The Sin-Forgiver

The radio and our focus is making Christ is providing worship come check us out at 3485 Oxford Rd. visit us online review BC.org join us for this week's message by Pastor Albert on shop young man in his own man and his wife pulled into a gas station back in the days of those full-service stations. Some of you may remember that a young attendant came out got the pump and got it going and then wash the windshield when he finished, the man leaned out and yelled is still guarding wash it again young attendant said yes sir and he went back and began to wash it again a second time. Looking closely for any bugs and door that might be on the windshield. When he finished, the man leaned out again and yelled loudly this time. Hey, don't you know how to wash your windshield again so I did a second time, we can see anything you drive and sure enough the man was furious this time is that I've had enough of this. I'm talking to you about because you're the lousiest windshield washer I've ever seen in my life and as he was about to open the door to get out. His wife reached out and pulled out his glasses wipe them off but I'm back on his face and needless to say, the windshield was spotless.

Many times people view others through their own dirty glasses send is smudging their lives. So when they see others, especially those who are walking with God all they can see is sin in the did the same thing to Jesus, but Jesus being God.

He saw through their sinfulness and he dealt with them. He confronted them and he even offered them forgiveness of sin see Jesus is the great sin forgive her that's the message this morning in our series on the miracles. If you have your Bibles with you turn to Mark chapter 2, and again he entered Capernaum after some days it was heard that he was in the house immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door and he preached the word to them. Then they came to him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.

And when they could not come near him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where he was. So when he had, they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, son, your sins are forgiven you, and some of the scribes were sitting and reasoning in their hearts. Why does this man speak blasphemies like this who can forgive sins but God alone but immediately, when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, he said to them, why do you reason about these things in your hearts, which is easier to say to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven you, or to say, arise, take up your bed and walk, but that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.

He said to the paralytic, I say to you arrives, take up your bed and go to your house immediately he arose, took up the bed and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, we never saw anything like this. I will ask you this morning. Couple questions. Can you see God working or other smudges of your sinful hearts, keeping you from seeing Jesus. The four men on the roof could not see Jesus, but they believe that he had the power to change their friend or their father or their brothers life. But the men under the roof who were face-to-face with Jesus. God is changing lives all the time set is in your heart you can message are you like those men who are willing to tear down the roof and bring their friend to Christ or are you like the scribes who could only sit back and cast doubts what do you believe about Jesus doesn't matter what you believe a clear view doesn't matter what you believe about me doesn't matter what you believe about all those trivial things. The real question is do you believe that Jesus has the power to forgive sin. You know what that implies that implies he was God and his God is if you don't believe that Jesus has the power to forgive sins. Guess what, you're still lost in your sins. And this morning.

What really needs to happen is for you to meet Jesus for who he is and get saved. You need that miracle. Amen. Let's go back again to verse one and again he entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that he was in the house; I have been to Capernaum couple years ago. Let me say a couple things about the houses back then the front door would actually lead into a courtyard is like our homes.

You walk in and there is a living room, no back in those days you would come into a courtyard which led to several rooms around the courtyard. The rooms were single-story and they were made out of salt, which is a black volcanic rock. I want you to get these images in your mind because sometimes people tend to think these are just stories that are stories.

These are real happenings. Listen to what it says in verse two immediately many gathered together, saw that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. So many people were coming in. More than likely Jesus was in a larger room in the courtyard bedroom got filled up. The courtyard was filled up and people were out the door.

Now here's the question who where these people know if you remember last year I preached on to part 1 giving you this information for a reason. Capernaum was a port town around the Sea of Galilee. If you can see to the northwest.

It was a port town. It was much easier to transport goods across instead of going around.

If you notice how mountainous it is easy to transport cargo from Capernaum to Bethsaida or to the you know Janessa written all these places is much easier.

So as a port town, something else about Capernaum is that it sat on an important trade route. If you see that red line coming from the south going past Samaria past Capernaum, which connected Egypt in the South to Syria in the north and Mesopotamia in the East.

So who were these people in Capernaum who were in that room and that courtyard. Just think about it. Business people, soldiers, tax collectors, because they had to collect whole sailors religious teachers because people are out there peddling their doctrine. Who else was in this group. Politicians, you name it and even prostitutes.

This is the group that is in this house out in the courtyard and out the door. Why were these people gathered. Listen to what is says in verse to the last line was Jesus doing for them and he preached the word to them. I want you to miss that these people, business leaders, owners, sailors, soldiers, tax collectors and prostitutes. Why were they gathered, why were they willing to get into this room and maybe a hot day to listen to this man because they were hungry for the truth. They were hungry for Jesus was preaching to them how to make this statement very quickly and move along. If your motivation to go to church. Weather is clear view or any other church is anything other than the word of God. In time you will stop going in time something will happen.

Someone will rub you wrong. Someone will say something to you. Something will offend you or you may not like the lights of the music of this or that of the other. Going but if the word of God is primary is the most important thing. Everything else is trivial little trumpet but I can deal with that because I'm here for the work. These people were crowded into this rule. These people were crowded into the courtyard out the door for one reason, it was the word of God. What happens listen to verse three then they came to him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.

