Radio Broadcast Wednesday 03/22/2023

Classic Christianity – The Book of John P21 (03-22-23)

Jesus Asks, “Do You Want to Get Well?”

~ 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?” ^{John 5:6}

“But he says, Be free to walk out of this room today and to know, I am a child of God indwelt by the Spirit of God who lives in me, now Lord, I’m available to you for you to do in and through me what you want to do in and through me period. I’m not there to match up what I’m doing next to somebody else, or to play one upmanship. Or to tell everybody how great we are, but I’m just want to be available to you to do in and through me, what you want me to do. Is that freedom? It ought to be freedom. And that’s how he wants us to live our lives guys. Well, we will continue next week, let’s pray together.

Father, we thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ for the uniqueness of this life that we have. Individually saved by you, individually touched by you, in dwelt by you looked upon not as a group, but as an individual. And were a bunch of individual people who have been touched by the living Christ who gather together, to study your word and to pray together, and to fellowship with one another. Father, we thank you for that. And I thank you for the stance that many have to take when we’re confronted with error, of not being afraid to lovingly express what truth is. And I thank you for that as well. So Lord Jesus, continue to guide us. Cause us to ask ourselves the question in regard to things that are in our lives that should not be. Do we want to get well? And if we don’t, make us willing to be willing. I pray these things in Jesus name, and for his sake.”

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Announcer 0:12
Welcome to Classic Christianity Radio with Bob George Bob’s clear, timeless teachings on the complete forgiveness and unconditional love of Jesus Christ will transform your life as you learn about God’s amazing grace. Let’s join Bob as he teaches us from God’s Word.

Bob George 0:30
I’ve seen people break their habit within a week, when they understand that if I’ll pray and ask God to make me want to want to, that he’ll make you want to want to. And when I want to, I can quit any kind of habit. So it isn’t the fact that we can’t, it’s the fact that we won’t. Why? We don’t want to. Now, am I right or wrong, guys? And so this question Do you want to get well, is a very vital question to somebody. Because that’s what you have to deal with. Do you want really want to get well? There are people who have addictions, do you want to get well? Because sometimes he answers that is not really because this addiction makes me feel good temporarily. I don’t have a problem with that. The issue is do you want to get well? Do you want to substitute the peace of God that passes all understanding for a temporary peace that you’re getting from? Alcohol, drugs, tobacco, whatever it might be, there’s a certain gratification that you get temporarily and but if that was permanent, you wouldn’t need another one. If cigarettes satisfied, you’d only need one. Am I right or wrong, guys? But you see, it tells you that and I understand that I’ve been there, I understand that. But the issue is, are you willing to sacrifice the peace of God that passes understanding for temporary peace, that’ll go away when the minute it’s over? And so the question Do you want to get well, it’s a big question, guys. It’s a big question that we have to answer in our hearts. Do we really want to get well? People have problems with temper with bad responses. Do you want to get well? Do you want that changed? Well, not really. It feels good when I rip somebody off. And that probably does. But do you want to get well? Do you want to get the heart of Christ living in you? You do want to get some information in you that will set you free? Do you want to get well?

You ever have kids wake up grumpy? Our kids tried that. But they didn’t succeed it was Amy said you’re not gonna wake up grumpy. Now kid said yes, I am. No you’re not. Did Johnny? Didn’t let me wake up grumpy either. Don’t have to. Do you want to get well? And well wake up with an attitude of gratitude. I like being depressed, feels good. You don’t have to stay depressed. Depends on where your thinking is gonna go. Depends on whether you want to think depressing thoughts and be miserable. Or whether you want to think as God says the things that are pure and good and holy. And be joyful. Do you want to get well? Or do you want to stay grumpy? You want to be a control freak. I want things done my way. I understand that. The issue is do you want to get well? Do you want to serve people or do you want to get from people? I’m not interested in serving I want to get I want to get what what do you want to get my own way? All we like sheep of what? gone astray. We all want our own way. Is that right or wrong? We want our own way and we want it now. Well, that’s fine, but it isn’t going to produce a very happy relationship with people, if you want your own way all the time. That’s where Jesus at the center of marriage is the key to marriage because it’s not that I want my way and she wants her way and that’s head knockin. But we want his way So our minds go to Him and His will instead of my will be done. You want to get well? God can change that can change those attitudes, if you let him. And so folks that question Do you want to get well is a very important question for you and me to ask ourselves, when we ourselves are trapped in a mindset that we don’t want to be in. Do I want to get well, sometimes your answer will just be No, I don’t want to live this lifestyle. And you can do that. But there’s repercussions. You will reap what you sow.

