Good morning and it's wonderful to be with you today.
It's an honor for me to be invited to come and to stand
before you and to speak for you today.
And to open the word of God, I have never been here before.
This is my first time, so it's a, it's a delight.
It is an honor, it's a joy. And I've anticipated this look
forward to this for some time, glad to have my wife and one of
my daughters with me and then When a young man who is aspiring
to be an evangelist named Darcy with with us today and, of
course, those of you who may not know me, my name is Jimmy cating
and I am working with the congregation in Oakdale
California. My my family and I we moved here
about two years ago to California from the big state of
Texas. And before that we lived in
Oklahoma, And we live there worked with the church there.
For three years, then we worked with the church in Texas for 17
years. Where pennies brother goes to
church David Tate and so had wonderful, wonderful
opportunities. And this is a, this is a great
blessing to be here. We love California.
Actually, we've enjoyed the work and we are thankful for the
foundation. That has been laid before we got
here, much, thanks goes to brother Frank and the work that
he has done with the leadership there at Oakdale.
So I'm humbled to be here. I'm thankful, I'm grateful to be
here and anytime I'm invited to speak to someone about the
gospel of Christ. That is the greatest blessing.
There is that is the, the joy of my life and I hope and I pray
that that I will never take that for granted.
This morning to introduce our thoughts.
As you can see on the screen, I'd like to take our reading
from John chapter 5. When a read beginning at verse
1, an incident that occurred in the life of Jesus, that is
really profound powerful. After this, there was a feast of
the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep gate, a pool, which is
called in Hebrew, Bethesda having five, porches in these
lay a great multitude of sick. People blind lame paralyzed,
waiting for the moving of the water 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.
Now, a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty eight
years. When Jesus saw him lying there
and knew that he had already been in that condition a long
time, he said to him, do you want to be made?
Well, the sick man, answered him, sir.
I have no one, no man to put me into the pool when the water is
stirred up. But while I am coming another
steps down before me. And Jesus said to him, rise,
take up your bed and walk and immediately the man was made.
Well took up his bed and walked and that day was the Sabbath.
Wow. What a what a great record of an
amazing miracle. That was performed on a man,
that was in a condition. For a long, long time.
So this morning, I want to talk about this story and make some
application in the less. It'll be years before we go into
it any further though. We want to pause to pray many on
our hearts no doubt and then our minds that need our prayers.
So let us humble in some fashion while we pray together, it's too
late. It's too late.
No doubt that is one of Satan's
most effective tools. It is one of the most
destructive lies. In fact, the longer you believe
it, the truer, it seems to be The phrase it is too.
Late has been declared by the doubtful and the despondent.
It is said by the couple who have been married for years but
they're having problems. And they come to a crossroad.
And they have what seemed to be insurmountable issues.
But instead of getting help, instead of getting Council, they
had for divorce saying it's too late.
Two grown adults, sisters. Who haven't spoken to each other
in years. They carefully arrange their
schedules and coordinate their schedules.
While their mother is in a hospice care as to avoid talking
to each other. And reconciling with one
another. And if you were to ask them, why
don't you talk? Why don't you reconcile?
Let's say it's too late. Too much hurt, too much time.
A 19 year old young man. Struggling with a serious
addiction. He's given up.
When he's encouraged to talk to someone who has actually
overcome the same problem, he will say, it's too late for me,
19 years old. It's too late.
That's the response of many who have reflected upon a life of
neglect of rebellion who are now over, calm and overwhelmed with
guilt. And shame because of their sins
but they feel like it is too late to do anything about it.
And so, this lie, it is too late.
It is resounded Into The Echoes of the heart and the mind.
And it it creates a helpless hopeless, condition and
perspective. The kids are too old.
The marriage is too cold. And our friend is too angry, the
debt is too overwhelming. The addiction is too powerful,
the reputation. It is to shot the sin, it's too
great. It's too late, and that's a lie.
And that's a lie that the word of God is sharp enough to cut
through. That is a lie that the word of
God is bright enough to penetrate the darkness of every
hopeless condition. The message of Jesus Christ is
that it is not too late. It is not too late to start
over, it is not too late to make a difference.
It is not too late to say, I'm sorry to ask for help.
