1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,500 So what is the most distinctive benefit 2 00:00:02,500 --> 00:00:05,660 that Christianity offers? 3 00:00:05,660 --> 00:00:09,380 What is the most distinctive benefit 4 00:00:09,380 --> 00:00:12,340 that Christianity offers? 5 00:00:12,340 --> 00:00:15,580 If we were to hop out onto the streets 6 00:00:15,580 --> 00:00:18,420 and do like an on-camera random survey 7 00:00:18,420 --> 00:00:20,860 and just stop people, we might get a variety 8 00:00:20,860 --> 00:00:23,660 of questions or responses to that question, 9 00:00:23,660 --> 00:00:25,140 what is the most distinctive benefit 10 00:00:25,140 --> 00:00:27,540 that Christianity offers? 11 00:00:27,540 --> 00:00:31,300 Some might say, oh, it offers a moral guideline 12 00:00:31,300 --> 00:00:34,300 or a rule of life, something to live by, 13 00:00:34,300 --> 00:00:38,300 a law to keep or rules to keep. 14 00:00:38,300 --> 00:00:40,840 Others might suggest it's a way of gaining 15 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:42,920 God's acceptance. 16 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,960 We keep those rules and then God accepts us. 17 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,540 He allows us to be right with him. 18 00:00:50,540 --> 00:00:54,040 Others still might say, hey, it's a way 19 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:56,920 of finding meaning in this life. 20 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,460 Christianity offers me meaning. 21 00:01:00,460 --> 00:01:03,460 Or it's a love, it's a force of love 22 00:01:03,460 --> 00:01:06,260 in this evil world and that love helps 23 00:01:06,260 --> 00:01:09,140 to push back the evil and so I'm all about 24 00:01:09,140 --> 00:01:14,140 that love force against evil. 25 00:01:14,140 --> 00:01:15,680 Some might say it's inner peace 26 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,460 or it promotes social responsibility, 27 00:01:18,460 --> 00:01:20,180 it helps me be a better person 28 00:01:20,180 --> 00:01:22,500 so that I can help this world. 29 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:24,340 And still others might say Christianity, 30 00:01:24,340 --> 00:01:27,260 man, it's distinctive benefit is that 31 00:01:27,260 --> 00:01:31,920 it offers me personal fulfillment. 32 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:33,180 But here's the thing, none of those 33 00:01:33,180 --> 00:01:35,680 are complete answers. 34 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,500 None of those are right. 35 00:01:38,500 --> 00:01:42,180 The most distinctive benefit that truly 36 00:01:42,180 --> 00:01:44,520 sets Christianity apart and the one 37 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:49,420 that transcends all others is itself 38 00:01:49,420 --> 00:01:53,340 a response to humanity's greatest need. 39 00:01:53,340 --> 00:01:58,140 See, what Christianity offers as a distinctive benefit 40 00:01:58,140 --> 00:02:03,140 perfectly matches up to humanity's deepest need. 41 00:02:03,180 --> 00:02:04,140 And what is that need? 42 00:02:04,140 --> 00:02:08,180 Well, in John chapter eight, beginning in verse 21, 43 00:02:08,180 --> 00:02:10,840 21 and 24, Jesus gives this sobering warning 44 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:12,680 to the religious elites of his day, 45 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:14,140 the Pharisees and scribes. 46 00:02:14,140 --> 00:02:17,580 He says, I'm going away, I'm going to leave, 47 00:02:17,580 --> 00:02:20,820 I'm going to be gone and you will look for me. 48 00:02:20,820 --> 00:02:22,140 At some point in time, you're going 49 00:02:22,140 --> 00:02:25,380 to look for me and you will die in your sin. 50 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:30,540 For if you do not believe I am he, I am the Messiah, 51 00:02:30,540 --> 00:02:33,720 then you will die in your sins. 52 00:02:35,660 --> 00:02:38,460 This points us to this crucial truth. 53 00:02:40,100 --> 00:02:45,100 What sins people to hell is not sin, 54 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:47,340 but unforgiven sin. 55 00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:51,800 What sins people to hell is not sin, 56 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:53,780 but unforgiven sin. 57 00:02:53,780 --> 00:02:55,200 We all sin. 58 00:02:56,980 --> 00:02:59,500 This is a reality of human existence. 59 00:02:59,500 --> 00:03:02,880 And if our sins remain unforgiven, 60 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,540 we would all face eternal separation from God. 61 00:03:06,540 --> 00:03:08,540 But that's where the heart of the Christian message 62 00:03:08,540 --> 00:03:09,800 shines most. 63 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:14,100 God has made a way for those who come to him in faith 64 00:03:14,100 --> 00:03:17,340 to have their sins removed as far as the east 65 00:03:17,340 --> 00:03:19,540 is from the west, amen? 66 00:03:19,540 --> 00:03:21,840 So the greatest need of humanity then 67 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,440 is for divine forgiveness. 68 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,480 And this is precisely what Christianity offers. 69 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:38,280 In Acts chapter 13 verse 38, we read that through Jesus, 70 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,600 the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 71 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,840 And that this isn't just about being free 72 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,880 from judgment and punishment, but it's about being made 73 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,880 right with God and being justified. 74 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,280 You see, the gospel isn't primarily about morality 75 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:57,080 or philanthropy. 76 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,840 It's not about a moral code to live by 77 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:01,880 or about doing good. 78 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:03,880 That's oftentimes what it's presented as, 79 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,080 and many Christians are confused over that. 80 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:08,480 Is it about morality? 81 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:10,080 I just need to be a better person, 82 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,080 or I need to live more true to what I believe 83 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:14,080 or what I believe God said? 84 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,080 No, set that as it's about forgiveness of sins 85 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:21,080 the essence of the gospel, the most distinctive benefit 86 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:22,280 is forgiveness. 87 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,880 And the astounding part is that God justifies the ungodly. 88 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:33,080 God justifies the sinner, not by ignoring justice 89 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,280 or simply letting people off the hook, 90 00:04:35,280 --> 00:04:39,080 but by burying the punishment of sin upon himself 91 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:42,480 in the person of Jesus that the God of the universe 92 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,080 took on flesh, became like this so that he could take 93 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:51,080 our place as the guilty one so that we might be forgiven. 94 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:58,080 And that cuts right to the heart of Christianity. 95 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:01,480 This is the distinctive, transformative benefit 96 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:06,480 that it offers to every person, divine forgiveness 97 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,080 that meets our deepest need. 98 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,080 And this morning, the story in Mark 99 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,080 that we're gonna look at in Mark chapter two, 100 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,080 so if you have your Bibles, feel free to turn over there. 