Sir, the invalid replied. Yeah, he didn’t even answer don’t want to get well. His retort was this, I have no one to help me into the pool. When the waters stirred. While I’m trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me and I just never get a chance to get in the pool. Now what this pool was, they said that the first person to get into the pool, God would heal them. So you can see this guy struggling to get in the pool and that nine other people get in or for him. So he just having a pity party beyond major Lord, I, I want to get in this pool. But when I went and into the pool when the water is stirred, because that was the tradition, when the water gets stirred. The first one in the pool gets healed. But I’m trying to get in somebody always gets there ahead of me. So Jesus ignored the pool, just ignored that. And he said, get up. Pick up your mat and walk. He didn’t say get in the pool when the waters being stirred. He didn’t say yeah, I know that you’ve been beat out and getting into the pool. He just said, Look, man, get up, pick up your mat and walk. And at once the man was cured, he picked up his mat. And he walked. The day on which he took his place was the Sabbath. Now do you suppose Jesus knew that this was the Sabbath? And so do you suppose that he knew that just possibly, that he may get in trouble by healing this man on the Sabbath, by telling him to pick up his mat, that’s working? You can’t work on a Sabbath. Remember, you can’t push an elevator button in Israel today. You got to wait for the elevator go up and get off the floors. Because you can’t push a button because it’s work. And he, Jesus knew that. So this was the Sabbath. And so immediately, the Judeans said to the man who had been healed, it’s the Sabbath. God forbids you to carry your mat. Here’s a guy for 38 years had been an invalid. Do you think the Pharisees knew that he had been an invalid for all these times, they’re not blind. They knew he had been an invalid don’t didn’t 38 years sitting by that pool. That’s a long sit guys. They knew that. They knew he was an invalid. They knew he couldn’t walk. What are they griping about? You’re picking up your mat on the Sabbath. They don’t care that he’s healed. They don’t care that he used to not be able to walk and now he can walk. All they’re concerned about is you picked up your mat. Guys, that’s how stupid religion is. That’s all you can care about is you picked up your mat. Well, a guy said the man who made me well said to me pick up your mat and walk when that’d be a natural answer. Look, I was an invalid. This guy healed me. And the guy who healed me said pick up your mat and walk what was I to do? So they said to Him, Who is this fellow who told you to pick up your mat and walk? You can hear the anger in their voice. Who is this guy? Who told you this to work on the Sabbath? Who is this person? The man who was healed had no idea who it was for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

Later on, Jesus found him at the temple. And he said to him see you’re well again. It’s like you see that you’re well again. So stop sinning or something worst may happen to you. Quit living in your unbelief. The man went away and told the Judeans that it was Jesus who made him well immediate get late. Look at this guy’s, Jesus had just made this man well after 38 years of being an invalid, he told him pick up your mat and walk. And the Judeans got after him. The leadership got after him mad, who is this man? I don’t know who he was. So Jesus found him. Now why do you suppose Jesus found him? It’s all headed towards something. And he said to this man, you see you’re well again, stop sinning or something worse happened to you. What is sin in the Bible guys? Unbelief, stop living in your stupid unbelief. And what these leaders of the Judeans are telling you, stop being fearful of them and start learning to trust me. What the guy do? He went away and immediately went to who? The Judeans that it was Jesus, who made me well, I’m gonna identify that guy that you’re looking for. I’m gonna tell you who it is. And it just made him well, but I’m gonna tell on him. So because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Judeans persecuted him.

