Do You Want to Be Healed?

I was in the store last week buying a health supplement. I heard you laugh. Some of you are probably wondering, which one is it? You think this happens by accident? No, I work hard for this. You're like, there's no chance you take health supplements. I buy it, she rings it up, the lady at the counter, she's like, beep. I was like, whoa, that's expensive. And she goes, I take it every day. And I was like, that's a really expensive habit. And she says, not as expensive as my vaping. And I was like, wait, you're taking the health supplement every day, and you're vaping every day. I was like, oh, I can help you with that. I was like, I've worked with addicts for the last 20 years. And she's like, I don't want to quit. I was like, wait, really? Like, you don't? She's like, no, then what would I do with my stress? I was like, oh. I was like, well, we got this thing on Monday night. And it can help with the vaping. It can help with the stress, give you peace. It's free. It's this Christ-centered 12-step program called Regeneration. If you want to know why they cheer, go on Monday night. To which she's like, nah, I'm good. But her other coworkers start asking about it. And you know, it's OK. Like, I've been there.

And I think the reality is, I'm still there today. I think you're still there today. I think all of us have something in our life that isn't as it should be. And we know we need change, but we don't want change. And there is a world of difference between need and want. Like, if you wonder, do I need change in my life, ask your roommate, ask your spouse, ask your parents, or ask your children. There's often stuff that we can't see, but that is in our life, in need of change, but we don't necessarily want it. That was the case with the girl at the checkout line. Frankly, it's the case with me sometimes. And it's what we're gonna be talking about today. Because we have little success in our own efforts. Like, change evades us. Because Jesus brings about change. He is the change agent, the Holy Spirit, the sanctifier. And so today, we are going to be talking about that. Specifically, healing. And you think, like, just to like dismiss mental objections that are happening right now. Like, man, I don't, I mean, my neighbor needs this. My uncle needs this. I don't need this. You think about phone addiction. You think about control and anxiety. Disordered eating and body image.

You think about worry and fear about the future and your 401k and looking at the market and wondering if you have enough to retire. You think about the bills that you need to pay and all the like financial strife and trouble that may happen to that. Comparison of others, like with social media. Comparison, they call it social comparison, that brings about depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidal ideation are at all time highs. The porn epidemic that is not a guy problem, it's a human problem. It's just like this thing that we all need but don't necessarily want. And today, as we conclude the Answering Jesus series, we are going to be looking at a question that Jesus asks a man in John chapter five that he's going to ask us today. Do you wanna be healed? Not do you need to be healed? Do you want to be healed? Now, to give you a little bit of a flyover, in John chapter five, there's a man that's been paralyzed for 38 years. He's lying in Jerusalem on a mat. Jesus walks up to him, asks him our question today, do you wanna be healed? And we're gonna see the progression of what he says, what Jesus says, what he does, where he then is, who then hears about Jesus.

It's an incredible story that is very insightful and has application for us today. Before I do, I wanna give you a little bit of a outline of where we're gonna go. We're gonna look at the problem, the solution, and the application. You think PSA, public service announcement. It's like for everybody to know something really important, this PSA is not public service announcements, problem, solution, application. With that, I wanna pause and just allow you to pray. We have so rarely moments of stillness. Pray and ask God to reveal to you an area in need of change and that today he would begin to make that change. Somebody just asked chat where they need change. I'll start with the Holy Spirit, then we'll go chat next. Spouse after that. Ask the Spirit, where do I need healing? And then you just think about that today. Lord, guide us. We're gonna read your word. You say, sanctify them by truth. Your word is truth. So Holy Spirit, come and lead us in Jesus' name, amen. John chapter five, verse one through seven. You'll see it on the screen. After this, there was a feast of the Jews. What that means is there was a ton of people in Jerusalem. Like, think like, I don't know, New Orleans at Mardi Gras. Like, everybody's going.

