Matthew 9:1-13 "Your Sins Are Forgiven"

Matt 9:1-13 "Your Sins Are Forgiven" Marc Transparenti / General The Authority of the King / Forgiveness; Jesus teaches about forgiveness; Jesus eats at Matthew's house; Follow Christ; Follow / Matthew 9:1-13 Jesus Shows His Authority Over Sin Good Morning Calvary Chapel Lake City! Please open your Bibles to Matthew 9. We are continuing our chapter-by-chapter and verse-by-verse study through the Gospel of Matthew, where Matthew in numerous ways has established Jesus is the King! In Chapters 8-10, Matthew portrays that Jesus has authority over disease, discipleship, nature, demons, and today we will see that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. Preaching about sin from the pulpit has become an unpopular topic these days. It's much more popular to preach a feel good message on a feel good topic so you feel good, come back, and give more. But, an honest approach to Bible teaching demands the teacher to address all topics...to declare the whole counsel of God. Last week I taught about demons, "fire and brimstone," and this week sin. "What kind of church is this?" Come back next week...next week we will talk about "new wine"...a much more popular topic. But today, the title for this sermon is "Your Sins Are Forgiven." And, hey...that's great news! Let's pray! Matt 9:1-2a "So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city [Capernaum]. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed." [stop right there] 1. At the end of Chapter 8, Jesus left Gadara, but remember Matthew is teaching thematically, not chronologically, so the Gadara account fell at an entirely different time then what we see today. Matt 9:1-17 has parallel occurences in Mark 2 and Luke 5 and place the accounts today shortly after the calling of the fishermen... early in Jesus' Galilean ministry...even prior to the Sermon on the Mount. 2. Mark 2:1-2 tells us "And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. [possibly Andrew and Peter's house]. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. [This was quite the crowd...and what does Jesus do when there is quite the crowd? Mark records...]. "And He preached the word to them." I love that. Jesus fed them spiritually. a. Luke 5:17 tells us who else was present, and that Jesus healed. "Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them." b. That word "power" in Luke 5:17 is the Greek word "dunamis" (the origin of our English word "dynamite"). Dunamis power is "miraculous power," and this is often the kind of power associated with miraculous healings. This is different from exousia- authoritative power that we have so often seen in Matthew chapter's 8-10. i. The Greek language is very descriptive... many words for "power," many words for "love." English is boring. We "love" pizza and we "love" our family. Same word. Greek differentiates. ii. So, when you see the word "power" in scripture, I encourage you to use an interlinear tool to look at the origin of the word and to get a better sense of what the Bible is saying. Interlinear Bibles take the same text in different languages and prints them on alternating lines. A great interlinear tool, which also incorporates Strong's concordance, is Blue Letter Bible (free website and app). c. Well, back to Matthew. So, Jesus is at the house, in Capernaum, and crowds of people and Religious leaders have gathered and Jesus is preaching the word to them and healing them. 3. In verse 2, we see an amazing scene of persistence and compassion from both the bearers of a paralytic and from Jesus. a. Greater description is in Luke 5:18-19 "Then behold, men [Mark tells us "four men."] brought on a bed [by def. "a pallet or little couch"; which could be rendered "a stretcher] a man who was paralyzed whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus." i. The Bible does not tell us if these men are friends or relatives of the paralytic, but they seem to have a love for this man... they bring the paralytic to Jesus, they are persistent despite the crowds, and Jesus saw their faith, so they are certainly invested in this man. 1. These are the kinds of people you want in your life. Faithful friends that when you have a trial in life they do everything in their power to bring you to God. ii. This man who was paralyzed, was certainly suffering, and those who loved him certainly suffered alongside him. Paralysis is a disease of the central nervous system causing loss of muscle control. Paralysis can affect some or all of the muscles in a particular area of the body or the whole body, and we don't know the degree of this man's paralysis, but no paralysis is good. iii. And, the crowd is so thick, they cannot get the paralyzed man to Jesus, so they go on the housetop and Luke tells us they lowered him through "the tiling" which by definition is "earthenware" or "clay." Mark tells us they "uncovered the roof," and "they had broken through"... which means "to dig out." So, these men dig through and uncover the clay roof. 1. To better appreciate the scene here, I have a couple pictures of first-century Israelite houses. You will notice the flat roof with a staircase for easy rooftop access. The roof was an important place where people gathered in the cool night air; during the day they dried fish, hung laundry...there were a number of purposes. 