was Jesus who made him

00:09:44.549 --> 00:09:49.490
well. Jesus comes into Jerusalem during a time

00:09:49.490 --> 00:09:52.830
of a Jewish feast. It's busy. There are people

00:09:52.830 --> 00:09:55.549
around. There's a festival going on. People are

00:09:55.549 --> 00:09:58.210
everywhere, and Jesus heads right to the pool

00:09:58.210 --> 00:10:01.830
called Bethesda, near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem.

00:10:02.370 --> 00:10:05.409
And when Jesus arrives, the pool is surrounded,

00:10:05.549 --> 00:10:08.169
just like I said a little earlier, with diseased

00:10:08.169 --> 00:10:10.289
people, people that are lame, people that are

00:10:10.289 --> 00:10:12.110
paralyzed, people that are struggling with something,

00:10:12.370 --> 00:10:15.289
you know, some kind of infirmity. And Jesus doesn't

00:10:15.289 --> 00:10:17.799
begin to preach a sermon there. I'm thinking

00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:20.360
he's walking into this place where there's a

00:10:20.360 --> 00:10:23.639
captive audience of people, maybe hundreds around

00:10:23.639 --> 00:10:26.820
that are sick and need healing, and Jesus healed

00:10:26.820 --> 00:10:29.019
all the time everywhere he went. You know, I'm

00:10:29.019 --> 00:10:30.740
thinking in my head, why didn't Jesus come in

00:10:30.740 --> 00:10:33.200
here and begin to preach the sermon? He's already

00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:34.940
got an audience there. They're already gathered,

00:10:35.220 --> 00:10:38.919
right? But he doesn't. He walks right past everybody,

00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:42.259
goes right to a guy who's had an infirmity for

00:10:42.259 --> 00:10:46.309
38 years. Do you ever read the Bible and go,

00:10:46.450 --> 00:10:50.370
hmm? Come on, do it with me. Go, hmm? Hmm? Yeah.

00:10:50.549 --> 00:10:53.370
I'm like, hmm? Like, why didn't Jesus? Because

00:10:53.370 --> 00:10:55.250
there's other places where Jesus preaches and

00:10:55.250 --> 00:10:57.669
teaches, and he heals everybody. And I'm thinking,

00:10:57.730 --> 00:10:59.289
this is a perfect opportunity. They're all in

00:10:59.289 --> 00:11:02.389
one place, right? They're gathered. Why did he

00:11:02.389 --> 00:11:07.320
do this? he goes right by everybody else to a

00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:10.620
man who was sick and diseased for 38 years, right?

00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:14.080
And this guy is so diseased, he's to the point

00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:16.259
he can't even get to the water fast enough when

00:11:16.259 --> 00:11:18.620
the water does stir. He's desperate for some

00:11:18.620 --> 00:11:21.740
help when the water stirs. A guy who's been to

00:11:21.740 --> 00:11:24.799
every doctor probably spent all his money trying

00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:28.940
to get well. Years, not days, not weeks, not

00:11:28.940 --> 00:11:33.490
months, years waiting, believing, hoping. That

00:11:33.490 --> 00:11:36.529
he's going to get healed somehow. Years waiting

00:11:36.529 --> 00:11:41.149
to feel whole and to feel complete and free of

00:11:41.149 --> 00:11:45.710
disease. Years. And all of a sudden, on a random

00:11:45.710 --> 00:11:49.690
day, a man who he does not know walks up to him

00:11:49.690 --> 00:11:53.490
and asks him just one question. Jesus comes up

00:11:53.490 --> 00:11:57.490
and says, do you want to be made well? One question.

00:11:58.640 --> 00:12:00.580
Jesus doesn't come up and introduce himself.

00:12:00.700 --> 00:12:03.059
He doesn't come up and say, hey, I'm Jesus, right?

00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:05.919
I'm the Messiah. He doesn't come up and ask this

00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:08.519
man all about his problem. He doesn't try to

00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:11.360
get a long history of when this all started and

00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:13.659
how did it progress and how did you get to this

00:12:13.659 --> 00:12:16.940
point, right? Jesus walks up to a guy that does

00:12:16.940 --> 00:12:19.320
not know him at all and says, do you want to

00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:22.059
be made well? And at first read, when you're

00:12:22.059 --> 00:12:24.240
looking at this passage, that seems like a little

00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:26.320
bit of a ridiculous question to ask in this place,

00:12:26.539 --> 00:12:29.879
right? In this place. Of course the guy wants

00:12:29.879 --> 00:12:31.639
to be made well. That's why everybody's there.

