WEBVTT 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.280 Welcome to the Awakening Church Podcast. 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:11.599 We exist to awaken this generation to new life in Christ. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:13.039 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:16.399 To find out more at awakeningchurch.com. 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:23.039 Last week we kicked off this brand new series called This Is Good. 00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:28.079 And boy, do we need good news in our day and age. 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:31.280 And we have these journals right here. 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:33.840 I hope you've been enjoying them, that you've been diving in. 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:35.840 If you're like, hey, I'm just catching up to this. 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:36.960 I don't have a journal. 00:00:37.119 --> 00:00:39.119 Well, we would love to get you a journal. 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:44.719 You can uh just respond to, you know, one of the prompts that we have for getting connected. 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:46.079 We'll get you a journal. 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:48.640 And then we're also doing Bible memory. 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:53.759 I hope you're leaning into memorizing the scripture with us, getting God's word in your heart. 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:58.079 Uh, it is powerful for our hearts and lives and minds. 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:03.039 And so uh we want to engage fully as a community in this series. 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:07.439 So dive in with the journals, uh, get God's word with the Bible memory. 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:10.319 My family, we've been working on it together and saying it. 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:14.000 And it's been a great thing that we uh kick around um together. 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:16.799 So hopefully you're doing the same. 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:28.959 Well, last week we said this that when the New Testament writers, as they documented the life of Jesus, they called it good news. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:37.120 That there's something about his life, his teaching, what he did that was fundamentally good. 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:40.640 It's what we call the gospel, right? 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:47.680 The first four books of the New Testament are known as the gospels or literally good news. 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:49.359 It's the Greek word uangelion. 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:57.680 It means good news or news that makes one happy, information that causes one joy, words that bring a smile. 00:01:58.239 --> 00:01:58.959 I like that. 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:03.519 A message that causes the heart to be sweet. 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:13.919 See, this about Jesus' life is not just good advice, not just his teaching that will somehow make your life better. 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:16.960 It is fundamentally good news. 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:17.680 See, N. 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:17.919 T. 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:19.280 Wright talks about news this way. 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:26.000 We said it last week, that it's uh something has happened as a result of which the world is a different place. 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:35.520 That something happened, that Jesus in his day and age in ancient Palestine, that the world is a different place. 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:38.080 Our world today is a different place. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:42.639 And so we're talking about what exactly is this good news? 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:47.039 What is it that is actually good for us today? 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:52.000 And so, if you were journeying with us last week, we talked about the heart of God. 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:54.080 Like what makes Jesus good news today? 00:02:54.240 --> 00:02:55.199 Well, the heart of God. 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:56.319 What is God really like? 00:02:56.479 --> 00:03:02.800 And we said that God is fundamentally a father who longs to welcome you home. 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:07.199 And then this week we're gonna look at the healing pool. 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:14.159 Because chances are, as we closed our time last week, you might have said, Yeah, but what about? 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:16.159 Okay, I get it, Ryan. 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:21.280 God wants to welcome me home, but but what about my deepest pain? 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:25.759 What about my broken world? 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:33.840 What about that secret thing that is covering me in shame? 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:35.360 What about that? 00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:39.039 Is there good news for my broken world? 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:43.039 Does Jesus bring something to the table there? 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:49.520 There is this amazing passage, and if you got your Bibles, John chapter 5, verse 1. 00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:51.199 It's this story. 00:03:51.680 --> 00:04:02.479 It's this amazing story in which we see the author helping us understand how Jesus is good news in the midst of your broken world. 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:08.400 Jesus is good news in the midst of some of your deepest pain and heartache. 00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:11.520 If you wouldn't mind, open up John chapter 5. 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:13.840 We'll pick up the story in verse 1. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:17.040 Uh, the gospel writer John says it this way. 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:23.680 He says, Sometime later, Jesus went to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:34.160 Now, there in Jerusalem, near the sheep gate, a pool was a pool, which was in Aramaic called uh Bethesda, or Beth, uh hang on. 00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:35.199 Let me see that. 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:37.680 Bethesda. 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:38.160 There you go. 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:39.040 Good grief. 