2. The roof was sturdy. Wooden beams supported layers of straw thatch, compacted earth, and clay tiles. So, you can imagine the scene as they are removing these layers...dirt is falling down on Jesus and the people below...and then they lower the man through the hole they created... a. Cell phones and babies are probably the biggest distractions to the modern Preacher. Jesus had dirt dropping on His head and a man being lowered in front of Him. b. Whatever sermon He was preaching...it stopped right there...no one is listening through that kind of distraction. But, observe Jesus' reaction...it is not recorded that He yells or gets angry...He rolls with it. One of my favorite quotes from Pastor Chuck Smith...a quote that has helped me immensely (because I'm rigid and a perfectionist...ask my wife)...Pastor Chuck said, "Blessed are the flexible, they shall not be broken." c. Jesus doesn't see an interruption, He sees an opportunity. How many times have you had your day planned out, your to do list, your schedule, your perceived plan...and something happens that opens the doors for ministry...you get a phone call from a friend or family member you haven't spoken to in a while...a stranger comes your way...whatever the case. Be flexible. Life's interruptions are often ministry opportunities, but you will miss it if you are rigid. 4. The second part of Matt 9:2 records, "When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." a. Jesus is not bothered that His sermon is disrupted, but is moved by the faith of the paralytic and his friends and forgives the sins of this man. Some people say this is only the faith of the friends, but how could the paralytic be forgiven without faith? i. Jesus says, "Son, be of good cheer," which is like saying "Be encouraged," and this man likely needed some encouraging. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be to be lowered down in the middle of God preaching a sermon? ii. But, there might be more here...was this man needing encouragement because of a sin issue? Was it a sin issue that caused his paralysis? 1. There is a general connection between sin and sickness. Because of Adam's sin (the fall of man) all sickness and death came into the world. 2. But, not all sickness is the result of sin. In John 9:2-3, the disciples asked Jesus, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him." 3. But, can sickness be caused by sin? Sure it can...Maybe the paralytic was drunk and fighting or fell and trauma to the head caused paralysis. Maybe he was fornicating with temple prostitutes and contracted syphilis which was common in Rome, and in it's tertiary stage can lead to neurosyphilis and paralysis. This man's paralysis may very well have been caused by a sin issue. iii. This man may have needed to hear "Son, be of good cheer..." because perhaps he didn't feel worthy to come to God? I've certainly talked to people who felt like they had sinned too much and were no longer worthy of forgiveness. 1. We don't know the exact circumstance with this man, but Jesus knew this man before the foundation of the world, and knew exactly what he needed to hear...and it was a message of encouragement and forgiveness. 2. I imagine a huge burden, a huge weight was lifted off this man hearing Jesus say, "....your sins are forgiven you." b. The companions of this man obviously would want the paralysis healed, but Jesus forgives the man's sins...which is a HUGE statement packed with theological implications... i. The men probably think, "Uh, Jesus?...we came for a physical healing, not for the forgiveness of sins." Kind of like when we go to the Dr. and say, "I did my online research and self-diagnosed." Like we know more than the Dr.! 1. And, people prioritize the temporal over the eternal all the time thinking, "If I can just be healed physically, all will be well." I don't need a Great Physician to save my soul. 2. Friends, physical healing is wonderful, but forgiveness of sins...salvation is priority. ii. Jesus first spiritual heals the paralytic by forgiving his sins, and then physically heals. First the spiritual and then the temporal. 