101 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,080 Mark chapter two, the story in Mark chapter two 102 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:25,080 is a great illustration of just that. 103 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:30,080 One of this, this story also is awesome 104 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:33,080 because it has all of the characters you want 105 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,080 from a good Jesus Bible story. 106 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:39,080 A good Jesus Bible story has Jesus teaching, 107 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,080 it's got lots of crowds around him, 108 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,080 it's got sinners who know they're sinners, 109 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,080 and it's always got these other characters, 110 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:51,080 the Pharisees and scribes, who are stirring things up 111 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:56,080 and making trouble, and so this is a great Jesus story. 112 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:00,080 Mark chapter two, beginning in verse one, 113 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,080 when he entered Capernaum again, after some days, 114 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,080 it was reported that he was at home. 115 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:09,080 So many people gathered together, 116 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,080 so many people gathered together, 117 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,080 that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, 118 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,080 and he was speaking the word to them. 119 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:19,080 We'll start with those first two verses. 120 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,080 So Capernaum is Jesus' home base for ministry. 121 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,080 It's from Capernaum that he's beginning to do ministry, 122 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:26,080 and he'll occasionally go out from there, 123 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:27,080 but it's home base. 124 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:28,080 Well, why is it Capernaum? 125 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,080 Well, that's because he was driven out of Bethlehem, 126 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:35,080 his hometown, and he was driven out of Bethlehem 127 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:37,080 under threat and duress, 128 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:39,080 which is an interesting point to begin with, 129 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,080 because that means Jesus, the Son of God, 130 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:44,080 the most loving, caring, merciful person 131 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:49,080 that has ever existed, was hated and driven out of his hometown 132 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:52,080 and had to make his base in Capernaum. 133 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:54,080 And that alone should tell you something about 134 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,080 what it means to follow Jesus, 135 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,080 what it means to walk with him. 136 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:02,080 He was run out of Bethlehem. 137 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,080 And so he's in Capernaum, and he's teaching out of a home, 138 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:08,080 probably Peter's home, and he set up camp there, 139 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:09,080 and he's teaching. 140 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:10,080 Who's he teaching? 141 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:11,080 He's teaching crowds. 142 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:13,080 There are so many people who have gathered together 143 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:17,080 at this house that there's no more room, 144 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:21,080 not even in the doorway, and he's speaking to them the Word. 145 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:25,080 Now, the crowds are kind of a group in Mark 146 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:28,080 and elsewhere in the Gospels that whenever you read about them, 147 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,080 you should know a little bit about them. 148 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:34,080 And what you should know is that the crowds, more or less, 149 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:36,080 are wonder seekers. 150 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:38,080 They're wonder seekers. 151 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:43,080 So here's a little tidbit about me and my life. 152 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:47,080 Me and my sons have a hobby. 153 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:48,080 I don't know if it's a good hobby. 154 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:49,080 It's a bad hobby. 155 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:50,080 Actually, it is a bad hobby. 156 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:55,080 And that is when we hear about any major forest fire 157 00:07:55,080 --> 00:08:01,080 within 100 miles, what do you think the first thing we do is? 158 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,080 We hop in the car and go get in the way. 159 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:05,080 Exactly. 160 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,080 While other people are suffering under the hand of forest fires, 161 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:12,080 me and my three boys are gawking and looking at where the fire lines are 162 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:15,080 and where we can get around the police barricades 163 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:17,080 to get closer and closer and take pictures. 164 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,080 And we've done this for some time. 165 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:21,080 Sorry for the confession this morning. 166 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:25,080 But the one time that I remember that was really vivid 167 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,080 is when we lived in Bakersfield, 168 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,080 we heard that there was a fire over in Lake Isabella. 169 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:34,080 And we were like, hey, it was late at night. 170 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:38,080 The kids were a lot younger, a lot younger. 171 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:40,080 And they're like, yeah, Dad, let's go. 172 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,080 Outing, let's go see what's going on in Lake Isabella. 173 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,080 So we hop in the car and we begin to drive. 174 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:49,080 And as we drive up the hill, and then it kind of goes up, 175 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:52,080 and then it falls down into the lake basin there. 176 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:56,080 As we rounded that, or we came over to the top of that hill, 177 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,080 we looked around the lake, and all of the mountains around the lake 178 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,080 were just consumed with fire. 179 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:04,080 I'm talking raging fire. 180 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:08,080 It looked like an inferno. 