It has been an immense pleasure for my wife and I to be here in these past days.
It is a catalyst conference.
The singing together has lifted our souls up to the Lord repeatedly throughout the day.
And then hearing the word of God, well, I heard it in three different sessions.
And then preaching myself.
And then the fellowship of the gospel, people who know and love the Lord Jesus,
is the kind of thing just to elevate your soul.
It's been a beautiful, elevating week.
We are very privileged to have been able to participate in this.
As you heard the scripture read this morning, you thought if you were engaged, as I think you were,
you probably had your mind go back to when you were young and there were flannel graphs
and you had the four stretcher bearers and the whole story.
This is a story that everyone knows.
And we've known it since we were children.
And it lends itself to great teaching of spiritual truths.
It is a story that is freighted with some very heavy theology as it is unpacked.
And so as we move through this this morning, you'll find that it gets more intense and more beautiful
and more pointed as it goes on.
So we're going to get into that story this morning.
Now, Alpine hikers have told me that when caught in a brewing storm,
they've seen the hair on the heads of their fellow hikers, say hi in the Alps or the Sierras,
stand out in a radiant crown from their head.
The metal flames of their backpacks in the days they had them would begin to glow with kind of a blue, eerie, neon light blue
called, if you know the words, St. Elmo's Fire.
And that term, I don't want you to look up on your phones right now, but you'll have fun if you check it out,
has been recorded since ancient times.
Sailors would see the mast of a ship getting into a squall
and see an eerie light moving back and forth with St. Elmo's Fire.
Airline pilots today say they sometimes see it on the windscreen of their planes if they're getting into a storm.
In all cases, it means the air is charged with electricity and lightning is about to strike.
If you're a hiker, especially in those days you discard your pack, take cover,
because you could be struck with lightning.
I think this St. Elmo's Fire, this electricity in the air,
conveys something to the atmosphere in Capernaum as we come to our text this morning,
because there is a kind of spiritual fire hovering over those who jammed in that little house in Capernaum.
It's invisible, but it's palpable.
And people there could sense it.
And verses 1 and 2 give us sort of a feel for the situation.
And when he came to Capernaum, after some days, it was reported that he was at home.
And many were gathered together so that there was no more room,
not even at the door.
And he was preaching the word to them.
Now, the home, most of us think, is probably that of the Apostle Peter's mother-in-law.
And when word got out that Jesus was back and staying there,
people began to show up at the door.
And almost immediately, the home in which Jesus had stayed is packed with people.
So I'm just curious.
You can imagine having heard about this rabbi, his preaching, his miracles.
Others were new bright-eyed disciples who gazed on Jesus, locked in on Jesus,
hung on his every word, watched his every move, wanted to engage him.
And then important people began to show who looked a bit edgy and nervous,
avoided eye contact with the crowds around.
And as always the case, crowds attract crowds.
And so pretty soon, it's impossible even to get to the door.
And so outside, there is dust and noise and heat and disease and jostling and crowding.
And still more people are pressing to get into that house.
If you've been to that area of Capernaum, you can picture this very clearly.
Yet with all this great crush and hubbub and noise and dust and jostling,
there are only two dominating presences.
First, as a parallel account, Luke tells us,
there were the Pharisees and teachers of the law.
It already gathered there.
It may be to the unsuspecting crowd that it looked like the spiritual life conference was taking place.
The heavyweights had come.
But in actuality, it was an investigative committee
seeing what they could get on this young rabbi.
And there is only standing room.
It tells us the Pharisees were sitting.
Now Jesus, as a rabbi teaching, would be sitting also.
So the picture you have is a packed place.
The Pharisees seated before Jesus.
Jesus seated.
Them with their suspicious looks.
Just waiting for a slip up by Jesus.
Interpersonal fire in the air.
The other presence, of course, is the Lord Jesus.
Himself calm.
Unperturbed.
In absolute control.
And it tells us he was preaching the word to them.
That is the gospel of God, according to the opening chapter,
about the nearness of the kingdom and necessity of faith and repentance.
