When Jesus Is in the
House!
Mark 2:1-12
In this 16th annual State of
the Church message, I want to speak to you about our future and about what
I perceive to be our greatest need in the present. I need to begin by
asking two questions:
·
“What is God doing in our church right now?”
·
“What do we anticipate God doing at First Baptist Church in the future?"
Let me say a brief word
about the future because actually, I want to spend most of my time talking
about the present. As we consider our dreams about the future, I want to
invite you to a very special service. It will be Sunday, April 29th
at 6:00 PM. It will be called DREAM NIGHT and we will dream
together about the future of First Baptist. I can tell you that I have a
clearly defined vision of what I believe God desires for our fellowship
but I want you to be a dreamer as well. Although I cannot predict the
future, I can tell you that our future is as bright as our ability to see
by faith and our obedience to claim the promises of God.
I began by asking two
questions and actually, I want to focus my attention on the first
question: “What is God doing in our church right now?” As I have spent
hours praying and preparing for this message, I am convinced that the
greatest need we have at this moment is a spiritual one. Our greatest
need is to experience an old-fashioned God ordained, Holy Spirit breathed
spiritual revival.
Understand I am NOT talking about a
series of preaching services. I am not talking about an awesome
evangelistic campaign. I am not talking about increased activity and more
programs. I am talking about something happening in individual lives that
will cause them to be different. The clearest Biblical definition to what
we call revival is found in the words of Peter when commanded his audience
on the day of Pentecost, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins
may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
(Acts 3:19)
Another New Testament term associated
with our use of the term revival is found in the words of Paul, “And
do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to
wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now
than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost
here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of
light.” (Romans 13:11-12)
I am talking about a season of
refreshing that comes to a believer because they are sick and tired of
barrenness and boredom. I am talking about an experience in which a
believer awakens from slumber and clothes themselves in the armor
of light because they are weary of being defeated by darkness in their
life.
I realize that when I talk about
personal renewal there are those who immediately offer a smile of sympathy
because they don’t think such a thing is possible. Others give a quizzical
look because they are not sure what I am talking about. Still others have
a blank stare because they couldn’t care less. They are content as they
are and have no plans to change. But there are those who are sick and
tired of business as usual. Like with Israel of old, God looks for a
remnant among His people through whom He can reveal Himself and make His
ways known.
I want to call your attention to a
familiar story recorded by all three synoptic gospels. However, I have
chosen the rendering of Mark, the shortest account, and one that moves
from drama to drama. The ministry of Jesus in the Galilee area had been
nothing short of spectacular. While in Capernaum Jesus taught in the
synagogue, delivered a demonic man from the powers of darkness then return
to a home where he healed Peter’s mother in law.
Large crowds gathered, in
fact Luke reports, “One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of
the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and
Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present…”
(Luke 5:17).
Following this miracle
Matthew’s gospel adds this commentary; “they were filled with awe, and
they praised God” (9:7). Luke states, “Everyone was amazed and gave praise
to God. They were all filled with awe and said, ‘We have seen remarkable
things today.”(5:26) However, I prefer the conclusion of Mark; “Everyone
was amazed, praised God and said, ‘We have never seen anything like
this!’”
We desperately need a
fresh breath of God to blow in our midst! We need a new touch of Gods
presence and power. Or, in the context of our text, our greatest need is
for Jesus to be in the house!
When Jesus is in
the house, people will be attracted to Him!
The gospel of Mark
records, “A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people
heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left,
not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.”
People will always flock to where Jesus
appears. It was true in the New Testament and it is true today. Our
greatest challenge at this moment is to get Jesus in the house because
when He is present crowds of people will be attracted to Him. According to
the Gospel narrative there
were so many people in
that place that it was literally impossible to fit one more person
inside.
I have said it before and
I will say it again, the lost in our city are not impressed with our
buildings or programs or preaching. Therefore, we will never persuade them
to choose Jesus as a way of life but when Jesus is in the house, they will
be convinced. At the risk of sounding like I am simply quoting myself,
there is nothing wrong with God’s great gift of Jesus but we must
constantly examine our packaging of this gift.
Most scholars agree that
the house in issue here is the home of Simon Peter. Archeologists have
uncovered the ruins of that house and their excavations
reveal the original walls and three outer walls. That means that even the
early Christians were moving
walls, expanding and involved in a building program. The house filled with
people because the word spread that Jesus was present.
