Sermon #S003 -
What keeps You Coming?
00:00:05.80\00:00:19.81
Pastor Snell: John 5:1.
00:00:19.85\00:00:24.85
As we really look to say some
things that I'm praying you're
00:00:24.89\00:00:29.72
going to encourage and
bless the body of Christ today.
00:00:29.76\00:00:32.19
John 5:1, the Bible says that
"After this there was a feast of
00:00:32.23\00:00:42.20
the Jews; and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem. Now there is in
Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a
00:00:42.24\00:00:48.18
pool, which is called in Hebrew,
Bethesda, having five porches.
In these lay a great multitude
00:00:48.21\00:00:56.18
of sick people, blind, lame,
paralyzed, waiting for the
moving of the water.
00:00:56.22\00:01:02.82
For an angel went down at a
certain time into the pool and
stirred up the water;
00:01:02.86\00:01:08.13
then whoever stepped in first,
after the stirring of the water,
00:01:08.16\00:01:11.90
was made well of
whatever disease he had.
00:01:11.93\00:01:15.70
Now a certain man was there who
had an infirmity thirty-eight
00:01:15.74\00:01:21.68
years. And when Jesus saw him
lying there, and knew that he
was already in that condition a
00:01:21.71\00:01:28.48
long time, He said unto him, 'Do
you want to be made well?' The
sick man answered Him,
00:01:28.52\00:01:35.46
'Sir, I have no man to put me
into the pool when the water is
00:01:35.49\00:01:41.30
stirred; but while I am coming,
another steps down before me.'
And Jesus said unto him,
00:01:41.33\00:01:47.04
'Rise, take up your bed and
walk.' And immediately the man
was made well, took up his bed,
00:01:47.07\00:01:56.95
and walked. And that day was the
Sabbath. The Jews therefore said
to him who was cured, 'It is the
00:01:56.98\00:02:04.95
Sabbath; it is not lawful
for you to carry your bed.'"
00:02:04.99\00:02:07.69
Some folks just don't know when
to praise. Come on and tell the
00:02:07.72\00:02:10.89
truth today. "'It's not lawful
for you to carry your bed.' And
00:02:10.93\00:02:15.63
he answered them, 'He who made
me well said to me, ‘Take up
your bed and walk.''
00:02:15.66\00:02:21.20
And they asked him, 'Who is the
Man who said to you, ‘Take up
your bed and walk'?'
00:02:21.24\00:02:26.27
And the one who was healed did
not know who it was, for Jesus
00:02:26.31\00:02:31.45
had withdrawn, a multitude being
in that place. And afterward
Jesus found him in the temple,
00:02:31.48\00:02:40.22
and said to him, 'See, you have
been made well. Sin no more,
lest a worse thing come upon
00:02:40.26\00:02:47.46
you.'" I want to reap emphasis
verse number 5. The Bible says,
00:02:47.50\00:02:50.47
"Now a certain man was there who
had an infirmity thirty-eight
00:02:50.50\00:03:01.38
years." Today, saints, I want to
just ask a simple question. What
00:03:01.41\00:03:08.68
keeps you coming? What
keeps you coming? Let's pray.
00:03:08.72\00:03:11.72
Father, I need Your strength
to be perfected in my human
00:03:11.75\00:03:21.96
weakness today. Would You please
breathe upon this service so
that faith will be multiplied.
00:03:22.00\00:03:29.10
That the miraculous within in
the ears of Your people then in
their hearing become attainable.
00:03:29.14\00:03:36.31
Father, I'm praying that the
Gospel of Jesus Christ would be
00:03:36.34\00:03:41.15
good news. Would You please hide
me in the shadows of the cross?
That Christ alone might be seen.
00:03:41.18\00:03:46.02
That Christ alone would be
heard. At the end of our time
together, may Jesus alone be
00:03:46.05\00:03:51.39
praised. May You caused the
building to swell because of the
denseness of Your presence.
00:03:51.43\00:03:55.96
Lord, not only the
building, may our hearts swell
00:03:56.00\00:03:59.03
because You have allowed
Yourself to visit with us today.
We pray this in the name of
00:03:59.07\00:04:05.57
Jesus. Let God's
people say together "Amen."
00:04:05.61\00:04:07.28
And Amen. You may be seated in
the house of the Lord or you may
be seated there online.
