Potomac Camp Meeting 2012 - Thursday Night - Henry Wright

good evening I'd like to begin this evening by having you share with me the reading of four texts of Scripture if you have your Bible or now some of us use phones and other gadgets for the for the scriptures I'm still trying to adjust to that I start with Joshua one and verse five Joshua one and verse five and the Bible says I'm reading from the King James Version there shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life as I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee in that precious Psalm five and verse 11 Psalm five and verse 11 just leave through your Bible with me some 5 and verse 11 and the Bible says but let all those who put their trust in thee rejoice let them ever do what shout for joy because thou defend this to them let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee is that your spirit tonight Ephesians 3:20 and 21 Ephesians 3:20 and 21 this is a bombshell text now unto him that is able now unto him that is able okay try it one more time we're gonna get that now unto him that is able talkin about God now let's finish it to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think this text is setting you up for the sermon tonight according to the power that worketh in us unto Him the glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without in amen who's able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think that's an awesome piece of scripture the book of Jude the little book of Jude and the closing verses of that marvelous little book Jude 24 and verse 25 now unto him that is able I got you let's try it again now it's him that is able what do you say to keep you from falling somebody ought to be shouting right now he's able to keep you from what and to present you what's the next word oh yes ah let's embrace the word for less now I don't know my brother hi he's gonna do that I'm just glad he's gonna do it I can't speak for you but this life of mine is full of faults but I just written a text that said he is able not only to keep me from falling to present me how far less faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God Our Saviour be glory and Majesty Dominion and power both dawn forever and the church said sometimes a my worship Bill Miller I I just go through and read text like this fuzzy text warm fuzzy text because sometimes you have a rough day don't you and you just need to know that in spite of how bad the day has gone there is somebody who's able cuz I'm not let's pray teach us tonight Lord amen John 5 John 5 we've talked about a ruler Jairus his weakness was not that he didn't know he had weaknesses but he underestimated the depth of his weakness and then we visited with this woman at the well whose weakness was she had allowed her past to shackle her in a cave of hiding and fear and pretense and deception Jesus blew down the door of her life and said in her living room and confronted her with herself and she went away rejoicing hey y'all come meet a man who knows all my stuff and I feel comfortable in its presence didn't we enjoy that last night oh that was wonderful that was wonderful did my heart good chapter 5 of John remember the thematic now of John verse 1 verse 14 of chapter one and the word was made flesh and moved into our neighborhood chapter two he knew what was in US chapter three he gave his son for us and didn't come to condemn us and then of course chapter four comes see this man who knows about me and loves me after chapter four and it ends with the healing of the Noven son the Bible picks up the narrative with these words after this after this now remember the book of John is not a story about Jesus it's a sermon on Jesus so now he's moving to his next point after this there was a feast of the Jew Jesus went up to Jerusalem now there is a true Salaam by the sheep market a pool which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda having five porches you've you've you've you've got in the back of your Bibles little maps of the Bible times maps of the days of the Israelites and the days of Jesus and usually in the back of your Bible will be a map of Jerusalem Old Testament New Testament times and if you looked at that map you know that this this pool is on the east side of Jerusalem just right near the temple it was a place where animals were brought in the she'd gate and so it was a it was a foul-smelling place but over the years some some rumor what word did I say some rumor had gotten out that this pool had some some power and so the pool had become a garbage can of human deformity and inadequacy and incompetence and sickness people with sores people with withered hands the Bible describes them and these lay a great multitude of impotent folk folk of blind and halt and withered waiting for the moving of the water elder Mike describes this thing and it wasn't awful it was it wasn't awful it was an awful place or remember we're reading a sermon not a story and so John is making the point after this woman whose weakness was hiding her past now John's taking us to another another situation another another point is to be made about Christ and there is these impotent folk and the word impotent comes from a Greek word which means the inability to bear fruit these were people who Dano bar could not bear fruit their eyes but the eyes did not see they had limbs but the limbs did not walk they had hands but the hands not pick anything