Introduction

I will soon return to our series on the Book of Romans, but for now, I want to share on something I believe the Lord has laid specificly upon my heart for today. This story came to to me while I was driving somewhere in the district.

What struck me the most, was the grace of our Lord Jesus and His ability to help those who recognise their need.

In explaining this to you, I want you to look with me at the responses of the different people to (1) Who Jesus is and (2) What He can do.

The Bible tells us that He was in Capernaum in a house where He was teaching the Word and the house were filled with people.

There were basicly 3 groups of people present in that house. The first group that Luke mentions, were:

I.   THE PHARISEES and THE TEACHERS OF THE LAW

They were there to criticise Jesus and see if they could find proof to show that He was a fake. They listened to His teachings. They watched Him do miracles and change the lives of people. They witnessed His great power and His abilities, and... in this perticular case, they witnessed Him doing this unbelievable miracle and they heard Him declared that this man's sins were forgiven ... and instead of believing in Him, they turned against Him and criticized Jesus in such a way as to try to make others believe that Jesus is not Who He claims to be.

The other group of people were what I would like to call...

II THE ORDINARY PEOPLE

They were the one's with whom most people can identify on the one hand. They probably came to hear Jesus teach and to watch Him do miracles. We don't know what their choices were. Some of them might have believed in Jesus that day. Others might have said - let's wacth Him out a little more and we will make our decision later. Other's may have turned Jesus down - we don't know.

We can just imagine what their responses would be to Jesus from what we experience from the people of our day. And I do know poeple who put thewir faith in Jesus, I know others who postpone their decision and I know others who just don't care much about Jesus.

The point is - they were there and they heard the goodnews and they saw the power of God.

The third group of people is what I would like to call ...

III THE BELIEVERS AND THEIR FRIEND

They were the 4 men who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus for a miracle and they recieved an answer to their faithfilled action and their friend became a Christian and was miraculously healed. Their joy was probably overwhelming. Some of us can identify with them, BUT I want to point out a few interesting matters later on.

NOW ... let's go back to the occasion and examine the responses of the 3 different groups.

What Jesus did that day - served as a glorious proof of Who He is and What He can do.

Let's consider the first two groups together ...

The Responses of Groups I and II: The Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law, and the Ordinary People

Concerning the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law ... They chose to stand against the truth that Jesus proclaimed and they had a problem when He announced that the man was forgiven from his sins. And they were quick to critisize the ability of Christ to forgive sins, but I can imagine how quietly and quickly they left that home after that miracle took place before everyone's eyes.

They reasoned that only God can forgive sins.

They were right.

And even though you and I are urged to forgive others, we can only forgive those that have sinned against us - and God expects us to do this but that does'nt bring salvation for those whom we forgive; but it does bring freedom for us. It means the strongholds of things such as bitterness and grudges are demolished when we forgive those that have sinned against us.

But the kind of forgiveness Jesus brought, is able to bring salvation - for when one is born again, one of the meanings thereof is, that he is a forgiven person on the grounds of what Jesus did on the cross (or in this case what Jesus was about to do on the cross very soon - He is the Lamb of God Who came to take away the sins of this world).

Every person needs this kind of forgiveness.

Jesus knew that and that was a clear purpose for His entrance as a Man into this world - He came sothat forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His Name in all the world.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was aware of the doubt that were amongst the Pharisees. And surely ... the ordinary people were then also made aware of this doubt ... and Jesus wanted everyone to consider the truth so He challenged them by asking them a very interesting question about what is the easiest thing to do - to forgive someone's sins, or to heal a paralyzed man?

Imagine Jesus is asking you this question ... what will you reply?

For most of us it will NOT be easy to answer. For we know only God can forgive someone's sins and grant him eternal life, but we also know the hopelessness of the situation of a paralyzed man and it will take an absolute miracle to heal such a man.

So you can imagine the stir that question has caused. I think the ordinary people were glad the question was'nt directly put to them but to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. But I guess they were interested in the answer too!

The Pharisees knew - Only God can forgive sins but they had trouble in believeing that Jesus Christ was God - to them He looked like an ordinary man with a strange ability - they would hate to admit that Jesus was God and therefor He is the Almighty. This became clear when we read in the Gospel of Matthew (16) how they accuse Jesus that He did His miracles by the power of the devil. They tried every plan in the book to stop Jesus from what He came to do.

But the question was put ... and ... what is their reply?

