Too Preoccupied for the Good Life? |02.18.24| What Your Life Is Missing pt.3
February 18, 2024
Mark 2:1-12
Pastor Drew Williams
(...) Well, when I was younger, I was very self-focused. I was always concerned about what other people thought of me or how they saw me. I always was concerned to make sure my hair was just right depending on the hairstyle of the day. And I was always very concerned to make sure that whatever I was wearing or the trends that I was trying to keep up with fit in with the group of friends that I was trying to stay fitting in with. I don't know if any of you could admit to that as well when you were younger. And if you ask my wife Megan, I'm sure she'll tell you that sometimes I still act like that being concerned about what I'm wearing or how I look, especially if I'm wearing my new white sneakers that I like so much.
(...)
But in all instances, I was very hyper-focused on lots of things. I would be target-focused on the things in front of me, similar to how a horse is with blinders on when they're in a race. And the use of the blinders is to make sure that you don't see your peripheral so that you can focus only on what's in front of you. And that's very handy and very important and helpful when you're trying to complete a task in front of you. But it's not so helpful in helping you connect with the people around you while you're doing that task. And maybe you'll be missing people or sometimes missing some things that are very important. And so here at New Life, we're finishing up a series today on what your life is missing. And we're talking about what is in your view.(...) What is in your view? Where's the focus of your life headed? Because you might be missing what God is trying to show you that will help deepen your life and increase your impact in powerful ways.(...) Now in my house, Megan and I are always having to pay attention to lots of things because we have little ones. And my two year old Ollie is getting taller and taller and he's now just at the height where he can be hip checked by me if I'm not paying attention to where he is at any given moment. I can be working in the kitchen maybe and focusing on pulling out the dishes from the dishwasher and not realize he's right behind me. And next thing you know, he just bounced his head off my butt and goes flying because he's top heavy. And whatever I was focusing on didn't include him.(...) I missed him.(...) And there's other times when the kids are watching a movie and let me tell you, when that Disney is on the screen, they are locked in. It does not matter what you say, what sounds are happening around them. I bet that I could probably wave chocolate underneath their nose and they would not notice because they are locked in.(...) Some of you are elbowing the person next to you because you have a friend or a family member who is also like that locked into the screen. Even if you yell their name, they will not know what you're saying to them.(...) I'll admit that there's been more than a few times that I've had to ask Megan to repeat herself when she's been talking to me because while I was saying, "Yeah, uh-huh, sure." I was actually focused on whatever was on my phone at the time and I'm like, "I'm sorry. "I didn't hear anything you said. "Can you start over at the beginning?"
(...)
See, today we're talking about what is in your view(...) because sometimes we'll miss what God is trying to show us and what he's doing around us. We'll miss his invitation to join in his work. We'll miss out and the full abundant life that Jesus offers can just pass us right by. And the Jesus story that we're looking at today is from Mark chapter two and it talks about this very thing. So I wanna invite you to open up your Bibles to Mark chapter two. And if you're using the black seat back Bible in front of you, it's on page 28 of the New Testament. Mark chapter two, and while you're finding it, I wanna tell you that this story is one of my favorites in all of the New Testament. It picks up right after Jesus has begun his public ministry and he has returned back to his home base in a village called Capernaum where he and his followers, his apprentices are launching out from and he begins to teach his small group of followers in one of their houses and pretty soon the group grows and more and more people gather and it fills the house and it spills out into the courtyard and people are listening in through the windows and through the door just to hear what he has to say. And so we're gonna read together to hear what Jesus is teaching starting in Mark chapter two, starting with verse two. Let's hear the word of the Lord.(...) So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came bringing to him a paralyzed man carried by four of them and when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay.(...) Then Jesus saw their faith and he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts, "Why does this fellow speak in this way? "It's blasphemy. "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" At once, Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves and he said to them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, "your sins are forgiven or to say stand up "and take your mat and walk.(...) "But so that you may know that the Son of Man "has authority on earth to forgive sins,"(...) he said to the paralytic. I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home."(...) And he stood up and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them so that they were all amazed and glorified God saying, "We have never seen anything like this." Beloved, this is the word of the Lord, thanks be to God.
(...)
Our story opens with the description of the different types of people in this story and there's a pastor in Oklahoma, his name is Craig Greshell, and he says that this story lists all the different types of people that you normally see in every church.(...) I wanna share that list with you. First, you see someone who is in need.(...) Our story has the paralyzed man. He can't walk and so it seems he's got some sort of mat or maybe like a stretcher that can be used to transport him around and it's probably used to take him from place to place every day so that he can beg for money or for mercy from people to give him food because he can't work to support himself. And so to make it easier to remember, we're gonna name this guy, the pastor doesn't give us his name, so we're just gonna pretend that his name is Matt because he's on the mat. Now, every church has someone who's in need and that person might even be you today.(...) Maybe you are battling depression or you're going through some sort of trial right now. Maybe you've recently experienced loss(...) or you're feeling hopeless
(...)
or maybe you're battling an addiction and you feel alone and the weight of it gets heavier and heavier every day.
(...)