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:40.959 Sorry, my brain's a little tired. 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:43.439 Bethesda, there we go, I got it right. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:47.040 And which is surrounded by five colored colonnades. 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:54.160 So get in your mind, there's this pool, it's being uh sourced by natural spring water, and and it's this covered area. 00:04:54.240 --> 00:05:01.680 So in the on the hot summer Palestinian days, this is a cool and refreshing place to hang out. 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:06.000 And so here, a great number of disabled people used to lie. 00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:08.480 The blind, the lame, and the paralyzed. 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:15.040 It just was packed with people who were in deep need and poverty, who suffered physically. 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:20.959 And says one who was there had been an invalid for 38 years. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:22.959 We don't know how old this man was. 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:28.959 We don't know, you know, exactly his age, but we know he is at least 38 or older. 00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:30.240 Now, listen to this. 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:40.240 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been there in this condition for a long time, he asked him, Do you want to get well? 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:43.519 What a funny question. 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:45.199 I mean, isn't it obvious? 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:50.000 I mean, if you've been lame for 38 years, if you're unable to walk, don't you want to walk? 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:52.000 Do you want to get well? 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:56.000 But there's something behind that as well. 00:05:56.639 --> 00:06:07.680 Because isn't it true that whether it's your pain or your addiction or or the brokenness in your world, that it so becomes a part of you, it becomes your identity of who you are. 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:11.199 And to lose that might feel like losing yourself. 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:13.600 Or do you want to get well? 00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:18.959 Is do you want to change and step into a new way of life? 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:21.199 Do you want to get well? 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:29.040 Sir, the influid replied, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:38.639 Now, what this man is saying is there is this superstition that people believed in at this pool of Besesda. 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:49.839 It's like they believed that when the water was stirred, that literally an angel of the Lord would come and put his finger and kind of stir the water around, and the first person to get into the water would be healed. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:56.879 Well, you you gotta recognize that if you're really severely disabled or blind, you didn't even get to see this. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:07:01.360 And so only the most able bodies were able to take advantage of this. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:08.160 And this man's been trying year after year to get into the water and never quite can get in first. 00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:10.079 Only the able bodies. 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:24.000 Now, many scholars think this pool was sourced by a natural spring, and that that stirring that they saw was literally the spring water gurgling up as it does at times. 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:36.240 And so you think about this water having some natural healing property in and of itself, just like a spring today, where if you have aches and pains and some of these sort of things, you get in the water and you're refreshed and revived. 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:47.360 And so you see people with severe pain, severe disability, watching those with some of these aches and pains get in the water, walk out feeling refreshed. 00:07:47.439 --> 00:07:49.120 And he's going, look, he's looking at it. 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:54.879 I want to get well, I can't get to the water, I can't get to the healing pool. 00:07:55.040 --> 00:08:00.560 It's too far away, and nobody's around to help me. 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:03.279 Then Jesus said to them, This is so good. 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:04.720 Get up. 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:06.959 Come again. 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:07.839 Get up. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:09.680 No, no, no, I can't get to the pool. 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:10.720 No, get up. 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:16.399 Get up, pick up your mat and walk. 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:31.199 And at the word of Jesus, at the word of Jesus, this man who had been unable to walk for 38 years experienced supernatural healing. 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:40.720 And he once the man was cured, he picked up his mat and walked. 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:45.519 And you're going, that's great, Ryan. 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:49.279 But what about my broken world? 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:53.279 What about my pain? 00:08:55.679 --> 00:09:01.840 What about the things that have been holding me down? 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:05.759 And I feel like I haven't been able to walk. 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:08.559 I feel like I've been looking at other people who are getting ahead. 00:09:08.639 --> 00:09:10.000 I just feel stuck. 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:12.480 What what does this have to do with me? 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:14.320 Where's the good here for me? 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:22.639 Well, the first thing, um, I I just gotta tell you, it's it's it's not gonna sound good, but it is good. 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:26.399 So um you ever have that where something doesn't sound good, but it is good? 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:34.080 At first, it's not really good news, but it is good news because you had to think about something differently. 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:35.360 This is this. 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:36.879 All right, you ready? 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:38.399 So this is good. 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:39.360 This is good. 