up they had ears but the ears could not hear they had tongues but in many cases they could not speak it was a place that most folk avoided it was a place that most folk avoided but you see the theme of John's gospel is that Jesus became flesh and moved into our neighborhood so we should not be surprised to find Jesus visiting the pool what a blessed Savior what a marvelous God I mean this planet called called planet Earth this we're we're that pool y'all we're where this is us this is the one place in the universe that's messed up that's why it has to write the stuff I don't believe in in and UFOs and visiting here nobody is coming here that they've heard about us they're not coming here we should be thankful that the Angels come here somebody say Amen but more than that we should be thankful that Christ is not turned off by this Pool of Bethesda by this place of refuse by the garbage can of humanity we should be thankful that God has never been intimidated by the human condition my worse Ness does not turn off his blessedness hallelujah I'm praising God right now for that truth we're not surprised that Jesus comes to the pool people walking by Jesus comes to the pool people avoiding the pool Jesus aims himself at that pool you're sitting here tonight many of you for the same mind and the cleaned life and hope in your heart because Jesus stopped by your pool what do you say he stopped by when you were broken he stopped by when you had lost hope he stopped by when you had forgotten that you had any value we'll talk about that tomorrow more tomorrow night when I talk about Rahab you had you had forgotten that there was any worth in you but Jesus stopped by these people in unable to bear fruit now I want to expand on that and expand on that see the purpose you may have forgotten this along the way the purpose for Jesus stopping by and touching your life was that you become potent that you have the ability to bear fruit now now stay with me you were not brought into the church to occupy a pew nor nor nor nor nor were you brought into the church to hold an office or to sit on the board or to or to be on the on the church school board you you you you were brought into the church to bear fruit by their fruits not by their singing not by their office holding by their fruits shall ye know them somebody say men out there that's the purpose of the church and there is nothing that delights satan more than to move the church away from fruit-bearing we're good at tale bearing but I want to spend a few minutes talking about fruit bearing can I get a witness in God's house and so this this impotent gathering of people was was was was a joy to Satan and a pain to Jesus he who formed man out of the dust for him to come upon people who cannot see he made the eye people who cannot hear he made the ear people who cannot walk he made the legs this this insulted the sensitivities of God to see what had happened to his creation Satan's always rubbing that in the face of our beloved Savior look what sin is done look what they have chosen to be verse 4 refers to the rumor for an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole whatsoever disease he had the Bible is describing the belief what they believed God spared the church from people chasing rumors God spared the church from people who chased after the next good thing that comes around God spared the church from people were always looking for another tape and a another sermon and another guru and another book fine Jesus spend more time in this book spend more time asking for him spend more time looking for that long journey with God we're looking for the quick fix some book that will do it some seminar that will fix it take time with God let him work in you it's painful somebody say it's painful it's painful my brother he works you up and down and back and forth but the end result is something worthwhile one text won't fix it one camp meeting won't do it you gotta hang in in there with the Lord you gotta you got to let him work on you and wrassle with you and and turn you around you will not like it you've got to let him sometimes expose you to yourself the most scary thing in the world is to find out who you are I think somebody knows what I'm talking about so there they are here's the thing that bothers me about this story to tell you just how bad off we can be in the church we let me preach on it for a minute I'll try five minutes on this Hult lame blind did we read it in the Bible they're all there let's say that the waters get troubled Rick they actually get troubled and-and-and-and-and pastor Ramirez lists let's say that that they start moving toward the water now this is why I know that there was nothing going on here because this is not how Jesus operates Saints crawling on top of saints to get well and let me try that again Saints crawling on top of Saints to get well Saints okay you got it you know where I'm going don't you see the church is full of the blind the whole come on y'all and we all have issues we all have issues we all have issues and how how can we fight one another for salvation so that's why I've never gotten caught up in this thing about the hundred and forty-four thousand and numbers too small see that's all that's gonna be saved and you better watch out for me cause I'm going in hey hey but I read a little further the Bible and I saw a number which no man can number I believe I can make that number and I don't have