“Breaking Up the Hindrances”
TEXT: Mark 2:1-5
1 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.
INTRO:
I have to start this sermon this morning by pointing out that when it was “noised that he was in the house” many gathered together, “straitway” or immediately.
The point is this. We can have programs on top of programs, activities on top of activities, but I still believe that what gathers people together is some sense that when they get there, He will be there.
So let me assure you this morning. The wave walker is in the house. The Chief Shepherd is on the scene. Present in the building is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The earth maker and the earth shaker is here. The star kindler is on site. The deaf ear opener, the blind eye healer, the one that makes the lame walk and the dumb talk, is here.
If we are going to get a crowd, it is going to be because we let people know one simple fact. Jesus is in the house.
When Jesus is in the house, desperate people show up. And desperate people do desperate things.
In a world that is increasingly searching for answers we need to let them know the name of the answer, Jesus Christ.
What friends! Sometimes I wish the Bible would elaborate on exactly what happened, but it does not. It is amazing how God told us just enough to get the jist of the story but not so much that we can’t apply the same scripture to several different applications. (Tell the story…)
We don’t know much about roofs in Capernaum 2000 years ago, and unless we have an archaeologist in the house, we are really better off drawing an analogy from our current day roofs that we know much more about. Allow me that license if you will.
We don’t know much about the actual construction of the roof that was on this house that Jesus was in, but we do know that it was in fact a roof. We do know that it was a physical impediment to the presence of Jesus Christ, him being in the flesh at the time.
You couldn’t have an audience because you couldn’t get in through traditional means. You couldn’t walk in through the front door. You couldn’t sit down and have a conversation because the house was so full.
My question for us today is: Are you willing to do something untraditional if you can’t get by in the traditional means?
We are not here to insult anybody, but we are here and God is here to motivate somebody!
If you can’t get what you need by walking through these doors, after you park your car and sit yourself on one of these pews, and stay for an hour and a half, and walking back out basically the same way. Are you willing this Sunday to try something you haven’t tried before to get something you haven’t had before?
You see, these were guys who essentially said, “We can’t get in by the traditional means, and the only access I know of is up there, Lets go for it!”
So Jesus is down there teaching and the roof starts breaking up overhead! Building materials start falling down from the ceiling..!
What is hindering you today? What is it in your life that stops you from getting what you need from God? We all have our own personal roofs to break through. We all come up against a wall at times. You may just get through a roof and it seems that along comes another challenge, another problem, another storm, another sickness.
• Is your roof the crowd?
Mark 5:25
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
We can get caught up in the things of life and they can begin to crowd us out.
Are you letting the crowd batter you and push you even trample you. Do you feel hopeless? Are you lost in the crowd?
This woman with the issue of blood realized that for her to get the healing that she needed she needed to be more than just in the vicinity of Jesus, so she pushed her way up close. Many are content to just be in the vicinity, but we must desire to get up close to where the Master does His work.
Getting up close has its challenges with so much in our lives pulling for us constantly, but it is possible. Where there is a determination to be close to Jesus, it will become reality because He honors and takes notice when we get serious about living for God!
Tearing off the shingles of self-satisfaction and the tarpaper of turmoil and the decking for deliverance and the attic for accomplishment is all part of the process. Finally you get down to a sheet rock ceiling: that is with our modern roof systems. Back then they had thatch roofs. We all must press through self-preservation, realizing that being internally healthy is more important than just looking good on the outside. This lady was far beyond all of that.
• Is your roof an individual or thing?
Mark 10
46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. 48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. 50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
Notice two things:
1. Someone tried to shut blind Bartimaeus up.
2. He cast away his garment.
Is there someone in your life that keeps you from touching Jesus? It could be a relative or friend, sometimes even just a co-worker.
Or, is there something in you life that is hindering you from a break through? What is the divide or chasm that you aren’t willing to cross?
This whole business of going through the roof to get to Jesus simply could not have happened if the four men did not have risky faith! They risked being mocked, rejected, laughed at, stoned, ridiculed, hated, envied, jealousy, and misunderstood, but when you are so passionate for helping somebody get to Jesus, none of that matters anymore!