00:04:07.31\00:04:13.85
Again, talking to you under the
subject "What Keeps You Coming?"
00:04:13.88\00:04:21.46
You know, saints, our text
today, in many ways, represents
a theological oddity.
00:04:21.49\00:04:31.00
There are some beliefs and
behaviors at the Pool of
Bethesda that don't really make
00:04:31.03\00:04:41.01
sense. It said here that
Bethesda have these five porches
that are set against this large
00:04:41.04\00:04:48.95
pool of water called Bethesda.
My favorite author says that
there are unknown causes that
00:04:48.98\00:04:57.79
would create a stirring of the
water and their a superstition
00:04:57.83\00:05:03.13
began to emerge. The
superstition was that an angel
would come down in random
00:05:03.16\00:05:09.44
seasons and touch the water and
cause it to stir. The belief was
that the first one to get down
00:05:09.47\00:05:16.68
in the water will
ultimately be healed.
00:05:16.71\00:05:17.98
Understand that this belief
was so strong that the sick
00:05:18.01\00:05:22.68
and the lame would gather for
indefinite seasons on the edge
00:05:22.72\00:05:28.52
of the pool, waiting on an
unscheduled stirring of the
00:05:28.56\00:05:32.69
water. Yet the superstition was
so great that desire of ages
lets us know that when the water
00:05:32.73\00:05:41.17
did move that there were times
that people would get trampled,
underfoot and mangled.
00:05:41.20\00:05:46.11
Some would even die trying
to get to a place of healing.
00:05:46.14\00:05:51.25
It's amazing because scholars
suggest that perhaps there were
some that got some therapeutic
00:05:51.28\00:05:58.12
benefit from the warm springs of
water, but it provided no help
00:05:58.15\00:06:05.43
for the masses. But isn't it
amazing? When something helps
one person, we have a way of
00:06:05.46\00:06:14.17
building a doctrine around it,
and creating the belief that it
can help everybody.
00:06:14.20\00:06:18.07
So that the aqua therapy that
would help one person wouldn't
provide relief for what anyone
00:06:18.11\00:06:25.68
else had. What I want to caution
us away from is making sure that
we don't exalt the method of
00:06:25.71\00:06:33.92
healing above the God
that performs the healing.
00:06:33.96\00:06:36.93
[Congregation: Amen]
00:06:36.96\00:06:38.56
In other words, let us never
make an idol out of the
instrument of healing.
00:06:38.59\00:06:42.13
We've got to praise the God that
actually brings it to pass. In
00:06:42.16\00:06:47.17
other words, there are some of
us that feel like garlic is the
cure for the cold and cancer.
00:06:47.20\00:06:53.14
There are some that believe
that herbs is the cure for
00:06:53.17\00:06:58.35
everything. Some have put
complete hope in an elderberry.
There are some that have
00:06:58.38\00:07:06.55
complete trust in CBD oil. There
are some that put all hope in
ginseng. But there is a reason,
00:07:06.59\00:07:12.49
friends, that Jesus healed in a
variety of ways. You realize
that some Jesus spoke the word
00:07:12.53\00:07:18.70
to. For others, Jesus touch
them. Others, Jesus let them
touch them. At times,
00:07:18.73\00:07:24.97
Jesus spoke the word from out of
town. Sometimes, he would let
you touch the hem of His
00:07:25.01\00:07:30.85
garment, and then you would be
made whole. The reason that
Jesus heal in a number of
00:07:30.88\00:07:38.15
different ways was because we
were never to idolize a method.
We were supposed to praise the
00:07:38.19\00:07:44.13
God who did it. In other words,
He did it a number of ways so
that they would not try to
00:07:44.16\00:07:50.63
imitate a routine, so that they
would be willing to get
connected to our source.
00:07:50.67\00:07:54.44
See, I need us to understand
that you are not ever to confuse
the instrument of your miracle
00:07:54.47\00:08:02.01
with the source of your... Am I
preaching to anybody today? I
need you all to know that all
00:08:02.04\00:08:07.32
week long, I've been kind of
rolling nutmeg in my mouth,
doing hot and cold treatments,
00:08:07.35\00:08:11.85
doing some electrical steam. But
no matter what God uses to heal,
00:08:11.89\00:08:16.59
I know that at the end of
the day, it's because there is a
00:08:16.62\00:08:22.20
Balm in Gilead, that there is a
physician there that I'm going
to get... Are you all here in
00:08:22.23\00:08:27.64
the pastor today? In other
words, don't confuse the vehicle
00:08:27.67\00:08:31.27
with the source.
