The First NFL
Luke 5:17-26
On this NFL Sunday in Sunday School, I want to take you back to what could very well be labeled the first NFL - no friend left out. What we find in Luke's Gospel is an incredible story of four men that had a friend that were determined that he was not going to be left out of a possible encounter with the Son of God.
This really is an amazing set of verses - not just the ones that we will read but the ones before and after as well. What we see is where Jesus brought about life-change in people in different ways. Just before this passage we find where a leper went to Jesus and asked that if Jesus were willing, He could heal him. Jesus was willing! Then we have friends bringing a man to Jesus. Afterwards Jesus goes after one and invites him to be a follower and disciple of His. Matthew the tax collector, the one that wrote the first gospel was that convert. Friend, people come to Christ in many different ways, but the bottom line is that there is a desperate need for every person to come to Christ. Some friends invited you because they care about you. That's a true friend. Note some other true friends,
Luke 5:17-26
5:17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was [present] to heal them.
5:18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.
5:19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with [his] bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
5:20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."
5:21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
5:22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
5:23 "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'?
5:24 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
5:25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
5:26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"
"The scribes and Pharisees picked a good time to attend one of our Lord's meetings, because God's power was present in a special way and Jesus would heal a man with palsy. If leprosy illustrates the corruption and defilement of sin, then palsy is a picture of the paralysis that sin produces in a life. But Jesus would do more than heal the man; He would also forgive his sins and teach the crowd a lesson in forgiveness."1
Three major points I want to share with you,
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The Faith of the Friends vv 17-20
This is what we see of the friends,
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They were concerned vv 17b-18. Here we read of a group of men, four of them to be exact, and they have a concern for a friend. What sparked their concern? It's simple. They had already experienced Jesus for themselves! Luke says that the power of the Lord was present to heal them. Now, as you read that statement, your mind may go to physical healing. Let me go ahead and make something clear here. Thank God for physical healings and I can say that I've been witness to some. But there is a greater healing than a physical healing - it's the healing of the soul - the forgiveness of the sin that strangles the soul and sets a man free. ONLY the power of the Lord can do that friend! And for those that may get most excited by the physical healing, just remember that later on in this man's life there would four or six men that would him again - this time to his grave. So, these men had a concern for their friend, but it began because they had already personally experienced Jesus Christ for themselves.
I want you to understand that Jesus always has the power to heal. God always wants to work, and I'm convinced of that in this room this morning. But there were times that circumstances were not always favorable. "What do you mean preacher?" I mean that there are some folks here today, just as it was on this day when this event took place that were so close to the life-changing power, yet walked away unchanged. Don't let that be you dear friend. God wants to do a work in your life, and He can do a work in your life, but will you allow Him?
So these friends, having experienced the life changing power of Jesus, are concerned about a friend of theirs.
It's good to be concerned, but faith is more than just concern. Also notice,
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They were convinced vv 17b-18. I want you to see two key points they were convinced about.
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They were convinced of God's power. Again, notice the powerful statement that doctor Luke tells us - "the power of the Lord was present to heal them." There was never a question in their mind that God is able. And God is still able today! Why were they convinced of His power? They had a personal experience of it! How? I don't know. When? I don't know. But this I do know. They just knew that God is able. At some time they had personally experienced perhaps a physical healing, but most definitely a spiritual healing. It's amazing how many times that we limit what God really wants to do because we just aren't convinced that God is able. Some people will just shuffle through life because they were never truly convinced that God is able. Some churches will just shuffle through year after year and nothing ever happens because all they did was dream, but they never were fully convinced that God is able. God, help us to have our minds made up and settled on the fact that God can.
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They were convinced the man could be changed if they just got him to Jesus. Can you see these guys talking amongst themselves and saying that if they can just somehow get this man to Jesus then he's going to be different? Can't you see that happening? Can't you see them agreeing amongst themselves? "Joe, I'm really concerned about Larry. He can't walk. He's miserable. But I just know that if we can somehow some way get him to Jesus, that things would change for him. He wouldn't be miserable anymore - and the Lord may even heal him and cause him to be able to walk again!" And can't you see another one of the men chime in? "I know that Jesus could change Larry! He changed me! And my wife can see the change. My kids see the change. Even the butcher down the street has seen the change! My neighbors no longer hear me raising my voice and throwing things in the house. In fact, I've seen them out at just about dark because they have been amazed by the laughter and no screaming! I know that Jesus can bring about the change Larry needs." Hey! They were convinced this paralyzed man, this unforgiven man, could be changed if only he were able to get to Jesus. But also notice,
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They were committed. Notice what they did NOT do. They did not send word to this paralyzed man, "Hey Larry, if you can get over to Jesus sometime, He would make a difference in your life. We'll be praying for you buddy." No, they didn't do that.