And when they could not come near him because of the crowd uncovered the roof where he was now pay attention to every word that Mark is putting in his gospel. Apparently these were four men, we don't know if there were four brothers and they were bringing their father or there were four brothers in bringing their another brother or a friend.

We don't know exactly who these men were and what was the relation with this man on the stretcher.

What to do. The couldn't get through the crowd. As I mentioned to you about the house in the courtyard.

There would be a stairway leading to the roof.

They started taking their friend or their father or their brother up the stairway to the roof if I was the man on the stretcher. Aguilar guys, please don't drop me I'm good.

I believe me right you get a picture that try to take this man is like old guys. I'm slipping here.

Oh please somebody help me get that and you might them are determined to get him up the roof.

Now what is the deal when they got up there, they uncovered the roof and listen to verse four. So when they had was the word that they had broken through, say, what about the roofs.

The roofs are usually flat a little bit sloped. Not like the roofs we have in our homes in the church just a little bit sloped so the rainwater could receive and they were made out of wooden beams and attached with the first layer would be reads and sticks and small branches. The second layer was a layer of matted layer of porn swipe orange because that would you stick to the what's coming next was a four or 5 inches of clay, so you have read sticks, branches, layers of horns for souls on top of that, take layer of clay. Amazingly, it held and it had to be started because people back in those days would climb up on these flat roofs and do some work or they would drive their fruits and even sleep there at night without using wisely so interested in the roof of the house I'm going somewhere with this photo was not just getting up there and moving a few pieces of steak and hay. They had to break through the roof to get to Jesus. Now think about it for a moment. You can see the mods in the clay in the branches falling from the roof. Can you see that Jesus is in that room. Next thing you know this big somebody is like tearing the ceiling down.

I can imagine the owner of the house of the people who live in the house. I will wait a minute what was right and they're running through that crowd trying to get up the stairway to these four men up there and I can imagine is missing. Hey, look what we did. I know we didn't we will fix it. But we gotta get our friend to Jesus, we gotta get a dad to Jesus. We would live a promise you can imagine the owner walking away, going boy that was a mistake inviting Jesus over and I see what people these days. This is a good opportunity for me to say something.

Okay ministry can be messy ministry can be costly.

If you want to reach people. Be prepared for a lot of scratches on the doors letter Denson the walls and outer stains on the carpet. Here's my statement to you if it bothers you. Get over it because I have seen many pristine need clean and empty churches. It's a sign of life ministries messy you start reaching people, people begin to Comcast begin to call you that I have smudge and by the way the worst kind of stains and scratches and dents are the spiritual and the emotional once you know what happens.

The worst kind is when people rub you wrong when people scratch you when people put a dent in you and people put a stain on you. It's part of ministry.

Get all you think that would do that to me all the time. Is it fun know I wish I could tell you that manages rolls off must know it doesn't I think about it. I get angry. My next time I see him and let him have is like God says what in this one she wanted one people to come and grow. Yes Lord than get over it. What happens listen to verse five when Jesus saw their faith. In other words, Jesus was impressed by the faith of these guys an amazing Jesus being God who is omniscient, who can see everything from this side of the universe to the other and time does not bind him yet. He was impressed and I can imagine piercing go there and stop like nonelderly alone and let him do what they're doing. This is interesting in a while. He let them do it because he could've immediately set like this in the entire roof would've been made out of steel frames. He didn't do that. Why because he wanted a business owner over there and that soldier over there in the tax collector in the sailor and the prostitute to see that this is how desperate you need to be. If you want to get to God.

You know what these men believe they believe that if I can just get my dad if I can just get my brother if I can just get our friend to Jesus. It will change and forever. I just got get into it. I don't care out of the owner wants to beat me about To get up this roof was are you this desperate to get the God are you this desperate to bring your friend your father your son your brother, your sister to Christ. I had to tell you what most people do reach I want to push my faith on anybody want?

For this, I just, you know I like to lick things, develop naturally and with the naturally developing them and pushing them right into hell. One reason we don't do much when it comes to leading our friends and our family to Christ because we don't have the faith that if Jesus could just be there and they could just bring them to Jesus. He could change their lives. Faith is essential to bringing people to Christ.

If you don't have the faith that one look at Jesus can change them forever. Why would you do anything these men were willing to tear someone's house down because of their foresight and come up with businesses in the word. Listen to what it says in Hebrews 11 six. This is a powerful passage I want you to pay attention to the words without faith it is impossible to please him him meaning God, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who what's the word there diligently seek him. Is this not just what I will try Jesus out and see what happens. One of I'm praying for the diligently missed you. Don't give up. You are consistently waiting and trusting God to change that person's life. How much do you trust Jesus would Jesus be impressed by your faith. Score step further. What would happen if we would be dispassionate and full of faith when it came to our friends, something more is happening here. Let's go to verse five than he, meaning Jesus said to the paralytic, son, your sins are forgiven you, and some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts. Why does this man speak blasphemies like this who can forgive sins but God alone at this a really odd statement, Manis paralyzed his friends tear through a roof to bring him down to Jesus. Jesus knows kneels down and says son, your sins are forgiven, why did Jesus do that several reasons maybe is because this man had been paralyzed because of some sin. Jesus knew what was the deeper reason Jesus knew that this man was a thief and he was running away and he tripped and fell and he was paralyzed.

