INTRODUCTION: YEARS AGO AT THEATERS AND PLAYS, WHEN A PERSON GOT SICK, SOMEONE WOULD ASK THE QUESTION, IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE? THE DOCTOR WOULD OFTEN SAVE THE MANY OF THOSE WHO WERE SICK, AND AT OTHER TIMES DESPITE HIS MEDICAL EXPERTISE, HE WOULD LOSE A FEW. AND WHILE HIS MEDICAL SKILLS COULD HELP THE PHYSICAL, HE COULD DO NOTHING FOR THE SPIRITUAL. AS IMPORTANT AS DOCTORS ARE, I KNOW A DOCTOR ABOVE ALL DOCTORS WHO CAN HEAL BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND THE SPIRITUAL. AND THAT DOCTOR IS JESUS WHO DID NOT GET HIS DEGREE FROM YALE, HARVARD, OR PRINCETON, BUT RATHER HE GOT HIS DEGREE FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING UNIVERSITY. HE IS THE ALL POWERFUL GOD. AND I WANT TO ASK THIS QUESTION TODAY, IS JESUS IN THE HOUSE? YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, GREAT THINGS HAPPEN WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE.
I. TEXT
OUR TEXT REVEALS THAT JESUS WAS IN CAPERNAUM PREACHING AND TEACHING. THE NEWS HAD SPREAD THAT JESUS WAS IN THE HOUSE. ALLOW ME TO MOCK TIME MOMENTARILY AND TELL YOU THAT WE NEED TO BE SPREADING THE NEWS TELLING THIS WORLD THAT JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE. WHEN FOLK COME TO CHURCH, THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT JESUS IS IN THIS HOUSE. DON’T COME TO SEE A SHOW, BUT COME TO SEE THE SAVIOUR.
A GROUP OF FAITHFUL MEN BROUGHT THEIR SICK FRIEND TO JESUS. IT’S GOOD TO HAVE FRIENDS WHO KNOW WHERE TO FIND JESUS. IT’S GOOD TO HAVE FAITHFUL FRIENDS WHO WHEN YOU ARE DOWN WILL TAKE YOU TO THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.
THE CROWD WAS SO THICK THAT THEY COULD NOT GET INTO THE FRONT DOOR. AS I EXAMINED THIS TEXT I DISCOVERED THAT EVERYONE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE HOUSE. ALLOW ME TO MOCK TIME AND TELL YOU THAT NOT EVERYONE IN THE CHURCH IS INTERESTED IN WHAT’S GOING ON. NOT EVERYONE IS INTERESTED IN WHAT THUS SAITH THE LORD. THE CROWD IN THE TEXT WAS BLOCKING THE DOOR, WHICH HINDERED THE MEN FROM GETTING TO JESUS. THERE IS A CROWD IN SOME CHURCHES THAT HINDER OTHERS FROM GETTING TO JESUS.
THE TEXT SAYS WHEN THEY COULD NOT COME NIGH UNTO HIM FOR THE PRESS; THEY UNCOVERED THE ROOF WHERE HE WAS. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, FAITH KNOWS HOW TO GO AROUND, UNDER, OVER, AND THROUGH ALL OBSTACLES. FAITH SAYS I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR, BUT I CAN BREAK ROOFTOP FOUNDATIONS. WHEN YOUR DOORS ARE BLOCKED, JUST GO UP A LITTLE HIGHER. YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, GREAT THINGS HAPPEN WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE.
THE TEXT GOES ON TO SAY THEY LET THE PARALYZED MAN DOWN THROUGH THE ROOF. WHAT EXTREME WILL YOU GO TO JUST TO GET TO JESUS?