00:12:31.980 --> 00:12:33.759
That's why they're all sitting around the pool,

00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:37.320
right? How many of you wasn't hanging out there

00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:40.279
at the pool to get a tan? Right? He wasn't working

00:12:40.279 --> 00:12:44.179
on the bronze tan. He wasn't there relaxing the

00:12:44.179 --> 00:12:47.000
cool of the day, you know, and sipping on a lemonade

00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:48.519
and just hopping in the pool and getting out

00:12:48.519 --> 00:12:50.379
when he gets a little overheated. That's not

00:12:50.379 --> 00:12:52.379
why he was there. This pool was the equivalent

00:12:52.379 --> 00:12:55.120
to hanging out at the ER at your local hospital.

00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:58.710
All right? How many of you have ever gone to

00:12:58.710 --> 00:13:00.870
the ER, and when you get in there, everybody's

00:13:00.870 --> 00:13:02.169
sick, and you look around, and you're thinking,

00:13:02.269 --> 00:13:03.929
they're a lot sicker than I am. Maybe I'm just

00:13:03.929 --> 00:13:06.049
going to leave, right? I don't know if I came

00:13:06.049 --> 00:13:07.450
in here sick, but I'm probably going to leave

00:13:07.450 --> 00:13:10.690
here sick. I'll take my chances with whatever

00:13:10.690 --> 00:13:13.509
I brought with me coming into this place. That's

00:13:13.509 --> 00:13:16.049
what this was. There were people everywhere.

00:13:16.250 --> 00:13:19.850
So why does Jesus walk up, pass everybody up,

00:13:19.970 --> 00:13:22.889
and ask one question, why do you want to be healed,

00:13:22.950 --> 00:13:26.250
to one guy? I think he was teaching his disciples

00:13:26.250 --> 00:13:29.620
something. I really do. I believe the first step

00:13:29.620 --> 00:13:33.259
of healing in any area of our life begins with

00:13:33.259 --> 00:13:36.559
the want to. Any area of your life that needs

00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:40.480
wholeness, wellness, health, healing of some

00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:44.279
kind, it all begins with the want to. The journey

00:13:44.279 --> 00:13:47.179
of healing cannot even begin in our lives without

00:13:47.179 --> 00:13:51.960
the want to factor. Do you want to be made well?

00:13:52.580 --> 00:13:57.610
By me, Jesus. We need to have the want -to factor.

00:13:57.789 --> 00:14:00.149
If we want Jesus to do something in our lives,

00:14:00.289 --> 00:14:04.009
we have to want him to do it. We've got to have

00:14:04.009 --> 00:14:07.230
that desire. We cannot get to a place of wholeness

00:14:07.230 --> 00:14:11.090
and health in Jesus without a want -to factor

00:14:11.090 --> 00:14:13.090
in our lives. Turn to somebody beside you and

00:14:13.090 --> 00:14:14.210
shake them because they might want to sleep.

00:14:14.509 --> 00:14:17.230
Tell them, do you want to? Come on. Do you want

00:14:17.230 --> 00:14:21.710
to? You've got to have the want -to. If you want

00:14:21.710 --> 00:14:25.149
to be made well. Do you want to be healed of

00:14:25.149 --> 00:14:28.049
whatever's plaguing your body? Causing pain,

00:14:28.330 --> 00:14:32.590
discomfort, frustration, right? Do you want to

00:14:32.590 --> 00:14:35.370
be healed of what's plaguing your mind? That's

00:14:35.370 --> 00:14:37.690
circling. How many of you circle in your mind?

