Faithful Friends

Hello I'm told the one of the most popular television shows is a show called extreme makeover is and how it works. Scouts go around the country interviewing people who have suffered emotional trauma because of the physical appearances beer oversize knows the look of May crooked teeth over way undesirable facial features or whatever physical problem that is causing the person in a pain, whatever it may be and they go and interview all these people the scouts go out and many individuals were interviewed many people even more people apply, but only the select fortunate few who make the cut and I've read that the joy and the elation of these fortunate few been selected is overwhelming when they hear that the been selected. In fact, the reporter said that on hearing this good news. These selected people for that extreme makeover are more related and more joyful than after the operations and in the work itself, can stand here for a moment even criticize or belittle, but I can tell you with absolute assurance with absolute certainty that whatever physical changes that take place whatever physical transformation that occurs whatever radical outward appearance that comes about in the person. No one has ever claimed that the inner person has been transformed. No one has ever claimed that the heart and the mind have been altered. No one is ever claimed that the state of the person's conscience has been eased all relieved at best, I'm told, what is taken place on the outside temporarily operative word here temporarily affects the way the person feels for a short period of time and once a person gets used to the new look. That feeling of elation and excitement and joy dissipates. Now today I want to tell you about a real extreme makeover. The real makeover makeover that thoroughly changes the inside as well as outside an extreme makeover that will radically transform not only the physical of the eternal and extreme makeover that will permanently modify not only the present, but the future and extreme makeover that will completely transform the face and the faith and extreme makeover that will totally convert the body and the soul and extreme makeover that will alter the state of mind as well as the state of the body and you can be part of that everyone of us in department today. I want you please to turn with me to Mark chapter 2 beginning of verse one.

A few days later when Jesus again entered Capernaum. The people heard that he had come home so many gathered that there was no room left not even outside the door and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and after digging through it lowered the mat that the paralyzed man was lying on when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, son, your sins are forgiven. Now some of the teachers of the law were sitting there thinking to themselves is this fellow talk like that. He is a blasphemer who can forgive sins but God alone. Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts and he said to them, why are you thinking these things, which is easier to say to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven or say get up, take your mat and walk, but that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins and he said to the paralytic, I tell you, get up document and go home. He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all this amazed everyone and they praise God, saying, we have never seen anything like this. I want you to imagine with me. This scenario in this small Palestinian home of the first century. I'm convinced in my own heart of hearts that even television producers could never capture the intensity of that situation. There could never capture the enormous passion and the crowds at that time. Only those who have been involved or been caught in a mob scene can understand what is life to have no millimeter between you and the person next to you. Only those who have known what it is to be in a wall of humanity wheatgrass the intensity of the situation people was standing flesh to flesh, that you can put a razor blade between but I wanted to try as much as you can today, just use your imagination with me okay distraught using imagination is much as possible here here for friends. Each of them holding a corner of that flimsy math and some translation: bet is not much of a bed, it's a very flimsy mattress and this man was obviously quadriplegic because if he was paraplegic to people would've counted him and they would've taken them everywhere. Remember in the book of acts we told about the man and he sat in front of the temple into people counted him and placed him and then pick them up at night and took him back but when a person is quadriplegic.

He had to be carried on a mat with four individuals holding each corner of that mat. This quadriplegic man comes to Jesus by his friends. He obviously cannot come to Jesus by himself.

So they come looking for Jesus and they saw that it was impossible to make their way to Jesus, even by themselves, let alone carrying that Matt, this was a short wall of humanity. This wall of humanity was impenetrable. This wall of humanity was a movable in these four friends the brilliance I like to call them.

These are the bringers. These bringers come in they could not go in. They could not make their way you know what they could have easily said to themselves. We came all the way we not sure how long they covered their friend. They probably walked a long distance there probably exhausted. There are probably tired.

We probably looked at the situation is that it's impossible. We cannot do this. We probably looked at the crowd and people outside than inside and is in love. We gave them the good old college try and is not working. We gave it fast, but we can do nothing about it. We have already taken so much time of our busy schedule to care for our friends.

We got our own problems. We got out on the difficulties we have our own lives to think about and we have, and we have sacrificed we can do a thing about it and I can imagine one of the probably appliance one that says you know old probably is not the will of God for this friend of ours to see Jesus.

You know what they could've had any excuse and none of us would've been able to blame. I can't blame them. I would be able to blend them of us would've blamed him like the rest. I think everyone of us cannot honest a moments we know a time in our lives when we attempted to give up. I know there are times in my life when I have given up when you pray for something when you know in your heart and in your mind that in your spirit that you are praying according to the will of God that you are praying consistently with the word of God and then when God does not answer your prayer in your own time you gave up.

You and I have been there when we saw things looked at the impossibilities and looked at the mountains in our lives, and said we can do it. It cannot be done, it's impossible. And that is why people like George has been a challenge to me throughout my Christian life since I was a young Christian I would read his biography. He was a man of prayer is a man who trusted God to pray for things and within minutes. God answered his prayer.

