Healing the Paralytic

We are just a week away from Vacation Bible School! This year’s theme is “In the Wild,” and we’re going to spend June 3-7 looking in the Bible for incredible encounters with our Lord, as we learn to ZOOM IN and FOCUS ON JESUS. It’s going to be an exciting week, and my hope is that if you’ve just finished your school year in grades K-5, or parents: if you have kids in grades K-5, that you’ll plan to go on this adventure “In the Wild” next week. And if you’ve got friends in those grades, why not invite them and give them an opportunity to come and have a real-life encounter with Jesus? You can register online through our website. Also, if you have donations that you need to drop off, please to that ASAP, so we can get things organized for a great week!

This weekend is Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a special day set aside in the U.S. to remember those in our armed forces who have given their lives in protection of our freedoms, and in the name of freedom around the world. In honor and remembrance for those who have died while serving in our armed forces, let’s stand (if you are able) and observe a moment of respectful silence.... Thank you.

Finally this morning, I’d like to recognize that our own Matt Ricks is preparing to go overseas to serve the Lord. I’d like for us to pray for him as we send him off this summer.

Pray, and then let’s remain standing while I read our focal passage of Scripture this morning.

Opening

Luke 5:17–26 CSB

17 On one of those days while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in him. 18 Just then some men came, carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before him. 19 Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” 21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think to themselves: “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.” 25 Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

We’re in a season of concentration on the question “Who’s Your One?” As a whole congregation, we’re asking the Lord to show us one person in our circle of influence whom we can share the hope of Jesus with, and then aggressively praying for that “one” and intentionally looking for opportunities to speak the truth of the Gospel to them.

This is the second weekend of this focus, and last week we opened up by asking the question, “What is a Christian?” We contrasted the cultural idea of “Christian” with what the original followers of Jesus called themselves: disciples.

Now, in this room there are many of us who would call ourselves “disciples.” But something I want to ask is this: how did you become a disciple? How did you come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? For most, if not all of us, we would say that someone told us about Jesus… someone brought us to Jesus, and we surrendered our lives to Him in faith.

With this emphasis on “Who’s Your One?”, we’re not looking for a one-and-done kind of thing. While that’s the question we’re asking, my hope is that we always have a “one...” That there is always someone in our lives that we’re sharing the message of Jesus with… that sharing the Gospel becomes a part of our DNA as disciples. If that happens, then this won’t be just an emphasis: it will become a movement.

With this emphasis on “Who’s Your One?”, we’re not looking for a one-and-done kind of thing. We’re not hoping for each of us to ju

What I’m hoping that we would begin to do today, is that we would begin to unpack, and we would begin to look at this idea of one person in our life, that doesn’t know Christ, that we would begin to go fishing for them.

📷

We’re really passionate about movements today, aren’t we? Especially the millennial generation and now Generation Z, we’re excited at the idea of big, grand things happening around us. We want to be a part of something great.

As I was preparing for this message, Pastor J.D. said something, a couple weeks ago, that really started to weigh heavy on my heart. It’s this idea that, man, we’re really passionate about movements, are we not? Especially the millennial generation, we love this idea of big, grand things happening all around us. We love to be a part of something great. We love to be part of a church that’s doing great things for the kingdom of God, yet somehow we’ve missed our part in it. It’s really easy for us to just say we’re a part of something great, but now to actually use our gifting, to be a part of that movement.

So we’d love to be part of a church that’s doing great things in the kingdom of God, yet somehow we’ve missed our place in it. It’s really easy for us to just say we’re a part of something great, but not to actually use our gifting, to be a part of that movement.

I am a Steelers fan. Have been since I was young, possibly to the chagrin of some of my extended family who are here… We’re mostly a family of Bears fans, because we come from the Chicago area. So while I have a special family affinity for the Bears, I’m a Steelers fan.

She’s like, “Okay.” I’m like, he is so sexist, you know? She can play football. She could probably rip his head off.

I look out the back window, and there’s Annie with her pink pom poms. She’s got on a tutu, and she’s cheering for Holt. She’s like, “Go Bubba, go Bubba,” cheering. He’s throwing the football to himself, diving, catching, rolling 10 yards into the end zone. He stands up, spikes the ball, and he’s like, “It’s good.”

I think it’s funny how we sports fans act. We quarterback from our armchairs (often after the fact), we yell and scream like coaches at screens that are only communicating in one-direction (no, they can’t hear you or see you), and a team doing poorly or well can even impact our moods for days or even weeks as if we were the owners of these multi-million dollar organizations. We speak about how “we” won or lost.

