Ryan Swanson: Luke chapter 5. Luke chapter 5. This is a burden that's been on my heart for a while since before I knew, well, even before I knew I was going to be speaking here.

This is something the Lord was doing in my heart here. It's from Luke chapter 5. Conversation with the publicans, with the Pharisees, and Jesus Christ, as we look here in verse number 29.

Let's start right in here. Luke chapter 5, verse 29. And Levi made him, this is Matthew, who was just called to Jesus in the verses previous.

And Levi made him a great feast in his own house, and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. But the scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners? This question coming up already, right from the beginning here, right out of the gate, You have something from these wise guys, the Pharisees, right out from the beginning.

Jesus, if you are God, why are you hanging out with the low lives? Why are you with them? Now, it's an interesting thing if we were going to look at the group, the Pharisees.

I think there's a couple different reasons you could say that the Pharisees were upset, were ticked off. Did they believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God? No, they did not.

then why do they care who he's hanging out with? Well, see, they're offended in this place. Because even if you are a false messiah, you should at least have the respect and the courtesy to come and make your claims to us, the religious leaders.

And if you ask, I wonder if Jesus had done that, if he had gone to the scribes and the Pharisees, the religious leaders from the beginning, I wonder if maybe some more of them would have said, well, at least he knew who to talk to around here. So maybe I'll give him a pulpit for a little bit and let him speak. Maybe there is something to him, but that's not what Jesus did.

You know, it's really something, in fact, it tells us a lot about Jesus. The fact that there is even any question, that there can be any discussion today about whether or not Jesus is God. We all, I think, would agree that Jesus is divine.

We believe in the deity of Christ. But it struck me as I'm thinking through, why is that even a question? I mean, if I were God and I came down to earth, everybody would know it.

I would make sure that everybody would know it. It'd go right to the top, treat it to Paul, you'd head to the religious leaders. If you were the Messiah and you knew that there's people over here that are praying for a Messiah, wouldn't you go to them, hey, it's me, how you doing?

Here's my business card, I'm the Messiah. You know, wouldn't you kind of let people know? Everybody would know.

if I were God and I came to earth everybody would, why is there even how are we debating this? Because Jesus humbled himself. He took on the form of a servant.

He didn't come here to be God. He came here to be a man. And the fact that there is any, now don't get me wrong the more I read in scripture it's just it seems like all the times there's more and more proof texts to the deity of Christ.

I mean it is all throughout there. You literally cannot deny it. But the fact that there's even a discussion shows so much about our humble Savior, Jesus Christ.

He didn't come to those Pharisees. He didn't come to the religious leaders. That's not what he was looking for.

Oh, he could have. He would have got an audience from the beginning, different audience. He would have, but that wasn't his purpose.

Where did he go? He went to us. He went to the low lives, those that were struggling, those that were sick.

Let's look at Jesus' response here to those Pharisees in verse 31. And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

This is just a couple verses after he called who? Matthew, Levi, the tax collector. Man, and he called him.

Why do you think Matthew's sitting there, this guy claims to be the Messiah, calls him to follow him? Why me? Don't you know who I am?

I'm Matthew. People hate me. The Jews, man, he was ripping off Jews left and right.

Do you think Matthew said, I wonder if it's because of my math skills. That's why he wants me on the team. I'm a mathematician.

Man, I'm going to support the Messiah's cause by ripping off Jewish folks the whole way. We got this. I'm a part of the team.

Do you think that's what, is that why God called him? No. I don't think there is any question.

When God was calling people, hey, here's Peter. Peter, you look like a good fisherman. Why don't you come up?

No, he wasn't looking like a good, he caught him at a bad moment, didn't he? Peter wasn't looking like a good fisherman. He couldn't catch fish, let alone men.

All right? God wasn't trying to, Jesus wasn't just looking for all those that had it all together. He wasn't looking for the righteous.

He wasn't attracted to them. He was with those that needed him. Now the question is, did the Pharisees need him?

