Rise, Take Your Mat, and Receive Mercy Beyond Religion

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Shame and now here's your message.

You're listening to a podcast from Victory. A relationship with

Jesus promises grace and rest. Dig deeper into this truth

in week three of our series Beyond the signs.

Our Texas found in John chapter five, verses one to eighteen,

and I'll be reading it.

I want you to follow along as I read the.

Word of God tells us that after this there was

a fees of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now there is in Jerusalem by the ship gate a

pool now Rami called Bethisda, which has five roof colonies.

In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, and paralyzed.

One man was there who had been an invalid for

thirty eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and

knew that he had already been there for a long time,

he said to.

Him, do you want to be healed?

The sick man answered, Sir, I have no one to

put me into the pool when the water stared up.

And while I'm going, another steps down before me.

Jesus said to him, 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.

So the Jews said to the man who had been healed,

it is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for

you to take up your bed. But he answered him,

the man who healed me, the man who said to me,

take up your bed and walk. Now they asked him,

who is that man who said, do you take up

your bed and walk? 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did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn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 are well, sin no more that nothing worse

may happen to you. The man went away and told

the Jews it was Jesus who healed him, And this

is why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was

doing these things on the sabbath. But Jesus answered them,

my father is working until now, and I am working.

This is why the Jews were seeking all the more

to kill him, because not only he was breaking the Sabbath,

but he was even calling God his own father.

Making himself equal with God.

So I want to highlight in this story three things

that tells us about who Jesus is. Because in verse

we can see here that there was a feast. Jesus

mainly command made Samarama about wedding feast.

He was there, and now this was the Jewish feast.

In fact, this is the the feast of the Pentecons,

where everybody is celebrating the harvest. And really they gather

together in this place in Jerusalem just to to enjoy

the festivity and the writ walls, and so there was

during that time during the feast. Also, imagine if you're

a student, this is like your school fair. About everybody's

busy bringing the family and the friends. So this is

a crowded This is a like Christmas in Green Hills.

The traffic while I'm parking, So marame because.

There's an occasion.

Now during that time in this place, there was a

pool down my lap.

It's a sheep gate.

Ntao nila I betista. Yeah, that's the bird's eye view.

So I want you just to imagine it's empty, but

imagine there's crowds and crowds of people and going around

here and there. Now, there's a legend about this that

if you've noticed in your ESV Bible verse four. We've

read chapters five, verses one to eighteen in the ESV translation,

note letters C. But it's actually on the footnote talking

about the legend of this mysterious place in Bethesda. Because

the modern translations right now, they they they they saw

it that it's not actually in the original text. That's

why they put it as a footnote. Now an in

pani Anila, it's actually a pagan place where the Jews

they believe that there's an angel that you know, goes

there from time to time in pool No no, no, no,

Palin is a pool, but he's really there's having a

mysterious steering and that everyone who gets there first gets

their breakthrough. They're healing their their miracle that they're believing for.

So Kombula you can develop. Now imagine during the feast

so marhamming Tata, it was crowded. So Jesus having been

sure of his authority and what he's called to do,

goes to this pagan place, but he guys Jesus no

parado because he was trying to to make a point,

okay that more than getting healed, or he was actually

making a point that because he was trying to reveal

himself just as a hitter. He could have healed everyone,

but he just chose one so that he could make

a public statement about who he is. Now he gets

in get throwing some past Some of our pastors went

to Israel and one of the most acclaim tour guide

ari A Bar David. David said that that crowded maram

in Jesus and it was unsafe for him to make

a miracule there. So what he did he came in

the crowd and whispered to the guy, do you want

to get healed?

And when?

As we'll see, we'll see how how he responded. And

maybe you know, most of us right here right now

are in that kind of situation where you are paralyzed,

may not be physically, maybe emotionally or maybe relationally. Okay,

you're in shame or you are a telegapit and there's

nowhere to go. I believe this is what God is

telling you right now, this afternoon, there is hope that

you do not need to be so trapped in where

you are that you're missing that.

God was actually speaking to you right now.

Because this guy, as we'll see, he didn't notice who

was the one talking to him because he was so

into where he was. The Basabedito one man was there

for thirty eight years Mayren chang gannokaramda man. And when

Jesus came to him, he asked him, do you want

to be healed?

Lord?

Obviously by the parent gonsan, But the response was not

like that. And we'll see that Jesus was actually drawing

out the issue that is in his heart. He was

asking this question indition that people looso, but he was

actually drawing out the very issue that is deep buried

in the man's heart. He was trying to draw up.

And the issue was he was hopeless. He was already

trapped where he was. And what's the first revelation? First

inside about who Jesus is here.

But it talks to us. It tells us about the

Mercian grace of God.

That's actually the one who initiates, He's actually the one

who makes the first move for us to get to

know him personally. Okay, in the Talian glinka in pero,

see God, I'm not papa.

That Where are you right now? What situation are you facing?

It might be that God is using that so that

you would get to know him more personally, more real.

Because he's a god of mercy and Greece.