to fight anybody to get this hallelujah praise the Lord why aren't these people helping one another that's all right sis that's alright you can help me preach us okay see why aren't we helping each other some people have weaknesses that that will be there all their life except for the grace of God come on now and we've got to move away from this hierarchy of sins the person that commits adultery is worse than the person that lies and the person that lies is worse than the person who loses their temper I mean that's that's foolishness my Bible says all have sinned and my Bible also says the wages of sin is death there's no hierarchy here they're fighting and calling over one another to get to the pool we ought to be helping one another holding each other up in and somehow and somehow making the church work for all of us it's a sad thing they're all messed up they're all messed up and they're all struggling and scuffling over one another you ever been to a hospital if you're visited the hospital I have never in the hospital Dan seen heart patients talking about cancer patients your ears now got cancer all over his body Jim glad I ain't got heart trouble yeah now I'm making you smile purposely the fact is both the heart patient and the cancer patient are sick and except for the grace of God both will die how dare we do that to one another in this church the pool is surrounded by our sickness our awfulness and by our wretchedness there is a word that appears in this story that is a powerful word it first appears in verse 6 Jesus is the one who uses him wilt thou be made what's the next word ho and the KJV its whole the word appears again in verse 9 and immediately the man was made whole in verse 11 he answered them he that made man made me whole and then verse 14 afterward Jesus findeth him at the temple and said unto Him behold thou art made whole here's what I found interesting the word you see see see first of all first of all some of the Bible's translate Jesus question in verse 6 wilt thou be made well I suggest you that's a very inadequate translation limite I really feel that's a stupid translation I mean let's give Jesus some credit the man is laying there his bed sores are oozing pus he's not walked in 38-year he's a messy stinks you gonna ask him do you want to be well that's the obvious question Jesus is about to take him higher see Jesus is into more than just fixing your outward problem the word hole is from a Greek word that means created let me just bask in that for a few minutes lorry took God see what Jesus see this man has been there 38 years we know why he's in this condition look at verse look at verse verse 14 afterward Jesus findeth him at the temple and said unto Him behold thou art made whole do what Ellen White clarifies this brother was in this condition because of his sin lest the worst thing come upon thee he's in this condition because of his sin now stay with me just stay with me so Jesus is not offering him just the ability for his legs to move Jesus wants to do more for you than that he wants to create you are you say but I've already created aa this story teaches a very important truth see if any man be in Christ he's a new creation not new recreation creation until you find Jesus you're like this planet in Genesis 1 and verse 2 and the earth was without form and void until you meet Christ you just a lump of clay come on somebody he wants to create you not not just heal your blindness not just feel your deafness Jesus wants to take you higher higher he wants to create you he wants to make you something you've never been now the problem with this brother see we're talking about weaknesses what's his weakness his weakness is very clear the problem with this brother is he had let his condition get him so intimidated he had allowed his condition to get him so absolutely stunned and down and depressed he didn't think he could do any better look at the story look at the story when Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had been now a long time in that case he saith unto Him will that be made whole can I create you let me show you how deep in a pit this brother's brain is verse 7 the impotent man answered and said sir I have no man does anybody listen to me tonight the brother has just offered him creation more more more more than better legs we're gonna fit you from the inside out you're gonna be totally new and he says I have no man to help me get in the pool Jesus said nothing about any pool now listen to me no no no no don't don't don't smile too quick see you can get so deep in the tunnel of your mess and your life and your and your frustrations and your disappointments that you cease to believe that God can fix the whole thing let me declare tonight by the power of the Word of God God can fix the whole thing let's stop having this let's stop having this this this this this this this this this small thinking this this this this small tiny concept of the power of God we just read text unto Him that's able to keep me from falling keep me from falling not pick me up keep me from falling used to have your mind on your solution and God is asking you offering you creation I have no man to put me in the pool so Jesus refuses to engage in this conversation next verse get up get up now now let me show you something the healing you see use it sounds like the verse it sounds like the healing is in verse 9 and Anita the man was made whole no no that's