Missing the Circus

John 14:1-14, 27-29

How many of you have ever been to the circus? Do any of you ever feel like your life is a circus?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, a Circus is:

-        A public entertainment consisting typically of a variety of performances

-        May also be called a “Three ring circus” because of the simultaneous performances in three separate rings

Used in some other contexts, a Circus can be known as:

-        An open circular place where several streets intersect.

-        Chaotic activity

-        Noisy disorder

Lately I have felt like my life was a circus. Over the past several weeks I have wanted to add “Laura’s Life” under the definition of Circus… In fact, my life is so much of a circus that I can’t even make it to the circus.

True Story- When the circus came to Houston this summer; Crista and I decided to go!  Three weeks prior to the event, we purchased tickets. Long story short, the day of the show we got in the car pulled out the tickets and realized we had missed the show! We had both been so busy that weekend that neither of us double checked the time of the show and by the time we started heading to reliant- the show was already halfway over.

Although we were really upset that we had missed the show, we couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, we always say it is so hard to find time to catch up… since our afternoon has freed up, lets go somewhere quiet and talk!” It may have been God’s way of forcing two people with chaotic lives to just sit still and fellowship face to face- What a concept!

If I am honest, this is not the first time I have been so distracted that I’ve missed a show, meeting, or event; you would think I’d learn my lesson by now. But actually, the older I get, the guiltier I am about overloading my plate.

Since I am being honest, I want to confess that these past few weeks- my heart has become more anxious and it is starting to have a negative effect on important relationships in my life- including the most important one- My relationship with God!

The Lord is teaching me that I can’t hear Him when my mind is crowded with not only my own thoughts and concerns; but also, the opinions of others. If I am constantly rearranging my schedule to please others or adding unnecessary things to my “to do lists,” then my mind will always be distracted and I will not hear God when He calls!

Some of you are like me too- We’ve got to eliminate what I like to call “sideways distractions!” This message is not mean to condemn anyone for doing too much or being too busy- if that were the case I would be sitting in the audience- on the front row! We can never do too much for the Lord, but we can do too much for ourselves and even for others if those things are not uplifting. We all do things that are not bad, but they are sideways. Sideways distractions rob our attention and make us busy for the sake of being busy.  

Luke 8:14- The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.”

What this verse boils down to is this: the worries of life do not ever mature. Meaning they do not magically go away one day.

In my case a longing to be loved and accepted by everyone translates to: “I have to do X,Y,Z for that person or they might not want to be my friend. So I have to go to their party even though I have something every other night this week.” I have heard people say- “We can sleep when we die.” But God says- NO, REST! BE STILL! Y’all this is a commandment that even Jesus- who is God obeyed.

Psalm 37:7- “Be still in the presence of the LORD!”

The reason God commands this, is because he wants your full attention… and he doesn’t just want it once a week- He wants it every day.

If I told you tomorrow morning the queen of England- or your biggest idle (whoever that may be) wanted to meet with you at 4am… there would be no hesitation. You would make sure you were not only there, but that you looked your best- you might even shower twice!

But we struggle to get up and meet with God all the time- and not only does he meet us in our own home, but we can stay in our PJs!!

If we don’t make time for the Lord EVERYDAY, then weeds will cultivate in our life, and they will cultivate without much effort- Because they tend to grow automatically, don’t they? Weeds are a sign of neglect. If you see weeds in your yard it probably means you have neglected your yard. Weeds in your spiritual life are a signs that you’re neglecting time with God and those weeds WILL produce anxieties.

END OF INTRO-

So that was a really long introduction, but today we will be in John chapter 14. In this chapter, Jesus is speaking to his disciples and he says to them – “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

Troubled means: to agitate, disturb or trouble the mind with fears or doubts. Using this definition, there are times most of us could describe our life as “troubled.”

We are all stressed by different situations, some more severe than others. But for me, I know exactly where my troubled heart comes from- it comes when I fail to sit still and listen. However, this lesson could apply to a variety of situations. So if you cannot relate to what I am going through- don’t tune me out. I don’t want you to miss the comfort that Christ provides in this chapter.