The city is packed. And Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now, there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate. The Sheep Gate is where they would bring in all the sheep for the temple sacrifice. And so here you have the Sheep Gate. You have Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, walking through the Sheep Gate to the lost sheep of Israel. This is like, like, full of symbolic meaning. By the Sheep Gate, a pool in Aramaic called Bethesda. This is bet, which is house in Hebrew. From the root word, kesed, it means house of loving kindness. This place, Bethesda, which has five roof colonnades. So here, Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, walks into the house of loving kindness. And in these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, and paralyzed. A multitude of invalids, blind, lame, and paralyzed. Now, in this day and age, in John chapter nine, we know this, that when people would see someone blind, lame, or paralyzed, they, as they did to the man born blind, said to Jesus in John nine, Rabbi, let's ask a question. Who sinned first, this man or his parents that he was born blind? They thought if you had a physical difficulty, disability, a malformity, that they're like,

oh, that's because of sin. It was a prosperity gospel. They're like, oh, the reason why the person's like that is either the parents sinned or they sinned, and that's why that guy's blind. So they, this would have been a place of great shame of being ostracized where it's like these people would have gathered and nobody would have gone there. The Pharisees wouldn't go. They were like, that's the gathering of sinners. The multitude of invalids is also the multitude of sinners. That's why they're like that because they didn't fear and follow Yahweh. And Jesus just rolls up. I mean, they're not just like him. And you know what is just like us? We, this church, the church, is a multitude of invalids. It's either what we are or who we were. Every single person in here, multitude of invalids. Like the reason you're even in church is because it's an admission. Like you pull into the parking lot, we might've, it's like, you're saying, I have sin, I need a savior. And he saved us from our past sin and he's saving us presently from sin and the gift of eternal life. It's us too. So therefore, don't be surprised if you walk in here like,

dude, I think my neighbor smells like alcohol. Like right now in church. They smell like they've been vaping. I think that couple beside me is sleeping together and they don't have wedding bands on. It's probably the case. And woe be to us if people can't walk in here in their sin to find forgiveness of sins, that this is an emergency room. Now, we don't wanna stay there. They're gonna trust in Jesus, find rebirth, renewal by the Holy Spirit and be changed. Just as you will see in John chapter five. The problem is, is when somebody finds healing in Jesus and then scoffs at those who are still sick. Like, oh, don't you know that's sin? Yes, that's why they're in church, to find help and healing. Which is what our passage will be about today. Verse five, it says, one man who had been there had been an invalid, paralyzed for 38 years. He had been there and paralyzed for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, this is just like a, you see the divinity of Christ that he's like, he has knowledge. He sees him individually. He knows you, he loves you individually on a personal level and he knows everything about you.

So Jesus walks in, he sees this man, he's like, man, I know you've been there a long time. He doesn't have to ask his history, he knows it. He said to him, and here's our question for answering Jesus. Do you want to be healed? to be healed. Not do you need to be healed, do you want to be healed? And it's what Jesus is asking us again today on August 9th, 2026. And it seems like an odd question, right? Of course I want to be healed. Who doesn't want to be healed? Do you want to be healed? But the reality is not all who are sick want to be well. We prefer habits over healing. It was the reality of the checkout girl. She's like taking a supplement, she's like, yeah, I'm addicted to vape. No, I don't want to quit, I got my stress. Not all who are sick want to be well. We prefer habits over healing. And the truth is our identity gets wrapped up in that. I mean, people say like, oh, I'm just a control freak. Oh, I'm just type A. Man, I'm just intense. That's how God made me. And we start to make excuses for it. I know this, I went to a doctor and the doctor literally told me, this is 20 years ago, he's like, hey, I want you to know

you're dying of alcoholism. And I was like, I literally walked out and kept drinking. I didn't, I was like, I don't want to, I'm not gonna change. I'm the party guy. It gives me confidence with women. It gives me confidence at the happy hour with my clients afterwards and advertising. Like I'm not changing. I may be dying. I'm not gonna change. It had become an identity for me. Like, dude, I'm the one who gets all the friends together. I throw the great house parties. I'm not changing. I may die, but I'm gonna go out in flames. It's what psychologists call illness identity. That you start to find identity in your illness. And you think, well, why would anyone do that? Here's a few reasons why. One, illness identity engenders empathy from others. So they start to be empathetic towards you in whatever that struggle may be. And you can start to make an excuse for yourself. You can start to be like, well, man, that's just kind of who I am. That's how I roll. Man, don't ask me to change, you know. And we can have a, this is interesting. We can have a victim reality that translates to a victim mentality.