181 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,080 Dante's, and it looked like hell. 182 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:14,080 I mean, it was like, what on earth, surrounded on all sides. 183 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:16,080 And we were on the main freeway. 184 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:20,080 And I remember my middle son beginning to weep 185 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:24,080 as he looked at that, as he saw the fire and the destruction. 186 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,080 And that's when he said, Dad, I don't want to be here anymore. 187 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:31,080 And we pretty much turned around and got out of town. 188 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,080 But we were fire chasers. 189 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:34,080 We were wonder seekers. 190 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:36,080 We were ambulance chasers. 191 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:38,080 We were looking to see what was going on. 192 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:42,080 We were trying to catch a glimpse of the wonder or the sparkle. 193 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:46,080 And the crowds, that's what they often were, were wonder seekers. 194 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,080 They were looking to see something new, like, Jesus, go ahead. 195 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,080 What's your new trick for today? 196 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:55,080 How can I get my thrill from your ministry? 197 00:09:55,080 --> 00:10:00,080 And another feature of the crowds was they were the handout seekers. 198 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:04,080 Jesus feeds them, and they're waiting for more food. 199 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:07,080 And even later, he says, all you want is food from me. 200 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,080 You want what I have. 201 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:12,080 You want to see what I'm doing. 202 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,080 But you don't know who I am. 203 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:17,080 You don't know who I am. 204 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:22,080 And who I am is far more important than seeing all of the thrills that I can do. 205 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:25,080 Jesus did perform miracles. 206 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:26,080 He did heal the sick. 207 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:27,080 He did cast out demons. 208 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:30,080 But the miracles were never the main point. 209 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:33,080 The miracles weren't the main point. 210 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:39,080 Jesus used the miracles to demonstrate who he was, what kind of authority he had, 211 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:42,080 where he came from, and what his mission was. 212 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:48,080 Crowds couldn't see past the miracles to see Jesus as the Savior and Messiah that he was. 213 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:57,080 Mark never records that the crowds repent of their sins, put their faith in Jesus Christ, 214 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:03,080 follow him, just looking for the next thrill. 215 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:09,080 And so word is spreading that Jesus is doing these wonderful things. 216 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:15,080 And he's healed a man with leprosy just before this and told him not to tell anyone. 217 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,080 And guess what? The leopard just ran out and did right away. 218 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,080 Told everyone. 219 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:26,080 And so the crowds are coming to see this miracle worker. 220 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:31,080 And Jesus, in his compassion, speaks the word to them. 221 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:34,080 Maybe his disciples have gathered around and he's speaking, 222 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:39,080 but he's speaking the word to all those who will come in here. 223 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:42,080 And he's proclaiming the good news of the kingdom. 224 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:47,080 The good news of the kingdom, as Acts 13 said earlier, is what? 225 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:51,080 Jesus forgives sins. 226 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:57,080 And so he's teaching the good news of the kingdom, but Jesus needs an illustration. 227 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:04,080 And so this story is like a real life parable that's playing out right before them. 228 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:07,080 Verse 3. 229 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:18,080 And so we have four friends who decide that they're going to carry a paralyzed man to Jesus. 230 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:20,080 And I'll tell you this this morning. 231 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:24,080 Good friends carry their friends to Jesus. 232 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:29,080 And they're going to carry a paralyzed man to Jesus. 233 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:32,080 And they're going to carry a paralyzed man to Jesus. 234 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:37,080 And I'll tell you this this morning, good friends carry their friends to Jesus. 235 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:39,080 Amen. 236 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:44,080 Good friends carry their friends to Jesus. 237 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,080 We don't know this man's story at all. 238 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:50,080 We don't know that what he did or how he got in the condition. 239 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:52,080 Was it from birth or did it happen later? 240 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:53,080 Was it an accident? 241 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:57,080 But one thing we do know is that he hung out with some pretty cool guys 242 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:06,080 because he was able to get four guys to hoist him up and carry him to go see Jesus. 243 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,080 But the crowd is out the front door. 244 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:11,080 There's going to be no way. 245 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:15,080 You're going to wait hours, maybe days. 246 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:19,080 No way to get him to Jesus. 247 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:25,080 And so you know what good friends do? 248 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,080 Good friends tear the roof off. 249 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:32,080 You know, good friends, they just get a little redneck. 250 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,080 You know, redneck, right? 251 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:41,080 Redneck is all about duct tape, camo, NASCAR, and doing whatever it takes to make it work. 252 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:42,080 Get her done. 253 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:43,080 Yeah, exactly. 254 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:48,080 Good friends go a little redneck when it comes to getting their friends to Jesus. 255 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,080 And these guys are no different. 