Back to Church: Church on the Mountain

Announcements

Thank everyone who set up for Church on the Mountain

This week - Fall Semester - open sign-ups for small groups

Back to Church Sunday - 21 September

Known Conference - 26-27 September

Baptism Sunday - 28 September

Fall Retreat - 3-5 October

The Church in Motion

Call back to the Church

There is a Church that gathers even right here, right now - that is full of people with broken stories, and broken pasts.

There is a Church that gathers even right here, right now - that has experienced the presence of Almighty God and His redeeming power.

There is a Church that gathers even right here, right now - that is full of people whose stories have been redeemed, and their destinies changed.

There is a Church that gathers even right here, right now - that gathers under One Name - the Almighty Name of Jesus

There is a Church that gathers even right here, right now - that pursues and witnesses the power of God’s Spirit moving, directing, leading us IN MOTION in His providence, and His power.

We call this the Gathering - we call this in the Greek - the ecclesia

This gathering is God’s people, God’s anointed, and God’s CHURCH

WE ARE CHURCH

And God’s Church was NEVER intended to be stagnated.

God’s Church was never intended to be slow rolling.

God’s Church was never intended to be powerLESS.

Instead, we are on MISSION.

And I have to remind you this morning - that every single one of us are on BORROWED time.

Borrowed, because the Creator of Time has set in the timeline of human history that there will be a STOP time. A stop time for us individually, and a stop time for this world.

We’re on borrowed time, because time is running out!

The Church is in motion today, because time is running out for the Church.

We’ve been given an assignment from Heaven - all of us - each and everyone of us.

We have a limited time NOW - to make Heaven crowded.

Church, Time is running out - and we have to steward this moment - in preparing the Way of the Lord!

BIG IDEA FOR TODAY: I can bring friends to church, so they can know Jesus, too!

FAITH TO GATHER

Here’s the Scripture Reference for Today - Mark 2,

We see here in this Scripture an actionable example for the Church today:

Mark 2:1–13 NKJV

1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” 6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” 13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.

IT WAS HEARD HE WAS IN THE HOUSE

We gather today, because God is in the House

We get to see people regularly making decisions to follow Jesus, because God is in the House

We get to see people healed and set free from so many of life’s woes, because God is in the House

Church, first and foremost, we have to remember that God is in the House.

It’s the Father’s House.

It’s a place for you to grow up in and make memories in.

The Father’s House is a place to have breakfast, lunch, and supper in.

The Father’s House is a place to learn to read and to write, and take note of all God is doing in peoples’ lives.

When God is in the House - its a safe place to be, a place of security, a place of healing, a place of maturing.

When God is in the House - it’s a launching platform of where to go on mission, and where to return to for rest.

When God is in the House - and He is - we get to see the wonder-working power of the Blood of Jesus…where death must pass over because of the protection of the Blood of Jesus.

We read here in verse 6 that there were some scribes taking note of what was going on.

They weren’t happy. These learned men thought they knew and understood the workings of God.

They were the elite, studious and knowledgeable working directly with Pharisee leaders; and the notes they were taking didn’t make sense.

But God is trying to impress the thoughts and intellect of man. God isn’t trying to move to solely impress a smart man.

God is who He is. And when God is in the house, and decides to make a move in someone’s life that’s about to set them free - He’s gonna do it whether it makes sense to you and me or not.

The bottom line is, God wins, every devil’s defeated, and son and daughter of God -you are free indeed.

Come on, somebody - there are people taking note of what’s going on in your life right now. There are people watching to see if this God is real. People are watching you and your life to know is this time on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights worth investing.

You’ve got to show them, you’ve got to tell them - Hey my God is real, He’s very real in my soul - my God is real for He has washed and made me whole!

THE UNMOVABLE SET INTO MOTION

There they were - the gathering. The house Jesus was in, swarmed with people. The desperate need to hear the voice of God.

Much like we do - with a yearning, a desire. To know more, to hear more, to crave more of God.

The house so full of people, they probably should have gone to two services.

But here they are: God is in the house, and the house is packed - so much so that the back door cracked. (Toby Mac)

There was no room for one more who was lame, broken, paralyzed.

But that didn’t stop the Church - that didn’t stop the gatherers.

There was a man who needed Jesus.

This man was paralyzed. There was no motion in him.

He had no vision, and no purpose.

Broken. Unmovable.

But there was an ecclesia! There was a Church!

And they had the Answer to this man’s powerlessness!

Four men, took upon themselves to bring one more before the Lord!

Four men, decided there was still an opportunity.

Four men, decided they could not stand by any longer.

They had to bring their friend to Jesus.

They broke through the roof and the ceiling, to lower their friend down to Jesus.

Jesus sees the man - broken and powerless.

But when Jesus sees this man - he’s not focused on the powerlessness, the brokenness, the immobility, nor the unprobability.

When Jesus sees this man - he sees the faith of four other men.