Maybe you're struggling financially and you need to talk to Pastor Eric or myself about joining our financial freedom class that starts tomorrow night because the anxiety that you feel about your bills and expenses is just constant anxiety.(...) You see in every church, you see someone in need or many someones in need. Now, the next type of person that you'll see in every church is someone who cares.(...) Our story has these four friends of Matt. They're his friends and maybe they're even part of his breakfast prayer group, his life group. One of my friends in my life group is Danny who actually leads music here. And so I'll say that these four friends are named Danny,(...) Donny,(...) Davy,(...) and Bob.
(...)
And so Matt's four friends are sitting together with Matt and they're having their breakfast group and maybe they're eating biscuits and gravy at Eggs and Paradise, which has some great biscuits and gravy and they're sitting around and Danny says, "Well, did you hear about this Jesus guy? "I heard that he healed a guy who was possessed "and transformed him, he's not possessed anymore." And then Donny chimes in and says, "Yeah, I heard that he healed a bunch of sick people "and he even cured a leper." And then Davy says, "Well, I mean, if he could do it "for those guys, I wonder what he could do for Matt." And meanwhile, Bob is in chewing silently having that last bite of biscuits and gravy but he surprises the whole group and he slams the table and he says, "Road trip, here we go." And they pick up Matt and they start carrying him over to where Jesus is. And so you've got someone who is in need,
(...)
someone who cares, but you also have someone who is preoccupied.(...) Every church has someone who is preoccupied. Now this house is full of people, wall to wall, spilling out the door. It's like the biggest life group you've ever seen.(...) And everyone is focused on trying to hear Jesus.
(...)
It's so full that Matt's buddies can't get anywhere close to see Jesus and they aren't able to get through the crowd because everyone else is preoccupied with what they are focused on. It's like I described earlier, they have their blinders on and they don't see anyone else or the needs of other people. They're focused on Jesus,(...) which sounds great, right? They're listening to Jesus. Maybe some of them are murmuring along or taking notes. Maybe some of them are a little charismatic and saying, "Amen, preach it, brother Jesus."
(...)
Not in a Lutheran house church, of course. Definitely not in a Midwest Lutheran house church, but who knows what the people of Caperna were like. Maybe some of them were a little more charismatic than us. No, these people are preoccupied with Jesus(...) and so their backs are turned to the guy in need.
(...)
And I mean, these could have been devout followers of Jesus. All they listen to is Christian radio. They've got a K-Love bumper sticker on their car.(...) They're very proud about the church that they go to. They show up on Sunday and they're part of a midweek Bible study. They even come to Lent and Wednesday services. They're devout followers of Jesus,
(...)
but their backs are turned.(...) They don't notice the guy in need.
(...)
They're communicating strongly with their posture. They said, "I'm here to see the thing that I want to see, "to be here to get something that I need." And anyone else?
(...)
Well, you can end up in hell for all I care.
(...)
They're communicating with their backs that they are preoccupied.
(...)
And I bet Matt and his friends were getting pretty discouraged,(...) because they can't seem to get through. Their plan is stuck. They feel blocked until Bob again says,(...) "There's always a way."
(...)
And I don't know who needs to hear this today,(...) but with God, there's always a way.(...) You might need to go around the thing that seems you're stuck behind. You might need to get creative. You might need to sit and wait and get patient upon the Lord to show your way through. But with God, there's always a way. There's never a person who is stuck and blocked from God. That's why one of our core values here at New Life is that we are unapologetic about reaching people who need Jesus. We'll do whatever it takes to reach them. Jesus would leave the 99 to find the lost one, and so will we.
(...)
So Matt's friends start brainstorming, and someone apparently sees a ladder that goes up to the roof of the house. And you gotta understand, the thing about the houses in this part of the world, in this time in history, is the houses were all very similar in construction. They all had either stone or wooded walls, and then they had wood timbers across the top that would support a thatch straw roof. And on top of that thatch straw roof would be a mixture of clay and manure and more straw to create this thick, mud-like thing on top. And then when it would rain, the clay would absorb the liquid and it would seal the roof and keep it sealed from the elements. But it's also, it's soil, and so you can grow grass up there or little plants and things. And so it's kind of like an elevated garden bed right above everyone's heads. And so Matt's friends get up there on the roof,(...) and they seem stuck again. They're not sure what to do. Well, we got closer to Jesus. We can hear his voice, but we're no closer to getting our friend Matt to seeing Jesus.
(...)
And so then Davey starts suggesting, well, what if we just dug a hole? And before he even finishes saying it, Bob is like, "I'm on it, here, hold my beer." And he starts just digging really quickly through the mud and the manure and the straw. And everyone's so surprised that Bob's so gung-ho about it, but I mean, they got their friend Matt this far. Bob's not giving up. And so then the other three friends get down their hands and knees, and they're all digging through until finally they break through the bottom of the grass and the soil. And we don't know what happens right next because our story doesn't give us any record of how people reacted. So we don't know if people like responded or were angry or yelling or complaining about the dirt on their heads, or if everyone just stood around speechless because they couldn't believe that this was happening right now. But Matt's four friends dig the hole big enough to get Matt and his Matt through the hole. And then, I don't know if anyone stepped up to help them or if they're all just standing around, but I imagine it as like Matt's four friends kind of holding him each one limb,(...) and they're down there and they're going, "Well, now what?" And then someone figures, well, I mean, he's already paralyzed, so drop him on three, and then on three they just drop him down to the bottom, bam, and they're like, "Well, okay, there it is. "We got him to Jesus."