In John 14, Jesus gives us 5 reasons to not be troubled. Let’s turn and read John 14:1-18

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”⁸ Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. ¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

In this text, Jesus gives us 5 reasons to not be troubled but to TRUST:  

1.)  “Don’t be troubled, Trust me because….” My Father has many rooms in his house and each of you will have one

This world (aka: this circus) is not our home, it is temporary. Our eternal and permanent home is in Heaven.

Hebrews 13:14- For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come.

2 Cor. 5:1- For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

Every person, whether they know it or not, builds earthly tents. You can see what tents you are building by simply looking at your calendar or credit card statement- each entry supports some tent in your life and many times these tents are not strong enough to stand through the storms of life.

Whatever we are chasing, wherever we are spending our time- if those things do not honor Christ- if they are “sideways” they WILL NOT last. However; God’s shelter is not a tent, He offers us a house that has an eternal foundation. His home cannot be knocked down, destroyed, or blown over.

In John 14, vs. 2 Jesus says: My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

God’s house is not only strong, but it is large- There is a place for you-He won’t run out of space!

So I ask: Why do we try so hard to build bigger tents here, in this world, when we are told those tents will be knocked down…. And not only that- but God’s house is so much greater! Whatever relationships, jobs, electronic gadgets, cars, houses, paychecks…. The list could continue- none of those things will even compare to what God has built for you.

The second reason Jesus gives us is:

2.) “Don’t be troubled, Trust me because….”  I myself am going to prepare a place for you  

Jesus wasn’t saying he had to go get our room ready- but rather he was saying he had to pave the way to our heavenly room. He is really saying-“As I go I become the way that you get there.” This means that our room, our place, has already been prepared- we don’t have to prove that we deserve it.

Hebrews 11:4- By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That’s what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice. (The Message Version)

I love that verse! I read it this week and It just covered my anxieties with peace. God says “Laura-  Don’t you see… I want you to be like able! He didn’t try to prove himself not to me and not to anyone. He simply came to me in faith, knowing that He could never bring an offering good enough but also knowing that an offering is not what I want- I want your heart, I want your time, I want your FAITH. The sacrifice or offering has been paid through Christ- That is great that you are trying to be a good friend and show 10000000 people you care… but you can’t do that! In fact you never ever will be able to do that…. But what you can do is come to me, love me, seek me and when you are filled with the Peace I want to give you- you won’t have to try and prove that you love others because they will see me, and I love them FAR more than you can even imagine. So STOP just come sit in my lap. I promise I will give you all the love and attention you need.

Knowing that we don’t have to prove anything, we can have peace- even in the mist of chaos- knowing that Christ has paid for our eternal home.

Hebrews 9:28 Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

The third reason Jesus gives us is:

3.) “Don’t be troubled, Trust me because….” I myself will be your dwelling

Verse 3 says: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

This shifts the focus from a place to a person. Where Jesus is, there heaven is. Jesus says: “I am your room in my Father’s house.”

These things may seem like FAR AWAY COMFORTS. You may be thinking Well that is great that I have an eternal solution… but what do I do today?

What about the things causing turmoil in my soul today? –job, health, relationships, finances… If Jesus doesn’t want my heart troubled now, then I need some encouragement and comforts that do not seem so far away. I still need a temporary fix for my life in this world… or at least a sign that help is coming!

John 14:8- Philip says “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Phillip didn’t say- “Show us the father someday.” He claimed that if Jesus showed them the father now, then that would be enough, they would be satisfied and no longer troubled by worldly turmoil.
Is this how we feel? Do we think that physically seeing the Lord would make all our anxiety go away? Will that help us have a more eternal mindset? Are we troubled by what we cannot see?
The fourth thing Jesus claims is:

4. “Don’t be troubled, Trust me because….” The Father is with you now

In John 14, Jesus told the disciples multiple times that He and the father were one. If they knew Jesus and saw Jesus, then they knew the Father and had seen the Father. Jesus responded to Philip directly in John 12 verse 9-

John 14:9 “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

I believe Jesus is saying- Really… Is seeing enough? I am here, the Father and I are one- the Father is right here, and you have seen Him… are you sure that is enough?

