Download... February 12, 2012. Sunday Morning Service. Bro. Dave Goble.
TEXT: MARK 2: 1-12
1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.
2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.
3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
There was not enough room here for any other, so much that this sick of the palsy had to be let down from the roof. (verse 4) This infirmed fellow had a tough situation, not having proved to have been healed from any previous methods. And so he was pressed to the point of extreme measures. To the point of having someone else, take for him such measures (again, verse 4) to ensure, he could be brought in the very midst of Jesus. All, in order so that he could be ‘there.’ We also, as in his example, need to ensure that we press close enough to Jesus. “The roof” is not close enough to be in the very midst of Christ!
Only ‘pressing much', to be close to Christ, ..will our help be found. This man had experienced many discouragements, but after much pressing, left with a happy end to ‘his story.’ Everyone serving God, has the reward of being encouraged, when they ‘press’ for Christ! It is much like “making lemonade, out of lemons.” You might be discouraged thinking your “life’s tree fruits” in value, are only ‘lemons.’
God can help you make something sweet out of the sourness of life’s burdens. In reality lemons, are sour, and for the most of us, need to be sweetened, in order to partake of them. Whether you like sour lemons or not, most need a balance of the sweet in life, to be encouraged from time to time. Some people in life, (like some who like lemons), suck too much on those ‘sour’ burdens in their life. Their meditation, will make for spiritual discouragements, if their disappointments are allowed to define their lives. No one truly has to “suck” on those “sour” times, for we can serve One who can bring ultimate sweetness to the fullness of our life. Christ already proved by His example, that we can make our burdens into the sweetness of His victory over sin and death! When the ‘sourness of life’ becomes too much to bear, if we turn to Jesus, He will make Salvation's sweetness, for its replacement!
Bro Goble told of some lemon and orange trees in his yard. In the midst of those trees, a truly ‘ugly’ one, (a lemon variety, and he says ‘it is going!’) with thorns, grows in the midst of the others. He therefore concluded that there would never be any good fruit growing on this tree, which is rooted near a Satsuma orange tree, that he values. He realizes that without removal of the ‘ugly deformed sour tree’, it might effectively poison the tree of the superiorly sweet fruit. It is because the ‘angry looking substance’ of the sourness, (if not ‘eradicated’), could affect and overshadow the sweetness of the choice orange tree.
Likewise the burdens of life, if are “sucked on”, will poison those sweet fruits God would have us bear and partake of. If you hold on to your disappointments, it will soon ‘sour’ the ‘sweet’ life God would have you experience. It is good to also remember, that those ‘sour fruits’ (like disappointments) can be of great benefit spiritually, if one allows the sweetness of Jesus to ‘bring forth’ the good, He then will give us. God is sweetness to the one who ‘recognizes his need’ for sweetness. God can though, also be of an ‘angry effect’ on our life, if we choose not His ‘sweetness.’
Discouragement is a lack of courage, although we often don’t think of it being one who lacks being brave. Discouragement is like being of ‘dishope’ (no hope), It has a ‘different’ side to its meaning, than what we normally would think. Another way to put it, is that discouragement tends to take away hope. The man spoken of here in Mark 2, had been one very much without hope until this time, through “sucking on discouragement.” But when Jesus offered hope, he was encouraged to press for the sweetness and healing, God offered him through Salvation from sin. Are you encouraged this morning, having been delivered from sin and kept clean?
God offers and can give you that sweetness through Salvation. You don’t have to live with “lemons” or the darkness found in discouragement. Even if already saved, one needs to remember in our ‘dark times’ with trials, that God offers us the sweetness of encouragement, which puts hope back into our lives.
Discouragement, takes away hope from our life. Like in the illustration with the odds of ‘flipping a coin’, one often can turn up the opposite of what you want, or need. Yet regardless of what “comes up", in life, disappointments, or blessings, it is the 'value' of life, that God has given you. We don’t ‘cut off’ the half of our life that might be of ‘lemons.’ We must take the sour with the sweet. We need to learn to make “spiritual lemonade,” out of the “lemons of life.”