Now it's kind of cold here what Jesus is saying at first if you just look at it, because don't we all need Jesus? And so, what right does he have just to come to a select group of needy people and leave out these quote-unquote righteous? Even those righteous Pharisees, did they need Jesus?

They absolutely did. They absolutely did as much as anyone on this earth has ever needed Jesus. Those Pharisees needed Jesus.

But they didn't want Him. They wouldn't admit their need. They didn't want Him.

And Jesus was going to spend time with someone else. I think I'd be speaking to a majority in here to say that we have accepted Christ. But let's just talk about our salvation when we realize our need for Jesus Christ.

I'm not bringing up a stool in here to preach on, don't worry, Pastor, but I'm going to use it. If anything, we'll be standing on it preaching today. Walk out.

When we realize our need for Jesus Christ as our Savior, we say, oh, Jesus, I need you because I just have learned that if I don't have you in my life and I die, I'm going to spend an eternity in hell. Is that true? Absolutely, 100%.

Jesus, I've just learned that if I don't have you, I, there's no way I can enter into heaven. No way. There's no way.

Without your righteousness, Jesus, I can't do it. So Jesus, I need you. And the majority of us in here, not everyone, but the majority of us have come to a point where we realize I'm a sinner.

I'm hell bound with my sin. There is absolutely no way. It qualifies me for a place in hell and disqualifies me from going through the gates of heaven.

There's no way I can do it on my own. I have to put 100% of my trust in Jesus Christ. And so we say, Jesus, come into my life.

I need you. I need you. So Jesus comes.

Is he there? Does he come? Man, he's right there.

Right there. And so he comes into our life, and you say, Jesus, okay, I've got a spot for you right here. Right here.

Come into my life. Sit on the stool. I've got a place for you, Jesus.

I need you. I need you right here. And Jesus walks into our lives and, okay, but immediately he starts noticing some other things.

Man, I could help you out here. I could clean up over here. Do you mind?

Have you ever had someone in your home that's a little bit too nosy? Man, that struck a chord. How many pastor's kids are in here?

All right, all right. Now, I can say this because I'm a pastor's kid as well. And some have said that pastor's kids are, and this is sad, this is nothing to laugh about, but are the most rebellious ones in the church.

Now, I hope that's not always the case, but some have said that they could go from church to church and they could always pick out the pastor's kids. Now, that's terrible. I hope that's not the case with any represented here.

But what about MKs? Any MKs? Oh, don't raise your hands.

No, that's good. MKs? MKs?

I tell you, as pastor's kids, there was something about MKs. Something about MKs. Missionary's kids.

Missionary's kids. Now, I've got friends that are missionaries' kids, and again, I hope I'm wrong, and I'm sure this doesn't represent anyone here, but when a missionary kid would come and stay in my room, they would get into everything. I don't know what it was, but my brother, my dad would say, hey, we're going to have so-and-so over missionaries there in town.

No! And everything's out of the closet. I mean, just into everything.

And again, I know missionaries' kids that there are exceptions, but very few. They're into everything. And I wonder if when Jesus comes in, when we need him, we say, come into my life, Jesus.

Come in. You're welcome. You're welcome right here.

And just like me trying to keep the missionaries' kids closets. I'm saying, Jesus, this is where we need you. And Jesus said, well, I thought you called me because you needed me.

Oh, I need you. I need you right here. I thought you called me because there was something wrong.

There was something you wanted me to do. You want me to fix. You want me to heal.

And I need you just in case. I need you when I die. But until then, I'm doing okay.

I'm doing okay. Just stay right here. But there's another aspect to this picture we could unlock with what Jesus said, which is just absolutely jarring.

In verse 31, they that are whole need not a what? Physician. What is that?

A doctor. And Jesus is called the great what? Physician.

You mean the man that I just welcomed into my life is not just a lifesaver. He's a doctor. So he's looking at my symptoms saying, we can do something about that.

Now, there's bad news. You've got some problems. But we can do something about that.