Jesus said to them, listen to this, guys. My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too, am working. Now, would that have been good news to the Sabbath keepers? What are you talking about that your father is at work on the Sabbath? And you two are working on the Sabbath? Who Who do you think you are? For this reason, the Judeans tried all the harder to want? Kill him. Why? Because he healed the crippled on the Sabbath and told him to pick up his mat and walk. Well, that ought to be worthy of death. Now isn’t that something nice thing about this. It’s okay to kill you on a Sabbath. Just don’t pick up your mat before you do it. There is nothing more stupid than religion. Nothing more stupid than religion. People all wrapped up in their religion. Somebody once said the most worthless thing in the world is a small package that covers people who are wrapped up in themselves. And that’s what those religion is all wrapped up into themselves, all wrapped up in their religion all wrapped up in everything except truth. And so they wanted to kill him because here’s why they wanted to kill him. Not only was he breaking the Sabbath now, was he breaking the Sabbath? By healing somebody? No, but to them he was. Why? You can’t work on a Sabbath. Remember what I told you that the law as an example, you can’t spit on the ground on the Sabbath. Because spitting on the ground makes mud. And that’s constituted as work. So if you’re going to spit, you got to spit on a rock, but don’t spit on the ground. That’s how nitpicky this thing got. Remember, when Jesus healed the blind man, what do hr do? He spit. And then he got down and made the mud. Did he have to do that to heal that man? Absolutely not. Why did he do it to drive the Pharisees nuts. And he was driving me nuts here too. So he was not only breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father making Himself equal with who? God. Now guys, this ties in to in the Gospel of John, the declaration that these people who are hearing what Jesus was saying about himself was that he was equal with God. Now if you’re equal with God, who are you? God. And people many times cannot understand that truth. They don’t want to understand that truth. They do not know that God is Spirit. And you must worship Him in spirit and in what? Truth. Truth about what? Who he is, what he is, what he came to do. All of those things about God. Now don’t put flesh and blood on God. The only face that we have ever had on God is the face of Christ Jesus.

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Bob George 15:32
How does a spirit exist? We don’t know. Do you know how spirit exists? Do you know where the wind comes from? Or where it goes? Do we know? We see the effects of it had a good effect out in Florida. But did you see it? You don’t know what spirit looks like. Jesus had no one has ever seen the Father except the one and only Son who is at the Father side. I’ve made Him known but don’t see him. So if God who is one God exists to us, as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, do we necessarily comprehend that? Not totally. Do we apprehend it? If we’re smart we do. Why? Because Jesus claimed himself to be God. The Pharisees who hated him, were saying, you’re making yourself equal with God, which means they heard what he was claiming, I am the father of one. If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father. You’re making yourself equal with God. But there’s only one God. Well, then what is the only conclusion you can come to the sum total of the three equals one, his mathematics are different than ours. Three equals one, to God. You got a one plus one plus one equals three, or you got a one times one times one equals one. You don’t change the numbers you change whether it’s a time sign or a plus sign. But an either way, God is three in one. And so Jesus has made himself equal with God, he’s communicated. I and the Father are one. If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.

Jesus gave them this answer, I tell you the truth. Now, here he is telling us about his becoming a man. The Son of Man can do nothing by himself. He can only do what he sees his Father doing because whatever the Father does, the Son does also or also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. And yes, to your amazement, he will show him either greater things than these. What was Jesus saying to these people? You’re looking at God. You’re looking at the God the Son, who is totally equal with God the Father. But when I came to this earth, folks, Jesus was God, that’s who he is. And he found himself in an appearance as a man. In other words, He took upon himself our humanity, but that was God in an earth suit. What is his identity? God in an earth suit. But as God in an earth suit, in order to show you and me, who is an earth suit, indwelt by God, which is different than being God, clothed thainn an earth suit, in order to show you and me how to live, he said, I’m going to show you how to live as a man, not as God. And so he said that, I’m going to tell you the truth about something, what you just saw me do, I did, because the Father told me to do it. I don’t do anything unless the Father tells me to do it and, and how to say something, and what to say, I live in total dependency upon my Father in heaven for all of my actions as the Son here on Earth, so that I’m a direct reflection of God Himself, the God the Father. That’s how you’re going to know God by looking at what I’m doing and what I’m saying, now you’re going to know the character of God. And so he lived in total dependency upon his Father. And he said, as a Father has sent me, so send I you how are we need to live our Christian life guys? In the energy of our flesh? Go out and sit them for Jesus? Go out and come up with their own ideas and go out and do them and ask God to put his blessing on them? God, these are my plans and I want you to bless them. Do we sit around many times and have an our fingers have a committee meeting and try to determine what the thumbs ought to be doing on behalf of the head? Is that our job as leaders to determine what thumbs ought to be doing? Here I am a finger but we’re going to sit around a little committee meeting to determine what thumbs ought to be doing on behalf of the head. Or is our role to equip people with truth and then turn them loose and let them do what God tells them to do? I’d rather have one man out doing what God wants him to do than would have 1000 doing what I want them to do. Jesus said, I don’t do anything, unless the Father tells me to do it.