the results of the healing the healing actually begins in verse six see if you were here this morning oh my goodness other Patterson was just he was just marvelous he talked about the fact that Jesus was trying to change the way that the church thought this man has been like this how long thirty-eight years of thinking it can be no matter thirty eight years of thinking my marriages gotta stay like this thirty years of thinking that my church can't be any better than it is see I'm gonna keep in this week challenging those of us who come from small churches I told you I grew up in one and now that church is a live vibrant Church because they find it excited they finally decided that being small doesn't mean we have to be small small can be vibrant and alive and exciting come on somebody out there but we've been in this condition so long we have failed to see what God can do God God has big visions for us God has big dreams one one one day you're going to wear a white robe that needs no dry-cleaning and he's going to fix us one style one color hey one style one color what one size fits all somebody say Amen yes golden streets places where there are mentions fruit from the tree God's got big plans for you stop going around with this small kind of thinking we'll table namida made whole the healing starts when Christ asks the question can you think bigger than you are can you think beyond your pain can you think beyond your disappointment can you think beyond your failure can you rise up and believe that you're a child of God born to live with angels come on somebody can you believe it then around that tool so long and scuffing with one another and Jesus is saying to him I want to do something deep down inside of you you're not gonna walk till you get created and so there's a mental thing going on here verse seven the healing starts the healing starts I had no man now verse seven is a powerful verse because in verse eight rise take up thy bed and walk and immediately verse nine so something happens between verse 6 and verse 7 see it's no problem listen to the preacher it's no problem for Jesus to heal legs didn't do that I mean this brother speaks sons into existence comets follow his orders come on somebody so fixing legs I've had nothing for him but fixing hearts the heart is deceitful who can know it fixing hearts getting you to think saved getting you to think victory it's time for us folks to hit the devil square in the belly he's got you walking around with your soul just down and you're moaning and complaining you're worried about this you worried about that straight up your back will thou be made whole rise rise rise go home from camp-meeting believing by the power and grace of God that you can walk then walk change your prayers all these long prayers and laundry listen give me this give me that give me Jesus I don't want to discourage you but I got to tell you some prayers we pray are just there nauseam to Jesus just nauseating just he's so kind just nauseating just just same old this bills and food and car and kids and marriage and folks and so forth just pray for Christ see that there quiet that disturb but what I'm saying I'm very quiet why is he saying this to me drop the laundry list talk to Jesus about wholeness ask for what you need most a deeper relation with him did he not say did he'd not say in Matthew 6 I read my Bible just like you I know you have needed these things seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and it's righteousness a prayer to be more filled we're trying to fix stuff only he can fix get your relationship with your relationship with Christ fix he said I'll take care of this other stuff you're trying to fix your husband's fix your wife you can't fix them they've driven you nuts already you can't fix them put them in the hands of God I'm serious folk I'm not trying to make you smile put him in the hands of God rise take up your bed and walk change your change your change your flavor about you this man's weakness was he had ceased to believe it could be any better you're bored with the way your church is nothing going on musics dry people are dry nobody comes there's no spirit well what about you maybe you can have a better spirit set yourself free go to church the first Sabbath to cap median praise the Lord give him glory oh they'll stare at you what happened that but told me can't meeting you better call brother Miller they've got the Holy Ghost we can't allow this I'm serious though I'm serious it's time for God's people to be high-stepping it's time for God's people to be positive it's time for God's people to have a to have a confidence about their relationship with Jesus Christ is time for God's people to stop begging and start claiming get up rise take your bed the healing has to take place here before he can walk the healing is or when he walks it's the natural result of him having changed his mind about a situation he's backed in a corner he cannot walk he's it's not working at the pool while I try Jesus yeah I don't need to take long tonight this man had the most insidious weakness in the church this man had the most insidious weakness in the church he had ceased to believe in the power of God I'm serious tonight folk God has called the seventh Adventist Church to be a living example of his power in his might would to be a victorious Church would to be a positive church we're to be a positive church we're to be a positive church