Speaker 1: 0:01

Welcome to the Daily Blade. The Word of God is described as the sword of the Spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

Speaker 2: 0:21

Welcome back to day two, john chapter five. We're gonna dig right. In Verse one says After this, there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Just a point of Bible study is that no matter where you were in Israel, you always went up to Jerusalem. It's not talking about heading north, but Jerusalem was the highest point in all of Israel. Therefore, you were always heading up to get to Jerusalem of Israel. Therefore, you were always heading up to get to Jerusalem.

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Now there is in Jerusalem, by the sheep gate, a pool. Now this is very important. The sheep gate is on the northern section of the wall in first century Jerusalem, but it was the easternmost gate. This typically would not be where people would come in and out. This gate was designated for the sheep. There were pastures to the north of Jerusalem. This would have been the gate that they would have brought in the animals for the sacrifice, because it leads directly to the backside of the temple. This would also be where it would be nasty. There were actually a couple of pools there, and one of these pools was designated for the sheep to be washed. And so what began to happen around one of these pools, this pool called Bethesda is that people who had been treated like animals. They would begin to gather there. Now there was in Jerusalem, by the sheep gate, a pool in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five to stop right there. The way the world saw these people. The name that we use in English is invalid. Now, if you do a little bit of English etymology of the word, if you break it into its components, that word just says invalid.

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And before we go any farther into what Jesus does for this man who had been lame for 38 years, I just want to tell you that you are not invalid. You see, what the enemy constantly tries to do is the enemy tries to put a label on you. The enemy tries to take the worst thing that you have ever done in your life and say that is who you are. The enemy tries to determine your value by your performance. The enemy tries to make a highlight of the lowest point of your life. The enemy tries to make a highlight of the lowest point of your life. This is the language of the enemy. This language is called condemnation. Condemnation is a building term, which means unfit for use. But Jesus is going to look at this man and he is going to say no, no, no, no, you are not invalid. You are not an invalid, but you are very, very valid.

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You see, the reality is is that only Jesus can tell you who you are. You see, the enemy constantly tries to get us to define ourself by our scars, by our past, by our sins, by our addictions, by our affairs, by our mistakes, by the time that we made mistakes, whatever it is. But Jesus says no, no, no, you are not defined by your scars, you are defined by my scars. You see, jesus gets to tell us who we are and, according to Jesus, you and I are more than conquerors. According to Jesus, you and I are not lame, you and I mount up with wings like eagles. That you and I are not orphans, but you and I are sons of the most high king. That you and I are not crooked and wretched and broken, but you and I are holy and blameless and righteous.

Speaker 2: 3:53

And so the reality is, if that's who we are, in Christ, then why in the world do we put up with the labels that this world tries to put on us? You see, this world knows that the world slaps a label on us. It doesn't have to deal with us anymore. It only has to deal with that label. And I hope and I pray that you could see God in the way that he sees you, that the face of the Lord towards you is not that of like begrudging frustration because he's so aggravated with you.

Speaker 2: 4:25

But if you are in Christ, then the righteousness of Christ is on you and you are not invalid. That when Christ died on the cross and he pushed up on his nail-pierced feet and he said it is finished. If you believe that counted for you, then you were made valid. Jesus Christ himself has validated you and you are of great worth because you are not your own. You are bought at a price and you need to believe it Now. Obviously, if you know this Bible story or this Bible event, you know what happens. Jesus is going to heal this man. Now, how silly would it be for two or three weeks later to see this man laying back on that mat again? Why? Because walking people don't lay on a crippled man's mat. So do not believe the labels of this world. May you believe you are who God tells you you are. You are bought and paid for, redeemed and cleaned, that you are a son of the most high king.

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Now may we act like you a son of the Most High King. Now may we act like it. Thank you for listening to today's episode Before you go. If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review. Stay sharp.