(...)
And our story says that Jesus noticed the friends'(...) faith
(...)
even more than the spectacle of Matt being dropped down into the middle of them. It says that Jesus looked at these guys, these four crazy faith-filled guys,
(...)
and he recognizes their faith and the determination of the friends, and that causes him to declare that the sins of the paralyzed man are forgiven because of their faith.
(...)
See, for these four friends, their faith that Jesus could help, it wasn't just an internal belief.(...) It wasn't just a verse they memorized in catechism.(...) Their internal belief, their trust that Jesus could help. Their faith was so strong that it showed up in their actions.
(...)
Their faith wasn't just something they say.
(...)
Their faith was something you could see.
(...)
See, when you're following Jesus, it's more than just knowing about him.(...) Being an apprentice of Jesus means that your faith is something you can see.
(...)
Our faith moves us to action to join Jesus in what he's doing through how we serve. Our faith moves us to action in how we give to the ministry that God is doing through the church.(...) Our faith is seen in how we welcome people, noticing others, welcoming them into the family of God.(...) Our faith is seen in how we forgive and how we love,
(...)
because we are spiritual contributors, not just spiritual consumers.
(...)
See, many of us come to God because of some need in our life, and that's good. Jesus came for the sick and for the needy. And in that way, our church gatherings are similar to a hospital. It's the right place to go when you need help.(...) But we're not called to get our needs met and then stop there.(...) See, as our faith in Jesus grows, as our relationship with him grows, as we listen to him and join him in his work,(...) we get to contribute. We get to serve others. We get to participate.(...) We get to show our faith through our actions, just like the four friends.
(...)
Because we aren't just spiritual consumers,
(...)
we're spiritual contributors.
(...)
Church isn't just a place to go to, we are the church, and we exist for others.
(...)
But if you're paying attention to the story, the four friends didn't bring Matt to Jesus in order for Matt to get forgiveness.
(...)
Forgiveness isn't the thing that they want.(...) It wasn't even on their radar of things that they wanted for their friend Matt. No, they brought Matt to Jesus to get healing.(...) They fought through the crowd. They found a way to get Matt to Jesus because he was paralyzed. And they wanted Jesus to heal him like they had heard that he healed others.(...) Forgiveness wasn't on the list of things they wanted.
(...)
But sometimes God gives us what we need before he gives us what we want.
(...)
And for these friends,(...) they didn't realize how important that would have been to Matt. Because in this time in history, most people would have looked at Matt as a paralyzed man and they would have assumed
(...)
that he did something to deserve it. They would have assumed that he must be such a big sinner that God must be punishing him by making him paralyzed. Because otherwise, why would God allow him to go through such a hard life? He must have done something to deserve it. We should probably keep our distance. We don't want it to rub off on our kids.
(...)
And this isn't just an ancient belief either.
(...)
Many of us wonder the same things today. Why would God let awful things happen?
(...)
What did I do to deserve this tragedy?
(...)
Or we see someone else experiencing hardship and in our hearts, we assume they must have done something to deserve the state they're in.
(...)
And our story has the same assumptions. In every church, you see someone in need, you see someone who cares, you see someone who's preoccupied,
(...)
and you see someone who is critical.
(...)
The teachers of the law and the scribes, the super religious ones,(...) the ones who follow all the rules and pray all the time and have the assumption that they're good people. You know, they're good God believing people.(...) They look at the paralytic and they assume that he deserves this state of life. And so when they hear Jesus forgive his sins, they immediately start questioning whether Jesus is able to do that. Because in their minds, he's not.(...) He's not God, only God can forgive sins. Is he claiming to be God?(...) Is he taking the place of God? Is he leading people away from God?(...) Jesus, you can't forgive sins. And you four, the crazy ones. You can't be vandalizing homes and breaking through the roof like that. This isn't how we do church. Why are you changing things? This isn't how I was raised in church.
(...)
But Jesus doesn't stop for the critics.
(...)
He says,(...) do you want proof(...) that I can say more than just words?(...) Well, I'll do more than say my authority. I'll show you my authority.(...) Hey Matt,(...) stand up.
(...)
You can trust me.(...) You can put your faith in me.(...) Carry your Matt out of here.
(...)
You don't need it anymore.
(...)
Lay down your addiction.
(...)
You don't need that escape anymore.
(...)
Let go of your grudge and unforgiveness.
(...)
Leave behind the shame that you've been carrying.
(...)
And Matt does it. He stands up, picks up his stretcher, and walks out.(...) And the crowd that was too preoccupied to notice him before and they kept him out, now is in awe and moves out of his way to allow him to walk out.(...) See, every church has someone who's in need, someone who cares, someone who's preoccupied, and someone who is critical.
(...)
But the beautiful truth is,
(...)
all of us are someone who can be changed.
(...)
See, one of the core values of our church says that when you belong to Christ,
(...)
when you put your faith in Christ, when you apprentice yourself to him, you become changed. You become transformed.