And Jesus is looking. But Jesus, I called you here for one purpose. I put my trust in you for one purpose.

I wanted you to save me from sin and hell. But all these other things you're pointing to, I'm not sure about all that. And Jesus is relegated to a stool in the corner of our hearts.

That's it. That's all the room He has. And I think we have a misunderstanding of who our Jesus is.

Sometimes we picture Jesus as just someone we just want with us. Jesus, I want Your presence with me now. I need Your presence.

Should we have the presence of the Lord? Absolutely. Relegated to the corner on a stool.

sometimes we see Jesus like an angel floating around just looking for cute little groups of saints to pour out His blessing on. Oh, Jesus, bless us. We need You.

He's a doctor. He's a doctor. He could come and say, oh, I'll bless you, yeah, and then right on top of all your sin and disease and care nothing about it.

He wants to do so much more than just pour out blessings on you. He wants to fix you. You don't need to turn in there, but let me read you a verse in Ezekiel 34, 16, which tells us why Jesus came.

He said, I will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick. Does that sound like a little angel going around blessing all the saints? Does that sound like a doctor who came to get some work done?

Man, that's my Jesus. He came to do something. He came to fix something.

He came to find something. But you know how much we can limit our Jesus based on our own will. He's not going to come and say, I don't care, Ryan, what you think.

I'm coming and cleaning up everything in your house. That's not how He works. Let me read you something.

This is in The Price and Power of Revival by Duncan Campbell. He says, We know that God can give us a great many things, but He cannot give us His best gifts unless we hunger for them. For instance, He says, He cannot make a man wise if he refuses instruction.

He cannot save a man from his sins if that man wills to hold on to his sins with both his hands. He cannot make a man holy if he has no aspirations after a holy life. We've relegated Jesus to a corner.

I know I need you, but here's the problem. I don't want you. Do you know what I do want?

I want that good feeling you bring when you come. But as Mr. Bosler just mentioned, there's plenty of other things that can give you a good feeling.

Here's what happens. And friends, this is tragic. This is tragic.

Jesus sitting here on the stool. And as any good doctor would, says, you know what?

I'll be here when you need me but call me when you want me call me when you want me there's a whole lot more I want to do for you but that's up to you now I have no way implying that you can lose your salvation and that God is leaving you for good but here's what I can tell you there's two different aspects of God's presence in your life there's one that's called the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and that is given to every single

believer every believer without exception, the Holy Spirit moves in. You become a temple of the Holy Ghost. That's salvation.

But there's something else that is called the filling of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the grace, with the peace of God to accomplish things He has for you, when you know the power of God because it has filled up every corner, every closet, when you have given God full leave in your heart, the fullness of God.

And while I am not saying that the indwelling in that Holy Spirit is just going to leave you alone and you'd be destined to hell again, here's what happens. When you try to relegate Jesus to a stool, the presence of God, the fullness of God, the power of God, the peace of God, all will walk out. It's gone.

It's gone. You say, but I'm saved. How come I don't know the presence of God?

Because you put them in a stool on the corner of your room. And doctors don't stay sitting around when they're sick people to be healed. Any good doctor would say, look, I've got people that need me.

I've got people that want me. And I've got people that trust me. and I'm going to hang around the sick folks.

And he walks out of the Pharisees' lives because they're righteous. They don't need him. Oh, they need him, but they don't.

They're not admitting it. He walks out of our lives because we don't need him. Oh, we need him, but we don't.

We can do just fine without him. You've heard my father-in-law say, Dr. Jim, if you can live without God, you will.

You will. You will. Because he's on his way out.

If you can do it, go ahead. Pharisees, go ahead and live your life. Seems like you've got it all together.

If you're wondering why I'm with the sick people, it's because I'm a doctor. That's what I do. Friends, this is tragic.

This is so tragic. And I think some of you, some of you might be at this point. You might be there.

Jesus who said that I will seek that which was lost, bring that again, that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, will strengthen that which was sick. You know what the problem is? Here's what it is.