He could have left these people in pagan place and

allowed a pull, not a person by lario, but he

went there and did a miracle. Now he's the one

who goes ahead of us and reaches out to us.

It's all by God's grace.

It's not because of our works and our religious duties

that he would bless us. He goes before us, and

he goes and reaches out to us to reveal himself

to us. So Jesus was drawing out what the issue

of his heart was.

And as we.

See the.

Butts alemn person.

Now he know that the need, the need was healing, caging,

and and I know simple answer detO.

The guy should have answered what yes, yes, yes, put

in a google.

But because he was trapped in a situation of hopelessness,

can I, sir, I have no one to put me

into the pool revealing that his hope, that his salvation

is still in that pool. Okay, when the water is

stirred up while I'm going another steps down before me.

That many excuses you hear, Are you experienced that point

where you are hopeless because of repeated failure?

Okay?

Maybe you're a student here divide best, got a new

math problem then feeling more.

Maybe you've tried the board exams and.

You've failed, and you're you're really struggling whether lor can

I still believe you that I I could pass this,

I could get and pass the board. Maybe you're here

and you're experiencing a financial trouble, prosper and you.

Go again, and if you tend to think like that,

you begin to think like that.

And maybe you're here relationally, you've you've got in and

out of relationships, and maybe anyone has forever they were

gonna means now in a big pastore.

Forever and forever more even context.

But there is hope because in spite of all our excuses,

in spite of our being trapped.

Where we are, the word of God still speaks. And

when the word of God is.

Spoken, it shows us how powerful it is, and it

shows us this, this certain scene shows us about the

power and authority of Jesus, because he started to speak,

said get up, take up your math, take up your bed,

and walk, and so demanded.

He was healed immediately, the.

Bible says, and at once he was healed, and he

took up his bed and walked.

Amazing.

Who, mom, you believe that God still do miracles in

our generation?

Amen?

You know God is still a god of miracles and

signs and wonders and breakthroughs. In fact, I want to

read the story of a man who who God is

healing supernaturally and this guy, uh miraculos stories and testimonies,

but this guy is one of my favorite this testimony

because it shows us about not just the power of

being showing a miracle, but the power of discipleship and

the power of following Jesus along with others. This guy, Uh,

this guy's testimony.

I'm gonna show you his picture. His name is Haime Gabrero.

And this guy wrote a letter to our pastors telling

us about the miracle that he experienced. I wanted to

hear and listen closely. Here is his testimony. He said,

I was fourteen when I first accepted Christ as my

personal Lord and savior. I was high school back then,

in Benign High School High School. Since then, I became

an active member of Victory. But the problem was when

I entered college in two thousand.

And five, I backslid.

I easily got into a life of sexual immorality in

college because I thought that was the norm everywhere I go.

Not only that, I got involved in ungodly relationships and

I even had multiple sexual partners of the same sex.

I started to notice that, after three years of living

in a premiscuous way.

That I get tired easily.

Because of this, I suspected that it has something to

do with my lifestyle. So on September two, two thousand

and eight, I decided to have myself checked at the

Manila Health Department. There was fear, there was anxiety and

guilt that started to set in, and I heard my

most dreaded diagnosis. I was HIV positive. It felt like

the end of the world. I was devastated in my mind.

I was just third year in college and I already

felt that my life was already over. I knew once

a person found HIV positive, he is positive for all

of his life, and so I contemplated ending my life,

because what was the point of living when I knew

I was going to die anyway. But I could not

bear the guilt of killing myself. Instead, for the next

three years, I poured my life on my work in

the hopes of forgetting my sickness. But then, however, several

symptoms started to appear. I was very prone to respiratory diseases.

That's one of the marks of HIV noms and delishona

gakasakret spirit already and there were even about twenty boils

that would erupt on my skin at one time. It

became very painful that I could not take it anymore,

even through painkillers.

What was more painful, though, was.

The pain of having to hold back the truth from

my family. I was afraid to be rejected Barhamabat in

the Lasagen so the other. So another year passed and

then I decided to go back to church and when

I get back.

When I got back.

To church, I volunteered and became part of the Ushering ministry.

Because of the relationships that were built, I felt accepted

and I knew I belonged to a family. My trust

and confidence grew and developed and after five long years

of silence without telling anyone of my condition, I decided

to share it with my Victory group. Amazingly, they did

not reject me. Instead accepted me and prayed for me.

They encouraged me not to give up and keep believing

that God would heel me. In fact, in my mind

I thought it was impossible for me to be healed,

but the faith of my Victory group was so strong.

They encouraged me.

To get myself tested again. Because they have been praying

about this on my own, I was hesitant. I didn't

want to hear yet another disappointing news. So in Febrarity four,

twenty thirteen, I finally agreed and they took me to

our Im, Manila to have myself tested. Before the results came,

I was praying out to God. I was ready to

accept whatever the results was, and I thought to myself,

if I have a few years left in my life,

I'm going to do it my best of it to

serve God. Waiting for the blood test result was agonizing,

but finally, when the results were handed to me, I

could not believe it. First, the test results came negative

for seaphyllis. Second, it was negative for hepa B but

most of all it was negative for hivy. God he

got his miracle, and so he said, I was so overwhelmed.

