[MUSIC]
JOYCE: JOHN CHAPTER 5, THE FIRST EIGHT VERSES.
"LATER ON THERE WAS A JEWISH FESTIVAL (A FEAST) FOR WHICH
JESUS WENT UP TO JERUSALEM, AND NOW THERE IN JERUSALEM
A POOL NEAR THE SHEEP GATE.
THIS POOL IN THE HEBREW IS CALLED BETHESDA.
IT HAVE FIVE PORCHES [ALCOVES, COLONNADES, OR DOORWAYS]."
SO, I WANT YOU TO KIND OF GET A PICTURE OF THIS, HERE'S A POOL.
AND APPARENTLY, THERE'S NOT JUST ONE ENTRANCE INTO IT, THERE'S
FIVE DIFFERENT ENTRANCES INTO THIS POOL.
"AND IN THESE DOORWAYS OR BY THIS POOL LAY A GREAT NUMBER
OF SICK PEOPLE.
SOME WERE BLIND, SOME WERE CRIPPLED, SOME WERE PARALYZED
(ALL SHRIVELED UP), WAITING FOR THE BUBBLING UP OF THE WATER.
FOR AN ANGEL OF THE LORD WENT DOWN AT AN APPOINTED SEASON INTO
THE POOL AND MOVED AND STIRRED UP THE WATER, AND WHOEVER THEN
FIRST, AFTER THE STIRRING UP OF THE WATER, STEPPED IN WAS CURED
OF WHATEVER DISEASE WITH WHICH HE WAS AFFLICTED."
SO, THIS WAS LIKE A MIRACLE POOL.
AND ONCE A YEAR, AN ANGEL WOULD COME AND MAKE THE WATER BOIL UP
AND BUBBLE UP.
AND OF ALL THESE SICK PEOPLE LAYING AROUND THE POOL,
WHICHEVER ONE GOT INTO THE POOL FIRST GOT A MIRACLE.
SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD.
VERSE 5, "NOW THERE WAS A CERTAIN MAN," THIS MAN WE'RE
NOT GIVEN HIS NAME, HE WAS JUST A CERTAIN MAN.
I CALL HIM THE CRIPPLED MAN, BUT, "THERE WAS A CERTAIN MAN
THERE WHO'D SUFFERED WITH A DEEP-SEATED AND A LINGERING
DISORDER FOR 38 YEARS."
MAYBE I'LL STOP HERE AND ASK YOU HOW LONG YOU'VE HAD
YOUR PROBLEM.
"WHEN JESUS NOTICED HIM LYING THERE HELPLESS," NOW YOU KNOW
JESUS WAS THE EPITOME OF COMPASSION, WAS HE NOT?
BUT LET'S LOOK AT HOW HE DEALT WITH THIS MAN.
"WHEN JESUS NOTICED HIM LYING THERE [HELPLESS], KNOWING THAT
HE HAD ALREADY BEEN A LONG TIME IN THAT CONDITION, HE SAID TO
HIM, 'DO YOU WANT TO BECOME WELL?'"
WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?
AND THEN HE TAKES IT FURTHER, "ARE YOU REALLY IN EARNEST ABOUT
GETTING WELL?" ANOTHER QUESTION MARK.
SO, REALLY IN ESSENCE, JESUS IS SAYING TO THIS MAN, WHO'S BEEN
LAYING THERE 38 YEARS WAITING FOR A MIRACLE, "ARE YOU REALLY
SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING OVER YOUR PROBLEMS?"
SO, MAYBE I JUST WANT TO STOP FOR A MINUTE AND JUST SAY THAT
TO YOU TONIGHT, AND ALL THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WATCHING
THIS BY TV, DO YOU REALLY WANT TO GET OVER YOUR PROBLEMS?
ARE YOU SERIOUS ENOUGH ABOUT GETTING OVER YOUR PROBLEMS TO DO
YOUR PART?
ARE YOU SERIOUS ENOUGH ABOUT GETTING OVER THEM THAT WHATEVER
GOD SHOWS YOU TO DO, YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO DO IT?
IF HE SAID TO YOU, "YOU NEED TO WALK AWAY FROM THIS,"
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DO IT?
YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOU, YOUR WHOLE LIFE WOULD CHANGE IF
YOU'D JUST GET SOME NEW FRIENDS.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: WELL, I JUST MIGHT AS WELL GO AHEAD AND SAY THIS
'CAUSE IT'S IN MY HEART, SOME OF YOU WONDERFUL SWEET LADIES,
YOU ALREADY KNOW WHERE I'M GOING, DON'T YOU?
AND YOU WANT SO MUCH TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO LOVE YOU, YOU GOT
SOMEBODY IN YOUR LIFE THAT'S JUST BEEN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF
YOU FOR 5 OR 10 YEARS, AND THEY'RE NOT SERIOUS, AND THEY
DON'T EVER INTEND TO MAKE IT SERIOUS.
AND YOU JUST KEEP PUTTING UP WITH IT AND PUTTING UP WITH IT
BECAUSE YOU'RE AFRAID OF BEING LONELY.