Maybe he was a soldier taken advantage of somebody and he got paralytic who knows it might be some sin. Maybe that's the reason why Jesus told him, son, your sins are forgiven you. It could be that Jesus knew that doubt in the minds and hearts of the scribes that he was making a backhanded remarket them. He was saying son, your sins are forgiven, because he wanted them to hear him say that we don't know for sure. I believe there's 1/3 reason Jesus told him that his sins were forgiven because he knew that the man needed something more than physical healing. He needed spiritual healing. CS Lewis said this in his classic book, the problem of pain. I want you hear his words.

He said God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain, and of the truth when you're going through a tough time physically, relationally, financially.

That's the moment when you are desperate before God is a God, I need you.

I don't have anything else God, but I feel like unless you come through.

There is no hope. Those are the moments that God does his deep work in our lives. It been through many of those moments.

I don't enjoy them but I have grown the most.

Through pain, would you agree with that many of y'all have you grow the most through those tough times. This paralytic man.

Of course he needed physical healing. But Jesus, the first thing he says his son, your sins are forgiven, because that's much more important than just seeing you walk in this morning if you're going through some pain in your life. If you're going to some need in your life. God did not cause it. God is not the author of evil, but pray before you pray God heal me or God send money or God get me a job or get me a relationship, pray God, would you work and do that were completely in my life before anything else, and then God said that healing and send that need in in me that need in my life so Jesus says son, your sins are forgiven. But listen to verse eight but immediately, when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, he said to them, why do you reason about these things in your heart, which is easier to say to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven you, or to say, arise, take up your bed and walk 90 on the pay attention these scribes were reasoning in their hearts they were thinking. What they don't realize is that setting before them is the reason of the universe. This is the person who has created logic and Jesus said, I tell you what he doesn't say which is easier to do.

He says, which is easier to say, arise and walk your sins are forgiven. I think about that for a moment is easy for me to say, your sins are forgiven, your sins are forgiven, your sins are forgiven because you can verify but if I were to say, arise and walk and you are paralyzed. Now you have to do something because if you don't get up and walk that I'm a fake. What Jesus is saying to these menses logic. He say which one do you think is easy to say, your sins are forgiven, arise and walk of courses sins are forgiven. Guess what I'm going to do. Listen to verse seven, but that you may know, in the Jesus of the mailing of the wisest man, the one who created logic, but that you may know that the Son of Man, by the way he is referring to Daniel chapter 7 Son of Man was the one to whom all power, dominion, authority will be given talk about the Messiah, but the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. Guess what I'm to do.

I am going to say which is harder. He said to the paralytic on safety, arise, take up your bed and go to your house.

Immediately he arose, took up the bed and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, we never saw anything like this. I don't know miss this, the greater miracle is not the one that can be proved, the greater miracle is the one that cannot be proved both how can you prove that I'm saved, you have to believe me ask you this morning. Have you believed in Jesus.

What do you believe about Jesus doesn't matter what you believe about me doesn't matter what you believe but Clearview doesn't matter what you believe about what's happening at Clearview doesn't. Those things are irrelevant. The real question is do you believe that Jesus is God who has the power to forgive sins. Do you believe that it comes down to that which one are you are you the four men of faith who were over the roof who could not see Jesus, but they were willing to tear up someone's roof, just to get their friend, their relative to Christ or are you like the scribes without faith under the roof. They were face-to-face with Jesus. They just didn't believe it, just like the man with the smudge glasses is the sin of disbelief clouding your view of Jesus, you know, I can preach a sermon, but if there is sin in my heart I'm preaching it, but I cannot see the change happening in your life and I can walk away from this place and say IT what people don't get saved these days things don't happen, but if my sins are confessed, just like the scribes they had blasphemy in their own hearts and all they could see was Jesus full of blasphemy.

What sin is clouding your view of Jesus this morning. You need to come to him if you never given your heart to Christ, who never been saved. Today's the day. How do you come just like those men wore they were desperate if we could only get him to Jesus. If we could only get him face to face with Jesus, it will change him forever.

There were desperate about that man the paralyzed man could he do anything you see sin is the paralysis of the soul.

If you think you can change your life if you think you can do better about your people tell me that if I can just just deal with this habit. If I can just get rid of something some relationships in my life then I'll be ready for Jesus you are paralyzed and sent.

You cannot do anything for yourself. You can only look and live this morning. All you can do is say Jesus I need you to forgive me of my sin. That's all you can do and he will change your life forever. And for those of you who are forgiven, but the smudges of sins are keeping you from seeing what God is doing. Repent, repent, you can sit on your high horse and be judgmental or you can get off and say Jesus citizen me this morning. Get before him, you begin to see him moving in mighty ways all around. Thank you so much for joining us for this message are God's powerful God is capable of. Remember, the greatest miracle of all forgiveness.

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