What You Really Need

Review

[START ON SLIDE 1: What You Really Need]

Review

Before we get into tonight’s passage, let’s see what you remember from our first two weeks.

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 2 — Review questions 1–3]

We’re calling this series “The Upside-Down King.” What makes Jesus different from the kings people usually imagine?

He uses his authority to serve. Instead of sending people to die for him, he gives his life for his people.

We said the gospel is good news. How is good news different from good advice?

Advice tells you what you need to do. The gospel announces what Jesus has done to save you.

What does it mean to repent and believe in the gospel?

Turn from our sin and from trusting ourselves to save us, and put our trust in Jesus.

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 3 — Review questions 4–6]

Last week, Jesus called some fishermen to follow him. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?

Someone who trusts Jesus, follows him, learns from him, and seeks to become like him.

Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” What promise is there, and what new purpose does he give them?

Jesus promises to change them as they follow him. He gives them a purpose of bringing other people to him.

The disciples left their nets—and James and John left their father in the boat. What does that teach us about following Jesus?

Jesus takes first place in our lives, above our plans, other people’s approval, and everything else.

Following Jesus can cost us something. But remember who is calling us: the King who gave his life for us and promises to change us.

Throughout Mark, we’re going to keep asking: Who is Jesus, and what does it mean to follow him?

Lesson

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 4 — Mark 2:1–3]

Mark 2:1–5 “1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 5 — Mark 2:4–5]

4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.””

This is a wild scene….

What were these group of friends there to do?

Bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing.

But Jesus seems confused by that doesn’t he? THey obviously want one thng but Jesus gives them something else.

What does he say?

Son your sins are forgiven.

That’s not what they were looking for. They had heard that this Jesus was healing people and they wanted healing not the forgiveness of sins.

But Jesus knows something that the man and his friends don't yet understand. Jesus knows that this man has a far bigger problem than the fact that his legs don't work.

When Jesus looks at him and says, "Son, your sins are forgiven," what he's saying is, "Hey, I understand you have problems. I've seen your suffering. I'm going to get to that. I'm going to fix that problem."

Jesus knows that the main problem in your life, the main problem in any person's life, is never their suffering. It's always their sin.

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 6 — The Big Idea]

Big Idea: The main problem in your life is not your suffering, not your circumstances, but your sin.

That feels kind of offensive, doesn't it? That I'm the main problem. That doesn't really build up my self-esteem very well.

But did you know that when you realize that it's your sin that is the main problem in your life, that is actually very empowering because now you have hope to change?

When I tell you that the main problem in your life is not what's happened to you, not what people have done to you, but the main problem is the way that you've responded to what they've done to you, that actually empowers you. Why? Because you can't do very much about what has happened to you or about what other people are doing, but you can do something about yourself.

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 7 — What Is Sin?]

Now when the Bible talks about sin, it's not just referring to the bad things that we do. It's not just the lying or the lust or the anger.

It is ignoring God in the world He has made. It's rebelling against Him by living without acknowledging him.

It's saying, "I will decide exactly how I live my life," and Jesus says that is the main problem, but the good news is we can change.

How much of your life is realistically telling God, "I'm going to do whatever I want to do. I will decide how my life will turn out. I will decide how my life will look"?

How many of you don't raise your hand? Call yourself Christian, probably are Christian, and yet you go through life like you are the master of your soul.

I think, by Jesus saying, "Son, your sins are forgiven," that's the point he's making.

Because Jesus is trying to drive him to understand his deeper need

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 8 — If I Could Just…]

The man is underestimating the depth of his problems and his longing.

Undoubtedly, this man would have thought, "If I could just walk again, if I could just be like everyone else, then I could be happy."

If I could just walk again, I would never complain. If I just had this one problem solved in my life, then everything would be okay.

Now you all can walk, but you have the same kind of thoughts go through your head, don't you?

“If I could just make the team…”

“If I could just have better friends…”

“If people at school actually liked me…”

“If my parents would just get off my back…”

“If I looked different…”

“If I were skinnier, stronger, prettier, more athletic…”

“If I had a boyfriend or girlfriend…”

“If I didn’t struggle with anxiety…”

“If my family weren’t such a mess…”

“If I could just get through high school…”

Youth leaders.

If the house was clean,

if the kids just obeyed,

if the bills were just paid,

if your position at work was just better,

if your boss was less annoying

If your pastor was better

Then you could be happy.

How many of you have bought something, maybe online, or maybe you asked for something for Christmas or for your birthday, and you waited patiently for it to come? You genuinely thought, "When this thing comes, it's going to solve my problems. It's going to make me happy."

When you get it, it kind of does. For a while, you are happy, and your problems are solved, but what happens after a while? The problems come back, and the discontentment comes back. Now you need something else, something more.

I read about this woman. Her name is Cynthia Heimel, and she wrote an article about celebrities. She said she met these people before they were well known, and they'd be working in restaurants or doing different jobs. They would think, "If I could only make it in the business, if I could only get to be successful, then I would be happy."