Our greatest need is to welcome Jesus
in this house and that must occur one life at a time! How does this
happen? We welcome Him in this place as we as allow Him to occupy the seat
of Lordship in our lives. That is what personal revival is all about.
As we compare our day to
that of the New Testament, the times are different and the culture is
different but human nature is the same. People are searching and they want
to be a part of something that is exciting, successful, where lives are
being changed; where Jesus is in the house! What happen in the story in
Mark 2? Word spread about what Jesus was doing and the crowds filled that
place.
There are a lot of
consequences associated with our post-modern world but on the positive
side, people are seeking because the pursuit of pleasure has created a
vacuum of emptiness. Unfortunately they are turning to all kinds of weird
spiritual brews because we have bored them to death with our practice of
religion. Many came to us seeking a life-changing experience and we
offered them the husks of a dry religion instead of a drink of living
water. Weary and worn, they went looking elsewhere.
It begins first with us,
the FIRST FAMILY walking by faith and obedience to His Word. As the
People of God, we must anticipate and expect God to be present and do
something special among His people. God stands poised waiting for His
people to claim His promises and meet the conditions of those promises.
The truth of 2 Chronicles 7:14 is like a check laying on this altar
waiting for the endorsement of our faith. Listen again to this promise:
“If my
people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and
seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from
heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
We cannot expect anyone
in Florence, Alabama to be excited about what is doing if we are not
excited and willing to take God at His word. Then, and only then, will we
spread the good news: Jesus is in the house! Enthusiasm breeds
enthusiasm!
Unless Jesus is in the
house, we are guilty of false advertisement because we cannot dispense
grace, offer hope, provide peace to people without His presence.
The crowds filled that house because
they saw the excitement and expectation of the disciples of Jesus as
evidenced in their:
·
Anticipation. Jesus was coming and no one wanted to miss seeing Him
or being a part of what He was doing!
·
Preparation. Someone had to get the word out and make the
preparations for when the crowd to arrive. We do this spiritually through
the discipline of prayer. Every member, organization, class and ministry
in the church should be strongly committed to prayer! Prayer always
precedes a mighty visitation of God’s Spirit because God always responds
to the prayers of His people.
I want to offer you a
simple challenge. Since we are creatures of habit we tend to sit in the
same pew each week. Will you accept the challenge to pray for those who
sit in the pew around you for the next thirty days? Pray for them often
but especially on Sunday. As you drive to church pray for the people who
sit around you and ask God to speak to their heart; convict them of sin,
heal their hurts and direct their paths. Will you accept that challenge?
If we really want to be a
church that makes a difference in our day and make an impact on this city,
then we must be committed to having the presence of Jesus in the house
when we gather to worship.
When Jesus is in the house those who
are cold will be warmed; those who are dirty will be cleansed; those who
are sick will be healed; the discouraged will be lifted and those who are
dead in trespasses and sins will be raised from the dead.
Church, it is our responsibility to
welcome Jesus in this house!
When Jesus is in the
house our mission is clear.
Make no mistake about it, when Jesus is
in the house, our mission is to connect hurting people with a healing
God!
Look again at the text in verses 3-5:
“Some
men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they
could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in
the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the
paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the
paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven’.”
We see four nameless men
bringing an unidentified person to Jesus. We know nothing about these men
except they had a strong and unwavering desire to bring a sick fellow into
the presence of Jesus.
These men were committed
and creative. If they had been like most Christians today, they would have
seen the crowd and turned away. I can just hear one of them say:
·
“Nobody has ever done this before. We must look stupid!”
·
“Tear open the roof. Are you crazy! How much will it cost?”
·
“Let’s come back on Sunday night or Wednesday evening because there will
be hardly anyone here then!”
No! They would not be
deterred because their task was hard. In fact they risked criticism
because they were committed and creative.
I talk to you a lot about
being creative and doing different things. I know that every establishment
and institution that is a part of your life has changed before your very
eyes. Nothing is the same as it was when we were much younger. Party lines
have given way to cell phones. Mom and pop grocery stores have given way
to huge super stores. No one at the bank knows your name any more and when
you call most establishments you have to go through 5 or 6 selections to
get the recording you really want to hear. The other day I stood in a
check-out line and actually saw a lady write a check! As consumers we have
gone from trading commodities to paying by cash to, “Just put it on my
account”, to writing checks, and now to electronic transfers. And that is
just one arena of life.
