Jesus Heals a Ceiling Fan

Today on life with Judy Greer so I don't know who you are what you think your greatest leaders like Cara job bowels are different spouse better roommate viewing what you most need is forgiveness. Jesus cares about all those other things which are mostly this forgiveness and the good news is that that is why Jesus biblical teaching life with pastor Jeannie Greer. As always, I'm your host Molly, but events today as we continue in our instep teaching theories through the gospel of Luke teaches about peer like man and his friends, all of whom were desperate to get close to Jesus. But as will soon see in the story as eager as they were to get to Jesus. Jesus was even more to get them to extend forgiveness. And guess what wants to do the same for you today so grab your Bible and settling peers castigating him looked up at five Bibles 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.

I watched an old movie that I remembered from my think it was college age peers told Mrs. Doubtfire. 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 was down on his luck, and he sees made a complete mess of his marriage and so his wife leaves 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 they are made trustful them all about who we 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 the story match 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 will all sitting there would come from every village and into 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.

In other 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 did his miracles of the power the spirit. Luke is trying to show you this in power is available to you to say 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 faith in the underlined stuff in your Bible and landlord there. 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 not the 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 as you 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 will 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 and 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 up everybody. How are you, O blessed and highly favored brother. Are you but inside your CV and you were waiting as you get home so you can just let them have laughter churches 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, 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 Dang 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, what 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 in. 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 a 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, then 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. His logic and 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 details the paralyzed man I tell you get out take a stretcher and go home. Verse 25 and immediately got up before that he 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. They both center around this theme of desperation. They are our desperate need is my 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 have first Jesus is offered to forget this guy sins almost seems a little cruel at best, just insensitive done it immediately 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 in 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 sheep 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 coin feels the scorned father 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 essay 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 doing to 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 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 practical. 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 likely need a car, a job, a spouse or 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 a cross 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'll know exactly what I've done, you will 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. 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 you 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 weak 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 faith 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 you stop believing the future could be any different. So in the back tap 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 head. It was their faith that made them ignore all the people who were yelling hit what you doing or ignore the guy 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 a 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 sleeping 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 near 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 to spouse or friend or coworker God has placed you in their lives because there too. Spiritually, we could pray for themselves, they they just given up on the marriage may they've given up hope to see you gotta fight your way to 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 at the spiritual gift called the gift of faith is a gift lesson of what you get confused. It's a 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 in our church when I really want you to recognize and embrace.

I read a book a couple years ago by my friend name Sam storms really help me get my mind around this book is called practicing the power Dr. storms 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 at first. He said you got salvation faith. That's the faith that embraces Christ as Lord and Savior.

Ephesians related by race that you have been saved through faith.

All Christians all Christians have that kind of thing. 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 confidence in his goodness, confidence that he is in control and sovereignly working all things were good.

That's typically what people mean when they say so-and-so has strong thing we mean that they have an unshakable confidence in God's plan. Again, all Christians should have this at all times. There's 1/3 kind of faith.

Thunderstorm says and the 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 any other God for miracle around you and your friend prodigal child has put you in a place to stand in the gap for someone indeed urge that you have to pray for that person that God has put on your heart you're listening to Pastor Jeannie Greer on Summit life. Today's message is quickly titled Jesus heals a ceiling fan.

If you'd like to catch up on previous messages or if you want to view the transcripts. You can find and free of charge online@jeanniegreer.com while you're on the website you can find a whole host of resources including a weekly podcast called ask me anything Jeannie can you tell us a little bit about it yet you had this been a great new resource I wanted to do it for a long time. I go for an interest the way God wired me thinking about try to give short answers to the really difficult question.

Some some of these I get asked on college campuses. Some of them I get asked the coffee shop. Sometimes they come in the form of email sometimes it's one of my kids are asking me these questions and and I just go over. I guess a lifetime trying to figure out how to take complex biblical answers are what we call apologetic answers for the Christian faith and put them in bite-size chunks and to put the cookies on the bottom shelf, so to speak.*This podcast while go.

This really seems to connect with people. You'll find questions like how you think about global warming. So they have the Genesis narratives are they literal order good answers we have run a fiesta on most recent ones was what's the deal with Nicholas Cage as people admit written and just say you always seem to bring up Nicolas Cage.

What is are you really a big fan, so having to find quite an array of answers there. I think it could be helpful.

A lot of times listeners will tell us the listener want to pass it on to somebody that they knew asked that question I that was tell me the other day I answer the question about like a how should Christians think about dating the cement so helpful I pass it on to my 15-year-old daughter to said hey here's a here's a short mercifully short 8 to 10 minute answer on on the biblical essentials of updating so that a lot of others if you go to our website JD grid.com or discard your favorite podcasting app and you can you can find it there called and asked me anything with JD Greer. It helps you leave us a rating there in the aperture of somebody else or reach out us here at JD grid a comment if you have your own question to submit it to us because it might make something other people enjoy hearing an answer to, as well. Thank you so much JD just about 10 minutes, give or take.

Pastor Jeannie tackle some sticky questions from listeners like you, what title or where is the devil at work today. There are so many questions and issues out there that you might not be able to find a direct first answer, but there are still biblical guidelines and wisdom that we can apply a lot of what he tackles on this podcast. Check it out@jdgreer.com and while you're checking out the site.

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