An Interrupted Sermon

Problems with the turn with me if you would march over to be looking versus one through 12 the day when he returned to Capernaum after some days it was reported that he was at home and many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. He was preaching the word to them and they came bringing him a paralytic carried by four men.

And when they cannot get near him because of the crowd.

They remove the roof above the men when they had made an opening. They lay down the bed which the paralytic lay when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic son, your sins are forgiven and have some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts. What is this man speak like that he is blaspheming who can forgive sins but God alone. Immediately Jesus perceiving his spirit saves us question within them sales said to them while you question these things in your hearts, which is easier to say to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven, or to say rise, take up your bed and walk, but that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins said to the paralytic, I say to you. Rise pick up your bed and go home and he rose and immediately picked up his bed went out before them all so that they were all amazed, and glorified God's lien.

We never saw anything like this that with me us.

We go to our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father, we have a plethora folks in our church who are in need of your physical touch this morning. Pray forensic torrents as she is suffering from a stroke. Pray for Roy Phillips wife Cynthia will soon have a tumor removed from her lung. Pray for my brother Eugene Oldham as he recovers from a major hip surgery I pray for my friend Doug call will lose suffering with cancer. I pray for all those many who are suffering from covert pray for Nicole los she heals from the ablation. Please have mercy on all of these and bring them back to us healthy and strong heavenly father day we have the privilege of studying a miracle of Jesus, Lord, you simply spoke the word in a paralyzed man was made completely and totally whale. He jumped out of his caught picked it up, walked home, glorifying God, oh my Lord, I would have loved to have been there I would have loved to sing the joy on his face and the wonder in the expressions of the crowd father something else happened in the story you forgave this man of his sins. You not only yielding temporarily, but you saved us all.

For all of eternity that reminds us that this world is not our home were just passing through. We also need a physical touch from you when our bodies are sick. We depend on you for food, shelter, and clothing. Those things come and go, eternity is where our minds and hearts should be focused. Lord help us to be gospel saturated 40 is the precious holy name of Jesus that we probably a man you may be seated.

One day Adrian Rogers, the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis Tennessee was at home studying preparing for assortments and as you study the telephone riding.

It was a lady painted from his church who is an absolute panic. She was white when inclined, he could even understand her and finally said let you have to calm down quick cry and tell me what's wrong and she said Dr. Rogers up at the hospital. My father has had a massive heart attack and he is died is that my father was lost.

He didn't know Christ and he is in hell right now and will be inhale forever and she said I haven't seen my father much lately and I've never talk to my father about his soul and I just don't think I can stand it, and Dr. Rogers center lady calm down. Let me and let me talk so yesterday I was up in the hospital and he said I have the opportunity to share the gospel with your dad answered I told your dad about the importance of repentance from sin and turn to Christ in faith.

I told him about Jesus dying on the cross to pay the sin debt for sinners.

I told him about the resurrection where Jesus was resurrected from the dead to break the power of death said. Then I said to your dad.

Are you ready to make this commitment to Christ.

Are you ready to trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Has he done this work in your heart, and he said your dad broke down in tears and said right there in the bed. He confessed his sin to God. He prays any he asked Christ to forgive them of all of his sins.

He thanked the Lord for dying for him on the cross and praise the Lord for his resurrection that broke the power of death over him and said then finally when he finished praying that I looked at him and there was a piece and there was a joy and there was a confidence in what Christ had done this and I believe with all my heart that your dad was genuinely converted.

Adrian said to him at that point in time, Mr. why had he waited so long and the man said to him I didn't know what to do.

He said you were the first person in my whole life was ever personally talk to me about my soul. He said there was a silence on the other end of the line and finally said her man said your dad is not inhale today. Your dad's in heaven.

But what if he had never heard the gospel resident sisters. It doesn't matter what denomination Uranian it doesn't matter if you're presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist or Pentecostal, the Lord Jesus Christ has a commission on your life and that commission is that you go entail not just that you come and listen, but that you go entail. Now I'm a reformed preacher, I'm a Bluenose Calvinist. I can't stand it when people.