And I, this is my opinion,
but I personally think that expectant crowd sensed the tension.
Not that they exactly knew what it was,
but they sensed that something was going to happen.
Luke's parallel account.
Luke 5.17 says about this account,
that the power of the Lord was with him to heal.
He'd been healing.
People were looking for healings.
They expected healings.
And Luke says,
the power is with him to heal.
So, the room is charged.
The relational atmosphere crackled.
And then a disturbance began.
One we all know from our childhood.
Mark continues in verses 3 and 4.
And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
And when they could not get near him because of the crowd,
they removed the roof above him.
And when they had made an opening,
they let the bed down on which the paralytic lay.
Now, filling in the lines,
and I think it's fair to do this with this,
is that four men struggling with the litter
on which the helpless paralytic lay
approached the friends of the pressing crowd.
We'd have to understand that their few attempts
to get through proved futile.
I think it's fair to say,
maybe they put the stretcher down,
mopped their brows,
looked around,
conferred,
and then picked up the stretcher
and moved around to the side
of the flat-roofed house.
Possibly an outside stairway existed,
as some houses did in Capernaum.
Or perhaps they ascended the roof
of another house through a stairway
and then climbed over on the other roof.
Whatever the situation,
after a lot of hauling and tugging and effort,
they got their friend on the roof,
rested for a moment to catch their breath,
and did the most astonishing thing.
They began to tear a hole in the roof.
Now the typical Galilean roof
is constructed of timbers,
as we would with roof joists today,
and then across that,
smaller timbers,
and then on top of that,
branches and leaves
and other plant matter,
and then a foot of mud on top of that.
So the typical Galilean roof
would be up to two to three feet thick.
So they're digging into this roof,
tearing into it.
You're inside the house.
Got this much roof above you.
And as they dig in,
dust begins to fall.
A little light perhaps starts to show
between the beams.
Debris would have begun to fall
fall on those as the crack widened
to the size of man.
The Bible doesn't say this either,
but I can be fairly sure
that there were some words exchanged
between those sitting below
and those tearing the hole in the roof.
And if Peter was there,
then you know there were some words exchanged
because this was his mother-in-law's house.
Then the paralytic's bed
slowly descended on ropes.
This man is a desperate,
helpless paralytic.
What a scene!
Above with the light streaming in
and dusty beams
is the stretcher descending slowly.
And below,
the Pharisees and the scribes
grimacing,
shaking dirt off their robes.
In the midst sits Jesus,
the Prince of Peace,
with the paralytic now
lowered before him.
What a scene!
And history would remember this.
The church remembers it.
We recite it again and again,
and we all know what happened.
But for a moment,
as we move into this passage,
let's concentrate on those four friends.
What about them?
You have to say,
they really loved him.
There's no way they'd be put off by the crowd.
They abused someone else's property
that they would have to repair
to get him to them.
They ignored the protests
and judgments of those around,
the indifferent crowd,
for the sake of their pathetic friend.
Say,
this kind of love,
what was it?
Well,
perhaps it was family.
Loved brother or uncle.
Maybe simply a childhood neighbor
that they played with
and knew and loved
in the Capernaum area.
But whatever,
they loved him.
So whatever happened today,
whether it was healing
or rejection,
whatever,
he was a very rich man
because he had something
people pay millions for,
culturally today,
and can't buy.
They have friends like that.
And so,
because of the love
of their four friends,
something was going to happen
in his life that day.
Their remarkable love
is paired with something
I think is even more remarkable
and that's their faith.
There was no way
that they would have gone
to such outrageous extremes
of action
if they did not implicitly believe
that Christ could heal them
and would heal them.
I mean,
a wavering faith
would have demurred.
Perhaps,
when they were hoisting
the stretcher up on the roof
and began to tear through the roof
and a wavering,
one of the guys could have said,
you know,
you'll have to finish this yourself.
I've got some other things to do.
But they truly believed.