Now hear me, when I say victim reality, there's some horrific things that have happened to people. Sexual abuse, domestic violence, all sorts of things. Family of origin things that you're like, man, that's like still impacts me to this day. That's the victim reality. It's true, it happened to you. The problem is when the victim reality translates into a victim mentality. Like, oh, I'm a victim as a person. And I'm on the defensive in life. And I keep everybody at arm's length. And I'm not gonna let anybody in. And it becomes this victim mentality that keeps you from health and healing in Christ. And oftentimes change is unwanted because change is unknown. It's like, man, if this wasn't a part of me, if I didn't control things, then who would? If I didn't worry about these things, then who would? If I didn't just like work a holic and do everything, then how would I get the income? Change is unknown. And we can grow content with our lack of growth. I was talking to somebody who was 58 years old. And I was talking to them about change. And they said, hey, listen, I'm 58. I'm not gonna change. And it was like so sad.

It's like, then the rest of your life, you're gonna live without healing in that area. The world would say, you can't teach old dogs new tricks. God would say, no, I make old dogs new. He gives you new birth, born again. Like the Holy Spirit is continually sanctifying you all through life after trusting Christ. That does not stop until glorified at home in the Lord. So the sick man, after hearing the question, do you wanna be healed in verse seven says, sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. And while I'm going, another steps down before me. It's like, what? It's a simple yes or no question. Do you wanna be healed? Yes or no? It's like, ah, well, you know, the water and when the water stirred, then somebody else gets put down before me. You see Jerusalem local legend said that an angel of the Lord would sometimes like stir up the water and that the first one in would get healed as if God like would run out of grace. It was the superstition locally. Maybe it had happened once that somebody had gotten healing and now everybody was gathered there hoping, I hope I'm the first one in. Cause if I'm not, that's it for 38 years. Instead of saying like, yes, I wanna be healed.

He's like looking at this long shot. What if I hope that someday maybe an angel, then I get in. If I can be first and nothing had come to pass. He wanted to go down. God was about to call him up. So we've got to quit self effort and go. to God. So our question for this, it's the problem, is that we look to our circumstances rather than Christ. We're like this man looking at the pool to Bethesda, like, man, someday, maybe the job will work out. Maybe I'll get a raise. Maybe the guy will ask me out. Maybe someday, you know, he'll invite me to marry him and we can stop living in sin and live a holy life. Maybe someday I can break off this porn addiction. Maybe someday, and we're thinking about all these worldly ways, we're looking at maybe the circumstances will change our field of play instead of looking to God and asking him to heal the brokenness in our lives. We're blaming circumstances instead of looking to Christ. And that's a problem. So where is it in your life presently that you're staring at the waters of wishful thinking, saying like, well, if this or that would only change, then it would be okay instead of going to God and being like, you can bring healing to this, regardless of circumstances.

You don't deal in odds. You're God. God heals, period. Pain, broken relationships, sexuality, addiction. And so quit telling him why it isn't happening and go to him. In Matthew 6, Jesus is talking about, he's like, hey, look, don't run after what you're gonna eat, what you're gonna wear, what you're gonna drink. He's like, the pagans run after all these things because they don't have God. Of course, they've got to drive themselves crazy. They're not looking to God. So they're driving themselves mad, trying to get all these things. He says, instead, seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Your father knows what you need even before you ask. And so if the problem is that we look to our circumstances rather to Christ, we got to find a solution. So let's read on. In verse eight, Jesus said to him, it's like so simple, three things. Get up, take up your bed and walk. And at once the man was healed and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. Jesus commanded these three things and he does those three things. I mean, you think he's gonna roll the dice?