(...)
The old life is gone. The new life has begun.
(...)
And that's what it means to be all in. It means that we're letting Jesus transform us, little step by little step, to look more and more like him. So that we receive grace and forgiveness and the growth that Jesus seeks to do in us. And we let it overflow to how we interact with others, to how we seek out others, to how we show our faith in how we contribute to the work of God. Because we wanna be spiritual contributors,
(...)
not just spiritual consumers.
(...)
We don't just wanna stick around church because, well, we've made a few friends there, that's a good enough reason, right?
(...)
We don't just wanna stick around because we like the music,(...) because then what happens on the day that they play songs you don't like?(...) There's not a whole lot to keep you connected to the work of Jesus.
(...)
We don't just wanna stick around church because we like the sermons.(...) Because chances are, if it hasn't happened yet, one of these days, one of the sermons is gonna be pointing out some truths from the Bible that are gonna feel like they're pointed right at you. And it's not gonna feel that good.(...) And you might step back a bit. You might decline the invitation of God that he's showing to you to enter deeper into relationship with him.
(...)
See, if we stop there, simply as people who have come to God to get our needs met, and we never allow him to change us,
(...)
to grow us, to transform us, to work with us and in us and through us, well, then we're missing out on what God is inviting us into. We're still lacking that greater purpose in our life that truly impacts the lives of others.
(...)
Because the truth is, our actions can change eternity for someone else.
(...)
So your passage talked about all the people that you normally see in church.
(...)
You have someone in need,(...) someone who cares,
(...)
someone who's preoccupied,(...) someone who's critical. You have the people being changed.
(...)
But do you know who our story didn't mention?
(...)
Do you know the type of person that we didn't see in our story?
(...)
I'll give you a hint. It's the same type of person
(...)
that we don't see here today in our church.
(...)
You figured it out yet?
(...)
The type of person we don't see is the one who isn't here.
(...)
We don't see the people who aren't here.
(...)
We don't see the lady who almost came today, but then changed her mind at the last second because she was worried that she wouldn't be welcomed or accepted.
(...)
We don't see the guy who almost said yes to the invitation to come, but then decided he'd rather watch the pregame coverage more.
(...)
We don't see all the people that used to be here. I mean, if you look around, there's probably people that used to be here that you don't see anymore.
(...)
You know, after COVID,
(...)
they resumed every other part of their life except coming to church.
(...)
Maybe that's some of you watching online right now who could come, but maybe choose to stay home and watch instead. And just hear me, I'm not trying to shame you. I'm just saying that we miss you.
(...)
We miss you.
(...)
As you look around today, you might be thinking about the people who aren't here. And I wanna encourage you to think about the people who aren't here because we are the church and we exist for others. And our actions can change eternity for someone else.(...) I wanna explain that statement. See these four friends, they didn't know what would happen when they brought Matt to Jesus, but they trusted Jesus was able to help. See, they just carried their friend
(...)
and it changed his eternity
(...)
because he received forgiveness of sins and a transformed life.(...) They just didn't quit when they hit roadblocks, but it changed their friend's eternity.
(...)
What about us?
(...)
What about the invite that we could offer to a family member or a friend to come with us to church?
(...)
That could change their eternity.
(...)
What about the offer to pray for something that's going on in the life of a friend or an acquaintance?
(...)
That could change their eternity as God works through that on their hearts.
(...)
What about the time that you feel the prompting in your heart to share what you've been learning about God recently?(...) And instead of keeping it quiet, asking God for the boldness to actually say that because that could change eternity for the person that you're speaking to as God works in their heart(...) and makes them aware of his invitation.
(...)
See, when we realize that we've been created to join God's work together,(...) to point others to Jesus, to invite them in, to help them feel seen and known and not vilify them for their brokenness, that's when we get to experience the full abundant eternal life in the kingdom of God right here and right now.
(...)
See, when we get to see firsthand(...) when Jesus changes someone's eternity and we get to be part of that,(...) I guarantee you, you'll never be preoccupied again.
(...)
So who is in your view?
(...)
Who's in your view?
(...)
Who is God putting on your heart right now?
(...)
See, when I mentioned that there's people who are not here, that God is calling, who God wants to bring here through you,(...) well, who came to mind?
(...)
Who's in your view?
(...)
What can you do to help them, to serve them in the name of Jesus, to point them to Jesus?
(...)
What can you do to bring them with you to a Sunday or to your life group or a Bible study?
(...)
What can you do to offer to pray for them?
(...)
See, what's a way that you could have the boldness to just bring up what you've been learning about God lately, to just bring up what God has been showing you lately?
(...)
Just to start the conversation, not to get to some end, but just to be bold enough to start the conversation.
(...)
You know, recently, I've been thinking about this and God's gonna show it to me in the Bible. And you never know how God can work through that conversation in their hearts.
(...)
Because we are the church. We are apprentices of Jesus.(...) Church isn't a place that you just go to and sit. This is a family that you get involved with, where everyone has gifts and can make a difference in the life of others. We learn together, we laugh together, we join Jesus in work together, and we serve our community together because Jesus has called us to follow him and he's made a way for us to be transformed by him together for others.