00:14:37.789 --> 00:14:39.950
When those thoughts begin to intrude, they just

00:14:39.950 --> 00:14:42.789
keep coming back, right? You want to be healed

00:14:42.789 --> 00:14:44.870
by it? You want to be healed by what's crushing

00:14:44.870 --> 00:14:48.970
your soul, your spirit? Do you really want to

00:14:48.970 --> 00:14:53.090
be healed? It's a want -to factor. I know it

00:14:53.090 --> 00:14:55.870
sounds like a given, right? It sounds like a

00:14:55.870 --> 00:14:59.070
senseless question to ask. And I know we might

00:14:59.070 --> 00:15:01.690
all have asked, absolutely I want Jesus to heal

00:15:01.690 --> 00:15:04.250
whatever I got going on, right? I want to be

00:15:04.250 --> 00:15:06.730
whole in whatever is not so whole right now in

00:15:06.730 --> 00:15:09.389
my life. Of course I want that. Of course. But

00:15:09.389 --> 00:15:11.990
it's not as obvious as it sounds. Because yes

00:15:11.990 --> 00:15:15.409
to the question with Jesus, do I want to be made

00:15:15.409 --> 00:15:18.509
well? With Jesus entails more than just a wish

00:15:18.509 --> 00:15:23.059
to be healed. Yes to Jesus, the question, right,

00:15:23.139 --> 00:15:25.340
do I want to be made well by Jesus, includes

00:15:25.340 --> 00:15:28.159
am I willing to do what Jesus says next to be

00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:31.320
healed. When we're talking about Jesus in his

00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:34.620
statement, yes to Jesus' question of do you want

00:15:34.620 --> 00:15:37.919
to be made well includes a willingness to do

00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:43.360
what Jesus says to do next. We all like the no

00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:46.059
strings attached approach to give me whatever

00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:47.940
I want or whatever I need in the moment. Amen?

00:15:48.699 --> 00:15:51.259
Am I the only one? Come on, let's just be truthful.

00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:55.379
We all want the Christmas present every single

00:15:55.379 --> 00:15:57.970
day of our lives. Wouldn't that be amazing? You

00:15:57.970 --> 00:16:00.330
got up and there's a present for you on the table

00:16:00.330 --> 00:16:02.669
every single day, right? Not once a year you

00:16:02.669 --> 00:16:04.809
didn't do anything to deserve it. You didn't

00:16:04.809 --> 00:16:06.809
do anything. It's just right there. It's why

00:16:06.809 --> 00:16:08.889
millions of people play the lottery to win the

00:16:08.889 --> 00:16:12.090
1 point, what was it, 1 .6, 1 .8, 1 point something

00:16:12.090 --> 00:16:14.970
billion dollars, right? It's because they want

00:16:14.970 --> 00:16:16.889
what they want when they want it with no strings

00:16:16.889 --> 00:16:20.570
attached. Jesus gave me, Jesus, you know, I just

00:16:20.570 --> 00:16:22.429
want this. Just give it to me. Just give it to

00:16:22.429 --> 00:16:24.570
me, please, right? Or stomp, stomp, stomp, kind

00:16:24.570 --> 00:16:26.389
of like my grandchildren do sometimes, right?

00:16:26.409 --> 00:16:29.220
Just give it to me. They throw, how many of you

00:16:29.220 --> 00:16:30.860
know what a pitch and a fit is? Anybody know

00:16:30.860 --> 00:16:33.860
what I'm talking about, right? We call it an

00:16:33.860 --> 00:16:35.659
ever -living fit. I don't know what that means,

00:16:35.779 --> 00:16:37.659
but somehow that's higher in the ranks, all right?

00:16:37.860 --> 00:16:39.779
You can pitch a fit, but if you pitch an ever

00:16:39.779 --> 00:16:41.519
-living fit, that's a whole different level,

00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:44.059
right? Give me what I want, the snack, the candy,

00:16:44.139 --> 00:16:46.740
the toy, whatever it is. I'm going to pitch an

00:16:46.740 --> 00:16:49.620
ever -living fit. Jesus was teaching his disciples

00:16:49.620 --> 00:16:53.360
something. This is how it works in the kingdom

00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:57.940
of God, right? Understand something. It is Christ

00:16:57.940 --> 00:17:00.639
who provides the power. It is Jesus Christ who

00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:04.119
supplies the resources. He has the answer. His

00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:07.200
hand is not short in supplying anything that

00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:10.599
you need. Any healing that you need, he's available

00:17:10.599 --> 00:17:14.339
and can do it. He has all the resources at his

00:17:14.339 --> 00:17:16.900
disposal. He can speak the world into existence.