256 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:54,080 Those homes were made of basalt, unfinished basalt bricks that were stacked up. 257 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,080 Plaster on the outside. 258 00:13:56,080 --> 00:14:01,080 And the roof was made of wood beams that would have reeds laid across them and plaster on top of it. 259 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:05,080 And so it was kind of like a square box that you lived in. 260 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:09,080 And you lived inside, but you could take these stairs up to the rooftop, 261 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:14,080 maybe for a nice evening of candlelight and wine on the roof or whatever, 262 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:16,080 or for getting your friend to Jesus. 263 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,080 And that's exactly what they did. 264 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:20,080 They carried their friend up on top of the roof. 265 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,080 Could you imagine what that would have been like? 266 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:25,080 Because these guys were pretty good. 267 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:27,080 They pinpointed right where Jesus is at, 268 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:30,080 and they know exactly where to bring their friend and drop him down. 269 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:35,080 And they began to pick at that roof until it begins to open up. 270 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:37,080 And you can imagine being inside. 271 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,080 I mean, just imagine right now if Roy was up in the attic. 272 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,080 Right here, right? 273 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:45,080 And pretty soon we see his feet come through, right? 274 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:47,080 And the dust starts falling. 275 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:51,080 Like, do I keep preaching or should I stop and see if he's okay? 276 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:53,080 I don't know what to do here. 277 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:57,080 Imagine what that site would have been like. 278 00:14:57,080 --> 00:14:59,080 Very unconventional. 279 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:04,080 Imagine the barriers, the social barriers that those men must have broke through 280 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:10,080 to get their friend to Jesus. 281 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:12,080 They knew they had to get him there. 282 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:20,080 They needed to get him there that day, that hour, that moment. 283 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:24,080 Are you convinced that if you could get your friends to Jesus, 284 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:27,080 that he could meet their greatest need? 285 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:32,080 Are you convinced that if you could get your friends to Jesus, 286 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:37,080 that he could meet their greatest need? 287 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:41,080 Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, 288 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:48,080 son, your sins are forgiven. 289 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:51,080 What a pronouncement. 290 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,080 What an amazing statement. 291 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:58,080 Probably overwhelming. 292 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:01,080 But not where the story seemed like it was going. 293 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:06,080 The story is a story of four men carrying a paralytic toward Jesus. 294 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:12,080 And the first thing that's out of Jesus' mouth is, your sins are forgiven. 295 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:15,080 This was supposed to be a healing story. 296 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:22,080 This was supposed to be about wonder and razzle and dazzle and lights and glitter. 297 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:30,080 And Jesus looks and says, oh, there's so much greater need that you have 298 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:34,080 than even your paralyzed, crippled state. 299 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:39,080 And he cuts through and says, your sins are forgiven. 300 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:44,080 They must have believed in Jesus. 301 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:46,080 Something about it says they saw their faith. 302 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:49,080 And you notice it wasn't that he saw his faith. 303 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:54,080 It was the faith of the four and the man together to get to Jesus. 304 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:55,080 Jesus saw something. 305 00:16:55,080 --> 00:17:02,080 And his response means that they came with more than healing on their minds. 306 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,080 They weren't like the crowd. 307 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,080 The crowd came for the razzle and dazzle. 308 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:10,080 Whoever these four plus one is, they came with something else on the mind. 309 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:13,080 I have to get to Jesus, the Messiah. 310 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:15,080 I have to get to Jesus, the King. 311 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:20,080 I have to get to Jesus, the ruler and Lord, because he's going to do something. 312 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:24,080 I have to get to Jesus. 313 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,080 They must have believed him as Messiah. 314 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:34,080 Maybe they had heard of John the Baptist proclaiming as he saw Jesus approaching, 315 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:41,080 behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 316 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:49,080 Whatever it was, it was more than that consumeristic focused transaction that they had come from. 317 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:51,080 Four. 318 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:54,080 They didn't simply believe that Jesus could heal. 319 00:17:54,080 --> 00:18:03,080 They believed in Jesus, in who he was, and what he could accomplish on their behalf. 320 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:08,080 They trusted in and hoped in him as Savior. 321 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:12,080 He was their Savior. 322 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:20,080 And Jesus' response to the paralytic is the response that we can expect from him for anyone who comes to him in faith. 323 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:25,080 Anyone who comes in faith, your mother, your brother, your sister, your friend, your co-worker, 324 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:37,080 if they come to Jesus in faith, he will say to them, son, daughter, your sins are forgiven. 325 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:46,080 And this faith, to come to him in trust and hope, not for the razzle-dazzle, but for who he is and what he's about, 326 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:50,080 this faith is what's necessary for salvation. 327 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:53,080 The Bible says that even demons believe. 328 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:58,080 Even demons know his power and they know his purpose and they know his authority. 