Do You Want To Get Well
Luke 19:28-40 John5:1-15 Palm Sunday Calvary 4/2/2012
Jesus Christ came into this world to give people another chance at life. Palm Sunday was his announcement to the world that he was the king they had been waiting for to turn their lives around. One of the problems Jesus ran into, was that many people did not even know they needed a change, or that they needed to turn from anything.
Have you ever ran into someone whom you knew the person needed help, but the person was just as sure he or she was fine just like they were. I know of a young single mother who has three kids. All of them are under 14 and totally out of control. They’ve been kicked out of school, and are barred from their grandmother’s home. She has been beaten by her boyfriend and gotten restraining orders against him. Now she’s pregnant once again, by the boyfriend who was beating her. I look at her story being repeated again and again and I wonder, “do you want to get well.” Do we want to be changed by the power of God? Do we want more than what life throws at us.
Palm Sunday takes place on the Sunday before Jesus is going to be killed on a cross. Jesus knows when he comes to Jerusalem, he is going to be killed by the very same people he was coming to help. Though there were some who were eager to receive Christ, Jesus knew that there were those in the crowd waving and shouting with palms who were not really with him. Are you really with Jesus today?
What makes the difference in peoples lives in their reception of Jesus is their attitude. Jesus can do practically nothing for the person who believes, I am fine just like I am or for the person who decides to be content just making excuses and blaming someone else. If you think you have it altogether already, you won’t hear God calling for you, and you won’t call out for God until something tragic happens.
Our attitude is a choice. It is something that’s very valuable, because it lets us be in control of how we feel inside. If attitude was not a choice, we could not follow Christ, because Jesus requires of us some unexpected attitudes in certain situations.
There was a man we met in our Scriptures today who had been paralyzed in his legs for some 38 years. He was near the pool of Bethesda, because of a rumor that he had heard.
It went like this, every now and then an angel would come and stir the waters. Whoever was the first person in the pool when the waters were stirred would be healed of whatever disease or sickness they had. Now people gathered here because this was like a building with a roof being held up by five colonades, but no walls. It gave you some relief from the weather. There were plenty of people there who would be begging for financial support.
Let’s name this guy at the pool Ronnie. Ronnie is unable to walk. His goal is to get to the pool before anybody else so that he can be healed. But what is his strategy. He is going to look and see when the waters get stirred so that he can take action. But consider this. He cannot walk. He cannot run. He has not made provisions for anyone to be by his side if the waters are stirred. He’s been using this same strategy for 38 years and he’s still in the same shape. Does Ronnie have a realistic plan for a change in his life. How many people have a goal in life with no realistic chances of reaching it. They just hoping for the big one.
One day something different happens. A guy is headed in his direction with a look of compassion on his face. Ronnie is probably thinking, this guy is going to leave me a good amount of change in my begging cup. The closer he gets to Ronnie, the happier Ronnie gets. You can just see the compassion in this guy’s eyes. The guy approaching him is Jesus, but Ronnie’s been at the pool so he has no idea what Jesus looks like.
Jesus comes to Ronnie, and asks the question: Do you want to get well? You’d expect Ronnie to shout out, “Sir if I could be made well it would be the happiest day of my life. If you have an answer for my condition, please tell me immediately.” But that’s not what Ronnie does. Ronnie responds, “Sir, 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.”
Jesus did not ask him what was keeping him out of the pool. He asked him if He wanted to get well. What had happened to Ronnie, that he was pointing the finger at others for him being there at the pool for 38 years. I wonder how much Ronnie is in us today. We could be growing in God and getting closer to God, but instead we are blaming someone else for our tempers, for our lack of control, for our failures, and our refusal to change.
But Jesus asks us the same question, do you want to get well.
There are a couple of reason Ronnie might not have wanted to get well. First, he’s gotten comfortable with things the way they are. In 38 years, he probably knows by name a group of the people who sit there each day. They have become friends of a sort. He’s learned the routine of what to expect and who to try to avoid. He knows that others do not expect much out of him. The longer he’s there, the more likely people are to feel sorry for him, and increase their giving in his cup. He knows who the big donors are and how to look really pitiful. Hey it may not be a great living, but it is a living just the same. Plus he knows some people that are a lot worse off than he is. He has learned how to be content.
Ronnie may not want to face the unexpected if he were healed and made well. That would mean having to get a job and take responsibility for himself. That would mean he’d have to change, meet new people and new friends. A healing would mean saying goodbye to old friends and the possibility of a failure of a type he had not known before. He may have had status in that group at the pool. He may have been there longer than anybody else and how all kinds of stories to tell. He may have even had his own spot. Others knew, don’t sit over there. That’s Ronnie’s spot.