(...)
Isn't that good news?
(...)
Amen.
Pastor Drew Williams
(...) Well, when I was younger, I was very self-focused. I was always concerned about what other people thought of me or how they saw me. I always was concerned to make sure my hair was just right depending on the hairstyle of the day. And I was always very concerned to make sure that whatever I was wearing or the trends that I was trying to keep up with fit in with the group of friends that I was trying to stay fitting in with. I don't know if any of you could admit to that as well when you were younger. And if you ask my wife Megan, I'm sure she'll tell you that sometimes I still act like that being concerned about what I'm wearing or how I look, especially if I'm wearing my new white sneakers that I like so much.
(...)
But in all instances, I was very hyper-focused on lots of things. I would be target-focused on the things in front of me, similar to how a horse is with blinders on when they're in a race. And the use of the blinders is to make sure that you don't see your peripheral so that you can focus only on what's in front of you. And that's very handy and very important and helpful when you're trying to complete a task in front of you. But it's not so helpful in helping you connect with the people around you while you're doing that task. And maybe you'll be missing people or sometimes missing some things that are very important. And so here at New Life, we're finishing up a series today on what your life is missing. And we're talking about what is in your view.(...) What is in your view? Where's the focus of your life headed? Because you might be missing what God is trying to show you that will help deepen your life and increase your impact in powerful ways.(...) Now in my house, Megan and I are always having to pay attention to lots of things because we have little ones. And my two year old Ollie is getting taller and taller and he's now just at the height where he can be hip checked by me if I'm not paying attention to where he is at any given moment. I can be working in the kitchen maybe and focusing on pulling out the dishes from the dishwasher and not realize he's right behind me. And next thing you know, he just bounced his head off my butt and goes flying because he's top heavy. And whatever I was focusing on didn't include him.(...) I missed him.(...) And there's other times when the kids are watching a movie and let me tell you, when that Disney is on the screen, they are locked in. It does not matter what you say, what sounds are happening around them. I bet that I could probably wave chocolate underneath their nose and they would not notice because they are locked in.(...) Some of you are elbowing the person next to you because you have a friend or a family member who is also like that locked into the screen. Even if you yell their name, they will not know what you're saying to them.(...) I'll admit that there's been more than a few times that I've had to ask Megan to repeat herself when she's been talking to me because while I was saying, "Yeah, uh-huh, sure." I was actually focused on whatever was on my phone at the time and I'm like, "I'm sorry. "I didn't hear anything you said. "Can you start over at the beginning?"
(...)
See, today we're talking about what is in your view(...) because sometimes we'll miss what God is trying to show us and what he's doing around us. We'll miss his invitation to join in his work. We'll miss out and the full abundant life that Jesus offers can just pass us right by. And the Jesus story that we're looking at today is from Mark chapter two and it talks about this very thing. So I wanna invite you to open up your Bibles to Mark chapter two. And if you're using the black seat back Bible in front of you, it's on page 28 of the New Testament. Mark chapter two, and while you're finding it, I wanna tell you that this story is one of my favorites in all of the New Testament. It picks up right after Jesus has begun his public ministry and he has returned back to his home base in a village called Capernaum where he and his followers, his apprentices are launching out from and he begins to teach his small group of followers in one of their houses and pretty soon the group grows and more and more people gather and it fills the house and it spills out into the courtyard and people are listening in through the windows and through the door just to hear what he has to say. And so we're gonna read together to hear what Jesus is teaching starting in Mark chapter two, starting with verse two. Let's hear the word of the Lord.(...) So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came bringing to him a paralyzed man carried by four of them and when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay.(...) Then Jesus saw their faith and he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts, "Why does this fellow speak in this way? "It's blasphemy. "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" At once, Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves and he said to them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, "your sins are forgiven or to say stand up "and take your mat and walk.(...) "But so that you may know that the Son of Man "has authority on earth to forgive sins,"(...) he said to the paralytic. I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home."(...) And he stood up and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them so that they were all amazed and glorified God saying, "We have never seen anything like this." Beloved, this is the word of the Lord, thanks be to God.
(...)
Our story opens with the description of the different types of people in this story and there's a pastor in Oklahoma, his name is Craig Greshell, and he says that this story lists all the different types of people that you normally see in every church.(...) I wanna share that list with you. First, you see someone who is in need.(...) Our story has the paralyzed man. He can't walk and so it seems he's got some sort of mat or maybe like a stretcher that can be used to transport him around and it's probably used to take him from place to place every day so that he can beg for money or for mercy from people to give him food because he can't work to support himself. And so to make it easier to remember, we're gonna name this guy, the pastor doesn't give us his name, so we're just gonna pretend that his name is Matt because he's on the mat. Now, every church has someone who's in need and that person might even be you today.(...) Maybe you are battling depression or you're going through some sort of trial right now. Maybe you've recently experienced loss(...) or you're feeling hopeless
(...)
or maybe you're battling an addiction and you feel alone and the weight of it gets heavier and heavier every day.
(...)
