Luke 5:17-26

" Jesus is in the House"

Intro: In 2 Cor . 3 the Apostle Paul gives us a very important understanding when he writes 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

  1. Paul is essentially saying that we become more like Jesus when we spend time looking at Jesus
    1. Take on His Characteristics/ His flavor / His fragrance/ -
  1. And we will find ourselves being changed from glory to glory as we behold Him / That is why studying the gospels are so important
    1. They allow us to behold Jesus - God has given us 4 gospels because He doesn’t want us to Miss - Jesus
  1. As we enter the Christmas season - interesting how many people miss Jesus ! Jesus is misplaced & taken out altogether.
    1. But it is not just at this time of the year it is all year round

 

People Mag. Recently ran a cover story on the problem of Child abuse in America today . All time high - Innocent Children hurt -even killed

  1. A 19 yr. Old mother in St. Louis was arrested for breaking the ribs of her 5 month old son - because he wouldn’t stop crying
  1. In Ill. A 21 yr. Old mother & her live in boyfriend are arrested for severely beating the woman's 4 yr. Old daughter & making her sleep in the shower because the little girl wouldn’t stop wetting the bed.
  1. Last year in the U.S. there were 969,000 confirmed cases of Child abused that is just the cases that were reported and investigated - confirmed
    1. How many go - unreported - unnoticed
  1. WHY IS THERE SUCH A PROBLEM ? ( simple answer )

JESUS IS NOT IN THE HOME!

It is the same reason why we see such high statistics concerning the breakup of marriages these days

The Univ. of Rhode Island did a study a few years ago they found the most dangerous place to live, besides war zone or a riot, was the American home!

A. Found 20% of all policemen killed, in U.S. while on duty was as the result of domestic violence

1. coming out and responding to a domestic dispute

B) Found that 16 million American wives are battered each year

1) Found that 2 million couples used lethal weapons on each other in a given year

Why are there such problems in the Home & so many marriages being broken up even w/ in the Church?

  1. JESUS IS NOT IN THE HOME or He is not Lord of the Home !!!!
  1. Today we are going to see what can happen in an individuals life - in a marriage , in a family when JESUS IS PRESENT IN THE HOME .
    1. When Jesus is Lord in that Home ! - Read v. 17-26

Now in Marks Gospel we are told that Jesus is back in the city of Capernaum - in a house - great Multitude - plus scribes & Pharisees

  1. In fact we are told that these Pharisees had come from all over the region - every city in Galilee, Judea, & Jerusalem.
  1. Now that is a lot of cities - a lot of Pharisees - ( Convention)

  1. The PHARISEES were men who dedicated their entire life to the keeping of the Law of Moses in every way

  1. and the oral traditions that developed around the Law of Moses....

  1. The word Pharisee comes from a Hebrew word that means "to divide, to separate."
    1. The scribes & Pharisees probably developed out of the ministry of Ezra, the priest, who taught the people to obey the Law of Moses
  1. The great desire of the scribes and Pharisees was to understand and magnify God’s Law and apply it in their daily lives.

  2. the movement became very legalistic & its leaders laid so many burdens on the people that it was impossible to "serve the Lord w/ gladness"

  1. And many of the Pharisees were hypocrites and did not practice what they preached - they had become interested only in POWER .

1) Power corrupts & absolute power corrupts absolutely !!!!!

 

SO WHY WERE THEY HERE TO SEE JESUS ?

  1. Because He was a threat to their Power - See where ever He went - huge multitudes followed .

  1. Who is this guy - we had better check him out - we have heard some radical things - so lets see for ourselves

  1. Saw last week - Leper - Go show yourself to the Priest …

  1. And I am sure that when he did - these guys were alarmed - He even has the power to make Lepers clean.

  1. Word got out - that Jesus was in Capernaum and they came - all of them.

  1. But notice what else it says - there in v. 17 - And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

  1. Now Jesus was in the house & The Power of the Lord was present to heal them - but there wasn’t any healing take place - why is that?

  1. I suggest to you it was because of the attitude of their hearts that Jesus revealed here in this story.

  1. They wanted to be near Jesus / wanted to Check out Jesus - but they didn’t want to submit to or put their trust in Jesus. - NO HEALING

  1. That is the problem w/ many people who call themselves Christians - Jesus is really not reigning in their lives - in their homes

  1. Power of God to work in their lives & situations is lacking & that is why

 

  1. Now in v. 18,19 we are told Then behold, men brought on a bed 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.

Marks gospel tells us that there were 4 men - who sought to bring this paralyzed man to Jesus.

