A New Beginning

Greg Laurie: Deep down inside, I think we have a loneliness for God. The Bible speaks of a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and that friend is Jesus Christ.

Guest (Male): Some people can leave us high and dry, can't they? Well today, Pastor Greg Laurie assures us the Lord will never leave us or forsake us.

Greg Laurie: Jesus walks in when others walk out. Sometimes friends disappoint us. Sometimes family disappoints us, but Jesus will not disappoint you.

Guest (Male): According to the Mayo Clinic, adults with strong social support minimize many health problems, including depression, high blood pressure, and unhealthy weight gain. So there you go: more friends, less weight.

But in reality, we need connections in our lives. And today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out the blessing of having a friendship with Jesus. "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear." Join Pastor Greg in John chapter 5.

Greg Laurie: Before us in John 5 is a story of a lonely man. In fact, the title of my message is "Jesus and the Lonely Man." We're in a series, "Jesus and You." We've looked at Jesus and the Doubter, John the Baptist. We've looked at Jesus and the Moral Man, Nicodemus.

Now we come to this guy in John chapter 5. Let's read about him. I'm reading John chapter 5, verses 1 to 18, and I'm reading, by the way, from the New Living Translation. Read along with me.

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem on one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, "Would you like to get well?"

"I can't, sir," the sick man said, "for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me." Jesus said, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk." Instantly the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, "You can't work on the Sabbath! The law doesn't allow you to carry that sleeping mat!"

But the man replied, "The man who healed me told me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'" "Who said such a thing as that?" they demanded. The man didn't know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. But afterward Jesus found him sitting in the Temple and told him, "Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you."

Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders it was Jesus who had healed him. So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. But Jesus replied, "My Father is always working, and so am I."

Isn't that a great story? Here's my first point: this was a turning point in the life and ministry of Jesus. Up to this point, the religious leaders have tolerated Christ. Now they're going to outright turn against him because of this statement that Jesus makes. This statement would ultimately cost him his life.

What was that statement? That statement was simply that he was equal with God. Speaking of the Almighty as his Father, he said, "My Father and I," there in verse 17. Don't let anyone ever tell you that Jesus never claimed to be God, for indeed he did, and this is just one of the occasions.

On another occasion, he healed a man and then he said, "Your sins are forgiven you," and they said, "Only God can forgive sins." Jesus said, "Exactly." He was claiming to be God. He was God walking among them. And he had an agenda. He had a schedule, and God is never late for his appointments.

He had people to meet. He had lives to change. He had miracles to perform, so he was moving along. It's interesting because we begin with the word "afterward." And then in Matthew we read the word "then" often. Mark's Gospel, "immediately." Luke's Gospel uses the phrase "it came to pass."

The idea is Jesus was moving along at a pretty fast clip with a purpose. He knew exactly what he was saying when he claimed to be equal with the Father. He meant what he said. He said what he meant. Bringing me to point number two: as Christians, we don't believe in coincidence, we believe in providence, right? Nor do we believe in luck.

Sometimes we'll say, "Boy, I'm lucky," or "That's my lucky number." I don't believe in luck. I believe in providence. What is providence? It means ultimately that God is in control. Even sometimes when events don't make sense, God is still working, and that's exactly what Jesus was doing.

He had an appointment with this particular man. And so he sees this lonely individual. Bringing me to point number three: Jesus seemed to be drawn to lonely people, drawn to the people who had the greatest need. This man had effectively been abandoned. And he had this loneliness inside.

No matter who you are, no matter how much money you make or how many followers you have on social media, how famous you are or how infamous you are, or if you're unknown, you're still a lonely person deep down inside. Selena Gomez said, "I'm so scared of being alone and I want people to love me."

Freddy Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, once said, "You can have everything in the world and still be the loneliest man, and that is the most bitter type of loneliness." Bringing me to point number four: the man in our story was just hoping for a miracle. Now, we read that he was waiting for the waters to be stirred.

There was a legend that an angel would sometimes appear, move the waters around, and if you were close to the water when this happened, you would get healed. There's no indication this is a true story. It could have been true. Maybe it happened once, but that's what this man was hoping for.

And he had been waiting a long time: thirty-eight years. So he's an older guy, but he's hoping for a miracle in his own life, hoping for something to happen to him. It's interesting how we read that Jesus saw this man. There were a lot of people there, a lot of hurting people there, but Jesus zeroed in on this one man in particular.

This man that had this great need. And it's worth noting that Jesus didn't preach to everyone, he preached to certain individuals. He didn't heal everyone, he healed certain people. And now he goes to this man and makes what I would say is a provocative statement in verse 14. After he heals him, he says, "Now you are well. Stop sinning or something even worse may happen to you."