Men that would not be denied their faith. Men that know Jesus is the answer. Men, devoted and intentional in bringing ONE MORE to the Master.

God sees the faith in Him to set the record straight - that those who were spiritually dead and immovable, can now be brought to life and set into motion.

God is looking for a faith like this today, Church,

He’s looking for His Church, to seek out and find those who are struggling - their spiritually unalive, they are powerless and unable to move forward in life.

And Church, He’s calling on us to bring them to Him - bring the lame, bring the paralyzed, bring those deadmen walking, bring them into His presence so He can set the record straight:

They are made clean. They are made whole. They are made right. And they are set into motion in point and purpose - so that they can be free, so that God can be glorified, and so that the whole world may know GOD IS IN THE HOUSE!

JESUS SETS THE CAPTIVE FREE

I can’t imagine what it would be like to be a paralytic.

Trapped in a body, that is immovable. Powerless. Simply, and barely, surviving.

Jesus responds to this moment of faith by the gatherers here.

Jesus responds in the supernatural first.

Jesus is more worried about the paralytic man’s eternity, than He is the momentarily.

Yes, the momentarily speaks loud right now, but the volumes of eternity quickly outblast what soon becomes yesterday.

Through the faith of four men, one more was added to life eternity with Christ.

Did you hear that? Did you read that?

Through the faith of four men - four gatherers, four concerned, four intentional, four looking out, four men of faith,

Came a 20% increase in the Kingdom of Heaven.

They brought Him to Jesus. And Jesus saved.

The scholarly didn’t bring the man.

The scribes and note takers didn’t bring the man.

The theologians didn’t bring the man.

The men of FAITH brought the man! And the man was redeemed!

Not to be outdone however. Because God doesn’t just sit back and watch.

God moves, in the face of faithlessness, God will still move.

Four men’s faith, in the face of doubting scholarly scribes,

Set’s a lame man’s feet into motion.

Because the Blood of Jesus speaks a better word over you this morning,

The Paralyzed are no longer powerless.

Because God’s sovereignty overrules sadness.

Because God’s satisfaction overrules shame.

He went ahead and moved the momentarily into suddenly.

Suddenly a powerless man is powerful.

Suddenly a broken man is put back together.

Suddenly a lame man could walk again.

Suddenly an invalid is making a declaration.

And all will see, be amazed, and glorify God.

WE ARE THE CHURCH, AND THE CHURCH IS IN MOTION

It’s time we begin expecting the suddenlies.

It’s time we begin showing up for the immediatelies.

It’s time we get back to putting faith into practice, and seeing the powerless run free.

Church, we are the gathering. We are here on the mountain to-gather.

We bring in those who need to walk again.

We bring in those who need life again.

We bring in those who have no hope - to have hope alive.

We bring in those who are hurting - to find healing.

We bring in those who don’t know God - to hear Him speak His better Word over them.

There’s an 87% chance - for the statistically inclined here today - an 87% chance when you bring a friend in, that they catch faith and find Jesus.

There’s a 13% chance that they’ll leave undecided, but can return in the future.

926 people have come through our doors in the last 2.5 years…926 souls have heard the gospel in that time. 65 decisions were made in 2025 alone to follow Jesus. Most of which came because their friend found them needing hope that can only be found in Jesus.

Jesus spoke “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And then He said a moment later, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go home.”

ALTAR RESPONSE

We are the Church - we are the ecclesia - the gatherers under the banner of Jesus Christ

We are the Church - and we are in motion.

Today, we’ve launched the Back to Church season.

It’s all about bringing people back to Church!

You know those who haven’t been here in a little bit, or in a long while!

It’s time for them to come back to the Father’s House.

It’s time for them to come back to family.

It’s time we get back on track for making Heaven crowded again.

Maybe you’ve been challenged this morning.

There’s a whisper of “you can’t do that - you can’t invite people to church”…don’t listen to that.

What voice tells you NOT to bring people to Church? Whose voice tells you NOT to testify about your faith in Jesus?

Maybe you’re needing the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and embolden you today, to speak up, and invite, and exercise faith that their stories can be redeemed.

Maybe you’re stuck in a cycle - where we all have them - and this cycle is needing affirmation or reassurance that you’re good with the LORD. How about the brothers and sisters in the faith stand by you - encourage you, help find motivation in pursuit of all that is Holy. How about you come and bring your heaviness before the Lord, He said His burden is light. Flex your faith a little bit and see the wonder-working power of God.

Maybe its you personally, where you’ve been away from the Lord’s presence for some time…or maybe you’ve never responded to His presence before. Won’t you come? Won’t you give your life to Christ today?! Won’t you make that eternal decision that will drown out the momentary?

God loves the suddenlies - He loves the ah-ha moment. He loves the faith and flow of watching people say “We never saw anything like this!”

Let God move you into motion today. Let God show up for you today. Let God empower you today. Won’t you come?

Flex your faith in Jesus - even if its just a little…trust Him! For all those who need a touch from God - come to the altar today.