She’s just cheering. She comes inside, she said, “Dad, did you see me and Holt playing football?” I said, “Sweetie, Holt played football. You just cheered.”

No, we didn’t. They did. We were just watching it happen from the comfort of our living rooms. Our cheers and jeers, our dedication and ideas had absolutely NO impact on the outcome of the game or the season. We’re cheerleaders at best.

Is this how we are in the mission of God? We’re great cheerleaders, but not actually contributing anything of worth to the Kingdom? Maybe we’re really good at standing on the sidelines, throwing up our pom poms and cheering, while everybody else is hard at work on the front lines. My hope today is that we would stop being cheerleaders, and we would start becoming contributors to a great movement of the mission of God. It doesn’t start with the masses. It starts with one.

What I’m afraid of is that a lot of us, we’ve become really good cheerleaders, but not good contributors to the mission of God. We’re really good at standing on the sidelines, throwing up our pom poms and cheering, while everybody else is hard at work on the frontlines. What I’m hoping today is that we would stop being cheerleaders, and we would start becoming contributors to a great movement of the mission of God, right here in Raleigh Durham. Listen, it doesn’t start with the masses. It starts with one. It starts with one. It starts with one person.

Let’s look at our focal passage again, and my prayer for us is that the Holy Spirit will ignite a fire in our hearts today for our “one”: stop reading after “Jerusalem”:

Luke 5:17 CSB

luke 5:17

This is near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus is traveling from place to place, and He’s always running into these “teachers of the law” and Pharisees. They were the religious leaders of the day, and Jesus, this itinerant rabbi often frustrates them with the things that He says and does. This time is no different.

The Gospel of Luke, chapter five, if you have your Bibles, if you would go ahead and open up to the Gospel of Luke, chapter five, verse 17. What I’m hoping today is that, we would begin to read this passage and that the Holy Spirit would begin to put on our hearts a desire, a longing, a passion, for the one. Luke five, verse 17, “One day as he, Jesus, was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who had come from every village of Galilee, in from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there.”

Continue reading from verse 17 “And the Lord’s power to heal was in Him.”

Now if you read the New Testament, you’ll notice as Jesus is going around from place to place, this is in the beginning stages of His ministry. As He goes around from place to place, He constantly has encounters with teachers of the Law, and Pharisees. These are religious leaders of the day. These are people that Jesus came, and most of His teachings went completely against them. They had put unnecessary weight on the people of God, on God’s people, for salvation. Jesus comes and He pits Himself against them, and He says, “This is actually the way of salvation.”

Luke 5:18–21 CSB

18 Just then some men came, carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before him. 19 Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” 21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think to themselves: “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

luke 5:18-

Who is this man? The Pharisees actually almost ask the right question.

The power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick. Some men were carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into a house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this, because of the crowd, the went up on a roof, and they lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to them, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Now that’s a question that comes up constantly in the New Testament. Who is this man?

Now the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow that speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” Now that’s a question that comes up constantly in the New Testament. Who is this man?

Who is Jesus? It’s one of the most important questions that every human being on the face of the planet will ever have to wrestle with, who is Jesus?

Jesus even asked His disciples the question in :

Mark 8:27–29 CSB

27 Jesus went out with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 They answered him, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.”

📷

And they asked the question themselves when Jesus calmed the storm in :

Luke 8:22–25 CSB

22 One day he and his disciples got into a boat, and he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23 and as they were sailing he fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger. 24 They came and woke him up, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!”

Luke 8:24–25 CSB

24 They came and woke him up, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!”

“Who is this man, that when He speaks, creation listens, creation obeys?” He’s God. Only God can speak and all of creation obeys His voice. It’s a question that every single person on the planet will have to wrestle with, who is Jesus? Who is He?

Jesus is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the way of salvation. Jesus Christ came and lived the perfect life that we didn’t, to pay the penalty that we couldn’t by dying on the cross in our place, and defeated death by rising again to life. If we will surrender our lives to the Lordship of Jesus, trusting Him for our salvation by faith, then He will receive us, forgive us of our sins, save us, and make us brand new from the inside out. That’s who Jesus is.

