4 Men of Great Faith
Theme:
Text: Luke 5:17-26
Luk 5:17-26 NKJV Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
Creating an Atmosphere of Healing
1. Faith
There were times in Jesus ministry when no one was healed because people didn’t have faith.
2. Worship
3. Prayer
4. Persistence
5. Determination
(18)Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. (19) And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
There was a lot of determination to get this man to Jesus. The Bible doesn’t tell us why these men had so much faith and determination. We are not told of their experience. I just believe that one of two things. 1) either they were healed themselves by Jesus. One could have been the man at the pool in Bethesda. One could have been ole Blind Bartimaeus, one could have been the father of the son whose son was delivered from demons.
You see when God heals you there is something that makes you desire to see others healed.
The second could be they may have been friends of these guys
Third maybe they heard what Jesus had done
I don’t know what it was but they were determined to get him in the presence of the Lord. They were willing to overcome all obstacles.
You see they couldn’t get into the house.
1. the house was an obstacle
I look around this church to make sure that this church is not an obstacle.
2. the people were obstacles
1Co 8:9 NKJV But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.
We need to learn to prefer my brother. The best parking place. The best seat in the house. We come too much for our convinces.
Look at the next passage.
(20) When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."
I want you to notice where Jesus begins. This is so important. God begins with your spiritual condition. You may need healing, you may be asking God to heal you but I say you need to get your heart right with God before God will heal you.
So many people have need or jail house religion. When they need God they get all spiritual and holy and churchy but when God answers their prayer, their need then they forget God.
Dr. Benson, my professor at Holmes, used to tell the story of a man who lay on his death bed dying. Dr. Benson would go regularly and pray for this man. He prayed to prayer of faith. He believed. Yet this man had no change. Finally he asked God, “God why won’t you heal this man.” God said if I heal him he will go back and do the same thing he was doing for me.
God healed him but He healed him spiritually.
Isaiah 1:18 the Lord says to Israel.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
God desires to cleanse us all of our sins. I can’t do that by myself. Only God can forgive sins.
But Ps 32:1-2 says “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sins the Lord does not count against him.”
(21) And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
Who all the scribes and the Pharisees? They were the religious leaders (notice that term “religious leaders”) who, instead of listening to Jesus healing and life changing words were listening for faults.
Just think they had seen many people healed and God was doing miraculous work in their midst yet they are focused on whether or not he was following their theology.
It was like the disciples. One day they ran to Jesus and told Him about another group of people who were doing great things in Jesus name. But, they said, they are not in our group. Jesus said be quiet. If they are against me they are for me. Be careful who you criticize.
(22) But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? (23) "Which is easier, to say, ’Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ’Rise up and walk’? (24) "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"; He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
Jesus knew what they were thinking. Whether it was discerning of the spirit or He just knew the scribes and Pharisees. Some people are so easy to figure out.
Miracles are signs that follow believers.
Mar 16:15-18 NKJV And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (16) "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (17) "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; (18) "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
(25) Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
Immediately the man go up and took his bed. He comes in lying on the bed and leaves out carrying it.
(26) And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"
Two results of this miracle.
1. They glorified God
They praised God for what he had done. This is important because there are other times in scripture where people didn’t praise God. Ten lepers were healed and one comes back.
2. They were filled with fear
You see when you see things happen it can cause you to fear. When you see the power of God at work you have to change.
That is what Isaiah ran into. He saw God high and lifted up. He saw His Glory. He saw the seraphims praise the Lord with words of Holy! Holy! Holy!. So he has to change and yell out, “Woe is me I am a man undone. I am a man of unclean lips.”
Conclusion
Two things (miracles & healings) we will be praying for tonight.
First I will be praying for you. If you have a need, a miracle or a healing and you would come and say, “I believe that God will heal it tonight”. Then I want you to come and stand on my right side.
Second I will be praying with those who are willing to be like these four me. People who would say, “Pastor tonight I want to intercede for someone. I want to pray for them. I believe God can heal them. I am also willing to go and pray for them with this prayer cloth.” I want you to stand on my left side.