1. One day we were in the Philippines, and we met the sick cousin of a girl in our ministry. I'll never forget that day. She hobbled out our her bamboo hut, as skinny as a holocaust victim. I've never seen someone in their young 30's look so ill. I've never felt compassion like I did that day. I asked her name, and they told me, "Mercy." My heart sunk. She obviously needed medical attention, but the Holy Spirit made it very clear to me in those first moments of meeting her that she needed to hear the gospel and get saved first. Because, what if she died that night, or the next day? a. So, we shared the Gospel and that day she accepted Christ. Within a week she was hospitalized, had 2 blood transfusions, antibiotics, and started on anti-TB meds...she was diagnosed with very severe case of Cutaneous Tuberculosis. Her skin was missing all over her chest and neck about a 1/4" deep in spots. 9 months later her skin grew back. And, she faithfully attended Bible Study. Praise God! 2. When we are sick, we all want physical healing...no one likes to suffer. But, eternal salvation, eternal healing is still the priority. a. Even those of us who have been blessed with great healings, and great deliverance...we still eventually die. This body will perish. There has to be a priority over eternal salvation and the forgiveness of sins...and that saved person, who is born again spiritually, not only has sins forgiven, but is also promised ultimate healing in eternity "...no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying...no more pain..." b. Heb 9:27-28 sums this all up well, Heb 9:27-28 "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." 3. When Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic, the Religious leaders knew the theological implications of this statement, thus they bulked... Matt 9:3 "And at once some of the scribes said within themselves [Mark wrote they were "reasoning in their hearts"...a silent accusation], "This Man blasphemes!" 1. This is the first mention of opposition to Jesus by the Religious leaders. This accusation is an internal thought, and later we will see the Religious leaders complain, not directly to Jesus, but to His disciples for eating with tax collectors and sinners. And, as Jesus' ministry progresses, so too will the intensity of the opposition. a. And, this is often the pattern of opposition...first a thought, then gossip, and then it increases in intensity. Watch that you don't fall into this pattern. b. Later, in Matt 18, Jesus will instruct His disciples...if a brother sins against you, tell him his fault between you and him alone...then one or two more if you haven't reconciled, then take it to the church. c. These Religious leaders model what not to do...murmur and gossip. 2. Part of their complaint was because the Jews had set beliefs that were being challenged throughout this encounter. Jews believed disease was a punishment for sin, thus they would have viewed this paralytic as a man being punished for some past sin. Then, Jesus forgives the man's sin, and they view this as blasphemy because they also believed that only God can forgive sins. a. We read this explicitly in the parallel account Mark 2:7 "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" b. And they were right and wrong. It's true that only God can forgive sin, i. Isa 43:25 "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins." c. But, the leaders were wrong that Jesus' words were blasphemous. i. Blasphemy, by def., is "arrogantly disrespectful speech against God; speech that insults Him, or diminishes His uniqueness, or demeans His majesty." [Lemke, "The Academic Use of Gospel Harmonies"] ii. So, to think that Jesus was blaspheming, was a gross mis-categorization of who He is. If Jesus was blaspheming by forgiving sins, then He was speaking blasphemies against Himself, because He is God. d. "But, the bible doesn't say Jesus is God..." Yes it does... i. John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." Jesus is that Word that was God. ii. Jesus said, "...before Abraham was, I AM." John 8:58 which looks back to Exo 3:14 when God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM..." iii. Jesus said, "I and My Father are one..." John 10:30 which is a declaration of His deity. iv. Thomas said to Jesus, "My Lord and My God..." John 20:28 v. Tit 2:13 and 2 Pet 1:1 both refer to "...our God and Savior Jesus Christ." vi. Father God, Himself, In Heb 1:8 declares, "But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever..." vii. So, clearly...the Bible declares Jesus is God. e. And, this is crucial for your salvation, and my salvation, because if He wasn't God...His death on the cross would not have satisfied God's wrath on sin. No regular human being could have accomplished living a sinless life, being a perfect sacrifice, taking on the sins of the whole world, and resurrecting on the third day which proved His sacrifice was accepted by God and He was victorious over sin and death. i. Your sins are forgiven. ii. An attack on the deity of Jesus is an attack on our salvation, our hope, our beliefs...it's an attack on truth. And, the Religious leaders...they sat there silently accusing Jesus of blasphemy, but they themselves were the ones guilty of blasphemy as they thought evil of Jesus and only thought of Him as a Man...not as their God and their Savior...their Great I AM. Matt 9:4-7 "But Jesus, knowing their thoughts [which is another evidence of His deity], said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"-then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." 