Like, ah, he's like willing to try. He's willing in faith to be like, okay, you say get up. He doesn't know who he is yet. It's just some man, get up, take up your bed and walk. And he does. Get up is to do the unthinkable. For 38 years, he had been paralyzed, invalid. And he says, get up. But he did in faith and it was evidence of healing. Now, when Jesus came upon the scene to show that the kingdom of God was at hand, the blind saw, the deaf heard, the lame walked, the dead were raised, the widow went name. Those things were supernatural. And I think we oftentimes are like, yeah, well, that was the gospel. And we don't ask him to heal the real problems within, the real sickness within of the problems of sin. And so as this man was told, get up, and he did, it showed evidence of his healing. We also have to take God at his promises. And for some, that begins in John three, where it says, for God so loved you, the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes, no matter what you've done, where you've been, what you did last night, will not perish, but have eternal life. That is to get up, to take the promise of God and be like, man, if you're saying that I can be forgiven of my sins

and receive eternal life, I will get up in that promise. If it says in Romans six, I'm no longer a slave to sin, but I'm a slave to righteousness, then I believe that's true for me. And I'm gonna take you at your promise, not because of my effort, but because of your eternal word. Or in second Corinthians five, behold, the old is gone, the new has come, all this is in Christ. That it's just true that we take God at his word, at his promise and believe in faith. Then next it says, take up your bed, which is really interesting. You think about this guy, he'd been lying there 38 years. You think about this bed, it would have been filthy. It was before like whirlpool washer and dryers. This would have been like soiled, sweat, urine, bed sores, mites, lice. It would have been disgusting. Jesus isn't part of the Jerusalem litter committee. He's not like, okay, you know, make sure you clean up after yourself. He says, carry your bed. Such a strange. thing, you know, this thing that I don't need anymore. Like you just healed me. I am now upright, carry my bed. Okay, man, you just healed me. I will do what you say. Rolls up his bed, got it in hand. And he says, and walk.

Take up your bed. Here's what I would say is the application for us is like, we oftentimes are like, man, that's illogical. I know that it says, forgive one another as God and Christ forgave you, but you don't know what they did to me. How bad they hurt me. They haven't even said they're sorry or asked for forgiveness. It's illogical. It's like taking up your bed. Like, yeah, but this doesn't make sense. God's like, it doesn't make sense to the world. It makes sense in the kingdom of God, in the economy of God. So I'm asking you to forgive. It's illogical. You want me to call the estranged family member we haven't spoken to in a decade? Yes. You want me to confront this person in sin, even though I know they're gonna mock me, they're gonna reject me. They may cuss at me. They may never be my friend again. Yes. You want me to give, even though I'm broke, give to the kingdom of God? Yes. That it's all this like illogical,

but faith, like I'm gonna trust. I'm gonna take up my bed. I'm gonna do what's right by faith, even if by the world's eyes is completely strange and wrong, and walk. You think that guy hung out there a long time? Dude, he was gone. And you'll see later in the story, he didn't stay. He got up, he took up his bed, and he walked. And I think in our lives, specifically as we're talking today about healing from sin in particular, God heals us, meaning born again. We may start taking steps of obedience, take up your bed, and we don't walk. We stay put. We're like, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not gonna break up with my girlfriend, even though we're in sexual sin, because I love her. You don't love her. You wouldn't lead her into sin. So lead her in righteousness or separate until you can. Or the guy that's got a porn addiction while still holding the very means by which he gets his pornography right in his back pocket. It's like, of course. You have not walked away from that very thing. We say, when you trust in Jesus, you gotta change your playground, which is where you are, your playmates, which is who you're with,

and your pastimes, which is what you do. This guy got up and walked. He wasn't hanging out there anymore. He's like, I don't have a place here anymore. I've been healed. I'm gonna walk. We also do too. It's called repentance. To believe in Jesus for eternal life and to repent, which is to walk away, like it's to turn. You're like, I'm not gonna do this anymore by the power of God, to walk. We do well to approach the Christian life like this. I think oftentimes we come to the Bible like an all-you-can-eat buffet. We're like, oh, forgiveness of sins. I'll take a helping of that. Eternal life, a little bit of that. Oh, here it says that we can receive love, joy, peace. Take some of that. And then we see repentance. We're like, ooh, that would be hard. I'm gonna pass on the repentance. I'm gonna pass on forgiving that one person. I'm gonna pass on trusting God with my finances. I'm gonna pass on not letting a root of bitterness grow up inside of me. And it's like a la carte Christianity. We gotta approach it like mama's cooking. Like, no, what's on your plate?