00:17:17.180 --> 00:17:19.140
He can fix anything that you've got going on.

00:17:19.420 --> 00:17:21.819
He's just looking for somebody who wants to be

00:17:21.819 --> 00:17:24.500
made well, who's going to say yes, and they're

00:17:24.500 --> 00:17:28.500
willing to do what's next. Jesus asked this man,

00:17:28.759 --> 00:17:32.240
do you want to be made well? And when he was

00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:34.059
convinced that this man actually wanted to be

00:17:34.059 --> 00:17:36.880
made well, Jesus commands this man to do one

00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:40.960
thing. Jesus said to him in verse 8, rise, take

00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:44.559
up your bed, and walk. And the word of God says

00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:47.640
it immediately. The man was made well, took up

00:17:47.640 --> 00:17:52.980
his bed, and walked. When Jesus asks me if I

00:17:52.980 --> 00:17:56.039
want to be made well, I have to ask myself the

00:17:56.039 --> 00:17:59.480
question, am I willing to do what Jesus is going

00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:02.180
to say next? He's got the power. He's got the

00:18:02.180 --> 00:18:05.079
presence. He can do it in a word, but am I willing

00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:08.400
to do what he's calling me to do next? What if,

00:18:08.579 --> 00:18:12.559
what if that man would have said, I just don't

00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:15.859
want to get up, Jesus. I don't want to do it.

00:18:16.420 --> 00:18:20.490
I've been here this long. I'm not picking up

00:18:20.490 --> 00:18:23.509
my mat. That's illegal to do on the Sabbath day.

00:18:23.589 --> 00:18:25.450
That's why it mentions it in there, right? You

00:18:25.450 --> 00:18:27.930
weren't allowed to pick up your mat on the Sabbath

00:18:27.930 --> 00:18:33.869
day. I can't do it, Jesus. What if he never attempted

00:18:33.869 --> 00:18:36.670
to move? I've been in this condition so long,

00:18:36.789 --> 00:18:40.690
Jesus. I don't even know who you are because

00:18:40.690 --> 00:18:42.970
he didn't even know his name, right? You know,

00:18:42.990 --> 00:18:44.549
you're just some guy that walks through the middle

00:18:44.549 --> 00:18:46.349
of the crowd. You got some other guys following

00:18:46.349 --> 00:18:48.269
you. You know, you're this joker who come up

00:18:48.269 --> 00:18:50.589
to me and ask this question of me. This one question,

00:18:50.809 --> 00:18:53.210
who are you anyway? Why don't you just go away

00:18:53.210 --> 00:18:55.150
and let me alone in my misery? He could have

00:18:55.150 --> 00:18:58.789
done all those things. But Jesus asked one question,

00:18:58.869 --> 00:19:00.910
do you want to be made well? This guy doesn't

00:19:00.910 --> 00:19:02.809
know, it's Jesus. He doesn't know he's talking

00:19:02.809 --> 00:19:07.710
to the Son of God. And Jesus says, rise up. I

00:19:07.710 --> 00:19:10.250
think the moment, I don't know this for certain.

00:19:10.329 --> 00:19:12.130
I'll tell you when something's my opinion and

00:19:12.130 --> 00:19:15.230
when it isn't. But when he said, when Jesus saw

00:19:15.230 --> 00:19:17.690
that he wanted to be made well, I think the moment

00:19:17.690 --> 00:19:20.430
that man tried to move, the moment that man began

00:19:20.430 --> 00:19:22.849
to listen to the command of Christ to rise, take

00:19:22.849 --> 00:19:26.990
up your bed, healing his body. And he stood up

00:19:26.990 --> 00:19:31.970
and he grabbed his mat. This man met Jesus. Look

00:19:31.970 --> 00:19:34.250
at it. Jesus, look at him in the eye. Look at

00:19:34.250 --> 00:19:37.240
him in the eye of a stranger. Truly. And had

00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:39.640
enough faith into the man who was talking to

00:19:39.640 --> 00:19:43.339
him to follow his command. Rise, take up your

00:19:43.339 --> 00:19:48.799
bed, and walk. And he did what he hadn't done

00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:54.519
in years. He walked out different. I believe

00:19:54.519 --> 00:19:57.000
Jesus was teaching his disciples. I think he

00:19:57.000 --> 00:19:58.559
was showing them because he could have preached.

