Luke 5:18–26 KJV 1900

And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.

GET UP AND WALK

Illustration: One of the things that many of us look for in life as a shortcut-a way to get something done faster without changing the end result. And most of these so-called shortcuts share one thing in common-they don’t work. For instance...

• We want to get rich and of course we want to get there quickly. So we do things like play the lottery which is usually a complete waste of time and money. Or we invest in some get rich scheme and we lose our investment. We throw all we have in one basket. Or

• we want to get fit... Now-we want six minute abs we want to lose 30 pounds in 30 days in their ads everywhere, machined you can buy, certain foods you can eat that will supposedly do all the work for you.

And again all of these shortcuts share one thing in common-they don’t work.

All of us have perhaps been riding in the car with someone a long trip, maybe even a family member when they say these words-hey I know a shortcut that will get us there quicker. And several hours later you are lost. You take the shortcut and suddenly you are so far off the beaten path that you wonder if you will ever get back on track.

Some of us have lose our way spiritually and need to get up.

Some of us men have lost our way as head of the family, and God designated leader.

We have place our priorities in the wrong things and now we are spiritually paralyzed.

Paralyzed - damage to the brain from interruption of its blood flow.

Paralysis of one side of the body.

Weakness of limbs.

Speech loss

I. Having Right Desires

Desire - a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen.

Are your desires spiritually right.

The bible said that it was men that bought the sick man to Christ. Men reaching men.

Their is a decline in men attendance in church today.

1 Samuel 13:14 KJV 1900

But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

1 Sam. 13:14

Ezekiel 22:30 KJV 1900

And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

1 Samuel 17:10 KJV 1900

And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

Why are we sending women on the battlefield, they have there place in the body of Christ. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church.

Ephesians 5:33 KJV 1900

Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

II. Getting Our Priorities Right

Look how hard they worked to get this man to get this man to the Savior.

They were more concern about his physical condition, rather his spiritual condition. (We get people to a Amway meeting, a financial seminar, college educations and so on.

But men, are we getting people to Christ.

Jesus replace their priorities with one statement. “And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.”

Your soul is more important than anything on the face of the earth.

Matthew 16:26 KJV 1900

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Profited - means benefit.

III. Rise Up And Walk.

Pick of your bed and walk. Or pick that thing that you have allow to carry you all your life.

Our source of walking, our ability to take charge and authority in Christ alone.

Its time to get up and walk today.

GET UP AND WALK