"Do You Want to be Made Well?" - Rev. Dr. Terry Moore

Sermon Scripture: John 5:1-9

Transcript

Welcome everyone.

It is so good to be with you today and welcome to all of you who are joining us online which from our crowds this morning means most of you.

So welcome to all of you wherever you may be for joining us.

Isn't it great?

I just love the fact that even when we can't physically be together or we're not physically together we can still worship together.

So thank you to all of you who are joining us online.

Welcome to all of you who are here.

What a blessing it is to worship and what a

 What a holy weekend.

It's Memorial Day weekend, as you know, and one of the concerns I always have with holidays is that they become hollow days if we're not careful, in that we can kind of forget what they're about and what the point of them is.

And when we were doing worship planning the other day, I was sharing with them, I said, now, as a father of a combat veteran...

 As a reminder, there's a big difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

And often they kind of get a little bit blurred.

 But Memorial Day is to remember all those who did not get to come home and be with their families, those who paid that ultimate sacrifice, those who were willing to give their lives that we could have the freedoms that we have today.

People like my son and others, they wear these bracelets that have the names of people on them that were part of their units and their companies that they served together with who gave their lives.

And so this is a time for us to remember that

 Now there are people who are willing to give their lives so that we would have the freedoms that we have today to be here.

And so I just encourage you as we go through this weekend, we get caught up in the hamburgers and the hot dogs and the NASCAR races and other things that...

 that we also pause and just give thanks to God and remember these people and remember their families who paid the ultimate sacrifices.

It became very real as well just yesterday.

I received an email from some of the folks of the Global Methodist Church who were sharing that in Nigeria on Friday, there was a slaughter again of so many Christians because they were Christians, including Christians

 People in the Global Methodist Church and their families lost their lives for what they believed.

We have the freedom to be here today and to be able to celebrate who we are today.

And there are a lot of things I know that we can talk about in our country that we wish were different.

 But we sometimes forget how blessed we really are.

And so I give thanks to God for all those who believe in something enough to put their lives on the line for it.

So Memorial Day weekend, don't let it just slide by.

 Also, I just want to take a moment of personal privilege and thank you again for all of your prayers and for the cards and the emails.

And I know if you've emailed, just know I am so far behind, but I am trying to get called up.

I think I'm down to 145 to go, but I am so grateful to all of you for...

 the support that you share with us.

As you know, my wife Nancy, we went to the doctor Easter Monday and life changed for us when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

And we've gone through the first phase of the surgery and the shock and dealing with it all.

And I'm actually able to halfway talk about it now.

I'll stop momentarily because it'll get where it's like you need to stop.

 because you still deal with the reality of it and the terror that you deal with.

Some of you have walked this path before, but the recovery from the surgery has gone well, and she now has taken one of her chemo treatments.

We go every three weeks for a different chemo treatment, and so we'll have several of those, then another surgery, then more treatments, and a lot of prayers and prayers,

 We know God is ahead of us, but I'll just go ahead and confess to you as your pastor, I think it's only fit that we be honest with you.

God and I have had a lot of direct, honest, down-to-earth conversations over the last month, including it was just earlier that I was riding down the road and went, we need to talk.

 I mean, my prayer life may be a little different than it should be because, you know, sometimes I can do the liturgical stuff, and then sometimes it's just like, Lord, we just need to talk.

And so thank you again for all of your prayers for Nancy.

She is the strongest person.

She is a true rock.

I've shared with you that I'm the puddle in the family.

 She's the rock in the family, and I'm so grateful for that.

We started dating when we were 16 years old, got married when we were 20, so we only know adulthood as a couple, and just so grateful for sharing life together.

That's it.

So now, you can feel the knot, and you go, that's it.

I invite you to turn to John.

Thank you.

Thank you.

 Take your Bibles and turn with me to John chapter 5.

John chapter 5.

You will be pleased to know that I now can do laundry.

 Something I have never done because that's something Nancy always liked to do.

And so, you know, when she was not able, she'd go, I need you to do this.

And, you know, you set this on this and set it on this and set it to that.

And so I kid you not, I now have an Excel spreadsheet.

 towels, you do this, lights, you do this, darks, you do this.

I mean, I've got the spreadsheet.

Here's the settings.

Here's the dryer.

You know, you're going to do the sheets.

They go here.

And Nancy said, I may hire you out.

I went, never.

You know, there are things you do for love, not because you ever want to do it again.