It is not too late to be forgiven.
And for the sins to be forgotten.
It's not. Too late.
Well, in John chapter 5, Jesus encounters.
A man who is in a situation that no doubt, he thought was too
late to change. He Jesus entering Jerusalem
arrives at a pool called Bethesda.
And this is where a multitude of sick people would lay around and
wait in the hopes of healing blind.
Lame paralyzed. John adds that they were waiting
for the moving of the water. For an angel.
Would come down at a certain time into the pool and stirred
up the water. This is a an intriguing.
Here in the text to me it seems like there is good reason to
believe that John is actually inserting these words to merely
explain a local Superstition or an expectation.
John is letting us understand the mindset of the multitude and
thus this is merely an explanation of a local belief
that these Waters of Bethesda actually had Healing power.
Some believe that they did some believe it was.
Merely a Superstition Kaufman comments that if there had been
any virtue in the waters of the pool, it seems highly incredible
that they should have been efficacious only at
indeterminate intervals only for such a short while and even then
only for the person who got into them first.
That seems to make sense to me. How would a?
Holy and loving and fair God, would he would allow such a cure
only for the first one in and having a group of disabled
people to rush and push and make their way that seems a little
unfair, a little dis organized, a little uncompassionate, but
whatever the case is, Regarding what this actually meant.
This was a place where people would go to find, help find
Hope. Believing that they could get
help. But in John 5, in verse 5, we
have this insertion as well. Now, a certain man was there who
had had an infirmity for 38 years, that's a long time. 38
years, just look at your life, maybe you're not 38 years yet,
maybe you are. But regardless of how young or
how old you are 38 years, that's a long time, 38 years that's
nearly 14,000 days, 14,000 days that have come and gone and
things haven't changed very much at all for this man.
He had this problem and he was in that situation for 14,000
Days and I'm not sure exactly when it happened.
But after enough days and weeks and months and years Eventually,
he would lose optimism. He would become pessimistic.
That, anything would ever change?
but what's surprising to me is that regardless of his
pessimism, he is still at the well, he is still at the pool,
he is still there holding on Regardless of the fact that he
had been there for so long. And whenever there is a thread
of hope, there's always a chance to Build a Bridge of Faith and
this man is going to experience. Even though he had been 38 years
in this condition, on this day, it's going to be different
because on this day, Jesus is going to pass by.
And Friends whenever Jesus passes by, it can make a
difference. It can make a world of
difference. It can change everything, does
it always but it most certainly can And in verse 6, Jesus when
he saw him lying there and knew that he had already been in that
condition a long time, he said to him, do you want to get well
now that is probably one of the most intriguing questions we can
read from the lips of Jesus. Do you want to get well, what
kind of question is that? Because it doesn't it seem a
little unnecessary. Why, why in the world would a
man who is lame be at a pool of healing?
Don't you want to get? Well, isn't it obvious?
The question seems fairly unnecessary.
But this question is far from it.
In fact, this is the common methodology that Jesus utilizes
in his approach with people in Mark, chapter 10 and verse 51.
He says to a blind, man. What can I do for you?
Isn't that obvious? And now he says to a sick, man.
Do you want to get well? Unnecessary.
Not at all. And the longer I live in the
more, I preach, the more I can see the wisdom in that question.
Because here's what I've learned that Jesus already knew.
There's a lot of people who like hanging around the pool, but
they don't really want to get better.
There's a lot of people who want to go to church.
But they don't want to change. There's a lot of people who
don't mind opening up their Bibles reading, it makes them
feel good. They even like to listen to
sermons, but they're not interested in doing anything
different. There's a lot of people who like
the lifestyle, but they don't really want to change theirs.
And so do you want to get well? Is a very important question,
because Jesus knew that a person who doesn't want, help can't be
helped. Now, that seems cold and
calloused, but that's really the truth.
And there's nothing. That a preacher can do.
There's nothing that a family member can do.
There's nothing the church can do.
And yay, even Jesus. There's nothing that Jesus can
do if a person doesn't want. To get well.
But that raises the question. Why wouldn't anyone?
Why wouldn't everyone in such a sickening?