00:19:58.779 --> 00:20:00.359
He could have healed everybody in that place.

00:20:00.420 --> 00:20:02.779
He had the power to do it. He had the power to

00:20:02.779 --> 00:20:06.000
do it. If we want to be made well in any area

00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:08.619
of our lives, we've got to be willing to do what

00:20:08.619 --> 00:20:13.339
God says to do next. You see, yes to Him, to

00:20:13.339 --> 00:20:16.079
Christ, and being made well means I've got to

00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:18.559
be willing to do what's next. His next command,

00:20:18.859 --> 00:20:22.059
His next instruction, the next thing that God

00:20:22.059 --> 00:20:24.500
says in the Word of God as you're reading it.

00:20:25.500 --> 00:20:29.660
Amen? It's true. I can't tell you how many people

00:20:29.660 --> 00:20:32.200
that have asked me to pray over them as a pastor.

00:20:33.170 --> 00:20:35.869
And I knew in my heart, they wanted to be made

00:20:35.869 --> 00:20:37.829
well in an area, but I knew in my heart they

00:20:37.829 --> 00:20:39.349
weren't willing to do what God was going to say

00:20:39.349 --> 00:20:43.029
to do next. I knew it, right? Sometimes I just

00:20:43.029 --> 00:20:45.089
wanted to stop and say, let's not waste our time.

00:20:45.970 --> 00:20:49.460
Your time, my time, anybody's time, right? They're

00:20:49.460 --> 00:20:52.420
not willing to walk away from the toxic relationship

00:20:52.420 --> 00:20:54.799
that they're in. They're unequally yoked. Man,

00:20:54.859 --> 00:20:56.559
I used to run into this all the time when I was

00:20:56.559 --> 00:20:58.660
a youth pastor. That was 100 years ago, I know,

00:20:58.700 --> 00:21:01.119
but it's still the same principle, right? You

00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:03.099
know, when I was a youth pastor, they're unequally

00:21:03.099 --> 00:21:04.960
yoked. They're dating somebody that's not a believer.

00:21:05.220 --> 00:21:07.380
And I'm like, you know, hey, the Word of God

00:21:07.380 --> 00:21:09.779
is clearness. And the next step is just to follow

00:21:09.779 --> 00:21:11.519
what Jesus said. They don't want to do it. And

00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:13.460
they want to be whole and healthy and well in

00:21:13.460 --> 00:21:15.440
their relationship, but they're not willing to

00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:18.339
follow what God says. They won't follow his command.

00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:20.339
They won't follow his word. They won't follow

00:21:20.339 --> 00:21:22.500
the prompting of the Holy Spirit that's tugging

00:21:22.500 --> 00:21:24.559
on their heart, telling them to do this or do

00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:27.500
that, right? They won't forgive somebody, right?

00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:29.339
And they won't. They won't. They won't forgive

00:21:29.339 --> 00:21:31.460
someone or they don't want to offer forgiveness

00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:34.900
of any kind. They just want what they want. Stomp,

00:21:35.140 --> 00:21:39.339
stomp, stomp. And you've got to be willing to

00:21:39.339 --> 00:21:46.000
do what Jesus says next. We're about to launch

00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:49.160
into reading God's Word over the course of this

00:21:49.160 --> 00:21:52.500
next year. Do you know why some people don't

00:21:52.500 --> 00:21:55.640
read the Word of God? They don't want to know

00:21:55.640 --> 00:21:57.059
what God's Word has to say because it's going

00:21:57.059 --> 00:22:00.119
to tell you what to do next a lot of times. They

00:22:00.119 --> 00:22:03.259
don't want to read it. Ignorance is bliss. They're

00:22:03.259 --> 00:22:06.579
just looking for the quick fix. A lot of people

00:22:06.579 --> 00:22:09.140
chase the presence of God and ignore the Word

00:22:09.140 --> 00:22:11.920
of God. They'll chase the presence of God, but

00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:13.940
they'll ignore the Word of God. You can't do