But, you know, I can cook and clean and do all kinds of stuff now.

So the nice thing is I've got a fallback career.

 John chapter 5, where John writes, After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Gate, there is a pool, called in Hebrew, Basatha, which has five porticos.

In these lay many invalids, the blind, lame, and paralyzed.

 One man was there who had been ill for 38 years.

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, Do you want to be made well?

The sick man answered him, Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and when I'm making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.

And Jesus said to him, Stand up.

 Take your mat and walk.

And at once a man was made well.

He took up his mat and he began to walk.

Will you pray with me?

God, we just give you thanks for your love and grace and for the privilege of worship together.

And now as I stand before these, your people, this is your church.

No matter whether we're here or online, wherever we may be, this is your church.

 So I pray that this will be your message and not my own.

In the name of Jesus the Christ, amen.

Every time I read the scripture, I find Jesus' question interesting.

Actually, Jesus' question could be perceived as being a little insensitive or a little offensive.

Guy's been sick, lying by the healing pool for the last 38 years.

 And you ask him, do you want to be made well?

Now in Jerusalem, there's a gate around the city.

And it was a busy time because John tells us that it was one of the festivals of the Jews.

Now we're not sure, was this a Pentecost celebration?

Was it Passover?

Was this...

 the festival of the tabernacles john didn't really tell us what the occasion was but we know that jerusalem was hopping at this point so many people love to come into the holy city where the temple of god was to be able to celebrate one of the high holy days and all around the the city of jerusalem is a wall and there are various gates many of you seen for example when you

 Often see the picture of Jerusalem is taken from the Mount of Olives.

And you see that valley, the Kidron Valley below.

You can see the Golden Gate, for example.

There's a Damascus Gate.

There's a Joppa Gate.

There's all kinds of different gates around the city.

Helps orient you on where you are.

I'm over near the Damascus Gate.

I'm over near the Sheep Gate.

The Sheep Gate was where this takes place.

So it's kind of north, northeast of the temple itself.

 And here's a gate, and just inside the gate, there was a pool.

It was a healing pool called Bethsaida.

Now, some of your Bibles will translate it Bethesda, putting it more into the English.

Now, here's some trivia for you.

There is a town in Maryland called Bethesda.

 which takes its name from this scripture or this story, which is then why when there was some determination of we're going to build a military hospital, which is now known as Walter Reed, where do we want to put it?

Let's put it at the place of the healing pool, Bethesda.

 That's why Walter Reed is in Bethesda, Maryland.

Now, as I've shared with you before, if you ever earn money like on Jeopardy or somewhere else because of the trivia, I share with you 10% to the church, 10% to the pastor.

Just saying.

 But it's an interesting place to go because you can still see it today.

Archaeologists have uncovered it, and you can actually see the various porticos, and you can see where the pool was, and you can just kind of imagine what it was like because you're standing right where Jesus would have been standing.

Imagine the scene of all these people around.

 See, it was believed that when the water moved, if the water bubbled up in some way or if the water was troubled in some way and began to move, the first person in the water would be healed.

And so the goal was to be in the water.

Now, here's another thing for you to take a look at your Bibles.

Most of you may not have realized your Bible is missing verse 4.

 Some Bibles have verse 4, but most Bibles that are based on the older manuscripts don't have it.

You might have a little note, but you go from verse 3 to verse 5, and that's because in verse 4 there was this understanding or this explanation that it was believed that an angel would touch the water, first one in the water would be healed.

 Now, it's believed that one of the scribes at one point made a note in the margin.

That's because it was believed that when an angel touched the water, people would be healed, and that worked its way into some of the manuscripts.

But the older manuscripts, and remember, the older the manuscript, the closer you are to the original, the older manuscripts did not have that verse.

That's why many of your Bibles then do not have that verse.

 But imagine the scene that Jesus walks up, and we're told that there are many people that are there, invalids who are there, the lame, the blind, the paralyzed, and others.

And here's a guy who's been there for 38 years.

Now picture that.

That's longer than many of you have been alive.

For 38 years.

 This man has been lying by the pool, the healing pool, with hopes that somehow, someday, maybe I will be healed.

Makes you wonder what his story was.

Jesus sees him.

It's important because we as a church have to be careful with this.

Sometimes, you know, people would see the crowds and not see the people.

Jesus saw the people.

He saw the person.

He saw the man.

 And it makes you wonder, what was his story?

Did he have a family?

Was this guy born with this infirmity?