You're gonna eat it, even if you don't like it, because it's good for you. Your father knows what's good for you. Like, I don't wanna forgive. That doesn't feel good to me. I've been treated unjustly. Now you're asking me to forgive them. Yes, it's good for you. It's good for you. I have put it on the plate for your spiritual nourishment. Jesus will change us. So the second point, if the problem is, we look to our circumstances, not to Christ, the solution is to listen to and obey Christ for healing. To listen to and obey in everything, from our salvation, through our sanctification, until we are at home with the Lord. That's it. It's just like, listen and obey. Like the paralyzed man who was lying there. He's like, you say, get up, I'm getting up. You say, take up my bed, I'm taking up my bed. You say, walk, I'm gonna walk. And that we would look in these words that give life and be like, all right, Lord, I don't need to understand. I just need to have faith and walk it out. This friend of mine, family friend, long-time family friend, Chris Lovacek. I was two months sober. I can see myself standing in the downstairs

of my brother and sister-in-law's office, there in their house. I was on the phone, two months sober, life spiraling out like didn't. know what to do in life. And Chris said this. I mean, I was like staring at the closet. He said, hey, you've tried your way. I was 30. You've tried your way. Would you give God just one year? Just give him a year. Try his ways with his people. And that question, I was like, okay. All right, I'll give him this year. 20 is 26 is his, we'll see. My life's never been the same. Thank you, Chris. Thank you, Jesus. You see, oftentimes as people, when they're in their spiritual sickness, they'll say, well, it happened last week. Hey, we got region on Monday at 6.30. It's free. Got kids ministry. There's zero reason to not go. Other than this, man, I don't have time. It's like, I don't think you don't have, like your life's falling apart or their marriage is not where they want it to be.

Andrew Allen, standing right back there, leading re-engage for your marriage, no matter where it is. Some of you have been married 20 years and you're like, well, we're not like, you know, driving off into the ditch. It's like, well, it's been 20 years. Like go get a tune up. And others like, man, we got divorce papers filed with the attorneys. Go to re-engage and everything in between. And you're like, well, I don't have time. I don't know what to tell you. Or Meredith Meyer and John Green, who oversee all of our life groups here at Harris Creek, men, women, marrieds, young adults, all of them. They will tell you 90% of like the big problems that make it up to them, where they hear that pass through like the life group or the other members of the church. And then through the deacons, the ones that arrive where it's like, oh man, this is like, this is a pretty bad situation. 90% of them, it's not a coincidence, are not in a life group. That's what Ecclesiastes says. Woe to the man who falls down and does not have anyone with him. It's like, you got nobody? Like, yeah, the problems are gonna go really bad,

really quick. We all need each other. We all help each other. There's no Lone Ranger Christianity. Like all the one another's in scripture, we've got to have. And here it happens through life group. 90% of those big problems, they're like, well, who's in your life group? I don't have one. What? How long have you been here? Five years. But I don't have time. Or this one. And I'm gonna look into the camera. And I don't mean this harsh, but I mean this in the reverence and holiness of God. Hebrews 10 says, do not forsake the meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but to encourage one another and gather and worship together. Some of you, look, if you're streaming because you're on vacation, praise God, enjoy the beach, bring us a souvenir. If you're in your pajamas and sitting in bed, just drinking coffee, if you got a newborn, like hall pass, way to go. Congrats on the baby. But if you're just chilling

because you don't like the parking lot and it's August or you're hungover, and it's just your habit and you just stream, it's not church. This is church. To be with the, it's the assembly. That's the ecclesia. So if you're streaming, I'm not throwing stones at you. We are inviting you to come back. It's different. I mean, I was just on vacation. I was listening to Nate's sermon on a drive back from vacation. And it's just different. You know, your kids are like, I gotta go to the bathroom. Can I have more coffee? What's the, you know, it's just like all this stuff. The kids don't drink coffee. I think Laura needed a refill. It's just all this stuff. I'm not, I mean, it's an incredible message, but I'm not getting what you all got. Come to church. Be a part of the gathering of God. Listen to and obey Christ for healing. There was a man named Joseph Hart in the 1700s. He was a learned, educated man in Greek and Latin, like well-schooled. He was raised by believing parents,