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:40.399 Listen up. 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:44.799 There is no magic healing pool. 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:47.200 And you're like, okay, thank you, Ryan. 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:50.799 We don't live in the age of superstition, we live in the age of science. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:51.519 Thank you very much. 00:09:51.679 --> 00:10:06.559 We can go back and examine this and look at the archaeological evidence and realize, okay, the natural spring and some of the natural, you know, things that happen with the mineral pools and how that helps certain people, but it wouldn't help heal someone who is paralyzed. 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:08.559 There is no magic healing pool. 00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:10.240 How is that good news? 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:13.279 Well, here's why it's good news. 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:22.480 Because whether you realize it or not, every single one of us is searching for a healing pool. 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:37.039 Every single one of us has something out there that we can't quite get into that we're hoping and think, if if we're only able to get into it, if we only could get over there, if we could only get our foot into the water when it's stirred, then we'd be healed. 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:41.440 Then our life would work out, then my marriage would work out, then I'd be whole. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:45.840 See, we all have a healing pool. 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:48.240 Every person has a magic healing pool. 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:52.240 They believe if they can just get in, it will fix their life. 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:55.279 And for some it's a relationship, isn't it? 00:10:55.600 --> 00:11:08.480 For some, you've been single a really long time and you want to be married, and you think and you're saying, if I just find the right person, then that person will feel the ache in my soul. 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:11.200 And for some, you're married. 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:25.840 And you're going, like, if I just found the right person, then that person would feel the ache in my soul, and the person I'm married to isn't the right person, and COVID has only brought that about to greater realization. 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:37.039 It might be with relationship in regards to kids, and you long to have kids, and if I just had kids, then my life would be fulfilled, satisfied. 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:38.960 It might be with your job. 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:57.679 If I just got this job, if I could just get my foot over here, if I just had this success, if I could get, you know, um build up this reputation, if I if I advanced through the company, if I'm able to get this degree, if I'm able to have this, you know, financial security. 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:01.200 See, what's your healing pool? 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:12.879 What's the thing that you believe if you get it, it will finally fulfill you, make you whole. 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:25.120 See, the the interesting part about the healing pool is uh this story with the natural minerals, is we can see someone getting into the pool just a little bit and go, like, oh, they're refreshed. 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:27.120 It must be good. 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:32.480 We see someone who made a lot of money, got a lot of fame. 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:39.200 And when you track their lives, you realize there is no magic healing pool. 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:42.559 It just left them worse off than where they began. 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:46.720 See, this is good, and this is the starting place, and you have to embrace this. 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:48.960 There is no magic healing pool. 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:51.039 Okay, so let's get to some good news, Ryan. 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:51.840 Thank you very much. 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:54.080 I didn't tune in to be depressed. 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:55.600 Okay, this is good. 00:12:55.919 --> 00:13:00.960 Only Jesus can heal and bring wholeness to your life. 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:06.000 Only Jesus can bring healing and wholeness to your life. 00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:22.159 See, see, the reason the first is so good is it brings you to the place where the pursuits of your life you come to the realization that they'll no longer satisfy and they will not provide what you ultimately want or need. 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:25.200 Yeah, I mean, think about this. 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:31.279 The solution to this man's problem is standing in front of him. 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:33.440 And Jesus asks, Do you want to get well? 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:36.480 And the man goes, Yeah, but I can't get over there. 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:38.320 I can't get over there. 00:13:38.480 --> 00:13:43.440 And she's like, I'm right here, but you're focused over there. 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:48.159 Do you want to get over there or do you want the healing that's right in front of you? 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:56.639 See, I want to explain maybe why for some Jesus hasn't worked for you. 00:13:57.919 --> 00:13:59.120 Do you notice? 00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:03.759 When Jesus asked the question, do you want to get well? 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:06.799 The man didn't ask Jesus to heal him. 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:08.559 He asked him to help him. 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:13.759 He said, I need help getting over into that pool. 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:16.879 I want to be well, but this is what's going to heal me. 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:35.279 And friends, I just got to say, too many of us are asking Jesus to help us get into the pool that we think will satisfy, the pool we think that will bring healing, the pool that we hope will sometime fulfill the ache and the wholeness in our soul. 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:39.200 And Jesus is standing in front of me like, I don't want to help you, I want to heal you. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:40.960 I want to heal you. 