INTRODUCTION
Last week, I began a new series entitled “Make your Life Count in 2022”. And in that very first sermon of this new series, I talked about what it took to make God first in your life. You must remove the roadblocks that stand in the way between you and God. Secondly, God wants you to know and understand Him so that is going to require some study on your part. And finally, God wants you to distinguish what He is doing in the world from what the devil is doing in the world and that is why that study of the Scriptures is so important.
Today, I want to begin by asking you a question. Does Jesus ask us foolish questions? In your life have you ever had a foolish question asked of you by God? The answer is no. God don’t ask foolish questions. Can we all agree on that? And so, as we approach our Scripture today, and the paralytic man is asked a question by Jesus which appears to be foolish on the surface, we know that we must dig deeper because Jesus don’t ask foolish question.
Let’s get a little background before we look at our Scriptural text. There was a pool near the Sheep Gate that had five porches. Picture it, there was this pool area with a large area of shade around it where people could sit or lie down. And we are told those who are there are those who have some type of infirmity. We are told an angel would visit this pool once a year and stir the water and the first one in the pool after the stirring of the water would be healed. And then we are introduced to a paralytic man who has been there thirty-eight years. And it is this man that Jesus singles out to ask the question: “Do you want to be made well?” And without looking ahead at the text, if you put yourself in the paralytic man’s place, you might have replied of course I wanted to be healed otherwise I would not have been here thirty-eight years. But the paralytic man does not give that answer. His response might just tell us why Jesus asked the question, “Do you want to be made well?’
BIBLE VERSE
John 5:2-9 (NKJV)
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 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.
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7 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.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
1 ONE
I BELIEVE THAT THE PARALTYIC MAN HAD NO INTENTIONS OF CHANGING, JUST LIKE MANY CHURCH MEMBERS COME YEAR AFTER YEAR WITH NO INTENTION OF CHANGING.
Thirty-eight years you lay there and year after year, someone beats you to the pool and you remain a paralytic. Don’t you think you should change your strategy because what you are doing is not working? Maybe move much closer to the pool, so all you must do is fall into the pool when the water is stirred or have someone push you in the pool when the water is stirred. Maybe, you need to appeal to the others around the pool to let you go first this time since you have been here the longest. Maybe, you could ask some relatives to take turns staying with you so they can get you to the pool first after the water is stirred. But we are not told the man did anything about his situation other than be near the pool. And Jesus’ question confirms that he did nothing. “Do you want to be made well?” And that question implies” “Why haven’t you done something about your situation?”
But people today are not much different than the paralytic man. There are people who come to Greg and me for marriage counseling and we tell them what they need to do to get their marriage back on the right track according to God’s Word. But instead of doing what we suggested that they need to do from the Bible, they do nothing. And they will call you up in a week or two and say that our marriage is not working. Of course, it is not, you are not doing what God’s Word says for you to do. And Jesus would want to ask you, “Do you want to make this marriage well.”
There are people who come to church week after week and their life is a total mess. Each Wednesday night and Sunday morning, you hear from God’s Word practical message how to correct your life situation, but you do nothing about what they heard. How are they any different from the paralytic man? They are sitting so close to the Living Water which can heal their life and they do nothing. Yes, Jesus has every right to ask them, “Do you want to be made well?”
Let’s be honest with one another. For some people God is not first in their life because they have no intention about changing what is preventing them from making God first.
2 TWO
THERE IS A GENUINE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WAITING FOR GOD TO ACT IN YOUR LIFE AND MAKING EXCUSES ABOUT WHY YOU AREN'T MOVING FORWARD.
The paralytic man could say to us: look at how patiently I am waiting for my turn to be first in the pool after the water is stirred. And you would think, boy, that guy is a spiritual dude. Look at how patient he is; I could not do that. God. But that is not what He was doing. Jesus’ question “Do you want to be made well” brought out the real reason that he was still a paralytic. It was not because he was spiritually waiting on the Lord, but rather he had an excuse as to why he was not moving forward.
7 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.”
Just like that paralytic man we frame ourselves as being spiritually when in actuality all we are doing is making an excuse for why we are not moving forward.
At seminary, the student would say we don’t go to church on Sunday because we study all about Jesus every day. There will be a time in the future I know that I will have to be at church all the time. They gave the impression they were spiritual but all they were doing is making an excuse not to go to church on Sunday.
I love it when someone comes to me and says that I have a burden to teach the youth, but I am waiting on God to teach some more in my life before I try to start teaching others. Are you waiting on God or making an excuse?
People will say to me that I want to help support the church as soon as God allows me to pay off all my bills. Are you being spiritual saying you want to support the church or are you making an excuse why you cannot give?
You need to look at your life. Are you framing something as being spiritual, but when you break it down, it is nothing more than an excuse not to move forward with God.
3 THREE
THERE IS A GENUINE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOD OWES ME THIS AND I AM SO THANKFUL THAT GOD HAS DONE THIS FOR ME.
Let’s look at the paralytic man’s attitude after He got healed. First, that was not even a thank you. The Scripture says that he just got up and walked. We are not told of any expression of thanksgiving. I know he did what Jesus told him; but wouldn’t your thankfulness overwhelm you and you have to hug Him or follow at His feet and thank Him. Not this man.
John 5:9 (NKJV)
9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
Next, we are told that the paralytic man did not have a clue as to who healed him when asked by the Jewish synagogue leaders. Wouldn’t you want to know who it was that changed your life?
John 5:10-13 (NKJV)
10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”
11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.'”
12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”
13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.
If someone did something that great for you, don’t you think you would find out who it was? He didn’t.
And finally, the paralytic man turns Jesus into the Jewish leaders.
John 5:14-15 (NKJV)
14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
And finally, the paralytic man turned Jesus into the Jews. The paralytic man went out his way to find the Jewish leaders and tell them it was Jesus who healed me. They already questioned him, and he did not have to go back to them.
The paralytic man did not have a bit of thankful in his heart for what God has done for Him.
God will never be first in your life if you cannot be thankful for what He has done for you.
APPLICATION
This passage makes us examine three things:
Do I really want to change and live my life for God?
Do I say I want to change but make excuses why I can’t?
Do I act thankful to God if He does something to change me?