full of hope and dreams always talking about what God can do and with God unto him that is able that is able lo I am with you every place you put your foot you'll conquer I'm with you Tom says rejoice in the Lord who defends you can't you see him walking around with that bed hopping and jumping and shouting they could not believe it and what thrills my soul it happened on the Sabbath that's what needs to be happening in some of our churches on the Sabbath glory joy stop singing hymns like you had a funeral sing the hymns Pat your foot now Pat your foot I know somebody just fainted Pat your foot while you're singing the hymn sometimes put your hands together old brother white did other White's husband put his hands again banged on a tambourine oh my god what did he just say I did my master's degree in the Liturgy of this church the old Adventists they were not dry bones Adventist Ellen White sometimes we get happy in church she would shout ah she would shout some of us would put her out of our church she's shouting let's invoke if you ever let your mind get wrapped up in what God has done for you you'll shout and you won't care where you are and you won't care who's sitting next to you you'll just shout lose it I know I'm scaring some of you to death you just can't believe you can't you can't you can't you can't grab it but go ahead when this brother got up Ellen White says that he went running through the streets shouting and jumping rejoice in the Lord always I say rejoice he had cease to believe it could be any better what an insult to God who wants to cut himself loose amongst his people who wants to create he wants to create joy create peace grid create confidence create victory wilt thou be made whole and really can you think about it some of us need to get him practice for heaven anyhow you ever read about heaven any vision in heaven that you read about people are either singing or praising hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah thank you lord thank you praise His Holy Name I'll be made whole you want to be created change your thinking about your situation kids on drugs change your thinking present them before the Lord is victorious people in church are not speaking to change your thinking present them as saints of God to heaven finances all messed up change your thinking present your situation to the Lord and his riches stop dealing with your finances based on your limit ness but on his limitless Ness change your thinking between verse 6 and verse 9 he had the change his thinking and when he did he could get up I need somebody tonight to get up to rise up to be free to stand and say Lord I will walk am tired of being a victim is anybody with me tonight I says anybody with me tonight would you stand to your feet simple sermon simple message created created can you rise above the impotency I'm so serious tonight can you rise above the impotency that tongue that keeps lashing out and saying the wrong thing that habit in your life that is your blindness your deafness your crippled Ness can you rise above it Jesus asked this whole congregation tonight the simple question do you want to be creative do you want to be creative let's pray Lord tonight the sermon was so simple and straight and to the point that some may wonder if they really heard the sermon they just went right by quickened to the point yes amen amen this man's weakness was his situation had robbed him of hope of belief he's scuffing around the pool he's looking for some man and the Creator the Creator is standing there somebody came tonight to this camp meeting locked in on this situation forgetting that they could walk forgetting that they could be happy forgetting that they could have faith maybe someone discouraged right now about their local home church situation has forgotten what God can do in people who believe and rejoice in him we need your Lord to turn some of our churches around light them up with your glory it just needs a couple of people or one person who's determined not to be deflated maybe some pastor tonight some worker tonight is in a situation that's been a shackle to them they've that they've cease to believe can be any better there they're hoping that that somebody will move them someplace else they've they they've ceased to believe help that pastor that worker tonight to think beyond and hear the master say you want to be created I'm pleading with your Lord talk to somebody tonight and send us home believing and walking and rejoicing that's my prayer at the end of this simple message in Jesus name Amen I want you to be seated won't you be seated you have a good time tonight have a good time tonight where you gonna have a better time of a better time we're just so happy for all that you are and all that you've been we prepared a great big watermelon feast for you tonight yeah start smiling yeah wilt thou be made whole your watermelon right out there and it's for everybody everybody's invited is that right everybody's invited so going out there rejoice in the Lord eat the watermelon you have a good time and then go on to bed and have a good night's rest god bless you see tomorrow night

Channel: Potomac Conference Corp. of SDA

Views: 18,462

Rating: 4.7049179 out of 5

Keywords: camp, meeting, potomac, adventist, SVA, henry, wright, gary, patterson, ron, flowers, karen

Id: 9X25RAbBBlU

Length: 47min 7sec (2827 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 12 2012