The Cure for Analysis Paralysis

Connection Sunday
Eugene Montilla
September 21, 2014
John 5: 1-15 !"
1
Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals.
2
Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep
Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda
[a]
and which is surrounded b five covered colonnades.
!
"ere a #reat
number of disabled people used to lie$the blind, the lame, the paral%ed.
[&] [b]

'
(ne who was there had been an invalid for
thirt)ei#ht ears.
*
+hen Jesus saw him lin# there and learned that he had been in this condition for a lon# time, he as,ed
him, -.o ou want to #et well/0
1
-Sir,0 the invalid replied, -2 have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. +hile 2 am trin# to #et in,
someone else #oes down ahead of me.0
3
4hen Jesus said to him, -Get up5 6ic, up our mat and wal,.0
7
At once the man was cured8 he pic,ed up his mat and
wal,ed.
4he da on which this too, place was a Sabbath,
9:
and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, -2t is
the Sabbath8 the law forbids ou to carr our mat.0
99
But he replied, -4he man who made me well said to me, ;6ic, up our mat and wal,.< 0
92
So the as,ed him, -+ho is this fellow who told ou to pic, it up and wal,/0
9!
4he man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped awa into the crowd that was there.
9&
=ater Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, -See, ou are well a#ain. Stop sinnin# or somethin# worse ma
happen to ou.0
9'
4he man went awa and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. John '> 9 ? 9'
N2@
The Pool of Bethesda# $ethe%da mean% &'ou%e o( Mercy)
*he &'ou%e o( Mercy) +a% a hou%e o( mi%ery (or many, *hi% pool i% re%er-ed (or pilgrim% to bath in order to be clean in
preparing them%el-e% to go to the temple to +or%hip in Jeru%alem, $ecau%e it.% %uppo%ed to be a clean%ing pool, a
%uper%titiou% tradition (ormed that it became a healing pool, *he $ible %ay% many %ic/ people +ere +aiting to be healed
that other tran%lation% number it a% a multitude, Scholar% e%timate it to be 0,000, 0,000 people +aiting (or one chance o(
healing +hen an angel %tirred the pool,
*he te1t %ho+ed the %tory o( an in-alid man o( 02 year% in hi% mat +aiting (or the +ater to be %tirred, Ju%t imagine that thi%
man ha% to go through -i%iting the pool (or 02 year%,
-, 5 'o+ many o( you +ould go to a doctor.% o((ice and +ait there 02 year% +ithout %eeing the doctor3 4nce a year the
nur%e +ould come out and %ay, &5ho.% ne1t3) E-eryone +ould ma/e a da%h to the door, and +hoe-er got there (ir%t +a% the
ne1t patient, 6ear a(ter year a(ter year opportunity pa%%ed him by, there +a% no hope,,,he +ould be thi% +ay the re%t o( hi%
li(e7 8t thi% point, he lay% there by the pool %imply becau%e he ha% no other place to go, 'e.% helple%%ly paraly9ed:and
probably running out o( hope, $eing in a place o( helple%%ne%% and hopele%%ne%% +ould ta/e it.% toll on a per%on,
There is a paralysis more debilitating than physical immobility, The paralysis of Helplessness that leads to
Hopelessness
Some o( u% are %eeing that our %ituation% po%e to go no +here and +e gi-e up hope, Some o( you ha-e a %ituation and
you.-e literally gi-en up hope, Maybe it.% a relation%hip, ;(inancial < +or/ < %ic/ne%%=, 4r +hen li(e %eem% not to mo-e
(or+ard:!t.% li/e a%/ing Whats happening when nothing is happening? again, in your marriage, (inance%,
relation%hip%:
!ets learn today how the !ord healed the paralysis of a man that could change our paralytic perceptions as well"
2
#od $uestion % &o you want to get well?
!n the narrati-e, the >ord approached the man and /no+ing that he ha% been in that condition (or a long time a%/ed him a
?ue%tion that %eemingly doe%n.t ma/e %en%e, &o you want to get well? Thats a #od 'uestion, @emember, Je%u% i%
by e-ery nature Aod and /no+% all thing% a% re-ealed by the 'oly Spirit, Whats a #od 'uestion?
