Title:
“God’s Hidden Agenda”
Introduction:
Everybody has an agenda.
Study over this text. There were many people crowded into the house at Capernaum. Everyone in the house had their own agenda for being there. The purpose of this message is to ask this question: Is your agenda, God’s agenda? That is, are you and God operating on the same page?
Satan had an agenda:
His agenda would have been to keep Jesus boxed inside the house, and also, to keep those who really needed to come to Christ outside of the house!
The multitude had an agenda:
They wanted to see some wondrous sign or miracle. Many people come to Church only to see a sacred ceremony or a magnificent performance. How disappointed some of the people in our text must have been when Jesus simply sat down, and preached the “Word” unto them?
The Pharisees had an agenda:
They had come to be seen of men. They wanted the crowd to see them with the leading prophet of the day. No doubt they had also come to show to others that they were wiser than Christ.
The four friends had an agenda:
Whenever we take up prayer request at the Church, there is always a long list of concerns regarding those who are sick. These four men were desperate in trying to bring their friend to Christ for a physical healing.
Peter had an agenda:
Some regard the Gospel of Mark as the Gospel of Peter. It is thought that John Mark had received much of his information from the apostle Peter. The house referred to here in this text, was assumed by many to be the home where Peter lived. Now, perhaps you can understand why Mark included the description of the roof of the house as to being “broken up!” Peter had agenda, “Who is going to repair my roof?”
Many of the people who attend church more concerned about the appearance of the church building than they are concerned about the people who attend the church. If you are going to use your church building for the cause of Christ, no doubt, your church building will get broken up a bit in the process!
Jesus had an agenda:
When the paralytic man was lowered through the roof by the four friends, Christ looked up and said, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” That was the agenda of Christ!
Sin is the root core of all our troubles. Christ had come to remove the curse of sin. Rather than sending the Pharisees away, or the people away, or the sick man away, or the roof breaker uppers away, Christ’s agenda was to send “sin” away!
Conclusion:
When our agenda becomes God’s agenda, good things will happen! Note that the man was healed and the people saw their sign and wonder. When we get on the same page with God, good things do happen!
With all of my heart I want to see the blessings of God upon our Church, but if God is going to bless us, we must link up with God’s agenda, “To seek and to save that which is lost.” God’s business is in the soul saving business. May God’s Hidden Agenda not be so hidden within our Church!
