Signs
Pt. 7
I. Introduction
We have been talking about signs. We have prayed for signs to be a part of our daily lives. We have expected signs. I believe we have sowed seeds for signs that will continue to bear fruit for years to come. So if you will allow me I want to examine one more sign that followed Jesus and then we will begin some summary of lessons learned next week.
Text: Mark 2:1-12
1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. (The Message - A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word.) 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7“Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
II. Signs
a. Our lack of hunger for Word results in empty houses and lack of signs.
The house was filled, not because of a miracle show. It was filled to overflow because Jesus was teaching the Word. When was the last time you saw a sanctuary packed because people were starving for the Word? We will pack the building for programs, presentations, perversions, and promises. However, on a “normal” Sunday empty seats soak up good Bible teaching and preaching! Our appetites must change! In order for signs to invade our lives, we must once again become hungry for the Word of God. We must once again run to hear the Word of God. We are waiting on Him to crack the sky while He is waiting on us to crack the BOOK.
Notice that when the Word was in the house, the house was packed. I am committed to seeing this house packed because of the Word that is going forth. Pack it with programs and gimmicks, but the only life change that will really take place is based on the Word that goes forth! If we are really hungry for the Word we will be in the house and we will bring others with us! Jesus said, “If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me!” We must lift up the Word of God so that men will be drawn. Don’t lift up Steve. Don’t lift up someone’s gift. Don’t lift up a brand! Lift up Jesus! We won’t have to worry about filling up seats if each of us will get hungry again for the Word! In fact, according to this account our issue will be that we won’t have enough room! We won’t have to worry about seeing signs if we will become hungry for the Word again!
b. Signs will mess up neat little lives and church services!
I am sure the woman that invited Jesus to use her house as a sanctuary had gone out of her way to prepare the room. I bet she had vacuumed, dusted, put everything in order, made sure everything was in place, neat, and orderly. The only problem is that Jesus showed up! When Jesus arrives the roof comes off of the place.
If we are determined to reestablish signs in our lives and in our services, then we must also be prepared that at times the roof will come off and our nice, neat, comfortable, predictable, structured lives and services will be messed up! That means right when you have your budget all figured out for the week or month, Jesus will step in and interrupt that and use your planned out checkbook to meet the need of someone who has been praying for a sign. That means that your comfortable worship experience may be interrupted by a command from God to go and lay hands on someone you don’t know.
Signs will offend your sensibility! Signs will derail your diplomacy. Jesus didn’t follow the religious leaders form and it bothered them. If He had said, “You are healed” then there would have been no issue. However, Jesus operated outside of their order and it caused them to attack and question. I believe in order. I believe God ordains order. I operate in structure. I think we should always plan. I also believe that God is God and He has the right to change the order, change the plan, and change the structure of my daily life or my church service!
A couple of side notes here: Jesus’ power over sin should reveal that He also has power over our need. It is ironic to me that the religious leaders of that day didn’t believe He could deal with sin although they knew that He could deal with physical issues. Today’s religious crowds believe He can deal with sin, but don’t believe He can deal with the physical. Jesus says neither one is a problem. Neither one is more difficult than the other. Jesus once again deals with baseline need. This man comes for healing gets salvation and healing too! Just a side note just to add a little fear into your lives . . . Jesus knows what we are thinking!
We simply cannot box Him into our ways! His ways should become our ways, not the other way around!
3. Signs are birthed out of compassion!
I don’t want us to miss this. I don’t want us to forget this aspect of the account. I have already talked to you about God’s “want to”! God’s desire is to operate and move on our behalf. I have alluded to you that Jesus was moved by compassion for the condition of lepers, sick, grieving folks. However, the compassion I believe is missing is not God’s. . . it is ours! Four men, moved on by compassion for their friend, take initiative to get him to Jesus! The sick man couldn’t get to Jesus on his own, so these 4 friends step in and open the door for a miracle. We must become people who will go to great lengths to get people to Jesus. When is the last time you tore something up to make it possible for your friends to see Jesus? We tear everything up to get to Jesus for ourselves, but what about for others?
They ripped the roof off and we won’t even speak. The vandalized a house and we won’t invite anyone to church! They damaged a home and we won’t offer prayer or a hand when we see folks devastated by life! God birth compassion in us for those that are hurting! Until we become a people of compassion (sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it) we will see no signs!
I want to challenge us as a congregation! How far are we willing to go to see people come to Christ? Are we willing to forgo our own Christmas present to make it possible for others to come face-to-face with Jesus? Are we willing to give up time? Are we willing to adjust our schedule to make time for outreach? Are we willing to get our hands dirty? Are we willing to volunteer? We say we are, but we can’t get some of you to work one, worship one! How can they get to Jesus if we aren’t willing to work to give them that opportunity? These men could have been inside worshipping with the rest of the folks. Instead they were outside serving the one in need!
4. Signs should set us apart!
When Jesus healed this man the people declared, “We have never seen anything like this before.” When Jesus really shows up we will see things we have never seen before. Perhaps our issue is that those around us have seen it all before! Maybe our life and our faith aren’t producing any sign that would cause folks to shake their head in amazement! Don’t compare your life to other believers. The question is does anyone see things in your life they have never seen before? Don’t compare this church to others. I want folks to see things they have never seen before. I have no issues with or anything bad to say about the other churches around us, but I want folks to see something here and in you as representatives of this church that they have never seen before!
5. Signs shouldn’t produce superstars, but praise!
Although signs set us apart they signs shouldn’t produce superstars, but praise! Don’t talk about my gift! Talk about my savior! Don’t flaunt your power! Flaunt your Father. If signs produce a following, then it should be a following of Jesus not of us! May the signs that follow us cause praise to rise up in the hearts of people.
