Somebody Has To Go First

There's a pool in John 5 called Bethesda, which means house of mercy. An angel troubles the water at a certain season, and whoever steps in first gets healed. Just the first one. Everybody else waits for the next season.

Here's what gets me. Five porches full of blind folk, lame folk, withered folk — and not one of them is fighting to get in that water. I used to picture a mob shoving each other out of the way. But the text never says that. More likely they're all standing back watching. "You go." "No, you go." I've seen that same standoff at the altar more times than I'd like.

Why don't we want to be first? Why do we wait for somebody else to get right with God before we will? Why do we wait for somebody else to witness to the lost neighbor, somebody else to start family devotions, somebody else to get honest about the sin that's been sitting on us for years?

Procrastination is the devil's oldest trick. Not temptation to sin — permission to wait. You'll get saved later. You'll straighten up later. You'll lead your family later. Later, later, later, until later never comes.

Scarcity increases value. Only one healed per season. What's easily had is rarely appreciated. Maybe that's why God won't let you get lazy about it. He wants you hungry for it.

Quit waiting on somebody else to go first. Step into the water.

If this stirred something, don't just read about the water — go hear the whole message. Full sermon is below.

Pastor Fortunato
Founding Pastor & Preacher of the Word.
Pilgrim Baptist Church — Cookeville, Tennessee

https://pilgrimbaptist.church/
https://www.sermonaudio.com/solo/pilgrimbaptist/