New Life Turlock

Series: Questions

Sermon Title: Would you like to get well?

Brian Benton: Turlock

Tommy McKiernan: Patterson

Main Passage: John 5:1-11 (NLT)

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

John 5:5-9 NLT

One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking!

#1. Jesus exposes the true cost of my desires.

John 5:6 (KJV)

When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? John 5:6 KJV

#2 Jesus desires my focus to be shifted.

John 5:5-9 NLT

One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking!

John 5:9-11

Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”

But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

“He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.”

Mark 10:14b-16 NLT

“O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.”

Psalms 13:1-4 NLT

“But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.”

Psalms 13:5-6 NLT

“The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!”

Luke 17:6 NLT

“But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him. Mark 1:25-26 NLT

Questions

“Have I not commanded you?”

See Joshua 1:1-9

1. My strength and courage is ROOTED in my TRUST in God.

See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” Isaiah 12:2 (NLT)

2. God gives me strength and courage THROUGH the PROCESS.

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. 1Chronicles 28:20 (NLT)

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! Psalm 31:24 (NLT)

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

Message Notes:

Exodus 4:1-5 (NIV)  Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.

Exodus 4:4-5 (NIV)  Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. "This," said the LORD, "is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has appeared to you."

Acts 7:23-25 (NIV)  When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.

Key Idea: God's call on my life involves His preparation, His timing and His power.

Romans 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV) And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Questions

What must I do…?

See Acts 16:16-34

“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…” Acts 16:31 (NLT)

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6-7 (NLT)

1. I must be honest about the CONDITION of my soul.

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NLT)

2. I must see VALUE and WORTH in others.

Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Acts 16:33a (NLT)

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:40 (NLT)

“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ Matthew 25:45 (NLT)

3. I must practice KINDNESS and GENEROSITY.

He brought them into his house and set a meal before them… Acts 16:34a (NLT)

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:8-10 (NLT)

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? Mark 8:36-37 (NLT)

4. I must live in active OBEDIENCE.

Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. Acts 16:33b (NLT)

A New Step

Matthew 3:13-17

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 (NLT)

Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”  Matthew 3:13-17 (NLT)

1. Baptism is saying to the world, “I belong to Christ!”

So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him. Galatians 3:26-27 (NLT)

“If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven. But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33 (NLT)

2. Baptism is showing I’ve died to my old life.

Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. Romans 6:3-4a (NLT)

Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was. Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. Romans 6:5-7 (NLT)

3. Baptism is living a new life.

…And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Romans 6:4b (NLT)

God’s Heartbeat

Restoration

You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again. Psalm 71:20-21 (NLT)

1. God’s heart beats for our restoration with HIM.

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)

I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the Lord. When I bring Israel home again from captivity and restore their fortunes, Jerusalem will be rebuilt on its ruins, and the palace reconstructed as before. Jeremiah 30:17-18 (NLT)

The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him. John 4:28-30 (NLT)

2. God’s heart beats for our restoration with OTHERS.

Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 (NLT)

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10 (NLT)

Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Hebrews 12:14-15 (NLT)

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

God’s Heartbeat

Worship

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:11 (NLT)

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37-38 (NLT)

• Worship is my RESPONSE to God’s love towards me.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1 (NIV)

• Worship is giving EVERYTHING back to God.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ Mark 12:30 (NLT)

Take your everyday, ordinary life -- your sleeping, your eating, your going to work, your walking around life -- and place it before God as an offering. Romans 12:1a (MSG)

1. God’s heart beats for my ATTENTION.

Focusing on yourself is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, and ends up thinking more about self than God. Romans 8:7-8 (Msg)

2. God’s heart beats for my AFFECTION.

You must worship no other gods, but only the LORD, for he is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you. Exodus 34:14 (NLT)

What do I do?

Write down one or two things that you can begin.

Come together.

Quiet time with God.

Read and reflect.

Prayer Alarm

Rewind and Rejoice.

Prayer Bites

Message Notes:

God’s Heartbeat: Wounded

Isaiah 40:27-31 (NIV)

Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"?  Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  but those who wait on the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

1. The stability of God…anchors the instability of my life.

2. Crisis is my opportunity to connect deeply with Jesus.

3. God responds to my struggle by…

- Rescuing Me

- Sustaining Me

- Changing Me

Key Verse – Philippians 4:8-9 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Psalm 46:10 (NLT) “Be still, and know that I am God!

1. Moments with God begin with my surrender.

See Acts 9:1-9

2. Moments with God come when I’m intentional.

See Genesis 25:21-26

See Genesis 32:23-31

3. Moments with God come with my humility.

See Exodus 3:1-6