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They brought him. These four men truly had faith. Faith was not just an acceptance of facts. Faith is always an action. They went and got the man and brought him to Jesus! They probably had to give up something to get him there. They may have missed work. A business deal may have fallen through because of it. They may have missed their golf game. They were willing to miss whatever because they had a deep concerned about a lost friend and a deep conviction about the One that could save. They brought him, but we see that they could not get in. Why? Because there were a bunch of critical religious people trying to find some reason or argument to discredit Jesus as the Christ - and they weren't about to move! "How tragic it is when spectators stand in the way of people who want to meet Jesus."2 Listen; please don't be a spectator when Jesus wants to bring about change in others' lives. But these men would not be denied.
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They went to an extreme measure to get him to Jesus. They made the first skylight recorded in Scripture! They cut a hole in someone's roof - and they may not have known the owner - just to get this man to Jesus. And I'll bet the religious spectators didn't like it! They may have gotten some dust on their robes! But it didn't matter to these friends. They had a friend that needed a life change - and they were going to do whatever it takes.
Can that be said of you? Believer, to what measure would you go to in order to get a friend to Jesus? Would you fit into the class of "friend" with these four? I want you to understand that, "There are many people who are not going to receive the message of salvation unless you lift a corner of their stretcher and carry them to the place where they can hear the Word of the Lord. They are paralyzed-immobilized by sin and by many other things the world holds for them. Some are paralyzed by prejudice and others by indifference. They are never going to hear Jesus say to them, "Thy sins are forgiven thee," unless you take the corner of their stretcher and bring them to Him."3 Thank God for the faith of the friends. But I also want you to see,
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The Message of the Master vv 17, 20-24
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I want you to see the message of Jesus here,
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Brief. The words really are very few as the paralyzed man was before Jesus. In fact, as we will see, Jesus had more words to say to the religious leaders while the man was present than what he actually said to the man himself. Jesus didn't go into a discussion on the depravity of man or the ins and outs of a lot of things. He addressed the need. His message was brief. But here's where it gets interesting. It was also,
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Bold. Notice the first thing that Jesus says to the paralytic, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." Wow! That's bold! But the boldness isn't over. Here Jesus shows that not only is He fully man, but He is also fully God. He knew the reasoning in the hearts of the religious leaders. How would you feel if I knew what you were thinking right now? But here is Jesus in His omniscience and He calls the religious leaders on their quandary and He brings everything to a head. Notice the questions. "Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you' or 'Rise up and walk'?" Well to be honest, it's just as easy to say one as the other, "but it is another thing to do either, since both are humanly impossible. The point here seems to be that it is easier to say "Your sins are forgiven you," because there is no way of telling if it has happened. If you say, "Rise up and walk," then it is easy to see if the patient has been healed."4 In other words, there will be proof. So, Jesus calls them on it and He asserts His boldness by telling them that they will know the man's sins are forgiven when they see that He gets up and walks.
But before we go on, I want to remind you of what led to this man's forgiveness of sin. Go back to verse 20 where Luke under inspiration of the Holy Spirit tells us that Jesus, the God-Man, saw the faith - not just of the men that carried the man and lowered him into the room, but also of the man that was being carried. I'm convinced that Jesus could see into the eyes of that paralytic and He saw the desperation this man was feeling - not because of his physical condition but his spiritual condition. But a great thing is about to happen.
Friend, I want you to understand something about Jesus' message to you - it will be bold. To come to Christ does not mean that you come to a bargaining table and you work out something with Him. You have nothing to bargain with! You have talents you say - but who gave them to you? You have money you say - but who gave you the ability to work? You come from a good family - but who created you? Friend, I want you to understand that until you realize and readily confess that you are spiritually bankrupt will you ever see your need for a Savior. Do you want someone to make you feel good on your way to hell? They're out there. But you'll regret it for eternity. Jesus' words to a lost soul are, "Come to Me… Trust Me… Seek after Me…." Something else I want you to see about the message of the Master, and this is always the case; it was marked by a,
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Beckon. That is, Jesus told this man to do something. He told him to get up and walk and go home. What if the man would have said, "I don't know Jesus. I'm kind of used to my mat and not being able to get around…. I don't know about this Jesus. You mean I would have to leave this way of life that I've known? What if it doesn't happen, Jesus? What if when I try to get up and walk, it just doesn't happen?" Isn't that the reasoning that we hear today? "I don't know if I'm ready to come to Christ right now. I've got some things I'm doing right now, and I just don't know what He would make me do. I just don't think I'm ready…. What if Jesus really won't change me? What if He really can't save me?"