If it ain't lost, you can't find it. A little bit of southern lingo, okay? Forgive me.

If it ain't left, you can't return it. If it ain't broke, you can't fix it. And if it ain't sick, you can't heal it.

The four things Jesus said, I'm coming to do this. Are you lost? Are you lost?

Or are you just putting on something? I mean, I'm not talking about what's going on. I mean, we are.

We are sick. We are broken. We know that.

But I mean, you know, here's the problem. When I look out in a group and I see you walking today, I don't see a whole bunch of lost, sick crowd. I don't see a broken need fixing.

But that's just the problem. Is who do you look more like, the Pharisees? Or do you look more like Levi, the tax collector?

And that crowd. Who do you talk like? You talk more like someone who is humbled and understands their need, or you talk like the Pharisees and like you're above everyone else.

Who's Jesus going to hang out with? If He was here today, and I trust He is, who would He be hanging out with? The good news is, friends, that people are being healed.

But the question is, are you? Are you? What about the prodigal son?

Was there a time when the father ran after the prodigal son? Was there a time when he ran to him after he left? Was there?

Yes or no? Yes, there was. Was that time, as soon as that son walked out, took his inheritance left, oh, no, no, no, come back.

You don't know what's ahead of you. Was that the time he ran after him? No, no, no.

Was it when he heard the gossip going around town? You know your son's out there drinking and sleeping around, and you know what your son's doing? Oh, man, and then he says, I didn't realize he was going to do that.

I'm going to go out there and get him. Is that when he ran after his son? No, that's not when it happened.

When did he run after his son? When his son realized he was lost. When his son was sick and he turned.

Now remember this. Jesus is always right there for you. Right there.

Oh yes, he walked out. His presence is gone. But as soon as you're willing to say, Jesus, I'm sick.

I need you. He's there. He is right there.

He is waiting for those words. He is ready for you wherever you're at. He is there.

But He's not going to come running after you a moment sooner. That's not how the Father did it. He waited until there was a son that understood he was sick.

Now I'm ready. Now I'm home. I'm here.

So many times what drives us to a point of calling Jesus back is something tragic. It's a point in our lives where God strategically plans a scenario to bring you to rock bottom. Where he plans something in a way that only he could.

To bring you back to your need for God. Now many of you know what I'm talking about. Because you've already experienced something like this.

Some of you have no idea. But you will. You will.

and it's something different for every person. If it's someone who has a viewing addiction, it's going to be when it comes out. And it's like everybody knows it.

It's when you're discovered. Somebody found the search history. Boom, there it is.

It's out. I can't put on a show anymore. It's like everybody knows.

Solomon in Proverbs 5 describes what I think was a similar situation where he says, I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and the assembly. Whoa. I don't know what that was.

was, but that sounds like it was pretty awkward. God has a way of bringing us to rock bottom. For someone with an anger problem, it might be when that final outburst comes out and hurts way more people than we ever wanted to, than we ever expected we would.

Whatever it is, God brings you to rock bottom when you know you need Him. And what do you do? Oh, Jesus.

Oh, Jesus. Come back. come back.

I need your presence. I need your power in my life. You can't leave me.

I understand it now. I need you, Jesus. Don't leave me.

Like Peter sinking in the waves. Jesus, I need you. I need you.

Does Jesus come back? He's back right now. The doctor's here.

He's there. And he comes into our life and we say, okay, Jesus, I need you. I need you.

And he says, I've heard that before. and we say, but it's different. Jesus, this time I want you.

Jesus, I want you. So Jesus, please, have a seat and let's talk it through. He said, last time I tried to point, that's okay, Jesus, we can talk about it now.

Let's talk about it. Let's talk about what's going on in my life because it's affecting other people now. It's getting bigger.

Let's start talking about and dealing with whatever you see. What do you see in me, doctor? What is it?