We started praising God and hugging each other.

In spite of my sinfulness, he chose to be my header,

in spite of my dot and my own belief. He

chose to prove himself powerful, in spite of my shame.

He chose to lift me up from the field that

I was in. In spite of who I was. He

chose to be the one who give me. He chose

to do this miracle.

And I know this is what I like, he said

last sentence. I know I deserve none of these, but

I would forever be grateful to my God who was

rescued me, God who.

Still works miracle.

You know, this guy is now one of our active

leaders and victory pioneer, and he's really reaching out making

a difference to the people who have the same struggle.

And this guy received his miracle and has started following Jesus.

But as we continue in the story, I will see

that there was this there was something that the religious

people could not take that instead of rejoicing.

With the man who got healed.

They started persecuting him. Sab to the day was the Sabbath.

So the Jews said to the man who had been healed,

it is the Sabbath, and it's not lawful for you

to take up your bed.

But he answered him, the man who healed me, that

man said to me, take.

Up your bed and walk. So what did he do?

They were continually prosecuting him. Who is that man who

said to you that take up your bed and walk.

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. Now here's what afterward. Jesus

found him in the temple. You know, the temple is

symbolic of where God meets his people. And you know,

amazingly Jesus revealed himself to this guy and say, hey,

I am the one who has.

Have healed you, and I see you are well.

Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you,

telling us that the condition of this guy may have

because of his sin. Not now, not all conditions, okay,

not all sickness is because of sin, or maybe because

of the fallenness.

Of our world and our nature. Before this guy it

was sin.

Therefore, God was instructing him not just to get up,

pick up himself, but that his matters and walk to

receive his miracle. He was instructing him to follow him,

to sin no more. But you know what his response was,

Sadly he did not. But instead he went away and

told the Jews it was Jesus, so part in the

conspired Pasha out Mamagogue, because that was what the Jews

were doing. They're gonna threaten you if you believe in Jesus,

and so he told them it was Jesus. That is

why the Jews were persecuting is because he was violating

the Sabbath. Now, just to make it clear, Jesus came here.

To fulfill the law. He did not violate any of

the law of God. That you know. He cannot violate

his law.

Now in this light, he only violated man made rules.

Because the Jewish leaders they had added thirty nine rules

about the Sabbath, and one of that is bowelbuhat nangamut

from point A to point B. And so Jesus, you know,

he came here to fulfill the law. He wasn't breaking

any law, but he was breaking the tradition that was

made by the religious people. Now Jesus answered them why

he was doing it, and he said, my father's working

until now, and I am working. The Jews agreed that God,

who he is calling Father, is still working, because they

believe that God, when he did creation on the seventh day,

he rested, but after that he continued working, sustaining all

creation daily, bearing the burdens of his people, and so

they believe.

That God is still working until now. Now.

When Jesus said that, grisel, my father is still working now.

But when he said and so I am working, he

was putting himself equal with God all the more. That's

why the Jews wanted to kill him. Not only he

was breaking Sabbath, but he was calling God his own father,

making himself equal with God. So in violation, escalate, So

only violate my young beating the red light.

Let me cast on Jesus agating frustrated murder.

To Maskalu grabbing a man. Tig was a realimn God.

But that was actually the point why he came to

that place to publicly to start, you know, declaring that

he is Jesus, He's Jesus, he is God. Okay, that

he's not just a person of mercy in Greece. He's

not just a person of power and authority, but he is.

In fact our God and our Savior. He spoke the

world to creation. You know, he turned water into wine

because he was God. He could heal.

From afar because he is our God and he is

our Savior.

No, sadly, the guy got his miracle, but he missed

the messiah.

He got his breakthrough, but he missed the miracle worker

who was Jesus Christ with.

God and our Savior.

The one thing I want us all to take a

miss this. You know, God reveals himself to us many

ways in our breakthroughs, in miracles and science, so that

we would follow Jesus, so that we would follow. The

question now we have this afternoon, is are we ready

to follow Jesus we've never followed him? Or if you

have started following him, are you still following him till today?

Are you still going to trust him for who he

said he is and what he called us to do?

Because that's the point. We are to follow him for

who he said he is.

And maybe you are here today just as the man

who missed his mirror, he is a miracle worker. He

got his miracle, but he never followed Jesus. That's a

sad thing. And I pray that you maybe you're here

believing God for a breakthrough. I pray that once God

gives that to you, you would yearn for him, you

would seek him, You would say God, I surrender my

life and I want to follow you for the rest

of my life.

I pray that that as we have looked into the scriptures, we.

Will not fail about what God is calling us to

believe in Him, to follow Him for all of our life.

Thank you for listening to this message. For more messages

like these from other Victory centers, please visit Victory dot org,

pH Slash Resources, slash Podcasts.

Thank you for listening. We hope that you enjoy today's episode.

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