Jesus Himself stood up in a boat, when the waves were going, and the storms were raging. What does He do? He stands up in the boat, rebukes the waves. He tells them to be still, and it happens. The men in the boat look at each other, and they say, “Who is this man, that when He speaks, creation listens, creation obeys?” Well He’s God. Only God can speak and creation obeys at His very voice. It’s a question that every single person on the planet will have to wrestle with, who is Jesus? Who is He?

Back to our passage today: Jesus knows these guys are thinking what they’re thinking about Him:

luke 5:

Luke 5:22–26 CSB

22 But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.” 25 Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

Now a few things I want us to see, as we begin to set our hearts on the “one:”

Everyone was amazed, and they gave praise to God. They were filled with awe, and they said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” Now a few things I want us to see, as we begin to set our hearts on this Christmas season, on the one, that we are going to pull out of this passage.

1) These men had a mission.

Number one, these men that brought the paralyzed man before the feet of Jesus, they had a mission.

Mission helps define us. It gives us direction. It gives direction in our families, direction in our church, direction in our culture, direction in business. Mission statements are used to point a group of people in the same direction.

Not only do you have a family mission statement, but you went to Hobby Lobby and you put it up on the wall above youreyou got somebody, maybe in your family, or one of your really good friends, to cut off some pallet wood and put it together. You had somebody really artsy draw your family mission statement on there, right? It is like the centerpiece of your home. It fits right above your fireplace. Every day you walk in there and you’re like, our family does hugs. We laugh. We cry. You got all these things that define your family.

If my family had a family mission statement pinned up in our house in an artistic manner, it would be, I took a cardboard box. I ripped it in half, and I used spray paint on it, because I don’t have a lick of artistic ability, okay. That’s just my family.

Think about this for your company or your business. If you are working in your job, and you start to go outside of the mission that has been defined for your organization, what does your boss do? They start to reel you back in by reminding you of the mission and the vision of the organization.

Instagram. Some of us think that Instagram is just an app on your phone. It’s a company. This is what their mission statement is: “To capture and share the world’s moments.” Every time you snap that selfie, or take the picture of that food, or post that sunset #nofilter, you’re helping Instagram fulfill their mission… and you’re not even getting paid. You’re doing exactly what Instagram wants you to do. They want you to capture your life’s moments, and they want you to share it with the world. That’s their mission. It’s who they are.

Facebook, Facebook has a mission. It’s a media platform for your grandma to keep up with all of her grandchildren, right? You all, seriously, I remember the day that my grandma tried to be my friend on Facebook. I was like, “Grandma, really? No, come on man, Grandma doesn’t even know. She hunts and pecks on the thing. She doesn’t even know how to type man. That can’t be happening.”

Our church mission statement comes from the Great Commission. It says, “Eastern Hills Baptist Church’s mission is the make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded.” This is who we supposed to be.

Here’s a little side note for you. Parents, grandparents, the day you asked your children or grandchildren to be friends on Face- book, they left. They left Facebook. They got on Instagram, so you might want to go over to Instagram, okay, that’s where they are.

I mentioned last week that Jesus Himself had a mission statement:

Luke 19:10 CSB

10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

If we are Jesus’ disciples, then we have the same mission.

In our focal passage today, what was the defining mission of the men who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus? What was the thing that they were hoping for? They had a friend that they wanted to see walk, and it drove them. It moved them.

It moved them. Let me ask you. Let me just ask you a very simple question today. What drives you? What pushes you? What moves you forward in life? Is it to have a good job? Is it to have early retirement? Is it so you can maybe leave a good inheritance for your children?

What drives you? What moves you? Is it to have a good job? Is it to have early retirement? Is it so you can maybe leave a good inheritance for your children? Those aren’t “bad” things… but they’re temporal, temporary things. What about from a spiritual perspective:

📷

What Kingdom dreams do you have? Are you looking for the movement of God around you and desiring to get on board with what He’s about? What are the things in your life that are welling up inside of you for eternity’s sake that are driving you and pushing you forward?

Listen, those are all good things. Those are all good things, and those are things that God enjoys you to have. That you would have a job that provides for you, and you provide for your family. And that you would be able to provide for your family for generations to come, but let me ask you, maybe in a different category. What things, spiritually speaking, drive you?

What Kingdom dreams do you have? What things in your life are you thinking about? And you’re dreaming about that are moving you in such a way that you’re not just living for the moment, but you’re living for eternity? That you’re saying to yourself, God, if this doesn’t happen, I don’t know if I could take another step. What are the things in your life that are welling up inside of you for eternity’s sake that are driving you and pushing you forward, parents?

