John Chapter 5:5-7

God is able to strengthen you, to equip you.

And you know what? I am crazy enough to believe God for big things in my life. The life lesson is God is able. God is able.

What's he able to do? Ephesians chapter 3 verse 20 says, Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us. Exceedingly abundantly.

I love that verse. More than you're able to ask or think. I don't know about you, but I'm able to ask a whole lot. I'm able to think a whole lot. I'm able to dream a whole lot.

You know what happens? God in my life has blown me away with exceeding that. Welcome to Cross the Bridge with David McGee. David is a senior pastor of The Bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina. At The Bridge, David McGee has associate pastors, and one of them is D.A.

Brown, who is with us right now. Bob, I'm excited to be here. I'm excited for this teaching, God's Word today. Often we view our circumstances by the power and ability we have to change them.

But we forget that God has unlimited power, and when he's working on our behalf, everything can change, and there's no limit to what he can do. What are you going to do today, friend? Watch what God wants to do for you, and listen to today's teaching, and be encouraged.

That sounds good, D.A., so let's jump right in as David McGee teaches part two of Do You Want to Be Made Well? John chapter five, verse five, says, Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. Every time you read a detail in the Bible, ask why it is there. Why are you told this detail?

I think for good reason. If you remember, when the children of Israel left Egypt, they went to Kadesh Barnea, which we just spoke of, with the twelve spots. It took a little over a year. And then they wandered around the desert, waiting for something to happen.

How long were they in the desert? Thirty-eight years. And here's this man that's been waiting thirty-eight years, waiting for something to happen, just like the children of Israel were walking around the desert for thirty-eight years.

And it's interesting, he says, note a certain man. This place is filled with sick people. Does Jesus heal them all?

No, he doesn't. Why? I don't know. I don't understand that. See, there's a mystery in healing. Well, it's a mystery to us. It's not a mystery to God. Now, let's be real plain.

Let me be real forward in this. I believe God still heals people supernaturally. You cannot show me any verse in this Bible that says God doesn't do that anymore. That's not the kind of God I serve.

And I know there's fellowships out there that say, well, God doesn't act like that anymore. God doesn't heal people supernaturally anymore. And I've said it several times, but the bizarre thing is, if you believe that, then why even pray for sick people? Why does the Bible even tell us to pray for sick people if God doesn't heal people anymore supernaturally?

Because, you know, I mean, you might as well just, what are you going to pray, you know? Oh, Lord, we know you don't heal people anymore. We're praying for Martha.

She's sick. So just, we know you don't heal people, so just go ahead and take her home. Amen. Praise God. I don't, you know, if that's what you believe, please don't pray for me to get well. God still heals people. He heals some when we pray for them supernaturally.

So many ways to heal. But, you know, if I had a decision, if I had a decision, if you said, you know, Pastor David, for the rest of your life you can walk in perfect health and never be sick again, but you won't be quite as dependent upon the Lord, I wouldn't take it. I'd say, you know what, let my dependence upon the Lord stay strong even if I have to go through illnesses and diseases. I don't understand why God heals some people and why He doesn't heal others. And I think we need to be very careful of saying, what's obvious, you know, this person over here, they had faith and that's why they got healed and this person over here, they obviously lacked faith or maybe there's sin in their life and that's why God didn't heal them.

Be careful. That's a dangerous paintbrush to use because remember the Bible says the way that you judge other people is the way you're going to be judged. So if that's the standard you want and any time you get sick you want to be condemned for not having enough faith or being in sin, then go for it.

But, man, what a dangerous place to be. And let me assure you, if you're suffering from some disease or something going on in your life, some affliction, let me guarantee you, if you know Jesus, you will be healed. It's just a question of when. You might be healed today, next week, next year. You might be as you're coming into the presence of the Lord in heaven. You may take your disease or your affliction right up to the gates of heaven, but let me assure you something, friend, you won't take it in. You will be healed. And if you have to wait for that day, then that's okay. It's not going to be that long.

It's not going to be that long. And the Lord sees this man. Maybe he saw that he was lonely, maybe he saw that he had nobody else to help him, but the Lord looked at this man. And the Lord's still looking for people.

2 Chronicles 16, 9. Love this verse. The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.

What a fool you have been from now on you will be at war. Look to the Lord. Commit your heart to Him. This morning, look to the Lord. Focus on the Lord. That's what we're here for.

We're not here just because we're having some meeting in a warehouse. We're here to focus on the Lord. That's what we want our worship to be about. That's what we want the teaching to be about, to be about Jesus. In verse 6, 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?

