But God alone?

Introduction

“Hurt people, hurt people. Healed people, heal people.”

Viliami passed away 6/2/19 15 years ago this week.

2. Mum and Dad offered to pay for me to go to NZ

3. I didn’t go to Viliami’s funeral. And life moved on. I had no idea what impact that would have on me in the following years.

Mark 2:1–12 ESV

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. 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.” 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? 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— 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!”

Set the scene:

The homes of the poorer class were not very big. They were usually joined together to several families sharing one big courtyard.

The house was crowded. It’s possible that whoever was there sat where they could, and some listened from outside the doors.

The Host 2. The Four Men 3. The Paralysed Man 4. Jesus

What makes a great host?

Whoever is hosting the party probably wasn’t expecting a big crowd. The Bible doesn’t mention who the host is but he plays a significant role in this story. His house is serving a gathering place for those who want to see Jesus and hear his words. The gift of being a host is an incredible spiritual gift and needs to recognised and used. However, although it is a gift, like all gifts, it’s saps the gifter of energy, and sometimes even their physical goods. In fact, according to verse 1, it could be Jesus’ or Peter’s house.

Being a disciple of Christ calls on us to play the part of being a host for Jesus. This means dealing with people and situations that inconvenience us.

How would you feel if you were the host at this house?

Serving Jesus means serving others, means that the tangible things you love in life are going to be inconvenienced

Romans 12:13 NIV

13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

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“Hurt people, hurt people. Healed people, heal people.”

The Four Men

I got a bit excited focusing in on the word ‘tessarown’ in the Greek. As a Seventh-day Adventist who’s right into cracking codes. Someone knows what I mean. That number rings some alarm bells. But it may not relevant at all, but here’s a snippet of my excitement anyway.

I got a bit excited focusing in on the word ‘tessarown’ in the Greek. As a Seventh-day Adventist who’s right into cracking codes. Someone knows what I mean. That number rings some alarm bells. But it may not relevant at all, but here’s a snippet of my excitement anyway.

Specifically for the Seventh-day Adventists that love prophetic language like I do. *Disclaimer* These may have no connection to the “four’ mentioned in . I just find these incredibly interesting.

Matthew 24:31 ESV

31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Acts 10:11 ESV

11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.

Revelation 4:8 ESV

8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Revelation 7:1 ESV

1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.

It makes sense that there were four because that’s how many is needed for each corner.

These men are not given any identity other than the fact that they are men who are helping a paralysed man. Are they friends of the man? Are they his kids? Are they random people from the crowd? The Bible doesn’t specify who they are but one thing we do know is that these men believe that Jesus can help the paralysed man. We also recognise that these men are performing a kind act.

These men are not given any identity other than the fact that they are men who are helping a paralysed man. Are they friends of the man? Are they his kids? Are they random people from the crowd? The Bible doesn’t specify who they are but one thing we do know is that these men believe that Jesus can help the paralysed man. We also recognise that these men are performing a kind act.

Could the four be an inference to covering every corner of the world?

*Objectve Lesson*

It’s important that we work as a team to bring carry a person to the feet of Jesus. Gospel work can not be done alone.

Who is your team that you do ministry work with?

“Hurt people, hurt people. Healed people, heal people.”

The Paralysed Man

Imagine this man, paralysed. What had had happened to him that brought him to such a decrepit state? I’ve been told that once you hit 40 years old, your body begins to tell you what you did wrong in the past. Well that’s going to be me later on this year. And I’m starting to regret that I stopped exercising regularly and eating healthy for a number of years. One man I met at the college gym was 74 years old and played ARL which we know as NRL now, and he told me that his knees had been wrecked for years. Some of us have may have taken drugs, drank alcohol, abused ourselves, or ate a whole bunch of junk in our past years that have resulted in some type of disadvantage in our present state.

Imagine this man, paralysed. What had had happened to him that brought him to such a decrepit state? I’ve been told that once you hit 40 years old, your body begins to tell you what you did wrong in the past. Well that’s going to be me later on this year. And I’m starting to regret that I stopped exercising regularly and eating healthy for a number of years. One man I met at the college gym was 74 years old and played ARL which we know as NRL now, and he told me that his knees had been wrecked for years. Some of us have may have taken drugs, drank alcohol, abused ourselves, or ate a whole bunch of junk in our past years that have resulted in some type of disadvantage in our present state.

We have to accept that there are consequences to what we have done in the past. Unfortunately our admission can result in our struggle to believe that change now is as good as it could ever be in any other time!

Physical ailment isn’t our major concern. It’s only a symptom of what can’t be seen physically. Often we don’t know how to express our guilt, because we protect ourselves from anything that threatens us. Sometimes we don’t know how to articulate our guilt. We have the ability to pack it away somewhere in our mind, and pretend it’s not there niggling at us every single day.

Imagine what that mat represented to the man?

