Title: Four Determined Friends
Theme: What happens when friends bring a man to Jesus.
Text: Luke 5:17 - 26
Offering:
Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Give abundantly. The way we give is the way we receive (see Luke 6:38). Live a life of generosity.
Luke 5:17-26 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. [35] (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. (20) When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." (21) And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (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." (25) Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. (26) And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"
Introduction
This is early in Jesus ministry. At this time he was meeting at someone’s house. The scriptures says that there were people from everywhere who came to hear Him. Especially the Pharisees and teachers. These were the religious leaders who were sitting all around Jesus.
The place was crowded. Luke gives us another detail that is important.
Luke 5:17 And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. [35]
I have been looking all around trying to figure out who the “them” are. For many it would seem that they are that they are the people who were there, the lame, the sick. I believe that it also referred the these “religious leaders”. The power of the Lord was there to heal.
Creating an Atmosphere of Healing
1. Faith “with out faith it is impossible to please God” “we must ask in faith (believing)”
There were times in Jesus ministry when no one was healed because people didn’t have faith.
2. Worship “puts God in the right place in our life”
3. Prayer “we have not because we ask not” James
4. Persistence “ask, seek, knock”
5. Determination “don’t give up” as in prayer to keep going back, why? Because of God’s timing, I want God’s will to be done more than anything.
Four Friends
Mark 2:2 reminds us that there were four men who had a friend that was paralyzed.
Who were these men? Why did they want to get Him to 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. They were sick and tired of seeing him sick and tired.
Third maybe they heard what Jesus had done
I like to name these men: determination, love, compassion, and help
They were wanting to get this man to Jesus. Yet there were some 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. Obstacle – hindrances
I will be the first to admit that the church has been an obstacle to Jesus.
What were the obstacles?
2. the people were obstacles
1 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.
I will be the first to admit that the people has been an obstacle to Jesus.
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.
They did whatever it took to get this man to Jesus.
Jesus Answer
(20) When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."
Luk_5:20 "Seeing their faith" "Their" refers to the friends as well as the paralytic man.
The term "faith" is a major NT term (cf. Luk_5:20; Luk_7:9; Luk_7:50; Luk_8:25; Luk_8:48; Luk_17:5-6; Luk_17:19; Luk_18:8; Luk_18:42; Luk_22:32). The Greek noun is pistis and the verb is pisteuô. This term is translated into English by three words—faith, believe, trust (see Special Topics at Luk_1:45). The concept is crucial for an understanding of salvation (cf. Joh_1:12; Joh_3:16) and the Christian life (cf. Heb_11:1; Heb_11:3; Heb_11:6).
The Hebrew equivalent is emeth, which originally referred to someone in a stable stance, but it developed the metaphorical extension of someone who is dependable, loyal, trustworthy, and faithful.
Faith is not something we do, but it is the hand that receives the gifts of God (cf. Eph_2:8-9). It is not a work, but a receptive attitude of need and thanksgiving. We are not dependable, loyal, trustworthy, or faithful, but God is! We trust His trustworthiness; we faith His faithfulness. The hope of all fallen humanity is the unchanging character of God, His mercy and grace towards His rebellious human creation.
These friends believed Jesus, as God's representative, would act graciously toward their friend and they would do anything to get their friend to Jesus (cf. Luk_7:9; Luk_7:50; Luk_8:48; Luk_17:19; Luk_18:42). Oh, that friends had that kind of love and concern today!
That is how simple it is.
John 1:9 “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
Sin – “to miss the mark”
Ephesians 2:8,9 “For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.”
(21) And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
This is a good question, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Yes, God can really forgive you of all your sins. All of them. Every one. But, receiving forgiveness is by faith in Jesus. It means you must believe in and accept the death of Jesus who is God the Son (John 1:1, 14, 5:18, 1 Tim. 2:5), who never sinned (1 Peter 2:22), and became a sacrifice on our behalf on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). You must believe He did this and that His sacrifice cleanses you--if you receive it by faith.
(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."
Luk_5:23-24 The man's healing was an outward sign for these religious leaders of the purpose, power, and person of the Messiah (cf. Luk_4:18-19). Instead of praise and adoration (which they initially gave, cf. Luk_5:25-26), their hearts will turn to self-interest, even murder (cf. Luk_22:2; Mat_12:14; Mat_26:1; Mar_14:1; Joh_5:18; Joh_7:1; Joh_7:19; Joh_8:37; Joh_8:40; Joh_11:53).
Healing can occur without faith. Jesus healed people as a means of
1. getting the attention of His hearers
2. demonstrating the power and compassion of God and His Messiah
3. training the disciples
Forgiveness of sin, however, is never possible without personal faith.
Results
(25) Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. (26) And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"
Conclusion
It is interesting to see their reaction. One man who received healing “glorified God”. In other words they made him bigger than anything.
Others were amazed.
Then there is the fear. IOW. What do we do with this now?