This would indicate that this man's particular condition may have been a result of some kind of sin. Now, when I say that, I'm not implying, nor does the Bible teach, that if you're sick or you have a disability, it's because you committed a sin. The reality is all sickness, aging, and all the other challenges we face in life are the result of sin in general.

In our first parents' sin, Adam and Eve, sin spread to all of the world. As I've said before, if Adam and Eve had not sinned, we would never die. If Adam and Eve had never sinned, we wouldn't get sick. If Adam and Eve had never sinned, I would have a full head of hair.

So in a broad sense, all sickness and all things that happen to us of that nature are a result of sin in general, but it would appear that maybe there was something in particular with this man. You know, Paul wrote to the members of the church in Corinth and said some of you have become sick and even died because of their sin.

The Psalmist wrote, "Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I have kept your word." So sometimes God may allow sickness in your life to get your attention. Maybe you're walking away from the Lord or you're disobeying the Lord or not paying attention to what he's saying. He might let something happen to get your attention again.

Guest (Male): Well, we're in John chapter 5 today as Pastor Greg presents his message, "Jesus and the Lonely Man." Let's continue.

Greg Laurie: Sometimes God wants to heal us, and he's just waiting for us to ask. I'm not implying that God heals everyone because he doesn't. Even the great Apostle Paul had some kind of a physical problem he called a thorn in the flesh. Three times he asked the Lord to take it away.

God did not remove that problem, but rather said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you." But on the other hand, there are many accounts in scripture where people were healed instantaneously. Sometimes it happens over a period of time. There was one blind man that was healed, and he could partially see.

He said, "I see men like trees walking." In other words, "I'm getting my vision back but it's not completely back." So look, you may pray and say, "Lord, would you heal me?" and he may heal you just like that. And then that healing may take place over a period of time. And then God can even work through a doctor or through a surgery or through medicine to bring about that healing.

Ultimately, I give him the glory for all of it. But I guarantee I'm going to ask for it. The Bible says you have not because you ask not. And then Jesus said, "Ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened."

And there's an ascending intensity in the verbs that Christ used, implying that we should step up our game. So first we're asking, then we're seeking, then we're knocking. So keep asking the Lord. Maybe it was the utter helplessness of this man that drew Jesus to him. Maybe he prayed a little prayer: "God, please send an angel for me to get me healed."

And little did he know that God was going to do something better than that. He was going to send his only begotten Son to personally touch this guy. And do you know that God is able to do exceedingly above and beyond that which you could ask or think? Don't limit God with your prayers.

"Lord, I have this financial need. I ask you to meet it. I need this amount of money." I'll say, "Lord, I have this financial need. I ask you to meet it. Please take care of it. And if you want to do even more, I welcome that too." Whatever God wants to do. We think God wants to withhold his blessing.

We think that God is stingy. The very opposite is taught in scripture. This guy wanted an angel to stir the water. God wanted to send his only Son to transform this man and stir up his life, in fact. And maybe you identify with this guy. Maybe you feel like you're all alone.

Maybe your parents or maybe you've been divorced or maybe you're single and you're saying, "Am I ever going to find someone?" But you know, deep down inside, I think we have a loneliness for God. And the Bible speaks of a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and that friend is Jesus Christ.

And Jesus walks in when others walk out. Sometimes friends disappoint us. Sometimes family disappoints us, but Jesus will not disappoint you. And this man was in such great need. He was helpless and hopeless. We read that crowds of sick people, verse 3, were there—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

This word paralyzed could be translated "without strength." Or another translation puts it "helpless and powerless." And that's how we all are before we come to Christ. We're just weak. The Bible says in Romans 5, those who were without strength, those are the ones that Christ died for.

Sometimes people will say of Christians, "You know, you Christians, you turn to Christ because you needed a crutch. Christianity is a crutch." My response is: no, it's not a crutch, it's a whole hospital. I need more than a crutch. I'm not embarrassed to say that. I need God's help. By the way, you do too.

This man understood his great need for God. You know, sometimes it's said, "Well, God helps those who help themselves." The good book says. Well, I don't know what good book you're reading, but the Bible doesn't say that. Effectively, the Bible says God helps those who can't help themselves or even God helps the helpless.

So Jesus saw this man and now asks him a poignant question: "Would you like to get well?" What kind of thing is that to ask a man who's been sick for thirty-eight years and is in this sad situation? "Would you like to get well?" But it's a valid question because not everyone wants to get well.

You know, some people like the lifestyle they've chosen. Not every alcoholic wants to stop drinking. Not every drug addict wants to stop using drugs. Not every person living on the street wants to get off the street. You see, you can't help someone if they don't want your help.

And if they're not going to make some effort on their part, whatever you do to rehabilitate them or help them get on their feet again may end with failure. There has to be a willingness on their part as well. Do you want to be healed? Do you want to change your life? Some people are comfortable in sin.