Just like Philip, many of us think, “if only I could physically see him, physically touch him… then things would be different. I would be a lot more peaceful about my situation.”

Or maybe you think: "Jesus went away. He was there for the disciples, but now He is gone. How can I be expected to trust what I cannot see?”

This brings us to one last argument for why our hearts should not be troubled and why we should trust Jesus.

5. “Don’t be troubled, Trust me because….”  I will be with you always, not just at my return

John 14:16-18- And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Psalm 139: 7-12

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Wrapping this all together- I have to wonder if Jesus was really telling the disciples: “Slow down, take this moment in, look around- don’t you see what I have done and what I will continue to do?”

Maybe the disciples also struggled to keep God’s commandment to be still and rest. Jesus was physically there with them, if they had any fear or doubt all they had to do was go directly to Him and ask for help.

The good news for us is that now we have the Holy Spirit, who is not bound by time or location- He is with us everywhere we go, but the rule still applies- we have to take a step back, stop, and just be still before the Lord in order to hear from Him.

That may mean you have to stop doing something so you can start doing what God wants. If you’re burning the candle at both ends, you’re not as bright as you think you are and you will burn out quicly. You’ve got to decide what’s more important to you, it is your choice: time with the Lord, or sideways time.

Caught in Comparison

When I was a little girl, my neighbors and I loved playing with chalk. There were several kids on our street and we had several large driveways to decorate. One year, probably for my birthday, my parents gave me “spray chalk.” I remember complaining about my hands getting all chalky, so I was so excited about this new gadget! Naturally I showed all the neighbors and we were so excited to use this awesome sidewalk spray chalk! However, we didn’t always limit our decorating to the driveways or the sidewalk- What the chalk was intended for.

One afternoon, my parents decided I was old enough to stay at the house alone, (well kind of alone- They left for maybe an hour and my neighbors were home.) While they were gone, my neighbor, Leslie, and I thought it would be fun to spray the wooden fence that divided my house from hers. 

“Mom and Dad will love our beautiful masterpiece when they come home! They will be so proud of our talent, and so honored that we wanted to paint for them!” So Leslie and I put on our Picasso hats and started painting this newly discovered canvas (the wooden fence). 

Well, Leslie's dad had just bought a brand new car. (I can’t remember what kind, but it was a beautiful white sports car). He had parked it right on the other side of the fence and of course we didn’t realize, the wooden fence had small cracks and holes between each wooden rod. I can still remember that loud and harsh scream as we were drawing our innocent hearts, rainbows, and flowers. “What the ______ are you girls thinking!! STOP!! NOW!!!”

There was nothing we could do to cover this one up. We were caught red handed! And when her dad crossed over the fence, he did not see us as sweet innocent little Picasso’s, but rainbow painting, car-destroying monsters. We were guilty and we now faced the punishment for our actions. 

I remember thinking- my one chance to prove I was big enough to stay home alone… I had one shot and I ruined it! All I wanted was to rewind time, I wanted a do-over. 

But today we are going to see that we serve a God of second chances. With God, the game of life is not a game in which you have one chance to win or lose, but through his mercy and grace we have multiple chances. Our God is not in the business of keeping scores, and  if you are alive, you are not outside the reach of God’s forgiveness! 

Lets turn to John chapter 8.

John 8: 1-11 

1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 

6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

In this story, the Pharisees had caught a woman in the act, she was committing adultery. According to the law she was to be stoned to death. Instead of punishing her right away, they decided to take her to Jesus. They wanted to trap him, if he said “yes, lets stone her” then they could claim that he was not the loving savoir that he had claimed to be; however, if he said “No, lets forgive her” then they could claim that he too disobeyed the law. 

