Jesus Heals a Ceiling Fan

Well happy 2021 2020 is in the history books and all of God's people said a man I know a lot of us really glad to get that your behind us. That is certainly how I feel. I told you a few weeks ago that because of lockdown, you are unlikely to emerge from 2020 as either a monk, a hunk, a chunk or a drunk. So I hope is 2020 closed out.

You chose wisely and finish the year well but I'm actually very excited about 20, 21, and that is because I sense that that that there are some things that God has for us to do at some of which I'm going to tell you about today. A sense just a real open door of opportunity and a new way that God is beckoning us forward, look chapter 5 if you have your Bibles now Luke five your Bibles. We have been for several weeks and will be for several more weeks in the gospel of Luke. Looking at some of just the most basic and incredible things that Jesus taught about a revolutionary way to live and a way to know God, Luke five overrides returning your your inner Bibles there over the break. My family and I watched an old movie that I remembered from my thinking was college age peers told Mrs. Doubtfire.

I we had to fast-forward a couple of scenes in it, but it was Robin Williams at his finest. I'm in that movie. Robin Williams plays an actor who is down on his luck, and he sees made a complete mess of his marriage and so his wife leaves it because his life is so chaotic. The courts give her his wife.

Full custody of the kids but but he loves his kids passionately in these desperate to see them so he dresses up like an old English housekeeper and applies for a job as their maid tries to fool them all about who he is, so that he can see his kids every day and I know that sounds impossible to pull off.

Even in a movie but that was the genius of Robin Williams. The movie is hilarious and it is sad and it is inspiring all the same time, much my dad like Robin Williams actual life. The movie illustrates something that all of us have experienced at some point right what the movie illustrates is that desperation will drive you to do some radical things. Things you might never dream of doing otherwise I share that because that's the sense of desperation that you get in this story. That's the lens through which you have to read this story on multiple levels.

Luke 517 on one of those days.

While Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers along were sitting there would come from every village and inns of Galilee and Judea and also from Jerusalem and the Lord's power to heal within him. Now that's a very interesting phrase.

The Lord's power was present to heal that the new King James version translate that phrase as the power of the Lord was present at that moment, to heal the spirit of God and of the words was what was present in that moment in a very special way ready to heal if somebody would ask for, and Jesus was, of course, unusually sensitive to the Holy Spirit and so he knew that's what the spirit wanted to do and so he was ready to grant that for anybody who was bold enough and had the sensitivity to ask for when Jesus carried out his ministry on earth. He did his miracles of the power the spirit. Luke is trying to show you this in power is available to you to sing was present in an unusual way. In that moment. Verse 18.

Just then, some men came carrying on a stretcher, a man who was paralyzed. They try to bring them in and set it down before it is they could not find a way to bring a man because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and they lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles in the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When you are ripping the roof off of a place to get access to somebody that's desperation.

Verse 20 C their faith, their faith. That's an important detail really come back to see their favorite young line stuff in your Bible and landlord very. He said friend, your sins are forgiven, which I imagine the friends probably said well okay I mean that's that's awesome sins forgiven is always a good thing, but certainly better than your sins are forgiven, but doesn't this guy have a more desperate problem right now and then it kind of obvious what he really means and why we lowered him to the roof is really pretty obvious in Jesus's response was no, he does not have a more urgent need the forgiveness of sins. Verse 21 and the scribes and the Pharisees began to think of themselves. Who is this man who speaks blasphemies because who can forgive sins but God alone. Now that's a fair question right explain this a few weeks ago. The only way it would make sense for Jesus to forgive sins. Is Jesus considered himself to be the one who was sent against you don't forgive things that do not involve you. We all get that right and say you and your spouse or your roommate had a terrible fight last night and they said some of the meanest, rudest things that anybody has ever said to you and you are furious and you are hurt in the words left you wondering how you can even continue on in a relationship with somebody who thinks much less says things like they said about you this morning. You got up and you came on the church and of course you put on the church that everybody how are you, O blessed and highly favored brother, our you, but inside your CV and you were waiting until you get home so you can just let them have laughter church. You guys are leaving. I woke up to that person in your presence and I look at them and I say I know about your fight last night and I know what you said to her, and I just want you to know that you are forgiven for that you want to feel bad about that anymore. You would probably look at me and say excuse me pastor's got nothing to do with you. You might be a pastor but you can't forgive something that wasn't done to you and you would be correct. When Jesus forgave sins and they said who can forgive sins but God alone. Jesus said, thinking ding you got it in forgiving sins. He was claiming to be God. Does that make sense. I point that out because every once in a while you will hear somebody a New Testament professor in college or or somebody say that in the earliest Gospels Matthew Mark and Luke, which were each written about 20 to 30 years after Jesus's death. Jesus never really claim to be God in his earlier writings by Dell something only the apostle John wrote his gospel about 20 years after the others. That was something only John claimed Jesus did and they say that that that was something.