You know how sometimes when you're in bed, maybe you get out of bed, and then you go back to your bed, you try to find that little warm spot you were in, right? You know what I'm talking about? Is it just me? Oh, I found it. Little warm spot. That's how some people are in sin. This is their little warm spot.

They're comfortable. They've grown used to the darkness. The story is told from history of a prison that had a dungeon. It was called the Bastille. And they decided to destroy it because it had outlived its usefulness. And there's this one prisoner who had been confined there for years, decades.

And they said, "You're free. You can leave the prison." And this man came out of his dark cell into the blinding sunlight and put his hand over his eyes and said, "Please take me back to my prison cell." That's how some people are. They don't want to leave their prison cell of sin or addiction or whatever it is.

Do you want to change? Do you want to get well? Do you really want your marriage healed? Do you really want to be free from dependency on drugs or alcohol? Do you really want to be free from your sexual sin? Do you really want to be made well? Do you really want to change?

There's God's part and there's your part. He says, "I can't, sir. I have no one to help me get to the pool." Jesus is like, "Forget the pool." You don't understand what's happening here, buddy. And I love what Jesus says. First of all, he asks the impossible. Secondly, he removes all possibility for a relapse. Thirdly, he expects continued success.

First, he asks the impossible: "Pick up your sleeping mat and walk." And in this guy's defense, he goes for it. He could have said, "I can't." He just said, "All right." And all of a sudden strength is restored to his feet and his legs and he stands up. What an amazing thing.

So he did the impossible, but then Jesus removes any possibility for a relapse: "Take it with you. You're not coming back here again. We're done with the pool. And we're done with this whole life. It's a new life. Put your old life behind you." Here's the problem that some people have when they say they're going to become Christians is they don't make a break with the old life.

And they don't make a break with the old friends. I can tell you, when I became a Christian, I had some pretty low-life friends. I had friends in low places. And I had to completely break off my relationship with them because they would have dragged me down so fast. In fact, they even tried to immediately after they heard I'd become a Christian.

And I had to make new friends. And every Christian needs to do this. Your friends matter. You show me your friends and I'll show you your future. Look for godly friends. And if you're a single person, look for a godly man or a godly woman.

The Bible says, "Flee youthful desires and follow righteousness, faith, and peace along with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Psalm 1 says the happy man doesn't walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful. So Jesus is saying to this guy, "Pick that thing up and walk your way out of here. This is over with." And I love that radical change that he made.

Guest (Male): Pastor Greg Laurie with insight from the account of Jesus and the lame man. And we're not done with the story. More to come here on A New Beginning. But Jesus not only offers healing physically, he offers healing spiritually.

He offers forgiveness of our sin and offers the gift of eternal life. Pastor Greg, if you would, explain how easy it is to accept what Jesus offers.

Greg Laurie: Well, look, Jesus did all the heavy lifting. He carried the cross for you. He died on that cross that he carried. This isn't about what you do, it's about what he's done. But here's what the Bible says: whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

So let's just say that you're caught in a rip tide out in the ocean and you need help and there's a lifeguard at the stand and they see you. You've got to call out to them and let them know you need saving. And the same is true when it comes to eternal life. Jesus is ready to save you. Will you call out to him?

You say, "Well, okay, how do I do that?" You do it through prayer. And prayer is just talking to God. So listen, I'd like to lead you in a simple prayer. And if you pray this prayer after me, I believe God will hear it and answer it and Christ will come to live inside of you.

Thousands of people have prayed a prayer like this over the years that we've been doing this radio broadcast and have seen their life change. There's no power or magic in a prayer. It's all about your commitment to Christ, but this is a way to call on the name of the Lord in this prayer.

So if you want Jesus to come into your life and forgive you of your sin, if you want to know that you'll go to heaven when you die, if you want to fill that big hole in your heart, just pray this prayer after me. You could pray it out loud if you like, pray it in the quietness of your heart, but pray these words if you would.

Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner, but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin. I am sorry for my sin and I turn from it now. And I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Be my Savior and my Lord. Be my God and my friend. Thanks for hearing this prayer and answering this prayer. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Listen, if you just prayed that prayer, I want you to know that God has heard you and has answered it. The Bible says, "These things we write to you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life." That you may know. It's yours now. God has given it to you because it's the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Congratulations and welcome to the family of God.

Guest (Male): Yeah, that's right. And listen, would you let us help you get started living this new life? Let us send you Pastor Greg's New Believer's Bible. It's in an easy-to-understand translation with so many helps specifically for those who are new to the faith. And we'll send it free of charge.

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Well, next time, Pastor Greg helps prepare us for the Easter weekend. We'll see because Jesus conquered the grave, we don't need to fear death. Good encouragement coming. Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher, Greg Laurie.