If the mat could speak, it would tell the man of how he owns the man. The mat would speak of it’s authority over the man that he needs the mat to move from one place to the other.

It would probably point out all the sores, and accidents the man has had on the mat. Oh that shameful mat! What he would do to shut that mat up!

It’s not the physical disadvantages that hurt us as much as it is the ones that can’t be seen. Those thoughts and feelings after stealing, being unfaithful to your spouse, cheated on an exam, telling your parents a lie. These feelings of guilt all add up. But what are you suppose to do with them?

*Story of David Tasker and girl who didn’t go to mother’s funeral.*

What are you supposed to do with guilt that you don’t have know exists?

Romans 2:4 ESV

4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

Isaiah 1:18 ESV

18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

The paralysed man had lost hope and accepted his demise. However, he had friends that brought report of a man named Jesus. According to their account, Jesus Christ preached amazing sermons, healed many including tax collectors, the blind, people who couldn’t walk, and only recently a leper had been running around town telling everyone who healed him. A new hope sprang up in his heart.

The paralysed man had lost hope and accepted his demise. However, he had friends that brought report of a man named Jesus. According to their account, Jesus Christ preached amazing sermons, healed many including tax collectors, the blind, people who couldn’t walk, and only recently a leper had been running around town telling everyone who healed him. A new hope sprang up in his heart.

Isaiah 1:18 ESV

18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

Isaiah

The paralysed man had lost hope and accepted his demise. However, he had friends that brought report of a man named Jesus. According to their account, Jesus Christ preached amazing sermons, healed many including tax collectors, the blind, people who couldn’t walk, and only recently a leper had been running around town telling everyone who healed him. A new hope sprang up in his heart.

“Hurt people, hurt people. Healed people, heal people.”

Jesus Forgives the Man

When the four men arrive with their friend to the house. They are met with an obstacle. The house is full. However this is only obstacle of three.

Obstacle 1. How can we be like those blocking someone that needs to see and hear Jesus?

When the roof is removed, the bible tells us in verse 5 that Jesus saw “their faith”. Who’s faith? And he immediately responded by saying that the man’s sins were forgiven.

Jesus has done something incredibly inappropriate here. According to the law of the land.

The Law of Moses stated in ;;; that forgiveness can only be granted by the priests if the person repenting has appeared in the temple and shown his sacrifices. It is no wonder the that we read the response from the people that are present.

Obstacle 2. Could we also be like the teachers of the law in the story who doubt the grace of Jesus?

During this dialogue, the man is still on his mat. The skeptics have made him doubt whether he is deserving of the grace of Jesus. He’s not, but Christ has the power and the grace to forgive him.

Obstacle 3. How are we like the paralysed man when we hear the skeptics point out what we must do to be saved?

Jesus invites the skeptics to examine the situation and themselves, and then he refers to himself as the Son of Man for the first time.

Jesus declares that He is the Son of Man

Daniel 7:13 ESV

13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

Daniel 12:1 ESV

1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

Daniel 7:1 ESV

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.

The Jews knew of this term but for someone to claim it made them enraged to the point of declaring capital punishment on Christ. The irony is that when the paralysed man heard this, he believed. And as a result, he was healed.

The Jews knew of this term but for someone to claim it made them enraged to the point of declaring capital punishment on Christ.

Either Christ is God and you believe His word heals. Or you don’t, and you prefer that He was non-existent. (If you’re indifferent, then it’s highly possible that you’ve decided not to deal with the hurt.)

The man obeys the voice of Christ. Imagine how the man felt being able to carry that mat now? He has authority over the mat. Jesus has given him the power to accept and own his past. But now he walks. He can do with the mat whatever he pleases.

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

“Hurt people, hurt people. Healed people, heal people.”

Conclusion

Finish with Viliami story. Loma in 2013 pointing it out.

If you choose to look to the what took place at Calvary. You no longer have the ability to hold on to the guilt you carry. Should you choose to spend time to explore the intricate threads woven through the tapestry of time so that you maybe healed. YOU WILL FIND YOUR NEED FOR JESUS! When you decide to explore the rescue plan spelled out in these pages, you will experience the healing that the words of Jesus Christ brings to your life. I guarantee this!

Jesus died the cruel, and pathetic death of an undeserved crucifixion. He suffered the consequences of our indulgent living. But He conquered our consequences and He says to you, “get up, take your mat, and go home.”

Jesus wants to heal the pain where you hurt. Will you let him?

Jesus wants to heal the pain where you hurt. Will you let him?

Jesus calls the healed to work together so we can bring the hurt to the feet of Jesus. Is he calling you to do this?

Extra Notes:

Supplementary Reading: The Desire of Ages - Chapter 27

If you feel like God has spoken to you this morning and wish to discuss it further. Please do not hesitate to contact me. Mobile Phone is 0432 454 548