Salty - Week 3 - Paster Erik Kutchen

Thank you for listening to this message from

Lifehouse Church. Well, good morning everybody.

How are we doing this morning? Awesome. Living

and active, just like the Word of God. Very good,

very good. Well, if you don't know me already,

my name is Eric. I am the Next Steps Pastor here

at Lifehouse. And we are in the middle of a series.

Anybody know what that series was? Salty, not

sodium, but salty acronym. So last week, Pastor

Kip started us off and it's start a conversation.

This week, it will be ask a question. So conversation,

right? Without conversation, we can't invite

people to know Jesus. We can't talk to them about

Jesus. A conversation must be started. And how

we do that is by asking a question. If there's

no questions in the middle of a conversation,

how do we know that's not really a conversation?

It ends pretty fast, right? You ever been to

those one -sided conversations where you're just

getting unloaded on? Yeah. Questions need to

be asked. It all starts with asking a question.

It's the power of a question that gives us the

opening that we need to give and to bring the

reality of Jesus into another person's heart.

A couple years ago now, Abby and I, my wife Abby,

bought a house, our first house. And if you know

anything about going through the process of buying

a house, it can be an emotional roller coaster.

Each time you have an interest in a house, you

think it's the right one, and then just this

one thing you find out about it, it's wrong.

So there's a lot of questions. It's a process

you have to go through. Questions like, is the

roof okay? Is it in good condition? How old is

it? When were the windows last replaced? How

old is the HVAC? Are there termites? Is it any

infestation? Was it taken well care of? Is the

insulation sufficient for all seasons? Maybe

you visit a house and you ask your spouse, hey,

what do you think? And they say, meh, it's not

for me. That's asking how I know. I thought it

was a good house. But it started with a question.

We had to ask the historical questions. We had

to ask the functional question. Is it working?

We had to ask ourselves, can we make it better?

A question is what got us into these houses to

begin with. Asking questions gave us more clarity

and understanding in what was available to us

and what we could potentially be living in. Asking

questions gave us these opportunities to open

up the doors to these houses and see what was

on the inside of them. And Jesus taught that

if we would ask, it would be given to us. And

eventually the door would be opened. Ask and

it will be given to you, he said. Seek and you

will find. Knock and it will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks. and he who seeks finds,

and to him who knocks it will be opened. When

we ask questions, we receive answers. If you

ask me a question and I didn't respond to you,

how many would think that would be rude or abnormal,

right? I just blankly stare at you. I don't answer

you. Questions demand an answer. That's how it

goes. The search for a house required questions.

If we never asked the questions, we wouldn't

have gotten very far. If we didn't ask the questions,

we would not have experienced the diversity of

houses, the character, the feel, the new features.

Just like how questions got us inside of the

house, asking questions can bring us into other

people's hearts. Make sense? Asking questions

can bring us into other people's hearts. So if

we're going to introduce Jesus to people, then

we must understand that asking a question is

what gives us the open door. We need to bring

the reality of Jesus into people's lives. Our

main passage today is going to be in John chapter

John 5 · chapter mention

5, starting with verse 1. So as you flip there,

we're just going to pray. So Father, we just

thank you for this gathering today, Lord. We

thank you that we're all here under one name

under heaven, and that is the name of Jesus Christ.

And Lord, let this gathering be one where hearts

are renewed, open. in receiving of your word

today, that Lord, they may abide in you. And

as you walk with them, as you talk with them,

as you speak into their very being, Lord, that

you would lend power into their lives to be witnesses

in the name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. So verse one,

after this, there was a feast of the Jews and

Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem

by the sheep gate, a pool, which is called in

Hebrew, Bethesda. Having five porches, in these

lay a great multitude of sick people, blind,

lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the

water. For an angel went down at a certain time

into the pool and stirred up the water. Then

whoever stepped in first after the stirring of

the water was made well of whatever disease he

had. And now a certain man was there who had

an infirmity of 38 years. When Jesus saw him

lying there, So in this passage, right, there

is a... It says a great multitude of people,

and not just people, people that are sick, lame,

paralyzed, blind, a great multitude of them.