One time he was running an orphanage in Bristol, England. All the kids in the offers were starving breakfast and they did not have any food and he said boys were going to thank God for the food there looked at each other is and what is he talking about and he bowed his head and said, Lord, we thank you for the food you are about to receive. And he hasn't even said amen and there was a knock on the door. Somebody said this a milkmen he said my car has broken down and I got all the smelters gonna waste can you use it within minutes, a baker came and knocked on the door they set out Lord working up early in the morning asked me to break an extra batch we can use some bread and ate that morning, a great breakfast. And yet that man of God.

One of my heroes had prayed for a friend to come to Christ for 23 years 23 years. How do you like that 23 is never give up. Not one down here of a doubt that God is going to convert his friend. Most of us would need to wait for 23 days or 23 hours. If God doesn't answer would call will forgot about it. It's over. We don't know much about these four guys we not really very little about them. We don't know their names. We don't know where they're from. We don't know the professions. We don't know their religious convictions. We don't know their background and family background.

We don't know much but you know what Jesus made one statement that told us volumes about their faith.

Now let me summarize this into points two points that I want you to remember.

Write them down their faith in Jesus was unconquerable by the circumstances. Secondly, their faith in Jesus gave them the unexpected. Their faith in Jesus was unconquerable. These four friends were determined to bring their friend to the feet of Jesus.

No matter what they knew in their hearts that if only their friend can come. Jesus. Jesus will take care of the rest. They knew that only Jesus could meet his most desperate needs, they need not only Jesus could perform the real medical that he needed.

They knew that only Jesus could heal. Being inside on the outside. Only Jesus could deal with the physical infirmity as well as this ritual infirmity.

Only Jesus could have truly preformed the real the real, extreme makeover water. How many of us would have the kind of faith on behalf of others in behalf of the kingdom of God in behalf of the work of God on behalf of the glory of God and so they would not allow the difficulties to stop them they would not allow the obstacles to hinder them they would not allow the perplexity of the situation to the terrorism they word not allow their faith to be conquered. They word not allow their faith to surrender the circumstances so they went upstairs and the old houses.

No Palestine. Most of the stairs on the outside of the house so they went upstairs and got to the roof. They knew exactly where Jesus was. They couldn't imagine silicone lowering something right there in the middle of Muslim Jesus teaching. Teaching the word and all of a sudden this mattress was coming right in front of them. They knew exactly what he was now just in case you thinking – did they have chisels that have ballots that hammers how did they cut through the roof. The roof's pregnant will not like ours. These all flat roofs and they had fled beans and these flat beams were about 3 feet apart and on top of these means they put brushes on on top of these brushes. They had a thin layer of clay, so it wasn't as a huge thing of damaging the house as you might think the probably fixed it with a couple of hours so I wanted to look with me at verse five of Mark chapter 2.

That is the key verse here are pray to God that no matter who you are, whether you old or young ritual port no matter where you are a man or a woman that you will open your heart to the spirit of God to speak to you about faith in a new way and then see the face.

Jesus said to the quadriplegic man, your sins are forgiven that we don't know much either about the quadriplegic guy. We don't either, but his faith in Jesus never referred to his faith he referred to their faith, the faith was for friends and I don't want to miss this. Please don't miss what I'm going to tell you whenever you and I bring somebody to Christ in all likelihood that person does not understand what's going on in all likelihood, this person may never be able to articulate his or her desperate need for forgiveness that person not able to comprehend the awesomeness of the grace of God that you are not have experience in our lives. He or she may never be aware that you are exercising faith on their behalf. But God does that all that matters. Jesus knew and that's all that mattered. These four men didn't evangelize didn't pull the guy by his lapel as his repair deal center. They didn't know any of this. This woman didn't say you have to jump through certain hoops to get to Jesus. None of these men did not know a whole lot of things probably themselves, but they knew one thing and that was enough for Jesus, whether they know. Please rewrite what they know. They knew that if they just bring their friend to Jesus. Jesus is going to do the rest knowing I bring a friend to Jesus. Jesus is going to perform an extreme extreme makeover and that is why. Secondly, there faith in Jesus gave them the unexpected, given the unexpected. I have to confess to you, and I know some of you have seen that and probably wondered in your heart. I've seen church leaders on television when they get interviewed and to talk about faith and not I hear them talk about faith in such a way that truthfully, I gotta tell you this. I want to puke. I really do him and genuinely not know Justin discussed but in sorrow and deep down inside of me because the word faith in the where it is used even by some folks in the church. Most people view faith as a blind faith in us how to talk about it. Some see faith as a leap into the dark. What we don't know we don't understand, but we have faith in another. Some people talk about faith that it is something mystical. Now, my beloved, listen to me.

Our faith is not like that at all. In reality, our faith rests on the knowledge, faith rests on reason and fact.

Knowledge is the letter on which faith climbs higher knowledge as a springboard from which faith leaps further and these men, their faith was based on knowledge of who Jesus is.