Maybe you're struggling financially and you need to talk to Pastor Eric or myself about joining our financial freedom class that starts tomorrow night because the anxiety that you feel about your bills and expenses is just constant anxiety.(...) You see in every church, you see someone in need or many someones in need. Now, the next type of person that you'll see in every church is someone who cares.(...) Our story has these four friends of Matt. They're his friends and maybe they're even part of his breakfast prayer group, his life group. One of my friends in my life group is Danny who actually leads music here. And so I'll say that these four friends are named Danny,(...) Donny,(...) Davy,(...) and Bob.
(...)
And so Matt's four friends are sitting together with Matt and they're having their breakfast group and maybe they're eating biscuits and gravy at Eggs and Paradise, which has some great biscuits and gravy and they're sitting around and Danny says, "Well, did you hear about this Jesus guy? "I heard that he healed a guy who was possessed "and transformed him, he's not possessed anymore." And then Donny chimes in and says, "Yeah, I heard that he healed a bunch of sick people "and he even cured a leper." And then Davy says, "Well, I mean, if he could do it "for those guys, I wonder what he could do for Matt." And meanwhile, Bob is in chewing silently having that last bite of biscuits and gravy but he surprises the whole group and he slams the table and he says, "Road trip, here we go." And they pick up Matt and they start carrying him over to where Jesus is. And so you've got someone who is in need,
(...)
someone who cares, but you also have someone who is preoccupied.(...) Every church has someone who is preoccupied. Now this house is full of people, wall to wall, spilling out the door. It's like the biggest life group you've ever seen.(...) And everyone is focused on trying to hear Jesus.
(...)
It's so full that Matt's buddies can't get anywhere close to see Jesus and they aren't able to get through the crowd because everyone else is preoccupied with what they are focused on. It's like I described earlier, they have their blinders on and they don't see anyone else or the needs of other people. They're focused on Jesus,(...) which sounds great, right? They're listening to Jesus. Maybe some of them are murmuring along or taking notes. Maybe some of them are a little charismatic and saying, "Amen, preach it, brother Jesus."
(...)
Not in a Lutheran house church, of course. Definitely not in a Midwest Lutheran house church, but who knows what the people of Caperna were like. Maybe some of them were a little more charismatic than us. No, these people are preoccupied with Jesus(...) and so their backs are turned to the guy in need.
(...)
And I mean, these could have been devout followers of Jesus. All they listen to is Christian radio. They've got a K-Love bumper sticker on their car.(...) They're very proud about the church that they go to. They show up on Sunday and they're part of a midweek Bible study. They even come to Lent and Wednesday services. They're devout followers of Jesus,
(...)
but their backs are turned.(...) They don't notice the guy in need.
(...)
They're communicating strongly with their posture. They said, "I'm here to see the thing that I want to see, "to be here to get something that I need." And anyone else?
(...)
Well, you can end up in hell for all I care.
(...)
They're communicating with their backs that they are preoccupied.
(...)
And I bet Matt and his friends were getting pretty discouraged,(...) because they can't seem to get through. Their plan is stuck. They feel blocked until Bob again says,(...) "There's always a way."
(...)
And I don't know who needs to hear this today,(...) but with God, there's always a way.(...) You might need to go around the thing that seems you're stuck behind. You might need to get creative. You might need to sit and wait and get patient upon the Lord to show your way through. But with God, there's always a way. There's never a person who is stuck and blocked from God. That's why one of our core values here at New Life is that we are unapologetic about reaching people who need Jesus. We'll do whatever it takes to reach them. Jesus would leave the 99 to find the lost one, and so will we.
(...)
So Matt's friends start brainstorming, and someone apparently sees a ladder that goes up to the roof of the house. And you gotta understand, the thing about the houses in this part of the world, in this time in history, is the houses were all very similar in construction. They all had either stone or wooded walls, and then they had wood timbers across the top that would support a thatch straw roof. And on top of that thatch straw roof would be a mixture of clay and manure and more straw to create this thick, mud-like thing on top. And then when it would rain, the clay would absorb the liquid and it would seal the roof and keep it sealed from the elements. But it's also, it's soil, and so you can grow grass up there or little plants and things. And so it's kind of like an elevated garden bed right above everyone's heads. And so Matt's friends get up there on the roof,(...) and they seem stuck again. They're not sure what to do. Well, we got closer to Jesus. We can hear his voice, but we're no closer to getting our friend Matt to seeing Jesus.
(...)
And so then Davey starts suggesting, well, what if we just dug a hole? And before he even finishes saying it, Bob is like, "I'm on it, here, hold my beer." And he starts just digging really quickly through the mud and the manure and the straw. And everyone's so surprised that Bob's so gung-ho about it, but I mean, they got their friend Matt this far. Bob's not giving up. And so then the other three friends get down their hands and knees, and they're all digging through until finally they break through the bottom of the grass and the soil. And we don't know what happens right next because our story doesn't give us any record of how people reacted. So we don't know if people like responded or were angry or yelling or complaining about the dirt on their heads, or if everyone just stood around speechless because they couldn't believe that this was happening right now. But Matt's four friends dig the hole big enough to get Matt and his Matt through the hole. And then, I don't know if anyone stepped up to help them or if they're all just standing around, but I imagine it as like Matt's four friends kind of holding him each one limb,(...) and they're down there and they're going, "Well, now what?" And then someone figures, well, I mean, he's already paralyzed, so drop him on three, and then on three they just drop him down to the bottom, bam, and they're like, "Well, okay, there it is. "We got him to Jesus."