329 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:01,080 They know who he is. 330 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:04,080 It even says that they shudder. 331 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,080 They shudder, but you know what they don't do? 332 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:10,080 They don't bow the knee. 333 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:14,080 They don't give the glory and honor alone to Christ. 334 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:18,080 They don't trust in him completely. 335 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:28,080 The faith that is necessary to save requires trust and hope in him as Savior. 336 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:33,080 Jesus had supernatural ability to discern people's motives. 337 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:38,080 But it can't go unnoticed that faith is visible. 338 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:42,080 It can't go unnoticed that faith is visible. 339 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:47,080 It's not simply some internal quality that you possess. 340 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:52,080 Oh, me and my precious little faith, I like to keep it to myself. 341 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:55,080 It's private and personal, my faith. 342 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:58,080 Not this kind of faith. 343 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:00,080 Not saving faith. 344 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:01,080 Not forgiving faith. 345 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:04,080 Forgiving faith becomes visible. 346 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:05,080 It can't help it. 347 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:08,080 It works itself outward. 348 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:15,080 It acts in accord with what it believes and what it thinks about the Savior. 349 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:17,080 And so it is with these four men. 350 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:22,080 What they believed about who Jesus was, these four men plus the paralytic, 351 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:25,080 whatever it is they believed about him, made them act. 352 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:28,080 They had to get to him. 353 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:34,080 They had to put feet to belief. 354 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:39,080 Matthew Henry, the English minister, author, many of you have probably heard of his commentaries, 355 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:40,080 the Matthew Henry commentaries. 356 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:47,080 He says of the four and the paralytic, their faith was shown by their works. 357 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:51,080 And what they could not themselves do for their friends, 358 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:56,080 they brought him to Christ to do for him. 359 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:01,080 Hey, we all love having a good friend who can help you, let you borrow a pickup truck 360 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:05,080 or come on over and help you move or just kick back with you and watch a sports game. 361 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:10,080 We all love good friends who can do for us what we need, companionship and friendship. 362 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:14,080 But when these friends realized this was beyond, above their pay grade, 363 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:16,080 they had to get him to an expert. 364 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,080 They had to get him to a Savior. 365 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:24,080 They had to get him to Jesus. 366 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:29,080 So how is your faith expressing in action? 367 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:35,080 Can you look at your life and say, my faith is bursting out, 368 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:39,080 bursting at the seams into my life. 369 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:46,080 I saw that I did this or said this or acted this way because my faith could not be contained, 370 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:53,080 but began to work itself out through who I am and what I do and who I know. 371 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:54,080 That may be a good question for you. 372 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:58,080 That may be a better question for the person sitting next to you. 373 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:03,080 How is my faith working its way out? 374 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:06,080 That'll tell you what you really believe. 375 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:10,080 That'll tell you what you really believe. 376 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:18,080 And how is that faith changing the lives and destinies of others around you? 377 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:23,080 But some of the scribes, there they are, that one group of people. 378 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:27,080 Some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts, 379 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,080 why does he speak like this? 380 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:32,080 He's blaspheming. 381 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:36,080 Who can forgive sins but God alone? 382 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:39,080 Not everyone is happy. 383 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:47,080 Jesus just looked at the man and said, your sins are forgiven and not everyone's happy. 384 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:54,080 I can tell you this, not everyone will be happy with you all the time. 385 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:57,080 How many of you guys know that's true? 386 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:04,080 Let me tell you, over the last few months, I've found it to be very true 387 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:07,080 that not everyone will be happy with you all the time. 388 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,080 And that's okay. 389 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:11,080 That's okay. 390 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:18,080 Jesus was run out of town, out of his hometown, under threat. 391 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:23,080 Jesus was proclaiming the kingdom of God and the forgiveness of sins 392 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:30,080 and someone was sitting on the side going, I don't know if he should be doing that. 393 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:36,080 The kingdom of God was unfolding in their sight and someone was like, I don't know. 394 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:41,080 I would have done it differently. 395 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:45,080 Not everyone will be happy. 396 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:49,080 The scribes of that time, they were the religious elites. 397 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:53,080 They weren't the professionals, like they weren't the priesthood, 398 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:56,080 but they sure made themselves professional, man. 399 00:23:56,080 --> 00:24:01,080 The scribes and the Pharisees, there was this class of people, lay people, 400 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:04,080 who took really seriously the laws, 401 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:08,080 so much so that they wanted to obey them and keep them down to the minutiae. 