[Congregation: Amen}
00:08:31.31\00:08:32.61
Okay. Let me say it this way.
00:08:32.64\00:08:34.44
I remember a pastor in in the
middle of the pandemic when we
were not moving around too much.
00:08:34.48\00:08:39.08
There was one of our dear
seniors whose daughter could not
consistently get there by their
00:08:39.11\00:08:45.19
home. What she would do is she
would send meals through
DoorDash because she couldn't
00:08:45.22\00:08:52.19
come there in person. The
daughter would send Olive Garden
00:08:52.23\00:08:55.56
through DoorDash. She would
send Cheesecake Factory through
00:08:55.60\00:08:58.57
DoorDash. She would
send KFC through DoorDash.
00:08:58.60\00:09:01.57
She would get all of her
favorite foods delivered through
DoorDash . When I talked to her,
00:09:01.60\00:09:07.04
she said, "Pastor, you've got to
try this new restaurant called
00:09:07.08\00:09:11.31
DoorDash."
[Congregation: Laughing]
00:09:11.35\00:09:13.28
In other words, she didn't get
the word that it was a delivery
service, not a food actual
00:09:13.31\00:09:18.45
service. She says, "You got to
try DoorDash . They make
cheesecake and KFC,
00:09:18.49\00:09:23.06
and they make Olive
Garden at the same place."
00:09:23.09\00:09:25.93
What she didn't realize is that
DoorDash just delivered it. They
didn't manufacture it.
00:09:25.96\00:09:31.93
[Congregation: Clapping]
00:09:31.97\00:09:33.17
See, how many of us know
that the herb is just DoorDash .
00:09:33.20\00:09:36.77
It delivered it, but it
didn't make it. That the Tylenol
00:09:36.81\00:09:42.64
delivered it, but it didn't
create the healing. I need you
all to know that the medicine is
00:09:42.68\00:09:48.32
the vehicle, but Jesus is the
source of all of our
restoration. Are you hearing me
00:09:48.35\00:09:55.69
today, saints? Beloved, as you
look here in John 5, it is an
00:09:55.72\00:10:04.30
interesting text because the
narrative here settles upon a
man with a particular type of
00:10:04.33\00:10:11.64
illness. The Bible says, friends
of mine, that he has been sick
for thirty-eight years
00:10:11.67\00:10:17.21
and he is described as being
crippled. I need you to get,
beloved, that at Bethesda,
00:10:17.25\00:10:23.79
even though there are others
that are sick, this man has a
particular disadvantage,
00:10:23.82\00:10:32.29
especially if his goal is
to make it inside of the pool.
00:10:32.33\00:10:37.70
In other words, the brother is
not ambulatory. He cannot walk.
00:10:37.73\00:10:41.94
I need you to get like this is a
crazy predicament to be in if
you got to race to the water
00:10:41.97\00:10:49.51
and you ain't even got the
ability to move. In other words,
00:10:49.54\00:10:54.32
a deaf man can see the water
moving and quickly jump into the
00:10:54.35\00:10:59.75
pool. A blind man can hear the
water moving and he still got
the upper hand. That a leper can
00:10:59.79\00:11:07.66
see it and crawl his aching
limbs into the pool. But he is
at great disadvantage
00:11:07.73\00:11:13.44
because he's in a foot race when
he don't even have the ability
to wiggle his big toe.
00:11:13.47\00:11:20.44
Even by his own expression to
Jesus when Jesus asks, "Do you
want to be made well?"
00:11:20.48\00:11:27.48
Notice his admission is, "Jesus,
00:11:27.52\00:11:30.45
I have no man to help me
get down into the pool when the
00:11:30.49\00:11:36.19
water is stirred." By his own
admission, he knows he can't get
to the pool. By his own
00:11:36.22\00:11:46.40
admission, getting to the pool
is an impossibility for him. He
has already, by his own words,
00:11:46.43\00:11:52.87
expressed that "I'm not
really here to get inside of the
00:11:52.91\00:11:58.88
water." So then my question
becomes, church, if you aren't
00:11:58.91\00:12:06.25
there to get well, why in the
world do you keep coming? I'm
trying to figure this thing out.