When Jesus asks you and me, do you want to get well. What is it that Jesus is asking us to let go of so that He can empower us to become greater than we are. Today is the one year anniversary of our partnership agreement with Glenville New Life Community Church. We had a two year agreement in which we would share the pastoral team of Pastor Toby, Pastor Kellie and Pastor Rick. Our goal has been to help Calvary realize its potential to become a great church in God on this corner in this community.
In some ways we have made some great progress. We have touched more people in our community and in our world than we have in the past few years. We have 28,000 viewings of our Roku broadcasts. We touch about 90 people a month with our hot meal and another 30 with our generous food bags. People have commented on having watched our tv broadcasts.
We’ve been proud of our building changes from new classrooms, to lighting, to air conditioning and on to our handicap access ramp and pew space. We have had more youth in our programming on Saturdays and Sundays. Our youth have had day camps, vacation bible school, overnight camps, and a trip to New York. We have provided you with opportunities to serve at ministry functions and to give in support of them. Some of you have been outstanding in your service and in your giving during this past year.
Yet I still see Jesus coming to us this Palm Sunday asking, Calvary do you want to get well. A year ago, some of us would have said, “whenever we get try to reach the pool, the Presbytery was holding us back.” Well the Presbytery Commission has been gone for a year. Some of us simply replaced the complaint of the Presbytery with the complaint of the pastors or the changes in worship. I wonder how many of us told more people about the style of clothing the pastors wore, than they told about how to get saved at Calvary.
Calvary does not belong to anyone person, or group of persons. Calvary belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are either seeking to build the body or to tear it down. A church can stand against the wiles of Satan, but it will crumble when its members allow murmuring and complaining to go unchecked and unchallenged.
The one thing I pray we carry into our second year that was missing the first, is a spirit of unity in Christ outside the church. Nobody likes everything about a church and how it operates. But our call is to love Jesus Christ and to love the people who are in His church. We do not have to agree on everything. None of us are always right including us as leaders. We tried some things that we hoped would work, but they either did not work or they produced problems in another way that were not foreseen.
But I’d rather try something for God and fail, than do nothing but hope against hope for 38 years lying by a pool blaming somebody else. I know that there will always be those in our midst, who cannot be trusted. But I’d rather give you my trust and hope for the best, than be skeptical and miss out on what God is trying to do. The worse that can happen to me, is what happened to Jesus. On Palm Sunday they smiled in his face, but yelled crucify him on Good Friday.
I look and I see the new people whom God is sending into our midst. People who are coming in asking where can I serve the church. People who are coming in saying “here are my tithes, where do I give it.” People who are coming in saying, “I just love this church.” When I see that, I know that somebody is praying at Calvary. I know that somebody is letting his or her light shine at Calvary. I know that somebody is excited about what God is doing at Calvary.
When the man Ronnie was expecting a little handout from Jesus, Jesus instead gave him the miracle of a lifetime. Jesus said, “ Get up. Pick up your mat and walk.” Jesus spoke with such authority Ronnie didn’t have time to come up with another excuse. The Scripture says, “At once he was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.” Jesus is looking at us and saying “that thing that has been holding you back. Get up, pick it up and walk. Jesus will not tell us to do something without giving us the power to make it happen.”
When you give your life to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will come upon you in power and enable you to do things you didn’t think possible. He will enable you to be set free, from what’s messing up your life. He will enable you to hold on just a little while longer. He will enable you to be healed so that you can get up and move on with your life. As a church, if we let Jesus be Lord in the building and out of the building, we will shock the world as we pick up our mat and walk. If we can say yes Lord, here I am use me. We can usher in the new Calvary with a desire to win people for the cause of Jesus Christ.
Come this time next year, I don’t want to be making excuses for why we didn’t pick up our mat. I want to be able to see faces I had not seen before helping to fill up these pews. I want to be able to see a solid youth choir singing strong every other week. I want to see a bible study filled with people who want to know what Life-Sharing really is all about. I want us to be able to say, we gave God our best as a congregation and look what God did. I want people saying we are the most generous and caring group of people in Cleveland.
I want us to be a church where you can walk right in and get knocked out by the presence of the Holy Spirit because our worship is filled with praise.
What’s your dream for Christ in your life? What’s your dream for what God can do in Calvary? Are you willing to drop complaining so that you pick up a heart of service? Are you willing to drop murmuring in order to pick up a heart of thanksgiving? Are you willing to drop fault finding and backbiting, in order to pickup the spirit to build a great church.
Palm Sunday shows us the shallowness of people’s commitment to go the distance with Jesus Christ. They went from “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” to “crucify Him, crucify him.” If He is the Son of God, let him come down from the cross so that we might believe. Jesus did not change in those few days. But those who were not firm in their commitment, were easily swayed by those who rejected the demands of change that Jesus represented. Have you made up your mind to stand firm in the Lord no matter what.