(...)
And our story says that Jesus noticed the friends'(...) faith
(...)
even more than the spectacle of Matt being dropped down into the middle of them. It says that Jesus looked at these guys, these four crazy faith-filled guys,
(...)
and he recognizes their faith and the determination of the friends, and that causes him to declare that the sins of the paralyzed man are forgiven because of their faith.
(...)
See, for these four friends, their faith that Jesus could help, it wasn't just an internal belief.(...) It wasn't just a verse they memorized in catechism.(...) Their internal belief, their trust that Jesus could help. Their faith was so strong that it showed up in their actions.
(...)
Their faith wasn't just something they say.
(...)
Their faith was something you could see.
(...)
See, when you're following Jesus, it's more than just knowing about him.(...) Being an apprentice of Jesus means that your faith is something you can see.
(...)
Our faith moves us to action to join Jesus in what he's doing through how we serve. Our faith moves us to action in how we give to the ministry that God is doing through the church.(...) Our faith is seen in how we welcome people, noticing others, welcoming them into the family of God.(...) Our faith is seen in how we forgive and how we love,
(...)
because we are spiritual contributors, not just spiritual consumers.
(...)
See, many of us come to God because of some need in our life, and that's good. Jesus came for the sick and for the needy. And in that way, our church gatherings are similar to a hospital. It's the right place to go when you need help.(...) But we're not called to get our needs met and then stop there.(...) See, as our faith in Jesus grows, as our relationship with him grows, as we listen to him and join him in his work,(...) we get to contribute. We get to serve others. We get to participate.(...) We get to show our faith through our actions, just like the four friends.
(...)
Because we aren't just spiritual consumers,
(...)
we're spiritual contributors.
(...)
Church isn't just a place to go to, we are the church, and we exist for others.
(...)
But if you're paying attention to the story, the four friends didn't bring Matt to Jesus in order for Matt to get forgiveness.
(...)
Forgiveness isn't the thing that they want.(...) It wasn't even on their radar of things that they wanted for their friend Matt. No, they brought Matt to Jesus to get healing.(...) They fought through the crowd. They found a way to get Matt to Jesus because he was paralyzed. And they wanted Jesus to heal him like they had heard that he healed others.(...) Forgiveness wasn't on the list of things they wanted.
(...)
But sometimes God gives us what we need before he gives us what we want.
(...)
And for these friends,(...) they didn't realize how important that would have been to Matt. Because in this time in history, most people would have looked at Matt as a paralyzed man and they would have assumed
(...)
that he did something to deserve it. They would have assumed that he must be such a big sinner that God must be punishing him by making him paralyzed. Because otherwise, why would God allow him to go through such a hard life? He must have done something to deserve it. We should probably keep our distance. We don't want it to rub off on our kids.
(...)
And this isn't just an ancient belief either.
(...)
Many of us wonder the same things today. Why would God let awful things happen?
(...)
What did I do to deserve this tragedy?
(...)
Or we see someone else experiencing hardship and in our hearts, we assume they must have done something to deserve the state they're in.
(...)
And our story has the same assumptions. In every church, you see someone in need, you see someone who cares, you see someone who's preoccupied,
(...)
and you see someone who is critical.
(...)
The teachers of the law and the scribes, the super religious ones,(...) the ones who follow all the rules and pray all the time and have the assumption that they're good people. You know, they're good God believing people.(...) They look at the paralytic and they assume that he deserves this state of life. And so when they hear Jesus forgive his sins, they immediately start questioning whether Jesus is able to do that. Because in their minds, he's not.(...) He's not God, only God can forgive sins. Is he claiming to be God?(...) Is he taking the place of God? Is he leading people away from God?(...) Jesus, you can't forgive sins. And you four, the crazy ones. You can't be vandalizing homes and breaking through the roof like that. This isn't how we do church. Why are you changing things? This isn't how I was raised in church.
(...)
But Jesus doesn't stop for the critics.
(...)
He says,(...) do you want proof(...) that I can say more than just words?(...) Well, I'll do more than say my authority. I'll show you my authority.(...) Hey Matt,(...) stand up.
(...)
You can trust me.(...) You can put your faith in me.(...) Carry your Matt out of here.
(...)
You don't need it anymore.
(...)
Lay down your addiction.
(...)
You don't need that escape anymore.
(...)
Let go of your grudge and unforgiveness.
(...)
Leave behind the shame that you've been carrying.
(...)
And Matt does it. He stands up, picks up his stretcher, and walks out.(...) And the crowd that was too preoccupied to notice him before and they kept him out, now is in awe and moves out of his way to allow him to walk out.(...) See, every church has someone who's in need, someone who cares, someone who's preoccupied, and someone who is critical.
(...)
But the beautiful truth is,
(...)
all of us are someone who can be changed.
(...)
See, one of the core values of our church says that when you belong to Christ,
(...)
when you put your faith in Christ, when you apprentice yourself to him, you become changed. You become transformed.
(...)