00:12:06.29\00:12:12.86
If you're not there to get well,
00:12:12.89\00:12:15.60
why would you keep going for
thirty-eight years to go home
the same way that you came?
00:12:15.63\00:12:22.77
Why would you keep coming to a
place where you have no
expectations of getting well?
00:12:22.80\00:12:29.54
Why would you keep participating
in a process that leaves you as
bad as the same way you came in?
00:12:29.58\00:12:36.85
I guess the question still
remains for some who may not be
00:12:36.89\00:12:42.39
physically sick, but maybe
you're spiritually sick or
emotionally sick or you got some
00:12:42.42\00:12:47.60
inner brokenness. The question
still remains. What keeps you
00:12:47.60\00:12:52.63
coming? [Congregation: Amen]
00:12:52.67\00:12:54.40
I want to just give a couple of
reasons and I'm going to quickly
try to take my seat today.
00:12:54.44\00:12:58.94
You see the first reason this
brother keeps coming is because
his sickness has made him
00:12:58.97\00:13:08.22
significant. I need you all to
get, friends of mine, that
Bethesda, even though it is near
00:13:08.25\00:13:13.92
the Temple Gate, I need you all
to understand that, essentially,
this is a sickness colony.
00:13:13.96\00:13:18.96
In other words, when
people come to Bethesda, Rafael,
00:13:18.99\00:13:22.33
I need you to get that one
of the purposes is actually
00:13:22.36\00:13:27.57
fellowship. In other words, they
got a place where they're not a
nuisance to everyone
00:13:27.60\00:13:32.24
because of their
actual condition.
00:13:32.27\00:13:35.44
There is a sense of community
and belonging where they can
share their stories
00:13:35.48\00:13:41.68
and get some compassion. In
other words, at Bethesda, you
don't just go there to get well.
00:13:41.72\00:13:47.86
You go there to be welcomed.
00:13:47.89\00:13:51.26
See, this man has been coming
for thirty-eight years. Now, I
need you all to stay with me,
00:13:51.29\00:13:56.90
church, and understand who
this brother is in Bethesda.
00:13:56.93\00:14:01.10
I need you to get that he is the
elder statesman of the group.
00:14:01.14\00:14:06.94
This brother is the church
historian for the Bethesda
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:14:06.98\00:14:14.25
In other words, he has seen
everybody come to Bethesda from
90s to the oaughts to the tens,
00:14:14.28\00:14:22.16
all the way into the 20s. He
knows what everybody had. He
knows when they left.
00:14:22.19\00:14:28.46
He knows when they went back. He
understand that he's got his
scripted sad story,
00:14:28.50\00:14:34.84
that is so well crafted that it
touches every emotional button
in the soul that is designed to
00:14:34.87\00:14:42.44
get you to give or have pity on
his situation. Understand that
when this brother came,
00:14:42.48\00:14:49.35
he was a part of a sickness
cohort. He was a part of a
00:14:49.38\00:14:54.86
sickness class, but everybody in
his class has either died or
graduated or went back home,
00:14:54.89\00:15:01.20
but this brother is like one of
those Oakwood folks who come and
00:15:01.23\00:15:05.97
stay but they never graduate.
Oh, you all mighty quiet today.
00:15:06.00\00:15:09.00
In other words, he's just glad
to have association, but he
don't really need a degree.
00:15:09.04\00:15:14.74
This is one of those brothers
where the degree or graduation
is sympathy and not healing.
00:15:14.78\00:15:21.58
[Congregation: Amen]
00:15:21.62\00:15:23.18
See. Let me just pause
and say this friends of mine.
00:15:23.22\00:15:25.59
You got to be careful not to get
to a place where you crave human
sympathy more than you crave
00:15:25.62\00:15:32.16
Divine Healing.
00:15:32.19\00:15:33.16
[Congregation: Clapping]
00:15:33.19\00:15:34.60
Pastor Snell: Oh, help me, Holy
Spirit. See, sometimes, friends
00:15:34.63\00:15:38.63
of mine, you can crave the
sympathy so much that you don't
know longer want to get well.
00:15:38.67\00:15:43.44
Am I telling the truth that
sometimes you can get so
addicted to your counselor that
00:15:43.47\00:15:50.78
you don't feel the need
to stop going to counseling?