Sad State want to be made? Well, why is this question
necessary? Well, let me give you a couple
of possibilities. This question is necessary
because we can live in such a situation for so long that we
began to deny the reality or we began to unknown, we begin to
not notice. the seriousness of the situation that we're in, I
suppose this is probably the case for a man that had been
sick for 38 years denying, the seriousness of the situation
after that long of time, it is likely that he lost sight of
what life could be like what life could actually feel like if
he were better after all, he was surrounded day after day, by
people who were sick and in difficult circumstances and this
became his All this, became his life.
This became his identity. and when something becomes normal,
and something becomes your life and your identity, Well, it's
kind of difficult to see things the way it ought to be and the
nature of sin. Can cause us. to be lulled into
a sense of comfort, a new normal, a situation that we
don't necessarily like but We're used to it.
And it can deceive us and Lowell us into a false sense of
security. The Hebrew writer would tell us
in Chapter 13 and verse 13 of chapter 3, brother, verse 13, it
speaks of the deceitfulness of sin.
We grow accustomed to it, we settle with it.
I saw a documentary one time. I think it was on The Learning
Channel, maybe the History Channel, one of those
documentary channels and it was Commuting.
A man who had a 600 pound tumor? I think about that.
And how he was going to have that removed now.
It was not just documenting the tumor itself, of course but the
psychology of the man who allowed it to get so bad and of
course, He thought in the beginning, initially, it was
something that could be contained and if he would just
leave it alone, it would just take care of itself and we know
that's the way it can be with us.
We can be like that with our own problems.
If we just ignore it, maybe leave it alone, maybe it will
just stay where it is and time, will take care of it.
Let's wait and see if it'll get better.
But All time does is allow the tumor to grow bigger in our
homes, or even in our hearts. And by the time, the man
realized that it was not going to take care of itself, he had
reached the point that he was too embarrassed by, how bad he
let things become. And so, he was afraid to ask for
help because he was ashamed that other people.
Would see how bad it was. And He just couldn't get past
the shame. That's true for a lot of us as
well. We don't want people to know how
bad the tumor is in our lives. It's much easier to buy into the
lie that it's too late than to admit.
That that things have become so bad.
It's much easier to say it's too late than to tell a friend about
your struggle. It's a lot easier to say it's
too late than to try to reconcile a relationship because
that's work and it can get awkward.
It's a lot easier to say it's too late than to humble yourself
and to get the help that you might need for a drug problem,
or alcohol addiction, or a pornography problem, or a
gambling habit. You know, we can become so
ashamed of how our condition has grown out of control that we
just allow it to become our new normal instead of reaching out
and seeking help. We just are in denial of the
reality of what is and we stop thinking of what can be.
It's a lot easier to say, I will.
I can never change things. Can never be better or I could
never be forgiven. Then to take the difficult steps
necessary. For repentance.
So, do you want to get well, that is a question, isn't it?
For all of us to ask necessary because not everyone does.
Because they deny the reality of their situation.
Here's another reason why that question is necessary for many
and most of us is because we don't really want to change
because we're afraid of it, we're afraid to change.
We're afraid because change is painful.
Jesus taught us in John 3, and verse 24.
Everyone practicing, evil hates the light and does not come to
the light. Lest his deeds should be
exposed. And he compares the truth of his
word. The saving transforming power of
the Gospel to a light in the darkness and we understand what
that does, how painful that can be.
If you were a teenager, especially a teenager, you
understand your sleep in the dark room and somebody flips the
light on, you don't like it. You went you squit, you throw
the blanket over your face. You may even yell turn it off
because light Painful to the eyes when they have grown
accustomed. To the dark.
And yet in our own lives and in our own sinful practice.
In our darkness, when others try even if they are in the most
humble and loving in their approach.
We don't much appreciate because it rubs us the wrong way.
It challenges us. It is all up in our business and
we don't like that. Do we?
One man said, we can easily forgive a child who is afraid of
the dark. The real tragedy of life is when
men are afraid of the light. Change.
Is painful. Earl Nightingale wrote, you will
remain the same until the pain of remaining the same becomes
greater than the pain of change. You know what though changes
also risky. It's risky.
Because in our normal and in our comfort zones, we know what to
expect. We know what the expectations
are and so it can be risky when we change, when we make the
steps to change our lives or to do better.