I think that they have the power to two to change his sender's will and to talk a person into salvation.

I want you know it doesn't happen that way. As it happened it happens when God regenerates the heart and God puts it up in the heart conviction of sin and God draws that person to himself and God gives the ability to respond in faith. That's when it happens but what is the tool that God uses to get us to that point. It is the gospel, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

How can they hear without a preacher policy is was a Calvinist dude really believes very strongly in the sovereignty of God. Does he say well I have no responsibility because it salvation is of the Lord generally matter what I do have to worry about evangelism have to worry about the great commission. I don't have to worry about missions.

I can do what I wanted to, because the Lord is going to say who he wheels want to know brothers and sisters is not Calvinism that is hyper- Calvinism and it dishonors God and kills the church.

It feeds pride and it misses the mark of a true Calvinist will fight hell itself to get the gospel to a lost person. Why, because he knows that no matter how hard that person may appear that God Almighty has the power to reach down in the heart of that person to change his will to change his mind to change his heart and to save him just like that. We can't save anybody brothers and sisters, we can bring people to the foot of the one who can today were looking at a story about 4 million who defied the odds and said to them sales come hell or high water. Were going to get our buddy to Jesus.

Got five points I want to share with you this morning. Number one is the Capernaum spectators look with me in verses one into and when you return to Capernaum after some days it was reported that he was at home and many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door and he was preaching the word to them. Jesus and the disciples had been forced to leave Capernaum. The reason for that was Jesus had done so much healing and these people that he he touched or spoke to immediately were healed. All of them were healed and it was just hundreds and hundreds of them answered.

Because of that is his popularity skyrocketed, and he couldn't even going to see the anymore because the crowds were so large, so he had he had left Capernaum he been gone for several weeks, slip back into the town and we slid back in the Scripture says he went home and wears his home. This was the home of Simon Peter and I love the way the King James version translates verse one we read that to you in the King James says it was noised abroad that Jesus was in the house and straightway many were gathered together, in fact, so many at the house cannot hold all the people you know that's still the way it is today. Unit. When people in a community or town when they hear that Jesus is in the house or Jesus is in the church that come so when you're talking to people about Grace Church don't tell him who's preaching here don't know tell him who's leading the music talent.

Jesus is here and brothers and sisters, the crown come then when they gathered together, Jesus did something special. Scripture says he preached the word to them. He preached the word to them. This is not a healing service. He was preaching the word to them and this is important that wherever we labor it ought to be noised abroad, that Jesus is the center of attraction, the sum and substance of everything that were doing and when a group meets the word of God needs to be preached skidding of the story house were Jesus's preaching as Cranfield with people is alive at the door of mile-long people hanging out the windows. Others are right there at the outlet. The walls listen to what's going on.

All this is taken place.

One commentator said it this way is always the crowds primarily consisted of inquisitive onlookers and miracle seekers more interested in pursuing their own desires. Then in mourning over and repenting from sin, thereby seeking salvation from Christ. There were of course some genuine followers and true believers but they represented a small minority. For the most part, the multitudes remain spiritually indifferent to Jesus, drawn by their curiosity and fascination with his supernatural words, but ultimately unwilling to embrace his saving words. Despite such spiritual apathy and ambivalence. The Lord continue to preach to the thrones, knowing that the father would draw out the elect from among them. On this occasion in the house in Capernaum, as was his custom, he was speaking the word to them. I point to the paralyzed sinner.

Look at verses three and four and they came bringing him a paralytic, carried by four men, and when I cannot get near him because of the crowd.

They remove the roof above him and when they had made an opening. They let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.

Now you know the story is this paralytic who had four friends. These were good buddies of his who cared for him very deeply, and the paralytic, and these four buddies believe that if they could just get this man to the feet of Jesus that Jesus could healing and so they went to this house looks gospel tells us that when they got there they couldn't even approach the door. The crowd was so great they had carried this man.

