Participants:
Series Code: BOLS
Program Code: BOLS000178S
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00:06 #S094 - “Easier Said Than Done”
00:19 Do me a 00:20 favor and stand to your feet as we go in our Bibles 00:21 to the Book of Saint Mark. Chapter One. 00:24 Saint Mark. Chapter one. 00:26 Excuse me, Saint Mark, chapter two. 00:27 And verse number one. 00:29 Saint Mark, chapter two and verse number one. 00:34 When you get there, 00:35 let me hear you say Amen. 00:38 Saint Mark, chapter two 00:41 and verse number one. 00:42 If we're going to go 00:43 briefly into the word 00:44 and then we'll transition to our table today. 00:47 Saint Mark two and verse number one. 00:50 How many of us are grateful for Jesus? That's you. 00:51 Raise your hand ahead of us. Great for Jesus. Amen. 00:54 Amen. 00:55 And today, 00:56 this is one of the reasons I believe we should be thankful 00:58 for the savior Saint Mark to in verse one. 01:00 When you get there, you say, Pastor, I'm there, the Bible 01:04 says. 01:06 And again, he entered Capernaum, and after some days 01:09 it was heard that he was in the way in the house. 01:14 Immediately many gathered together 01:16 so that there was no longer room to receive him, 01:19 not even near the door. 01:21 And he preached the word to them. 01:23 Then they came to him 01:24 bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men, 01:29 and when they could not come near him 01:31 because of the cry, they uncovered the roof where he was. 01:35 So when they had broken through, 01:38 they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 01:42 And when Jesus saw their fate, he said to the paralytic, 01:46 And this is good news, son, your sins are forgiven you. 01:54 And some of 01:55 the scribes were sitting there, reasoning in their heart. 01:59 Some people on the wind shouted Church, 02:02 why does this man speak blasphemies like this? 02:07 Who can forgive sins but God alone? 02:10 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His Spirit 02:14 that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said unto them, 02:17 Why do you reason about these things in your heart? 02:19 Watch this. 02:21 Which is easier to say to the paralytic. 02:25 Your sins are forgiven or to say Arise. 02:29 Take up your bed and walk, but that you may know 02:34 that the son of man have power on earth to forgive, 02:37 since he said to the paralytic, I say to you, Arise, 02:44 take up your bed and go to your house. 02:48 Immediately he arose and took up the bed 02:53 and went out into the presence of them all. 02:56 And so they were all amazed and glorified God 03:00 saying We have never saw anything like this, 03:04 but I'm going to emphasis verse nine, 03:06 which is easier to say to the paralytic. 03:09 Your sins are forgiven 03:12 or to 03:13 say, arise, take up your bed and walk 03:17 for just a little while saying 03:18 I want to talk to you on the subject. 03:20 Easier said than done. 03:24 Let's pray together. 03:25 Father, 03:28 in this finite amount of time, 03:31 would you communicate an eternal truth? 03:35 Father I'm praying 03:38 that you would allow us, through today's service, 03:40 the word and the sacraments, to experience 03:44 the gift of salvation in a fresh way. 03:47 So, Lord, would you please hold me 03:48 in the shadows of the cross that Jesus alone might be seen, 03:53 that Christ alone would be heard, 03:54 and at the end of our time together, 03:56 let Jesus alone be praise blessed. 03:58 So they said, We ask in the mighty name of Christ, 04:02 let those who love him say together. 04:03 Amen. 04:05 Any man you may be seated in the house of the Lord today 04:09 again talking on the subject. 04:10 Easier said than done. 04:17 Our text today, friends, is filled 04:20 with some spectacular tensions. 04:24 Here we find Jesus coming back to Capernaum 04:28 for the second time early in his ministry. 04:31 And you've 04:32 got to recall the first time that Jesus went to Capernaum, 04:36 he turned the entire city upside down. 04:39 While there, Jesus healed Peter's mother in law. 04:44 He cast a demon out of a man in the middle of a church service, 04:49 and then he had a sunset healing where Jesus healed everybody 04:53 in sight so that everyone left with whatever they needed, 04:59 so that if you came limping, then you left strutting. 05:03 If you came blind, then you left. 05:07 See if you came deaf, then you left hearing. 05:12 If you came with cancer, you left without cancer 05:16 if you came cripple, then you left cramping. 05:20 And if you came late, then you left sleeping. 05:24 And the thing it teaches is a metaphorical truth 05:28 that Jesus never leaves you the same way He fights you. 05:33 And the thing 05:34 I love about Jesus is he made no referrals. 05:38 He did not send anyone to a specialist 05:41 because every need you have can be met in Jesus Christ. 05:47 And it is in this context, 05:50 upon hearing that Jesus is back in town, 05:54 that this house is now filled be on the capacity. 