TRADING SPACES
WITH THOSE WHO ARE HURTING
Mark 2:1-12
INTRODUCTION:
A. One of the deepest desires, deepest needs of every human heart is the desire for community
ILL> Consider for a moment the top rated television shows for the last 3 decades.
1970’s - Brady Bunch
Here’s the story of a lovely lady
1980’s - Cheers
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name They’re always glad you came.
1990’s - Friends
I’ll be there for you.
1. Why were these shows so popular?
a. What do they have in common?
b. I believe that they reason they were so successful is because they showed people connecting with people
2. Everybody wants to belong
a. Everyone wants to love and be loved
b. Everybody wants to be accepted–to fit in
QUOTE> Aristotle
"Without friendships, no one would choose to live, even if he had every other good thing in life."
B. The idea of community was an important part of the early church–one of the reasons I believe that the Church grew so rapidly
1. The Bible sometimes refers to this as fellowship–caring for the needs of one another
a. Acts 2:42 & 44
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. All the believers were together and had everything in common.
b. They shared with one another
Cared for each other
Provided for one another
c. Because of this the most popular term in the Bible when Christians referred to one another was "brother"
d. We are family.
2. This idea of community is portrayed in the story I want to look at this morning
a. READ: Mark 2:1-12
I> ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEEDS OF OTHERS
A. Community requires that you acknowledge the needs of others
1. We need to have our eyes opened
a. We need to pray that God would gives us eyes to see
2. You will never meet a need that you refuse to see
B. It would have been easy to miss this man
ILL> It’s kind of like that spot on the carpet. At first, it just makes you sick. After a few weeks, you quit thinking of ways to remove it. After a few months, you wish it weren’t there. After a few years, you don’t even see it any more.
1. I think that this guy had been out in the streets begging so often that he was hardly even noticed by those walking by
2. The ancient world was very harsh to those who had physical problems
a. In those days there were no respite homes and government programs to help the disabled and the poor
The Greeks regularly disposed of newborn infants with physical anomalies
In Rome, during the 5th century BC, there was actually a statue on the boos: Quickly kill a deformed child.
b. It would have been easy to just walk by and never notice the man who was begging for a few coins
3. The odds of him developing some close friendships were against him
a. Even in our day, people who wrestle with physical challenges often say that the most difficult obstacles they face are the attitudes of the so-called "normal people"
b. If we find out that someone is going through a difficult time in their life–a breakup of a relationship or whatever–there is part of us that wants to reach out, but oftentimes there is another part that doesn’t want to be uncomfortable so we stay away
c. I hate to admit it, but I still struggle at times with those feelings
ILL> First church that I served there was a fellow who had battled cancer for years. He had been through several surgeries and treatments. When we moved in he said, "I’m only suppose to lift 5 pounds, but I’m here to do what I can."
I didn’t minister to him or his family very well. I made a couple of visits, but it was easier to stay away.
d. You see, it’s easier to ignore someone that is hurting that it is to minister to those who are hurting
e. It’s uncomfortable at times to reach out to someone that is down and out
4. It requires that you look beyond your own needs, see beyond you own wants and desires and take notice of the needs of those around you
a. Philip. 2:4
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
ILL> The All Better Book
They asked elementary school children what they would do to solve some of the world’s problems, things like pollution, the ozone layer, etc.
One of the questions they asked was this: "With billions of people in the world, someone should be able to figure out a system where no one is lonely. What do you suggest?
Kiloni (age 8) - "People should find lonely people and aks their name and address. Then ask people who aren’t lonely their name and address. When you have an even amount of each, assign lonely people and not lonely people together in the newspaper.
Max (age 9) - "Make food that talks to you when you eat. For instance, it would say, ‘How are you doing?’ and ‘What happened to you today/’"
Matt (age 8) - We could get people a pet, or a husband or a wife and take them places.
Brian (age 8) - Sing a song, stomp your feet, read a book. Sometimes I think no one loves me so I do that.