7 And he arose and departed to his house." 1. As Jesus forgives this man's sins, He is able to perceive in His spirit that these Religious leaders are hypocritically accusing Him of blasphemy, and Jesus says to them, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?" These were evil thoughts...hurtful thoughts. And, I'm sure Jesus was hurt perceiving their thoughts. a. John 1:11 states, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." Very sad scene here. 2. In all His wisdom, Jesus ask a question to this skeptical audience. Verse 5. Which is easier... a. On one hand it is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you' because how can you tangibly prove or disprove sins being forgiven? There is no immediate evidence. But, to say 'Arise and walk?'... You immediately know if the healer is authentic or a fraud. 3. Verse 6, To prove that the Son of Man (Jesus' favorite title for Himself) had power (exousia...authority) to forgive sins (something only God can do), He does the impossible and instantly heals the paralytic. It's like Jesus is saying, "If I can heal this man physically, then you can rest assured that I have the authority to forgive sins spiritually." a. The religious leaders should have bent the knee and praised God, but they and many people today cannot see and accept that Jesus is God, even when the evidence is right in front of their face. Spiritual blindness is a very real thing. 4. Jesus commands the man, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!" Imagine that scene. Who was at his home? A wife who has become a caretaker? Parents who are old and worn out? This man certainly could not walk...could he bath himself? Could he feed himself? Could he transfer from bed to chair? Could he sit up on his own? Imagine how emotional it was when he WALKED through his front door. a. Luke gives us greater detail. Luke 5:25-26 "Immediately he rose up before them [Jesus told him 'arise' and immediately he was healed and stood up], took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. [only Luke gives us this detail...wonderful that he praises God...sometimes people are healed and never look back to praise God] [And, in verse 26 we see the response of the people:] 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, [reverence] saying, "We have seen strange things today!" ["Strange" Gk. paradŏxŏs- "things out of the ordinary" or "extraordinary." Where we get our English word "paradox."] i. Mark records the people saying, "We never saw anything like this!" ii. Matthew 9:8 records, "Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power [exousia/ authority] to men." iii. All these recorded responses...amazement, marveling, glorifying God, reverence, seeing things strange and new to the eyes, and recognizing God's power...His authority...these are all common responses recorded in the Bible when Prophets and Apostles had heavenly visions, but the people here are experiencing these thoughts and emotions upon observing Jesus...so, what does that say about Jesus? I think just another little proof of His deity. 5. Next, we see Jesus encounter Matthew...the writer of our Gospel...another sinned who needed forgiveness...[verse 9] Matthew 9:9 "As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him." 1. I appreciate the simplicity of Matthew's testimony. Matthew does not take any liberties to embellish...just 1 verse. I respect that, though I would love to know more. a. What we know of Matthew is his name was Levi. We don't know if his name was changed to 'Matthew' by Jesus, but Matthew meas "gift of Jehovah" or "gift of God." b. There is strong evidence to support that Matthew was born into the priestly tribe of the Levites based on: i. His name...'Levi,' ii. His command of OT scripture and fulfilled prophecy is strong (96 OT quotations (2nd most in the NT books); "Fulfilled" is penned 17x (more than any other Gospel writer)); iii. And, his very Jewish writing styles (similar to Psalms and Proverbs) and common Jewish teaching methods. c. Yet, Jesus finds Matthew "sitting at the tax office." Luke tells us he was a "tax collector." i. Levi betrayed his people for money. He turned from the priestly line to one of the most despised positions occupationally. 