Sermon Tone Analysis

Raising the Roof

 

 

Our title for this mornings sermon is entitled People who raised the roof and let their friend down.

I want to talk about the love of Jesus.

In fact the Bible tries to let us understand exactly how God's love is toward us.

In Isaiah 66:13 tells us that God's love for us is likened to that of a relationship between Mother and child.

This is one of the first sermons this year that I'll be preaching about relationships.

The very existence of this church suggest that you and I in it are representatives of a higher authority.

It should suggest my brethren that we are ambassadors of the President of the universe.

We are members of the CHA, Central Heavenly Agencies,  We are all about the FBI, Fathers Business and Interest.

We are on a mission it is one that cannot fail and for prognosticators or prophets who continue to proclaim that this church will not reach it's intended purpose,  for those who would not be guided by love but belly ache and complain I've got news for you this morning.

You can raise the roof all you want, but no one who believes Jesus and what He says will not be disappointed but is going to come through life on top!!

I suggest to you today that this church was built for the purpose of Salvation, It was founded by Jesus and if we as individuals want eternal life and we trust God and follow Him,  no matter how much Hell the devil raises we cannot be lost.

\\ Mark 2:1-13 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.

So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.

Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.

Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that?

He's blaspheming!

Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things?

Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Get up, take your mat and walk'?

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...."

He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."

He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.

This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" Once again Jesus went out beside the lake.

A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them.

(NIV)

 

 

First of all we ought to ask ourselves a question here who is this man?

The bible says that he was one sick of the palsy,  He was a paralytic.

A mere cripple, a disgusting sinner according to the people of his day.

For in those days people believed that anyone who was suffering,  afflicted or diseased it was because they were great sinners.

But Jesus dispelled that stereotype  in John 9  when the disciples asked Him about why a certain man was blind.

Whose fault was it his parents or his.

Christ said neither .

.   .

But in this case, yes it was true that he might have had alot of buds, he may have smoked 6 packs of Marlboro's daily,  Maybe he was a drug dealer and used it heavily,  Maybe he was one who hopped from bed to bed.

This was the kind of person that if he came to Jesus he would have a long list of yea I broke all the 10 commandments.

One day all his smoking all his drinking all his gambling all his bed hoping got him into trouble.

Wrong will always be wrong no matter how we might feel and what we might say to justify it.

But what we need to understand is that in the worst way the devil wants to stamp out humanity.

In the worse way he wants to destroy all of us.

Because we are the object of God's love and salvation we are the target of Satan's hate and destruction.

And the devil will use all the devices and cunning he can muster to get us to choose to destroy ourselves.

He will fix up sin in attractive manner to bring us down and like the story of Snow White and the seven dwarfs make an apple of passion and pleasure that's looks good and taste good but it's full of poison.

Are you listening to me?!!

 

He'll wrap up a package so neat and nice, fine and good looking  you would think you got heaven on earth but all you got is a demon in bally shoes.

Man you may think you have a passion flower somebody you can turn you on, you can pick and choose and she'll never refuse but all you got is an invitation to disease.

And by the way did you hear the news that there are Physicians who state that the government is not telling us all the truth about the aids virus.

I saw a commentary on TV where Dr. Lorraine Day says that they have been telling you that the blood once exposed to air will die in a matter of moments but this lady says that's not true the HIV virus will last as long as seven days in the open air, and it can also penetrate the skin.

Also in that same documentary experts say that the virus also exist in mucous membranes such as saliva.

So in these days you not only have to worry about the one night stands, but you got to look out for the first kiss too!!

 

See that's why God doesn't want you to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

He does not trust your judgment and He knows that you do not have the perception to see beyond the exterior of individuals.

Bible says The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

God does!!

And He knows you do not have the ability to tell the future, the best you can do is just guess.

Ah but we persist and continue to blatantly walk contrary to the Word of God and flirt with unbelievers You look at the figure and the phys you smile at the witty and humorous conversations and admire the exterior.

Laugh and play and go out with them and talk on the phone then share in things you got no business sharing in going places  .   .

.

Then you fall in love, but what some don't understand is that they're flirting with disease,  they are flirting with death (cause any how you marry that person) they are flirting with broken homes, they are flirting with needless pain and stress does not have to be borne, some are flirting with bearing the pain of infidelity, some flirting with the end of their Christian relationship, 

 

But we know how to rationalize, you know love will find a way,  I'm sure that things will be different once we settle down and get married, and once he or she sees the truth they will definitely come and join the church.

God does not ask you for you opinion, He does ask me!

If He needed that He wouldn't have written this!!

There are Church folk today who are regular Subway items they make stops at other peoples bedrooms all the time with a Wife at home and girlfriend on the side.

Some folk who deal drugs, and others who deal blows physically and verbally.

There are some folk who spend their nights at set of sun on a Friday not on before the altar of worship, but before cocktail and bar.

Others wrestle with the demon of alcohol and tabacco, 

 

and this man had been through all of that sin after sin.

He probably kept telling himself I'll get a grip soon, I'll get a handle on it soon!!  Just this one time, Just this once I can always go back for forgiveness.

I'll fix it soon

 

And this thing about control is a farce,  we don't control sin, sin controls us  and we need help!!

(we talked about habits that form characters in the case of bad habits a wise professor took one of his students .

.   .

.)

The more this man sinned the deeper his habits and character became fixed,  the more he sinned, the deeper ingrained in his mind was the guilt and pain,  and the desire to come to God was pushed back by a sense of helplessness.

The more away from God he was the more of a heathen and outcast he became to his friends and one by one they disappeared except maybe those he partied with, smoked with...

He knew the evil of sin by experience,  he knew what it felt like to be an outcast and especially when he contracted  the social disease that crippled him.

He could just hear the "he got what he deserves" ringing loudly in his ears.

Guilt, embarrassment, depression ruled his soul

 

 and as his health deteriorated so did those about him.

But never the slander, never the backbiting, never the gossip, never the pain and the guilt.

He was reduced to byword among men and bedridden.

Not the mast of man he was before but now a fragment of humanity.

And so on his dying bed he remembers Jesus is in town the bible tells us it was noised about,  and what little courage he has left in himself, he asked  friends nearby take me, take me to Jesus.

In my preachers imagination I can just hear someone saying what good will that do you just about ready to die.

Now when you are on your dying bed you think about religion.

What hope could you possibly have?

and I can hear him saying I know but take me anyhow!!

He said I've tried everything else, I've tried the Pharisees and church leaders they said I too deep in sin I can't make I've got the curse of God on me.

(Church folk let him down)

 

 

You seen all the doctors and they have given up on you,  you have little time to live.

Yes I've seen all the doctors but this doctor!

this doctor is the great Physician take me there.

There is no friend that can help you 

But they say I've got a friend in Jesus take me.

Maybe I will find some kind of solace.

Maybe I'll find some relief and peace before I die.

So a few folk took him to where Jesus was, but but we have a problem, we have a problem.

bible says

 

the people heard that he had come home.

So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door,

 

He had made it to the house were Jesus was but the problem was too many people blocking the way.

You know it amazes me sometimes when I think about the long process of salvation and the long suffering of  God especially for backsliders.