It appears that he would have been one of those who are paralyzed because he needs help moving.

So was he born that way?

Did he have an accident that caused this issue?

 Did he have family that cared for him?

Why is it that in 38 years, nobody could take a day off to try to be there with him, that as soon as the water's troubled, we're going to roll you in?

What was the story for this guy?

It appears that he has no one because when Jesus asks the question and he answers it, his answer implies, I don't have anybody to help me.

 Well, then who is it that brings you to the pool every day for the last 38 years?

Or maybe he just had to hire somebody.

Maybe, will you get me to the pool?

Will you get me home at night?

What was his story?

You know what's interesting as well?

Jesus may have seen him over the years.

He's been there for 38 years.

This guy's been lying by the pool longer than Jesus has been alive.

 And remember, we learn in Luke, for example, that from the time Jesus was just a child, at all the holy festivals like the Passover, Mary and Joseph would take Jesus into Jerusalem.

Remember, he's actually left there at the temple when he's 12.

When he gets older, we know that Jesus is constantly going to the high holy days.

He's going into Jerusalem.

He's going to the temple.

And this gate's just above it.

He's going there to the temple.

How many times did Jesus see him lying there?

 plus it was at the pool and there's something about water people would congregate around water have you ever noticed that that's why a lot of times when there's shopping centers and other things people will they'll typically put some kind of a water exhibit or something in the middle of it because we'll stand around the water and it became a great way of being able to meet up with people i'll meet you by the pool at the sheep gate so there was always a

 A crowd of people there, maybe Jesus had seen him lying there over the years.

Jesus, there's something about him that of all the people that Jesus sees him in particular and ask him, do you want to be made well?

Do you really want to be healed?

And you would think that the guy would go, seriously?

Seriously?

 Are you kidding me?

You're really asking me that kind of question.

Why would Jesus ask?

Now, one of the things you learn about the Gospel of John is John teaches us that Jesus sees right into our hearts.

We can try to put on the facade.

You know how we do that with other people?

We try to let them see what we want them to see.

 but we don't want them to see us when we're not ready to be seen.

Jesus has the ability to see directly in our hearts.

For example, turn back two chapters to chapter 3.

Remember the story of Nicodemus?

Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees.

He comes up to Jesus at night.

Why at night?

Don't want to be seen talking to Jesus.

Not when you're a leader of the Jews.

 Goes up to Jesus, says to him, Rabbi, teacher, we know you come from God.

Nobody can do the kind of things you do unless God's with you.

And Jesus just cuts straight to the chase, right?

Forget the words.

Straight to the heart.

You need to be born again, Nicodemus.

 I mean, you may have all the religious rights down.

You know, Pharisees agreed to dot every I, cross every T. They were going to follow the law.

You might be doing everything right.

What's missing is the heart.

You need to be born again.

It's the relationship, not just the religion.

 Turn over to chapter 4.

Jesus is going through Samaria.

It's an unheard of thing for Jews to do.

And he gets to a well, and there's a Samaritan woman at the well.

Remember the story?

And Jesus asks her for something to drink.

That sets off this whole conversation.

And eventually Jesus will say to her, Why don't you go get your husband, and we'll continue this conversation.

And she kind of pauses for a minute, and she goes...

 Actually, I'm not married.

And Jesus said, you're right.

You've been married five times before.

The guy you're living with now is not your husband.

You were honest with me.

She's like, how did you know?

How did you know that?

See, John lets us know Jesus knows.

We can pretend with everybody else.

We can't pretend with Jesus.

Turn the page, you're here.

 There's got to be a theme, right?

Why would Jesus ask this man, do you really want to be made well?

Maybe it's because Jesus could see into his heart as well.

I think Jesus may have been asking, do you really want to be made well or are you comfortable where you are?

Do you really want to be healed or are you comfortable lying by the pool?

 Are you more comfortable lying by the pool than you would be in the pool?

Sometimes we act like, we think, maybe we even believe or convince ourselves we want to be made well, but deep down it scares us to death.

And maybe...

 Just maybe he was comfortable.

He probably knew everybody that was around him, all the other people, and he had been there so long that all the locals would know who he was.

Maybe people were generous to him and would help him out financially to be able to make sure that he had ends meeting or whatever it may be.

People probably knew him by name.

But maybe...

 He didn't really want to be changed.

Isn't it interesting when Jesus asks the question, he doesn't go, oh, yes, Lord, God, more than anything else in the world, I want to be made whole.

That's not what he says.