But we can’t trap Jesus- He will always have the perfect response. 

In verse 7 he tells them: “Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.” Leaving only Jesus standing with the woman. He was the only one without sin and therefore the only one able to accuse her or stone her. 

Instead of punishing the woman for her actions, Jesus is gracious and has mercy on her. V.11- “neither do I condemn you, Go now and leave your life of sin.” Our Lord is a Lord of second chances! 

At some point in life, we have all been classified as one of these characters: either a Pharisee or an adulterous woman (the person at fault). 

• Pharisee: unable to see our own need. Self righteous and guilty of judging others. 
• Adulterer: Debtor, condemned by others, and in need of forgiveness, or feeling unworthy desperate for a do-over. 

Both groups of people, whichever character we can relate to, we are desperately in need of Jesus’ forgiveness and we all need a second chance. So today I want to discuss the terms of His forgiveness & how we can receive it. 

 1.) Jesus’ forgiveness is NOT based on my innocence 

We have all been caught in the act. We cannot even try pleading “not guilty.” So we should stop trying to put up a defense.

In this story, the adulterous woman does not claim to be innocent and she does not call the Pharisees liars. 

1 John 1: 8-10

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Scripture is clear; if we confess our sins the Lord will forgive us! But if we claim that we do not need his forgiveness, then we are liars and the truth is not in us. 

This is a great reminder to me that I do not confess enough!! I make requests but I should be repenting far more than requesting!! 

  2.) Jesus’ forgiveness is NOT based on my severity of sins

Sometimes maybe we are too ashamed to ask for forgiveness. It may sound odd, but sometimes we accept the fact that we deserve a punishment; therefore we do not even ask for a pardon. 

The adulterous woman knew that she was guilty- what she didn’t know was that Jesus was not only able to forgive her, but he WANTED to forgive her! 

Last time I taught, I spoke about Christ’s healing. This question, “Do you really, really, really, want to be healed?" can be applied here too- "Do you really want to be forgiven?" Just like in our last lesson, Jesus is offering spiritual healing in the form of forgiveness to the adulterous woman. Today, He offers us this very same forgiveness, we just need to ask Him for it! 

Isaiah 1: 18-20

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The verse says if you are willing and obedient. When we repent and ask Jesus to forgive us, we are being obedient. Our sins have stained our life (stains as dark as scarlet) but, Christ wants to make them white as snow! No matter how great your sin, God’s grace is greater!

I’m sure many of you are familiar with the story of King David. He was called a man after God’s own heart. Yet he committed one of scriptures most scandalous sins. His actions involved murder and adultery!! 

David slept with Bathsheba, committing adultery while her husband, Uriah, was away at war. Through this sexual sin, Bathsheba became pregnant, which would publicly reveal King David’s sin. In effort to cover up this act, David brings Uriah back from war. He encourages Uriah to go home and sleep with his wife. But he refuses to take any physical pleasures while his men are suffering at battle. So David is panicked! How is he going to cover up his sins now? 

Instead of coming clean, he decides to send Uriah back to battle and place him on the front line. This was basically a death sentence! David commands some of the army officials to not send back up to protect Uriah, and thus Bathsheba’s husband was killed in battle. David was not only guilty of adultery, but he was guilty of murder!! 

And as the story continues, we see that David is caught red handed, but still, the Lord forgives him. David was forgiven because David came to the Lord with sincere sorrow and request for forgiveness. He admitted that he had done wrong and claimed he was guilty! 

Psalm 51:1-7 

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Hyssop is an herb associated with cleansing and purification and in Psalm 51 is used symbolically of cleansing of the soul. The hebrew for word wash (kabac) is used for the washing of clothes by Beating and Pounding. King David wanted a thorough cleansing from the his sinful nature. 

David believed the Lord would forgive him; therefore, he begged for forgiveness! 

 3.) Jesus’ forgiveness is for ALL and it is something we ALL NEED! 

For some people, the question is not can Jesus forgive me, but rather do I need forgiving? 