Certainly they would not like to admit that it was easier to forgive sins for then they would admit that Jesus is God and then they should start believe in Him as the Messiah and Redeemer.

On the other hand ... they could not reply that it was easier to heal a paralyzed man, for they knew that they cannot do it ... and it was not like as if this man was just ill and one could go and pull him up and make him walk to the bathroom or something. His legs won't work. Nothing will work. He will absolutely fall flat on the floor.

Jesus knew they would not be able to answer Him ... therefor He did not await their reply ... He just continued ... since He is God, He knew He alone is able to forgive men their sins - and to proof it, He decided to do the impossible miracle ... He did the miracle sothat evrybody present could realize that He was God and had the power to forgive sins.

• - Now before we continue ... what do you think was the greatest miracle here?
• Was it the healing of the man? Or was it the forgiveness of his sins? ...

Well, the healing surely was a phenominal miracle and it absolutely proclaims the power of God. He did not even touched the man. He just spoke the word and the man rose, picked up his bed and carried it out of that house. *This is exactly how God works - in fact the Bible tells us that God created the world out of nothing - He just spoke it into being - it came into existance!

This miracle served as an excellent display of the ultimate powerful word of God. No - one has ever seen that before. Everyone realized that something extraordinary happened in that place.

BUT, even though it was such an extraordinary act of God. it can still not compare to the miracle of forgiveness.

I have spoken to people in the past. I have asked them about their relationship with God and salvation and they believed they were in rightstanding with God ... On my question on what grounds they believe that ... They had testimonies of how God has helped them in times of trouble and trials and tribulations. They could tell you wonderful stories of how they believe God has brought a change to their circumstances, or protected them, or provided for them ... BUT the Bible tells us that God in His great mercy, lets the sun shines over the rigteous and the unrighteous. He provides and protects both the saved and unsaved. He spare the lives of the unsaved particularly in order to give them more time to turn towards Him and recieve forgiveness and eternal life. But as soon as the dust settle down - they return to their old ways and live their lives without God.

• - Is that salvation in Christ?
• - Is that a relationship with God?
• - Does such a person have eternal life?
• - Will he go to heaven some day?

The Bible teaches us that those who are truly saved - will be recognised by their fruit ... they wil be transformed ... everyday ... more and more into the image of Christ and they will live consecrated lives to Christ and they will have the presence of the Spirit of God in their lives - it doesn't mean they will be perfect ... * - BUT you will see the difference Christ makes in their lives!

And this is the greatest miracle of all miracles - when a man are forgiven and restored back into a living relationship with God through His Spirit because he believed in Christ Jesus.

Nothing can be compared to this.

WHY?

For the simple fact that no matter how great and how extraordinary the miracle of healing or protection or provision might be ... it will always be temporarily.

But the miracle of forgiveness will last for eternity!

Once God has spoken the words - your sins are forgiven - those words will never be made undone, because of the power of God to regenerate and re-create new life through Christ and in Christ in everyone who call upon the Name of the Lord. And God will not revokel His promise of forgiveness.

Consider this ... Lazarus was dead but Jesus brought him back to life - back to his sisters ... he may have lived another 102030 years - who knows. But he died again for the miracle of his resurrection was not meant to be permanent at that time. It was meant to glorify God and Christ, BUT at that same occasion - just before Jesus called Lazarus back to life ... He said these words:

in John 11:25 "I am the resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live ... he shall never die.."

The same thing happened with the 10 Lepers. All 10 of them could testify and share that they have been blessed by Jesus with the miracle of cleansing from leprosy - a great and wonderful God working miracle which brought all the honor and glory to Jesus. But only one returned to not only recieve a healing miracle, but the miracle of eternal life. And you can sense the sadness in Jesus' voice when He aquired from this man - Where are the other nine?

How sad ... that men so much aquire from God a miracle to help them out with the temporarily things, but don't care about the miracle of forgiveness that have an eternal effect?

Many people ... as I have said earlier ... can tell you of earthly interventions that they believe God brought about ... they are grateful yes ...and they believe, because of that, they are automaticly saved. That's waht amke them children of God!

But the truth is ... That is NOT what makes them children of God.

We have to call on the Name of the Lord for salvation.

We have to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe with our Hearts that God raised Him from the dead for with our lips we confess our salvation and with our hearts we believe and so is justified (Rom.10:9-10).

It is good and wonderful to experience a temporarily miracle from God ... But it is much better to experience the miracle of salvation in Christ for this will last forever.