#od 'uestions are 'uestions to ()P*+( the condition of the Heart"
,n #enesis -. / 0 Aod a%/ed 8dam and E-e Where are you? 8(ter they %inned again%t Aod it.% (or them to /no+ their
%in(ul condition a% their con%cience %pea/% to them o( their di%obedience, *he ?ue%tion +a% to re-eal their heart%, +,1"
!n 2 3ings -. 4, Aod a%/ed Solomon, &&What do you want?: As5 for whate6er you want me to gi6e you,) Solomon
a%/ed (or +i%dom becau%e he +a% ,1+(C78(" *he nation o( !%rael +a% a %trong nation and had a %trong leader be(ore
him, Bing Ca-id, a +arrior and lo-ed by the people,
5hen the >ord a%/ed the paraly9ed man, & &o you want to be healed) 'e re-ealed 0 e1cu%e% that -alidated the !ords
'uestion that its not more for him but for us today" ,f he only 5new who was as5ing him0 he would 9ust ha6e said
:(+;but made up - e<cuses" Those e<cuses are rele6ant today that would answer why our li6es are not mo6ing
forward as it should"
1
-Sir,0 the invalid replied, -2 have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. +hile 2 am trin# to #et in,
someone else #oes down ahead of me.0 John '> 1 N2@
- (<cuses
1, 5aiting (or the +ater to be %tirred -, D 5aiting (or a change o( circum%tance
2, 5aiting (or %omeone to carry him to the pool -, D 5aiting (or bailout
0, 5earied by other% +ho beat him to the pool -, D 5aiting (or other% to change
2
st
(<cuse = Waiting for a change in circumstance
*he man +a% lame < paraly9ed becau%e he +a% +aiting (or a circum%tance to happen, >i(e doe% not depend on our
circum%tance% but our choice% in the circum%tance, 5e either li-e under the circum%tance or in the circum%tance, *he
apo%tle Eaul %tate%:
-
*
.o not be anAious about anthin#, but in every situation, b praer and petition, with than,s#ivin#, present our
reBuests to God.
1
And the peace of God, which transcends all understandin#, will #uard our hearts and our minds in
Christ Jesus. 6hil. &> * N2@
>
nd
(<cuse = Waiting for bailout"
2 have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred
!t i% good to get man.% help but he.% limited, !t.% not good to tru%t on man but on Aod,
This is the major problem among people today: Many of us are still waiting for people to bail us out
-Many are still waiting for our friend or brother who is connected to give us a hand-out
-Many are still waiting for other men to hold our hand and lead us forward when we could very well do
ourselves the favor.
3
4his is what the =ord sas> -Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws stren#th from mere flesh and whose heart
turns awa from the =ord. Jeremiah 91> ' N2@
You can get by with a little help from friends but they are not the ultimate help.
-
rd
(<cuse % Waiting for others to change"
+hile 2 am trin# to #et in, someone else #oes down ahead of me.0 @. 1
Waiting for others to change for him"
+omeone gets ahead of me all the time;
*he maFor hindrance to our li-e% are the deed% o( other people, Man i% %el(i%h and +ill al+ay% thin/ o( them%el-e% (ir%t
and +e get hurt,
'e %aid G+hile ! am coming, another %tep% do+n be(ore me., -'e i% ready to blame other people (or hi% inability to get in the +ater
-'e i% ready to blame other people.% acti-itie% (or hi% o+n mediocrity,

- !.% too ea%y to blame other people (or our lac5 of progress.
-!t i% Fu%t too ea%y and con-enient to blame other people (or our problems
-5e blame people +ho did not +or/ +ith u%H -+e blame people +ho did not call u% and come to pic/ u% up (or prayer% or Fob
appointment%H -5e blame people +ho did not lend u% money:,
5ho are you blaming today3
Co you blame your (amily3 Co you blame your bo%%3 Co you blame your pa%tor3 Co you blame the go-t3 5ho are you blaming today3
,f you dont ha6e peace0 it isnt because someone too5 it from you? you ga6e it away" :ou cannot always control what
happens to you0 but you can control what happens in you @ohn Aa<well
*nly *1( was approached"
*he multitude +ere loo/ing (or %omething to happen +hen the right one +ho ma/e% thing% happen +a% Fu%t be%ide them all
along, !t could be that their belie( on tradition +a% %tronger than belie-ing the >ord that only one man +a% readily
approached, *here.% a multitude o( people there, but only one +a% ready to @ECE!"E *'E 'E8>!A,
*he ?ue%tion% o( Je%u% +a% &o you want to be healed? !t.% a -alid ?ue%tion (or today,
!eaning Tower of Pisa
!n !taly there i% a touri%t %pot called the >eaning *o+er o( Ei%a, *he leaning to+er o( Ei%a +a% built about I00 year% ago,
leaning due to a (aulty (oundation, Jor centurie% they tried to (ind +ay% to (i1 it, but couldn.t, E-entually they (ound a +ay, but
cho%e to lea-e it a% it i%, 5hy3 !t.% a touri%t attraction, *hey don.t 58* to %traighten it out7 *hey enFoy the attention they
get7
+ling0 Cast and Braces
4
! read % %tory in a re%taurant came a man on a Sling (or a bro/en arm, another man +ith a bro/en leg on a ca%t and another
man +ith a %ti(( nec/ +ith a brace around hi% nec/, *he three o( them recogni9ed a (amou% pa%tor +ho i% /no+n (or hi%