John added to trying get people to worship Jesus to beef up his claims which which from the beginning. The earliest Christians didn't think he was God in the earliest days the scholars will say the only thought of Jesus as a prophet, and John comes along and added the stuff about him being God. I point this out because you can see right here in the gospel of Luke that that that accusation is not true in forgiving sins or in allowing himself to be worship or claiming to be the temple that the presence of God dwelt in Jesus is claiming to be God and everybody understood that, so they started to whisper to themselves blasphemy.

Verse 22 verse 22, but perceiving their thoughts.

Jesus replied to them, why are you thinking this in your hearts, which is easier to say which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven, or to say get up and walk. Now that's a good question, but let me ask you what you think. What is easier to say is it easier to say, your sins are forgiven, or is it easier to say to a lame man get up and walk will clearly it is easier to say, your sins are forgiven, why because you can't tell whether or not it happened but if I say to a lame man walk and you can tell right away whether I got the power that I'm claiming to have if I say get up and walk to a lame man and he didn't do it. You know right away that I'm phony to see Jesus. Logic goes like this. We know that forgiving sins and making the lame walk are both things that only God can do what I say. The lame man get up and walk, and he does it when it's safe to say that that if I say to him, your sins are forgiven. I can do that also. If I can do the verifiable one you can trust me that I can do the unverifiable one as well. You all of his logic in showing that he has the power to make this lame man walk is also proving he has the power to make good on his promise to forgive sins see what he says next verse 24, but so that you may know that the Son of Man has that authority on earth to forgive sins limited the thing that you can verify the tells the paralyzed man I tell you get out take a stretcher and go home.

Verse 25 and immediately got up before they be picked up what you been lying on and he went home glorifying God my title for the story is Jesus heals a ceiling fan suited to their right is a fan of Jesus coming to the roof and Jesus heals him right so if you think about that all day and you will get that later.

That's is my little gift to you. Verse 26 that everybody was astounded and they were giving glory to God, and they were filled with all my said we have seen incredible things today. Yes, they had indeed there are two main things I want to see in the story. These are two very distinct ideas, but I think they're both really important for us right now and they both center around this theme of desperation. They are our desperate need is urgent by the side of the auditory glass which means they just got the ceiling fan reference. They are 1 are desperate need in their number to our desperate faith, our desperate need in our desperate faith.

Firstly at our desperate need.

At first, Jesus is offered to forget this guy sins almost seems a little cruel at best, just insensitive done it made it obvious what this guy wants right here is a crippled man lying on a bed in front of Jesus. Yet Jesus just ignores that and go straight for forgiveness did not insensitive and a little tone deaf.

But what is Jesus all that this man's greatest need greater than his need for healing, was his need for forgiveness. This guy is desperate to be healed.

But Jesus is even more desperate to see him restored to God. That is the constant theme of Jesus's ministry and Luke people yearn for physical relief to their pain.

Jesus yearns in an almost frantic way to see them restored to God. In Luke 15 he is the shepherd who leave the 99 seem to go after the one that is lost is the desperate widow who searches her entire house from top to bottom to find the lost point here is the scorned father who stands at the gate anxiously waiting for his prodigal son to come home runs with abandon.

