Simon's Leaky Roof Series

From an Ordinary Man to an Extraordinary Servant

Jesus Changes People

That¡¦s just what he does. In the next seven weeks we¡¦ll journey through the gospels in a search to see how Jesus changed an ordinary fisherman named Simon. Simon began as a loud, rough, ordinary man. Jesus transformed him into a sensitive, compassionate, powerful and truly extraordinary servant named Peter.

This evolution wasn¡¦t smooth, easy, or predictable. It was alternated between frenetic growth spurts and the new understanding that came at the speed of an artic glacier.

Mostly this change from ordinary to extraordinary wasn¡¦t noticeable from day to day ¡V but over the three years of Jesus¡¦ friendship, mentoring, and instruction the change was dramatic. An ordinary man ¡V a successful fisherman ¡V became a servant leader of great significance.

The change Jesus brought to this man he would like to bring to your life. It won¡¦t be the same ¡V because you aren¡¦t the same. But the process of your transformation from the ordinary to the extraordinary will be identical to Simon Peter¡¦s. Jesus wants you to become that extraordinary man or woman. The more you understand Jesus teaching about life the more you will change into that very special person.

From an Ordinary Man to an Extraordinary Servant

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.

- Henry David Thoreau

Desperate men must become wise men and not do desperate things. But here¡¦s my question: How do you become wise and not do desperate things when inside us is a frantic desire for power and control in our lives, we are ravenous for amusement and hungering for some sort of lasting significance?

Where do you turn? ¡V What can you do? ¡V to change your world from that of quiet desperation to a place where there is inner peace and the tranquil life of satisfied purpose?

We begin with one of the first times Jesus taught in the city of Capernaum ¡V Simon¡¦s home town ¡V in what was likely Simon¡¦s house.

Lets¡¦ read Mark 2:1-12 in the New Century Version of the New Testament.

1 A few days later, when Jesus came back to Capernaum, the news spread that he was at home. 2 Many people gathered together so that there was no room in the house, not even outside the door. And Jesus was teaching them God¡¦s message.

3 Four people came, carrying a paralyzed man. 4 Since they could not get to Jesus because of the crowd, they dug a hole in the roof right above where he was speaking. When they got through, they lowered the mat with the paralyzed man on it. 5 When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralyzed man, ¡§Young man, your sins are forgiven.¡¨

6 Some of the teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 ¡§Why does this man say things like that? He is speaking as if he were God. Only God can forgive sins.¡¨

8 Jesus knew immediately what these teachers of the law were thinking. So he said to them, ¡§Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to tell this paralyzed man, ¡¥Your sins are forgiven,¡¦ or to tell him, ¡¥Stand up. Take your mat and walk¡¦? 10 But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.¡¨ So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 11 ¡§I tell you, stand up, take your mat, and go home.¡¨ 12 Immediately the paralyzed man stood up, took his mat, and walked out while everyone was watching him. The people were amazed and praised God. They said, ¡§We have never seen anything like this!¡¨

Look at all the different people in this picture¡K

The Extraordinary:Jesus

Jesus was the perfect man. He was whole complete and no one had ever heard a man teach like he did. The people came from all over to hear him teach.

I imagine what it must have been like to listen to him explain the unexplainable with a simple eloquence. I think that this may well be the best part of heaven ¡V having Jesus reveal the great truths of life, love, joy, sickness, sorrow, and pain.

It¡¦s no different today. People are still seeking answers. But today¡¦s great teachers are Dr. Phil, Oprah, Howard Stern, and Sean Hannity.

If Jesus were to appear today in a home of an ordinary man ¡V a successful man mind you ¡V people would come from all over to hear what he had to say about life and living ¡V why because his teaching is different than the teaching of ordinary men.