It hurts. And he starts pointing issues out.

you got this problem over here you ever thought about this and how that's affecting here and he gives you finally you're working this through and he gives you a diagnosis here it is this is your problem but the good news is there's a solution I want to help you so he lays out a plan and says I want you to take this step this is the next step take this right here and we say wait I thought you were going to heal me and Jesus says

yes this is this is the plan right here this is what I want you to do I want you to take this step and you say but Jesus I I didn't call you into my life to change it I called you in here to fix it and you're pointing to all these things in my life that need to change well why can't you just can't you just solve it you know what we like to do we like to call Jesus back into our life and then

tell him the plan and what it's going to look like to fix us. And when it doesn't work like we thought it would, we say, this guy's a hoax. It's not working.

I gave him a second chance. I gave him a second chance into my life to do some work and heal me. It's not working.

You know, some of you have a besetting sin. A besetting sin. something that you have tried for years to get rid of.

And now because, man, I've asked Jesus to deliver me. Man, I gave it to Him before, and He didn't fix it. He didn't heal me.

Do you remember a man who came to Jesus who was blind? And Jesus said, I want you to go and spread some mud and then wash it off. And he came back to Jesus, and he looks at Jesus and says, what do you see?

And what did he say he saw? Anybody remember? Men as trees.

Was he fixed yet? Not about you, but men and trees, there should be a pretty clear distinction there. And at some point, it's just like, I mean, you're close.

Try again. He wasn't fixed yet. So the man could have gone to Jesus and said, what is this?

You heal other people. Why can't you just… But you know what he saw?

He still saw. In the progress, he still saw the power of God. Enough to know he was coming to the right place.

He said, Jesus, this is what it looks like now. What's next? What do I need to do?

Is this it? And Jesus said, oh no. Just a second.

Go do it again. You see, there was a process. And many of us come to Jesus and say, I did it and I still fall.

I'm still a sinner. I still struggle. And so we just give up.

We just throw in the towel. No, Jesus, that is not what healing should look like, Jesus. That's not it.

I think the doctor knows. I think he knows what he's doing. And so Jesus is here, and he's saying, you said you need me.

You said you want me. But call me when you trust me. Call me when you trust me.

There's so much more that Jesus wants to do. But he cannot do it until we trust him. Until we're fully surrendered to let Him do what He needs to in our life.

We can't do it. Some of you, when Jesus is standing up and walking out right now, that's the last time you heard from Him. Oh, it may have been one issue.

One thing. Jesus, I'll do anything else. But that one little thing, He said, that's the next step.

No. No, not that. Everything else, not that.

Maybe it was in church. Maybe you left Jesus here on the stool and you showed up to church. And you sat there looking pretty just like you're doing right now.

and you're sitting there and all of a sudden Jesus shows up in the pulpit and starts talking about what we were discussing in confidence at home. Jesus, you left your stool. What right have you, Jesus, to be telling the pastor the kind of things that I need to hear?

What right do you have to be ratting on me to the evangelists? No, Jesus, we had an agreement. This was our thing.

You're my private, personal doctor. We come here and we talk on the stool. Remember that?

And Jesus shows up and he starts talking to you right out and everyone else. Everyone's all around you and it's kind of uncomfortable. Do people know that he's talking to me?

I don't know. Could be him. I don't know.

And you know he's talking to you and he's saying, hey, this is the next step. I've got something for you. And Jesus walks down, and there may have been a time that you remember.

Maybe it was at a camp. This happens all the time at camp. All the time.

Jesus says, right here's an altar. Altar call is given. Here's the next step.

Oh, no, no, not… Jesus, that's not why we're here. Now, this is…

Get this right here. We say, Jesus, we're not in church for me. This isn't about me.

This is about you, Jesus. We're here to worship You. How do you think God gets glory?

Question. Do you think those Pharisees had ever offered sacrifices before? I think they had.

Psalm 51, 16 and 17. For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it. Thou delightest not in a burnt offering.

the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. O God, thou wilt not despise. He's not looking for your sacrifices.