C. I would hope that we never have anyone that is a part of our church family that feels like that–that no one cares
1. We need to be on guard that does not happen
2. I really believe that one of the main reasons that we fail to acknowledge those who are hurting around us is because we are so busy
3. True community, true intimacy requires chunks of unhurried time
a. You see, you cannot microwave a friendship, or a marriage, or parenting, or any other kind of relationship
b. You can’t listen in a hurry
c. Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
d. That takes time
e. You can’t carry somebodies mat in a hurry
f. Are you willing to open your eyes and see the need–acknowledge the that the need exists
II> ACCEPT OTHERS
A. Community requires that we accept people where they are
1. Not that we accept a sinful or ungodly lifestyle–but we have to accept them for who they are, what they’ve been through, and where they’ve been
2. This man’s life was confined to a 3 foot by 6 foot mat
3. He ate there, he slept there, he would wake up in the morning to spend the entire day there
a. I wonder how he felt about these friends of his who could come and go as they pleased
b. They were able to work and make a living while he was confined to this mat
4. Not only that, but the man was vulnerable
a. When those friends picked him up that day, we’re not even sure if the man had any say in the matter
b. He was even more vulnerable--They could have dropped him
c. But you see, when someone is carrying your mat, it does place you in a position of vulnerability
d. But vulnerability, trust, caring, and faithfulness are all part of becoming a community for Christ
B. Romans 15:7
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
1. Everybody comes with a mat
a. Another way to put that is–everybody has a certain amount of baggage that they bring into a relationship
b. If you don’t know what your baggage is, ask a few of your close friends and they will tell you what it is
2. Sometimes we like to act like it’s not there–we do a pretty good job of hiding it
a. But it is only when we allow others to see our mat, when we give and receive help with each other, that a true closeness can be developed
3. Maybe your mat is a temper you can’t seem to control
a. Fear - you are anxious about life and have trouble simply trusting God
b. Inability to trust
c. Need to be in control
d. Guilt
e. Sense of failure, or inadequacy, or loneliness
4. Who do you show your mat to?
a. Who do you allow to see your struggles and your weaknesses
b. If you want a deep friendship–a deep relationship–you can’t always be the strong one
c. Sometimes you need to let somebody else carry your mat
III> ACT
A. Community requires that you act
1. It goes beyond the obstacles
a. It goes beyond what is comfortable
b. Faith is never discouraged by the difficult or the seemingly impossible.
B. One day Jesus comes to town–these four men are so excited that they want to go and learn at the feet of this famous rabbi
1. But, what about there friend?
a. "Maybe Jesus could be a great encouragement to our friend. Maybe it’s true–maybe he could actually heal him and allow him to walk. We’ve got to get him to Jesus!"
b. The only problem is, it’s not an easy task–but the four guys pick up the corners of the mat and begin carrying their friend to Jesus
Friends just do things like that
ILL> There’s a difference between being friends and being friendly. I had a guy call me up from a credit card company the other day. You want to talk about friendly, this guy certainly was. But I don’t think that he really wanted to hear about my problems.
c. These guys are true friends. They get to the house where Jesus is, but there is a problem.
There are so many people there–it’s crowded in the house and it’s crowded around the house–there is no way that they can get their friend to Jesus
d. So, they say, "Well, at least we tried."
e. No, they put on their thinking caps and start brainstorming ideas
f. One guy says, "Let’s go up to the roof, dig a hole, and let him down through it."
"That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard."
"No, seriously. We can fix the roof later."
g. It was common in those days to have an outside set of stairs leading to a flat roof which was often used as a patio
h. So these four guys go up and start remodeling the roof of the house
2. Let’s just try to imagine the scene–I don’t think we usually give it much thought
a. Noisy - people wondering what in the world is going on
b. Dusty - I don’t think there is any way the could have dug through the roof of the house without dust going everywhere
c. Then comes this man on a mat right down in the middle of the crowd–"What in the world are they doing?"
3. It says, "When Jesus saw their faith"
a. Do you usually see the hole, or the faith?
4. Even though we may think we’re rugged and tough, we all need somebody in our lives to help make the rough road seem a little easier
ILL> Every Lone Ranger needs a Tonto
Every Batman needs a Robin
Every Don Quixote needs a Sancho Panza
ILL> To borrow the words from an old Dean Martin tune, "Everybody needs somebody sometime."
a. And every human being needs a friend or two
5. That is one of the reasons that I believe it is so important to be part of a church
a. When you become part of a church, you place yourself under the God-ordained leadership of the congregation
b. When you become a member of a church you are no longer a visitor, but you really belong
c. As a Church we are interconnected by the love of God
The bottom line is, I need you and you need me
I am part of your life, and you are part of mine
d. We are the body of Christ in the world
e. And there are people around us who are still in pain, who are struggling, and who are paralyzed by things that have happened to them
f. They need us to care enough about them to bring them to Jesus
IV> CONCLUSION:
ILL> Max Lucado tells this story of a little boy named Phillip who went to a Sunday School class for the first time. He was 6 years old. And Phillip was born without a left arm. So, when he went into the Sunday school the teacher went out of her way to make her feel welcome and all of the kids were great as they welcomed him in. The teacher went through her lesson and every week it was her habit that at the end of her lesson she would have her kids do what my mother taught me when I was little. "Here’s the church, here’s the steeple, open the doors and here’s all the people."
So the teacher go through her lesson and at the end said, "All right, everybody fold up your hands and make the church." It was then that she remembered Phillip being in the room." She was hurriedly trying to think what she could do when a little girl in class reached over with her left hand and said, "Here Phillip, let’s make the church together."
A. This morning some of you are looking for a place to belong
1. That’s the church that God dreams of.