but he chose the vices and pleasures of the world. In fact, this is crazy. He used his education and schooling to write a tract, which is like a little pamphlet that you hand out to people, called, he titled it, The Unreasonableness of Religion, to counter the evangelist, John Wesley. So Wesley's leading people to Christ, and he's like, oh no, you don't. This is all a joke. And he's just writing down this tract, and he's handing it out to people. Like that's how antagonistic he was against the faith until this antagonist one day went to church, didn't stream church, and heard George Whitefield preaching, fell under conviction of the Holy Spirit, trusted in Jesus. And two years later, repurposed all of that education to begin writing hymns. It said on his tombstone that he was delivered from the bonds, listen, because this may be you, of mere profession. He was delivered from the bonds of mere profession. You may profess Christ, do you possess Christ? And self-righteousness by the finished and perfect atonement of Christ. He wrote the hymn, Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy. Listen to verse four.

Think about listen to and obey Christ for healing. It's on the screen. Come ye weary, heavy laden, lost and ruined by the fall of sin. If you tarry till you're better, you will never come at all. We don't wait, but with immediacy, respond to Jesus. You read something in the word and you just do it in faith. Don't labor over it. When it says give, when it says forgive, when it says pray, like listen to the promptings of the Spirit. Listen and obey for healing in Christ for the spiritual sickness within. So let's recap this. The second, first and second points. We'll get to the third. Look, the problem is we look to our circumstances, not to Christ. The solution is to listen to and obey Christ for healing. And now the application of our PSA. In verse 10, it says, now the day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed. Listen to this exchange. It's like healed, bed, healed, bed, bed. It's just this emphasis. Remember he's carrying that nasty old bed that should have been thrown away. Said to the man who had been healed, it is the Sabbath

and it's not lawful for you to take up your bed. On the Sabbath, they couldn't do any work including lifting or carrying anything. It was just, it was a day unto the Lord. They had to fully rest, but they made it legalistic. Like, no, you can't even carry anything. You couldn't even carry your Bible, couldn't carry anything. So they're out there like spiritual hall monitors. Like, hey, what are you doing carrying your bed? It's the Sabbath. Verse 11, but he answered them, the man who healed me, that man said to me, take up your bed and walk. He doesn't even know who it was. He just, some dude showed up on the scene was like, get up, take up your bed and walk. And in faith he did. He doesn't even know who it is yet. They ask him, who is the man who said to you, take up your bed and walk? It's crazy. It's unthinkable. They're not like, wait, what? Who healed you? You've been healed. Tell us your testimony. Instead they're like, no, no, who's this man? Who told you to carry your bed and walk? They weren't concerned about the healing.

It's so full of legalism, but it should have been this like spotlight, spotlight that the Messiah had arrived because in Isaiah 35, which it would have been well acquainted of in verses four through six, it says, your God will come to save you and the lame will leap like a deer. They should have known. They would have known. 38 years he'd been lying there by the temple gates in Jerusalem. They knew exactly who he was. They didn't care about the healing. It was an indicator for the Pharisees, like be saved of your self-righteousness. You have a, you think his physical sickness was bad? Your spiritual sickness is gonna send you to hell forevermore. He probably didn't wanna carry around that nasty old bed. Probably didn't wanna carry it, but he did because Jesus told him, and here's the principle, carry your bed to reach the dead. He did. He carried his bed to reach the dead. It was an object that he could testify. I was paralyzed. I have been healed and you can be healed too. Me of my physical sickness,

you of your spiritual sickness. They rejected it. It wasn't for him to even cause them to believe. He just was there to testify. He carried his bed to reach the dead. What is that for us? It's to talk about our past in our present. It's to tell people, this is who I was. Jesus saves me. This is who I am. It's not because I got on some self-help book. It's not because I read about how to be a better dad, better husband, better spouse, better student, better player on a team. Like I just, this is who I was. I was, I had sin. Gee, I trusted in Jesus. This is what my life is like now. He's testifying. He's testifying. The question is, will you carry your bed to reach the dead? Will you testify to the healing? because every healing, the purpose is unto Christ's revealing because there's other sinners out there. He saved you, he sends you out, and you'll see it in this man's life. Verse 13, now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him,

