Luke 5:17-26 November 19, 2023 a.m.
I haven’t mentioned this from the pulpit but Rachel, Abbie, Silas and myself got a chance to go to the United Kingdom a few weeks ago. It was kind of a dream trip for us. We found some super cheap, bargain bin, thrift store priced plane tickets, and we went. It was an AMAZING TRIP. We went to London, England, then we drove North up to Scotland, then back South and West to Wales and then East back to London to fly home. A 1300 mile circle. We saw some wonderful sights and it was great but it was also a really hard trip. Listen, it’s a totally different world over there.
For example, they don’t know which side of the road to drive on. I tried to explain it to them. I even tried to SHOW THEM and it got really scary, really fast. They just didn’t get it.
They eat BEANS, I mean like Pork and Beans, on TOAST for BREAKFAST. I’m serious folks, I’m not making this stuff up. It’s no wonder we whooped them in the Revolutionary War AND the War of 1812. How could you go out and fight in a war after eating Pork and Beans for breakfast.
They don’t understand a SIMPLE STOPLIGHT at an INTERSECTION. NO!!! They want to put a CIRCLE in the middle of the road and when you get on it you go ROUND and ROUND. We got on one and we drove in a circle for three hours!!! Not really, but boy do they like their Round-a-bouts.
That’s just a few of the STRANGE THINGS that we saw over in the UK. And I’m sure they would say the same about us.
But I brought this up because as we look into the Book of Luke, Chapter 5, there were some STRANGE THINGS happening over in Israel. This was at the very beginning of the Ministry of Jesus. In John 2, we see Jesus turning the water into wine and this was his first miracle but here in Luke, Jesus continued performing miracles shortly after His ministry began.
We see Simon Peter not catching any fish ALL NIGHT LONG and then Jesus tells him to cast his net ONE MORE TIME and it was FULL of fish.
And then in Verse 12 we find a man who was FULL of LEPROSY. This wasn’t just a little sore. This man was probably near death and He comes to Jesus and falls down on his face BEGGING Jesus to HEAL HIM. And then Jesus does the UNTHINKABLE. He reached out and touches the man and he is INSTANTLY HEALED.
And because of these healings, Jesus becomes famous. People start showing up to HEAR what Jesus has to say and people begin coming hoping that JESUS will heal them also. And so that gets us up to the Verses that I want to bring my message out of today. Go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Luke 5 and we’ll begin reading at Verse 17.
“And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?
23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, 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 to day.”
According to Webster’s Dictionary, STRANGE MEANS: different from what is usual, ordinary, or expected.
You see, if you went fishing all night long and didn’t catch anything, it would be strange to catch a whole net full by doing the same thing again.
If a LEPER was EATEN UP with SORES all over his body it would be a strange thing for those SORES to be INSTANTLY GONE.
And if a man had been SICK and BEDRIDDEN for years, it would seem rather STRANGE to see him being let down from the ROOF on his bed and then for him to JUMP UP out of that bed and walk home. And all of this was done by the POWER of JESUS. These were STRANGE THINGS but at the same time they were absolutely WONDERFUL THINGS.
And here’s the GOOD NEWS. God is still doing STRANGE THINGS TODAY. Things that are DIFFERENT from what is USUAL, ORDINARY, or EXPECTED. And so that’s what I want to talk to you about today. STRANGE THINGS that God is doing. Before we do let’s go to the Lord in Prayer.
Brother ____, would you lead us?
I. So the first thing I want you to see, STRANGE THINGS WERE HAPPENING, and because of that, ALL DIFFERENT kinds of people were coming out to see.
Looking at Verse 17, there was some HIGH FALLUTIN people who had come out to hear what Jesus had to say. There were Pharisees and Doctors of the Law.
The Pharisees were probably examining everything Jesus was wearing and how he looked. Maybe they were looking into his Genealogy and who His parents were. These were the things that were important to them.
These DOCTORS of the LAW were actually INSTRUCTORS who had devoted their lives to the TEACHING of Jewish Law. I’m sure as Jesus spoke they were NIT PICKIN every single thing He said.
And it also tells us that they had come from Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem. They had come from MILES AROUND to SEE and HEAR this man named Jesus.
Also we see not just High Fallutin people, but DESPERATE PEOPLE were coming. Verses 18 and 19 tell us the story of the men who couldn’t get into the house where Jesus was at, so they CLIMBED UP onto the ROOF and tore the ROOFING TILES BACK so that they could let their friend down in front of Jesus. Now that’s pretty desperate.