So at one point or another, this is the place

where people that were in this type of condition

went. It formed a community of sick people. You

know what makes a community? It's a group of

people that have a common heart, mind, and purpose,

right? In this case, it was them. They needed

healing. They were eagerly anticipating that

healing. Because once the water moved, it meant

that they could finally walk again, that they

could finally see again. There's a problem, though.

Because even though they all have this common

goal of healing, Only one can get healed at a

time. And it's the first person to the pool that

steps into it. Now, it might have been pretty

difficult for them to go to this pool, right?

It's kind of hard to get to a pool if you can't

walk. Kind of hard to get to a pool if you can't

see. Or if you're just really weak. So we could

probably say that they needed help. They needed

help to this pool. If you didn't have family

or close friends, it was that much harder for

you because they're the ones that more than likely

were the ones helping you to get your healing.

But one day, one day, Jesus walks into the community

of sick people, a community where people needed

healing, and yet Jesus, led by the Spirit of

God, comes up to this one man, one man among

thousands maybe, and he asks them that question,

do you want to be made well? So I don't know

about you, but that seems like a pretty silly

question to ask a sick person. Hey, do you want

to feel better? Are you doing okay right now?

Is the cough too much? No, do you want to be

made well? Yes, I would love to feel well right

now. So why? If it's such a given that he would

want to feel better, to be healed, why ask that

question? I believe it gave him. an open door

into this man's heart. It opened a door to have

a real conversation that is bedridden and unable

to move himself. So asking the question invites

others to have a real conversation. We all desire

real conversations in our life. We all desire

to have a sense of community where we can have

real conversations, but it's hard to have a real

conversation. if no one is taking initiative

in asking a question. And unfortunately, in today's

culture, it's more common to walk past somebody

and not talk to them. No questions are being

asked. Real questions are about helping people

discover and bring to awareness the reality of

God. It's about asking questions that we... that

some are ashamed or afraid to talk about. Like,

how is it that sin can affect me so deeply? How

can I feel so confused and discouraged and lonely

all the time? How is it that I have this shame

on me? But it's also understanding that Jesus

is greater than sin, and people aren't meant

to stay there. But that's where the conversation

starts. Jesus is the realest fact. A real conversation

is one that is immersed in all that is true and

authentic. Colossians says this, since you have

been raised to new life in Christ, set your sights

on the realities of heaven where Christ sits

in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think

about the things of heaven and not the things

of earth. For you died to this life and your

real life is hidden with Christ in God. Real

life in Christ equals real life answers. God

determines what is real. And heaven is the ultimate

display of what is real, true, and authentic.

Amen? When Jesus asked the man the question,

do you want to be well? He was trying to shift

this man's perspective from a deceptive earthly

knowledge to that of a heavenly knowledge, a

heavenly reality. Heaven, Jesus, was engaging

with this man, engaging with earth, and earth

wanted to be like heaven. everything that is

in the word of God is something we can use to

ask a question to people, to bring God back in

the conversation because his word shows us all

that is true. Jesus prayed, right? Jesus prayed

that the word, that they would be made clean

and holy by your truth. Teach them your word,

he says, which is truth. The word of God determines

what is real by what it teaches. In humanity,

is longing for whatever is real now. I was in

a situation a while back ago at work, and on

this day, it had been a long, hot, humid day,

and this person got really upset because they

felt betrayed by a co -worker because their expectation

was that they should be helping them help do

their job. And she voiced that to him, and the

other person didn't take it very well. And as

a matter of fact, he became bitter towards them.

And I talked to her afterwards. And between the

frustration on her face and the venting to me,

I let her talk and waited until she was finished.

And I asked her the question, do you forgive

them? Right? No words necessary. Just one question.

Do you forgive them? And they said, oh, Eric,

why should I forgive them? I mean, I can forgive

them, but I'm not going to forget what they did

to me. And I said to them, well, then you haven't

forgiven them. She said, what do you mean? I

said, God does not remember our trespasses against

him once we ask for forgiveness. Matter of fact,

he was on the cross and he pleaded with the father

to forgive them because they don't understand

what they're doing right now. He didn't say,

father, I forgive them, but I won't forget this.