There was based on the knowledge of Jesus's character was based on the knowledge of Jesus's identity was based on knowledge of the trustworthiness of Jesus not to be sure they did not expect the double medical but nonetheless they totally, completely without a shadow of doubt trusted Jesus, I want to do him right in this one. When you introduce a friend to Jesus, you can rest assured Christ will do the rest when you've done your job. You don't have to fret. You don't have to agonize. You have to trust Jesus in this with his cousin if we just bring them to Jesus. We know what Jesus is going to do. We just need to bring into Jesus, and you know what Jesus will always surprise you by doing more than you expect or imagine. You know why because your absolute faith in Jesus always not sometimes multiple occasions always honors Jesus. So I have faith I have mastered something.

What did you do lately to demonstrate your faith on wavering faith on comfortable faith.

What did you do in the last week in the last months in the last year to demonstrate your unconquerable faith. Ask yourself that question and please do not give up until you give up the answer. Faith in Jesus will always honor Jesus only confess to something. But sometimes I pray for things. Sometimes I have faith to believe before the thing happened when I know without a shadow of doubt on pricing consistent with the will of God and the word of God, and there are times when I know that what I'm praying for is consistent with the word of God is consistent with the word of God, but I can't seem to leave. I don't seem to have that faith in you know what I do I go before God on my face and ask to give me the gift of faith and I have never ever in all the years I've been walking with the Lord not know the Lord love known to give me that gift. When asked admit challenge that if you are walking by sight and you want to walk by faith and decide just can't get it to listen. Faith is not works is not something you have to generate but you can ask God for what he will give it to you. And so Jesus sees that incredible this unconquerable faith and assist of the man's son, your sins are forgiven. Now let me be upfront with you.

Let's be honest with each other. Had we been fair.

Watching this weather be sitting on the roof or sitting on the inside the house wherever we might be. I think all of us without exception would be very surprised. I think we would be very surprised. I think we would be shocked every one of us would've expected Jesus to heal the man first, then give them a sermon every one of us would've expected the physical numerical first, then the spiritual. But Jesus shocked them all by forgiving the man's sins and then he healed him as an incredible incredible Jesus, forgive the man's sins first and that of course give the Pharisees heart publication and again in the case of the jitters in the hook because if it well.

Only God can forgive sins. You got them in front of you explain something to you that is about a most important to most Jews, if not all Jews at the time of Jesus believe that all physical infirmities, all diseases, all sicknesses everything was a direct result of sin.

Remember the gospel of John, when the disciples asked Jesus. They said this man born blind that he sin or his parents. So he was born blind and Jesus said neither this is so the Jesus glorified in the situation is.

So Jesus forgives the man's sins first. You know what Jesus is trying to tell us know what Jesus is saying to us first wanting to remove the staying off sin. First, he wants to remove the sting of sin and guilt. First, he wanted to cleanse the man spirit. First, he wanted to release the man's conscious first he wanted to bring rest of this man's soul. First he wanted to assure the man of his atonement life first is about what message is Jesus trying to give us what message is he trying to communicate here. I'm glad you asked someone to tell you is what Jesus is saying that he is saying to everyone of us every one of us that where a person is going to spend his or her paternity is far far far far far far far far more important than willing to spend the next few years, my beloved, only tell you the greatest expression of love for a friend or loved one is to bring them to the feet of Jesus and leave them there. You and I can convert anybody you and I cannot change anyone's heart. You and I cannot change anyone's eternal destiny. You and I cannot force anybody to know Jesus but our job is to be bringers to bring people to the feet of Christ.

And just like these four friends like these four men. Jesus will do the rest. The real extreme makeover.

Only Jesus can do that on the Jesus can do that me tell you, Jesus wants to cancel the bonds of sin and death for you today. Today, Jesus wants you to know that when you come to him. He forgives you all of your skin's he cleanses you he restores you he heals you. Jesus wants to say to you. First, your sins are forgiven, your sins are forgiven and then he wants to say to you, get up document and go home. I heard about an artist many years ago, who painted a beautiful, very impressive painting of Niagara Falls in his own choice of colors of his own perception of this powerful scene captured the image of that millions and millions and millions of gallons of water falling over the precipice and then when he submitted his painting for exhibition. He did not give it a title he did not call it anything.

He just gave it to them and the curators poured over this painting. They talked about it. They discussed that they considered all the possibilities and finally they give it a title and they called it. More to follow.

More to follow. How appropriate.

How appropriate for the thousands of years of Niagara Falls has been roaring with the sound of all the water rushing over the edge crashing on the rocks below and yet in all the time never dried up never dried up. Never run dry is more water to come more water, and I thought about this and I thought about Mark chapter 2 in what Jesus has done here is indeed a picture of what Jesus has done and what Jesus is doing in the life of everyone ventilated his feet. His grace more to come.

His grace forgives you all your sins are sure 07 more to come.

He not only gives you grace to forgive your sins to release you from guilt and sin.

But his grace will solve every problem that you go through his grace is more than all the difficulties that you will face. His grace is for every molding that you need to apply his grace is for every obstacle that you must face, and I daresay that is grace more grace even in the time you close your eyes and look to him face-to-face in heaven. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way.

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