False Assumptions-The Truth Of Gods Word.
John 5:1-9NIV
Imagine a major league baseball player refusing to get into the batters box because he doesn't get a hit every time up. Yet that's how many of us approach prayer. We let a few strikeouts keep us from swinging for the fences!
The great Ty Cobb, Roston, Ga. There, 'one' can visit his tomb. He was one of the all time great hitters, had a lifetime batting average of .367. When he was in his 70s, Cobb participated in an old-timers game and a reporter ask him, “what do you think you would hit if you were playing major-league baseball today?” Cobb said, “about .310 maybe .315.” The reporter surmised, “that's because of travel, night games, artificial turf, and new pitches like the slider, right?” Cobb said, “No. I’d only hit .310 because I am 72 years old.”
One thing I know about baseball is that the good players have short memories, selective memory. Forget the strikeout.
This evening I want to look at, John 5:1-9, verse by verse:
Talking about someone that was stuck, this man by the pool of Bethesda was stuck. 38 years, a beggar, no one would listen.
John 5:1-2NIV Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.
There are 2 scenes this evening:
Jesus attended a Jewish feast in Jerusalem (v.1). .Scene 1: the diseased and the ill—a picture of the world’s desperate need (vv.2–4). Scene 2: Jesus and the man—a picture of Jesus’ power to meet the world’s need (vv.5–9).
Modern archaeological excavations have uncovered what is believed to be the ancient pool of Bethesda. Located near the sheep gate, the two-pool complex was 20 feet deep and as large as a football field. Surrounded by five roofed colonnades that provided shade from the middle eastern sun, it was a natural gathering place in first century Israel.
Notice, Jesus had a need to go to this pool.
John 5:3-[4] Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [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.
Many Bibles leave out verse 4, stating verse 4 should say, that this was superstition in that day.
Regardless, archaeologists have found that this stirring of the pool water came from under ground natural springs. However, word grew that this stirring was angels. (The first one in was healed)!
False assumptions/ superstitions, can hurt many people.
News got out, “First one into the water after the water was stirred was the winner, winner, chicken dinner!” It was false hope based on false assumption.
False assumption feeds off of works. Flesh. It breeds condemnation. It say’s, “You’re never worthy, you’re no good. You’re a loser.”
Listen, No where in the Bible do angels heal people. Angels are created by God. The assignment for angels hasn’t changed, they are to worship God, and proclaim Jesus.
Exodus 23:25NKJV “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.
Believing you are children of God, Sons of God, Daughters of God. Trusting He has you and He has this. Whatever ‘this’ is. P.H
This lame man had been waiting at the pool for 4-decades! We believers might have some faults assumptions, or maybe superstitions. Like Friday the 13th, or wearing a favorite sock, lucky sock. Making an imaginary X on your windshield if a black cat crosses the street.
Superstitions, and false assumptions stop many from growing.
What are you waiting for?
Testimony: It might sound funny now, but I assure you when it occurred it was weird and scary.
I had this Pentecostal lady on my insurance route, off hwy. 61, near the Cartersville Airport.
I showed her a place on my hand, and all the sudden she had a remedy for me. More like a potion. I was to go and circle a tree 7 times...She was to speak and blow over my hand.
John 5:5NIV One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.
For 38 years a handicap parking permit hung in the invalids window. He had a reserve spot at the pool Bethesda. Day in and day out, he begged for money from the bathers. Most would never make eye contact with him and rarely did he get any hand-out. P.H
This invalids greatest handicap wasn’t physical. His most debilitating handicap was mental– a faults assumption that he needed to be the first one into the pool of Bethesda when the water was stirred.
Jesus states what’s necessary:
Luke 1:37ESV Nothing is impossible with God.
Matthew 19:26NKJV But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
The word impossible should not be in our vocabulary. We serve a God of possibilities!
John 5:6NIV When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
Does that mean my healing might interfere with my SSI? It might.
Do you want to be free? Do you want to be healed?
Notice verse 6 again, Jesus took note that this man had been in this condition for a longtime.
“Addictions, maybe a hurtful past, You need to gather this knowledge that Jesus sees you. He knows how long it’s been since you’ve been free. -He wants you free”! P.H
Jesus states in, John 8:32NKJV And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Paul writes in, Galatians 3:1-5NIV You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Listen to this rehearsed speech in, John 5:7NIV “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
This 38 year veteran of making excuses, while believing superstitions was stuck. He told the same story to anyone who’d listen. (I have no- one to help me)?!.
John 5:8NIV Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”
Presently, If Jesus were to speak audibly to the church, I think He would say, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” P.H
Just believe. -Believe that I AM enough.
This event in John 3, sounds similar to Acts 3, where Peter and John came to the temple to pray and upon entering, a lame man begged. Peter spoke up and stated, “Silver or Gold I don’t have, but what I have, I give to you. In Jesus’ name, get up and walk.”
God’s word states in, Acts 3:8NLT He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.
One thing about it, “If you don’t pray you’ll never have answers.”
Now back to the “38 year veteran of Bethesda.” John 5:9NIV At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
In 1939, George Dantzig enrolled as a graduate student at University of California, Berkeley, studying statistics under Polish born professor Jerzy Neyman. At the beginning of one class session, Dr. Neyman chalked two examples of famously unsolvable problems on the blackboard. George happened to arrive late to class that day, missing the disclaimer. He mistakenly thought the unsolvable problems where their homework assignment, so he transcribed them in his notebook and went to work. It took a little longer than he anticipated, but George ultimately solved both of them. On a Sunday morning six weeks later, Dr. Neyman knocked on George's front door to share the news. A bewildered George actually apologized, thinking the assignment was overdue. That's when Dr. Neyman informed George that he had solved two of statistics’ unsolvable problems. Doctor George Dantzig won many scholarly awards plus he received the national medal of science in 1975.
George Dantzig stated later, “If someone had told me they were too famous unsolved problems, I probably wouldn't have even tried to solve them.”
Verse 9, of John 5AMP Immediately the man was healed and recovered his strength, and picked up his pallet and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.
What do you need solved? What habit seems to have its grips on you? What mountain needs to move?
“Many times we let our logical assumptions trump our theological beliefs. Hear me, Logic bows to God’s word every time.” P.H
The highest level anyone will ever live on, is the faith level.
Here’s our faith level scriptures: Hebrews 11:1-6NLT Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. 3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. 4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith. 5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
In John 5, What day was it? The Sabbath. Theologians agree Jesus was claiming to have supreme authority over the Sabbath.
The old song: Only believe. Only believe, all things are possible, only believe.
Benediction.