402 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,080 And then when they realized, man, that gets really hard 403 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:14,080 or it's really hard to remember all of the hundreds of laws, 404 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:16,080 we have a really good idea. 405 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:20,080 Let's make more laws and more rules to keep us far from the original laws 406 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:23,080 so that we don't ever get close and accidentally violate them. 407 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:25,080 That was these guys, right? 408 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:30,080 And they're looking and going, who is this man who is proclaiming forgiveness of sins? 409 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:34,080 What is he doing? Who does he think he is? 410 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,080 He doesn't dare think he's God, does he? 411 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:41,080 And so they, in their hearts, say he's blaspheming. 412 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:43,080 Only God can do this. 413 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:46,080 But verse 8 says, right away, Jesus perceived in his spirit 414 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:52,080 that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, 415 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:54,080 why are you thinking these things in your heart? 416 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:58,080 Which is easier to say to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven, 417 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:02,080 or to say, get up and take your mat and walk, 418 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:06,080 but so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth 419 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:09,080 to forgive sins, he told the paralytic, 420 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:15,080 I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home. 421 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:21,080 Immediately he got up, took his mat, and went out in front of everyone. 422 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:26,080 And as a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, 423 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:33,080 saying, we have never seen anything like this. 424 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:37,080 The climax of this story is this, Jesus said he forgave the man's sins, 425 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,080 but were they really forgiven? 426 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:43,080 How could you know? Sure, he said it, 427 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:47,080 but how could anyone really, really, really know? 428 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:51,080 And Jesus validates his claim to have the power and authority as God to forgive, 429 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:59,080 and so he heals him, and people are awestruck. 430 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:05,080 They got their razzle-dazzle. They got stirred up. 431 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:10,080 The guy gets healed spiritually, physically, the friends rejoice, 432 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:15,080 the crowds, they got their show, they got their hit, one more hit, 433 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:19,080 to keep them going, Jesus, you better not say anything that hurts them 434 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:22,080 or offends them, because they're going to turn on him any second now. 435 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:28,080 And the scribes and the Pharisees, well, the story goes on, they're enraged. 436 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:33,080 Because they had the political power, they had the ear of the people, 437 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:37,080 they could pass judgment and hold all kinds of things over people, 438 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:40,080 and they're going, who's this new guy in town, and what is he doing? 439 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:46,080 He's challenging our authority. He's acting like he's God. 440 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:50,080 And he's able to do crazy, cool things, like heal that guy. 441 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:56,080 We don't know what to do. We should kill him. 442 00:26:56,080 --> 00:27:01,080 And that's all in a day's work for Jesus. 443 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:06,080 This story, as I said at the beginning, illustrates the reality 444 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:10,080 that the most distinctive benefit that Christianity offers, 445 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:15,080 more than anything else, more than a moral guideline or some fulfillment in life, 446 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:20,080 is the forgiveness of sins. 447 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:24,080 I'm going to invite the worship team to come on up as we close. 448 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:35,080 I want to remind you that our greatest need is forgiveness. 449 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:40,080 And the gospel of Jesus Christ offers just that. 450 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:47,080 Your friends and your family, I'm sure if you're like me or like many, 451 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:52,080 you can see that they have lots of physical needs. 452 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:57,080 How many of you guys know someone who has a physical need right now? 453 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:01,080 There are a lot of physical needs. 454 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:07,080 Being in the position that I'm in, I oftentimes get the reports of what folks are going through. 455 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:13,080 And I'll be honest, of everything that I have to keep track of in my mind of what's going on, 456 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:19,080 that's the most difficult because it's all the time. 457 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:26,080 Sickness, disease, emergency. 458 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:31,080 Maybe those you know, friends or family, struggle with depression or feelings of worthlessness, 459 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:37,080 and you look and you go, oh, I want that to change. 460 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:41,080 I want them to be free from that affliction. 461 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:49,080 I would do anything for them if I could make them better. 462 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:51,080 Some have needs for healing. 463 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:57,080 Their body is failing or falling apart, and they need wholeness and they're hurting. 464 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:04,080 And you look and you suffer with them as you see what they go through. 465 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:09,080 Or maybe some are stuck under the power of an addiction and overcome by it. 466 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:17,080 I know a few stories that are playing out right now of families struggling with addiction 467 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:26,080 and the horrors that it wreaks on everyone around. 468 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:34,080 Maybe there's behavioral issues that you pray and you cry and you spill tears asking God, 469 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:41,080 help, change, set them free. 470 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:50,080 I don't want to invalidate any of those realities, but I do want to say before that, 471 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:56,080 their greatest need is for forgiveness. 