Last time I taught, we saw the legalistic Pharisees condemn Jesus for healing a lame man on the Sabbath and again here in today’s story they want to again condemn him for not keeping the law. 

According to their standards they had been following this law and therefore did not need forgiveness. 

I am curious, are we guilty of the same thing? Do we believe we are in the clear because we are better compared to someone else who is not following some biblical law? 

Luke 7:36-47

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[c] and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

"Whoever has been forgiven little, loves little." We cannot receive the fullness of Christ's forgiveness unless we ask- BIG and OFTEN! 

Like the Pharisees, we too may convince ourselves that we are good people because we have never committed adultery and we have definitely never killed anyone! So looking at the law makes us feel pretty good. 

But in all these stories throughout the book of John, Jesus says, ok if you want to compare yourselves to the Law, then lets do it. 

According to God’s law if you are angry with someone, you too are guilty of murder. 

According to God’s law if you if you have ever fanaticized or looked at someone an inappropriate way, then you too have committed adultery! 

If we want to be judged based on the law, we might as well line up and call in the firing squad because we are all guilty! 

But as I shared last time, God’s law is not meant to condemn us, but rather to make us aware of our need for Christ’s forgiveness! 

   4.) Jesus’ forgiveness does NOT give us the right to condemn

Going back to our story in John 8. Jesus does something strange in response to the Pharisees acquisitions. Instead of responding or debating with them, he starts writing something in the ground (Read John 8:6-7) 

I looked at several commentaries to figure out what Jesus was writing. One commentary suggested that maybe he was writing the 10 commandments. Once he had finished he looked up at them and said, “you are right. She has broken the 7^th commandment (thou shall not commit adultery, but have you all kept the other 9? 

Sinlessness is the requirement for condemnation. Only Jesus is qualified! 

Hebrews 4:15

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.  

Jesus does not forgive because he feels he is not righteous enough, but rather he is the only one righteous enough to forgive!! 

John 8:15- You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.

    5.) Jesus’ forgiveness proves his desire to heal us and NOT condemn us! 

John 3:16-17

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Isaiah 61: 1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy, instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

God’s desire is not that I be punished for what I have done, but that I realize I need forgiveness and healing in order to receive a new heart. A heart that loves others the way Christ loves others. 

This is why king David was called a man after God’s heart. When he was caught living in sin, he realized he needed God’s forgiveness before he could ever lead others. 

As I was preparing for this lesson, I realized that I can never be an effective teacher and I can never share Christ's love with others until I start asking for forgiveness. The past couple months I have grown frustrated at times- feeling like I am not being an effective light, not only in our class but especially at work and with my friends outside these church walls. I keep putting so much pressure on myself and I have gotten to a point of feeling defeated and burnt out. "Lord, I will never reach this person or that group… I keep messing up and I don't think they hear or care." But as I spent time in this chapter, I realized the problem is not other people, but the problem is me. 

I love to write and so I often write my prayers in a journal. It is always interested to see the Lord answer prayers that you have specifically written down. Sometimes when i get down or stuck i go back and read the things I have shared with the Lord. And I am realizing, my prayers are full of requests and lacking in repentance! 

It was like God is saying Laura- I can't use you when your heart is not right before me. Lets work on you first. 

Psalm 51:10-13 

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you. 

First my healing, THEN second teaching and leading! 

We have to focus on our own spiritual healing before we can influence others. When we skip the first step, our motives will be full of flesh and we so easily become burnt out. 

However; the Pharisees were actually right about one thing. When they found someone consumed in sin, they took her to Jesus! Even though their motives were not pure, Jesus can use impure motives to do amazing things. 

I am so quick to judge, when I see someone else’s problems, I so quickly forget the sin in my own life! Instead of loving that person, I use what they are doing to make myself feel better. So often I am like the Pharisees and I take them to Jesus because I want to feel better about myself, not because I truly want them to get better! 

This lesson is such a good reminder of what many of us (myself included) have forgotten.