When he finally sees his son coming in Luke 13 Jesus weeps over Jerusalem and says whole Jerusalem.

How many times I've wanted just to get you to turn to me.

In Luke 19 Jesus summarizes his entire ministry as saying I've come to seek the desperately go after to search for and save at the cost of my life. Those who are lost to me ask you as we go into 2021. What you think the greatest need of your life is here. My question what is your greatest need is different than your most pressing desire. What is your greatest need is different than your most pressing desire. One of the greatest most pressing need of your life is the need for forgiveness and maybe even me saying that strikes you as insensitive.

Maybe you're sitting here in and you been wrong or even really hurt.

Maybe been abused and you you listen to me.

You say how dare you say that I need forgiveness. I'm the one he's been wrong.

Sure, I need to learn to forgive the person who wronged me, and I'm struggling with that but it seems insensitive for you to say that I am I greatest need is forgiveness also, while you are partially right. I understand that but but listen to Jesus is wisdom. This is really quite prodigal. If you've really been wrong. What you need most is a way to forgive those who wronged you to be able to be released from the bitterness that will consume you and guess what you can't ever forgive heinous wrongs unless you've experienced great forgiveness yourself embracing forgiveness from God enables you to forgive others that may be true that you been wrong, but it's also true that all of us have wrong God, far more than any of us have ever been wrong in realizing that and embracing that grant you the power to forgive others forgiveness and experience of forgiveness turns bitter water in your heart.

It turned asleep. Listen, I don't know who you are. I don't know what you think your greatest need is I don't know what you would love for God to change most in 20 2100, you thought you need a car, a job, a spouse, a different spouse or better roommate healing from cancer what you most need is forgiveness. Jesus cares about all those other things I must show you that Dominica is a way heals the sky what you most need is forgiveness and the good news is that that is why Jesus came. That's why he first offered forgiveness to a lame man lying before him in a stretcher before healing his legs. It's why ultimately the trajectory of Jesus life was for cross. Jesus main purpose on earth was not to teach great morals are to do great miracles. His main purpose was to go to La Crosse to pay the price for our forgiveness.

Jesus main ministry was not what he taught to us what he did for us, saying, your sins are forgiven, was not just a blessing that he uttered flippantly. Forgiveness of sins was something he purchased by his blood, his death on the cross is why he can say to you I forgive your sins. There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins and sinners plunge beneath that flood lose all their guilty state any proof that he had the ability to make good on that offer to forgive you if you like why don't know if you will know exactly what I've done, you'll know what I care into this year and I'm not sure you got the power to do that.

He proved it by raising from the dead is the apostle Paul said that one of the main purposes of the resurrection was to show that Jesus is claim to be dying persons was true so don't just believe Jesus has the power to forgive because he says so believe in because he demonstrated the power to back that up. You see, here's the deal if you can make lame walk and he can command the waves in the winter season. He can bring dead men out of the grave and then he could come back from the dead himself so that means he can make good on his promise to forgive your sins. The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day, there may either file as he washed all our sins away all my sins away. There is a power in forgiveness. You can be sure of because Jesus backed it up with these kind of miracles and mainly by resurrection from the dead.

So you got your desperate need. Second, the store we got number two hour desperate faith, our desperate faith. I pointed this out as we as we are reading the story. Verse 20 verse 20 says that when Jesus saw their faith, he said their faith.

Then he said, your sins are forgiven, rise up and walk according to Luke, Jesus did this miracle not so much because of the lay man's faith.

He did it because of the fate of his friends on behalf of their faith on behalf of their desperate faith. Jesus healed him nice. I will why doesn't the mantis ask for it himself.