Is it that your children would come to faith in Christ? Is your “one” your child? Because if that’s the case, you know what’s going to happen as a mom or a dad? We’re going to be intentional every single day to see our children grasp the beauty of the Gospel. Every day. Why? Because that mission is defining us.

Parents? Is it that your children would come to faith in Christ? Is your “one” your child? Because if that’s the case, you know what’s going to happen as a mom or a dad? We’re going to be intentional every single day to see our children grasp the beauty of the Gospel. Why? Because that mission is defining us.

Is it that your children would come to faith in Christ? Because if that’s the case, you know what’s gonna happen as a mom or a dad? You know what we’re gonna do then, right? We’re gonna work hard every single day to see our children grasp the beauty of the gospel. Every day we’re gonna work hard at it. We’re gonna work hard at it. Why? Because that mission is defining us. It’s putting it out there.

Jim Cymbala, the pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle, played college basketball at two different universities: The University of Rhode Island and the Naval Academy. When you think about a college athlete, someone who’s made it to that level, they have a drive to compete and succeed, and you might think that their drive is only focused on their athletic ability.

One of the things about Jim Cymbala is when he got to college, he sensed that God was calling him to ministry, and a little bit later he penned in one of his books what is actually the defining mission of his life - what he was yearning and longing and desiring for. He said, “I despaired at the thought I might let my life slip by without God showing Himself mightily on my behalf.”

Aristotle said that the soul never thinks without a picture. There is a picture being painted for you in your life right now, and you might not even know it. There’s a picture that’s driving you. There’s a vision that moves you. There’s a mission that defines you.

There’s a picture that’s driving you. There’s a vision that moves you. There’s a mission that defines you. One pastor said, “If the size of your vision doesn’t intimidate you, it’s probably insulting to God.”

Who’s your one? In this passage, these men had a mission: that the lame would walk. As a disciple of Christ, if we’re looking for a mission for our life, then why not take on the mission of Jesus Himself? That we would seek and to save the lost. That God would use me as an ambassador of the Gospel, that those that are far away might come to faith in Christ.

What is driving you for the kingdom? What is it? Who is it? Who is that person? In this passage, these men, the driving force for their motivation, was that the lame would walk. As a disciple of Christ, I would even say to all of us, if we’re looking for a mission for our life, why not take on the mission of Jesus Himself? That God would use us. That the lost might be found. That God would use me as an ambassador of the gospel, that those that are far away might come to faith in Christ.

But these men didn’t only have a mission.

2) These men had an eager expectation.

They didn’t just go like, “Sweet! We have a mission. Sounds great.” No, they had an eager expectation of seeing what God would do as they fulfilled the mission He had given them: they believed that if they could get their friend to Jesus, then they’d see Jesus do what only Jesus can do.

But seeing that happen was going to take them stepping out in their faith and taking a risk for their friend’s healing. They all took a risk, including the paralyzed man. He had to be suspended on a mat from a ceiling by four of his friends. That’s a risk. But it was a focused risk: they kept their eyes on Jesus.

When I think about that, I think about risk. Risk. I think about taking a chance, taking a dare on God, literally. I think about men of the Old Testament, like Joshua. Joshua chapter one, Moses. Okay, Moses has gone now in the baton of leadership over the people of Israel’s been handed off to a man by the name of Joshua. Joshua now is in charge of leading God’s people into the promises and fulfillment of God’s promise to His people that they would go into the Promised Land, and it’s Joshua’s job to do it.

When I think about this kind of risk, I think about people of the Old Testament, like Joshua against Jericho in , or against the coalition of four kings on the day that the sun stood still in , or of Deborah and Barak against Sisera in , or of Elijah on Mt. Carmel against the 850 false prophets in .

Joshua 1:8 CSB

Joshua 1:9 CSB

9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

In Joshua chapter one, verse eight, the Lord looks at Joshua, and He says this, “You are going to have to be strong and courageous. You’re gonna have to be very strong and courageous.” Translated meaning this. You’re gonna have to take a dare on me at some point, Joshua, if we’re gonna get the people to this place.

Joshua 1:8–9 CSB

8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. 9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 CSB

9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Basically, God says to Joshua, “You’re gonna have to take a dare on me at some point, Joshua.”

God gives Joshua the battle plan against Jericho, this fortified city. March around it for seven days and then scream and blow trumpets. This doesn’t sound like it would be a successful strategy. But that’s if we don’t include the power of God in the equation. There’s a risk there. They do it. The walls come down.