• A.) It Reminds us that when we forget we too need forgiveness, we will fall back into our old ways and lose our love for the one who forgave us! 
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• B.) It Challenges us to examine our heart: What areas of your life do you need forgiveness? and are you asking for forgiveness? 
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• 3.) It gives an Example of the kind of forgiveness we are suppose to give one another

For those of you who do not claim Jesus as your savior: this lesson is an invitation to receive forgiveness and cleansing. You do not have to live in Guilt! No sin is too great to be forgiven and no sin is too small to need forgiveness! 

When we leave our sins before His feet, he tells us: John 8:11- “Neither do I condemn you. Now go and leave your life of sin!” 

"Magic Pools" vs. True Healing

Do any of you know who Joshua Bell is? He is a famous Grammy Award winning violinist.

The Washington times recently did an experiment to see if dressed in everyday clothes, and playing in the subway, if people would recognize him. They had him show up at a Washington DC subway stop and asked him to play some of his music.

The first song he started playing (at 8am, during rush hour) was a piece that only about 5 people in the world are able play. He literally whips out this 3.5million dollar violin and starts going to town- he plays up to 25 mins and no more than 4 people even stop to watch him. Only a few dollars were dropped into his case. Of these 4 people, not even one seemed to know who he was; they were just simply enjoyed the music for a few seconds and then went about their business.

Real beauty and greatness had descended upon the subway, and nobody knew it! They were so focused on their own tasks, too concerned with their own business, so they completely missed it. Greatness was right there with them, and they had no idea.  

As we have been going through the book of John- this really is a great illustration of Jesus Christ. That Greatness, God himself, takes on flesh and so many people miss who he is! When we get to today’s passage, in John 5, Jesus performs his 3rd miracle. He has already performed two others in chapters 1-4, does anyone remember what those were?

1)      Turned water into Wine- ch. 2

2)     Heals the royal officials Son- ch. 4

 And in Chapter 5. Jesus makes a lame man walk. This miracle was done out in public for all to see; but still, people miss who Jesus is!  

How in the world can so many people miss Jesus Christ? Most of us, myself included, are also guilty of missing the beauty and greatness of Jesus Christ! 

**Prayer- Lord we thank you that your beauty and greatness really did come to this world in order to save us. Father we ask that you would renew us through your word and open our eyes to you. It would be such a shame to miss you and misunderstand the magnitude of what you have done for us! We want to know you so that it would be impossible to miss you!**

Turn to John 5:1-29;39-40

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda, and which is surrounded by five covered porches. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 4 From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease they had

5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”

11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

The Authority of the Son

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

v. 39-40 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

If you are like me, with a short attention span, the thing you remember is Jesus just healed a man. But the meat of this passage and what it is really about is the controversy Jesus creates by healing a man on the Sabbath.

He is picking a fight with the religious leaders of the day because they don’t know who he is. So Jesus is probing so they will be exposed to their sin and see their need for a savior!

How in the world can they miss Jesus when is literally right before their eyes? Hopefully you will ask, am I missing Jesus too?

One way we can miss Jesus is by Misunderstanding the Law (v.1-17)

We will see their misinterpretation as we walk through this miracle real quickly. As the text mentions, there is a pool where apparently, according to rumors and superstition, could heal the sick. So therefore, a large crowd of sick people would gather at this pool hoping to be healed.

Even though there are several sick people at the pool, Jesus approaches 1 man who had been sick for 38 years! He is in a desperate position and Jesus approaches him. And thinking about it, Jesus kind of asks him an offensive question in V.6- Jesus asks: “do you really want to be healed?”

Umm duhh- of course the man by the pool wants to be healed, he has been sick for 38 years! The man was probably thinking seriously, why else would I be lying by this healing pool?