Humanity put Jesus on the cross to die. And he

still forgave us completely. Doesn't remember

it. She said, I hadn't really realized that before.

I will go over and make it right with him. So

you see, asking the question, do you forgive

him? Opened up the door to where the reality

of Jesus was. It was brought straight into her

heart. It was a heavenly answer. Heaven engaged

with earth and earth wanted to be like heaven.

The word of God shows us what is real and true.

But 2 Timothy 3 .16 says, all scripture is inspired

by God and is useful to teach us what is true

and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.

It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches

us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare

and equip people to do every good work. So if

it's equipping us, By teaching us what is real,

we can be equipped with a question to ask people.

Because we know Jesus. We know what is true and

real. Knowing the word allows us to ask good

questions that invite Jesus into the conversation.

Jesus asked the lame man a good question. It

was something that seemed pretty obvious by human

standards. But Jesus wanted to discuss the reality

of heaven to him, which is where he would find

his healing. So when was the last time that we

asked somebody a question based off of scripture,

not based off what we thought or what this person

thought or what the news said, but off of scripture?

What is the Holy Spirit trying to get into your

spirit to make real and active, to ask somebody

a question, to bring Jesus into it? When we ask

that question, the doors of their hearts are

infused with the truth of Jesus. So are we praying

for opportunities to ask others questions? Maybe

it's somebody at work, a family member, or someone

at the store, so that they can engage in a real

conversation, so that they can engage with a

real Jesus. Amen? Questions are special, though.

They're special in that the way that if we do

not ask them, we stay on the course that we've

always been on. Right? If you don't question

something, nothing changes. This lame man had

never gotten asked that question of, hey, maybe

this isn't working. It's been 38 years. Perhaps

we could try something different, right? No,

no, I'm going to keep going. This is going to

work. But when Jesus came on the scene asking

a question, the lame man proved to be challenged

in what he was putting his hope in. So questions

also challenge what we are currently believing,

what we are currently putting our hope in. And

we all have something that we put our hope in.

If you didn't have hope in something when you

woke up, you wouldn't even get out of bed. But

hope is what ignites the desire to get to the

destination we want to be at. If we have hope

in something, then we will go to where we believe

that something will be. The caution is that The

stuff we hope for may be real and genuine, but

the methods we pursue to make that hope a reality

can be contradictory to God's word. We can hope

for a secure future and chase wealth at the expense

of integrity, family, or rest. We can hope for

purpose and meaning, but use the method of self

-promotion or image building instead of serving

where God calls us. We can compromise morals

in order to maintain a sense of love and belonging.

All of these, the hope is genuine and it's real,

but the methods are not God's heart or plan for

us to meet those needs. One day, this layman

was given hope by somebody, word on the street,

a rumor down the road, hey, that pool over there

has healing powers. the angel of the Lord will

come down one of these days. We don't know when,

but if you just wait there, eventually it'll

come and it will heal you. Oh man, that's incredible.

Like, I can't even move, but that's amazing.

I need somebody to help me. He's got hope now.

Hope for healing, because before, probably didn't.

He's got hope. He believes that he can do it.

When that angel shows up for the very first time,

when he sees that, He is all go. Nothing's going

to stop him. Rules go out the window. His opportunity

comes. He doesn't get there in time. The opportunity

comes again. Someone gets in front of him. The

opportunity comes again. He gets pushed out of

the way. So on, so forth for 38 years. Each time

he deals with the same disappointment, the same

discouragement. It's like someone keeps knocking

on the door, but he never gets there on time

to meet them. They are gone by the time he gets

there. This repeated cycle of having hope and

falling short goes on for 38 years. Do y 'all

know what the definition of insanity is? I can

kind of hear it. Doing the same thing over and

over and over again and expecting a different

result, right? This is insanity. This man is

doing the same thing over and over again, getting

the same results for 38 years. Never once, at

least it's not recorded, he didn't question this

method. No one asked him, do you really think

this is the answer that we should be putting

our hope in right now? Matter of fact, God was

never in the equation. This seemed to be a religious

superstition of the day, and he was devoted to

it. Again, his hope is real and strong, but it's

not in the right thing. This is what Jesus challenges

when he walks up and asks, do you want to be

made well? And what this man placed his hope

in rises to the surface. Here's what he says.