Only he was only caught it up on their shoulders and they carried it across is that hot Israeli sunshine just beaming down on women and they were carrying it and it was hot it was. I'm sure they were getting tired. Then they approached the house when they get to the house. They realize that is so crowded. It's going to be a tough tough situation. I wonder what we have done if we do been right there in their shoes. How would we have handled it. I can picture some of us and well I gave it my best shot, but is too crowded around here for me. Or maybe the Lord knows my heart and I tried or maybe we can come back tomorrow and when the crowds might be a little slimmer but it's these men did not take that approach, they did not all the difficulty and they said we have have come here to do a job. We have come here specifically to bring a man to the feet of Jesus. We have come here specifically to see our buddy healed and were to do everything that we can get him to the Lord. So I just see these men, looking around to see how they're gonna do it, and a place to go all the way around the house. Check out the back door checking out all the windows and is no luck. They are so, step back to listening this thing out. How can we do this, my hey maybe we can tell it didn't just dig a tunnel through the floor and come up that way now take too long when just as I got an idea white white forming and so he takes off he runs into a friend's house in just a minute he's he's coming back and he's carrying a ladder on his shoulder. He gets back to the house and he takes that letter and he puts it up against the house. He climbs up the top of the to the roof. He's got ropes in his hands he he he throws the roads down. He says guys tie the four corners of the pallet of the cot where off buddies lot line tied him up and then come up here with me and they did. I took the roads and they hoisted him up to the top of the roof brother there he is. What happened here. They denied the difficulty I said we don't care how tough the situation looks.

We believe that God is in this thing and we can do everything that we can get our buddy to Jesus. They got a picture this in your mind. Jesus is down in the house.

These these preaching right in the middle of the sermon every eyes on him.

They are listening intently to every word that Jesus has to say and then all of a sudden right in the middle of the sermon. There is an interruption, big interruption. I made all the sudden I am. What happened was a big hunk of plaster and mud that falls from the roof falls from the ceiling and falls not far from where Jesus's preaching and so it falls right down the ground and then then everybody looks up to see what's going on and they see Strahl and and and dirt just as pollen from the roof and all of a sudden there's a whole layer and lately look up and there's four guys are looking down Adam and so by this time Jesus just stops his preaching and the guys that are up your cute big to keep digging the hole bigger and I do it bigger and bigger and bigger until finally it's big enough so they can lower their their friend on his cot all the way down to Jesus feet mess exactly what they do.

Jesus is standing there that cot comes right down in front of him and you can just see these four guys with their heads stuck sticking through that whole looking at everybody. Everybody looking up at them and they've done all that they can do about it.

But despite incredible odds. They have gotten their buddy to the feet of Jesus folks it took for to get one to Christ. It still does takes the love of the father the blood of the sun, the power the Holy Spirit and the witness of a believer.

There's only one end of that pallet are that cot is not been held up very well whose house was this, this was Peter's house. Now think about it peters down there listening to the sermon and all of a sudden he see somebody tear in his roof up and all of a sudden this roof is got a huge hole in it. Scott a be costly, somebody's gotta fix that thing and you think that Peter would be fussing, yelling and screaming and ranting and raving. We don't hear anything from Peter while not well I think what happens next explains it. That takes us to my third point and that is a loving Savior. Look at verse five and when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, son, your sins are forgiven of her people preach on this passage. They leave you with the impression that these men in the paralytic were only concerned about his physical healing.

If that's really that all I cared about. They just wanted to see their paralytic buddy able to move in and tune to function and to not be paralyzed any longer but that's not the truth, because the Scripture says that Jesus saw their faith, the paralytic knew they that he had a much bigger problem than physical paralysis.

He knew that he was a sinner. He knew he had no assurance of salvation. He knew that he was headed for an eternal hail and that was a million times worse than physical paralysis. Jesus always faith. What is that mean mean Jesus was able to look into this man's heart, and he saw that this man is paralytic line.