But what he doesn’t realize is that he is looking at this pool hoping for some magical, healing, and meanwhile, Jesus Christ, the ultimate healer, is standing right in front of him! The man is so focused on a superstition that he doesn’t recognize Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t asking- “do you want to be healed,” because he was confused whether the man did or didn’t want to be healed- the answer is obvious. Jesus asked this question to get the man’s eyes off a “silly solution” (off the healing pool) and turn his eyes to the true healer- Jesus Christ himself! Jesus was forcing the man to see that true Healing can only happen in Christ.

So he tells the man- “take up your bed and walk.” And instantly this man begins to rise for the first time in 38 years. Jesus spoke and he was healed! Wow- 38 years of silly solutions when all he needed was to look to Christ.

Before we continue on with the story, I want to make sure I point out the significance of Jesus asking the man to carry his mat, or some translations say his bed.

In the past, we have mentioned this continuous cycle of highs and lows, ups and downs. In our spiritual lives, these low times are used to grow and strengthen our faith. When Christ helps us out of dark times, he gives us a similar command- “stand up, take you mat, and walk!” He wants us to remove our “bed” from that pit so Satan cannot tempt us to go back there. When we remove our bed, we are removing strongholds.

If you have issues with alcohol it is the same thing as getting rid of every bottle in your house, if you struggle with porn it is maybe going as far as trashing your computer, or whatever you are tempted by- Christ is tell us to remove it!

But what I really want us to look at this morning is the fact that Jesus could have picked any day of the week to heal this man, and he purposely picks the Sabbath in order to pick a fight with the religious leaders of that day. He forces them into a situation where they have to either persecute Him or bow down to Him.

So you ask, what is the controversy and fuss about? Why is it such a big deal to do this on the Sabbath?

The religious leaders of the day had taken God’s law and surrounded it with a ton of religious regulations. I believe these regulations were established to help them feel better about themselves. By putting enough detailed regulations around the law they could, at the end of each Sabbath day, feel good about themselves thinking: “you know, I didn’t walk that far or carry anything- I really kept the Sabbath, I really obeyed God’s law- Go me, I did it!”

The rabbis had carefully spelled out 39 different ways by which the Sabbath could be violated by work. One way was carrying any kind of a weight. So no one is carrying anything and here is this man carrying his bed.

Their reaction, which you think would be, "What? Somebody healed you? Who is the man who healed you so we can go meet him!" was instead, "Who is the man that told you to disobey?"

That is crazy- as I read this story I was thinking A) why would anyone create such silly laws and B) why would they not make an exception for this… did they not see or hear what had just happened?? Jesus healed this man and simply asked him to carry his bed away from the pool.

But I got to thinking, do I; do Christians today also have “silly rules”?

I know American’s sure have some odd rules: as a side note and to make my point, here are a few interesting rules I found that are still effective in America. (Keep in mind I found these on Google- so the validity of some of them… I am not sure of haha)

Ridiculous American Laws

·         In California, It is a misdemeanor to shoot a living animal from an automobile, unless the target is a whale.

·         In Georgia, It is illegal to change the clothes on a storefront mannequin unless the shades are down.

·         In Joliet, Illinois, women are not allowed to try on more than six dresses in one store. (well this one isn’t ridiculous- full disclosure- I have spent hours in a dressing room)

·         In Chicago, it is illegal to fish in one's pajamas.

·         Michigan law once required taking a census of bees every winter

·         In Chicago, it is illegal to take a French poodle to the opera.

·         In Kentucky, It is illegal to remarry the same man four times

·         A Minnesota law requires that men’s and women’s underwear not be hung on the same clothesline at the same time

So what is the point of all these ridiculous rules and guidelines? For the Jewish leaders in Jesus’ days, I believe-by putting all these detailed regulations around the law, they could look at their own performance and actually rest in that and feel pretty good.

But this is not the role of God’s Law

Romans 3:20- Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Paul tells us that the purpose of the Law is to make us aware of our sin- far from making us feel good about our performance, the purpose is to show how broken and sinful we really are. The law isn’t a set of detailed regulations for us to keep, but rather- Jesus sums up the law with two principles:

1.)  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.