po+er(ul prayer (or healing the %ic/, he +a% %itting alone on the (ar corner o( the room,
*he guy +ith the bro/en arm on a %ling told the +aitre%% to gi-e the (amou% e-angeli%t a (ree meal on him, the 2
nd
guy +ith a
bro/en on a leg ca%t told the +aitre%% to gi-e the (amou% pa%tor a (ree drin/ and the guy +ith the nec/ brace told the
+aitre%% to gi-e the pa%tor a (ree de%ert, 5hen the pa%tor +a% done eating and being grate(ul +al/ed out and on the +ay to
the man +ith a bro/en arm on a %ling and prayed and lo he +a% healed and came li(ting hi% hand% to the >ord prai%ing him
acro%% the room, *hen he prayed (or the one +ith a bro/en leg on a ca%t and +a% immediately healed and danced acro%%
the room, 5hen he got to the man +ith a %ti(( nec/ on nec/ brace : the man %aid & Con.t touch me) !.m on di%ability:. !.m
collecting di%ability chec/%:
Haiti : 5hen my +i(e and the mi%%ion team +ent to 'aiti 2 month% a(ter the Earth?ua/e, they %a+ garbage pile% a(ter
garbage pile% and building% %till dilapidated +hen million% upon million% o( dollar% poured in to help the bro/en land%cape o(
'aiti, *hey +ere told that i( they (i1 all o( it, (und% +ill cea%e to come in, *he Jour%?uare mi%%ion% relie( good% are %talled at
doc/% re?uiring grea%e money,
*he >ord a%/ed %uch ?ue%tion (or u% to /no+ today the an%+er !( the >ord +ill a%/ you the %ame ?ue%tion, +hat +ould you
%ay3
We all ha6e our hurts0 habits and hang ups" There is only one who can heal us" ,f we belie6e 0 it is immediate"
This in6alid man belie6ed in the words of @esus and mo6ed from his analysis paralysis to getting up and wal5"
- Get up, pic, up our mat and wal,.0 John '> 3 N2@
Points of Cure to Analysis Paralysis "
2" @esus comes to the lowest point of your life" @esus sees your condition"
v. * DJesus saw...and ,new in that condition for a lon# timeD NEJ@
Je%u% %ee% in%ide, /no+% your problem%, and the %olution%, 'e /no+% your malady 8C your cure7
KJe%u% /no+% all about our %truggle%,K Ko one under%tand% li/e Je%u%, E-ery +oe 'e %ee% and (eel%, *enderly 'e
+hi%per% com(ort, E-ery bro/en heart 'e heal%,K
That @esus will meet us at the lowest point in our life, 'e i% %o concerned (or u% in that he +ill reach to +here +e
are and parta/e in our pain, Je%u% care% (or u%, Je%u% under%tand% that li(e +ill cau%e u% to be lame and no matter
+here +e are in thi% li(e, he come% into our li-e% to point u% pa%t our pain% o( lamene%%, 5e come% to place called
end of the rope0 end of the road, wits end0 roc5 bottom0 dirt poor0 on the edge;

what He sees"""He see5s
>" @esus wants to become the lo6ing point of your life" @esus searches and singles out"
5
*he man ha% been in-alid (or 02 year% and he had made many (ailed or (oiled attempt% at the pool, *here are many li/e
him at the pool,Je%u% %ought him out among the many, The dealings of #od is on an indi6idual basis"
@ust you and me situation with @esus;A!*1( with Him;sometimes your life comes to a full stop so that you
can ha6e time with Him" ,nstead of waiting for circumstances to happen and people for help0 the all +ufficient
#od singles you out"
Je%u% %aid G ! came to %ee/ and %a-e tho%e +ho are lo%t)
'e lo-ingly mo-ed the man.% belie( (rom tradition to the truth, Jrom belie( on %uper%tition to the Sa-ior, 'e +a% in the
critical %tage o( hi% li(e that he +a% %o open to the lo-ing Sa-ior,
8 Sa-ior +ho %ee%, and %earche%,,,%pea/%
@esus spea5s to your condition "
-" He wants to be the leading point of your life" BC*AAA1& A1& P*T(1T,A!C
-, 2
@i%e # %omething he couldn.t do be(ore,
ta/e up your bed # no %a(ety net < no plan% (or relap%e,
+al/ # %tart ta/ing care o( your%el(,
&*hat Je%u% +ant% to be the leading point o( our li(e, 'e i% al%o concerned about +here +e are going and he de%ire% to
be the centering point o( our li-e% in order (or u% to recei-e hi% direction% to our de%tination,
*he >ord led him to the place o( hi% P*T(1T,A!" He was able to wal5 because he belie6ed in @esus
*he%e +ere 0 thing% he couldn.t do be(ore,,,
because #ods commandments are #ods enablement" #od will not command you to do something that you
cant do wD His help"
@i%e up, o-ercome7 *a/e up your bed,,,ma/e no plan% (or (ailure, 5al/7 5al/ in the >ord.% path% thi% +ee/,
E" He wants to be the turning point of your life" @esus sa6es you from sin and the cause of your condition
9&
=ater Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, -See, ou are well a#ain. Stop sinnin# or somethin# worse ma
happen to ou.0
*hi% i% a re-elation +hy the man +a% in-alid (or 02 year%, he +a% told to %top %inning or %omething +or%e than +hat he +a%
could happen to him,
Sin ta/e% you (arther than you +ant to go,
Sin /eep% you longer than you +ant to %tay,
Sin co%t% you (ar more than you planned to pay,
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.. Romans 3: 23 NIV
4nly Je%u% can +ipe a+ay your %in%:and ma/e your li(e ane+,
6
!o if the !on ma"es #ou free, #ou $ill be free indeed. John %: 3& NIV
7