I want you to understand
that I understand that. So when I ask you to be creativity, accept new
ways of doing old things, I am not doing so just so we can be a trendy
church or keep up with the church across town. I am not trying to destroy
the faith of your father and mother! I am asking you to change because
SAME in most cases equals INSANE. Someone observed, “The definition of
insanity is doing the same old things and expecting different results.”
The average church today
is fishing with the same equipment and the same bait used to catch fish
thirty years ago. Their leaders convene in meetings and complain how few
fish there are and that the fish aren’t biting any more. There are still
plenty of fish but we must learn new ways of catching them. The next time
a big bass tournament comes to town, go check out their equipment. See how
many different rods and lures they have in their boats. It may look
excessive but remember these men are not fishing for fun. They are serious
about catching fish! I assure you when a professional fisherman does NOT
catch fish he does not keep using the same bait.
We are not here for fun
and our entertainment! We are not here for our personal amusement. We
are here to connect hurting people with a healing God. In order to
accomplish our mission, we must be committed to the task before us and we
must be creative…not just for the sake of being different but because it
is necessary to be successful in our task.
According to recent
statistics I heard this week in at the Alabama Baptist evangelism
conference, it takes 45 Southern Baptist to bring 1 person to Jesus. So I
guess you could conclude we have gone from a 1-4 ratio to a 1-45 ration
since the time of Jesus. According to H.B. London, 53% of churches are
paralyzed due to self-centeredness. He commended, “Most churches are
consumed in making people happy and forsaken making them holy.” Did you
know that 10 churches close their doors every day in America?
Friends, we need to
experience and old-fashioned Holy Spirit, sin hating, altar-filling, Devil
defying, God exalting revival that makes Jesus welcome in His house! This
house is dedicated to Him and we must welcome His presence so that he
feels comfortable here.
These men were creative
and they were committed to their task. In the face of an awesome
challenge, they were unwavering. They were not deterred by the weight of
the paralytic or the crowds outside the door or the tiles on the roof or
even the critics inside.
We don’t know much about
them so any speculation must be guarded but I am forced to believe that
their commitment came from their confidence in Jesus and personal
conviction. It is reasonable to conclude that these men had seen or
personally experienced the touch of Jesus.
One of my favorite Adrian
Rogers illustrations is related to this gospel story. Suppose these four
men talked as they walked carrying the mat. One man sighed, “I don’t know
guys. I was blind and Jesus healed me but this man is pretty messed up.
Maybe Jesus can help.” Another added, “Well, I had a bad arm and Jesus
commanded me to stretch it out. I did and my arm is healed but this man
has bigger problems than a bad arm. Hopefully Jesus can help.” The
third man chimed in, “Well, I had a pretty nasty skin disease that caused
great pain and isolation but I made my way to Jesus and He touched me when
no one else would. But, I agree, this man is in bad shape. Perhaps
Jesus can do something.” The fourth man was quiet as he listened to the
personal story of three men separated by the corners of a mat. Finally, he
broke the silence: “Well fellows, I am glad to hear that each of you
experienced the touch of Jesus in your life and I agree that this man is
in a serious condition. I have heard you say: maybe, hopefully, perhaps.
However, I am absolutely convinced; I know if we can just get this
man to Jesus he will never be the same. Let me introduce myself. My name
is Lazarus.”
The greatest asset of
First Baptist Church is NOT our buildings and property; it is not our
awesome location in the heart of historic downtown, it is not even our
staff or our distinguished heritage. Our greatest asset is the commitment
of those whose lives are changed because they have experienced the
personal touch of Jesus! The greatest miracle that Jesus can perform is
resurrection and if you are a Christian it means that you have been raised
from the dead! As Paul declared; “Or don't you know that all of us who
were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were
therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just
as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too
may live a new life.” (Romans 6:3-4)
If you are a Christian
then you have been raised from the dead! Grab a corner of a mat and help
me bring broken people to Jesus! I long for the day when God shows up and
does something big that we do not have listed in the program. I know that
some of you wouldn’t like that because you are more comfortable with a
predictable Jesus that you can manage. Actually, any casual reading of
this text indicates that Jesus was in the process of teaching and the
actions of these men interrupted the service. The fact that they lowed
this man in front of Jesus was an intrusion; an unplanned moment on the
schedule.