And this is Jesus' greatest desire to give you above all, the forgiveness you need.

Eternity is too long to be wrong!

You have to examine yourself and be honest with yourself and God. You may feel you are a Christian because you are serious in your religion - if so, I want you to know that God is not interested in religion - He wants a living relationship with you ans it starts with forgiveness of your sins.

God is not interested in rituals and rites and rules and regulations that churches and groups have laid down for people to make them believe that they are children of God.

You may feel you are a Christian because God has looked after you in many cases ... but you are not if you have not specificly called on the Name of the Lord to be saved.

God cares about people who seek help in times of trouble and trials and tribulations ... BUT...

God really cares about people who realizes their sin - who stand ashame before God and call out to Him for forgiveness.

But there was a 3rd group - THE BELIEVERS AND THEIR FRIEND and let's look at;

Their Response to Jesus.

Many of us can identify with them. We love to hear what Jesus did and we love to hear about Him ... we also love to know that our sins are forgiven and that we are set right with God. We know we have eternal Life in Christ and we rejoice over that.

And we care about our friends and their needs ... and we want Jesus to touch their lives and save those that are not saved yet.

What we see here are 4 friends who decided to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus to change his life.

These 4 men had great faith in Jesus. They must have realized that their friend's condition was not just another illness. This man was paralyzed. He could not walk at all. Their faith in Jesus was so strong, that when they approached the place, and they found it to be impossible to enter through the door because of the number of people ... they did not turn around and take their friend home.

Instead ... they broke through the roof and lower the man down before the feet of Jesus.

• - Is that the kind of faith you have? ... that no obstacle can stop you from believing that Jesus can bring a change in a situation or person's life?

Put yourself in the shoes of these four men.

You hear that Jesus will be in town at a specific place.

You discussed the possibility whether you should go pick up your friend and bring him to Jesus sothat Jesus can help him.

Then it strikes you ... your friend's condition is very bad.

In fact no-one can help him.

• - What if Jesus cannot help him?
• - How will that make you look before other people?
• - Will you not be humiliated?
• - How will it affect your friend's faith?

You have probably heard and seen others who have been touched by Jesus ... but their conditions were not as serious and impossible as your friend's condition.

This situation may be a little too much intimidating!

I don't know if these 4 friends discussed these matters. They may have been because they were humans - like we are and these are the ways we often talk.

Use your brains and intelegance - as we often tell each other.

Can you imagine them, arriving at the house and finding it so full of people that one of them might suggest ...:

"You know. This may be the providence of God. He is closing the doors for us. He doesn't want us to proceed with this."

• - Isn't this what we often say?

But not these men - they have a firm believe that nothing is impossible for God and they went to the extreme to get their friend to Jesus.

This is a great and serious challenge for us today!

• - Are you willing to trust and believe in the Lord that He is able to bring a change in your situation?
• - What is it that you must trust the Lord for?
• - Have you been diagnosed with cancer, or some other incurable disease?
• - Or may be you have run into trouble with your business job marriage/ family and you need a miracle from God to help you?

He is able to help you - always and nothing is impossible for Him!

The question is NOT about whether God is Who He is and whether He has the power to help you and whether He cares for you... NO!

The question is rather:

• - Do you believe?
• - Do you have faith?

He can change the hardest heart and bring life into the deadliest situation

But most important today - if it is forgiveness you need - Jesus wants you to come today - that was why He died on that cross and was raised to life sothat when you call on His Name, you will be saved - and that miracle will last forever - much longer than any other great miracle!

Please do not postpone your decision.

Do not reject what Christ wants to give you!

Come today ... come now because ... Eternity is too long to be wrong

The best words anyone can ever hear is ... the everlasting words of Your sins are forgiven

May be you need to come and trust God and believe that He is able to change your circumstances / or heal your from an incurable disease / restore your marriage / or confirm His love and presence in your life.

I don't know ... but what I do know:

Jesus is here today - and He is the same - yesterday, today and forever!

He wants you to come and recieve what He has in store for you. You must overcome the disbelief or the obstacles that tries to stop you from coming - don't stop ... come today

Come sit here and we are going to pray for you, while others will worship our Lord in song. You come for prayer and believe that nothing is impossible for Christ. If He can heal the paralyzed man, raise the dead, forgive sins, then He can touch you and heal/ restore / cleanse and save you.

AMEN