see, you're well, sin no more that nothing worse may happen to you. The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. He went away and told the Jews it was Jesus. He testified, which is our third point. Testify to Christ, testify to Christ. Now this whole Sunday, you may have been wondering, why is he wearing that camo shirt? I'm gonna tell you. Every time I wear this shirt, I think it's because we're in Central Texas and we've got some hunters, but every time I wear it, people are like, cool shirt, like your shirt, that's a great shirt. Well, here's what I do. I say, thanks, it was a gift. You see, I didn't do anything to get this. Jay Powers gave this to me. Hunter Harlow of Sendero dreamed it up. Nate Landris did all the operations that made it possible. Jenny Passavant is the one who probably designed it, and Jay Powers bought it and gave it to me. I did nothing for this. So when they say, cool shirt, I say, thanks, it was a gift. Jay Powers gave it to me. I give credit to the giver, the one that gave me the closing. And so it is with all of us, that when you're closed in righteousness,

when you're closed in humility, when you're bearing the fruit of the Spirit, you don't be like, they're like, you're a great dad, you're a great mom, you're such a great student. Man, I love having you on this team. You're not like, oh, thanks, you know, I try my hardest. You testify to the one who gave you the closing. You testify just like this man did. He was healed and he testified to Christ, and we have to as well. Last week, I was at a restaurant, waitress brings the food, getting ready to pray before the meal. I was like, hey, do you have a faith, a belief? She's like, not really. I was like, what do you think happens when you die? She's like, I don't know. I was like, well, do you wanna know? And I didn't allow her a chance to answer. I said, the Bible says that you're gonna spend eternity in heaven or hell, and you wanna know what makes the difference about what you do or where you spend your eternity? It's not because of the good works you've done. It's not because of something so bad you did. It's all about forgiveness. Good people don't go to heaven. Forgiven people go to heaven. Bad people aren't kept out of heaven. Forgiven people go to heaven.

Have you ever heard that? She's like, no. I was like, hey, would you wanna pray to receive forgiveness of sins right now? She's like standing over burgers and fries. And she's like, yes. I was like, great. I stood up, I said, can I put my hand on your shoulder? And we prayed, and she prayed to receive Christ, became a believer. The next week, and I'm not saying this to be like, hey, look at me, I'm just giving you this, like, this is how easy it is. She was just bringing a burger and fries. God's like, no, the day of salvation for you, Kayla. This lady shows up at our house. My son's discovered you can sell things on Facebook Marketplace, so I'm like, is dealer or broker, I don't know what I am, but I'm like, he's like, has she responded yet? I'm like, I don't know, we'll take 80. And she shows up at the house, wanting to buy this thing. And she's like, pulls out a wad of like sweaty bills that, I mean, it's like, counting them out. And she's like, I got a little more on Venmo. And she's like, piecing it together. I'm like, oh man, this is, she's not in a good situation. I don't think she has money for this. She's like, this is, and she's like, I promise I'll get you the rest.

She was short. She's like, I promise I'll get you the rest. I'm doing some door dashing, and I'll get it to you. I was like, hey, I stopped her. I was like, you want the short story discount? She's like, short story discount? I was like, yeah, it'll take less than five minutes. Short story, you'll get a discount if I can tell you the short story. She's like, okay. And I share the gospel with her. In the middle of it, she just stops and she goes, yes! And backs up, hands up. I was like, I was like, what? And she's like, I'm eight years sober. I was like, hey, sobriety's one thing. Salvation's another. Have you trusted in Jesus? Like, yes, he's my Lord. He's my God. And I was like, then you and I are sisters in Christ. I grabbed those sweaty bills from my son. I put them back in her hand. I was like, God sent you here. Like being encouraged, go like it's yours. God sees you, he loves you. We're just out there testifying to Christ. Like, no matter where we are, what we're doing, there are opportunities everywhere so long as you step into them and you don't keep quiet.