And the faith
was not a vague,
passive thing
like so many imagine it,
subjective thing.
It was
persistent.
When they got their friend
on the roof,
there was no stopping them.
They didn't say,
well, the door's closed.
I guess this isn't God's will.
They didn't leave them there either.
They didn't leave them
to a committee.
He'd still be there.
And Jesus loved this.
In fact,
he lauded this kind of action
in an enigmatic saying.
And perhaps you've heard this saying
and wondered,
really,
what is the thrust of this saying?
It's a saying that is recorded
in Matthew 11,
where it says,
from the days of John the Baptist
until now,
the kingdom of heaven
has suffered violence,
and the violent
take it by force.
When those
four determined
men
tore through the roof,
they took the kingdom
by violent,
determined,
graced force.
the kind of force
that unleashes
God's power.
It's the kind of thing
that Jesus loves.
It is the kind of force
that
sent missionaries
out by the droves
in the
19th century
all over the world.
It drives
foreign missions today.
It drives
pioneer missions today.
It drives
those that will go
and spend
the time
in a culture
that is very
difficult to understand
that perhaps
doesn't want them
so they can share
the gospel.
That's taking
the kingdom
by force.
It's a beautiful thing
and Jesus loves it.
And in taking
the kingdom
by force,
they were all
so creative.
There are undoubtedly
people standing around
saying,
why didn't we
think of that?
Reason
they didn't
think of that
is that they
didn't love
like that
or believe
like that.
And their faith
was sacrificial.
Somebody had to
pay for the roof
and someone would.
But price
wasn't a consideration.
And
perhaps
you're new
to the fellowship
of this church
and you wondered
what it is
to put your faith
in Christ.
And there's a
snapshot here
and it's about
action.
Gospel Mark
tells us
faith's not just
knowing the facts,
it involves
action.
And so the faith
of those four
friends meant
that no one
could keep them
from bringing
their pitiful
friend to Jesus.
They just
found a way
around the
callous crowd
and the roof
they just
ripped it off.
If you were
to put this
in the context
of contemporary
life it would
be like
you heard a
chainsaw start
up on the
roof and
then a
blade came
through the
roof and
then sawdust
began to
fall.
It is a
beautifully
graced
violent act
to get them
to Jesus
because they
believed.
now as
Christians
speaking to
the choir
this morning
we believe
that Jesus
is the only
person who
can change
our lives
forever.
Is that
what we
believe?
I think
that's why
we're here.
We believe
that Jesus
is the only
person who
can change
our lives
forever.
He's the
only one
who can
meet our
deepest
needs.
We believe
that He's
our only
hope.
And we
passionately
believe that.
That's why
we're here.
I just
want to say
if you're
here today
because some
friends have
invited you
and may
even pestered
you to be
here.
It's because
you have
faithful
friends and
you are
a blessed
person with
true friends
who love
you.
If you
want to
step back
the real
paralytics
were the
Pharisees
and scribes
in contrast
to the
four
treasure
bearers
they're
just
sitting
there.