There's a lot of benefits to being by the edge of the pool.
So we don't change. There's comfort in the status
quo, do you know of somebody who when they get sick?
They kind of like it the kind of enjoy it.
Oh, not that. They like being sick but they
kind of like the perks that come with the pool.
They like the low expectations. They like the attention, the
sympathy not having to try so hard and when it comes to our
spiritual health, so many of us settle You know, it's not ideal.
You know, it's not the way that you should stay for very long
and you're comfortable though and you remain in that situation
because it takes too much risk to do anything differently.
But Jesus asked the man, do you want to get well, and I want you
to notice his response. Sir.
I have no one. 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.
He doesn't answer the question with a yes or a no.
He answers the question with I can't.
I can't do you want to get well? And he immediately begins to
explain the excuses as to why he can't get well.
In a book written by doctors Frank minnerath than Paul Meyer.
Entitled happiness is a choice. They make this observation I
thought was interesting to me I'll share it with you. a
psychiatrist we cringe when Christian patients used the
words I can't and I tried Any good psychiatrist knows that I
can't. And I've tried are merely lame
excuses. We insist that our patients.
Stop saying can't, and say, won't instead now, it's so
evidently when somebody comes into their office and they need
some help and they say, I can't get along with my wife, they
make them rephrase that, and they have to say I won't get
along with my wife. I can't break this Habit to I
won't break this habit. I can't get my spending under
control to. I won't get my spending under
control and they have learned that if you can get people to
the point to where they changed their cats to wants, they stop
making excuses and they stop start taking some action.
They look at their problem in a different way.
And for some of us, that is the problem.
We just say, I can't. But the reality is, we won't.
something I've noticed about myself and I kind of made this
observation about other people as well.
You can correct me if I'm wrong, it may be your observation to,
but people will do. What they really want to do.
They really want to they'll do it.
They'll find a way. If there is a will there is a
way they'll find a way to do it. That's the way it is in a lots
of things in life in general, but certainly when it comes to
our spiritual health and our spiritual lives, we will do what
we want to do, when we see when we're motivated.
And when we are inspired, To change.
Now, here's the problem with this man, though he says, I
can't and, you know what? He can't.
He really couldn't get to the pool by himself and nobody was
there to help him. Until Jesus came.
And when I look at this story, I look at it as a microcosm of the
Gospel itself. It is a situation that we all
face. In reality.
We had a crippling and debilitating problem called sin,
that we couldn't fix on our own, and no one could help us until
Jesus. And First Corinthians chapter 1
verses 18 through 20 60, not read that whole section.
But you'll see where Paul talks about.
How that, not many wise, not many noble, not many mighty are
called By the gospel, they all hear the same gospel, but not
all respond to it. Who don't respond, the Mighty
the noble, the wise, why don't the mighty Noble and wise
respond to the gospel? Those educated folks that know
more than those who are on the other side of the tracks?
Why, why don't they? Because they're too busy
getting. To the pool on their own or
those that. Don't even think they need the
pool. The message of the Gospel, the
message of the Cross? Yes, it's perishing to those who
are or it is a foolishness rather to those who are
perishing, but it is the power of God to those who are saved.
The gospel will only save those who are humble enough to admit
that they are lost and they can't do it on their own.
There are people who will never obey the gospel because they
will not acknowledge. They need the gospel.
The reason it is good news is because there's bad news and
most people don't really appreciate or are aware of the
bad news that there are lost and they'd be separated eternally
from God. If they died in such a Tate.
And there's nothing. They could have done, they
could, there's nothing they could do to fix their problem
separate and apart from a holy pure atoning, sacrifice that God
would make for them through his son, the Lamb of God. and so,
This man acknowledges, his need. And he learns that with Jesus.
It's not too late. And Jesus after he brushes aside
all of the excuses that he is made he basically is standing
before this man to say, I am your answer.
I can tell you what you need to do it.
Here's what it is. Rise up, take up and walk.
He doesn't just leave the man. But he gives the man, something
to do something that would require.
Yes, trust and faith in an attempt to do exactly as Jesus
said, and after 38 years, after nothing had changed all this
time. This man's life.
Changed and he met Jesus, he learned that it was not too
late. To get up, take up and walk.