According to the story
(verse 7), there were critics present on that day as well. They were more
interested in rules than in restoration; in jots and tittles than in
justification and faith; in continuation of their religion than in
openness to a new way of doing things. They were guardians of the old
wineskins who refused to take a drink of water from a new well.
Friends, when we are more
concerned with the loftiness of our worship than in the lostness
of the people, we break the heart of God! When our dignity is more
important than His deity it is a travesty. When our comfort is a greater
priority than His holy character, it is a ghastly sin. When our pleasure
takes precedent over His presence and power it is an embarrassment to
grace!
Will you join me? Will
you accept my challenge to seek God in your life and experience personal
renewal in your Christian life? If you are willing, then I promise you I
will provide the leadership and resources to help you see than happen.
Will you join me on the
corner of a cot and help get hurting people to Jesus? Will you? I am
challenging us with a new baptism goal to baptize 50 people in the next 12
months. That is not an unreasonable goal but I cannot do that alone. It
will require the help of staff, deacons, Sunday School teachers and pew
packers. Will you join me? Will you accept the challenge to be a Great
Commission Christian? Will you be a First Responder to those who move in
your neighborhood?
·
We must welcome Jesus in the house! It is our duty.
·
When Jesus is in the house our mission is clear. It is our debt.
When Jesus is in
the house we can expect a positive outcome.
“When
Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins
are forgiven’."
“But
that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive
sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat
and go home.’ He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them
all.”
The first response of Jesus was to tell
this man that his sins were forgiven. “The pronouncement was startling
because it seemed inappropriate and even irrelevant to the immediate
situation” (Lane 94).
In Palestine, in the day of Jesus, it
was a natural conclusion to connect sin and suffering, disease and
disobedience and to assume that sickness was a direct result of sinfulness
such that God was displeased to allow the calamity. Therefore, Jesus first
spoke words of calm assurance, “take heart” (Matthew 2:5); then
forgiveness of sins because He knew that forgiveness was this man’s
greatest need. The first word of encouragement from the lips of Jesus was
the Greek word tharseo, meaning “banish your fear; there is nothing
to be afraid of.” William Barclay comments, “The first thing that Jesus
said to him was, ‘Child, God is not angry with you. It’s all right.’ It
was like speaking to a frightened child in the dark. The burden of the
terror of God rolled from his heart, and that very fact made the cure all
but complete.” (William Barclay, Mark, pp.40-41)
It is our duty to welcome Jesus in the house. It is our debt to connect
hurting people with the Master. It is our delight to watch what happens
because once the Master takes over, trust me, He knows what He is doing!
CONCLUSION
With the paralytic man
healed, forgiven and prancing in their presence, Mark concluded his
account: “This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have
never seen anything like this!"
I long for the day when
the members of First Baptist Church go to work, school, walking laps at
the local mall, having coffee with friends at Mickey D’s on Monday and
become engaged in a conversation much like this:
“Did you go to church on
Sunday?”
“Yes.”
“What was it like?”
“I
never saw anything like it! It was remarkable!”
There is a hymn in our
book that we sang in the country. The title of the hymn is Pentecostal
Power, words and music by Charles H. Gabriel (1912) and the lyrics
say:
Lord, as of old, at Pentecost,
Thou didst Thy power display,
With cleansing, purifying flame,
Descend on us today.
Lord, send the old-time power,
The Pentecostal power!
Thy floodgates of blessing, on us throw open wide!
Lord, send the old-time power,
The Pentecostal power!
That sinners be converted and Thy Name glorified!
For mighty works for Thee, prepare
And strengthen every heart;
Come, take possession of Thine own,
And never more depart.
Lord, send the old-time power,
The Pentecostal power!
Thy floodgates of blessing, on us throw open wide!
Lord, send the old-time power,
The Pentecostal power!
That sinners be converted and Thy Name glorified!
All self consume, all sin destroy!
With earnest zeal endue
Each waiting heart to work for Thee;
O Lord, our faith renew!
Lord, send the old-time power,
The Pentecostal power!
Thy floodgates of blessing, on us throw open wide!
Lord, send the old-time power,
The Pentecostal power!
That sinners be converted and Thy Name glorified!
Speak, Lord! before Thy throne we
wait,
Thy promise we believe,
And will not let Thee go until
The blessing we receive.
Lord, send the old-time power,
The Pentecostal power!
Thy floodgates of blessing, on us throw open wide!
Lord, send the old-time power,
The Pentecostal power!
That sinners be converted and Thy Name glorified!
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