An analogy Bro Goble used was one of ‘playing games’, which he often loses. But, he still likes to play them, wishing more of course, to still win. Life in similarity, has those same disappointments of ‘lemons’ that God desires us to make into ‘lemonade’ (or into a blessing.)
Another biblical example is of Job. He was very puzzled waiting to know 'the purpose’ ...of those darkest times. God showed Job that we don’t always ‘need to know, why’ those dark times, ‘are.’ God said to Job, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Job 38:4 Many other things did God answer Job, in answer to his grieved inquiries, found in the 38,th 39,th and 40th chapters of Job. God inquired of Job of his whereabouts when He had made all things. Another scripture tells us of our more important duty. Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
One might ask, “How do I know God is in charge?” That’s where faith comes in! Ultimately though, we all need to “figure out” how to make “lemonade out of lemons.” So also a good thought, is to be careful of being critical of someone else’s “lemons.” When “your times” come, you would want that same understanding, compassion, and support.
In the world of automobile merchandise, we have “lemon laws” to protect one from the financial harm. All of us spiritually have been dominated by the sour lemons found in sin. Yet, God gives us another hope, to "trade in" those sinful lemons of life, for a sweet one of Salvation!
This palsied man had a long life of “lemons” trying often to get help. It took all the man’s desire and determination to press towards Jesus, to obtain Salvation and healing for his body. Then, the sweetness replaced the sourness of his many burdens! Likewise we all must press close to Jesus, through prayer, etc., so we can truly get “below the roof” to access Christ presence in healing. Christ then made this man’s life truly sweet, not only to physically heal him, but more importantly said, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” His physical healing came from the more important first healing, ..from sin.
Is your life full of disappointments, discouragements, and or sin? Christ wants to heal you, both your body and more importantly, from the soul sickness of sin through His deliverance in forgiveness. Jesus “used” this man’s discouragement in his disease of palsy, to demonstrate the power of God in physical healing, and more powerfully, of sin.
We all experience many “lemons of life” through disappointments, discouragements, (or lack of hope) etc. God can truly encourage us through all our “sour” times, by fully sweetening us through Salvation’s deliverance, and benefits of help. Christ benefit of physical healing, is overshadowed even more by the deliverance from sin. How many of God’s people, have countless times experienced their “lemons of afflictions”? But God has used those times to demonstrate their sweet spirit, given through His great love, and deliverance of sin.
Again, Mark 2:8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? Jesus questioned their thoughts about blasphemy here, by essentially saying ”Is it easier to heal the physical, …or the soul of sin?” Nothing is too hard for God! Both for Him are equally easy! Here, he has done it in this way (physical with spiritual healing), so that “the people around” would know of His great power.
The most important thing in life is to “go through” your disappointments and discouragements, so He can be manifested as your healing and grace. Don’t ask “When is it going to end?” Simply live in God’s grace. God will answer the questions, when He chooses to manifest His power, for His Glory! “Whatever condition I find myself, I will serve God,” must be my determination. Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. This scripture more clearly states the needed exhortation. Throughout the ages God’s people have not allowed the discouragements to “take over” their hope.
Romans 8:26-28 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. The Spirit itself will help our infirmities according to His Will. For ‘He’ searcheth our hearts! All things will work out for those who love God. For all that truly love God, will live right in order to make the “lemonade" (or sweetness and blessings) out of the lemons (or ‘sinful sours’ and tribulations) of life.
Often one can recover from a physical affliction (colds, flu, etc.), through the natural immune system of the human body. But, one can 'never' recover from spiritual affliction of sin, without God’s intervention. When Jesus told that man, “Thy sins be forgiven thee,” He made clean the man’s spiritual condition, along with ‘making well’ the physical.
What must you do, if ‘you’ are “spiritually paralyzed?” One must seek God’s Salvation, through confession, and forsaking of all you know is not right (sin), to be “healed!” Learn to accept the negative events of life, learning how to be still encouraged through Jesus. Fight against the “lemons” of discouragements. We need to allow God to reveal any “spiritual sours”, to exchange for “His divine sweetness!”