What a bizarre question, but what a good question. First of all, understand, Jesus knew, Jesus understood this man. And He understands you. You've been through things that nobody else in here may be able to understand, maybe that nobody else is aware of, but Jesus is aware of them and Jesus understands them. Jesus knows and Jesus sees. Hebrews 4.15 reminds us, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. And the life lesson there is Jesus sees and Jesus knows, even when no one else does. This is one of those, to me, one of those high holy grounds in Scripture because of this question.

Because Jesus isn't just asking this man 2,000 years ago at this pool. This is His question for each and every one of us here today. Do you want to be made well? Do you want to be made well? Do you realize that some people don't want to be made well?

I don't understand it. Certainly in this day in the Middle East, you actually made a living. Well, you know, people today at stoplights and whatnot, they make a better living as a beggar than they could working. So they don't want to be well for some of them. I'm not going to make a blanket judgment, but some of them don't want to be healed.

They don't want to be made well. But sometimes there's a different form of payoff. Sometimes it's an emotional payoff. And sometimes we help trap people in that.

We extend mercy sometimes when we should be sharing the truth with people. Oh, you poor thing, I can't believe that happened to you. Man, you're having such a hard time. And what happens? First thing is you get your eyes off of Jesus. And you start putting them on yourself and your circumstance and your problem. And you don't stop there.

You're not content there. You want to get everybody else's eyes upon your circumstance, upon your problem. And you enter into something that is so dark and so demonic that I don't even think we recognize it sometimes. And that's that realm of self-pity. Oh, everybody should feel sorry for me. And you know what I've seen in ministry is that will kill a ministry.

Because basically you're looking at people and say, You need to get your eyes on me, feel sorry for me. Don't look at Jesus, look at me. But any of us and all of us can do that. And sometimes we do it. Be careful, saints.

Be careful. Because in doing that, some of us look at Jesus as He says, Do you want to be made well? And we look at Him and go, No.

No. I'm enjoying where I am. I'm developing this victim mentality that it's kind of all about me. And see, what happens there is it keeps us from learning the lesson that we need to be learning.

Because we're so concerned with how we got treated badly. Woe is me. This happened to me and that happened to me. And enough about you. Let's talk about me some more, you know. Enough talking about me.

What do you think of me? I mean, you know, some of our conversations are just so caught up in our... I call it navel gazing.

You know how, well... I used to do this a lot when I was a little kid and I hope this doesn't offend anybody. But you know, you got this navel and you're just intrigued by it. And you know, there's all sorts of things that get in there from your shirt or dirt or whatever. And you're just sitting around. Man, and when you're young, you can sit around for an hour doing that.

Do you understand that some of us as believers are living like that? What are you doing? Navel gazing.

Just intrigued by this. But what are we supposed to be looking at? We're supposed to be looking at Jesus. We're supposed to get our eyes off of ourselves and put them on to Jesus. And I understand we go through hard times.

I don't mean to belittle that. We go through hard times. Guys, we're all victims of a fallen world that we helped create. We're all victims of people who are not sensitive to one another, of which we are included. So we are part of the problem. Do you want to be made well? You know, oftentimes somebody comes to us and they speak truth to our life and they say, You really need to consider this.

You really need to look at what the Bible has to say about this. Oh, man, get away. I don't want to hear this.

Who are you telling me this? I got it down. I know it all.

I got the whole book memorized. God uses us with one another. And I've used the analogy before, but you know, the Marines who… I wasn't in the Marines, but somebody told me. You know, they stand off six feet from each other.

They buddy up and they look each other over from their head to their toe. And if there's a problem, they tell one another, Hey, man, you don't have your helmet on. Hey, dude, you don't have your gun with you. Go get your gun. We're going out in this battlefield. And I cannot imagine a Marine looking at the other and go, Oh, well, judge not lest you be judged. Your shoe's untied.

Can't believe you told me I didn't have a helmet. But as believers, we do that sometimes. Sometimes I say, Hey, man, you know, you need to be in your fellowship. Are you in your Bible?

No. And we get this attitude. I'm saying we. You notice I'm saying I'm not saying y'all. I'm saying we. This is what we do. And it's spiritually not good.

It's not healthy. And we see this in this man that his heart had become as paralyzed as his legs. This man had been there for a long time, day after day. We'll be right back with more from David McGee on Cross the Bridge. Right now, here's a word from Associate Pastor D.A.

Brown. Hey, Bob, excited to be here today with you. And we want to pray for some people in these cities in our listening audience in California.

Santa Maria, Scotia, Shasta, Soledad, Soquel, South Lake Tahoe, and Stockton. God, thank you for the people in these cities listening today. We pray that they would have an expectant heart right now.