When Jesus said, do you really want to be made well, what does he go, well, let me tell you my problem, Lord.

Here's the situation.

He starts explaining why he's not rather than answering the question why he does.

 We're never told, did he ever say yes, but Jesus says to him, stand up, take your mat, and walk.

And at once, he was made well, and he took up his mat, and he began to walk.

Now, Jesus' question is interesting.

It's very personal.

 And it starts questioning motives.

And I think Jesus can look deep into our hearts and ask that same kind of question too.

And there are some people, have you ever met some people?

You probably have them in your family.

Most families do.

We have at least one.

There are some people who their illness or their ailment or their situation becomes their identity.

 They don't really want to change it.

That just becomes part of who they are.

There are people, and you learn this over time, that you really don't want to say, how are you?

Right?

Because normally when we say to somebody, how are you doing?

We really don't want to know the details.

We're looking for a, oh great, how are you?

There are some people who will tell you, how are you?

Well...

 About 6 o'clock last night, my stomach, you know, and here you go.

You're going to get to hear the whole story.

I remember there was a church that I once served.

There was a sweet lady there, but I learned.

You learn really in a hurry, never to ask her, how are you?

Because she's going to tell you.

 Everything that happened.

When was the last time I saw it?

Since then.

So Monday, and here you go.

So I learned to turn it.

And I would go, it is so good to see you.

That worked twice.

Third time, she had called on.

I said, it is so good to see you.

She goes, you almost didn't.

Here we go.

Here's the story.

 I was talking to a pastor who had served that church about 20 years before my time.

We were talking one day, and he was going, Oh, yeah, I used to be there.

He goes, How's so-and-so doing?

Oh, they're great.

And what about so-and-so?

Yeah, you know, their youngest just got married.

Really?

And I baptized her when she was a baby.

And we were talking, and he goes, Well, what about so-and-so?

Names this lady.

Is she still enjoying poor health?

 20 years is she still enjoying poor health?

Because sometimes it's a really valid question.

Do you want to get well?

Or has your ailment, your illness, your whatever it is, become now your identity?

I mean, some of us, we say we want change, but we're actually terrified about it.

 The unknown is much more scary than the known, even if the known is miserable.

 And sometimes we want to stay there.

For example, you see it with the children of Israel.

Remember in Exodus chapter 3, God calls Moses because when you read that story, God said he heard the cry of the people.

Their prayers had been raised.

He had observed their misery.

They were enslaved in Egypt.

They were being treated horribly.

They cried out to God.

God answers their prayers.

 Sends them Moses.

Moses with a variety of miracles helps them escape, go through the Red Sea.

We're now out in the wilderness.

Turn over to Numbers chapter 14.

Here's what you get.

The people started whining.

It's taking us too long to get there.

And all of a sudden they start saying, we actually were probably better off back in Egypt.

Right?

 This is the same group that have been crying and praying, God deliver us, it's miserable here.

And the next thing you know, they form a committee.

That's how we know they were the early Methodists.

They form a committee and they then come to Moses and Aaron and go, we want to go back.

We know there's a promise of a promised land.

 But the unknown between here and there is more terrifying than the agony of the known.

No wonder Jesus asked, do you really, really want to get well?

 And I think it's a question that he's able to look straight into our hearts and ask the question as well, do we really want to get well?

As you know, sometimes when I meet with people and we start a counseling situation, I'll ask the question, what is your goal of us meeting together?

Is your goal to change?

 Is your goal to change them?

Is your goal to change you?

What is the goal?

Or is the goal just let's talk so that we can say we did it?

What's the goal?

In other words, not everybody who comes to church really wants to be changed.

 Sometimes we're really comfortable where we are, lying on the edge of the pool instead of in the pool.

What Jesus does is he looks at this man and he says, if you really want to be healed, I can make that happen.

The question really is,

 Do you want to be made well?

It's the same thing for us.

If you want to be made well, if you want to be healed, I can make that happen.

The question is, is it really what you want?

Will you pray with me?

God, we're so grateful that you have all healing power and

 We join together in this place because we love you and we worship you and we want to be the people you've called us to be.

But it also terrifies us.

Because if you change our hearts, you change our lives.

And it may be easier for us to leave here with the known that we came in with than the unknown of what it means to be a changed person.

 to be healed by your grace.

So God, we just pray now that you would look into our hearts.

And God, the answer is yes.

We are tired of lying beside the pool.

It's time to get in the water.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.