I don't know that Dallas maybe he was so sick that he could barely speak anymore. Maybe he just been lames for so long given up hope Peter stop believing the future could be any different. So in the back Into that void of despair, their faith, not here's their fate stepped in and said no. I believe Jesus is good, and I believe he cares about you and I believe he will help you it was their faith that loaded him up in that stretcher and carried him out to where Jesus was. It was their faith that pushed its way through the crowd. It was their faith that spawned that ingenuity to go to the top of the house and tear open the roof above Jesus said it was their faith that made them ignore all the people who were yelling hit what you doing or ignore the guy he was like hey my roof. You can do that to my roof. It was their faith that set that man down expectantly at Jesus feet is it to say Jesus what you gonna do about this.

Write this down when the paralyzed man could do little for himself. It was the active faith of his friends that made the difference when the paralyzed man could do little for himself. It was the active faith of his friends that made the difference. Take pictures of what is Wood trying to teach us is trying to teach us is sometimes the paper somebody around us is so weak that we have to believe for them and maybe that comes for you in the form of a prodigal child who is confused and to stop seeking God and maybe departed from all the things you try to teach them when they grow up in your house so you're the one you're the one on your knees every night, pleading with God to awaken them in their spiritually paralyzed state.

You're the one that's bringing in the Jesus you're the one Karen open the roof and you're the one laid them down at Jesus feet is a master please do something because they've even lost their ability to ask they get a spouse or friend or coworker God has placed you in their lives because there too.

Spiritually, we could pray for themselves. They just given up on the marriage may they've given up hope to see you gotta fight your way through the crowd. You gotta do all the work to open up that roof and you gotta believe God for them in the New Testament. This special urgency to pray that drive to tear open a roof and lay a person down at Jesus feet, believing that he will yield them that understanding that the prowler and Jesus is present to heal the spiritual gift called the gift of faith is a gift lesson. Otherwise you get confused with the gift God gives in different degrees at different times when he wants to do something in somebody's life.

It's a gift. He gives when his power is present to feel. It comes in different amounts at different times, the people were walking with the spirit. It's a gift. We honestly don't talk about enough at our church when I really want you to recognize and embrace.

I read a book a couple years ago by my friend named Sam storms really help me get my mind around this book is called practicing the power. Dr. storms the EE says when the New Testament uses the word faith uses the word faith in three different ways. Unless you recognize the three different uses of the word faith, you will probably get confused.

First, he said you got salvation faith. That's the faith that embraces Christ as Lord and Savior.

Ephesians 28. It is by grace you have been saved through faith. All Christians all Christians have that kind of faith. That's what makes us Christians. Second, he says you got sustaining faith sustaining faith is the general confidence that God is present. That is with us. He will never leave us or forsake us its confidence in his goodness and confidence that he is in control and sovereignly working all things for good. That's typically what people mean when they say so-and-so has strong faith, we mean that they have an unshakable confidence in God's plan.

Again, all Christians should have this at all times, but there's 1/3 kind of faith Dr. storms says and he points out correctly from the New Testament, and that is the spiritual gift of faith and that is what you see here in this story at work. It's a special bestowal of faith that God gives to certain Christians at certain times because he wants to do something miraculous through you or around you or in you and so you sense in that moment by the spirit and urge to pray and urge to press into the goodness of God and urge to tear open a roof and lay somebody down at Jesus feet at the kind of faith Paul had in mind when he spoke of the spiritual gift of faith in prescriptive 12 nine some he says some he says are are are given the gift of faith.

I was always confused and Paul said that some are given the gift of faith. Unlike all Christians have faith in it our duty to trust God. Why would Paul say that some of us have a special gift of faith. Withholding your idea and say some have the gift of purity or to get the honestly so why would he say some have the gift of faith that was always my question right so what is he talking about, it's because he's not talking about salvation. Faith is not talking about sustaining faith, which we should all have he's talking about a special spiritual gift of faith which God gives to those who were walking in the spirit when he wants to do something miraculous.

