Outline of the very

first

sermon I ever preached

(delivered at Luther House Chapel, 23 Feb 2003)

Mark 2:1-12

“1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that hehad come home. 2So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside thedoor, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging throughit, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." 6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7"Why doesthis fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things?

9Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ."

He said to the paralytic, 11"I tell you, get up, take your mat and gohome." 12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. Thisamazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything likethis!"

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The

Preparation

Prerequisite

for a miracle - Faith

•

Without faith, miracles produce :



skepticism - compare Pharisees' deductive reasoning process;

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blasphemy - the ironic example of the Pharisees

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hardened unbelief - why didn't Jesus do any miracles in Matt 13:58? So we ask for an 'act of God' (

force majeure

), but can we take it?

•

Faith holds the goodness/reality of God constant, and 'wiggles' the circumstances, the pain, the uncertainties.

•

Faith needed to

recognize

a miracle

•

Faith can be vicarious; very relevant for visitations, evangelism - how is OUR faith inrelation to the needs to those whom we love?

•

Jesus saw the faith of the paralytic's

friends

, NOT that of the paralytic! And this isfaith expressed in love, in action, in long-suffering, in perseverance. E.g., we should be more to pray long and hard for those in need of healing, for those in need of a newmovement in their lives

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The

Purpose

Plan

of a miracle - Revelation & Renewal

It would've been EASIER to merely say, "Get up and walk!" but Jesus had other plans:Revelation:

•

When we come to God with a problem, on occasion He may want to give you more

•

You pour your heart out to God and instead of granting your request, He gives yousomething which at first glance may seem:

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Confusing