Even
if they
are there
to find
something
on Jesus
they could
have
certainly
welcomed
the man
down
had a
prime
exhibit
and
helped
things
but you
find
they're
just
sitting
there
indifference
criticism
and of
course
the Lord
Jesus
saw
everything
more
clearly
than we
do
so he
decided
and this
is it
in this
charged
electric
moment
with a
paralytic
before him
to make
a point
and what
Jesus
said
and what
Jesus
did
is
absolutely
shocking
it's a
bolt of
lightning
as he
said
to the
paralytic
my
son
your
sins
are
forgiven
you
say
shocking
yes
for
two
reasons
first
because
your
sins
are
forgiven
is so
irrelevant
here's
a guy
pathetic
paralytic
in
aching
desperation
brought
to Jesus
lowered
down
before him
and Jesus
says
my
son
your
sins
are
forgiven
I mean
everyone
in the
room
could see
what his
greatest
need
was
and it
wasn't
that
you know
thanks a lot
Jesus
I didn't
come here
for a
sleight
of hand
take me
home
well
that's
not what
happened
but if
Jesus
is the
son of
God
we'd
better
listen
carefully
because
he never
indulges
in
irrelevancies
when
Jesus
looked
down
at
this
man
he saw
his
many
needs
he saw
shriveled
appendages
arms
and legs
a
man
who
surely
felt
himself
a
burden
to
others
a
man
who
is
aching
prisoner
of his
body
but he
looked down
on that
pitiful
man
he saw
his
greatest
need
which
was
the
forgiveness
of
sins
and
when
he
went
beyond
that
man's
surface
need
to
his
greatest
need
he
addressed
the
need
of
every
person
in
that
room
it's
possible
that
paralytic
could
have
been
a
notorious
sinner
it's
unlikely
to be
notorious
because
his
condition
mitigated
against
doing
what are
considered
to be
the
big
bad
sins
adultery
and theft
and
abuse
or murder
they're
beyond
him
he
couldn't
do
the
big
bad
stuff
but
Jesus
point
is
clear
sin
is
not
just
about
our
actions
it's
about
our
hearts
and
the
fact
is
he
may
have
been
the
biggest
sinner
at
Capernaum
because
he
still
had
this
but
his
spiritual
need
was
far
more
desperate
than
his
physical
need
and
if
he
cured
the
man
of
paralysis
maybe
he's
midlife
he could
have had
20 or
30
years
of
health
alleviate
decades
of
misery
but
when
Jesus
forgave
the
man's
sins
he
delivered
him
not
only
from
his
sins
but
in
eternity
apart
from
God
from
hell
itself
!
it
would
be
a
beautiful
thing
if
you
never
considered
this
maybe
even
if
you
know
the
story
to
understand
that
what
Jesus
says
is
your
greatest
need
is
not
an
education
or
a
spouse
or
your
health
it
is
the
forgiveness
of
your
sins
that
is
the
greatest
need
of
every
person
in
this
room
now
that's
shocking
what
Jesus
did
but
Jesus
further
shocks
here
for a
second
reason
and
this
is
it
is
it's
what
he
says
about
himself
tells
us
in
verses
6
and
7
now
some
of
the
scribes
were
sitting
there
questioning
their
hearts
why
does
this
man
speak
like
that
he's
blaspheming
who
can
forgive
sins
but
God
alone
you
see
the
scribes
knew
their
Bibles
they
were
horrified
because
he
was
making
the
appalling
claim
that
he's
God
according
to
Bible
and
they
knew
their
Bibles
sin
is
essentially
and
ultimately
against
God
we
see
this
clearly
in the
life
of
King
David
who
understood
this
when
after
sinning
with
Bathsheba
in
adultery
and
Uriah
in
homicide
he
cried
out to
God
in
repentance
I
know
my
transgressions
and
my
sin
is
ever
before
me
against
you
only
have
I
sinned
and
done
this
evil
in
your
sight
all
sins
whether
against
others
anything
else
are
ultimately
against
the
holy
God
who
alone
can
forgive
sin
so
when
they
heard
this
they
knew
that
he
was
claiming
to
be
God
incarnate
there
was
no
doubt
about
it
and
that
deserved
death
and
of course
from the
shock
on their
faces
and
the
disgust
on their
faces
he
knew
exactly
what
was
going
on
in
their
minds
and
so
you
read
in
verses
8
and
9
and
immediately
Jesus
perceiving
in his
spirit
that they
thus
questioned
within
themselves
said
to
them
why
do
you
question
these
things
in
your
hearts
which
is
easier
to
say
the
paralytic
your
sins
are
forgiven
or
to
say
rise
take
up
your
bed
and
walk
so
which
is
easier
well
I
think
from
ground
level
I
think
it
would
be
much
easier
to
say
your
sins
are
forgiven
than
to
say
rise
take
up
your
bed
and
walk
from
ground
level
I
mean
there
have
been
billions
spent
by
research
communities
today
to
solve
the
miseries
of
paralysis
with
very
little
to
show
far
easier
to
say
your
sins
are
forgiven
no
one
can
check
that
no
one
knows
but
does
anyone
have
the
temerity
to
go
tell
Johnny
Erickson
Tata
who is
just
about
my
age
today
and
has
been
paralyzed
since
she
was
a
teenager
from
the
neck
down
take
up
your
bed
and
walk
I
don't
think
so
God
can
do
it
but
I
don't
think
so
but
here
what
Jesus
does
shocks
again
and
it's
like
lightning
he
says
in
verses
10
through
12
but
you
may
know
the
son
of
man
has
authority
on
earth
to
forgive
sins
he
said
to
the
paralytic
I
say
to
you
rise
pick
up
your
bed
and
go
home
and
he
rose
and
picked
up
his
bed
and
went
out
before
them
all
so
they
were
all
amazed
and
glorified
God
saying
we
never
saw
anything
like
this
now
I
just
want
us
to
step
back
for
a
!