For the woman of John 8, who was caught in adultery, she had
learned that it was not too late for Jesus said, neither do I
condemn, you go and sin? No more.
For Simon Peter, who denied the Lord three times and in his
shame weeping bitterly, no doubt thought.
How could I ever regain my footing?
How could I ever be restored? How could I ever regain the
trust of the Lord? And yet the Lord reaffirms gives
Peter the the opportunity to reaffirm his love when he said
feed my sheep. And for Saul of Tarsus who
Persecuted innocent Christians can sending at their deaths.
He learned that even for him, it was not too late.
For he was told to arise and be baptized and wash away your
sins, calling on the name of the Lord and maybe you need to learn
it to maybe that's the case with you.
You don't have to settle you don't have to be put into that
box of identity of who you've always been.
You don't have to, you don't have to be that way.
You don't have to live that way. You don't have to let the past
Define you. But the question is, do you want
to get well? John 14 of in John 5:14
afterwards, Jesus found him in the temple and he said to him,
see you have been made. Well sin, no more.
Lest a worse thing come upon you.
Jesus is telling him you've been healed physically.
There's something more important.
And there's something worse than physical.
Problems and physical sickness. He says, you need to make sure
you don't sin. Lest a worse thing come upon you
this morning as we look at this concept, I don't, I don't want
to leave the impression that it's it's never too late.
Because it is. The Bible teaches us that we are
to number. Our days, ask God, teach us to
number our understand that we have limited opportunity,
limited time. Psalm 139 verse for the Lord
make me to know my end and what is the measure of my days that I
may know how frail I am. It's good for us to understand
that we have the precious gift of time, but it's also equally
important for us to know that time is precious because it is
limited. It is not going to stay and it's
not going to last Forever. We see it.
Jesus teaches that. Parable in Luke 16.
The rich man and Lazarus. Where this man had lived, his
life fairing sumptuously every day.
Whining, whining himself and dining himself and everything
that he needed, everything that he wanted and the Comforts of
his mansion. And then he dies.
And he ends up in torment. And he sees the beggar who had
laid at his gate beg who had begged day in day out for the
crumbs, that would fall from his table, and he sees him in
Paradise, Abraham's bosom. And now, the tables of God's
justice have turned. And instead of the beggar,
Desiring a crumb. Now the rich man begs for a drop
of water off the tip of another man's finger.
He can't get it. Father Abraham said, Son
remember that in your lifetime, you received good things,
likewise Lazarus evil things, but he now is comforted and you
are tormented and besides this between us and you there is a
great Gulf fixed. It is a separation.
It is not just a separation but it is a permanent stable fixed
deep. Eternally settled separation, it
is too deep to be filled. It is too wide to be crossed.
It is fixed. It is unalterable in its nature.
Those who are here. Cannot go to there and those who
were there. Cannot go to here.
There is no hope. And once we end up there, it is
too late. That's the message.
It's too late. There's no hope of ever getting
out. now today, It's not too late. but what we do with the
time and what how we make the most of it, Is up to us.
It's not too late, is it until it's too late.
And maybe you're here this morning and you're not yet A
child of God, maybe you have been sitting in your denial.
Maybe you have been just then content.
To stay where you are afraid to change to take the risk.
To do anything different. Maybe you haven't grown like you
need to maybe you are a Christian but you haven't grown
like you need to. You haven't haven't matured like
you anything. Well, Nothing's Gonna Change.
Nothing's ever going to change for me.
Well, it's up to what you want and what you make of it.
The one who can change you is standing before you asking you.
Do you want to get well? And it's up to you and he says
Rise Up. Take up.
And walk. And if you've never obeyed the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, what don't you do?
That today, come believing in him repenting of your sins,
confessing your faith and be baptized to have your sins
washed away and you'll have the opportunity to go on your way
rejoicing, not healed, from a physical infirmity, but that
which is going to cause you to be eternally separated from God,
taken away, forgiven, and wiped out, blot it out, and remember
it again. You know, more.
And if we can assist you, if you've never taken that step,
what are you waiting on? I don't know the audience.
This is my first time here. Maybe you have, maybe you have,
if you have it. What are you waiting on?
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
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