"A Meeting where God Showed Up"

Transcription

1 ï» Back to title page "A Meeting where God Showed Up" (Mark 2:1-12) The Gospel according to Mark emphasizes the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our text in chapter two is a great example of this truth. Jesus Christ demonstrated His power and deity in healing a man in a helpless condition. The Lord loves to work in situations that seem impossible with man so that all the credit and the glory is ascribed to Him! The text before us also displays what can happen when God shows up in a meeting. What a blessing it is to be in a meeting when God shows up! The Scriptures tell us that Christ entered into Capernaum "again" (v. 1). Though the Lord had been present in this place before, this visit was certainly one that the helpless man would never forget. There is certainly no harm in God's people remembering the times that God has met with us in the past. These memories are both encouraging and exciting. However, all of us need to realize the necessity for God to visit us again. Every believer is in need of the power and presence of God in his or her life. Without His power, human effort and ability is certainly in vain. God's people should long for another opportunity to be in a meeting where God shows up! *The text in Mark chapter two could be outlined in this simple fashion: 1. The Condition of the Helpless 2. The Characteristics of the Helpers

2 3. The Capability of the Healer *Our message will seek to examine the details surrounding this meeting where God showed up. I. The Promotion of the Service A. The Effort "and it was noised" (Mark 2:1) *Bible-believing Christians need to make a sincere effort to promote the Name of Jesus Christ. While many so-called "Christians" are busy trying to promote their own name and agenda, God's people need to be busy lifting Him up! "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." (John 12:32) B. The Exalted One "that he was in the house" (Mark 2:1) "It never takes long for people to know when Christ is in any home. The evidence will be pronounced. However, we have many professing Christians today who give little evidence of Christ being in their home. When Christ is truly in a life and in the home, it will be very obvious. You will not have to guess at all. It will be quickly 'noised' about." (J. Butler) C. The Effect "many were gathered together"

3 (Mark 2:2) *The crowd that packed the house in our text had become so large that no one else could enter through the door. The size of the crowd paved the way for the necessity of creating another entrance to the house. One must be careful in judging the success of a meeting upon the size of a multitude. Large crowds are not always indicative of a spiritual meeting. Many folks desire entertainment (the miracles) rather than edification (the message). A true man of God will never back down from preaching the truth due to the influence of a carnal crowd! II. The Presence of the Saviour A. His Importance "he was in the house" (Mark 2:1) *The only name that is recorded in our text is the name of Jesus. His Name is the only one mentioned because His Name is the only one that matters. All else is vain if Jesus is not in the house! B. His Insight "Jesus perceived in his spirit" (Mark 2:8) *The Lord Jesus Christ has no trouble identifying the hypocrites in this crowd. One would be rather foolish not to believe that there are religious hypocrites in a meeting where God shows up. They do not come to find favor with Jesus Christ, but rather to find fault in Him. They will fail every time in this endeavor! "One gets the feeling these scorners would rather see people suffer than have Christ heal them. Though they had high positions in religion, they were very low in character. This is

4 not an uncommon situation. It is still seen today; for many religious leaders, even in fundamental circles, sorely lack in Christian character." (J. Butler) *The Lord Jesus Christ is never fooled by a hypocrite. He knows the thoughts and intents of their heart. They will be held accountable for all the people they have wounded and hurt. Their lack of compassion and genuine concern is recorded and will one day be revealed by the Lord Jesus Christ! C. His Interest (Mark 2:10-11) *It is interesting to note that Jesus Christ turned His attention directly toward the man in need. The Saviour refused to be sidetracked by the scorners. Christ is more interested in assisting the hurting than He is in arguing with the hypocrites. Amen! III. The Preaching of the Scriptures A. Bible Preaching "and he preached the word" (Mark 2:2) *The message of Jesus Christ was "the word." The message of the Word of God is the greatest and most needed message of all. The concern of Jesus Christ was to preach the word to the people around Him. What a blessing it must have been to hear the Word preach the word! "But the people, in contrast, were more interested in miracles than the message. The message of the Word appeals to faith, but the miracles appeal to the flesh."

5 (J. Butler) *Our churches are in desperate need for the preaching of the Word of God. Bible preaching has been replaced by praise bands, social skits, and drama teams. While these activities appease the flesh, the spirit of man is left void of spiritual growth. God's preachers need to preach the Word and God's people need to hear and take heed to it! B. Bold Preaching "unto them" (Mark 2:2) *The right kind of preaching is always personal in its application. Generic preaching that aims at nothing will never produce spiritual results. Jesus Christ preached to the specific needs and issues of people. May God help His preachers to strive to do the same! C. Benevolent Preaching (Mark 2:10-11) *The words of Jesus Christ were clearly spoken with love and compassion. Preaching that does not proceed from a heart of love does not profit the souls of men. Even intellectual preaching that is lacking in love is not as beneficial as it could be. Let us remember that sinners do not care how much we know until they know how much we care! *It is absolutely possible to preach compassionately without abandoning conviction. Jesus Christ proved that it can be done! "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." (Ephesians 4:15)