Folks, I want to ask you a question. Does the Spirit of God live in you? Does the Holy Spirit of God live in you? Is he alive or is he dead? Is he teaching your truth? Is he taking the things of Jesus and making them known to you? If he’s doing those things, can’t he guide you? into all truth? Can’t he guide you where he wants you to go? Because where he wants you to go isn’t necessarily where he wants you to go. Remember what he said to Peter? What’s it matter to you what I do with John, I’m telling you to follow me. Don’t sit around looking and say, well, well, well, that’s not what he’s telling Bob to do. What do you care what I’m telling Bob do? I’m telling you to follow me. You see, folks, that’s originality. That’s what God wants is us as people, individuals, to be indwelt by him. So he’s the head and we’re the body. So if I want the little finger to wiggle, wiggle, if I want the nose to twitch twitch. But you’re listening to God, not having to listen, man, listen to God. What is God telling you to do? Now, that should be freedom, shouldn’t it guys. And it also eliminates the idea that people in a church are supposed to control you. You get that all the time. Well, you need to have somebody that you’re accountable to. You’re accountable to God. And if you can’t live in accountability with God, how are you going to live in accountability with me? If you can’t be honest with God, for I want to tell you something guy here, not gonna be honest, sitting around a little group being accountable to some guys, you can lie to them to just as easy as you lie to God. What God wants is for us to be original, he gave us fingerprints. And none of them are like, he says, I’ve got a specific job for you. I got something I want you to accomplish. You don’t know what it is, you’re gonna wait to listen to see what God’s telling you to do. And it’s not necessarily what he’s going to tell me to do. Isn’t that wonderful to be to realize that you can live your life being led by God, not by man. We’re not there to control people. There are people who have churches that tell you who you can marry and who you ought to divorce, control freaks. Telling you what you ought to be doing, if you’re not doing you’re gonna go to hail. If you live in Texas, you go to hail. God says, I made you individually. I saved you individually. There’s no grandkids in God’s economy. Just kids, and I made you individually. And I’m going to lead you individually into the path that I want you to go into. And that’s all he’s saying here. And Jesus is saying to them, to your amazement, I’m going to show you even greater things in these. I’m going to show you what a life is, being led and controlled by the Father. It ain’t gonna be like your life and sitting around griping at people because they’re saying pick up your mat and walk on the Sabbath thing could be that I’ve kind of lived not gonna be religious life. It’s gonna be a life of being free to be who God wants you to be. Is that good news, guys? If you’re in the business world, can God use you as a real estate agent? Absolutely. Can he use you as a lawyer? It’s a little harder but yes. Can you use you as a doctor? Yes, he can. A school teacher? Absolutely. Any place you are, God can use you. Don’t need to be doing big crusades like others, that’s what he called others to do.

But he says, Be free to walk out of this room today and to know, I am a child of God indwelt by the Spirit of God who lives in me, now Lord, I’m available to you for you to do in and through me what you want to do in and through me period. I’m not there to match up what I’m doing next to somebody else, or to play one upmanship. Or to tell everybody how great we are, but I’m just want to be available to you to do in and through me, what you want me to do. Is that freedom? It ought to be freedom. And that’s how he wants us to live our lives guys. Well, we will continue next week, let’s pray together.

Thank you so much for tuning in to Classic Christianity, with Bob George. We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s program. We truly hope that today’s message has inspired you to walk a life of faith in the Lord, find more information online at shop.BobGeorge.net. There you’ll also find available CDs, DVDs, and bible studies available for purchase. It’s through your help that we are able to spread the good word of Jesus Christ. Until next time, walk in faith, be good to one another and praise the Lord. Amen.