#10 The Real Deal Series

#10 The Real Deal

Series: Mark

February 23, 2020

Chuck Sligh

NOTE: PowerPoint or ProPresenter presentations are available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com. Please mention the title of the sermon and the Bible text to help me find the sermon in my archives.

TEXT: Mark 2:1-12 – "And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. 3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. "

INTRODUCTION

Don’t you hate a fake?

Illus. – The pop group Milli Vanilli became one of the most popular pop acts in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with millions of records sold. However, their success turned to infamy when Morvan and Pilatus, and their agent Sergio Vendero confessed that Morvan and Pilatus did not sing any of the vocals heard on their music releases. The duo ended up giving back their Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Fans and music critics the world over were incensed, because…nobody likes a fake. [Wikipedia]

Illus. – Tim Cooper tells about going on vacation at their condo overlooking the ocean. Their condo is one of those beach-decorated places featuring coral colors and fake sea shells in each room. Their three-year old daughter Lilly wasn’t impressed at all. What did impress her was when they were at a little shop by the beach and Lily wandered off a short distance within eyesight. Suddenly, she came running back, shouting, “Wook! Dese are weal sea-sails. Weal sea-sails!” [Tim Cooper, Awestruck: Life-Transforming Encounters with Jesus]

We like things to be real (even at 3-years-old, apparently); we crave authenticity; we’re not big on fakes. In our text today, we see that Jesus is the “real deal” through His remarkable acts and words. Let’s dive in:

I. NOTE FIRST, FOUR MEN WITH INDOMITABLE FAITH – Verses 2:1-5 – “And again he entered into Capernaum after several days; and it was heard that he was at home. 2 And immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no room to receive them, not even outside the door: and he preached the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing a paralytic to him, carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near him because the crowds, they uncovered the roof above him: and when they had made an opening, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’”

Jesus and His disciples, you’ll recall, went out into the neighboring cities to preach. Now they return to their home base, Capernaum, where Peter lived. In all likelihood, the events in these verses occurred back at Peter’s house.

Verse 1 tells us that the news got around that Jesus was back in town. Immediately, the house was besieged by crowds again, as before. This time, there were so many packed into the house that the door was blocked. They were packed in like sardines such that no one could get in or out of the house.

Jesus was smart. He knew that people don’t always come for what they really need, so He uses their wrong motives to His own ends.

Illus. – We invite kids to VBS so that we can tell them about God and His love. I doubt that many would come on their own if we marketed to them that they should all come to hear the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. No, we tell them how much fun they’ll have and in between the fun, we fill their hearts with God’s Word and hope it eventually blossoms into faith!