Friend, I want you to know that when you get as desperate as this man and realize that spiritually you are bankrupt and that you are on your way to a real place called Hell - you'll be desperate for a change AND you'll be willing to trust in the One that bids you to come after Him AND you'll trust Him enough to do what seems crazy - leave your way of life for the life you never thought was possible. Jesus does more than just give us some good things to think about - He calls us to action; He calls us to trust Him alone.
It is absolutely true that forgiven sin always call for a public action. That was the beckon that Jesus gave to this man. And we see where He was healed - physically and spiritually. Immediately, Luke says, he rose up, took up his bed, and left the house - different. But that wasn't all. Everyone could see that he was changed physically, but what about the spiritual change? Notice what he did while he was on his way to his house - he glorified God! I can just see him walking through the crowd singing, "This is how it is to be free. This is what it means to know I am forgiven!" His focus in life changed - no longer self but the Savior! He was a forgiven man and it flowed out, and always flows out, through his lips and his living!
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The message of the Master hasn't changed - it's still brief, "You must be born again." It's still bold - "You'll not get to heaven apart from a relationship with Me." And it's still a beckon - "Come to Me and trust Me alone. Call on My Name now and you will be saved." But will you by faith respond to His beckoning? I want you to see a third point,
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The Response of the Rest vv 21, 25-26
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Notice the responses that are recorded.
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The sinner - we just saw that He was saved and it showed. But also notice,
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The saved - his friends. We see as well where the healed man was not the only one that glorified the Lord. This man's friends, and the others that had already experienced a change, were once again amazed and glorified God by what they saw. You know something? It is never less than amazing to see someone else come to Christ. It's amazing every time I see it happen. It's still something to get excited about. By the way, the angels in heaven rejoice when one sinner comes to Christ; so should we! But that wasn't all. Luke tells us that they were filled with fear because it was a strange and incredible thing they saw. It was not a fear where they were afraid of God or scared that something else might happen. No, it means a reverential fear, an awe of what God is doing. It's not everyday that one sees a roof torn apart, a man lowered, and then he leaves the room walking out. These people were beside themselves and would not be the same after they saw what just happened. It was something they would not soon forget.
I want to say again that when the presence of God and the power of God are present - great and unforgettable things will take place. But here's what is amazing - not everyone was changed, not everyone was excited.
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The scoffers and skeptics - they were furious. This was only one more event for the religious leaders to do something to get rid of this Man that had upset the status quo. Even hearing with their very ears and witnessing with their very eyes an incredible change - yet they refused to change. They refused to see that the One they thought was blaspheming was really the One and the only One that could forgive sins.
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What will be your response today? There are some that need to respond as that paralyzed man did - take Jesus at His word and give your life to Him. There are believers here that will respond with glorifying God and doing their best to make sure the angels don't outdo them in celebrating the change Jesus has brought about in other's lives. But I fear there may be some that will refuse to trust for fear that your status quo may be upset. Some would rather stay in a sinking boat than for it to be rocked and them rescued.
But maybe you're thinking that you have time. "Why the urgency, Brian?" Why don't you ask these four friends that were urgent in their actions? They could have waited until Jesus finished teaching. They could have sent word for Him. Surely He would have come. Why did they tear a roof apart to get to Jesus right then? Why allow one more moment to go by without Jesus? And better yet, we just don't know what's going to happen in the next few moments. There was a lady that had been a very faithful attender here ever since she moved here from Virginia who had a full set of plans for the weekend last weekend - but they quickly came to a halt on Saturday when a brain aneurysm claimed her life. No signs, no warnings - she was gone. But here was the great and comforting news - she had trusted Christ as a young lady.
Dear friend, it is appointed unto man once to die - we just don't know when that appointment will be. It may be today for you, and if so, would you be ready to stand before God? And if God were to ask you why it is that He should let you into His heaven, what would you say?