Sermon notes from Sunday 24 March 2019
Mark 2 verses 1 - 12
Mark 2 takes us to a wonderful portion of scripture. A lovely incident that happens. Verse 1 Jesus comes again unto Capernaum where Peter lived. He goes into a particular house where something mighty will happen. As he teaches he looks upward and sees the roof coming away. Those who have taken the roof away are lowering a man on a stretcher down to the feet of Jesus. The man was sick with the palsy. He couldn`t walk, paralysed. These men had lowered him down on the stretcher to where Jesus was. When he saw their faith Jesus said "thy sins be forgiven thee." "When he saw their faith". It is possible to come to the prayer meeting and pray without faith, expecting nothing. Remember the woman who met the Lord in the street. She hadn`t been well for 12 years but she touched the hem of his garment. He looked at her and said "thy faith hath made thee whole." Blind Bartimaeus was asked what he wanted the Lord to do for him and he told him. Jesus then said to him "thy faith has saved thee." What a tremendous faith to have. We need to have that faith in our hearts today as we pray, to expect God to move and to do something real for us. These men were lowering this man on a stretcher. They wouldn`t take no for an answer. They expected the Lord to do something for their friend.
Notice the understanding these men had. What brought these men to lift this friend of theirs, place him on a stretcher and bring him to Jesus? An understanding in their heart of what was taking place in that house. His presence was there. His power was evident. They had a burden for their friend. Have we that same burden today? They realised more than the religious leaders of that day. When Jesus spoke to the man on the stretcher the scribes turned and said "who can forgive sins but God only." They didn`t realise or recognise who was in their midst. These 4 unlearned men, ignorant men had an understanding of who the Lord was and what the Lord could do. Luke 4 verse 24 "his fame went throughout all Samaria and they brought unto him all that were sick." The excitement was there. The Lord had come again. These people were getting excited. These 4 men came knowing something wonderful would happen in that home that day. Remember Jairus - he looked into his home and saw his daughter lying sick. He knew the answer was in finding Christ. He got down on his knees before Jesus and pleaded with him "will you come and bring her back to life again." He expected something of Jesus. Will you pray and ask the Lord to save people today? The Roman centurion had a servant at home. He told the Lord he didn`t have to come under his roof, only speak the world. It is not about a church nor about a preacher nor a singer or a person who testifies. It is all about the power of Christ. It is all about the person of Christ. It is all about the presence of Christ.
The urgency with which they moved. Word was starting to spread. Jesus was here. The people of the house began to tell others that Jesus was in that house. As a result 4 men got their friend onto a stretcher and brought him to Jesus. The potential that was there. They talked with each other, talked about their friend, the opportunity they had for him to be healed. They acted with urgency. Jesus had returned to Capernaum, he was making another visit. These men are going to make it their priority. What had happened the first time Jesus came? Did they just sit back and ignore the presence of the Lord? Maybe they left it too late. Not this time - they were going to make every priority. Is there someone for whom there is another opportunity to come to Jesus today? We need to take the task with urgency. Luke 5 verse 17 "An it came to pass on a certain day as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by which were come out of every town of Galilee and Juaea and Jerusalem and the power of the Lord was present to heal them." That is what made the difference that day - the Lord demonstrated his power. When he had spoken the words "thy sins are forgiven thee" he turned to the scribes and the Pharisees and asked them "What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier to say Thy sins be forgiven thee or to say Rise up and walk?" These men realised the urgency, they left everything aside to get this man to Christ.
A unity that is presented. There had to be a unity - they were of the same mind, each agreed that the Lord could do something. They talked together, spoke together, realised the sickness of this man, that he would never walk. They also realised Jesus could do something because they had heard so much about him. Paul said to Timothy "we should be of one mind." We need to have that same unity. Yes we will have different thoughts, different passages of scriptures that we feel are important but there is one foundation - the one who can seek and save those who are lost. The one who died on Calvary for our sins. We need to bring our loved ones to the one who can save to the uttermost. There was also a unity in the fact that each took a corner. Each one is carrying the man. They are doing it very tenderly. It took all 4 to carry the man. Are we prepared to do what we can, not leave it to someone else, to see people brought to a saving knowledge of God himself? We cannot leave visitation or praying to 1 or 2 people, we all need to have a burden for one another.
They were unrelenting in their task. They would not give up until the Lord spoke to this young man. We are not told how far they travelled or how long it took but these 4 friends were not going to give up. They knew it would be worth it. There were such a large number of people inside and outside the house. They carried their friend up the stairs at the side of the house onto the roof. Will we do everything to bring our friends to Christ? You might be criticised for doing so but don`t be put off. Remember the crowd around Bartimaeus. He was told to be quiet but he persevered and received his sight back again. Remember the women bringing the children out to Jesus. They wanted Jesus to bless them but the disciples turned them away. Jesus said "forbid them not to come unto me." Paul said to Timothy "let no man despise thy youth."
There was an unmistakeable outcome. These 4 men watched. They had lowered their friend down through the roof. The Lord looked at the man on the stretcher and the 4 friends who had brought him. Jesus told the man on the stretcher "thy sins be forgiven thee." The 4 friends saw him take up his bed, roll it up, tuck it under his arm and walk out the door. They would never forget this day. Do you want to see men and women saved? Transformed and changed? These 4 men had faith - have you?
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