Palm Sunday also shows the stubbornness of some people’s hearts. They told Jesus to his face, “you don’t deserve all this praise, rebuke your disciples and tell them to knock it off.” Jesus’ response, if they got silent, even the rocks would cry out in praise. These people had no desire to be made whole by Jesus.
You remember, Ronnie. He took his new found freedom and immediately hooked up with the wrong crowd. In no time he was running some kind of a scam. I wonder if maybe he was back at the pool, pretending to be sick so as to get a free handout. Jesus found him at the temple and told him, “See you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
Instead of being grateful for his healing or repentant of his behavior, Ronnie tried to get Jesus in trouble with the authorities. He went and told the authorities, “Jesus is the one who made me break the Sabbath rules by telling me to pick up my mat and walk. He had not been healed for a day, before he was back to blaming somebody else for his troubles.
Ronnie needed what we all need which is a heart that can only be changed by surrendering it to Jesus Christ. Jesus was not shocked by what he experienced on Palm Sunday. He did not go to Jerusalem to hear people shout praises. He went to die on a cross because he knew that people like you and like me, are sick and need to be made well in the eyes of God. It’s not enough to just know Jesus did something for you. You have to believe he actually died for you so that you can be made well. You have to receive his work put your faith and trust in Him for it to do you any good. Jesus was just as concerned about Ronnie’s soul as he was his body. He’s also concerned about ours. Don’t just get a change in your situation and run away from God once again. Run toward Jesus and see what can really happen in your life.
Do You Want To Get Well
Luke 19:28-40 John5:1-15 Palm Sunday Calvary 4/2/2012
Jesus Christ came into this world to give people another chance at life. Palm Sunday was his announcement to the world that he was the king they had been waiting for to turn their lives around. One of the problems Jesus ran into, was that many people did not even know they needed a change, or that they needed to turn from anything.
Have you ever ran into someone whom you knew the person needed help, but the person was just as sure he or she was fine just like they were. I know of a young single mother who has three kids. All of them are under 14 and totally out of control. They’ve been kicked out of school, and are barred from their grandmother’s home. She has been beaten by her boyfriend and gotten restraining orders against him. Now she’s pregnant once again, by the boyfriend who was beating her. I look at her story being repeated again and again and I wonder, “do you want to get well.” Do we want to be changed by the power of God? Do we want more than what life throws at us.
Palm Sunday takes place on the Sunday before Jesus is going to be killed on a cross. Jesus knows when he comes to Jerusalem, he is going to be killed by the very same people he was coming to help. Though there were some who were eager to receive Christ, Jesus knew that there were those in the crowd waving and shouting with palms who were not really with him. Are you really with Jesus today?
What makes the difference in peoples lives in their reception of Jesus is their attitude. Jesus can do practically nothing for the person who believes, I am fine just like I am or for the person who decides to be content just making excuses and blaming someone else. If you think you have it altogether already, you won’t hear God calling for you, and you won’t call out for God until something tragic happens.
A. Attitude Is A Choice
1. It’s Valuable—Puts us In Charge Of Our Feelings
2. Jesus Directs Us To Have Certain Attitudes
B. Man By The Pool Of Bethesda
1. Been There 38 Years
2. Rumor Of The Angel Stirring The Water
3. Many People There—The Building-5 Colonades
C. Ronnie At The Pool
1. Unable To Walk
2. Goal Get There First
3. Strategy?? Can’t Walk, Run, No Provisions For Help
4. 38 Years Not Working
5. People Today With No Realistic Plans
6. Just Hoping For The Big One
D. Another Day At The Pool Almost
1. Guy Headed Toward Him, Eyes Of Compassion
2. Here Comes A Big Drop In The Can
3. It’s Jesus But Ronnie Does Not Know
4. Jesus—Do You Want To Get Well
5. Expect Ronnie To Shout Out Of Course
6. , “Sir, 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.”