carrying around your bed like, don't mind me, don't mind me. But when somebody say, hey, love, what is it about you that you would testify, testify to Christ? Because I think one of the biggest problems in the church, it's not salvation, it's stagnation. I think you're like, I'm saved, I don't care. I come here on Sundays because it's Sunday. I come here on Sundays because my wife makes us and it makes her happy. For so many, I'm not concerned about your salvation, I'm concerned about the stagnation, that you just don't care about the lost. Close your eyes, close your eyes if you would. Imagine lying on a mat the rest of the day. You're just lying there for a full day on a hard floor. Now a week, now a year, 38 years. The bed sores, the horror, atrophied muscles. And Jesus says to him, sin no more that nothing worse may happen to you. It sounds harsh at first, it's not. It's the most kind, loving, pastoral thing. He's saying, hey look, the physical sickness, it's because of the fall. We live in a broken world. Sin is exponentially, infinitely worse than this. The bodies go into the grave, the soul is immortal. And so he says, sin no more that something worse may happen to you. You think 38 years on a mat is bad? Sin will devour your soul.

But we lie in our sin week after week, day after day. And Jesus is inviting us to get up. You can open up your eyes. You see the problem is, we look to our circumstances, not to Christ. That solution is, listen to and obey Christ. And then to testify to him, to a listening, watching world. As part of the kind of grand finale of summer, we took all the kids and my wife out to Lake Whitney and went cliff jumping. And if you think that's dangerous, that's your own judgment problem. We had fun. And as we're there in the pool, Judd comes, he swims over and he's like, Dad, that guy over there said he's from Missouri. Because I am. And so we kind of swim over there. And I hear the guy, I was like, hey, which one of y'all is from Missouri? There was a young adult guys, like in their twenties. I was like, which one of y'all is from Missouri? He's like, I am. I was like, oh, that's awesome, man. Me too, where from? We started talking. And then one of his friends says, hey Hill, check this out. And like dives into the water. And I was like, is your name Hill?

He's like, yeah, why? I was like, that's my son's name. My oldest son's named Hill. Like, no kidding. So we're having a conversation. And I go, what are you guys doing here? From Missouri? And where are you from? New Mexico? I don't know where. And they're like, oh, we're in the military. We're in the army. Fort Hood, Killeen. I was like, oh man. Guys, you know what the Bible says about y'all? Like, no. Now I got their attention. They're standing on the edge of a cliff. I'm in the water talking to them. Said in Romans 13, it says that you are God's servants. That you've been appointed by God. That you are servants of righteousness who do not bear the sword for nothing, but to push back physical evil. And they were like, dude, I got chills, man. It says that? I was like, yes, Romans 13, look at it. I was like, it's God's word, it's true. I was like, hey, you guys are in the military. You're putting yourselves in harm's way

for the sake of others. Do you know what's gonna happen when you die? Like heaven or hell and how you get there? They're like, no. Share the gospel with them. And they're like, okay, cool, chill, whatever. And kind of walk away. Keep cliff jumping, whatever. I was like, God, give me an opportunity. Give me an opportunity to pray with them if that's what you want today. They're up there on the biggest, tallest cliff looking over the edge. Good time to say, what happens if you die? I was like, hey, fellas. You know, I shared the gospel with you. I told you about Jesus. Would you wanna receive forgiveness of sins right now? Like right now, pray to receive forgiveness, be forgiven. I mean, without hesitating. The guy was like, man, I'm ready, yes. I didn't know what to do next, yes. Got a picture, all three of them huddled up on the cliff. That's awesome. They all trust in Jesus. Y'all, the woman at the beginning, vaping, that said like, you know, I don't wanna come to Regen, that's no. skin off my back. We don't save anybody, we share.

God saves. So you just be out there sharing and testifying, God's gonna do the work. Let's pray. Father, heal us, in Jesus' name, every area, every need, every person in this room or I will hear the message, heal us. And after you have, may we testify to Jesus, to others who need healing, that a multitude of invalids would overflow and find their healing in Jesus. We stand and sing and praise you, amen.