That you're going to speak to them right where they're at and in the situations they're going through. God, we pray that you would protect them. If there are some in the listening audience who are sick today, we pray that you'd please heal them. And Lord, we pray that everyone would be in a Bible-teaching, Bible-believing church. And give those pastors wisdom on how to navigate the waters in a tumultuous situation. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.

Thank you, brother. And now, let's get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse. The man gives a bizarre answer. He doesn't say yes in verse 7. He starts telling the reasons why he hasn't been healed.

You can tell by his response that he long ago gave up hope of being healed. There's a place in Prague in Europe where they've actually gone in. They've taken these jail cells and they've turned it into a hotel so anybody that's never experienced it can go there and spend the night in a jail cell. Now, they've changed it around a little bit, made it a little more comfortable, but it's still a jail cell.

How many of us? That's enough. I just want to be… I'm okay. I just want to be in a comfortable jail cell.

Do you think that's what God designed for your life? For you to be in a comfortable jail cell? The door is open. It's been unlocked. And yet we still sit there and we don't make any movement. The enemy comes, you never know what's out there. Be careful. And our freedom has been bought and it's been purchased with such a high price and we don't walk in it.

We don't experience it. Why? Well, because it's kind of safe in this cell here.

The sadness is tragic. Boats are real safe in harbors, but you know what? Boats aren't built to stay in harbors. They're built to get out on the ocean and to go places. We're built to go places. We're built to be lights, to walk in victory. You're not… You weren't made to be sitting in a jail cell. You were made to… You're a blood-bought, spirit-sought, spirit-filled, sin-healed child of the living God. It's time to walk out of that cell. I know some of you may have been stuck there a while. I'm just not sure I'm able.

That's the point. You may not be able, but God's able. God is able to strengthen you, to equip you. And you know what?

I am crazy enough to believe God for big things in my life. And you know what? He's faithful.

That's what I found personally. Step out. Take… Man, take some chances and watch what God does. God is a big God. And join with me. Join with us. There's other people taking big steps of God here.

Join with us. Take big steps of God and see what the Lord will do in your life. He's big. He's huge. He's God. The life lesson is God is able. God is able.

What's he able to do? Ephesians chapter 3 verse 20 says, Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us. Exceedently abundantly.

I love that verse. More than you're able to ask or think. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm able to ask a whole lot. I'm able to think a whole lot. I'm able to dream a whole lot.

And you know what happens? God in my life has blown me away with exceeding that. And you guys are part of that. There's a little home Bible study that God now has birthed into this fellowship that is not only impacting this community but impacting five continents with missionaries and ministries who we've seen. I don't know how many people come to the Lord here. God wants to exceed your expectations. Now, here's the thing. Part of what happens, and understand, I'm talking about God's abilities, not your abilities. And here's what happens, and this gets confusing. God puts you in a place that only He can get the glory for getting you out of it. Now, sometimes we put ourself in that place. We put ourself in that situation, and we find ourselves trapped. And when God comes through, everybody knows that God came through, and God is the one that fixed it.

He's the one that made it right. And that's why you can shout for joy after you come through those situations. And I don't know what your situation is. Praying for a loved one, maybe it's marriage problems, maybe it's family problems. I don't know what it is, but God is able to get you out of that situation. God is able to make that situation better than it's ever been. And understand, that may be what the Lord desires for that situation, not to get you out, but to give you the strength to go through it. See, often we pray, Lord, lighten my load, lighten my load, lighten my load, when we should be praying, Lord, give me stronger shoulders.

I know if you've selected me to go through this, I can go through it. Well, I don't know. Where do you see that in Scripture? All over it.

All over it. Talked about the children of Israel leaving Egypt. They left Egypt, and militarily, strategically, it was an incredible blunder, because they left Egypt, and they found themselves with mountains on two sides, and the sea on the other, and Pharaoh's army closing in. How did they find themselves in that position? Well, you remember they were being led, fire by night, cloud by day thing? God led them to that place.

Why? Not just so they could be trapped, but so that they would realize there was no way out, and they had to cry out to God. Did God not know the lay of the land? Did the sea catch him by surprise? Was he surprised that those mountains were there? Was he shocked that Pharaoh's army was bringing up the rear?

No. None of those things caught him by surprise, and nothing that's going on in your life is catching him by surprise. It may catch you by surprise. It never catches him by surprise. He's God.

He knows. Some of you may be in a place where you need to cry out to God, and he's longing for you to do that, and he's asking you this morning, do you want to be made well? Exodus chapter 14, verse 13, that place where they're on the edge of the Red Sea. And Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid.

Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

The Egyptians you see today, you'll see no more forever. Do you realize for some of you who feel like you're being closed in by the Egyptian army, today can be your day of deliverance? Today you can come to the Lord, and the Lord will say, I'll deal with them. I've been waiting for you to cry out to me about this situation.

I'll deal with the Egyptian army. And those things that have been bothering you, been plaguing you for so long, you'll never see them again. Do you understand God is able to do that? See, I start talking. Some of you, I just know, you know, your mind's going, I can't get my mind around that.

I've struggled with this area for so long, and this has been a problem. I just can't get my mind around the fact that I could be delivered. That's because you're thinking of your strength. We've already established God's a miracle-working God. God is able, God has the power, and God is interested in your life.

So the question is, are you able, are you willing to allow Him to work in your life? This is interesting, the wording here. It says, do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. That word salvation is an interesting word in the Hebrew. It's the word Yeshua. It's the Hebrew word for salvation. Some of you may recognize the name. It's the same name as Joshua.

Joshua's name in the Hebrew is Yeshua. Perhaps why you don't recognize it is because you're more familiar with the Greek form of the word, which is Jesus. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. See Jesus. If this morning you can get your eyes off of your problem, your situation, whatever's been attacking you, whatever's been bothering you, whatever's been holding you back in your service to the Lord, get your eyes upon Jesus. And don't let a problem cause you to lose hope because we're believers. If you're a believer here this morning, there's no need for you to lose hope because you know Jesus. If you're here this morning and you don't know Jesus, you've not yet asked Him to forgive you of your sins. He wants to heal you.

That's the most important thing. That is the biggest miracle of all, that the Lord would heal our souls, that He would make us well spiritually. And He's willing to do that this morning, this very miracle can happen to you this morning. If you don't know Him or you've never asked Him to forgive you of your sins, this can be your morning. Or if you're here and something is going on, the Lord is saying, you know what, I want you to get up and walk.

And I said, you notice I said, get your eyes upon Jesus. I don't want anybody in here to think, okay, what I need to do is go forward and focus on my healing. No, don't focus on your healing.

Don't focus on the problem. Focus on Him who heals. Focus on Him who can solve your problems.

Focus on Jesus. And watch Him show Himself strong on your behalf. I'm telling you, God has brought me through so many things. He set me free of so much stuff, so many bondages, so many situations, so many hardships. And I know that He wants to do the same for you. Whether it's your sin or a situation you find yourself trapped in, God wants to set you free.

Let's pray. Lord, we thank You. Lord, we thank You that everybody can be set free as we gaze on Your face as we look to You. And Lord, I just ask that You would give boldness to people this morning to come to You, to stand up and walk and ask You to touch their lives. Lord, because You see, You see everything in their life. You know everything that's going on. And You are able to touch them and to heal them. And Your question to them was like the question to the man, Do you want to be made well? Friend, do you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven?

You can know right now. I want to lead you in a short, simple prayer, simply telling God you're sorry and asking Him to help you to live for Him. Now, God wants you to pray this prayer so much that He died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask Him to forgive you.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe You died for me that I could be forgiven. And I believe You were raised from the dead that I could have a new life. And I've done wrong things. I have sinned. And I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things.

Please give me the power to live for You all of my days. In Jesus' name, amen. Friend, if you prayed that prayer, according to the Bible, you've been forgiven. You've been born again. Jesus said He would not turn anybody away who comes to Him.

And He came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness, those who were sick, not the righteous. So congratulations, friend. You just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you. If you prayed that prayer with David for the first time, we'd love to hear from you. You can visit crossthebridge.com to receive our First Steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ.

Or you can write to Cross the Bridge at P.O. Box 12515, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27117, and share how God is working in your life. Well, DA, before we go, what are some ways that we can bless our listeners? Each day, you can wake up with encouragement from Pastor David through the Word of God with his email devotional, life lessons to consider, a daily reading plan, and a thought to meditate on throughout your day from the heart of David McGee. That sounds good, Pastor DA.

And again, it's been great to have you with us on the program today. But tell us, what else can our listeners find on crossthebridge.com? If you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday, why not join us for our live stream at 10 a.m. Eastern Time?

Or on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. Eastern Time? Just visit crossthebridge.com and click on our live stream link. There, you'll experience a live service from David's home church, The Bridge, in North Carolina. Again, that website is crossthebridge.com. Thanks again for listening, and join us next time as David McGee continues teaching verse by verse in the Gospel of John.