YOU KNOW, YOU'D BE BETTER OFF TO BE WITH NOBODY THAN SOMEBODY
THAT'S GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: NOW, YOU SEE, I CAN JUST PULL OUT THE STOPS OUT
TONIGHT AND BE REALLY WILD BECAUSE I'M LEAVING HERE
IN A FEW MINUTES.
AND BY THE TIME I COME BACK, ANYTHING I SAID YOU DIDN'T LIKE,
YOU'LL FORGIVE ME FOR IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHY I FIND THIS SO INTERESTING.
A MAN LAYING THERE 38 YEARS, HE SAID, "ARE YOU REALLY SERIOUS
ABOUT GETTING WELL?" THE INVALID SAID--NOW HERE WE
COME TO WHAT THE GUY'S REAL PROBLEM WAS.
"THE INVALID SAID, 'SIR, I HAVE NOBODY WHEN THE WATER IS MOVING
TO PUT ME INTO THE POOL, BUT WHILE I'M TRYING TO GET INTO IT
MYSELF, SOMEBODY ELSE ALWAYS STEPS DOWN AND GETS AHEAD
OF ME.'" I MEAN, IF YOU REALLY LOOK
AT THAT, THE GUY IS SAYING--JESUS IS SAYING TO YOU,
"ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING WELL?"
AND HE'S SAYING, "WELL, JESUS, I DON'T HAVE ANYBODY TO HELP ME.
AND EVERY TIME I TRY TO GET IN THE POOL, SOMEBODY ELSE ALWAYS
GETS AHEAD OF ME."
I THINK IT'S LIKE A SELF-PITYING TYPE, "WELL, POOR ME, NOBODY'S
MAKING IT HAPPEN FOR ME."
NOW, INSTEAD OF JESUS, MR. COMPASSION HIMSELF
FEELING SORRY FOR THE GUY AND SAYING, "OH, YOU POOR MAN.
WOW, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE GOING THROUGH THAT.
NO WONDER--I FEEL SO SORRY FOR YOU.
HERE, LET ME PUT YOU IN THE POOL," JESUS LOOKED AT HIM
AND SAID, "GET UP!" COME ON.
AND YOU SEE THAT EXCLAMATION MARK THERE?
I THINK HE GOT LOUD ABOUT IT, "GET UP!"
AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT THAT IS
THE ONLY ANSWER TO YOUR PROBLEM.
GET UP, STOP FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF, STOP EXPECTING
SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO FOR YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING
FOR YOURSELF.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND I CAN SAY THAT WITH BOLDNESS BECAUSE
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT GOD HAD TO SAY TO ME.
"ALL RIGHT, JOYCE, YOU WERE ABUSED.
THAT WASN'T FAIR.
IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU.
IT IS THE REASON WHY YOU HAVE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS YOU HAVE.
BUT DON'T LET IT BECOME AN EXCUSE TO STAY THAT WAY."
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: DON'T LET THE REASON FOR YOUR PAIN
BE AN EXCUSE TO STAY MESSED UP ALL YOUR LIFE, AMEN?
I'M GOING TO SAY THAT AGAIN.
DON'T LET THE REASON FOR YOUR PAIN BECOME AN EXCUSE TO STAY
THAT WAY THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
JESUS SAYS, "DO YOU REALLY WANT TO GET WELL?
ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING WELL?"
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, IF YOU GOT A BIG MESS IN YOUR LIFE,
GETTING WELL IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE MUCH
BETTER THAN LAYING THERE FOR ANOTHER 38 YEARS WAITING FOR
SOMEBODY TO COME ALONG AND DO FOR YOU WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO
FOR YOURSELF.
I LOVE THIS.
USUALLY, I'LL HAVE SOMEBODY COME UP AND LAY DOWN AND ACT LIKE THE
CRIPPLED MAN, SO YOU'RE GETTING THE SHORT VERSION TONIGHT.
AND I LIKE THE REST OF THIS, "JESUS SAID, 'GET UP!
PICK UP YOUR BED AND WALK.'" SO, HE NOT ONLY
TOLD HIM TO GET UP, HE SAID, "AND CLEAN UP THE MESS
YOU MADE WHILE YOU WERE HERE."
SEE, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT ABOUT JUST GETTING WELL AND GOING ON
WITH YOUR NICE LITTLE LIFE.
I MEAN, I HAD SOME MESSES I'D MADE THAT I HAD TO GO BACK
AND STRAIGHTEN OUT.
SOMETIMES, THERE'S A FEW PEOPLE YOU GOT TO GO BACK AND MAKE A
FEW THINGS RIGHT WITH, AND THERE MIGHT BE A FEW THINGS THAT YOU
NEED TO GO BACK AND SAY YOU'RE SORRY FOR AND GET
STRAIGHTENED OUT IN YOUR LIFE.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WATCHING. YOU KNOW,
I HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO SHARE WITH YOU FROM GOD'S WORD.
MAKE SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE SO YOU DON'T MISS A THING.