this
is
not
some
television
healing
this
is
an
immediate
healing
of a
man
fully
paralyzed
who's
been
paralyzed
for
some
time
the
paralytic
crooked
bones
straightened
and assumed
tendency
his
tendons
flexed
and
stretched
his
atrophied
muscles
inflated
his
sagging
skin
became
taut
and
at once
he
rolled
off
his
bed
and
stood
illuminated
by a
dusty
shaft
of
light
radiating
from
the
hole
above
in
full
glowing
health
and
then
bent
down
took
up
his
bed
hoisted
it
high
in
his
shoulder
and
strode
joyfully
through
the
parting
throng
that
once
blocked
his
way
out
into
the
sunlight
where
his
four
faithful
friends
joined
him
now
I
think
they
were
likely
leaping
and
hooping
it
up
I
mean
these
are
Hebrews
they
know
how
to
rejoice
now
listen
very
closely
for
Jesus
it
was
an
easy
thing
to
say
take
up
your
bed
and
walk
that's
nothing
just
a
thought
just
a
mental
emanation
from
Jesus
and
it's
done
and
the
power
goes out
to
heal
him
without
any
diminution
of
his
power
his
infinitude
!
remains
infinite
it's
nothing
for
Jesus
to
do
that
it
was
easy
but
the
hardest
thing
of
all
was
to
say
my
son
your
sins
are
forgiven
because
that
meant
his
death
on
the
cross
in
the
garden
and
this
is
just
the
14th
chapter
of
Mark
it's
just
a
few
chapters
following
the
prospect
is
so
horrific
that it
tells us
in
verses
33
through
36
of
Mark
14
and
he
began
to
be
greatly
distressed
and
troubled
and
he
said
to
them
my
soul
is
very
sorrowful
even
to
death
remain
here
and
watch
going
a little
farther
he
fell
on
the
ground
and
prayed
that
if
it
were
possible
the
hour
might
pass
from
him
and
he
said
Abba
Father
all
things
are
possible
for
you
remove
this
cup
from
me
yet
not
what
I
will
but
what
you
will
and
when
the
hour
came
he
did
it
by
dying
the
lowest
death
of
all
even
death
on
a
cross
in
retrospect
the
apostle
Paul
described
the
whole
thing
in
15
words
in
the
Greek
a
few
more
in
the
English
in
2nd
Corinthians
5
21
when
he
said
for
our
sake
he
that's
God
the
father
made
him
Jesus
to
be
sin
who
knew
no
sin
so
that
in
him
we
might
become
the
righteousness
of
God
now
listen
very
closely
Jesus
was
sinless
through
all
his
33
years
as
he
knew
no
sin
and
he
remained
sinless
as
he
became
sin
for
us
so
Christ
became
sin
while
remaining
inwardly
and
outwardly
impeccable
he
became
sin
he
became
sin
and
on
those
three
dark
hours
on
good
Friday
his
heart
so
to
speak
became
a
sea
which
poured
the
mountains
of
our
festering
sin
so
in
those
three
hours
the
loathsome
mass
of our
corruption
poured
over
him
there
on
the
cross
our
sins
were
focused
on
Christ
as
he
bore
the
fiery
wrath
of
God
having
become
a
curse
for
us
Galatians
3
13
so
that
Jesus
the
incarnate
son
in
full
lucid
consciousness
writhing
like an
impaled
serpent
in the
gloom
and
this
is
it
took
your
sins
and
my
sins
with
a
unity
of
understanding
that
only
the
incarnate
son
could
have
a
unity
of
understanding
and
the
weight
of
pain
that
no
one
can
fathom
we
cannot
fathom
the
horror
of
this
he
did
the
hardest
most
painful