📷

A few chapters later in Joshua, chapter 10. Israel is at war with a coalition of kings, and Joshua prays that the sun would stand still until they are finished defeating their enemies. And God answers.

do? You’re gonna scream. No hand grenades. No bazookas. No tanks. None of that. Nope. Just scream. So what are we gonna do? We’re gonna scream because God told us to do. Screaming is not a great battle plan.

Or Elijah on Mt. Carmel in . One prophet against all the false prophets of the land. He tells them to bring their sacrifice up to the altar, and the God who answers with fire and consumes the sacrifice, He is God. So the false prophets prepare their sacrifice, and start calling on Baal. Nothing happens.

But they do it. The walls come down. What do you know a couple chapters later? They’re at war, and if they’re going to be suc- cessful at this war, God’s gonna have to do something. So they literally ask God to make the sun stay in its place. To finish what God started, and what does God do? He answers. I think about guys like Elijah on Mt. Carmel. One prophet against all the false prophets of the land. He tells them to bring their sacrifice up to the alter, and the God who answers and consumes the sacrifice, that’s the God.

But the guys I think of probably first when it comes to expectation and risk are Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in . These three Hebrew men refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s idol statue because they belonged to the One True God. Nebuchadnezzar heard about their disobedience and made them answer for it, saying, “Is it true that you don’t serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up?… if you don’t worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.” They’re at a point of risk. But they answer:

And so these men, they get their sacrifice around. They start doing like an Indian rain dance. They’re going around, and Elijah’s mocking them. It’s like, “Shout louder. Maybe your god’s on vacation. You know, maybe he’s busy. Maybe he’s out for a walk.” And they keep doing it, and they’re like cutting themselves. It’s actually a really depressing story.

Then it’s Elijah’s turn. He repairs the Lord’s altar, he soaks the sacrifice with water, and then he prays:

And so Elijah’s like, “Move over. Let me show you guys something. Take the sacrifice. Put it on the alter. Douse it with water. In fact, we’re gonna fill it up. We’re gonna just soak it. Completely soak it. Water’s gonna be overflowing from everything around it.” He gets on his knees, and he says, “God, I want You today to show off Your glory. Me versus all these men, but You’re the one doing the work. Do it.”

1 kings 18:

1 Kings 18:36–37 CSB

36 At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah approached the altar and said, “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things. 37 Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that you, the Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back.”

What does God do? Whoosh. What do the people do? Fall on their faces and say, “The Lord, surely, he is God.”

And what happens? Whoosh. Fire consumes the sacrifice, the stones, the wood, and the water.

1 Kings 18:

1 Kings 18:39 CSB

39 When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!”

I think about guys like, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Right? Daniel chapter three. They refused to bow to King Nebuchad- nezzar and his statue that he had put out there for the people to bow to because their hearts were aligned and the affections of their heart were for the one true God only.

Or Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in . These three Hebrew men refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s idol statue because they belonged to the One True God. Nebuchadnezzar hears about their disobedience and make them answer for it, saying, “Is it true that you don’t serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up?… if you don’t worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.” They’re at a point of risk. But they answer:

In Daniel chapter three, Nebuchadnezzar hears about it, and he comes over. And he says, “What’s this I hear about you guys not bowing?”

These men have an eager expectation of what God is going to do: they answer Nebuchadnezzar:

And King Nebuchadnezzar, he says, “Listen, if you don’t bow to me, I’m gonna throw you into the fiery furnace. There you will die. Flames will consume you.”

daniel 3:16

Daniel 3:16–18 CSB

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. 17 If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. 18 But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

And they look at him, and they say, “Listen, we refuse to bow to you because our hearts are for God alone. We believe our God can save us.” That’s pretty strong faith, isn’t it? But here’s the best part about that. The next statement in Daniel three. “But even if He doesn’t, even if He doesn’t save us, we still refuse to bow.”

There was a risk, but there was an eager expectation of what God was going to do because of how He had worked in their lives. It didn’t matter if they went in the furnace: they weren’t going to deny their God. They knew He could do the impossible, and even if He chose not to, they wouldn’t worship an idol.

Look at

Hebrews chapter 10, verse 39 says, “We’re not like those that shrink back and are destroyed, but we’re like those who press forward. And we move forward in faith.” And in Hebrews chapter 11, what do you see? The great hall of faith, right? People who saw God shut the mouths of lions, and they did all kinds of crazy things, but you know what some people did in faith? They moved forward, and they were sawed in two. But the reward was all the same. They all stepped out in faith. They took a risk.