00:15:50.81\00:15:53.28
That you can get so addicted to
the support group that you
forget that Jesus is your
00:15:53.31\00:15:59.62
support. That you can fall in
love with your walker and the
attention it brings that you
00:15:59.65\00:16:04.89
forget that God is what
strength inside of your legs.
00:16:04.93\00:16:07.76
Sometimes, we'll get to a place
where we crave the sympathy more
and more than we crave the
00:16:07.76\00:16:14.74
healing. God is trying to get us
to a place where we want to get
well more than we want to be
00:16:14.77\00:16:22.34
pitied. Are you
all hearing me today?
00:16:22.38\00:16:23.81
In fact, put this on the screen.
There are a Ministry of Healing
00:16:23.85\00:16:28.48
at p253. In fact, Ellen White
gives us some great council
here. Listen to what she says.
00:16:28.52\00:16:33.25
She says, when someone asked
how you are feeling, watch this,
00:16:33.29\00:16:37.59
do not think of something
mournful to tell. Are you all
00:16:37.63\00:16:44.53
hearing this? When they ask you
how you are doing, don't think
of something more for tale in
00:16:44.57\00:16:50.01
order to gain sympathy. Do not
talk of your lack of faith and
00:16:50.04\00:16:53.27
the sorrows and sufferings that
tempt your delights to hear such
00:16:53.31\00:16:56.68
words. When talking on gloomily
subjects, you're glorifying him.
00:16:56.71\00:17:00.35
We are not to dwell upon the
great power of Satan to overcome
00:17:00.38\00:17:04.02
us. Often, we give ourselves
into his hands by talking of his
00:17:04.05\00:17:11.43
power. Let us talk instead of
the great power of God to bind
up all of our interests with His
00:17:11.46\00:17:18.83
own tale of His matchless power,
and speak of His glory. Am I
preaching to any living saints
00:17:18.87\00:17:26.24
today? In other words, saints,
I'm calling the church out of
the sympathy search.
00:17:26.27\00:17:30.91
I'm saying it's time for us to
talk a little more faith. It's
time to walk a little bit more
00:17:30.95\00:17:37.75
faith. It's time for us to talk
more of the goodness of God,
then we talk about the power of
00:17:37.79\00:17:45.06
the enemy. Do I have at least
seven folk that's tired of
walking around saying how strong
00:17:45.09\00:17:51.80
the devil is and how he got
his foot all over your neck?
00:17:51.83\00:17:54.87
Is there anybody that believes
that greater is He that is in me
than he that is in the world?
00:17:54.90\00:18:03.08
This week, I hadn't felt my
best. When somebody asked me how
00:18:03.11\00:18:08.15
I was doing, I had to let him
know I'm still blessed. I have
to let him know God is still on
00:18:08.18\00:18:13.52
the throne, that God is still
making a way. Even though I'm
not getting better,
00:18:13.56\00:18:18.49
I need you to know that God is
sustaining me in it. Is there
anybody that can say I'm not
00:18:18.53\00:18:25.20
healed yet, but he's keeping me?
I'm not completely cured, but he
00:18:25.23\00:18:30.61
sustaining me. See, I'm one of
those folks that believes that
sometimes, you can't wait to
00:18:30.64\00:18:36.85
praise Him. [Congregation: Amen]
00:18:36.88\00:18:38.55
You got to praise Him in advance
because sometimes, your praise
becomes your prophecy.
00:18:38.58\00:18:44.45
Are you all not hearing me
today? In other words, whatever
00:18:44.49\00:18:49.72
you praise for, you actually
prophesied for. If you're
thinking, guess what? You were
00:18:49.76\00:18:56.30
invited into being. Are you
all hearing me today, saints?
00:18:56.33\00:18:57.60
[Congregation: Yes]
00:18:57.63\00:19:04.74
See I need you all to get,
beloved, that his sickness is
what has made him significant.
00:19:04.77\00:19:09.71
Now, the reason this
is critical, friends,
00:19:09.74\00:19:11.88
and I want to talk to our family
structure for just a moment.
00:19:11.91\00:19:14.62
It shows us why we've got
to rally around our infirm.
00:19:14.65\00:19:21.62
You see the brother has got
somebody to bring him to the
00:19:21.66\00:19:30.60
pool. He just ain't got nobody
to help him get into the pool.
00:19:30.63\00:19:35.20
He's got somebody that's willing
to bring him to the place,
00:19:35.24\00:19:40.51
but they won't sit with
him while he's at the place.
