Mark 2_1_12 Brief

Title: Raising the Roof

Text: Mark 2:1-12

Intro: There are lots of ways to gather a crowd. – water park – advertised free wrestling down town- said it was better than the WWE – the problem isn’t drawing crowds but what to do with the crowd. As a boy I loved wrestling – Hulk Hogan – Brutus the Barber Beefcake – etc. If I went to that match it is possible I would have been disappointed.

As Jesus entered into Capernaum the news had spread that the Man who taught with authority and who acted with authority healing the sick and casting out demons had returned. So naturally a large crowd gathered. Jesus was inside the house (possibly Peter’s house) preaching the good news to the crowd which was so large that people were busting out of the doors and there wasn’t room for even one more person, and there came 5 men to him. One on a mat/stretcher the others carrying him. The man on the mat was Paralyzed.

Those who came to Jesus with the right heart – surely did not leave disappointed.

CPS: Jesus is faithful to heal the faithful

There are a few Characters that emerge from this setting.

I.The Paralyzed Man Vs.3

A.Seriousness of his sickness

Palsy – Greek word is to be paralyzed- The man at best could not walk for himself at worse could possibly move his head.

-Injury or born with it (Spina bifida)

-Complications

Illustration: Between the great things that we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing.

Seriousness of his sickness – the inability to do anything about it.

B.The source of his sickness

I don’t believe God punished this man for the sins of his parents nor his sin by striking him with paralysis.

But, the underlying cause of all sickness is in fact….. sin.

Vs. 5 “Your sins be forgiven,” for nobody could prove whether or not the man’s sins were indeed forgiven. So, Jesus backed up His word of forgiveness with a word of healing, and the man would go home whole.

The source of his sickness, the sin of mankind

Illustration: Lake Eufaula fishing with Johnny David and seeing a snake coiled up in the creek, I was stricken with paralysis- I couldn’t do anything, I could do nothing be freeze!

Sin leaves us paralyzed – helpless in our inability to stand before God

Transition: The second character I want you to see is the Persistent Men

II.The Persistent Men Vs.4

Resolve

-the House

The obstacle of the great crowd did not deter the persistent men

A.Filled with determination

Determination – purposefulness

Illustration: A young fellow wanted to be a star journalist but lived in a small town (not much possibility). One day the dam upstream broke and the town was flooded. He got in a rowboat and headed out to look for a story. Found a lady sitting on her rooftop. He tied up the boat and told her what he was after. (They both watched as various items floated by). She says, "Now there's a story." "No, that's not a story." Finally a hat floats by and then does a 180 degree turn, goes upstream a ways and does another 180 degree turn, etc. The fellow says, "There's a story." "Oh no, that's not a story. "That's my husband Hayford. He said that he was going to mow the lawn come hell or high water!"

B.Filled with expectation

Vs. 5 …. Seeing their faith!

Faith of the man – the things

Faith of the four men – the things

Ultimately – who did they trust

Illustration: Rone Regency Jewelers – 11 years – 3 to 4 times a year – persistency pays off

We need some friends like that don’t we? Yes! Persistent friends!

We need to be friends like that!

2nd Cor. 5:20 – plead - you to come to Christ!

Transition: The 3rd Character – Paralyzed man, the persistent man

The Perfect Man Vs.5-12

Jesus took one look at their faith and said your sins are forgiven (*faith can be seen through your actions, this man was getting to Jesus no matter what obstacle) but the religious folks said in their hearts, what did He say, He is blaspheming, Only God can forgive sin. Little did they know God was in their presence.

The test He proposed

What is easier? Sins are forgiven or get up and walk?

10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He *said to the paralytic, 11 I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.”

I am going to show you something great so you will know who “I AM”

It is just as easy to say one as the other. But it is equally impossible, humanly speaking, to do the one as it is to do the other.

He had already forgiven his sin, but they couldn’t see the sin forgiven but so they would believe He said “Take up your bed and walk”

The triumph He proclaimed

Vs. 12 – He got up immediately

Look at the testimony – They all were amazed and glorified God saying “ 12b We have never seen anything like this.”

Notice – “Son of Man” - Jesus’ favorite term to identify Himself - It has overtones of both humanity and deity

To there reasoning – He is saying in an indirect way “ I AM GOD!”

Only God can forgive sin – Only God can heal like this

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NB) the paralyzed man was taken by the persistent men to the Perfect Man!

Jesus is God – The man knew where He needed to go – The men knew where they needed to take their friend.

To Jesus – God in the flesh – the only one who could do anything at all about the mans condition

Jesus the only One who can do anything at all about mankind’s condition - SIN

Application: What does this mean for us?

It asks the question….. Do we trust Jesus?

Trust Him for what? – forgiveness of sins!

Comfort? Peace? Provisions?

Trust Him for everything because He is everything?

What about when we come to Him and he doesn’t answer the way we want?

What if he had forgiven this man’s sin but left him in paralyzed state?

What if that was us, would we be ok? Would we still trust Him?

Jesus knows what’s best we can trust him!

There isn’t anything we should hold back from Him!

Do you know why the paralyzed man trusted his friends on the roof top?

Why the Persistent men trusted the roof to hold them up?

What if they had fallen? Freefall - sometimes we need to go sky diving – freefall in Christ

They would have fallen into the arms of Jesus!

Because they trusted the foundation!

Illustration: Lone Jack school – cracked wall – Bro. Wayne commented about it- Dr. Helton said it’s a problem with the foundation.

Things of the world shift – they move – they break

Jesus is the foundation in which our faith is rooted and He is the only foundation that can be fully trusted – there will be no cracks, no weak places, no shifting of ground – only firm rock solid ground

Shouldn’t we then trust Jesus enough to bring to Him our troubles?

Shouldn’t we trust Jesus enough to bring to Him our loved ones

Our friends.

As Jesus shows compassion for this paralyzed man should we show compassion for those around us? Even strangers?

Are we committed to bringing people to Jesus?

Look at the difficulty these men went through to bring their friend to Jesus – Go over difficulty –

What is our difficulty? – Go over

Better yet what is our excuse for not doing so?

Conclusion: A man needed to get to Jesus, His friends were persistent and expectant in bringing him, and Jesus was faithful to make Him whole.

What a testimony! The bed that once carried the sick man now was a sign of his cure. The four men left rejoicing. We can experience the same joy also.

Let’s raise the roof and get some people to Jesus.