00:22:13.940 --> 00:22:17.299
it. Sometimes I think, you know, and again, this

00:22:17.299 --> 00:22:18.960
is my opinion. I'm only going to throw two opinions

00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:21.559
in today, and you can take this. This doesn't

00:22:21.559 --> 00:22:23.099
cost you anything, and you can just chuck it

00:22:23.099 --> 00:22:26.140
if you want to, right? But sometimes I think

00:22:26.140 --> 00:22:28.019
when somebody comes to God like that, if God

00:22:28.019 --> 00:22:30.380
made him well in the middle of their disobedience

00:22:30.380 --> 00:22:32.539
to him, wouldn't he actually be kind of enabling

00:22:32.539 --> 00:22:37.000
bad behavior? We've got to be willing. We've

00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:39.720
got to be willing to do what God says next. Jesus

00:22:39.720 --> 00:22:41.960
was teaching his disciples. I'm going to ask

00:22:41.960 --> 00:22:44.569
the worship team to come. He was teaching them.

00:22:45.569 --> 00:22:49.150
If we want to be made well, we've got to be ready

00:22:49.150 --> 00:22:55.509
to do what God tells us to do next. Let me give

00:22:55.509 --> 00:22:58.210
you a biblical example of what I'm talking about,

00:22:58.289 --> 00:22:59.349
and then we're going to get ready to take communion.

00:23:00.710 --> 00:23:05.170
If I want to be made well spiritually in my life,

00:23:05.269 --> 00:23:07.609
if I'm in need of spiritual healing because,

00:23:07.710 --> 00:23:11.589
well, I'm not well, I'm sin sick. Because that's

00:23:11.589 --> 00:23:13.950
what sin does. Sin separates you from God. Sin

00:23:13.950 --> 00:23:18.890
makes you sick. And the first question that Jesus

00:23:18.890 --> 00:23:21.990
is going to pose to my sin -sick heart, right,

00:23:22.029 --> 00:23:23.769
if you're caught in sin and you're away from

00:23:23.769 --> 00:23:25.809
God, he's going to ask you, do you want to be

00:23:25.809 --> 00:23:28.250
made well? Because he's the only way to get well,

00:23:28.410 --> 00:23:31.930
right? We cannot be saved from sin if we don't

00:23:31.930 --> 00:23:33.829
believe that sin's killing us in the first place.

00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:36.539
That sin brings death into our lives. That sin

00:23:36.539 --> 00:23:38.759
separated me from God. So the first question

00:23:38.759 --> 00:23:42.140
we ask, or the spirit of God or God, Jesus himself

00:23:42.140 --> 00:23:45.720
asks, do you want to be made well spiritually?

00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:51.200
And hopefully the answer is yes. I know I'm sin

00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:53.779
sick, Lord. I know I'm far from you. I want to

00:23:53.779 --> 00:23:56.819
be made well. I want to be that. But what does

00:23:56.819 --> 00:23:59.440
the word of God say happens next? Well, you can

00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:03.450
go to Romans 10, 9 and 10. It says this, that

00:24:03.450 --> 00:24:05.150
if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus

00:24:05.150 --> 00:24:06.569
and believe in your heart that God raised him

00:24:06.569 --> 00:24:08.470
from the dead, you will be saved for with the

00:24:08.470 --> 00:24:10.650
heart one believes unto righteousness and with

00:24:10.650 --> 00:24:12.269
the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

00:24:13.069 --> 00:24:16.309
So step one is, I let Jesus know that I'm willing

00:24:16.309 --> 00:24:18.789
to be made well spiritually, right? That I believe

00:24:18.789 --> 00:24:21.569
in him, and I believe that he's the way to salvation,

00:24:21.789 --> 00:24:24.289
the way to health, and that he shed his blood

00:24:24.289 --> 00:24:27.269
for my sins, and he paid the price I can't pay,

00:24:27.430 --> 00:24:30.210
right? I believe all that. But step two, we overlook

00:24:30.210 --> 00:24:32.750
a lot of times. Oh, step two is that we confess

00:24:32.750 --> 00:24:35.789
Jesus as Lord. That's a whole other ballgame.