  1. Early tradition says that this man was paralyzed because of a venereal disease -

  1. Jesus’ words seem to Him seem to confirm that his physical condition of being paralyzed was connected to some sin that had taken place in his life

  1. Paralysis pictures the helplessness of the sinner.

  1. Last week we saw how sin was like Leprosy in that it starts small but eventually spreads until the entire body is infected

  1. Like Leprosy sin - causes a persons life to begin to decay & to Rot -

E) Here we see another picture of what sin does . It cripples - leaves people paralyzed . - And I suggest to you

1) that there are people today who are not walking because of the guilt

over a sin or a series of sins that took place in their lives

  1. And Although they can physically walk - they cannot walk w/ the Lord w/

gladness because they think - I’ve gone too far I’ve sinned too greatly

  1. And like this man - they are left paralyzed by their guilt - but Praise the

Lord this guy had 4 friends like these men

These four men are examples of how friends ought to minister to one another and help needy sinners come to the Savior. Note 3 things

1st They had DESIRE -These guys wanted to get their friend to Jesus so that he could be cured

  1. Their friend was in an awful situation & they knew the only one who can help Him is Jesus - Desperate. Must get him to Jesus !

  1. Do You have anyone in your life or on your heart that you - are saying in your heart I must get them to Jesus!

  1. there be anything more loving that you can do for a friend than to bring them to Jesus?

 

2nd They had DEDICATION

  1. Their desire was MORE than lip-service - NOT just: "Oh I want to bring my friend to the Lord" but never do anything concrete about it

  1. These guys were going to find a way. Many Christians will SAY that they want to bring their friends to the Lord

  1. BUT - That desire will often NOT translate into action

  1. These men went to their friend - and then physically carried their friend to where Jesus was !

  1. Some times - that is what we need to do ! I’ll pick you up

  1. Rides ministry in High School - 20 plus counselors who picked up kids - result we had - 50-60 kids every wed. parents not saved - didn’t go here

1) Desire - Dedication

 

3rd They had DETERMINATION

  1. They came to the house but it was too crowded - there was no way to get in to see Jesus - but that didn’t stop these guys - not discouraged

  1. picture this scene - we have got to get him in there - how ? One guys looks up - that's how - should we? - GO FOR IT

  1. When you're TRULY dedicated to something you will take whatever measures necessary to accomplish your task

b) Homes in those days had these rooftop patios - stair way or a ladder that led to the roof ! - Go to the roof .

  1. It might have been difficult -/ didn’t matter / totally unorthodox - they didn’t care that it wasn’t customary to break up a guys roof.

  1. costly -someone was going to have to pay for or repair the roof - & it would probably be them.

D) But it didn’t matter - their friend - needed to see Jesus

 

Now I have to admit I was convicted by the dedication & the determination of these 4 men

  1. Because - I can give up so easily in sharing -become discouraged - quit praying for someone
  2. There is desire - but too often the dedication & the determination is

missing. - Shouldn’t be because people are still going to Hell !/

  1. When is the last time invited - unsaved friend to Church
  1. Spurgeon gave his congregation an interesting analogy using this story as an illustration of getting people to Jesus.
  1. 4 men to hold the stretcher - you are one - your wife or roommate is another - the church is one and I am one
  1. We come together to bring people to Jesus.

C) These guys were ready to do whatever it took to get their friend to Jesus

And Jesus was blessed by their Desire / Dedication / Determination

D) Challenge - Lord in 1998 - show me one person that you want to use me in their life to get them to You.

V.20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."

Now Notice Jesus who always sees the big picture - who always sees what the needs really are does 4 things here

1st - Looks up - Seeing their faith - Looking at these 4 guys - blessed

  1. Smiling - I like this - these guys are right on -blessed to see that type of determination
  1. They had demonstrated faith - by going to such measures
    1. Reminded of the woman w/ the issue of Blood - just touch the hem …
  1. Blind Bart. Who when the crowd told him to be quiet - he yelled even louder Jesus son of David …… me
    1. Mary who broke a bottle of expensive perfume …. Yrs salary
  1. Jesus likes that kind of Christianity - Dedicated - determined - not afraid to go the extra mile to do the unorthodox - to do the extravagant
    1. Have it cost us something !
  1. Problem w/ Christianity in America - it doesn’t cost us much - no persecution - no risk - too casual - people come & go

F) So Jesus looks up & sees these 4 guys & is blessed by their faith

2nd - Jesus looks down at the man -Smiles - Utters a great word - "Man, your sins are forgiven you."