It's a faith that moves them to pray and trust God for somebody. Let me quote Dr. storms here. While all faith is an expression of trust in humble dependence upon God. This spiritual gift of faith is the experience of faith that arises somewhat spontaneously and unexpectedly in our hearts we feel certain that God wants to do something we since his power is present to heal. When God wants to bless us with a miraculous answer to our prayer patent when God wants to bless us with a miraculous answer to our prayer. He will take the initiative to cultivate and build into our hearts, the fulfillment of the condition that he requires. What is his requirement faith, so he works in your biosphere to produce that faith that since that is bowling just ask Jesus only does his miracles in response to faith wants to do a miracle. He stirs up often in the heart of somebody around the person who needs the miracle he stirs up in them the confidence to ask for. Therefore, he says each time as we pray each time as we seek God.

Let us begin by asking God for an extraordinary powerful faith. Let us ask God that he work in us to produce and sustain the confidence that he is pleased to bless. That's the faith that these friends of Luke five are showing God put it in the hearts of these friends press to the crowd so that he can work in this man, the miracle that he desired power of the Lord was present to heal so we put the faith in their hearts that move them to ask for the miracle question for you I hope is obvious what paralyzed person around you has God put in your heart to pray for a friend prodigal child or parent whole people group missionaries all over the world right now we have a special kind of sense the power of the Lord is present to heal this particular nation at this particular time.

I recently read a book by James Banks. I was a pastor by the way, right here in Durham pastoral Presbyterian Church is become a friend he talks about the journey of praying for to prodigal kids, one of whom had the boat grown now, one of whom is come back to Jesus and the other who has not yet come.

Here's what he said and in that book he says when we pray for our prodigal kids we carry them on stretchers of faith to Jesus.

We do the heavy lifting, but they receive the benefit they may be entirely passive or even actively resisting us.

But Jesus sees his faith. Our faith as we bring them to him. Parents don't you sense faith rising up in your heart as I say that you realize that God at this very moment, has put you in a place to enter seed to pray his power is present to heal your desire to pray is evidence of that procedure won't grant the miracle until you exercise the faith Heather's friends not made the journey.

Had I not torn open the roof. Had they gotten discourage headaches look to the crowd and said oh well this is just too hard. If God really wanted this man heal.

You made it easier to see those things given out.

They would never have written this their friend would never have received that miracle. Hey, even if it's not prodigal son or daughter that you're praying for a better somebody better.

Somebody today this morning that God has put in your heart to pray for. I want Amber L1 urge you to obey that impulse. Years ago I read a book become a favorite books already. When we first came out as I was preventing 20 some years fresh when fresh fire by Jim similar in this book pastor similar tells the story of how God brought his own prodigal daughter home grown. She was in college she forsaken God, and run away from home. Their church called Brooklyn Tabernacle does Tuesday night prayer meeting each week of accident is one of the most powerful things I've ever experienced. One night pastor symbolize shared from acceptor for about how the church boldly called on God even in the face of discouragement.

Let me let me let him tell the story okay we entered into a time of prayer like ask for everybody reaching out to the Lord in concert together and I sure handed me a note young woman whom I felt to be spiritually sensitive had written. She said pastor similar.

I so impressed that we should stop the meeting and I'll pray for your daughter in a few minutes. I picked up the microphone and told the congregation what was going on with my daughter there rose from the congregation a groaning sense of desperate determination, as if to say, Satan, you will not have this girl take your hands off of her.

She is coming back. I was overwhelmed the force of that vast wrong calling on God, almost literally knock me over when I got home at night. Carol was waiting up for me. We sat at the kitchen table and I said it's over with Chrissy at his daughter's name, you would've had to been a net prayer meeting tonight. I tell you if there is a God in heaven. This whole nightmare is finally over 32 hours later on Thursday morning my daughter walked in and we both just began to cry daddy she said with a start, who was praying for me who was praying for me on Tuesday night daddy who was praying for me. I didn't say anything, so she continued in the middle the night God woke me up and showed me I was heading toward the abyss. There was no bottom to it. It scared me to death. I was so frightened I realized how hard I've been wrong.

