Healing the Paralytic

Introduction

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of Missions without realizing our personal role in the mission.

“To display the Grace of God to all people with a responsibility to: Win, Disciple, Send”

We’re less than 2 weeks away from the Official Start of the 2019 College Football Season

Every team begins the year with a mission … bowl game, National Championship

Fans share in that mission … they sit on the sidelines and act like crazies (yelling, etc.) critiquing, second guessing … but never step foot on the field to contribute themselves.

They are great cheerleaders … but not actual contributors.

Sadly, the same can be said for members of the local church as well.

Vince Lombarde: “If you’re not fired up with Enthusiasm then I’ll fire you with Enthusiasm”

Read the Text: Luke 5:17-26

These Men Had a Mission

Mission drives us … doesn’t it?

It drives us as individuals … it also drives our culture.

Some families I’ve known have a well defined Mission Statement for their families

Some companies have a very definite Mission Statement … It’s what keeps them on course.

It helps them keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

If you work for one of these companies and you begin to steer away from that Mission, your supervisor is probably going to redirect your efforts … or encourage you to go somewhere else that best aligns with your mission.

Instagram: To capture and share the world’s moments.

Facebook: A media platform for your grandma to keep up with her grandchildren … “To Bring the World Closer Together”

Chick-Fil-A: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A

Starbucks: “To inspire and nurture the human spirit - one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

Someone has said: “Aim at everything … hit nothing.”

Jesus had a mission statement: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost” ()

What drives you?

What things, spiritually has God put on your heart that you long to see come to fruition in your lifetime?

Do you have kingdom dreams (such as people coming to faith in Christ and following Him), or are your dreams all tied up in this life?

When was the last time you stopped to think about those dreams?

What steps have you intentionally taken toward fulfilling those dreams?

What step do you need to take?

These Men Had an Eager Expectation

They actually believed that Jesus could heal this man.

“Maybe, just maybe.” … They took a risk because of the Mission

This is true of men and women throughout the Bible:

Joshua - leading the children of Israel into the promised land (Joshua and Kaleb)

Elijah on Mt. Carmel

Now we live on the other side of the cross … resurrection, the Holy Spirit in us

Do you have an eager expectation of someone coming to faith and following Jesus?

Does your eager expectation move you to action?

Vicki - Kid’s Beach Club @ Pine Street Elementary

BTCL -

BTCP in Liberia … Nicaragua

Merging with Nueva Vida

Getting out of Debt

Discipling -

These Men Encountered an Obstacle

Because of the crowd, there was no way to Jesus

At this point, many of us give up. We throw up the white flag of surrender.

There’s no way in - or so it seems.

We assume that an open door is equal to the path of least resistance.

Imagine - Paul would have only walked through open doors.

Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. 26 On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; 27 toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing. 28 Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

30 If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying. 32 In Damascus, a ruler under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me. 33 So I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands

These men saw the obstacles … but because their hope and belief were so strong in what God could do through them … they kicked open that closed door.

What obstacles have derailed you from the Missions?

What would it look like for you to dig a hole in the roof?

These Men Got More Than They Bargained For

Don’t settle for the mundane when Jesus wants the miraculous.

“Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen”

Who’s Your One?

Who’s Your One?

Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Who’s Your One?

They thought the primary need was external.

What Jesus did in this passage is true for everyone

He shows the greatest need is an internal posture … of a heart that needs to be changed.

“your sins are forgiven”

When Jesus addressed the deeper need … the people were filled with awe.

How did others play a role in your trusting in Jesus?

In what ways has Jesus transformed your life?

Why would you not long for this same type of transformation in others?

From the book People Sharing Jesus by Darrell Robinson

“Now, it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishermen. And lo, there were many fish in the waters all around, and in fact the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry. Week after week, month after month and year after year, those who call themselves fishermen met in meetings and talked about their call to fish, the abundance of fish and how they might go about the task of fishing. Year after year, they carefully defined what fishing means, they defended fishing as an occupation and they declared that fishing is always to be the primary task of a fisherman.

“Continually, they searched for new and better methods of fishing, for new and better definitions of fishing. They created witty slogans and displayed them on big, beautiful banners. These fishermen built large beautiful buildings called fishing headquarters, and the plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish, but the one thing they didn’t do, they did not fish. In addition to meeting regularly, they organized the board to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish. They hired staff and appointed committees and held many meetings to define fishing, defend fishing and decide what new streams should be thought about, but the staff and committee members didn’t fish. Large, elaborate, expensive training centers were built whose original and primary purpose was to teach fisherman how to fish.

“Continually, they searched for new and better methods of fishing, for new and better definitions of fishing. They created witty slogans and displayed them on big, beautiful banners. These fishermen built large beautiful buildings called fishing headquarters, and the plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish, but the one thing they didn’t do, they did not fish. In addition to meeting regularly, they organized the board to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish. They hired staff and appointed committees and held many meetings to define fishing, defend fishing and decide what new streams should be thought about, but the staff and committee members didn’t fish. Large, elaborate, expensive training centers were built whose original and primary purpose was to teach fisherman how to fish.

“Over the years, courses were offered in the needs of fish, the nature of fish, where to find fish, the reactions of fish and how to approach and feed fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fishology, but the teachers did not fish. They only taught fishing. Year after year, after tedious training, many were graduated and were given the fishing license that they were hoping for. They were sent to do full-time fishing, some to distant waters which were filled with many fish. Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded. They were commissioned and prayed over and sent to fish, but like the fishermen back home, they never fished.

“They engaged in all kinds of other occupations. Some felt their job was to relate to the fish in a good way, so the fish would know the difference between a good and a bad fisherman. Others felt that simply letting the fish know they were nice, land-loving neighbors and how loving and kind they were were surely enough. Now, it’s true that many fishermen sacrificed. They put up with all kinds of difficulties and some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish every single day. They received the ridicule of some who made fun of their fishermen clubs and the fact that they claimed to be fishermen, yet they never fished. Imagine how hurt some were when one day a person suggested that those who don’t fish were really not fisherman at all. No matter how much they claimed to be, yet it did sound correct. Is a person a fisherman if, year after year, he never finishes. Or more plainly stated, is one really following if he isn’t fishing?”

Listen First Conyers … it’s time for us to Go Fishing!

Who’s Your One?