00:24:35.910 --> 00:24:37.809
The first one is all the power of God in your

00:24:37.809 --> 00:24:40.670
life to wash you clean of sin. The second one

00:24:40.670 --> 00:24:43.049
is that I'm going to make him Lord and I confess

00:24:43.049 --> 00:24:45.690
him as Lord. Do you know what it is if somebody's

00:24:45.690 --> 00:24:47.910
Lord in your life? That means they're number

00:24:47.910 --> 00:24:50.250
one. That means that you're going to listen to

00:24:50.250 --> 00:24:51.849
what they have to say. You're going to follow

00:24:51.849 --> 00:24:54.880
what... The way that he tells you to live. Lord

00:24:54.880 --> 00:24:58.299
means that he is a number one in our lives. And

00:24:58.299 --> 00:25:00.779
if we're going to, we got to believe, right?

00:25:00.859 --> 00:25:03.619
We love that part because that's all him washing

00:25:03.619 --> 00:25:05.839
us clean. But then you got to confess him as

00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:10.619
Lord. He's Lord if you stand. Water baptism.

00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:13.059
One of our favorite times that we have water

00:25:13.059 --> 00:25:15.960
baptism. It's about a public confession, right?

00:25:16.700 --> 00:25:22.130
As Jesus as Savior and Lord. This is the way

00:25:22.130 --> 00:25:27.009
I'm made spiritually whole and well. We love

00:25:27.009 --> 00:25:29.569
the unconditional part of God's love. We really

00:25:29.569 --> 00:25:32.529
do. But a lot of times we miss the conditions.

00:25:34.250 --> 00:25:38.009
God's love is unconditional. His blessing and

00:25:38.009 --> 00:25:41.210
favor is always conditional. Read your Bible.

00:25:41.470 --> 00:25:45.150
It'll tell you. Always. Can't get away from the

00:25:45.150 --> 00:25:47.190
love of God. You can go to the depths of hell.

00:25:47.349 --> 00:25:49.930
You cannot get away from the love of God. And

00:25:49.930 --> 00:25:53.809
his desire for you. But his blessing and his

00:25:53.809 --> 00:25:56.890
favor and what he's going to do in your life,

00:25:57.029 --> 00:26:02.410
it is conditional. Your miracle, your healing,

00:26:02.549 --> 00:26:05.670
your wholeness could be just on the other side

00:26:05.670 --> 00:26:09.130
of your obedience to what God says next. And

00:26:09.130 --> 00:26:14.069
you're like, really good. Communion is about

00:26:14.069 --> 00:26:20.000
remembering the price that Jesus paid. that first

00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:22.940
part that I talked about that you cannot do on

00:26:22.940 --> 00:26:27.160
your own. That first part of Jesus died for your

00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:30.799
sin. He paid the price that you could not pay

00:26:30.799 --> 00:26:35.599
for sin because it was death. That's what communion

00:26:35.599 --> 00:26:38.440
is all about. But as we take communion today,

00:26:38.700 --> 00:26:42.200
I want us to ask ourselves the question, am I

00:26:42.200 --> 00:26:44.859
willing to do what's next? Am I willing to do

00:26:44.859 --> 00:26:46.160
what's next? So I'm asking you to bow your heads.

00:26:46.579 --> 00:26:48.180
I want you to take a moment. The Word of God

00:26:48.180 --> 00:26:50.059
says we should always take community in an orderly

00:26:50.059 --> 00:26:52.059
manner. And I want you to ask yourself the question,

00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:55.680
if you're in the house this morning, and you

00:26:55.680 --> 00:26:57.500
got sin in your life, and you're separated from

00:26:57.500 --> 00:27:00.759
God, this is the moment in time when you, Jesus

00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:04.099
made it so easy, this part of it. He paid the

00:27:04.099 --> 00:27:06.660
price for all of it. It's paid in full, actually.

00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:08.720
All you have to do is receive it. It's the gift

00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:12.700
of God. And if you want to be reconciled to God,

00:27:12.779 --> 00:27:15.059
if you want to be in relationship with God, that's

00:27:15.059 --> 00:27:16.759
you in the house this morning. You've never done

00:27:16.759 --> 00:27:19.049
that. Just raise your hand up, put it back down.