The Pharisees were sacrificing night and day. You name it, they had it down, and it meant nothing to God. Nothing.

He doesn't desire your sacrifices. Not like you think. As you come there and have relegated Him to a corner in your house and then you think you can come and worship and just like, there's no problem here.

No problem. I'm righteous. No Jesus.

Not at all. No doctor. Psalm 34, 18.

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and safe as such as be of a contrite spirit. You want to know who Jesus hangs out with? With the sick.

The broken. The feeble. Those that know they need Him and are willing to admit it.

Those that need Him and want Him and trust Him. There was a woman in Matthew chapter 15 that came to Jesus. She was a Canaan woman.

She had a daughter that needed Jesus. And she came to Jesus, and this was before Jesus had opened up His ministry to the Gentiles. And she came to Jesus, knowing this is a stretch, that if there's going to be a Jew talking to me, if He's going to help me being a Gentile.

And she comes, and the words used here in Matthew chapter 15, it says she worshipped Him. She worshipped Jesus. Here's a Gentile woman coming to bring her worship to Jesus.

But here's what it says. She worshiped him saying, Lord, help me. Now what kind of worship is that?

Exactly what he's looking for. Exactly what he wanted to hear. Lord, help me.

Her daughter was saved that day. Her daughter was delivered. Because someone knew how to worship.

And it wasn't the Pharisees. It was a Canaan woman. She shouldn't even have been there.

Knew she didn't stand a chance. There's nothing I have. It's all about you.

I'm going to worship. And my worship is just going to be, Lord, I need you. I need you.

That's what God's looking at. That's what He's looking for. You come to church and you think you're doing a whole lot just because you're willing to sing in the service to do this or that.

Don't get me wrong. From a surrendered heart, those things are a beautiful savor to God. Beautiful.

But when we think that God can't see through that to what's really going in our hearts, shameful. If we think that God is pleased by our sacrifices we're bringing when we've still left Him at home on a stool in the corner. Again, this could be the last that some of you have experienced the presence of God.

At a camp, maybe at a previous youth summit, whatever it is, at the very moment that you knew God was pointing something, you felt, God is working in my heart, I know it, there is no shadow of a doubt, and it, man, you get that, oh, this is exciting, this is good, until He lays out what He requires. He lays out the next step. And you say, no.

No, that's it. And you walk out of there and leave Jesus at the altar. You left Him.

You left Him there. You say, Jesus, I was willing to talk to you as long as we could do it at home on the stool. I'm comfortable with that.

But not in front of everybody else. No. No, not this altar stuff.

Maybe you did make it to the altar. Maybe you got here and Jesus says, okay, you see that preacher over there? I want you to go talk to that preacher.

That's the next step. That's the next step in your healing. I want you to go and talk to this pastor.

I want you to go and talk to your parents. Oh no! No, no, that wasn't part of the deal.

No, no, no, I'll come to the altar, but we're not going. No, we're not talking. Are you sick or not?

Is he the doctor or not? do you trust him? Do you trust him no matter what he prescribes?

Because he is the doctor. The last time we heard from Jesus, why would we ever call him back up? Why would we come back?

Many of you are so calloused to that call from the Holy Spirit now. You've heard it before. Nope, didn't work.

Didn't work the way I planned it, so nope, we're not going there. And you're so calloused. What's going to bring you back to a point when you'd be willing to do that?

That might be another situation where God brings you to rock bottom and you realize your need. More than likely, it's going to be just a frustration with having no idea who God is. These people around me, I can tell they're meeting with God and I just, there's nothing.

Empty. I want to I want and maybe legitimately you want to serve God you want to hear from God but there's just that one spot I don't know about that area I just can't quite do it and what's going to bring you next time next time back is again Dr.

Jim has said it when you're sick of your sickness there was a point and actually when I was still living here that I was walking around the house and about ready to leave about ready to put my shoes on, but while I was still in my socks, I stepped on something.