1. A Jew who worked for Rome to collect taxes from his own people was hated. a. They were thought traitors and unclean, for aligning themselves with Rome- the despised Gentile nation that controlled Israel. b. Tax collectors were considered extortioners and thieves since they made their money by exacting more taxes from the people over and above the Roman quota. c. They were called sinners and idolaters for loving and serving money over God. d. This is who Matthew was. He cheated his people. He worked for their enemy. And, he choose money over God. d. So, how did Matthew get to this place? It seems he was raised in a priestly family, yet he rebelled to work for Rome? i. I think Matthew was an eye witness to hypocrisy throughout his upbringing and wanted nothing to do with it. We see in his writings that he is critical of and sensitive to the failings of the Religious leaders. 1. We see term "hypocrite" 21x in the entire NT...15x in Matthew's Gospel alone (that's 71%)! And, I believe hypocrisy is what drove Matthew away from God. Certainly, 'hypocrisy' remains a key reason people are driven from the church today. 2. Jesus passes by the tax office and Luke records Jesus saw a "tax collector." But, Matthew, more sensitive, records Jesus... "saw a man named Matthew." He personalizes this encounter..."He saw a man." a. Jesus doesn't label you as your sin, and He doesn't see you as a label. He sees you as a person. When Jesus died on the cross, His blood paid for your sins past, present and future. b. Matthew was labeled a "tax collector." He was paired with sinners. Hated, ostracized, looked down upon and frowned upon for all the evil he did. c. But, Jesus saw a man. He knew all of Matthew's hurt, his experience with hypocrisy, his abuse from the religious system, and even all his fault...all his sin...his greed...his turning away from God to serve money. Jesus knew all this about Matthew, but he saw a man and called Matthew to follow Him. i. If you are here today and you are burdened by hurt and abuse, and you've made some really bad decisions in life that have driven you from God...Jesus sees you...not as a label, but as a person. He looks upon you with love and wants you to turn from those things and follow Him. 3. When Jesus said to Matthew, "Follow Me," Luke records, "...he left all, rose up, and followed Him." Matthew counted the cost, and knew following Jesus was worth all the wealth, the position, and the power he had accumulated. a. Matthew did not need an extensive speech on why he should follow Jesus...he just needed to believe in something real. Jesus was unlike anything in religion he had witnessed. i. And, I think it's important to note that Matthew doesn't allow hypocrisy, he possibly witnessed, to stop him from following Jesus. When he encountered truth, he recognized Him. b. It's said, "You can judge a man by the company he keeps." Well, you can also judge a man by his enemies. And, if Matthew observed Jesus at odds with the Religious leaders...certainly this helped his decision. c. How appropriate is it that God used Matthew, a lost priest, to write to the Jews, a lost nation. i. Barclay stated, "He left his tax-collector's table; but took from it one thing - his pen...this man, whose trade had taught him to use a pen, used that skill to compose the first handbook of the teaching of Jesus." d. And, when you turn to God and are in the center of God's will...God will use your experience and your talents to impact the people around you as well. 4. After Matthew's conversion, that's what he does...he throws a great feast and invites his friends who very much need Jesus... Matt 9:10 "Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house [Luke tells us "Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house, so Matthew funds and hosts the feast], that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 1. Matthew did not have friends except for those like him... "tax collectors and sinners," so he invites his friends. Matthew must have had a sizable house to accommodate this "great number of tax collectors and sinners." 