There must have been people there just because they were CURIOUS. It tells us that there was a MULTITUDE of people. Not just a few but MANY.
And I think you still have the same type of people who come out today. People see that things are DIFFERENT than what is USUAL, ORDINARY or EXPECTED. People who might come out just because we’re STRANGE.
Look up here for just a minute. I know it’s HARD. Ok, now look to your right. Now look to your left. Do you know what you just looked at? Something STRANGE. Something that is becoming more and more different from what is USUAL, ORDINARY or EXPECTED. You just looked at someone who is here in church on a Sunday morning. Why is that strange? Because most people don’t do it anymore. Here in the U.S., the percentage of people who attend church on a REGULAR BASIS is down to 20%.
ILLUS: Three weeks ago today we were in Scotland and it was a Sunday Morning. I like to go to church when I’m on vacation to worship my Lord, so Saturday night Rachel and I started looking for a place to go. We got on the internet and found that the closest Baptist Church was the Delbeattie Baptist Church. It was probably 25 miles away. So Sunday morning we got up and headed over there. We had a good service, our brothers and sisters in Christ were sweet to us, and the deacon there, Brother Colin, preached a good message. And there was a total of 12 people there. Us 4 and 8 other people. I told you that 20% of the people here in the U.S. attend church on a regular basis. In Scotland it’s down to 8.9%. Wales is down to 4.8%. And England is at 4.7%.
The NATION that used to send missionaries all over the world is now down to 1 out of every 20 people attending church. And the U.S. is headed that direction. It’s becoming MORE and MORE STRANGE to attend church and WORSHIP our God.
Our society is becoming more and more about PLEASURE. Do what makes you HAPPY. Please YOURSELF. IT’S ALL ABOUT ME and less and less about pleasing God.
Our church is down in numbers compared to what we were before COVID. Since then we’re just kind of holding our own. And I’ll be honest with you, that is DISCOURAGING to me. It’s discouraging to me when people leave. But to be honest, I TRULY BELIEVE it may just be the SIGNS of the TIMES.
In Matthew 24, Jesus is asked what the signs would be that the end of the world is near. And Jesus gives a long list of things but in Verses 10-13 He says,
“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
Paul told the Church at Thessalonica in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3,
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;”
Listen, I’m not trying to be a DOWNER or NEGATIVE but I’m not convinced that a BIBLE BELIEVING, BIBLE PREACHING CHURCH, is going to see EXPONENTIAL GROWTH in this day and age that we live.
But at the same time WE CAN STILL make a difference TODAY. Lives are still being CHANGED TODAY. The CHURCH may grow SMALLER in number but that DOES NOT mean that we are DEAD. As the world gets DARKER it just means that our LIGHT will SHINE BRIGHTER.
When Jesus comes back, HIS CHURCH will still be here.
As He told Peter Matthew 16:18,
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Folks, in this passage Jesus is NOT talking about the Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Pentecostals or the Free Will Baptists. He’s talking about HIS BLOOD BOUGHT, SANCTIFIED, SET APART CHURCH. He’s talking about a CHURCH that might seem a little STRANGE in this “ME” SOCIETY.
II. When you look at these Verses here in Luke 5, everything that Jesus did was for the people. It tells us that He was TEACHING THEM. He was HEALING THEM. He was FORGIVING THEIR SINS. And all of this was being done by the POWER of GOD. Look at the last part of Verse 17.
“and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.”
Why did the people come? You know, the Pharisees, the Doctors of the Law, the People who needed help, the Common Man, what CAUSED them to TRAVEL from all around? Well, the POWER of the Lord was PRESENT.
That’s a SURE FIRE way to DRAW PEOPLE OUT. I’m NOT against CHANGE. I’m NOT against OUTREACH. I’m NOT against MINISTRY. I’m NOT against going out and COMPELLING people to come. We MUST do that. But here’s the DEAL. When they get here IN THIS PLACE, do they FEEL the POWER of GOD and does it make a CHANGE in their LIFE. Do they become NEW CREATURES? DO THEY BECOME STRANGE or DIFFERENT in the WAY that they LIVE?
I talked about CHURCH ATTENDANCE being down. But there are some churches that are growing. MOSTLY the MEGACHURCHES. The smaller, local churches, are shutting their doors by the thousands. Why? Because it’s hard to compete against a PRODUCTION that RIVALS most Las Vegas shows. You have LIGHTING and SOUND effects. THEATER STYLE seating. Next door a GYMNASIUM with a weight lifting facility and a COFFEE BAR in the back that beats Star Bucks. Now be honest with me, Do I sound BITTER? I hope not because I’m not. My question, Is the Holy Spirit of God there? Are people’s LIVES being CHANGED or are they just being ENTERTAINED?