They are hey Saul, that he believed that Jesus was the Messiah that he was a son of God, that he was the way the truth and the life.

If there was no hope of heaven except through this Jesus, he was able to see all that. And he knew that this man had a desire to repent of his sins and put his faith in Christ member when Peter witnessed to Cornelius the centurion Scripture says this because of him. As Jesus all the prophets bear witness, that through his name. Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins. So Jesus looked down at this man lying on the pallet and poor man could hardly move and assist him son, your sins are forgiven you.

This yes-man line on the pallet. This paralytic was in a situation much like the the tax collector in Luke chapter 18. You remember that story. He went off into the corner of the temple. Didn't anybody just seen was totally embarrassed when even look up the took his hands.

He bawled him up in this theist and beat on his chest and he said oh God, have mercy on the center. The Scripture says that the tax collector went home justified votes on which you know this paralytic with home justified as well.

So here's a question. How are we saved who we are not saved by our decision. We are not saved by our good works. We are not saved by being religious, we are saved by the sovereign grace of God. For by grace are ye saved through faith that not of yourselves is a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast. Jesus said in John 644.

He said no man can come to me not no man can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and Romans chapter 9 Paul said it beautifully and in Romans nine verses 10 through 16 says it not only slow but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls.

She was told the older will serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob I have loved Esau I have hated what shall we say then is there injustice on God's part. By no means recess to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, I will have compassion on whom I have compassion so that it depends not only human wheel or exertion, but on God has mercy. If you assess paralytic what he did what he did took to get forgiven. He was sent all, it's not what I did is what Jesus did.

It's what Jesus art that takes us to point for the hardheaded scribes. Look at verses six through 11. The some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts.

What is this man speak like that he is blaspheming who can forgive sins but God alone and immediately Jesus perceiving in his spirit that they thus question within them.

Sales said to them while you question these things in your hearts, which is easier to say, the paralytic, your sins are forgiven, or to say rise up, take up your bed and walk that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.

He says of the paralytic, I say to you. Rise pick up your bed and go home. This is an amazing thing. The scribes have not spoken they not said a word. They are just thinking, but Jesus reads their thoughts. What was I thinking they were thinking that Jesus was committing blasphemy.

Jesus declared a man to be eternally forgiven and only God is the right to do that. So their conclusion was the as Jesus is not God. He has no right to forgive. So Jesus is blaspheming now in the Jewish culture in the first century there were three levels of blasphemy.

Number one.

A person was charged with blasphemy if he spoke evil against the law of God. Both Paul and Stephen were falsely accused of doing that and then a second level of blasphemy was even more serious and that's when you spoke evil against God himself may be using God's name is a curse word or just cursing God. That was a sin is punishable by death. But then there was one that was even worse. The third one and the most heinous was this a sinful human being in that claim to possess divine authority and equality with God was blaspheming religious leaders. That's what they were thinking about Jesus and when Jesus was finally crucified. That's what he was accused of doing so. How did Jesus deal with these accusations of blasphemy. How did he deal with it.

He demonstrated his deity in three ways. Number one he read their minds. Nobody had said anything here but he knew their thoughts they knew what they were thinking. It's only God's admission, only God is all-knowing and I John chapter 2 verse 25. The Scripture says Jesus knew what was in man. Secondly, he agreed with their thoughts that only God can can eternally forgive sin. He agreed with that thing you that that was true that only God can forgive sin in such a way as it removes all the consequences and says that person absolutely free.

Only God can do that is if that's okay because I'm God that was his answer and number three. Jesus backed up his claim by demonstrating his power so he turns to the religious leaders and he says to them, which is easier to say to the paralytic of which is easier to sell, your sins are forgiven you, or to say this to him rise up, pick up your bed and walk and you know what you're thinking. Oh, what's easier is this to save him. Your sins are forgiven.