2. Mark records this great number of tax collectors and sinners "followed Him." So, seemingly many come to the Lord. I'm not sure where that put the tax collection system...did all of these tax collectors abandon their posts to follow Jesus? Jesus does have a way of disrupting sinful trades. a. In Rochester, NY during 1830-1831, during the 'Second Great Awakening,' there were many revivals, and one led by Charles Finney caused a huge stir in the city...where it is said 10,000 people came to Christ. Listen to this quote from a book on Finney... b. "After Finney had preached in those communities, saloons closed, theft stopped, and all kinds of vice and evil came to an end. The revival fire of God swept through communities, cleansing everything in its path." c. And, at this dinner at Matthew's house sinners are turning to God, but this joyous occasion is overcast by the nay-saying of the Religious... Matt 9:11 "And when the Pharisees saw it, they said [Luke says they "complained"] to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 1. I don't quite understand how the scribes and Pharisees saw Jesus eating with the tax collectors and sinners. Perhaps, they were sitting on Matthew's rooftop...which was common for an evening meal. Otherwise, were these Religious leaders peering over the fence or peering through the windows? It's thought this was quite the gathering, so perhaps people were all over the place. 2. Whatever the case, the scribes and Pharisees are critical of Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners...the dregs of society. a. In Jewish culture, eating a meal with someone was symbolic of becoming one with them because as you shared a meal, you took bread from a common loaf, dipped in a common bowl of sauce...likely double dipped... And, so as you are sharing a meal, you are becoming united. Certainly Jesus was not engaging in sinful behavior (like drunkenness)...for he was sinless, but the religious leaders disapproved regardless. b. For the Pharisees (which by def. means "a separatist"), they held to firm standards of law and tradition...to be separate from sinners and to remain ceremonially pure, so they complained to the disciples about Jesus communing with these sinners. i. Notice they are not yet ready to complain to Jesus directly, which is an indicator they are not really there to understand, but to find fault. When you truly care about a person and want to understand why they do what they do, you go to them directly. You don't murmur and gossip behind their back. c. Jesus responds to the scribes and Pharisees in verses 12-13... Matthew 9:12-13 "When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." 1. Earlier Jesus knew the thoughts of the Pharisees, and now He overhears their complaints. Don't think your thoughts are secret from God...there is no secret sin...God sees all. 2. Jesus tells the Pharisees He is eating with these sinners because they are sick, and they need a Doctor. Their illness is sin, and Jesus has the cure...Himself. He is the Great Physician, and He was willing to be with the sick. a. David Guzik stated, "The Pharisees were like doctors who wanted to avoid all contact with sick people. Of course they wished that sick people would become healthy, but they wouldn't risk getting infected themselves." 3. These Pharisees were the teachers of the law...who would tell others "go and learn what this means..." and here Jesus instructs them with the same word regarding their own faults. a. Jesus quotes to them Hos 6:6, "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." b. Hosea penned this rebuke to the faithless nation of Judah that ritualistically sacrificed, but they did not have knowledge of God, nor love and mercy in their hearts. Mercy means "goodness, kindness, devotion"...this is what Jesus desires. c. And, the point is clear...these Pharisees were just the same as Judah. Faithless...stuck in ritual...and no love or mercy for those who needed God the most. i. These Pharisees thought their offerings, traditions, rituals, prayers, all of their outside religious show and even their pedigree (being sons of Abraham) made them righteous. But, they were rotten inside...white washed tombs full of hatred and judgment, and lacking love...lacking mercy. They were self-righteousness...in denial of their own heart issue and had no need of the Physician. 4. In contrast, the tax collectors were worthy of Jesus' table because they knew they were sick and needed the Great Physician. 5. I don't know about you, but I'm glad I was invited to sit at Jesus' table. I knew I needed a Savior, and I still do! Amen? Worship Team Come. How great is God? Rom 5:8 declares, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Our testimonies are likely different from the paralytic and the tax collectors, but we all had a story where we were separated from God by our sin, and in one way shape or form we encountered Jesus and followed Him. This was the greatest healing we ever received, and now nothing can "separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Let's pray! If you are her e today, and you have never accepted Christ as Savior, and you want to follow Him,let's pray today and begin that journey. If you have drifted, and you want to come back to God, you are seeking revival in your heart, let's pray. "The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace." ' Page . Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:30 PM June 7, 2021.