472 00:29:56,080 --> 00:30:00,080 Before their physical ailment or that thing that they're going through or the struggle, 473 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:04,080 before all of that, their greatest human need is for forgiveness. 474 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,080 Some of you guys know this. 475 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:07,080 Some of you guys have experienced this. 476 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:09,080 God, you've been walking with God. 477 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:10,080 You love the Lord. 478 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:14,080 You worship him with all of your heart, and yet he allows suffering into your life 479 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:17,080 because he wants to make you into something. 480 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:23,080 You know that suffering does not mean God doesn't love you. 481 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:29,080 Suffering and pain, sometimes disease and hurting, sometimes those things that I just listed off, 482 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:33,080 that does not mean God does not love you. 483 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:37,080 But God prioritizes your spiritual health. 484 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:45,080 God prioritizes more than anything the forgiveness of sin. 485 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:52,080 We're going to get to the other part, but before that, forgiveness of sin. 486 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:55,080 Are you right before God? 487 00:30:55,080 --> 00:31:01,080 Have you come to Jesus Christ in faith believing that he is the only way? 488 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:05,080 Have you forsaken all other ways and cast yourself wholly upon him, 489 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:09,080 that if he doesn't save you, you are utterly lost? 490 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:12,080 That's what it means to come to Jesus in faith. 491 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:19,080 That's what it means to find salvation. 492 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:24,080 And there, if you are there, if you are in Christ, then your sins are forgiven. 493 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:27,080 Cast as far as the east is from the west. 494 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:28,080 Remember no more. 495 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:33,080 Put behind the Lord so that he no longer sees them. 496 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:39,080 And all he sees is Christ's righteousness in place of your sin. 497 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:43,080 But if you haven't, the time is now. 498 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:49,080 The day of salvation is today. 499 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:57,080 God wants to speak over you, daughter or son, your sins are forgiven. 500 00:31:57,080 --> 00:32:00,080 But you know what? 501 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:06,080 For some of the folks you know, for them to ever hear that, 502 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:11,080 they may just need you to get them to him. 503 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:17,080 They may need you to carry them to Jesus. 504 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:19,080 Are you willing? 505 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:25,080 Are you willing to go through what it takes to get your friends to Jesus? 506 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:27,080 You are the key. 507 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:29,080 How are you carrying them to Jesus? 508 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,080 And I would say prayer is a great start. 509 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,080 Prayer is a great start. 510 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:36,080 And for some, maybe the relationship has shut down. 511 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:38,080 There's no more communication. 512 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:40,080 Prayer is the only thing. 513 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:43,080 Prayer is where we have to begin, and prayer is what we must maintain. 514 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:50,080 But prayer is not the whole story. 515 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:56,080 Sometimes you might have to get a little redneck with your friends to get them to Jesus. 516 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:57,080 Get her done. 517 00:32:57,080 --> 00:32:59,080 Find a way. 518 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:03,080 Through all of the embarrassment, through all of the difficulty, 519 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:07,080 if you believe Jesus is who he is and he's providing what he's providing, 520 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:10,080 how could you not? 521 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:11,080 Get your friends. 522 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:18,080 Carry them to Jesus. 523 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:22,080 I was at Starbucks the other day. 524 00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:23,080 I was walking up. 525 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:29,080 And if you know me, I'm pretty much, you can catch me on any given Sunday 526 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,080 with a Starbucks in my hand as I'm walking around. 527 00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:35,080 I'm pretty much Starbucks glued to my left hand. 528 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:39,080 Mostly undrunk, though, like I drink so slow that it runs out of ice, 529 00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:40,080 and I end up throwing him away. 530 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:45,080 And my wife is always on my case. 531 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:48,080 Walking up to Starbucks to get my drink. 532 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:54,080 And I overhear a man comes out of the driveway, the drive-through. 533 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:57,080 And right next to the drive-through is the outdoor seating. 534 00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:01,080 And there are four women, young women, who are sitting there talking. 535 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:04,080 And I see the car out of the corner of my eye, and he pulls up, 536 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:06,080 and he rolled down his window. 537 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:12,080 And I hear him, and he says, hey, I just want to tell you something. 538 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:14,080 I know it's going to be weird. 539 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:20,080 It's going to be strange, but I just want you to know that Jesus loves you 540 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:23,080 and that he's made a way for you to have a relationship with him, 541 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:27,080 that he loves you and he wants you to come to him, 542 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:31,080 that he wants you to give yourself to him, and he's made a way, 543 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:34,080 and that through faith and coming to the Lord, 544 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:38,080 that he will accept you and love you. 545 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:42,080 That's what he wants for you. 546 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:45,080 And then he more or less says, and he says, 547 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:47,080 and my wife's in the backseat with my baby, 548 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:52,080 so don't think this is some sort of pickup line there. 