Hebrews 10:39 CSB

39 But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.

And then following that in , we have the great “Hall of Faith.” We see the risks that some took in faith, and God showed His glory in delivering them:

Hebrews 11:32–34 CSB

32 And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.

hebrews 11:

And we see that some that took risks by the same faith, but with a different outcome, even though still for God’s glory:

Hebrews 11:36–38 CSB

36 Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

hebrews 11:36-

They all received the same approval from God on the basis of their faith according to verse 39: “All these were approved through their faith.”

hebrews

“All these were approved through their faith.”

And in Hebrews chapter 11, what do you see? The great hall of faith, right? People who saw God shut the mouths of lions, and they did all kinds of crazy things, but you know what some people did in faith? They moved forward, and they were sawed in two. But the reward was all the same. They all stepped out in faith. They took a risk.

When was the last time you stepped out in faith, taking a risk for the Kingdom of God, but with an eager expectation that God was going to bring a harvest? The friends of the paralytic, they had an eager expectation that their friend would walk. If we are committed to the mission of Jesus, to seek and to save the lost, and we are faithful in proclaiming the hope that we have in Jesus, then we can have an eager expectation, a bold confidence that God will do what only He can do: save people through the power of the Gospel.

If this is just a doctrine in your head, if the truths of God are just “here”, and they never make their way “here” (heart) and “here” (feet), you’re not really following Christ. You’re just being filled with information. The Gospel renews the mind. It transforms the heart. It propels the feet.

The Gospel moves us forward, and the work of the Kingdom moves us forward. We’re not just cheerleaders. We’re participants in the work of God, implements being used by the Master. These men in our passage were participants in what God was doing, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing.

3) These men encountered an obstacle.

📷

All of us encounter obstacles. When I think about the opportunities that I’ve had for sharing the Gospel with my “one,” with Trey, it seems like there are always distractions or walls or whatever.

obstacles, right? I mean, this is like, for me, this is the defining characteristic of my life. Like when I think about the one, like that one person. I’m like every time I go to that one person, I feel like there’s always something in the way.

Now we all encounter obstacles, right? I mean, this is like, for me, this is the defining characteristic of my life. Like when I think about the one, like that one person. I’m like every time I go to that one person, I feel like there’s always something in the way.

At this point in the passage, the men try to bring their paralyzed friend that they’re carrying on his mat. They try to bring him before Jesus, but what do we see about the door? It’s crowded. They can’t get in. At this point, if you’re anything like me, this is where we start to consider throwing in the towel in surrender. We think, “Well, must be a closed door. I guess the Lord doesn’t want this to happen. So maybe we just need to go a different way and forget about it. Must not be God’s will.”

For many of us, an “open door” is just Christianese for the path of least resistance. This open door terminology for most of us is, “Lord, we’ll walk through that open door because it seems easy.” Imagine if the Apostle Paul only walked through “open doors” the way we look at them.

Half the New Testament wouldn’t have been written! Here were some of Paul’s “doors”:

2corinthians 11:24-27

2 Corinthians 11:24–27 CSB

24 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.

Paul was flogged, beaten, thrown in prison, shipwrecked. Sound like an open door? “Paul, don’t go to Jerusalem, Paul. If you go to Jerusalem, they’re gonna kill you.” “Yeah, I know. I know that’s what you’re saying. That’s probably what’s going to happen, but you know what? I’m going anyway.”

Sound like an open door? There was also, “Paul, don’t go to Jerusalem. If you go to Jerusalem, they’re gonna kill you.” “Yeah, I know. I know that’s what you’re saying. That’s probably what’s going to happen, but you know what? I’m going anyway.” () If our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens as it says in , then shouldn’t we expect obstacles if we’re doing God’s will and work?

This isn’t to say that God doesn’t open and close doors of opportunity, but not every easy way is an “open door”, and not every difficult way is a “closed door.” This all just means that we need to be focused on God and His will and direction, and not on how easy we think something is or isn’t.

Or sometimes where there’s a “closed door,” it might just mean that there’s another direction to take. Maybe you need to dig a hole in the roof. What we see in these men is that they were so desperate to get their friend to Jesus, the obstacle that they ran into wasn’t going to stop them. There was no way they were going to give up, raise the white flag, and say, “Oh, the door is closed. We should just go about our merry way. Sorry, friend… at least we wanted to help you.” Sometimes we need to improvise and find another way to bring someone to the feet of Jesus.

