"God wants to know if there's someone willing to step out of their comfort zone and come after God with everything they've got."
Pastor John Gray, Lakewood Church Sat 6/13/15
HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT
It's a familiar story.
Used multiple ways.
John wants to come from a different perspective.
This man was in this position for 38 years.
John is 41 years old; almost his whole life...
38 years of watching others get healed, whole and free.
Every time he thought it was his turn someone else beat him to it.
Can't even move.
He endured 38 years frozen in a moment.
How would you react?
Have you ever prayed for something that someone else got?
Someone else got the promotion you prayed for without even asking.
You've been serving the Lord, faithful, taking care of your apartment.
Someone else gets approved for a mortgage.
Had your car for years.
Struggled with the gas tank ministry...
While you're sitting in the car (still grateful) believing for an upgrade, someone else gets a brand new car.
This man watched for 38 years while other people got healed.
That has got to mess with your mind.
What do you do when you thought it was your turn?
Can you still worship?
Is your relationship with God contingent upon your circumstance?
It's easy to worship at the beginning of a thing.
—and at the end.
But what you do in the middle determines what God can do with you for years.
Can anybody worship Him in the middle?
What brings breakthrough is aggressive worship.
We assume that because society and culture has changed perhaps God has changed.
If you don't praise God the rocks will cry out.
God wants us to come out from our comfortable place and say I'm coming after You.
How bad do you want it?
What does the man in that condition for 38 years think about?
Here I am stuck and so & so got his breakthrough.
After 38 years you might doubt a little bit.
There are those of us who've been waiting for less time and have doubts.
Can you be as passionate and committed before it arrives?
God is looking for someone who will say Lord if YOU never do it I'll still worship You.
Even though I'm still stuck.
You're not keeping me from a miracle; You're developing my character.
People don't like spoiled kids because they act entitled.
John remembers having only a little.
$7 in the savings account.
Now God's blessed him a little bit.
But he's acting the same way he did before.
Not fast to spend money.
He's learned the value of a dollar.
He knows what it takes to make it.
God wants some folks to understand I KNOW HOW BAD YOU WANT IT BUT DO YOU WANT ME MORE?
If I freed you from the symptom now you would never get free from the root.
Your problem is the problem behind the problem.
Getting free from symptoms is cosmetic Christianity.
People looking good on the outside but still broken inside.
Then Jesus shows up and asks DO YOU WANT TO GET WELL
When you stir something you stir in a direction/cycle.
Too many Christians are living a cyclical life.
Repenting for sins from 16 years ago...
Getting saved again.
You only get saved one time but the enemy keeps you in a posture of guilt.
My Son already paid for this; do you want to be made well.
Cycles need to be broken in the lives of many of us.
The Purpose of a cycle is to remove impurities so the body can be clean.
The woman with issue of blood was stuck in a cycle.
God says to singles some have been crying and complaining about lack of spouse but when I try to talk to you about the real issue you look the other way.
It's not a person you need; it's My presence.
Cycles will keep you in a posture of religious expression without ---
In your mind the cycle is completed because you came to church and did what you intended to do.
But it's about how God wants to interact with you.
The intimacy of the Word...
In front of thousands God speaks to you one on one.
Give God praise.
This man for 38 years was stuck.
The movies always show Jesus as a tender gentle man.
Here Jesus sounds frustrated.
He knew this man had been in this condition for a long time.
Hey do you want to get better?!
Do you want it?
If you knew your miracle was one foot away would you just sit there or would you say Hey I've been in this too long. When this water stirs I dare anyone to get in my way!
Sometimes religion will make you do things and it's really false humility.
Lord if it's Your will You can heal me.
Excuse me Lord, I've been serving and it's me standing in the need of prayer.
It's not humility that won't admit to need: it's pride.
You don't want it bad enough yet.
You think you can approach Me with religion.
Psalm 51:16-17 The Message
Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.
God says until that thing breaks your heart you'll never get free from it.