How rebellious the same time. It was like God wrapped his arms around me and held me tight in that moment. He kept me from sliding any farther as he assured me I still love you and I'm not walking away. That same Tuesday night, the very hour that the church was praying God moved in her soul and show her that she was headed for destruction. All the while flooding her heart with a sense of his love. That's a group of friends been bestowed with the gift of faith. James Banks says he says our prodigal kids desperately need us to lift into Jesus on the stretcher of prayer, even if they don't have faith, Jesus will CRs be blessed because of two ways. I want to close this week you number one on to something a way to start this year with something. I hope you were to make a lot more frequent around here would open up this year as a church starting on January 11 which we next Monday with a fast work and ask God specifically to do some things that only he can do a 21 day fast 21 days of fasting and prayer. No, really. Did you different options to do it. Some of you may fast for one meal each of those days.

Some of you may choose to cut certain foods out of your diet. For all 21 days. Others of you. Maybe kids or teens you may fast from one thing like social media are video games the entire time really give you different options, but I would love for everybody in this church to do something to participate in this as we as a church come together we say God we want to be sensitive to where your power is present in what your spirit wants to do what we want to be ready with the gift of faith the aspens were asking for sensitivity were asking me to show us our families and our friends in our own lives in our church, our community and our world resting, you show us what you want us to do and so for 21 days were working to give you different prayer points really give you different ideas for how you could fast along with us with your church body together, you'll be able to sign up for daily email reminders at all be on the website, social media to saturate everything we do for the rest of the year with this opening time of prayer told him to culminate in an all church night of prayer.

Towards the end of January which will host all of our permanent locations will be hearing more about that in the days in the in the weeks to come. I have told you before Jesus said the word be known as a house of prayer Summit church that one of the top things you would use to describe our church makeover disruptive things for a while so as we relaunch the church this year. I want us to do it with prayer as a state court as a foundation. Although we do not try to fit it in the margins. What we preach. We programmer to lay it in at the foundation and build the rest of the house around this fast is a part of that is a pretty dramatic, you might even say radical thing and I hope all of you will join me in in some way not ask you for all food for 21 days consider ways we can fast together throughout that time. Maybe one meal is the problem being that the default easiest way to do this. Plus, listen there miracles in the lives of your sons and daughters and neighbors and even your own life that are waiting to happen. If you exercise faith like this impressed the process want to hear. Second thing I want to give you a chance to pray right now right now at your campus prayer counselors to come up when we right now you come up right now. I noticed an account to stand here the elders, pastors, prayer team leaders to make their way out I met all over campus right now is, when asked you what any prayerful what you need.

Prayerful will prodigal son or daughter right you say use it you use you say we walk up in front of a bunch of people in, come down. Yes, that's what I'm asking you to do that.

Maybe your version of tearing off the roof right and if there ends up being not enough counselors just taken the and pour out your heart to God.

Okay, so they're getting in place. Not all of our campuses there were in their mask. We would ask you that you wear yours when I got to close and lay hands on each other, but that is to pray case on a bystander their feet.

All of our locations, gases, men, women, and there's those of you that I know that you got something on your heart and I'm telling you listen to the present of the Lord is here to heal so much a boldly just come right out to step out right now what you want for to quantities men or women. It's down here and I want you to say hey I want you to pray with me to pray with me you guys begin to pray together we close the service will try to keep the areas down from a little bit sacred as we just take some time to listen. So again right now to step out step out and that I'll you come you guys pray together for those you who are online if you're watching the church online stop. Now pray with those who were in your living room. Maybe your in your house group. Your there and you just need to deposit this right now positive.

Pray together as a group with your loan. Simply click the request prayer button it will actually take you straight to a live prayer counselor, live human being right in digital prayer room where you can share your request on the pastors right as our worship teams, and are under different live locations, want you to come there sons and daughters that need to be brought back. There's physical healing that needs to happen in this room right now there are are are things that you need to say I'm here and I'm not ashamed to say I've got a neat and I'm not a common Manasseh might bleed out with me and Ashley's friends to help me blow this down the feet of Jesus the power of the Lord is present to heal you, right now, don't let this weekend in the blessing the God want you to have unclaimed and unasked.

Somebody needs salvation or something I want to do is worship teams, live locations okay was just in the next few moments pray all of us everywhere together. In these moments, pray