The sick man answered him, sir, I have no man

to put me into the pool when the water is stirred

up. But while I am coming, another steps down

before me. So Jesus challenged him where the

man, where he was putting his hope. It was at

this moment of asking, do you want to be made

well? That the lame man starts to think, well,

well, you know, maybe I can't get well this way.

I've tried getting to the pool for 38 years now,

and I always fall short. I've waited for somebody

to help me. No one's helping me. So yes, I do

want to be made well. But is there another way?

Where else could my hope go to be made well?

The question Jesus asked challenged him, changed

his perspective from expecting to get his healing

from people or things into the Lord himself.

Amen? What he waited 38 years for happened in

an instant. People often place their hope in

broken systems, things that worked at one time,

but over time it just doesn't work anymore. Sometimes

we're in denial that something isn't working

when it's supposed to, like relationships, a

job, a family dynamic, maybe our phones. Piece

of trash. When our hope is on default, And in

the wrong things, it's a good sign we're putting

a Band -Aid on and not getting healing. We can

rationalize our broken methods to be working

in its own way. But the bottom line is, it's

about surrendering your hope into Jesus Christ.

Amen? We do not always realize it when we're

putting our hope in the wrong place. That is

why asking a real question can challenge where

you have put it and bring it back to the Lord.

A question can challenge what people currently

place their hope in. It's not about finding people

out. It's not about having all the right answers,

but it's about seeing how we can redirect their

hope and their focus to the one true God. Do

you want to have a sense of purpose? Do you want

to have a good, healthy family and community?

Do you want to have a sense of love and belonging?

These are all things that human beings want.

It's a given. It's a yes. But what are their

methods of getting that? Because it starts with

Jesus. Hope is to be placed in Jesus. In him

is wholeness. In him is healing. He is the one

that gives us all a hope and a purpose in this

life. Amen. Everybody should be saying amen there.

He wrote our story long before we ever knew our

story. And the people that are out there who

don't know Jesus yet, they have a story too.

They have a hope too, but they don't know where

to put it. So what if we tried by asking the

questions to help challenge their methods? Asking

questions like, do you want to have peace? Do

you want to know your purpose? That is something

they may already know, but at least it opens

the door for them to meet Jesus. The anticipation

of this lame man was out of all... Knowing that

he would have been there trying for 38 years,

and it wasn't working, and Jesus was right in

front of him. Maybe for the first time in this

guy's lifetime, do you want to be made well?

If this person was asking, then clearly they

wanted help. I think what happened next completely

surprised the lame man. I think when Jesus asked

him that question, he's like, finally, I'm going

to get some kind of lift into this pool. But

that's not what happened. What happened was Jesus

gave a command that required a response. That

response would lead to his healing. So for this

reason, the spirit of God is always wanting to

minister and convince lost souls of their need

for a savior that can take away all their sins.

If we listen to God and ask the questions he

gives us, our question can lead to... a faith

decision that brings life change. So asking a

question can lead to a faith decision. A decision

made in faith is one that says, I have heard

from God, I have made a decision to do whatever

he says, whether that's convenient or inconvenient,

rational or irrational, favorable or unfavorable

to me. That's what faith does. It does it anyway.

But asking a question can often wipe away what

people hold on to. and beckons them to respond

and hold on in faith what God is speaking to

them. The lame man asked a question. What a wonderful

question it was, was asked a question by Jesus.

Do you want to be made well? In short, he says,

yes, I do, but I can't. No one is helping me.

