Carried to Jesus!
Mark 2:1-12 (KJV) 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. 6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
In this sermon outline we see a faith-teaching event in the miracle of the healing of the man sick of the palsy. The little things that occurred in the life of Jesus bring great truths.
I. Jesus is preaching. What happens when Jesus preaches?
A. Great crowds gather.
B. God’s power to heal is there.
II. Peter’s mother-in-law house, the largest house at the time in Capernaum, was filled and people gathered outside.
A. Four men carried their sick friend to Jesus.
1. Why? They had heard what Jesus was doing and teaching.
2. Sometime we need help and need our brethren to help us get to Jesus.
- James 5:16 (KJV) Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (Honduras my healing)
3. The Gospel of Christ can and will draw people.
a. Many times we have tried to substitute the Gospel for entertainment.
b. There is no substitute for the Word of God!
c. If we lift Jesus up through the Word, He will do the drawing. John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
III. No way to get in to Jesus.
A. They were determined.
1. Their faith looked up. They saw the roof.
2. They did not look down. If they did they would not be able to dig a tunnel in time to get to Jesus. We need to look up.
- Psalms 121:1-2 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
B. They climbed up on the building and opened the roof.
C. They let their friend down with a rope.
IV. Jesus saw their faith. How can you see faith?
A. You can only see ’faith in action’.
- James 2:18, 20, (KJV) Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
B. Jesus saw ’their’ faith. He saw the faith of the men who brought their friend to Jesus.
1. You can only see faith in action. We have seen thousands healed all over the world in our crusades and all have done 3 things. Everyone we have read in the Bible and ever seen has done these three things.
2. I always tell them to receive, to do 3 things, everyone that have received healings have done these 3 things.
a. They asked God for their healing. Prayed.
b. They believed God for their healing. Mark 1:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them
c. They put their faith in action. They began to try to do what they could not do before. If they had pain they felt for the pain.
d. "Faith and holiness are in fact linked. Obeying the commands of God usually involves believing the promises of God."
e. Healings are for the Church. Miracles happen in the Church but Miracles are for Evangelism where unbelievers seen and believe.
V. He first forgives sin!
A. It is the biggest need and biggest miracle in a person’s life.
1. You can go to heaven with a sick body, but not with a sick soul.
B. The spiritual needs are the most important. God meets those needs first. Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
VI. Jesus heals the man.
A. It brings Glory to God!
B. God’s miracles and healings should always bring Glory to Him.
Faith in Action
I. God weighs our actions.
1 Sam 2:3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come
out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and
by him actions are weighed. .
Act 14:8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his
feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had
walked:.
Act 14:9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him,
and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, .
Act 14:10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he
leaped and walked. .
III. Faith in action
Mark 3:1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a
man there which had a withered hand. Mark 3:2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. .
Mark 3:3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand,
Stand forth, this is why we like to have people come forward to receive Christ or for pray for their needs.
Mark 3:5 ….. Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it
out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. (Faith in Action.)
A. He told the man with the blind eyes to wash,
B. This was putting faith in action. Remember, God weighs our actions.
1 Sam 2:3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come
out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and
by him actions are weighed.
