“WHEN THE HEALER’S IN THE HOUSE”
Mark 2: 1-12
INTRO: 1.In Mark’s narrative, you can almost hear the excitement that must of been in this house in Capernaum.
a. A feeling of celebration as word quickly spread that Jesus was there.
b. A feeling of expectancy as the crowds crowded into that house.
c.A feeling of significance as they come to realize that they would be witnesses to something extraordinary.
d.A feeling of privilege that they made it inside when so many were unable to squeeze in.
2. In Luke’s account, He tells us that something else was there as well.
Luke 5:17 ...and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
3.The sad truth about this story is that although the atmosphere was right and the power – there was some who received nothing - some who left empty handed. (Power was present to heal them as well)
4.I’m so thankful that four men and a man stricken with palsy understood the significance of the presence of Jesus Christ.
a.Understood that it wasn’t just for an exciting service or for simply a demonstration of his power.
b.Jesus has come as our healer to transform our condition, to send us away changed.
5. We need to be able to Recognize His presence.
a. We are not as good at recognizing his presence as we think we are.
b. Sometimes our eyes are “holden that they should not know Him” Lk. 24:16
(Men on the road to Emmaus)
c.We must grow in discerning His presence even in the darkest of our circumstances.
6. We need to be able to Respond to His Presence.
“When Jesus saw their Faith...” vs. 5
a.When we really believe He’s in our midst, and we really believe he can do what he said he can do—can’t help but see it in our faces, in our worship, in our attitudes.
b. Second step we have to make in receiving from God.
7. But more importantly, we need to be able to Submit to His presence.
a.Surrender our lives, lay ourselves in the hands of God - open our lives to the transforming power of His presence.
8.There are some things that will happen in our lives when we uncover the full meaning that “Our Healer is in the House”.
I.WHEN WE REALLY REALIZE THAT HE’S IN THE HOUSE OUR OBSTACLES ARE NO LONGER OBSTACLES.
a.What would otherwise hinder us from receiving from God, now we won’t allow to be a hinderance any more.
b. The four men wouldn’t settle for obstacles any more - the Healer was in the house.
A. NO TIME FOR EXCUSES.
1. No time to blame your handicaps - grab a brother and ask "Can you take me to Jesus?"
2. No time to blame others for preventing you from receiving. (crowds or Pharisees)
3. No time to blame God for not giving you what you needed before.
4. It’s time to cast aside the ceiling tiles of excuses and lower ourselves into his arms.
B. NO TIME FOR CONSIDERING THE EXPENSE.
1.This was somebody’s roof and this act would no doubt cost them something, but these men was willing to reach Jesus at any cost.
2. It’s that realization that turns our obstacles into stepping stones.
3.ILL. When Peter stepped out onto the raging sea at the invitation of Jesus, he didn’t take the time to consider what it might cost him - he was more than willing to pay price.
4. To some it may cost a little embarrassment. (Admit that I need help)
5. To some it may cost letting go of a problem you’ve grown attached to.
C. NO TIME FOR DELAY.
1. Time can be an obstacle, sometimes we say “I’ll wait until tomorrow”.
2. These men knew that today was the day this man needed help from God.
3.Don’t let the enemy steal what God has for you today with such thinking as “It can wait until tomorrow.”, or “It can wait until the next revival or campmeeting”.
D. IT WAS TIME TO RECEIVE.
1. It’s time to submit to His presence and see the uselessness of the obstacles in our way.
II.HE COMES TO HEAL OUR GREATEST NEED.
a.The paralytic thought his greatest need was physical healing, but Jesus saw a greater need - a spiritual need for Salvation.
b. Jesus is the soul healer, he knows when our life has been contaminated by sin, or wounded by defeat, or overwhelmed with discouragement.
A. HE UNCOVERS OUR SIN.
1. What others couldn’t see about this man, Jesus could - He saw his sin.
2.When we submit ourselves to the glory of God, the brightness of his holiness will unveil the sin in our own souls.
3. We can convince ourselves that everything’s alright, but he sees what others can’t.
4. Just open your lives to Jesus, he’s come to heal our souls.
B. HE RESTORES THE JOY OF OUR SALVATION.
1. In Matthew’s account, Jesus declares,
Matt. 9:2 ...Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
2. There’s Joy and cheer in having our sins washed away.
3.But there’s times when we just need him to restore that Joy of Salvation, to give us Joy.
4. Times when our soul needs that Joy to heal the discouragement and burdens borne.
C. HE RESTORES THE ASSURANCE OF OUR SALVATION.
1. Jesus spoke definitely to this man “thy sins be forgiven thee”.
2.The enemy at times wounds our confidence by challenging our claim of salvation and we need the healing of God assuring us that we are indeed saved.
3.ILL. I’m surprised at the large numbers of believers who still struggle for assurance of their salvation - go to Jesus he’ll give you the assurance.
III. HE COMES TO HEAL OUR THINKING.
a.Many of those who wouldn’t receive anything that day were the scribes and Pharisees, because their thinking was wrong concerning God.
b. Had they been open to His presence He could have healed their thinking.
A. HE ALSO UNCOVERS OUR THOUGHTS.
1.Just like he uncovered the paralytic’s sin, he now turns and uncovers the thoughts of the critics sitting in this room.
2.He saw the charges they made in their minds concerning him, he heard their self-righteous thoughts.
3.He didn’t just leave them, to think what they would - he turned to give them the answer that if received could bring healing to their way of thinking.
B. HE WANTS TO HEAL US FROM THOUGHTS THAT LIMIT GOD.
1. The danger of their thoughts was that their theology limited Jesus.
2.If we are not careful we can allow the enemy to lie to us about God.
3. He uses the word to bring healing to our misunderstandings about God.
IV. HE COMES TO HEAL OUR BODIES.
a.Jesus wanted the witnesses that day to realize that Jesus had come for the whole man and released this man from the physical disease that held him bound.
b. Healing is as much a part of His gospel as is Salvation.
c.When He was nailed to the cross the blood from his wounded back touched that rugged cross - it’s part of the new covenant.
A. AS EASILY AS HE SAVES US HE CAN HEAL US.
1.He tried and convince the scribes of the opposite, but today we are often more prone to believe the reverse of what the scribes believed.
2. Will we believe with the same confidence that he has come to heal our bodies?
B. HE LEFT NO ROOM FOR THE CRITIC.
1.He didn’t just declare him healed, he demonstrated his healing to every critic by asking him to take up his own bed and go home.
2. There could be no doubt that Jesus was the healer in the hearts of those people.
C. HE HEALED THOROUGHLY.
1. There’s no need in our lives that Jesus can’t fill and fill it completely.
CONCULSION: I beleive that same healer is here today. Are you in need of Him?