Man, I felt like ... I was like all right, man. Okay, great. I’m gonna go about my way. So found another job, was working at that place for a couple years, and I’d heard about a little transition that was going on at this place. So I was like I’m just gonna shoot an email and try to see. God had put on me this burden to align myself with this one place, and so I was like man, I really wanna be there. So in a non-annoying way, I hope, maybe it was annoying, I don’t know, I just started shooting some emails. I’m like, “Hey, how you doing? Hope things are going well. Whatever. Man, I heard you got some transition going on.”

What most of us saw as a closed door, I started just to tap on it a little bit. Just kick it open a little bit. Just started to push a little bit. Just push a little bit. Push a little bit, and then finally, I find myself sitting down in an interview, face-to-face with this guy, and he said, “Listen, here’s the deal. We’re ready to offer you a job, but here’s the kicker. It’s an internship.” Okay, at that point my heart sank ‘cause everybody knows interns lose money. They don’t make money. They lose it in gas. That’s just the reality, okay?

I had a full-time job. I was making money. Life was great. Life was great, but man God had really put on our hearts to come to this place. It felt like the door was closing again, but God was telling us, you gotta kick that thing open. Kick it open, and keep going. So my wife and I took the job. We took the job on a risk. We took a risk. Left a full-time paying job.

She was working full time. Came up here. She didn’t have any connections. I was making intern money with no promises that it would be full time. You know what that place was? The Summit Church. The Summit Church. I had felt like God had put on my heart a desire to align my life with the mission and vision of this place, and I was willing to do whatever it took. I was willing to dig a hole through the roof if it meant that.

You are going to encounter obstacles in the way when you’re trying to share Jesus with your one. Don’t give up just because there’s an obstacle. Come at it from another direction. Dig a hole in the roof, and do whatever it takes. Make sharing the hope of Jesus with your one of such a priority that you will give up.

Don’t be afraid of the repercussions that you might get relationally. “What will happen if I start sharing Christ with this guy? Is he going to like me anymore?” Share Christ because you are desperate for your lost friend, your “one” to know Him as you know Him.

📷

4) These men got more than they expected.

Here’s the last point. These guys got even more than they expected. And so did everyone else.

. Verse 25 says this: Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier to say? Your sins are forgiven or to say get up and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on Earth to forgive sins. He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home.”

Luke 5:25 CSB

25 Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.

luke 5:20-25

That’s what they were hoping for, right? That their friend would walk. Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on, and went home praising God. Listen that’s a story that we hear, we’re like, “Oh, that’s cute.” That’s crazy. A paralyzed man just stood up and walked. That’s what they were hoping for, but everyone was amazed, and they gave praise to God.

Luke 5:20–25 CSB

20 Seeing their faith he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” 21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think to themselves: “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.” 25 Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.

That’s what they were hoping for, right? That their friend would walk. This is what they had eager expectation of. And they got it. Their paralyzed friend was no longer paralyzed. He got up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. That’s crazy. A paralyzed man just stood up and walked. But look at what happened as a result:

Maybe you hear that and you respond, “Oh, that’s cute.” That’s crazy. A paralyzed man just stood up and walked. That’s what they were hoping for, but everyone was amazed, and they gave praise to God.

Here’s the beauty. Here’s the ... Don’t miss this verse. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” Not awe like I walked into the state fair and paid a quarter to see the world’s smallest woman. Okay? That’s not like that, oh. This is like I’m filled with awe and wonder because we saw God do what only God could do at this place today. Listen, don’t settle for the mundane when Jesus offers the miraculous.

Luke 5:26 CSB

26 Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

EVERYONE was astounded, and gave glory to God. They were filled with awe. This was LITERALLY “AWESOME.” This isn’t how we tend to use the word awesome anymore to say something is neat or fun or cool or good. This is, “I’m filled with awe and wonder because I saw God do what only God could do.” And everyone, probably including the men who had brought their friend to Jesus, said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

Ask God to do what only He can do in the life of your one. Look at the order of things here. These guys thought their friend needed to walk. The external circumstance was the most important thing. What Jesus looked at was the man’s internal situation. What did He say to the paralytic first? “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” And then, “Take up your mat and walk.”