God wants to know if there's someone willing to step out of their comfort zone and come after God with everything they've got.
Do you want to be made well?
The man offered up an excuse.
Jesus said Rise, take up your bed and walk.
That bed was probably funky.
38 years...
Religious people don't want your dirt.
Jesus said I'll free you from the dirt but I want you to carry it because I want people to know what I set you free from.
God wants us to tell the truth about where we've come from.
And it didn't happen overnight.
And I had to have some prayer warriors around me.
I like Iyanla but she can't fix my life; I need the Holy Ghost to do it.
How bad do you want it?
When you want to get free bad enough you'll do 3 things.
1. offer up uncomfortable praise
2. an uncharacteristic pursuit
3. exhibit uncommon passion
You know the story of Barthemeus who cried out loudly to Jesus.
He cried out louder when the crowd tried to silence him.
Others don't know how long you've been waiting.
I'm going to give God an uncomfortable praise.
When I want it bad enough I'll engage in an uncharacteristic pursuit.
We can get too casual.
God is not casual; He is utterly holy.
He is awesome and nothing to be trifled with.
This culture of casual needs to become extinct.
Get back that passion you had when you first got saved.
When you have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb you will offer up an uncharacteristic pursuit.
Keep asking, keep knocking, keep going.
I'm not going to let it go until it shows up.
I know You won't let me sit in this always.
Jesus is the only way to the Father
— and he came to break the cycle of sin
Lord I'm going to stand right here like the woman who kept going to the judge until the judge changed his mind.
And I'll be here with a praise.
I'm going to church for a Saturday night praise.
I'm believing for breakthrough in my life.
The water is stirring; what are you going to do?
Will you remain in your position or will you get in the water?
Will you offer up an uncharacteristic pursuit?
How bad do you want it?
That's the sound of liberty.
The last thing you offer is uncommon passion.
We reserve our passion for those we know will respond.
When John sings love songs to his wife she can access his passion in a way others cannot.
God is saying all those times I saved and protected you and provided for you, do you think I could get a song, a hallelujah or something?
God is looking for somebody that will be as passionate for Him as they are for someone else.
John is not looking for loud applause; he knows worship unlocks the blessing.
Give God an uncommon passion.
The place of uncommon passion could be at your house.
We must take our praise and passion home.
If we're only praising at church then we are missing out.
God wakes John up early in the morning.
Some know, and God has been stirring you at a certain time.
Pray in your shower but don't let that 7 minutes be the substance of your quiet time.
Prove God I want You more than anything else.
More than being popular or being liked.
If I have You then I have everything I need.
After John picks up his bed he's called out for doing so on the Sabbath.
God will hit you with miracles you won't know where they came from.
God will do things that will blow your mind.
That's why it's called faith.
God is asking us the learned, and educated to lay all that down for a moment and come as children and say God I love you and I trust You for everything I need. If it doesn't come to me then I don't need it.
Jesus told the man don't sin anymore less something worse happens to you next time.
He healed the symptom then came back for the root.
If Jesus had been religious he would've called him a sinner first.
No, Jesus covered him with grace first.
Then came back and said let me tell you how you got stuck in the first place.
How bad do you want it?
People think for the man stuck for 38 years his paralysis was the problem.
Sin was the problem.
Jesus is dual action; He rinses and cleanses.
[Prayer]
Give us an uncomfortable praise, uncommon passion and uncharacteristic pursuit so we can get the things we can't get on our own.
[Altar Call]
[Benediction]
DISCLAIMER: This is not a transcript of John Gray's message, these are my personal notes which I share to bless others. They are not published nor endorsed by Lakewood Church or Joel Osteen Ministries.
Watch online at http://www.lakewoodchurch.com/pages/watch-online.aspx (while available).
http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/WatchOnline.aspx for older messages.
Watch online at http://www.lakewoodchurch.com/pages/watch-online.aspx (while available).
http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/WatchOnline.aspx for older messages.
God bless you,