Jesus gave that command, and it acted as a helping

force, a helping hand for him to stand up, for

the first time perhaps in his entire life. When

Jesus gives a command, how many of you know that

it holds the same kind of power that created

the universe, that one word could create the

universe all over again? So Jesus gave that command,

and the person responded due to the power that

was just given to him. It required a decision.

God never supersedes human beings' free will.

He can't just zap somebody and everything is

all better. to come into agreement. Just as he

had responded to the water being moved by the

water, so now the Holy Spirit is stirring in

his heart to get up and walk. He did as Jesus

commanded and he stood up into a new life in

Jesus Christ. This was the opportunity Jesus'

question provided because Jesus asked a question.

He gave this man an opportunity. to act on the

decision of faith that would make him well. He

could have kept his faith in the pool. He could

have kept going on. Hey, 38 years is nothing.

What's the year 39? What took 38 years was now

an instant because he decided to listen to the

word of God and respond to it. He was just going

through the same emotional disappointment over

and over again. But this one question allowed...

faith to rise up in his heart. And he stood up

and he walked. And as a result, he experienced

the freedom that is only found in the name of

Jesus. Asking a question opens the door for people

to experience Jesus' life and resurrection power.

But oftentimes we try to harden our own strength

to reach the lost. We don't always let the Holy

Spirit guide us, giving us the words to speak.

Allow us to have a word for somebody that faith

may rise up in their being as well. That demonstration

of simple trust in the word of God is what allows

us to reach people. Jesus asked a question. He

didn't put pressure on himself, but he did put

his dependence on the Holy Spirit and what to

say and what to ask. And as a result, Jesus...

Jesus' words to them were spirit and life. What

was now dead became alive. A dead circumstance

became a thriving circumstance. Freedom was a

result. Asking that question is what opens the

door for the reality of Jesus to be a thing in

somebody's life, to enter into their being. If

we give answers apart from asking other questions,

you're talking to a closed door. Questions open

doors. but answers up with unprovoked questions

is talking to a closed door. Does that make sense?

It will not enter their hearts unless they're

asked to open up. Paul said this, I have been

crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who

live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which

I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the

son of God who loved me and gave himself for

me. That is what we want every person in this

world to declare. That is no longer they who

live, but it's Christ living in them. And they

now live by faith in the son of God. Zach and

the wish team, if you'd come up. You know what

a good question to ask for any circumstance.

Like I can't, I have a hard time thinking of

a circumstance where this would be a bad question.

And it's, how can I pray for you? Right? Prayer.

Prayer opens doors. Prayer, everybody, I mean,

I tell people all the time, if I feel led to

pray for somebody and they're like, no, no, no,

I can't do that. I said, the worst thing that

can happen is nothing. So why not? Right? It's

an open door for heaven to invade their heart.

Now with that open door, the spirit is giving

provision into their heart. stirring in new things

in them. And these new things just need a response

by them. A decision inspired by the faith of

God's spirit working in them. He is awakening

their senses to the reality of Jesus Christ.

We shouldn't be timid to impart faith into another

person because come on, sometimes we don't have

faith, but we need each other to impart faith

into one another, right? Believers believe and

our belief actually gets other people to believe

in Jesus. Ultimately, it'll be up to them to

stand up and walk in the name of Jesus, into

his freedom, into his truth. That's up to them.

But if you would just believe and ask them a

question, the door of their hearts would be opened

up to believe. Jesus did not send us out into

the world as children without power. He gave

us authority to preach the good news and share

this gospel with everyone. Jesus stated to the

disciples, as the Father has sent me, so I also

send you. Right? Just as Jesus was sent to die

for mankind's sins, just as Jesus was sent to

minister to the lost, heal the brokenhearted,

and save them from their sins, we are also on

mission to do that as well. Not by our own authority,

but the Lord's authority. He gave us authority

for a specific assignment, for a specific task.

We're finishing what he started. Too many people

out there who are just going through the motions

of what people have told them what to do and

what to be in this life. If they get a bad hand,

that's just life. But guess what? It's not working.