She said when they were still relatively unknown, they were just like every other person. They were stressed, driven, and easily upset. When they actually got the fame that they had been longing for, she said that they would become insufferable, unstable, angry, and manic. Not just arrogant, but they actually would become unhappier than they used to be. Why? Because they got the thing they thought would satisfy, and it came up empty.

I heard someone else say once, "If you really want to be depressed, accomplish your dreams."

Because as long as the dream is out there, as long as this thing that you think will satisfy is out there, and you're working towards it and you're trying to get it, you believe that someday you will be happy.

You might struggle with depression, and you might struggle with anger as you're fighting to get that thing, but the real depression hits, the real anger hits when you actually get the thing you thought would make you happy, and it's not enough.

That lady Cynthia Heimel says, "I think when God wants to play a really rotten practical joke on you, He grants you your deepest wish."

And what Jesus is doing in this story is saying, "I'm not going to play that rotten practical joke on you. I'm not going to just heal your body and give you what you think you need to be happy. I'm going to go deeper, and I'm going to solve your actual deepest need."

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 9 — Another Savior]

You see, the real problem in your life, the real problem in my life, is that we are building our identity on something besides Jesus. We're placing our hope in something besides Jesus. You are looking for something to save you besides Jesus.

But your biggest problem, the main problem in your life, is not your suffering, not your circumstances, but your sin.

The problem is, though, that many of us go to God, we go to church because we have issues, we have problems, and we ask God to give us that little bit of help to get us over the hump. We're kind of stuck right now, God, so just give us a boost to get us moving, and then I can go back to saving myself, back to pursuing my deepest wish, the thing that I think will really satisfy me.

The problem is that we're looking to something besides Jesus as our Savior. When we go to Jesus and we tell him, "Hey, this is our deepest desire, this is our deepest wish, this is what I think will make us happy," in his kindness, he always takes us deeper.

But this statement by Jesus, "Your sins are forgiven," triggers a clash with the religious leaders of the day. Look at Mark chapter 2, verses 5 through 8

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 10 — Mark 2:5–8]

Mark 2:5–8 “5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?”

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 11 — Jesus’ Authority]

Why do you think this made them angry?

If (student punched) (student), and I forgave (student), the (student) would look at me with shock and awe and say, "Who do you think you are? That he didn't sin against you? He didn't punch you? He punched me?"

The reason why it made them so angry was because, by claiming to forgive his sins, Jesus was claiming to be God.

The passage continues.

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 12 — Mark 2:8–10]

Mark 2:8–12 “8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 13 — Mark 2:11–12]

11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!””

You see, because Jesus is God, He had the power to heal the man's body, just like He has the power to give you an A on that test, or help you make the team, or become liked by more people. Jesus has the power to make your friends like you or get your parents off your back. He has the power to do all of those things.

So why doesn't he?

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 14 — Look at the Cross]

Look at the cross.

The cross proves that Jesus loves you enough to give Himself for you. So when He does not give you something you desperately want, it is not because He has forgotten you or because He does not care. It is because He sees more clearly than you do what you actually need.

And sometimes God even allows us to get the thing we were convinced would finally make us happy, only for us to discover that it can't satisfy.

The friendship cannot save you.

The relationship cannot save you.

The success cannot save you.

The approval cannot save you.

Eventually every other savior lets you down.

And discovering that is one of God’s greatest kindnesses to us, because it forces us to finally ask:

“If this cannot satisfy me, then what can?”

And Jesus says, “Come to Me.”

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 15 — You Need Jesus Himself]

The deepest thing you need is not for Jesus to make your life exactly the way you want it.

You need Jesus Himself.

You need your sins forgiven.

You need to be reconciled to God.

And that is exactly what this Upside Down King came to give.

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 16 — Turning to Jesus]

I like to say, and think I've already said it a couple times, that the Christian life is not a race to the top; it's a race to the bottom.

And sometimes this looks like finding out that actual true joy is found through serving other people instead of being served by people.

But another way that this applies in God's upside-down kingdom is having the humility to admit that I don't even know what's best for me. That the thing I think I want, the thing that I truly believe is going to make me happy, could be totally wrong for me

And part of racing to the bottom in God's upside-down kingdom is having the humility to say, "I don't know what's best, but Jesus, you do."

And right here in these verses, Jesus makes it crystal clear: what you need is not better circumstances, but a better, closer, and more intimate relationship with Jesus.

Which means that tonight you need to confess to Jesus the sin of looking for something other than Him to satisfy.

You need to, before God and maybe even others, admit that there are things in your life that you truly think you need more than you need Jesus, that you think you must have in order to be happy.

You need to confess that, and you need to turn to Jesus and say, "What I really need, what I really want, is you. Forgive me of the sins that are causing this barrier to come in between us, and please, Lord, give me that close, intimate relationship with you."

[CLICK NEXT: SLIDE 17 — Jesus’ Grace]

The main problem in your life is not your suffering or your circumstances. It's your sin, which means your greatest need is forgiveness.

Your deepest problem is actually far greater and far worse than you thought, but Jesus's grace is far greater than your problem.

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