The greatest need that you and I have, the greatest need that your “one” has is not behavior modification. We don’t just need to behave better, because Jesus didn’t just come to make mean people nice or bad people good. He came to make lost people found and dead people alive.

No, Jesus didn’t come to change our behavior. He came to make lost people found and dead people alive. I don’t need behavior modification. I need a heart change. I need my soul crushed, so God can mold me back up into who God wants me to be. God’s not after a tweaked life. He’s after a changed life. The inner disposition is the most important piece of this whole passage, not the external circumstance. And Jesus does the greatest work in this man’s heart, not his legs.

I don’t need behavior modification. I need a heart change. I need my soul crushed, so God can mold me back up into who God wants me to be. God’s not after a tweaked life. He’s after a changed life. The inner situation is the most important piece of this whole passage, not the external circumstance. And Jesus does the greatest work in this man’s heart, not in his legs.

This takes us back to what I said in my opening: At some point, you and I were the paralytic on the mat. We were. Or maybe today, right now, you actually may be the paralytic on the mat, and today you realized for the first time, “Oh! My friend keeps inviting me to church because he or she thinks that I need Jesus.” That’s exactly right. That’s why your friends are doing that. They love you and they want to offer you the greatest hope—Jesus Christ. They want you to see and to taste, to know that the Lord is good.

But at some point, all of us in this room who follow Jesus were the paralytic on the mat, and we can all trace a finger to someone who looked at us and they said, “My mission is to see that person come to faith in Christ.” And they were eager and expectant that God could do what only God can do in your life. And if they’re anything like the people that tried to tell me about Jesus, they probably encountered a lot of obstacles. Pride, circumstances in life, things in the way. You didn’t want anything to do with Jesus, but they kept persisting. When the door was shut, they dug a hole through the roof.

Who’s your one? Is it a parent? Is it a friend? Is it a child? Jesus told His disciples if they were going to follow Him, He would give them a new task, a new mission, a new direction. It was going to be one of the defining characteristics of every believer. It’s what we looked at last week: “Follow Me, and I’ll make you fish for people.” I would say it’s time for us to get off the sideline and stop cheering and start fishing.

Closing

Darrell Robinson wrote a book called People Sharing Jesus. In this book, he has section that should impact how we should view our role, church. I want to close out by reading that story to you.

“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 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 and 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.” The plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish. One thing they didn’t do, however: They didn’t fish.

“In addition to meeting regularly, they organized a board to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish. The board 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.

“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.”

“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 fishing licenses. They were sent to do full-time fishing, some to distant waters which were filled with 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 for the fish. 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.”

“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 and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish every day. They received the ridicule of some who made fun of their fishermen’s clubs and the fact that they claimed to be fishermen, yet 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 fishes? Or more plainly stated, is one really following if he isn’t fishing?”

It’s time to start casting our nets. It’s time to stop talking about fishing, and it’s time to start fishing. And fishing starts with one. Who’s your one?

Invitation

Let’s pray. Father God, we give you thanks that when we were the paralytic on the mat, You looked at us, not in our external state, but You looked at our hearts, and You said, “I forgive you.” God, we know that that is the greatest need of every person that ever walked the planet—forgiveness of sins. Father, today, if there’s anyone in this place across all of our campuses, Lord, I pray that they would not be after the external tweaks of their life, but that they would see that You are after their heart, and they would confess with their mouth, “Jesus is Lord.”

Today, I’ve shared with you the message of the Gospel: what God has done because of His love in giving His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could be saved. Maybe you’re the paralytic today… you’re someone’s “one” this morning, and you are ready to respond to the Gospel in faith, giving your life to Jesus, and be saved. That can happen right where you are, but we would love to know about it and celebrate it with you. Come and share with me, or Trevor, or Noreen that you’re surrendering to Jesus today.

They know that their sin has separated them, and they need Your grace. God, I pray that would be true of them today. Father, we thank You that even though we were once the paralytic, You looked at us in our state, You said, “Get up and walk.” Just as we have received Your grace, God, help us now to extend that to someone else. God, put on our hearts a desire for the one, that one person this Christmas season that we would see come to faith in Christ. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

If God is leading you to be a part of this family of Eastern Hills, to formally become members of this congregation, come and share that as well.

If there is some other need you have for prayer, you can come pray at the steps, or come and share your prayer need with us.

As the band comes, prayerfully consider how God would have you respond this morning.

Pray

Invite to Parlor

Related Media

Related Sermons