Jesus Heals a Ceiling Fan, Part 2

Transcendent life with JD Greer when God wants to bless us with them right where 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 fate that since that is bowling just ask my Bible teaching ministry of Pastor Arthur and theologian JD Greer I Molly benefits have you ever thought about the fact that your greatest need may be different from your greatest desire. Sometimes it seems hard to differentiate between the two, but often it's true today.

Pastor Jay shows us that our greatest need is humans is forgiveness in Jesus is even more desperate to offer to us that we are to receive it back in where we left off yesterday in Luke chapter 5 in a message Pastor JD creatively titled Jesus heals a ceiling fan title for the story of Jesus heals a ceiling fan there right is a fabulous, the roof and Jesus heals him right so if you think about that all day and you will get that later… My little gift you verse 26 that everybody was astounded they were giving glory to God.

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 about really important for us right now.

They both center around this theme of desperation. They are our desperate measures by the side of the auditorium laugh, which means they just got the ceiling fan reference.

They are 1 are desperate need and are number two are desperate faith, our desperate need in our desperate faith.

Firstly at our desperate need.

At first, Jesus is offered to forget this guy sends 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 in 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 leave the 99 sheep 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 the sun coming in Luke 13 Jesus weeps over Jerusalem assess old 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 to desperately go after to search for and save the cost of my life. Those who are lost to me ask you as we do in 2021. What you think the greatest need of your life. This 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 and 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 wronged 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 turns 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 a 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 name 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 for our sins 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 a 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 resurrected 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 to 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 and 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 was like hey my roof. You can do that and I 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. Maybe that comes for you in the form of a prodigal child who is confused and to stop seeking God maybe departed from all the things you try to teach them when they grew 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've just given up on the marriage may they've given up hope to see you 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 tear open a roof and lay a person down at Jesus feet, believing that he will yield the 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 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 in 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 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. Secondly 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, 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 had 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 you 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 to 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 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 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 parent since 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 intercede 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 discouraged had they look at 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 pay 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.

Pray for. I want Amber L1 urge you to obey that impulse. Years ago I read a book, favorite books already.

When Ruth first came out as I was pregnant 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 was grown she was in college she forsaken God, and run away from home. Their church called Brooklyn Tabernacle does to deny prayer meeting each week of accident is one of the most powerful things I've ever experienced. One night pastor symbolize shared for matchup for about how the church boldly called on God even in the face of discouragement.

But 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 all 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 that 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 showed 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 being 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 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 is of course a foundation. Although we do not try to fit it in the margins.

What we preach and reprogram redundant blade in at the foundation right now everywhere. And whenever you doing three if you're driving down the road. Keep your eyes open, lift your voice and turn toward if you're working maybe take a few moments to voice a silent prayer list. You request at now. Thank you for joining us today on Senate life with pastor JD Greer. Today's messages title Jesus heals a ceiling fan and it's part of his new teaching series here on the program called In-Stat. If you missed the first part of this teaching yesterday or if you want to study transcripts of any past message you can find them free of charge@jdgreer.com pastor JD in our current teaching series working through the gospel of Luke.

You emphasize stepping out in faith by committing to do what ever God calls us to do and to go wherever he calls us to go even though we don't know what the journey is going to hold fast. So how does the discipline of memorizing Scripture or any other spiritual discipline, for that matter.

Help us step out in faith.

You have heard it said Molly that the best way to confront allies to know the truth. The world is filled with lies and so we know that our enemy uses lies a mean right I one of the things that a friend at the church recently explained. He said you know and when Jesus and Satan do battle out in the wilderness. If you were just thinking of that like from a Hollywood movie producers in a mindset you think it would be a Marvel movie scene whether the lightning bolt at each other, but just you guys have a conversation and it Satan's trying to twist Scripture and twist reality and speaking it into Jesus is life. But what Jesus does counteract that with Scripture. One of my favorite definitions of a demonic temptation is a demonic temptation is a simple thought with a bill behind like it's almost like it's trying to press and invade your thinking in and change it any easier. Trying to forget about it and you just can't shake it well. You can't just stop thinking about it. It's the illustration of I say don't think about a green monkey.

We probably haven't thought about a green monkey and you know, ever, but all the sudden you can't just be told not to think back that pops in your head will away that you counteract Satan's lies is you memorize scripture and be able to apply the right Scripture the right moment. The spirit of God will do some amazing things in your heart with Scripture, but he cannot bring to the surface. What you haven't put in there is a one of the things you want to do at that summit like this help people know Scripture better that comes not just the preaching. It also comes to memorizing Scripture memorizing Scripture's mother's things and people in daylight. Now be great if I did that, but sometimes it's the journey of a thousand miles on the how to take the first step to reproducing Scripture memory cards. We we gave them out last year to gospel partners and others that that reached out to us.

They were so popular that we decided to do it again this year and so on. Would love to to to be able to give you these. I think it be a great tool I'm some specifically chosen verses that will enrich your spiritual life take you deeper in the gospel and help you counteract the lies of Satan, we put together a pack of 50 of these for you if you want to carry these promises in your heart are new summit like memory verse cards make it easy for you to memorize Scripture. So take a look and reserve yours today@jdgreer.com that's really helpful. Thank you, JD. We're so grateful for your support and is set at 50 memory verse cards is our way of making our appreciation to tangible. This will be a resource network. The entire hearing behind and we'd like to get it today. It's perfect to carry with you daily encouragement, you can share with a friend. The rejoice always, Scripture memory cards comes with our thanks when you donate today to support this ministry helping more people died deeper into the message of the gospel each and every day to get and request your cell by 20.

When returned at 866-335-5224, you can request a sample, you donate online Greer.com if you'd rather mail your get our address is JD Greer ministry 120 NC 70709 I Molly that events I'm so glad today is Wednesday when pastor JD talks about the conflict, struggle between my Wednesday on Senate life