thing
ever
done
in
time
and
eternity
to
say
my
son
my
daughter
your
sins
are
forgiven
I
mean
that's
the
point
this
children's
story
as we
think
of
becomes
very
intense
at this
point
and
his
death
means
he's
committed
to
forgiving
you
as you
turn
to
him
us
preachers
always
can find
something
to quote
from
Spurgeon
and
if you
want a
cosmic
imagination
here it
is
Spurgeon
wrote
about the
man
being
healed
he said
I
think
I
see
him
he
sets
one
foot
down
to
God's
glory
he
plants
the
other
to
the
same
note
he
walks
to
God's
glory
he
carries
his
bed
to
God's
glory
he
moves
his
whole
body
to
God's
glory
he
speaks
he
shouts
he
sings
he
leaps
to
the
glory
of
God
he
probably
had
it
right
what
a
display
before
the
wandering
!
crowd
who's
to say
the
paralytic
and
four
friends
kind
of
moved
in
rhythm
as they
moved out
there towards
the house
I mean
they are
Hebrews
they're not
Bostonians
as he
went home
he bore
something
far more
impressive
than his
bed
and here
it is
and this
is what
it is
it was
a clean
heart
the greatest
miracle
of all
is that
there was
no guilt
none
his sins
had been
forgiven
no
guilt
no
bitterness
no
tension
that's
the
reality
complete
forgiveness
complete
removal
of guilt
forgiveness
freedom
perhaps he
felt like
he could
float
having that
burden
taken
away
now someday
those
restored
limbs
would
wither
at my
age I
know a
little bit
about that
but there
would remain
in him
a well
of water
springing up
into everlasting
life
I want to
say
and you
know this
the Lord
can do
anything
he wants
he can
heal
any
disease
he pleases
but the
greatest
miracle
the only
one
eternal
is that
he
forgives
sins
and has
he ever
said to
you
my son
my
daughter
your sins
are forgiven
I don't
mean an
audible
voice
I mean
has he
ever said
it to
you
so that
your inner
being
absorbs
it
has he
ever said
to you
my son
your sins
are forgiven
my daughter
your sins
are forgiven
well as
we noted
earlier
Luke tells
us
Dr. Luke
tells us
the power
of the
Lord
was with
him to
heal
so
that the
room
was full
of expectation
and it
happened
and I
really think
today
that's why
this is such
a famous
section of
scripture
whatever this
text is
preached and
opened up
I think if we
could see the
spiritual realities
we could see
that certain
of us
here and
there are
backlit
by a glow
of spirit's
fire
this imagination
don't get me
wrong
as a
graced
bolt of
lightning
is about
to strike
a soul
with healing
life
I mean
if you
could see
it
because
if you
hear those
words
if you
believe
that
and you
hear him
say to
you
my
daughter
my
son
your
sins
are
forgiven
if you've
never heard
it before
you've
just been
struck
by a
bolt
of
lightning
a miracle
is taking
place
our
greatest
need
today
is still
the same
we need
our sins
forgiven
and Jesus
Christ
has done
the hardest
thing ever
done
in time
and eternity
that ever
will be
done
to say
those words
it's what
you need
the most
and the
question is
for everyone
here
old and
young
do you
believe it
do you
believe it
let's pray