AUDIENCE: (LAUGHTER)
ART: And this guy goes the guy who healed me told me to carry my mat. You know I think that’s a little good authority. Right? You know? They said who was it? He said I don’t know because Jesus had slipped away into the crowd. So that gives us a clue that at this point in Jesus’ ministry John chapter 5 it’s early. He’s still flying under the radar. Remember He’s in Jerusalem. If He’d come out and healed every single person there He might have been crucified early instead of at the fullness of time after He had done everything He was sent here to do. Now there’s another aspect to this. He comes back to the man and He says do you believe in the Son of Man? Do you believe in the Messiah? And He has this conversation with him. Introduces Himself to him. This was a guy who had no faith. He didn’t know who Jesus was. He didn’t believe in Jesus being the Messiah. You know? Yet he was healed anyway because Jesus ministered to him. Now why didn’t Jesus heal all the other sick people who were there at the Pool of Bethesda? Number One, like we said, flying under the radar. But Number Two. I think this is really interesting. Just because He didn’t lay hands on everyone doesn’t mean He didn’t want everyone healed. I have people come to me and ask me if you really believe God wants to heal all and you’re seeing all these results like you say you’re seeing, which personally one on one I see a majority healed. I don’t see 100%. I see a lot of people I’ve laid hands on and I don’t see results. And it’s heartbreaking cause you care about people. But to just be real with you, you’ve going to press through the struggle and keep giving the burden to Jesus, not just carrying it for yourself. That’s Biblical. “Cast your burdens on Him for He cares for you.” It would be sin for me to carry the emotional weight of that but I still have to take responsibility and ask the Lord to change me. But now here we go. People ask me why don’t you just go and empty out a hospital? That’s a valid question and I tell them that. That’s a very fair question too. Cause they say if I could do what you could do I’d be at the hospital. I’d empty it out. And I’m like God bless you, you can do what I can do. Go to the hospital and empty it out!
AUDIENCE: (LAUGHTER)
ART: Now the truth is I’m just one guy. Okay? Now we know the logistical problems. What hospital is going to let some random guy walk in and lay hands on every person in every bed? But if that was allowed logistically I’m just one guy. I would burn myself out. And honestly when would I meet your expectation? Because even if I did go in a hospital and empty it out you’d say why don’t you go to the next hospital? When would I ever satisfy your demands when the truth is I’ve got a calling and a mission on my life to train and equip the Church to do the same things which is even better because then all of you go in His name and now there’s millions of Jesus-like ministers of healing who can empty out hospitals because it’s not too much of a burden on one person. And here’s the beauty of this. The Pool of Bethesda, when you look on a map of Jerusalem, it’s just outside the Sheep Gate and just inside the Sheep Gate is Solomon’s Colonnade. Acts chapter 5: “Every single person who was brought to the believers was healed.” And remember John chapter 5, it said “Here a number of sick and injured people used to lie.” Why didn’t they lay there anymore? The Bible doesn’t expressly say it but I’d better believe if there’s a whole bunch of sick people laying there and somebody goes Hey, just the other side of this gate everybody’s getting healed. Guess what? Carry me, buddy! Get me over there! Right? I’m not sticking around here waiting for some angel that may never show up. It’s working over there.
AUDIENCE: Right! (LAUGHTER)
ART: Those Christians were clearing out the sick from Jerusalem. And that’s what I want to see. That’s my vision for the Church. See we are the body of Jesus in this world. Everyone who touched Jesus’ body was healed. And now you’re His body. Yes, physically He is in heaven at the right hand of the Father and He does have a physical body there but practically speaking according to First Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, various other scriptures, Ephesians 4, we are His body in this earth. I like to say that a head doesn’t just get from Point A to Point B on its own. Fair? Jesus has permanently submitted Himself to relationship with you. You see Jesus could appear to every single person on the planet right now at the drop of a hat and preach the gospel to them! But He doesn’t. Why? Because He commissioned you. Jesus could snap his fingers and heal every single person on the planet! But He doesn’t. Why? Because He commissioned you. That’s the beauty of following this Jesus. He’s the one who paid for it. He’s the one who wants it. And I guarantee He will do His work. It’s inevitable. Now some other thoughts. Other arguments that people have. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” That’s a great one. People always ask what was Paul’s thorn in the flesh? Now it’s a great question because there’s so much debate and confusion about it but it’s actually kind of a silly question because the Bible actually says what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. Did you know that? It says “There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan sent to torment me.” Now that’s pretty clear. In fact the Greek word for messenger is “angelos” which is the word translated “angel,” an angel of Satan. And there’s only two other places that mention angels of Satan. Like the dragon and his angels were thrown down to the earth. Right? And I don’t remember what the other one is but only two places and it’s always referring to demons. So pretty simple. A demon of Satan was given to him. A messenger of Satan was given to him to keep him humble. Now what did that demon do? That’s the part that’s a debate. Okay? It was just a demon. Now some demons can cause a physical problems. Sure. I’ve seen a whole lot of that happen. But in this case I’ve walked through all these questions. You know some of the popular theories like Paul having an eye problem. I mean I’ve written about this extensively. There’s no way to make that work. In fact if you want to read a classic book that’ll teach you that, F.F. Bosworth wrote one and thoroughly dismantled the idea that Paul had an eye problem. It’s kind of ridiculous when you see the logic of it especially looking at the fullness of the New Testament. But, yeah, I personally believe that it was a demon inciting persecution everywhere Paul went. Cause he faced more persecution than anybody. In fact he said it was sent to buffet me and that word “buffet” means repeated blows [sounds of his fists hitting] as with a fist. Now furthermore some people question maybe this is my thorn in the flesh or something like that. I say, no. Throw that away. Because you know you’re telling me that you… Smith Wigglesworth. Actually if you know who he is. He was a minister back in the early 1900’s. And he… a woman came to him and said that and if I remember right he said something like are you so prideful that you think you’ve had such an abundance of revelations as Paul did that you need a thorn in the flesh? Be healed in Jesus name and the woman got healed. (laughs)
Tags: It's Supernatural, Sid Roth