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:53.360 See, see, when you say, Okay, Jesus, help me get over here, it's not gonna fulfill you. 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:59.840 When you go, there is no magic healing pool, Jesus, only you can bring healing and wholeness. 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:02.320 And so, God, I need you. 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:05.440 All of me for all of you. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:07.120 God, I need you. 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:10.879 Only Jesus, only Jesus, only Jesus. 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:14.080 So let me ask you, have you been adding something to the equation? 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:29.679 Jesus plus whatever else will bring wholeness, Jesus plus that job, Jesus plus, you know, uh my finances, Jesus plus that relationship, Jesus plus my kids coming back to you, Jesus plus, and just go, no, only Jesus. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:36.399 And Jesus is standing and asking the question do you want to be healed? 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:48.480 Do you want to experience the tender touch of the loving Savior who sees you, knows you, loves you, and responds to you? 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:56.960 And would you shift your eyes from whatever healing pool you've been looking at and turn your eyes to him and just go, yes, Lord? 00:15:57.919 --> 00:15:58.879 Yes, Lord. 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:00.720 Yes, Lord. 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:09.360 I want to take a minute and look at this text from just a different perspective. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:14.559 We've been looking at it from the perspective of the paralyzed man. 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:19.200 I want to look at this from Jesus' angle for a second. 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:27.519 In fact, scholars would tell us that the first four chapters of John is really how other people experience Jesus. 00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:34.559 And chapters five through ten is really kind of giving the bird's eye view of Jesus' experience. 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:49.679 And I want us to shift the question and ask a question for those of us who have indeed experienced the good, the healing, the whole work of God in our lives. 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:53.039 For those of us who said, We get it. 00:16:53.200 --> 00:17:02.720 Now we might, you know, cast our eyes to the healing pool, but we said yes, only Jesus, and we've experienced his radical grace in our life. 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:09.200 How do we bring this good news to a hurting and broken world? 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:11.759 This is good. 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:20.079 How do we bring this good news to your neighbors, to your friends, to your family, to your coworkers? 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:27.359 And I want to suggest in this text that Jesus sets the example for us to follow. 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:37.680 For us, it's not just to experience the good news of Jesus, to have our lives changed, to have our hearts be transformed. 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:43.359 We are then called to participate in sharing this good news with everyone around us. 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:48.720 When you get something good, when you have something amazing, you can't help but share it with people. 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:49.920 You're like, this is amazing. 00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:52.319 I gotta tell you, this has changed my life. 00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:57.759 And by the way, you do this with the silliest of things, with that kitchen tool. 00:17:57.920 --> 00:17:59.200 You're like, this tool is amazing. 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:01.119 This just changed my life. 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:06.799 And then we do this when our lives have been transformed. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:07.759 You go, this is good. 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:08.799 How do we share that? 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:10.400 Well, Jesus sets the example. 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:16.160 Let me look at just three things where Jesus sets the example for us to share this good news. 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:20.559 The first, if you notice, Jesus went where others avoided. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:24.799 If you're gonna go a day at the pool with the family, you didn't go to this pool. 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:27.200 You didn't go to the pool of Bethesda, Bethesda. 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:28.480 I can't say that today. 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:32.160 Oh well, uh, you won't go to that pool. 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:33.440 Why? 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:36.960 Because it's got a lot of people that make you feel uncomfortable. 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:40.400 This is the pool that you avoided. 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:43.839 This is the place that you walked around. 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:48.480 And Jesus went where others avoided. 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:52.880 See, the question is who are you avoiding? 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:55.279 Who am I avoiding? 00:18:56.480 --> 00:19:02.319 Maybe what conversations have we been avoiding because they're uncomfortable. 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:12.000 You know, in Silicon Valley, the oddest thing, and especially you move to the area, you've experienced this in Silicon Valley, we avoid our neighbors. 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:17.599 Drive in, we drive out, and now we're stuck with our neighbors in COVID. 00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:25.839 And yet COVID has had this, you know, weird phenomenon, is it almost gives us an excuse to avoid people altogether. 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:29.279 Don't even make eye contact because if I make eye contact, I might get sick. 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:31.119 I don't know where that came from. 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:36.559 See, Jesus went where others avoided. 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:47.680 People who were different, people who didn't have the same thinking or values or political ideology. 00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:53.440 What about people who might make you uncomfortable? 