The old life is gone. The new life has begun.
(...)
And that's what it means to be all in. It means that we're letting Jesus transform us, little step by little step, to look more and more like him. So that we receive grace and forgiveness and the growth that Jesus seeks to do in us. And we let it overflow to how we interact with others, to how we seek out others, to how we show our faith in how we contribute to the work of God. Because we wanna be spiritual contributors,
(...)
not just spiritual consumers.
(...)
We don't just wanna stick around church because, well, we've made a few friends there, that's a good enough reason, right?
(...)
We don't just wanna stick around because we like the music,(...) because then what happens on the day that they play songs you don't like?(...) There's not a whole lot to keep you connected to the work of Jesus.
(...)
We don't just wanna stick around church because we like the sermons.(...) Because chances are, if it hasn't happened yet, one of these days, one of the sermons is gonna be pointing out some truths from the Bible that are gonna feel like they're pointed right at you. And it's not gonna feel that good.(...) And you might step back a bit. You might decline the invitation of God that he's showing to you to enter deeper into relationship with him.
(...)
See, if we stop there, simply as people who have come to God to get our needs met, and we never allow him to change us,
(...)
to grow us, to transform us, to work with us and in us and through us, well, then we're missing out on what God is inviting us into. We're still lacking that greater purpose in our life that truly impacts the lives of others.
(...)
Because the truth is, our actions can change eternity for someone else.
(...)
So your passage talked about all the people that you normally see in church.
(...)
You have someone in need,(...) someone who cares,
(...)
someone who's preoccupied,(...) someone who's critical. You have the people being changed.
(...)
But do you know who our story didn't mention?
(...)
Do you know the type of person that we didn't see in our story?
(...)
I'll give you a hint. It's the same type of person
(...)
that we don't see here today in our church.
(...)
You figured it out yet?
(...)
The type of person we don't see is the one who isn't here.
(...)
We don't see the people who aren't here.
(...)
We don't see the lady who almost came today, but then changed her mind at the last second because she was worried that she wouldn't be welcomed or accepted.
(...)
We don't see the guy who almost said yes to the invitation to come, but then decided he'd rather watch the pregame coverage more.
(...)
We don't see all the people that used to be here. I mean, if you look around, there's probably people that used to be here that you don't see anymore.
(...)
You know, after COVID,
(...)
they resumed every other part of their life except coming to church.
(...)
Maybe that's some of you watching online right now who could come, but maybe choose to stay home and watch instead. And just hear me, I'm not trying to shame you. I'm just saying that we miss you.
(...)
We miss you.
(...)
As you look around today, you might be thinking about the people who aren't here. And I wanna encourage you to think about the people who aren't here because we are the church and we exist for others. And our actions can change eternity for someone else.(...) I wanna explain that statement. See these four friends, they didn't know what would happen when they brought Matt to Jesus, but they trusted Jesus was able to help. See, they just carried their friend
(...)
and it changed his eternity
(...)
because he received forgiveness of sins and a transformed life.(...) They just didn't quit when they hit roadblocks, but it changed their friend's eternity.
(...)
What about us?
(...)
What about the invite that we could offer to a family member or a friend to come with us to church?
(...)
That could change their eternity.
(...)
What about the offer to pray for something that's going on in the life of a friend or an acquaintance?
(...)
That could change their eternity as God works through that on their hearts.
(...)
What about the time that you feel the prompting in your heart to share what you've been learning about God recently?(...) And instead of keeping it quiet, asking God for the boldness to actually say that because that could change eternity for the person that you're speaking to as God works in their heart(...) and makes them aware of his invitation.
(...)
See, when we realize that we've been created to join God's work together,(...) to point others to Jesus, to invite them in, to help them feel seen and known and not vilify them for their brokenness, that's when we get to experience the full abundant eternal life in the kingdom of God right here and right now.
(...)
See, when we get to see firsthand(...) when Jesus changes someone's eternity and we get to be part of that,(...) I guarantee you, you'll never be preoccupied again.
(...)
So who is in your view?
(...)
Who's in your view?
(...)
Who is God putting on your heart right now?
(...)
See, when I mentioned that there's people who are not here, that God is calling, who God wants to bring here through you,(...) well, who came to mind?
(...)
Who's in your view?
(...)
What can you do to help them, to serve them in the name of Jesus, to point them to Jesus?
(...)
What can you do to bring them with you to a Sunday or to your life group or a Bible study?
(...)
What can you do to offer to pray for them?
(...)
See, what's a way that you could have the boldness to just bring up what you've been learning about God lately, to just bring up what God has been showing you lately?
(...)
Just to start the conversation, not to get to some end, but just to be bold enough to start the conversation.
(...)
You know, recently, I've been thinking about this and God's gonna show it to me in the Bible. And you never know how God can work through that conversation in their hearts.
(...)
Because we are the church. We are apprentices of Jesus.(...) Church isn't a place that you just go to and sit. This is a family that you get involved with, where everyone has gifts and can make a difference in the life of others. We learn together, we laugh together, we join Jesus in work together, and we serve our community together because Jesus has called us to follow him and he's made a way for us to be transformed by him together for others.
(...)
Isn't that good news?
(...)
Amen.