Luke 5:17–26 ESV

17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

“A Call to Commit”

Today is commitment Sunday, Here is what that means. Online commitment - Tap to connect - Head to the Lobby for questions, Prayer, And help to set up your commitment.

Make Room Re Cap ….Seats Taken / Make Room / Great Opposing Forces between relationship and religion.

Call of the Heart, A Call to Pray, a Call to Contribute & finally today. A call to Commit.

The Spirit of Make Room is one that I believe pleases the Lord and this is WHY: It makes Jesus and the Church priority and whenever that is done God is pleased. Ever wondered I wonder what makes God happy? Jesus makes God happy. His beloved Son. Which is why going after what Jesus is all about, His church, really means you can’t go wrong. But regardless this is our direction…

I shared last week we need to believe and commit to giving and looking to God to provide for our 2nd phase, our major phase which is $15m which will mean the construction of the auditorium & lobby, Colonial Kids spaces and also our parking lot.

I want you to take some time this week and visit the launchpad and also to central communication spot for Make room which is website www.makeroomsta.com / You can go here and set up your pledge and do that, its where you can sign up for news alerts relating to the project…. And see progress as well. But go to the website because I believe it will build your faith and help you come around your commitment.

The truth is this: we are so much better, all together. Do you believe that?

(My prayer is this: that everybody in our church: will pray and hear from God and commit something).

Is that ok>

Because I want us all to be in on this together. Because God loves our unity, but I want us all to get to experience the blessing of all this together. As a father to our house ill say it this way: I don’t want anyone to miss out.

But you may be sitting here today saying “well how do I do this, how does this relate to me, how does this involve me… how do I come around this… and I want to share with you today from Gods word how we all can do that

And Gods word as always is the lamp to our feet and a light to our path: let’s look again at our passage

The men who carried this man to get healed by Jesus…. Did not Miss out: and this passage is our guide for our commitment to this and our 4 points:

1.COMMIT TO THE LORD.

Whatever You commit, You need to understand - your not just giving to a church, your not just making a donation (although all giving is tax deductible)… Your making a contribution to the Lord:

Remember exodus 35:5

Exodus 35:5 “Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;”

They weren’t just doing a nice deed. They were bringing this person, this paralyzed man TO JESUS. This was a different thing altogether.

We are bringing an offering, a gift, a commitment TO THE LORD.

They brought him to the ultimate power source. Jesus Christ. But they recognized something about JESUS: He was the ONLY ONE WHO COULD HELP THEIR FRIEND.

Maybe they’d tried a bunch of stuff already….

maybe they’d heard something

I think they were desperate. But I think they had heard what was happening and they saw an opportunity for their friend. If Jesus can do it for them, He can do it for our friend.

Luke 5:18 “And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus,”

This is important. We don’t just think Jesus is AN answer.. We believe HE IS the answer

Do you believe that?>

That he is the king of kings and Lord of Lords?

The Issue was this:

The man needed Healing to his bodyThe Pharisees needed healing for their souls

The paralyzed man was wasting away on the outside… But Jesus knew the Paharsees were corrosive on the INSIDE (they missed it, but he got it).

The reason the Pharisees are in this story because it displays who Jesus is to us. The only one, who can set you free on the OUTSIDE.. and the INSIDE

Jesus was there to heal not just a man, but the as well…

Just remember when you commit to MAKE ROOM, this is TO THE LORD. Not to anything else. But to the LORD.

He is the name above all the other names.

2.COMMIT TO THE MIRACLE

Luke 5:17 “On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.”

In other words: miracles were at HAND

A miracle is at hand in our midst right now. God is moving miraculous hand of God is now.

These men were committed to the miracle at hand. What God was doing right now thing that God is doing…They could sense it, they clearly had a revelation that Jesus would be able to do it for they’re friend.

They were committed to the supernatural. Are you?

What is a miracle you are believing for? Have you considered that God would do a miracle for you. maybe MAKE ROOM is the pathway God is making available as you commit to him, you’ll believe him for the miraclulous?

Make room is just simply away for provide a means of access to bring about a miracle in your life.you see maybe you’ve given up on your miracle but God hasn’t given up he’s showing up.

Healings, Physical, Spiritual

Relationships restored

Marriages coming together instead of breaking apart

A son or a daughter discovering the Love of Jesus for themselves? Prodigal’s returning.

What is it? Have you prayed about it = have you sought JESUS for yourself. Don’t MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY

****it says that when He saw THEIR faith - He said to the MAN YOUR SINS are forgiven. So was this like a passive miracle??? No I believe Jesus knew it was in him as well. He saw their faith. Maybe it was him that said to his friends. Get me to Jesus boys I know he can do it, Maybe it was one of them I don’t know. All I know is that there was a trust, a reliance, a dependence on Jesus to do WHAT NO ONE ELSE COULD DO.

What is it in your life, that only GOD could do…..? Maybe its time to pray for along with a commitment Believe for God to do that

*****

The miraculous doesn’t make sense: this didn’t make any sense. But Jesus saw the the Pharisees attitude is what truly didn’t make sense so they were focused on their earthly seat their position of power also they thought they achievement their accomplishment their pious attitude kept them from the miraculous

****I REMEMBER THE SEAT I GOT SAVED IN: I remember what it looked like, the color, generally in my own mind I can remember. That was my seat I sat in when I first heard the gospel preached…..