ILLUS: Listen, I’ve been in services where people CRANKED the CROWD. They put on a SHOW. I’ve seen people LINE DANCE around the ALTER. I’ve seen people get VERY EMOTIONAL, man they could really CRY but yet their LIFE and the way they lived didn’t CHANGE. A LOT of THAT.
But I’ve also been in services where the Holy Spirit of God was there. People’s LIVES were TOUCHED and you could see a CHANGE. ADDICTIONS were BROKEN, FAMILIES were HEALED. RELATIONSHIPS were RESTORED. I’ve seen people’s PHYSICAL BODIES HEALED from DISEASE.
I’ve set right here at this ALTER and seen MARRIAGES that were WRECKED!!! SAVED from DIVORCE. HOW? What was the CAUSE of all these wonderful things happening? NOTHING BUT the POWER of GOD!!!
Another thing, the POWER of GOD will help you LOVE people. Not ACCEPT their SIN but LOVE THEM in SPITE of their SIN.
Now in this DAY and AGE that might seem STRANGE. To even talk about it may seem STRANGE. But when people begin to SEE a REAL CHANGE in the WAY that we live, when people see the way we LOVE. That is what will CAUSE them to come from ALL AROUND to see what’s going on. The Power of GOD.
ILLUS: It reminds me of the little town that had only one church. One night the fire bell started ringing. People were aroused from their sleep. The CHURCH was on fire. A bucket line was formed and standing next to the PASTOR of the CHURCH, handing buckets down the line was the LOCAL NEWSPAPER EDITOR who was an ATHEIST. The PASTOR asked him what he was doing there and the fellow said, “I came for the show, it’s the first time I ever saw the CHURCH on FIRE.”
If the CHURCH, not just this church, but the CHURCH of the Lord Jesus Christ, if it ever gets on FIRE we’ll see people come.
III. And even though the POWER of the Lord was present, the HOLY SPIRIT of God was there ... People still got MAD!!! Look at Verse 21.
“And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”
The DEVIL was NOT HAPPY when he saw these STRANGE THINGS HAPPENING. As Old Satan watched, he saw his own downfall. His own DEFEAT by the POWER of GOD. He saw the MINISTRY of JESUS and LIVES being changed. He saw people accepting WHO JESUS WAS. He saw those who were BOUND for HELL being forgiven of their SINS. The DEVIL was in the LIVES of these Pharisees and so they became angry.
Jesus knew all about their ANGER and HATRED. I’m sure the Doctors of the LAW were about to LOSE THEIR MINDS. They had to find something in the LAW to COMBAT what Jesus had just said.
And so Jesus turns to them and says, “Is it easier for me to say ‘I forgive your sins.’ or ‘Rise Up and walk’?” Of course anyone could say “I forgive your sins” and there would be NO WAY to KNOW if that FORGIVENESS had OCCURRED. But if Jesus said, “Rise Up and Walk” it would be EASY TO KNOW if that had happened. And so we see there in Verse 24, Jesus healed the man and in Verse 25, this fellow confirmed it by getting up and walking away.
Verse 26 tells us,
“And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.”
In ALL of the different things that happened that day, the most important thing was, that God was Glorified.
In ALL of our ENDEAVORS. In ALL the things we DO. From raising our children to working at our jobs, from the SINGING and PREACHING here at CHURCH, the most important thing that we can do is to GLORIFY GOD.
Isaiah 43:7 “Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”
And I think that the CHURCH here in AMERICA, and in many places around the world, have lost sight of that. Most churches are SO CONCERNED about ENTERTAINMENT instead of GLORIFYING GOD.
Wouldn’t it be a STRANGE THING if the PEOPLE of GOD put everything else aside just to GLORIFY HIM in EVERY PART of their lives?
This message today hasn’t been your normal Sunday morning message but it is what God has laid on my heart. I’ve said some things that might be OFFENSIVE to some but I’ve said them with NO INTENT to hurt anyone. I’ve said them hoping that ALL OF US, and that includes ME, would really FOCUS on Glorifying God in our lives. Letting Him make changes where He needs to. And maybe, just maybe BECOMING a LITTLE BIT STRANGE to the rest of the WORLD.
Let’s Pray