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:57.440 I'm not talking about hanging out with people that I think are dangerous. 00:19:57.680 --> 00:19:58.799 That's not what I'm saying. 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:07.279 But I do think about the people in our church that are loving the homeless right now and going out with blessing bags. 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:13.039 Or someone that you just think's odd or is just kind of takes a little extra grace to love. 00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:23.519 Jesus went where others avoided, and he set the example for his followers that followers of Jesus do the like, do the same and like. 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:29.519 And then Jesus asked rather than assumed, do you want to get well? 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:31.440 Do you want to get well? 00:20:33.359 --> 00:20:39.359 See, the church recently has had a history of answering questions nobody's asking. 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:46.240 And then trying to, you know, somehow act like we're we got it all together. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:50.720 Jesus asked this man a question. 00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:53.839 He just says, Do you want to get well? 00:20:55.039 --> 00:21:02.240 What if instead of trying to have all the answers, we just began to become better question askers? 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:16.799 By the way, it is so powerful when you ask a question, invite a response in, to share the gospel isn't to come and I got all this stuff I need to drop on you, I got knowledge I need to drop on you, I got truth. 00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:17.920 Hello, sit down. 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:18.880 It's like, no, no. 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:30.559 I want to engage in your life, I want to know where you're at, I know what I want to know what's going on, and I just want to tell you about if you want to hear about the God who's changed my life, or you just ask a question. 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:32.960 Like, how are you doing? 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:34.000 Really? 00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:49.680 You know, COVID has done this and it along as well as racial injustice in our world, it the deep pain and hurt in our lives is just sitting right underneath the surface, isn't it? 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:57.359 We used to be able to cover it up with distractions and noise and activity, and now we can't, and it's just right under the surface. 00:21:57.519 --> 00:21:59.839 So you don't have to ask like these really deep process. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:02.960 Questions to get at the heart for people. 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:06.720 You just have to ask the simple question, how are you doing, really? 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:10.319 And listen and ask a follow-up question. 00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:14.880 For example, I was um I was at Creighton Barrel the other day. 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:25.920 We didn't have um any more glasses, they've just been breaking over the years, and so we don't have one set of anything, and we're using mason jars, which is great, but then they were breaking. 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:29.599 So we needed to get some new glasses, and finally we're able to go in the store. 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:35.920 So we go into the store and getting glasses, and we're so excited, and finally have a set of glasses that are all the same. 00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:43.680 And so we're checking out, and I'm checking out, and Jenny's looking at some other things, and this lady, we're just talking, you know, mass to mass talking. 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:45.839 It's just the way we talk, you know, these days. 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:49.200 And and she's asking me, Oh, how are you doing over COVID? 00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:51.759 I'm all fine, and we're talking about kids. 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:54.960 And then I ask her, How are you doing? 00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:59.920 I like how are you making it through COVID? 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:01.920 It was literally the question. 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:07.519 We're in a store with people around. 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:10.240 She is working behind the counter. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:12.480 I'm on the other side. 00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:14.400 One question. 00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:19.039 And she just begins to tear up. 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:23.359 And she says, My dad just recently passed away. 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:26.640 See, the pain is just below the surface. 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:29.039 You don't have to ask a lot of questions. 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:33.039 And and then I said, Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:43.279 And she's like, Yeah, it's been so hard and you know and painful because I wasn't able to be there for the funeral, and we had to do this thing virtually, and and it's just been so painful. 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:45.920 And then she began to share some other things in her life. 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:50.319 And in that moment, I just was like, you know, I'm so sorry, and get to pastor her and I let her know. 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:53.440 I said, I think God set this moment up because guess what? 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:54.799 I'm a pastor. 00:23:55.200 --> 00:23:57.200 And she just began to weep. 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:07.839 Jesus asked questions rather than just assume, would you become a question asker? 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:16.240 He wants to use that to take that pain underneath the surface so that he can bring healing and wholeness. 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:21.519 And then finally, we see Jesus, he led with compassion and then followed with clarity. 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:24.720 And if that sounds familiar, I've said that before. 00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:28.160 And you're going, like, well, I didn't quite see that in the text, Ryan. 00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:30.240 Well, I didn't finish the story. 00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:39.759 You see, this man got up, he's like, Woohoo! I can walk, and and the crowd just like gets so excited, and and Jesus kind of slips away. 