It’s interesting the seat it says that they were sitting so they obviously had a seat. Have you ever thought? I wonder if you or I have a seat in heaven… Have you ever wondered if your seat here on earth is connected to your seat in heaven?

What if we began to view our seats differently?

It’s gonna take $15 million for a second phase to build the auditorium COLONIAL kid Spaces and parking spots so a seat in the auditorium seats in COLONIAL kids and seats for everyone’s cars!

So to make the math easy 1500 seats, $15 million is the cost, that’s $10,000 per seat

maybe you can commit to giving over and above to see one seat taken care of

Maybe you can do more than that, maybe you can do a row of seats

Maybe you can do part of a seat

Whatever it is, this is what we know - Each one is a miracle this side of heaven we will never know its impact:

But he’s with the miraculous comes… We know the cost of that seat. We also know that it’s a seat, but we could never know how many people will sit in that seat how many people God will that seat seats true impact will be only God knows

We know the cost, and on this side: on earth and and in one service = one person can sit in it

But GOD knows… How much our seed will multuiply in terms of impact,

Remember what it says in second Corinthians we read other week so what is God love he loves a cheerful giver, but not only that it goes say that he has supplies seed to the and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for and increase the harvest of your

2 Corinthians 9:10

“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.”

See this is where this contribution is like no other: its subject to the math of heaven: ONLY GOD IS THE ONE WHO KNOWS HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THAT SEAT WILL EXPERIENCE GODS GRACE AND BE GIVEN A SEAT IN HEAVEN AS WELL.

Could be hundreds, could be thousands… could be hundreds of thousands

The question today is this:

Will you commit to the miracle?

3.COMMIT TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES

Luke 5:19 “but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus.”

These man - who carried their friend. They made a decision, but at some point they weren’t over the line into the commitment part:

Probably when they arrived at the house. Hustle and bustle. People everywhere. The could have said “ oh well” but they didn’t. That made a commitment. They determined. They persevered. They did whatever it took to get their friend to be in front of Jesus.

*****

There is a difference between a decision and a commitment. That’s why this Sunday is not called “decision Sunday” we want you to pray and be led to make a decision. But there is a difference between a decision an a commitment

A commitment is informed by a decision, but a commitment is greater because it completes what the decision was intended for

Cambridge Dictionary:

to promise or give your loyalty, time, or money to a particular principle, person, or plan of action

A commitment requires prayer, listening, deciding, obeying and then persevering

And what that equals in God’s economy is faithfulness

We want to be a people that are found faithful. Faithful stewards of what God has given us to do

Luke 12:42 ESV

And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?

Lifetime accomplishment awards:

You heard these? I love it when they do I love people stories in have the different countries have different national accomplishment awards here in the US. We have some amazing things that we give people to recognizing great service.

You know what I think about these guys… I genuinely think that this was the greatest thing that they did with their whole lives. Based on the miracle and what it says don’t know their don’t know their don’t know their don’t have their bio on Wikipedia or LinkedIn. All we know is that Jesus was healing people and they did what it takes to get their friend there and it was their faith combine with God’s amazing power and a miracle took place.

What if our job all of this what if it’s our single greatest accomplishment to make room? To buy a seat to find a way to do whatever it takes with determination and and I believe you want to heal people I believe you want to change lives.

Maybe this is our opportunity maybe God is actually giving us a chance to do something so significant that eternity will meet many many people because of the sacrifice

You hear people say all the when I get to heaven, I can’t wait to go and find the great heroes of the faith I want to go find Abraham I go find Moses. I heard it past one time and it changed me but what what if you did actually find the apostle Paul And you asked him hey what was it like doing ministry? What was it like? Serving Jesus back then and then of course he would go on and say well you know I had a missionary journey to hear and another one to hear and God did amazing things and God showed up, but you know they’re probably could be a time conversation where things turned back to you and maybe will ask you tell me about your missionary journey. What did you do?

I just have a great sense today in my spirit that this is one of those moments where believe together to make room for many people and maybe we’ll get to one day and have a conversation and say something like I went on a journey God lead me from Sydney to Atlanta to New York, but eventually he sent me to Saint Florida and there that we knew God was doing something he was healing people. He was saving people. He was changing people so we put down some roots. He laid the foundation, but we got to build on it With him…. And we made room.

I’ve said this before, but I really believe that if we all do this together, it’s gonna be so much better, but if it’s not left to just a few people, but if everybody and takes up the opportunity to commit and contribute to the Lord, the will not only breathe on it But miracles that we have never seen before and the best part is that get to see it together and we’ll all get to experience it as a

4.COMMIT TO SEE IT WITH YOUR OWN EYES

Luke 5:24 ESV

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

Luke 5:25 ESV

And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.

See these guys don’t know did they not miss out but everyone that day got to see the miracle

Luke 5:25–26 ESV

And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

Wouldn’t it be amazing to get there to see it to experience it to walk in and out of that place and see God doing incredible things

Why don’t we all stand….. Grab that card in your hand.