II. FAITH
LIFE OFTEN THROWS US A CURVE, AND THINGS DON’T ALWAYS WORKOUT THE WAY THAT WE THINK THEY SHOULD. ONE DAY WE ARE HEALTHY, THE NEXT DAY WE ARE DIAGNOSED WITH A TERRIBLE ILLNESS. ONE DAY WE HAVE A JOB, THE NEXT DAY WE ARE LAID OFF. ONE DAY OUR HOMES ARE PEACEFUL, THE NEXT DAY CHAOS BREAKS LOOSE. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN IT APPEARS THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE BOMBARDED BY AN AVALANCH OF PERPLEXING PROBLEMS AND CIRCUMSTANCES? WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU TRY TO GO THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE DOOR IS BLOCKED?
THE TEXT TEACHES THAT BY FAITH THEY TOOK THE PROBLEM TO JESUS. THEY DID NOT GO TO THE PSYCIC HOT LINE. THEY DID NOT SIT AROUND HAVING A PITY PARTY. THEY DID NOT WAIT FOR SOME AGENCY TO COME TO THEM. THEY TOOK THE INITIATIVE AND WENT TO JESUS, THE SOURCE OF ALL BLESSINGS, POWER, AND HEALING. MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, WE NEED TO STOP LOOKING FOR HELP FROM OTHERS ALL THE TIME AND TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND SEEK HELP FOR OURSELVES.
MATT. 17:20, TEACHES THAT FAITH THE SIZE OF A MUSTARD SEED CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS. FAITH IS THE VEHICLE THAT ONE RIDES THAT LEADS TO SALVATION. EPH. 2:8 TEACHES, “FOR BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH.” FAITH CAN OPEN DOORS THAT NO MAN CAN SHUT, AND CLOSE DOORS THAT NO MAN CAN OPEN. FAITH SAYS EVEN THOUGH I’M SICK, I WILL TRUST IN THE LORD. JOB 13:15 TEACHES, “THOUGH HE SLAY ME, YET WILL I TRUST IN HIM.” FAITH SAYS EVEN THOUGH THESE PEOPLE GET ON MY NERVES, GOD IS ABLE TO STRENGTHEN YOU, THAT HE MIGHT BE GLORIFIED. FAITH SAYS WE MIGHT BE SMALL NOW, BUT WE CAN BUILD BECAUSE OUR GOD CAN DO EXCEEDING ABAUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK.
III. CONCLUSION
NOT ONLY DID JESUS HEAL THE MAN BUT ALSO HE FORGAVE HIS SINS. IN OTHER WORDS, HE LOOKED BEYOND HIS FAULTS AND SAW HIS NEEDS. THE MAN DID NOT NEED PHYSICAL HEALING AS BAD AS HE DID SPIRITUAL HEALING. THIS TEXT DEMONSTRATES THAT JESUS IS GOD. THE MAN MAY NOT HAVE BEEN HEALED IF JESUS HAD NOT BEEN IN THE HOUSE. AND THERE IS SOMEBODY HERE TODAY THAT NEEDS HEALING, AND JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE.
IT WAS IN THE HOUSE THAT MARY WIPED THE FEET OF JESUS WITH HER HAIR. IT WAS IN THE HOUSE THAT JESUS HEALED PETER’S MOTHER-IN-LAW OF A FEVER. IT WAS IN THE HOUSE THAT JAIRUS’ DAUGHTER WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD. IT WAS IN THE HOUSE THAT DOUBTING THOMAS BECAME A BELIEVER. IT WAS IN THE HOUSE THAT JESUS HEALED TWO BLIND MEN. IT WAS IN THE HOUSE THAT JESUS INSTITUTED THE LORD’S SUPPER. IT WAS IN THE HOUSE THAT THE MAN OF OUR TEXT WAS HEALED. IT WAS IN THE HOUSE WHERE JESUS PREACHED THE WORD OF GOD. YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTER, GREAT THINGS HAPPEN WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE.
IT WAS IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD WHERE I GAVE THE LORD MY HEART AND THE PREACHER MY HAND. WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE WE CAN LOVE BETTER. WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE WE CAN FORGIVE BETTER. WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE WE CAN BE ON ONE ACCORD. WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE SOULS CAN BE SAVED. WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE GREAT THINGS WILL HAPPEN.