I felt something going to my foot, and it was just a little bit uncomfortable at first, and I looked, and I couldn't find anything, but as I walked on it, it just, oh man, something is definitely there, and I checked it again that night, and I could not find anything, and there's something going on in my foot, so I eventually, I have different family members checking out my feet, see if they can find it. My dad's digging in there. My mom's digging.

My sister and no she wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole. But my dad's in there and they can't find anything. And he can see where there's a little mark there.

There's got to be a piece of glass or a needle or something. Something's in my foot. It's driving me crazy.

I thought maybe it's it's out. It's just kind of you know the effects of it. So we'll just see if it'll walk it off.

A couple weeks go by. I'm like, man, starting to swell up a little bit. And finally, I was like, I can't.

I can't. And nobody else, they don't see anything in me. My whole family checked it out.

They don't. It looks fine to me. You're good.

And I'm thinking, I'm not good. Something is wrong. We went over to Freighter right across the way here and walked in.

And I got to see. I got to see a doctor. We're done with this.

We're done with this. Something's in my foot. And so they, okay, we'll get you looked at.

All right. So they go and they make you wear that silly gown. I'm thinking, why?

It's my foot. Let me just take my sock off. You know?

At least let me keep my long johns or something, you know? But no, it's that silly gown that you've got to put on. And so I'm laying out there and the doctor says, all right, so we're going to feel a little bee sting here as we put that.

That's the worst bee sting. That's a lie is what that is. But anyway, now it's numb and they got that in.

and he takes a knife and he starts digging around back there. Now at that point I can't feel much. But at one point he finally says oh wow, would you look at that?

And I'm thinking what is it? What is back there? And he says man you wait until you see this.

And he pulls out this sliver of glass that had been in my foot. Big old long thing shows it to me. Oh, wow.

That was in there? Yep, yep, that was in there. He let me take it home as a souvenir.

Got this sliver glass. Now, as soon as that Novocaine or whatever it is wore off, do you think my foot hurt? Yeah.

He was digging around in there in a knife. It hurt worse than before. But how do you think I felt?

Man, I was jumping up and down. It's gone. It feels amazing.

I mean, it hurts. It hurts worse than it did. But it's amazing because I know the problem is gone.

Do you know many of you, you go and you confess and it feels amazing. But the problem's not gone yet. You confess and you get it.

Here's the thing with confession. You will never have victory without confession. You will never.

It always starts there. It always starts there, but it never ends there. It doesn't.

You feel, oh, man, this is great. I mean, good, I got checked out. Great, I told the doctor.

Man, I got something in my foot. Great, have a good day. So glad we covered that.

Didn't accomplish anything. Now, that's the first step, but there's more. There's more.

And what some of you need to do is have an operation, and it's going to hurt.

it's going to hurt and you say well how long is it going to hurt for I don't know but it will be healed but the problem is gone there's going to come a time and I hope it's today for some of you I hope it's today when you say I am sick of what's going on in my life I am sick of Jesus not being in here anymore I'm sick of relegating him to a stool and trying to put on a face like he's everything for

me I am sick of this I'm sick of saying no to God. I'm sick of quenching the Holy Spirit. I'm sick of it.

We're going to get this fixed. And you call again. Jesus.

Oh, Jesus. Oh, Jesus. It's me again.

Don't you remember me? Don't you remember me, Jesus? It's been so long since we've talked.

will you come back will you heal me does he come oh friends he's there he's there we say Jesus come in I've got a problem he says I know it's been there the whole time I tried to tell you I'm sorry Jesus I know Jesus says are you ready do you need me yes Jesus I need you do you want me Oh, I want you, Jesus, please. Do you trust me? Yes, Jesus, I trust you.

He says, then have a seat. In fact, lay out here. There's an operation that needs to happen.

We're going to get this solved. We're going to get this fixed. The doctor at work.

Finally. Friends, I hope you know you need for Jesus. But do you want him all through your life?

Do you want him in every corner? Do you really want the healing that he has to offer? The good news is, people are being healed.

The question is, are you?