Why was that easier because there is no positive empirical way to confirm or deny it.

You couldn't eternal forgiveness cannot be immediately tested until you went, what can be immediately tested when Jesus turned this man to rise up, take up your bed and walk that could be immediately tested. Look at verses 10, 11, again, listen carefully, but that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.

He said to the paralytic, I say to you. Rise pick up your bed and go home when you talk about a challenge everybody. They are new and was saying to them sales. Jesus is put his reputation on the line if he tells this man to rise up and take up his bed and walk and to go home then that man didn't do it. Everybody's close, I will. Jesus is just a funny and if Jesus can't heal physically. Certainly he can heal spiritually while she had Jesus set this up. They set this up beautifully. He first of all dealt with the man's soul. He dealt with his heart.

First, and he left the physical healing to later why did he do that to let us know that eternal healing is much, much more important thing than temporary physical healing light .5 is a miraculous surprise. Look at verse 12 and he rose and immediately picked up his bed went out before them all, so they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, we never saw anything like this. So Jesus says to the paralytic, arise, take up your bed and walk and there is no note waiting. Here immediately. The guy jumps right up and he is perfectly whale. It's like he's never been paralyzed. I'm he gets up and he's walking around the Japanese praising God. He reaches down, he takes that that that pallet that caught any folded up puts it on his shoulder.

The Scripture says in Luke five that not only did he go home, but he went home glorifying God. We will see later on that this Almighty sovereignly powerful, totally undeniable miracle had very little effect on religious crown. EA did not change.

Many of their minds just made them mad and resentful. It made them want to to do something to Jesus and they wanted to see him dead, so that all this stuff could be done away with. Can you imagine the religious leaders and how they responded to the paralytic ceiling. They didn't run over to him and patting him on the backs of man were happy about this.

Look at you and this is amazing what's happened to you your your perfectly whale acid look at your legs. You, your legs were limp and they were lifeless and now their muscular and powerful. You can even raise your hand up off up off the cot and look at you now you're jumping around praising God.

While we don't know much about this Jesus but my goodness is he powerful. That's what they could've said, but there's none of that was the religious leaders doing their kick in the ground or spit in the dirt there mad is they can be there resentful. They could care less at this paralytic has been healed just mad there mad because the people are turning away from them and turning to Jesus rest of the crowd responded differently, denying the rest of the crowd was fine. God and they said man we have never seen it like this. John MacArthur had a great conclusion of this passage, he said this, Jesus miracles functioned as signs validating his claim that he possess divine authority to forgive sinners. Moreover, Jesus not only had the power to forgive sinners he became the perfect sacrifice on which divine forgiveness is based. The words Jesus spoke to that paralyzed man two millennia ago are the same words he still speaks to all who come to him in genuine faith, your sins are forgiven. The greatest benefit.

Christianity offers to the world is the forgiveness of sins. Jesus Christ made forgiveness possible. Through his death on the cross he offers at forgiveness to all who are willing to repent of their sin and to believe in his name, ask yourself the question, or my sins forgiven are my sins under the blood of Jesus. If not, would you run to Jesus today an attitude of repentance and putting your faith in him and him alone. The spray heavenly father as we work our way through the gospel of Mark we become more and more convicted that we are coming far short of our calling. We saw four men in the story you had such a burden for their friend that they carried them on a pallet pulled them up with ropes to the top of the roof, tore the roof open, and lowered him to Jesus. It appears that Jesus was pleased with their efforts.

He stopped right in the middle of a sermon ministered to this man both spiritually and physically. Our situation is somewhat different today. Jesus is not with us physically, but the urgency is a saying we need to get serious about bringing people to the foot of the cross we don't have the ability to talk someone into salvation, but we do have the ability to share the gospel. Lord help us to be more faithful. May we be a witness to our family to our friends to our acquaintances, and even to our enemies, may we remember. Romans 1017 that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, help us to be faithful. Lord Fortson Jesus precious name we pray