Even though they have a genuine hope. What they

are doing is not giving them that sense of purpose

and belonging, that sense of fulfillment and

peace. Many people do not know what is real,

but they live in what they think is real every

day as they go through life hurting. But Jesus

is the realest thing. He determines what is real

and important. He alone has the words of eternal

life. He alone can teach us the truth. And knowing

Jesus allows us to ask good questions. good questions

because we have a good, good father that knows

how to answer our questions when we have them.

These questions are going to invite people into

the life and truth that Jesus embodies. People

live day by day with hope, but in methods that

prove to be empty and void. Yet over and over

again, they do not get the results they have

labored. so hard for? How are people going to

know their hope is in the wrong thing? How are

they going to know what is real? How are they

going to be able to make a decision of faith?

It can only start with asking a question, a question

imbued by the Spirit of God, to reintroduce Jesus

to people. If we know Jesus, we can engage with

others by asking them questions. If Jesus uses

a question to get somebody healed, surely his

sons and daughters can do the same thing. They

can ask a question that can provide healing into

their spirits. What an amazing opportunity we

have as a church body to reach out to people

and ask a question, to be on this privilege of

a mission to reach the lost, to give people the

answer that is in Jesus' name. Believe it or

not, we are a part of his plan. We are a part

of his plan of outreach, of lost souls. Are you

willing to be sent by God today? Are you willing

to ask a question to whoever he sends you to?

If yes, God will use your willing heart to bring

the reality of Jesus into a person's heart. And

let me say this, you do not need a degree to

preach the gospel. You do not need a degree to

share the good news. You do not need that. But

the Holy Spirit will give you 100 degrees of

power to win a lost soul into his kingdom. Amen.

He is the one that qualifies you. He is your

degree. He can turn up the heat and change a

human heart. So here is my question to you. Are

you ready to be and willing to be used by the

Holy Spirit? Are you willing to listen? Are you

willing to hear the question that he has for

the person in front of you? Maybe it's, hey,

how are you really doing today? Maybe it's, how

can I pray for you? Maybe it's, hey, I've been

kind of struggling with my purpose. Like, what

do you think your purpose is? Because once we

get them into the flock, into the reality of

Jesus, clarity and understanding happens. We

don't always have the answers, but if we seek

him first, he'll give us the answers. He'll give

us what we need according to his will. You guys

doing right back there? Say the person next to

you, are you ready? Are you ready? Oh yeah, there

we go. So I'm gonna pray and we're gonna go into

a song. And just allow the Lord to just minister

to your heart. There's never a moment in time

where you feel more alive than when you're doing

the will of God. I think sometimes we're walking,

but we're not really living. I think sometimes

we get caught up in our own mess and we forget

what it's like to truly live. And it all goes

back to what Jesus said last. Go, therefore,

and make disciples of all nations. So, Father,

we thank you. We thank you for the privilege,

Lord, of knowing you. We thank you just for the

honor it means to be in your presence, that this

broken world was paid for by you, Lord. that

your royal blood was spilled out for our mankind,

that we may enter into the joy of the Lord. Oh,

God. God, let that joy burst forth in our hearts

now. God, as we seek your face, as we seek your

heart, God, give us understanding of your will,

Lord, that, We don't have to have all the answers,

but Lord, if we can just ask a question, according

to your will, according to the human heart, where

they're placing their hope, God, use us, send

us to be that vessel of redirecting their path,

a path of darkness into a path of marvelous light.

And God, if there's anybody here that is, still

fearful or afraid or just not sure what that

next step is. Lord, burst courage and boldness

into their being, Lord. Just remind them that

their life is not their own. Their life belongs

in eternity. Eternity with you. So what could

faze us? You are with us, and boy, are you with

us. Never do we have to doubt that you're with

us. You're here in our midst now. Lord, we've

received your word. Let heaven come. Let heaven

come. We thank you, Lord. In your matchless name

we pray. to this message from Lifehouse Church.

We pray that you were impacted powerfully by

this message. If you have been personally affected

by our ministry and you would like to partner

with us as we love God, love people every day,

visit our website at www .lifehousecog .com.