Pastor Jim Laffoon shared a great message with us today! He used this passage from John 5. If you aren’t familiar with the story of the healing at the pool, read the scriptures below.
John 5
The Healing at the Pool
1Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. 2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6When 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.”
8Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9At on
ce the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”11But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”
12So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”
13The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
14Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15The
man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
I hope I can do Pastor Jim’s message some justice. I took notes, but I know I missed so much. This is just touching the surface of what he said (sorry).
Pastor Jim pointed out that a large crowd had gathered, yet no one there was whole/healthy. They gathered because occasionally an angel stirred the water which must have given it some healing properties.
In the KJV, look at verse 4: 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.
Pastor Jim shared 6 barriers that hinder:
1. The man had a CONSTRUCT problem. He had in his mind HOW God was going to heal him. Many times we are locked into the method.
2. He had a CONTACT problem. Jesus is there right in front of him. When the HEALER asked him, “Do you want to get well” the man decided to give him his sob story. I’d like to get healed, but …
3. He had a CONFIDENCE problem. If we aren’t careful, we can reduce God to man.
4. He had a COMFORT problem. Jesus told him to pick up his mat first. He didn’t lay hands to heal him first. This point really stood out to me. We can’t wait to be FIXED FIRST before we come to Jesus. There is always a “mat” that brings us comfort. What is it that makes you comfortable in your bondage?
Pastor Laffoon believes that Jesus asked the man to pick up his mat because the man was bound by the control of legalism. He feared the pharisees and knew he would have to answer to them if he picked up his mat.
He was so bound by religiosity he had to pick up the mat to break it!
6. He had a COMMISSION problem. Why didn’t he go running after Jesus when he was healed? He didn’t even attempt to find out Who had healed him! Can you imagine?
Pastor Jim said this man suffered from the sin of ignorance. He warned that we should be seeking the Lord. We need to be transformed! We need to pursue Him!
I’ll tell you what the message spoke to my heart. There is an area of ministry that I keep waiting to “open” for me. I don’t want to say too much, but I’ve been expecting it to happen a particular way. I certainly don’t want to have a CONSTRUCT problem!
Perhaps I am to step out (throwing my mat of uncertainty away) and THEN the door will open in the spirit. I definitely have some things to chew on and pray about.
I also don’t want to look to anyone when I have the King of Kings and Lord of Lords standing right in front of me!
Wow! The power of His Word!!! To say "pick up your mat and walk"…Truly does not return void! And it's sad when we are not receptive of the power of His Word and presence! When I read that verse before, I thought of the mat and the man laying on it representing idleness with his spiritual condition. It's so amazing how the Lord reveals it in another light! Truly awesome! There is nothing that I desire more now, than to ponder if I have been laying on any "mat" that hinders my walk. Thank you for sharing this sister. Have a great week ahead! God bless and protect you.
You've given me some things to pray about too. Thanks Beth.
Have a great week!
Thanks for sharing this sis, so thought provoking. I am praying for you, love you.