00:19:40.54\00:19:44.51
Maybe there is a legitimate need
of a child or grandchild that's
got to work in order to keep
00:19:44.55\00:19:51.32
things going, but maybe there is
just somebody that's got to live
00:19:51.35\00:19:56.89
their own life. They bring him
to the pool to coalesce so that
they can go about doing what
00:19:56.93\00:20:02.83
they have to do. See, the
reason, beloved, this is so
00:20:02.86\00:20:06.47
critical is because when
somebody's significance is drawn
from their sickness,
00:20:06.50\00:20:11.31
we disabled the
incentive to get well.
00:20:11.34\00:20:17.55
You see, when you get to a
place, when the only thing that
gets you the attention of your
00:20:17.58\00:20:23.79
community is your illness and
when your pain is the only thing
that makes you visible,
00:20:23.82\00:20:30.06
you lose the incentive to get
well because most people would
rather be visible than
00:20:30.09\00:20:39.70
physically viable. Are you all
hearing what I'm saying? See,
beloved, I need us to
00:20:39.73\00:20:43.27
understand. This is why you have
a number of what they call
fictitious disorders,
00:20:43.30\00:20:47.61
where individuals will literally
fake certain symptoms or their
body will literally begin to
00:20:47.64\00:20:53.75
feign certain symptoms, simply
because there is a desire to be
connected with community
00:20:53.78\00:20:59.72
and not be treated as a
nuisance. From the outside, we
think that they're faking.
00:20:59.75\00:21:05.76
But how many of us know that
mental wellness is connected to
00:21:05.79\00:21:11.30
physical wellness? When you're
not good on the inside, guess
what? It's going to show up on
00:21:11.33\00:21:16.44
the out. Are you all
hearing me today, saints?
00:21:16.47\00:21:17.74
See, I just want to do
two things. First of all,
00:21:17.77\00:21:20.61
I just want to say praise God
for everyone that function as a
caregiver in the body of Christ.
00:21:20.64\00:21:29.08
Can you say, "Amen"? Listen? I
just want to give some props for
everybody that's care for your
00:21:29.12\00:21:35.02
mama or your grandmama or
granddaddy. I want to praise God
for anybody that's deferred a
00:21:35.06\00:21:42.13
dream, or put a vision on hold,
or uprooted your life to care
for somebody that was at the end
00:21:42.16\00:21:48.84
of theirs. This is the blessing.
I pray for every caretaker in
00:21:48.87\00:21:53.48
the community, that your latter
day shall be greater than the
00:21:53.51\00:21:57.25
early day. Are you all
hearing what I'm saying, church?
00:21:57.28\00:21:59.21
Okay. Let me say it this way. In
other words, if your parents
didn't outsource your youth,
00:21:59.25\00:22:04.92
don't you outsource their senior
years. If they didn't outsource
your senior year in high school,
00:22:04.95\00:22:12.09
don't you outsource their senior
years of life? If they took the
time to care for you as a baby,
00:22:12.13\00:22:18.47
take the time to care for them
as a senior. I need you all to
00:22:18.50\00:22:23.51
know, beloved, that when you
teach your kids how to care for
00:22:23.54\00:22:28.04
your parents, you're giving a
blueprint for how you ought to
be cared for when you get old.
00:22:28.08\00:22:34.35
Are you hearing
me today, saints?
00:22:34.38\00:22:39.19
The first reason he keeps coming
is because his sickness is what
makes him significant.
00:22:39.22\00:22:44.56
The second reason he keeps
coming, friends of mine... The
second reason he keeps coming
00:22:44.59\00:22:49.46
back is because he ain't got no
better choice. In other words,
00:22:49.50\00:22:59.07
they don't ask for insurance at
the pool of Bethesda. There
ain't no co-pays at the pool of
00:22:59.11\00:23:13.79
Bethesda. There is no medical
billing at the pool of Bethesda.
The reason for going to Bethesda
00:23:13.82\00:23:20.73
is because superstition is
always free. See, I need us to
understand this about the pool
00:23:20.76\00:23:29.24
of Bethesda. We look at it
as just a uniting of physical
00:23:29.27\00:23:34.31
condition, but the truth is
there is a class element to the
00:23:34.34\00:23:38.25
pool of Bethesda. Because,
really, what binds them also is
their financial condition.
00:23:38.28\00:23:42.85
Are you all
hearing me today, saints?