In all things, all situations, and all times we are to love the lord. The core of who you are is to be submerged in who God is!

Archbishop William Temple- “religion is what you do with your solitude.”

Where does your mind go when nothing is districting you? What do you really think about when you are alone? That is what you really love!

If I am honest, my mind usually goes to- how can I be better, how can I squeeze in time with person A, B, C, and D today? Or when I am in the shower it is usually- what am I going to wear today- omg I have no clothes, where should I go shopping this weekend.

And again if I am honest, my mind is not going to God- who died for me, who saved me, and who has beyond blessed me! And that is the Law of God. So I am kidding myself if I think I am fully obeying His Law.

The only way anyone can fully obey it, is if they minimize it like those religious leaders.

2.) Love your neighbor as yourself

This is saying that we have to be as concerned with the needs of others as our own! I have to be as excited when a friend gets a new job, a new house, is recognized for an award, or when a girl friend of mine gets engaged- even when there are 8 at once!

No matter what good things happen to my friends, I have to be equally as thrilled for them, as I would be for myself. THAT IS THE LAW OF GOD. But nobody really does this. You are lying if you say you would be equally as excited for these things to happen to someone else….

But God is equally if not more excited, he is the only one capable of loving this much- because the Law is a reflection of His character, not ours.

So when we minimize the law, and fix our focus on our own performance- we too will miss Jesus! In John 5, Jesus purposely broke “their Law,” to force them, and force us, into asking:

1.      First: What/who’s law do you follow?

Do you find yourself repenting more and more? Asking Him to help you keep His Law? Or are you bending the law, minimizing it to feel good about your performance?

Maybe you have even twisted His law into your own. As I was preparing for this lesson, I realized I am guilty of doing this.

Laura’s Law says: “Love others so they will love ME.”

God’s Law says- No Laura: “Love others so that they will LOVE JESUS! - it is not about you.”

But yet I still somehow think ohhh yah ok- I will do nice things for people so they will see that I love Jesus- but then they will love me to, duh. And it seems near impossible for me to stop thinking this way!

I am not in control, I can’t change my way of thinking, I can’t change my selfish motives, but I sure act like I can sometimes.

This shouldn’t surprise anyone, most people feel that they are in control of something, but really that something has control of them! It is kind of like hearing people say… "It's easy to stop smoking. I've done it hundreds of times!" 

Many Christians, like the sick man in our story, are spiritually lame. So Jesus first asks us- “who’s law are you following?” and if it is not His, then Jesus asks-

2.     Do you really want to be healed?

What silly solution are you holding on to? Is there someone, something or something’s (plural) that you believe will make your problems go away or situation better?

Like the lame man by the pool, do you think there is some solution other than the Lord? We need to ask ourselves, “what do I day dream about? or What am I hoping will fix my problems?”

Some things I could think of that many of us hold on to, believing they will fix our problems:

·         A Spouse or Marriage

·         A happy or normal family

·         A new Job or Promotion

·         Status, Money, or wealth

·         Awards and recognition

·         Material possessions (new car or house)

·         Busyness/ adding to the social calendar

·         More and more friends

Some of these things can even be good things. Some of them blessings from the Lord, but they will not heal us. Only Christ will heal!

We were all created with a void that only Christ can fill and unfortunately many of us fill it with “magic pools” and “silly solutions.”

For me, my “silly solution” is the acceptance and love I receive from others- along with some of the other things above, but I focus way to much on what others think.

Jesus is asking us: Do you realize, you have to let go of these things!!!

You need to take your eyes off the “magic pool”- dream man/woman, dream job, dream car, or that picture perfect suburban family you one day want to have. These things can be great but they are “silly solutions” compared to JESUS!!!

Some of us are just stuck in a rut and we don’t know how to get out. The beautiful thing about this story is that Jesus will come to us- just like he approached the lame man first! He comes exactly where we are. Even if we are sick, sitting by a “magic pool,” Jesus will meet us.

But first, you must decide for yourself- Do you really want to be healed?