6 IV. The Passion for Souls *The paralyzed man was carried to the Lord Jesus by four men who evidently had some compassion in their hearts. These four caring souls provide us with some important lessons about true Christian service. Our Churches are in desperate need of some believers with a burden! A. Their Compassion "bringing one sick" (Mark 2:3) 1. The Nature of the Compassion *True compassion is selfless! These four men did not act out of a desire for recognition. Their names are not even recorded in the Scripture. They reached out with this act of kindness simply for the well-being of the afflicted. *True compassion is sacrificial! There can be no doubt that much time and effort was necessary to get the paralytic to Christ. These four men gave their time and energy sacrificially to help a suffering person. Compassionate service requires considerate sacrifice. 2. The Necessity of Compassion Compassion is essential if much is to be done for Christ. Without compassion, the suffering man would not have been brought to the Lord for healing. Cold hearts will never do much for Christ or for others. In order to warm our hearts with compassion, let us remember the great compassion of God that provided for our salvation! B. Their Cooperation

7 "which was borne of four" (Mark 2:3) *Cooperation was another essential element to the service of these men. If the four men had not worked together, the paralytic may have not gotten to Jesus. God's people need to work together in the Lord's work. Too many dissidents refuse to work with anyone or any other church. They are stubborn, selfcentered people who do not help to bring others to Christ. As a matter of fact, people who refuse to cooperate with other believers are a great hindrance to the cause of Christ. "For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." (I Corinthians 3:9) C. Their Confidence "When Jesus saw their faith" (Mark 2:5) *Another element involved in the service of these men that cannot be overlooked is their faith. Basically, these men believed in Jesus Christ. To them, Christ was not just some weakling of a man. They believed that He had power to perform the impossible. It was this kind of faith that motivated their service; and it is this kind of faith that God's people are in need of! D. Their Capability *These four carriers did only what they were able to do. They realized that they had no power to heal, but they could carry the afflicted to the One who could heal. They were capable of carrying a stretcher. They performed that which God had given them the ability to do. It may have seemed to be an insignificant task on the stage of modern religion. However, many tasks that

8 are viewed as little in the eyes of society are vitally important in the eyes of the only One who really matters, the Lord! E. Their Consistency "they uncovered the roof" (Mark 2:4) The consistency of the carriers is reflected in the fact that they were not willing to give up when faced with major obstacles. The crowd would not allow these men an entrance through the door. However, determined people do not give up when faced with difficulties. In a clever act of commitment to their cause, they transported the paralytic to the roof, removed a section of it, and let the man down to Jesus. May God give His people this kind of commitment and consistency to the cause of Christ! V. The Power to Save *The labor and love of these four souls was rewarded in the end of our text. The helpless man was brought to Jesus, and the Saviour did the rest. The man was both healed and forgiven of his sins. Let us be careful not to exalt the physical healing to the point of neglecting the greatest miracle of all, forgiveness of sin! A. The Person "the Son of man" (Mark 2:10) B. The Power "hath power" (Mark 2:10) C. The Pardon "on earth to forgive sins"

9 (Mark 2:10) "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." (Mark 2:5) "Here we have the two most wonderful words of the gospel: son and forgiven! The first word put the man in the family of God; the second word put him in the fellowship of God (I John 1:7-10). Forgiven! What a blessed word for a sinburdened soul! The debt discharged! The guilt gone! The conscience cleared! The past pardoned! The record removed! Forgiven!" (J. Phillips) *There is a profound truth to be found in the Lord's words: "that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins" (Mark 2:10). If a man's sins are to be forgiven, it must happen while he is still on earth. It will be too late once a person is dead. There will be no offer of pardon on the other side of the grave. "So much for Rome's purgatory, endless masses for dead men's souls, and the vain hope of eventual beautification and canonization. The Bible knows no such teaching. A path runs from earth to heaven, and a path runs from earth to hell, but no path runs from hell to heaven. Purgatory is a myth. We get our sins forgiven on earth or not at all. And the One who has power on earth to forgive sins is the Son of Man alone!" (J. Phillips) D. The Praise "And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion."

10 (Mark 2:12) *The saints of God need to be in a meeting where God shows up. Only a genuine move of God will revive our cold, callused hearts. A witness of the power of God will do more than worldly entertainment in the church could ever imagine accomplishing. The prayer of God's people should be that the Lord will visit us "again!" *The RESULTS of a Meeting where God shows up: 1. The Saints will be Consumed with Passion! 2. The Suffering will be Changed with Power! 3. The Saviour will be Crowned with Praise! "Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalm 85:6) Evangelist Jeremiah Dixon