00:23:42.88\00:23:44.62
In other words, I need you all
to understand that like the
woman with the issue of blood,
00:23:44.65\00:23:49.16
like the only reason she winds
up coming to Jesus is that she
has spent all of her livelihood
00:23:49.19\00:23:54.96
on physicians and could not be
healed by any of them. Now,
these folk, just like in our
00:23:55.00\00:24:01.80
time, even though it was the
ancient world, medicine had
reached its zenith or capacity
00:24:01.84\00:24:08.54
for that time. But in every age,
medicine has limitations. It
cannot address what everybody is
00:24:08.58\00:24:15.42
dealing with. Now, when you run
out of money, you run out of
resources, and you ain't got no
00:24:15.45\00:24:21.96
more choices, where you wind up
is at the pool of the Bethesda.
00:24:21.99\00:24:26.70
See, friends of mine, I
need us to understand this
00:24:26.73\00:24:29.13
because sometimes I get a little
agitated with our
upper-middle-class assessment
00:24:29.16\00:24:35.04
of why people do the
things they do. Because see,
00:24:35.07\00:24:39.74
some of us get a little
judgmental about people's
lifestyle and health choices,
00:24:39.77\00:24:45.85
but how many of us know you
didn't make good choices? You
00:24:45.88\00:24:54.36
had good choices. Before you
spend too much time judging
somebody's choices, you might
00:24:54.39\00:25:00.53
need to evaluate the options
they had. See, how many of us
know that when all your options
00:25:00.56\00:25:06.74
are bad, guess what? Your
choices are going to be bad. In
other words, friends of mine,
00:25:06.77\00:25:10.41
your choices are going to
reflect the fact that you live
00:25:10.44\00:25:15.18
in a food desert, where there
are no opportunities to get
roughage, fruit and vegetables.
00:25:15.21\00:25:21.02
In other words, there are times
where if I don't have access to
mental health care,
00:25:21.05\00:25:25.79
then I'm just going to use
coping mechanisms. I'm going to
get a forty, a pack of Marlboro
00:25:25.82\00:25:31.46
and just something that I need
to get to sleep each and every
night. As a kid going to the
00:25:31.49\00:25:39.23
store, if you don't know no
better, all you're going to get
is the little ghetto candy from
00:25:39.27\00:25:44.17
the store. You will get now and
later, jawbreakers. You're going
to get chiclets sticks. Come on.
00:25:44.21\00:25:48.71
You all have been to the food
stall before. You go get honey
00:25:48.74\00:25:53.98
buns and soda. You're going to
get a bunch of junk. Why?
Because when you ain't got good
00:25:54.02\00:26:00.06
choices, what you do
is you make bad choices.
00:26:00.09\00:26:02.72
See, the reason we don't make
good choices in some communities
is because we don't have them.
00:26:02.76\00:26:08.16
My belief, friends of mine, is
that if there were a Pool of
Bethesda in Detroit, in Chicago,
00:26:08.20\00:26:16.94
in Atlanta, or in Huntsville,
because it's not just based on
illness, but also medical
00:26:16.97\00:26:25.65
resources, many of the
inhabitants will look just like
00:26:25.68\00:26:30.49
us. See, I need you to
understand that there are some
at the pool because they lack
00:26:30.52\00:26:35.26
wealth, but then there are
others at the pool because their
health snatch their wealth.
00:26:35.29\00:26:43.50
See, this is why, friends of
mine, the Seventh-Day Adventist
00:26:43.53\00:26:46.70
Church, we've got to start
preaching the message of health
the way God intended.
00:26:46.74\00:26:59.05
Pastor Snell: Praise God
everyone, that word was a
blessing to me and I pray that
00:26:59.08\00:27:06.02
it was a blessing to you. I want
to encourage you to make sure
that you come and join us the
00:27:06.05\00:27:09.92
same time, same place next week.
00:27:09.96\00:27:11.99
As I give you part 2 of the
message entitled " What Keeps
You Coming?"  If you want more
00:27:12.03\00:27:18.53
infomation about Breath of Life,
what we're doing, what we're
about? Just go visit us at our
00:27:18.57\00:27:23.30
website
breathoflife.tv. God Bless!
00:27:23.34\00:27:27.11
(Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:27:27.14\00:27:50.67
[End]
00:27:50.70\00:28:05.78