549 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:56,080 He rolls up the window and drives off. 550 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:59,080 And you know what I was most interested in? 551 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:03,080 That was cool, but I wanted to hang around and hear what they had to say. 552 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:09,080 So I kind of hang around the door like a creeper, just like doing my best. 553 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:11,080 I'm not doing anything. 554 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:15,080 Did I leave something somewhere? 555 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:21,080 And I hear them go, wow, that was crazy. 556 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:29,080 Like, how odd and amazing that someone would do that. 557 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:33,080 And then one of them looked at the other one and said, do you go to church? 558 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:37,080 And she said, I haven't since I was a kid. 559 00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:39,080 But, huh, interesting. 560 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:44,080 You just saw that their brains were working, their mind was working, 561 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:50,080 the spirit was working, as that man, who knows what he was doing? 562 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:53,080 He probably went away going, ugh, that was awkward. 563 00:35:53,080 --> 00:36:00,080 I don't know if I ever want to do that again. 564 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:06,080 There was a moment where I saw someone who risked it. 565 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:08,080 They saw these four ladies that they never knew. 566 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:12,080 They didn't know anything and were willing to risk the embarrassment, 567 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:16,080 the shutdown to say, I met someone. 568 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:20,080 It reminds me of the woman at the well, right? 569 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:26,080 After her exchange with Jesus, she's like, what just happened? 570 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:30,080 She goes into town and she's like, I met someone. 571 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:32,080 That's where the story could end. 572 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:38,080 I met someone and you've got to meet him. 573 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:39,080 I met someone. 574 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:40,080 You've got to meet him. 575 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:44,080 What he did in me, what he did for me, what he gave to me, 576 00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:48,080 how he changed me, how he accepted me and loved me. 577 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:50,080 You have to meet him. 578 00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:53,080 I think oftentimes when we think about what it means to bring our friends 579 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:55,080 and our family and the people we know to Jesus, 580 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:59,080 we oftentimes just make it all about us. 581 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:01,080 But I'm going to feel weird. 582 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:04,080 But I'm not going to do that. 583 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:07,080 That would be embarrassing. 584 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:09,080 And then we try to project. 585 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,080 We know what they're going to think, right? 586 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:15,080 We know how they're going, oh, they wouldn't want to hear that or whatever it is. 587 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:19,080 We just need to stop thinking about ourselves. 588 00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:21,080 Have you met Jesus? 589 00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:28,080 Because if you met Jesus, if you've encountered Jesus like I've encountered Jesus, 590 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:31,080 we've got something to tell. 591 00:37:31,080 --> 00:37:33,080 We've got someone, we've got a lot of introductions to make. 592 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:36,080 You've got to meet my Jesus. 593 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:38,080 He loved me. He accepted me. 594 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:41,080 He saw me where I was at. 595 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:43,080 He saw me when I was lost. 596 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:44,080 He knew my name. 597 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:50,080 He called to me when I was 16 years old and I didn't have any hope. 598 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:52,080 He gave me purpose. He gave me life. 599 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,080 I didn't have to find it in some book or set of rules to follow. 600 00:37:55,080 --> 00:38:01,080 I found it in a person who loved me and knew me and called my name and said, 601 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:08,080 son, you are forgiven. 602 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:10,080 And my life changed. 603 00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:12,080 It's not what it was. 604 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:14,080 I don't want to go back. 605 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:18,080 I don't want to unknow him. 606 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:33,080 But I want courage to share with everyone about this person that I met that changed my life. 607 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:34,080 Carry people to Jesus. 608 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:43,080 There's a famous magician and a vowed atheist named Penn Teller. 609 00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:44,080 I can't remember what group he's in. 610 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:49,080 He's in two names, Penn and Teller. 611 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:51,080 So yes. 612 00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:55,080 So his last name is probably not Teller. 613 00:38:55,080 --> 00:38:57,080 But he's an avowed atheist. 614 00:38:57,080 --> 00:39:05,080 And he once said he has no respect for someone, someone who believes that they know the way, 615 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:12,080 they know the truth, and they know the life, but won't evangelize the people they know. 616 00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:14,080 There's no respect for people. 617 00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:16,080 I may not agree with them. 618 00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:22,080 I may not align with their belief, but I can tell you that they're lying through their teeth 619 00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:26,080 if they say they believe it, but they won't tell anyone. 620 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:34,080 His exact quote is, how much do you have to hate someone to believe everlasting life is possible 621 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:37,080 and not tell them? 622 00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:44,080 How much do you have to hate someone to actually believe that everlasting life in Christ is possible 623 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:47,080 and then not tell them? 624 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:50,080 Carry them to Jesus. 625 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:54,080 It's not as weird as you think. 626 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:58,080 I met someone who changed my life. 627 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:08,080 You can change yours, too.