  1. Now his friends might have been disappointed by this - by I bet these were the best words - this man had ever heard
  1. My sin - which got me in this predicament in the first place has been forgiven. -
  1. Sin and disease are inseparable, so are sin and death, sin and disaster, and sin and the devil.
  2. If Jesus could not deal with sin by putting it away, He could not deal with anything else related to sin.

1)But He could deal with both sin and its symptoms.

  1. Paid the Price for sin- ( Only He can forgive sins )
  1. Your sins Christmas card

"If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior."

  1. Only Jesus can remove the guilt -

A preacher on an evangelistic tour was invited to spend the night with some members of a local congregation. The family consisted of a father, a mother, and a 12-year-old boy. As they all sat around the fire, the father began to tell of the circumstances surrounding the adoption of their only son, a youngster they had aided a few years before. "The child was just a poor orphan when we first saw him," said the man.

"He was in rags and very dirty, but his shoes were the worst of all. The upper parts were in tatters, and the soles had huge holes in them. We immediately gave him new clothes, but decided to keep those battered shoes as a reminder of how bad off he really had been. I put them in a closet nearby; and whenever our son complains or becomes unruly, I merely take them out to help him remember how much we've done for him."

The preacher noticed that the lad looked hurt and ashamed and, in fact, a bit unwanted. Careful to avoid offending his host, and realizing he perhaps had a good motive in trying to make the youngster appreciate his blessings, the evangelist said nothing.

Yet he recognized that always bringing up the grim past was disheartening to the boy. He thought to himself, what a blessing it is that God has cast our sins into the sea of everlasting forgetfulness.

Satan tries to remind us of our Past - continues to bring up our failures - Jesus - forgiven & forgotten.

LOOKED UP - LOOKED DOWN

 

3rd Jesus Looks around - Perceives what was going on in the hearts of these Pharisees v.21

A) 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'?

  1. Now this was an interesting statement that Jesus made - "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'
  1. On the surface it was much easier to say - Son your sins are forgiven - no one would know if they were or not .
    1. But to say - Rise up & walk - Power would need to be manifested
  1. But in the Spiritual sense - To heal the man Jesus only had to speak the word - Rise up & walk -
    1. But in order for the mans sins to be forgiven - Jesus had to go to Calvary ! Jesus had to die - a brutal - death
  1. So which was easier ?- It was a lot easier to say rise & walk

V.24 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"; He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."

25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"

Notice - Jesus spoke the word & Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

  1. Sign of a true conversion is seen in our walks - / No walk - Just talk
  2. Being a Christian is about a walk w/ Jesus !
  1. Enoch Walked w/ God & was not - God took Him
    1. Abe - Gen.13: 17 "Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you." FRIEND OF GOD

D) David Psa. 57: O God; I will render praises to You,

13 For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living?

1JN 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Now Before we end lets go back to the Pharisees - Question-

  1. Who can forgive sins But God - Good question - But they were not

seeing the answer !

  1. So Jesus made it real plain to them by touching this man - that He was

indeed God .

  1. To heal someone from paralysis was a physical - impossibility - & it still is today .
    1. Sports stars cook book - all favorite - recipes of Joe Montana / M.J. and all the proceeds going towards finding a cure paralysis
  1. There isn’t a cure - only God can touch a person who is in that helpless state of not being able to walk
    1. Only God can touch the person who is paralyzed by sin - and make it so they can walk w/ Him Impossible - BUT GOD!!!!

But that is what Paul - said in Eph. 2 turn there

  1. Eph. 2 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, DEAD -

2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, WALKED = MEANDERED

3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

4 But God,

who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Impossible situation - But God

  1. Those two words are words of great comfort to the person who desires to trust in His work & submit to His leadership
    1. What Challenge - what Obstacle - what need - what impossibility -
  1. See it in a completely different way - when I see it w/ God factored into the equation

 

Gen.20: 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, "Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife."

Gen.45: 8 "So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Gen. 50: 20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

1Cor 10: 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Psa. 49: 15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me.

Isa. 17: 13 The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters; But God will rebuke them and they will flee far away, And be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, Like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

WORDS OF GREAT COMFORT - GREAT ASSURANCE TO THE PERSON WHO DESIRES TO TRUST IN THE LORD

BUT FOR THE PERSON WHO RESIST HIM - WHO REFUSES TO SUBMIT TO HIM - WORDS OF GREAT DISTRESS

Luke 12 20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'

21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

 

Luke 16: 15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.