00:27:19.109 --> 00:27:20.190
I'm going to lead you in a prayer. That's all

00:27:20.190 --> 00:27:24.089
I'm going to do. Get in the house. All right.

00:27:24.170 --> 00:27:26.730
For all the rest of you, I want you to hear.

00:27:29.569 --> 00:27:31.589
I don't know whether you need wholeness and healing

00:27:31.589 --> 00:27:34.170
in your life. I don't know if it's in your mind.

00:27:34.609 --> 00:27:37.730
I don't know if it's in your soul. You've been

00:27:37.730 --> 00:27:40.289
injured. Man, your mind, will, and emotions are

00:27:40.289 --> 00:27:45.210
a mess. I don't know if it's a physical need.

00:27:47.650 --> 00:27:50.829
So many other things. Financially, ask yourself

00:27:50.829 --> 00:27:55.930
the question. Am I going to say yes to the one

00:27:55.930 --> 00:27:58.910
dude? Do I want him to heal me? Do I want him

00:27:58.910 --> 00:28:02.349
to make me whole? And am I willing to do what

00:28:02.349 --> 00:28:09.890
he tells me to do next? Serious question. Father,

00:28:09.970 --> 00:28:11.329
I come to you today. I thank you for each one

00:28:11.329 --> 00:28:14.480
in the house. Lord, I believe. God, when you

00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:16.460
walked, Jesus, when you walked past all those

00:28:16.460 --> 00:28:18.880
other sick folk, and Lord, you went to this man

00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:22.380
who was willing. God, to the man at the pool

00:28:22.380 --> 00:28:25.539
of Bethesda who you asked the question, do you

00:28:25.539 --> 00:28:28.299
want to be made well? And he said, yes, he do.

00:28:28.519 --> 00:28:30.339
He actually didn't even say it. You saw it in

00:28:30.339 --> 00:28:33.140
him. And the next thing you did is you commanded

00:28:33.140 --> 00:28:36.200
him to stand, rise up, and take his mat. And

00:28:36.200 --> 00:28:39.579
he did. And Lord, you healed him. God, we come

00:28:39.579 --> 00:28:42.259
with hearts ready. Lord, for the next thing you

00:28:42.259 --> 00:28:44.660
speak to us. Lord, we know that you have the

00:28:44.660 --> 00:28:46.920
power to supply the healing. We know that you

00:28:46.920 --> 00:28:48.859
have the power to supply the wholeness in our

00:28:48.859 --> 00:28:53.900
life. But am I willing to do what's next? Lord,

00:28:53.900 --> 00:28:56.019
I ask for each person in this house, as we get

00:28:56.019 --> 00:29:00.859
ready to launch into 2026, to answer that question,

00:29:01.079 --> 00:29:03.819
I will do whatever you tell me to do next, Jesus.

00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:06.660
Whether it's in your word, whether the Holy Spirit

00:29:06.660 --> 00:29:09.779
reveals it to me, however you choose to show

00:29:09.779 --> 00:29:15.569
me. In Jesus' name, amen. I can't think of a

00:29:15.569 --> 00:29:18.589
better way to go into 2026 than hearing the word

00:29:18.589 --> 00:29:21.329
of God. Right? Whether it's through the written

00:29:21.329 --> 00:29:23.609
word or the revelation of God through the Holy

00:29:23.609 --> 00:29:25.190
Spirit in your life, I can't think of a better

00:29:25.190 --> 00:29:28.569
way to launch into 2026. Because whatever you

00:29:28.569 --> 00:29:30.609
need to be holding is just on the other side

00:29:30.609 --> 00:29:42.740
of what God's calling you to do next. Amen? to

00:29:42.740 --> 00:29:46.200
this message from Lifehouse Church. We pray that

00:29:46.200 --> 00:29:48.539
you were impacted powerfully by this message.

00:29:48.859 --> 00:29:51.880
If you have been personally affected by our ministry

00:29:51.880 --> 00:29:54.660
and you would like to partner with us as we love

00:29:54.660 --> 00:29:57.779
God, love people every day, visit our website

00:29:57.779 --> 00:29:58.220
at