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:48.319 And then some it happened that this, you know, miracle happened on the Sabbath day, and he's carrying a mat, and he had these weird rules, like you can't carry mats around. 00:24:48.400 --> 00:24:51.839 And he's like, the guy who healed me told me to get up and carry my mat. 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:55.200 So I'm gonna follow the guy who healed me and not your rules there. 00:24:55.279 --> 00:24:55.759 Thank you very much. 00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:56.960 He's like, What is the name? 00:24:57.200 --> 00:24:58.640 I forgot to ask. 00:24:58.960 --> 00:25:04.400 I just got healed 38 years, been stuck here, and I, oh my gosh, have you ever done that? 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:07.839 Where you get so excited in the moment, you just couldn't, you're like, I totally forgot to ask. 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:10.400 Well, Jesus comes back and finds him. 00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:13.759 And notice what it says uh when he finds them. 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:21.039 He says, Later, Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, See, you're well again, you're whole again. 00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:25.039 Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you. 00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:31.920 That there was a way and a pattern and direction of your life that was creating harm and destruction. 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:34.400 He said, Stop doing that. 00:25:35.119 --> 00:25:37.920 Or you might experience worse consequences. 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:42.079 And then the man went away and told others what Jesus had done. 00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:45.599 He led with compassion, he met Jesus's physical need. 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:48.319 And then he followed with clarity. 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:50.799 He met this man's spiritual need. 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:57.039 And what we tend to do is inverse that in the church historically. 00:25:57.359 --> 00:25:59.440 We lead with clarity, we lead with truth. 00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:03.440 We just got to tell you, hey, we we gotta make sure we get your theology right. 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:06.079 There's no, there's no magic healing pool. 00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:08.160 So get your theology right. 00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:11.359 Jesus going like, no, I'll I'm the healing right here. 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:15.759 I don't even need to correct that because the minute I heal you, your eyes are gonna be fixed on me. 00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:20.000 He led with compassion and then followed with clarity. 00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:21.279 And we do have to be clear. 00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:24.000 We have to bring them the gospel. 00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:33.039 But what does it look like for us to lead with compassion and to love others and to meet their needs right where they're at? 00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:39.039 Well, we're gonna talk way more about this next week in the whole gospel. 00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:40.799 You don't want to miss that. 00:26:41.599 --> 00:26:47.519 But for this week, I want to close with our memory verse. 00:26:48.799 --> 00:26:49.119 Okay. 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:57.359 If Jesus is the example for us to follow, then this is why Jesus says this. 00:26:57.920 --> 00:26:59.519 A new command I give you. 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:01.839 Love one another. 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:07.279 As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:14.480 By this, the whole world, everyone will know you are my disciples if you what? 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:16.640 Help me out, say it in your room. 00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:18.240 Love one another. 00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:19.839 Love one another. 00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:21.440 Love one another. 00:27:21.680 --> 00:27:28.240 I just want you to take those three things and just put instead of Jesus' name, love before it. 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:32.319 Because Jesus is the full expression of love. 00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:35.039 Love goes where others avoid it. 00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:37.839 Love asks rather than assumes. 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:42.640 Love leads with compassion and then follows with clarity. 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:55.119 The place where this person was waiting for God to meet him in his broken world was the name of the pool that I can't say. 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:56.240 Bethesda. 00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:59.039 I really just struggled with it today. 00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:01.359 It means house of mercy. 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:04.000 House of mercy. 00:28:04.640 --> 00:28:07.680 Mercy is not getting what you deserve. 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:18.640 For many, you're in that space where you've been looking to a healing pool, something to somehow save you. 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:24.240 And finally, today you recognize I only Jesus. 00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:31.759 And would you turn your eyes to him and say, God, would you come into my life and heal me and make me new? 00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:41.680 And for others, the church is to be the house of mercy. 00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:53.920 The church is to be the place where those who are hurting and needing and broken feel most calm, comfortable to be able to say, This is me. 00:28:54.559 --> 00:28:56.000 This is what I'm going through. 00:28:56.160 --> 00:29:03.039 And instead of shame and guilt or condemnation, they experience love and grace and compassion. 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:06.559 See, we have an opportunity awakening. 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:24.160 The opportunity in this season when we are not able to go to church is we have a greater opportunity to be the church to our neighbors, to be the church to our friends, to be the church, the hands and feet of healing in the name of Jesus to those around us. 00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:32.079 Will we be the house of mercy to your neighbors and to your coworkers? 00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:35.519 Extenders of grace.