7. Jesus Didn’t Ask What Was Keeping Him Out
E. Playing The Blame Game
1. Ronnie Blamed Others For 38 Years Of Poor Planning
2. How Much Of Ronnie Is Us Today
3. Blame Others-Tempers, Lack Of Control, Failures, Refusal
To Change
4. Jesus Ask Us Do We Want To Get Well
F. Why Ronnie May Not Have Wanted To Leave
1. Comfortable With The Way Things Were
2. 38—Years He Knew The People & Routine
3. Others Expected Little
4. Age Brought More Pity & More Money In The Cup
5. Not A Great Living –But A Living
6. Some People Are Worse Off Than He
7. Knew The Secret Of Being Content
G. Ronnie Resisted The Consequences Of Being Well
1. Have To Get A Job-Take Responsibility
2. Change—Meet New Friends
3. Goodbye To Old Friends Possibility Of Failure
4. Could Have Status In That Group At The Pool
5. May Have Been There The Longest With All Stories
6. May Have Had His Own Spot
H. When Jesus As Us-Do You Want To Get Well
1. What Do We No To Let Go Of For Empowerment
2. Today One Year Calvary Glenville Partnership Agreement
3. Pastoral Team
4. Goal Is To Help Calvary Realize It’s Full Potential
I. Progress That Has Been Made.
1. Touching People In The World & Community
2. 28,000 viewings Of Our Roku Channel
3. 90 Our Hot Meals 30 Our Generous Food Bags
4. People Commented On Local Broadcasts
5. Building Changes—Classrooms, Lights/ AC Access Ramp
Pew Space, Camera Security System
6. Technology—Phones Broadcasts
7. Youth-Day Camp, VBS, Overnight Camps, NY, SWAGG
8. Ministry Opportunities To Serve & Support
9. Some Of You Have Been Outstanding
J. Jesus Comes To Calvary, Do You Wish To Get Well
1. When We Try To Reach The Pool The Presbytery Commission
2. Changed The Complaint To The Pastors, Or The Worship
3. Spoke More Of The Pastors Clothing, Than How To Get Saved At Calvary
4. Calvary Does Not Belong To Individual Or Group But To Jesus
5. Building It Up Or Tearing It Down
6. Church Can Stand Against Satan-Not Against Unchecked Murmurings & Complaining
K. Prayer For The Second Year
1. Spirit Of Unity Outside The Church
2. No One Happy About Everything
3. Don’t Need To Agree On Everything
4. No One Right On Everything
5. Tried Some Things We Hoped Would Work That Did Not
6. I’d Rather Try & Fail Than Be Stuck For 38 years Blaming
7. Beware Of Trust- Trust & Fail Than Be Skeptical
8. Worse That Can Happen Is What Happened To Jesus
L. Vision For The Second Year
1. More Fish Being Caught
2. New People Coming In—Desire To Worship, Desire To Give
3. In Love With The People
4. Somebody’s Light Is Shining, Somebody Is Excited
M. Ronnie Was Expecting To Get A Handout
1. Jesus Gave Him The Miracle Of A LifeTime
2. Jesus Said-Pickup Your Mat and Walk
3. Such Authority-Ronnie Got Up Immediately
4. Jesus Looks At Us And Says The Same.
5. Jesus Only Tells Us To Do That Which He Empowers Us
To Do.
6. When You Give Your Life To Christ, The Holy Spirit Comes In Power & Enables You
7. Set You Free From What’s Messing Up You Life
8. The Church Will Shock The World If We Pick Up Our Mat
9. Say Yes Lord, Here I Am, Use Me
10. Usher In A New Calvary With A Desire To Win People
N. Come This Time Next Year
1. No Excuses For Not Picking Up Our Mat
2. Be Able To See Faces Filling Up Pews
3. See A Youth Choir Singing Strong
4. See A Growing Life-Sharing Class
5. See Leaders Wanting To Preach & Teach
6. Have Us Known As A Generous & Caring Church
7. Walk In Here & Get Knocked Out By The HS
8. Sit, Stand, Lay Down To Worship
9. What’s Your Dream For Christ In Your Life
10. What’s Your Dream For Calvary
11. Drop Complaining—Pick Up Heart For Service
12. Drop Murmuring—Pick Up Heart of Thanksgiving
13. Drop Fault Finding & Backbiting- Pickup Building A Great Church
0. Palm Sunday Reveals The Shallowness Of People’s Commitment
1. Hosanna Today—Crucify Tomorrow
2. People Easily Swayed By Those Rejecting Christ
3. Make Up Your Mind To Stand Firm
4. Stubbornness Of Some People’s Hearts
5. Tell Your Disciples To Be Quiet
6. Jesus The Rocks Will Cry Out
7. No Desire To Be Made Whole
P. Ronnie New Found Freedom Led To Wrong Crowd
1. Started A Scam—Back At The Pool?
2. Jesus- Stop Sinning Or Something Worse May Happen
3. Neither Grateful Of Repentent- Blames Jesus
4. Cycle Of Blaming
Q. We All Need A Heart Changed & Surrendered By Jesus Christ
1. Jesus Not Shocked By Palm Sunday
2. Didn’t Go To Jerusalem To Hear Praises
3. Jesus Went To Die On A Cross
4. Dying For You And Me To Have A Second Chance With God
5. Don’t Be Content With A Change In Circumstances.
6. Choose To Enter A Relationship With God.