05:58 Now, today, I don't want to focus briefly 06:01 on the common details of this story. 06:04 I don't want to spend a whole lot of time 06:07 talking about the ingenuity of the friends 06:09 that let the man 06:11 down through the roof, because sometimes we get more impressed 06:14 with what they do than we are with what Jesus did. 06:19 And so you've got to see this now that this moment has become 06:23 suddenly upward and irreverent, as Jesus is preaching the Word 06:29 and as Jesus preaches the word debris begins to fall 06:33 from the ceiling as hands pull back 06:36 the tile and a man is let down through the roof 06:41 and understand for a moment there is a must see spirit 06:45 that seizes those that are in the room. 06:48 All of a sudden they begin to tussle 06:52 in order to get a good view of what is going to take place. 06:55 There is a sense of anticipation that ricochets 06:59 throughout the room. 07:00 People put down their drinks and their plates 07:04 and they take out their phones to be able to record 07:08 this miracle moment. 07:09 And as the man is let down through the roof 07:13 and he looks at Jesus and Jesus reads the unspoken prayer 07:17 of the man when Jesus speaks, this is not to speak. 07:21 There is a spirit where people get ready to see 07:24 the miracle and folks sit on the edge of their chairs 07:29 as Jesus fixes his neck to say something, 07:33 and Jesus lifts up one hand and says to the man on this bed, 07:38 Son, you're saying all forgiven 07:43 and understand. 07:45 In this moment it becomes somewhat anticlimactic. 07:50 In fact, those who are in the room 07:53 breathed sighs of disappointment, 07:56 for there is an unexpressed frustration 08:00 that all Jesus does is healed. 08:02 The man is forgive the man. 08:05 In other words, the man has an obvious physical malady. 08:10 But Jesus is addressing his unseen malady. 08:13 He has an outward need, but 08:16 Jesus prioritizes his spiritual needs. 08:19 And Jesus is teaching us a truth that sometimes 08:23 our obviously is not our most urgent need, sometimes 08:28 and most immediate need is not the most critical need. 08:33 In fact, friends, this man's greatest need 08:37 is to experience the amazing grace of Jesus Christ. 08:42 And for a moment, climb down 08:44 with me into this man's world. 08:48 Do you realize that the worst part about being 08:51 paralyzed is not just the inability to go. 08:57 The worst part is where it keeps you from going. 09:00 Do you realize that because he is paralyzed, 09:04 he is set out from the Atonement Network of the day 09:08 so that someone like him, a leper, and the woman 09:12 with the issue of blood 09:13 would be separated from the temple and its services. 09:18 And because he cannot work, he cannot afford sacrifice, 09:22 because he cannot avoid sacrifice, 09:25 he cannot participate in the services of the Temple. 09:28 But the thing I love about Jesus is that when the man couldn't 09:32 make it to the temple, 09:34 Jesus brought the temple to where the man could reach him 09:38 and understand that it's been some time since he has had 09:42 a sense of God's expunging of his record. 09:47 It's been a long time that he's before, 09:50 since he's had a sense of nearness to God. 09:53 It has been a while since he's been able to participate 09:56 and services like this, 09:57 which symbolizes the redemption of God's people 10:02 and understand your not with it, that the only thing 10:05 he would want to hear more than Jesus say, Take up your bed 10:10 and walk is to hear Jesus say 10:14 your sins have been forgiven. 10:16 In other words, if Jesus steps at forgiveness, 10:20 Jesus is still right with this man. 10:24 In other words, just to have the sin 10:26 remove was enough just to have the condemnation. 10:31 Silence is enough. 10:33 Just enough to have the sins removed is enough. 10:37 And I think that there are 10:38 some of us 10:39 that are still missing the point, 10:42 because how many of us understand that 10:44 your greatest blessing is not the car that you drive, 10:49 it is not the house where you live. 10:52 It is not the shoes on your feet. 10:55 It is not the promotion that you receive. 10:57 But the greatest blessing in life is to have your 11:01 iniquities pardoned and your sins washed away. 11:06 In other words, do I have in these 17 11:08 spiritually intelligent people that understand that 11:12 the greatest blessing you have is the Amazing Grace of the Lord 11:18 Jesus Christ that washes away all of your sins. 11:22 It is my son, 32, says. 11:24 Blessed is the man who has his iniquities 11:28 covered, who has his sins washed away. 11:32 You are with me today. 11:33 In other words, I want to thank God that he has 11:37 given us every life we've ever told, 11:41 every last we've ever meditated 11:43 on, every adulterous act, 11:47 every surface at every cave that they've all been 11:51 washed in the blood and the lamb. 11:56 Are you with me today? 11:57 And understand, beloved, that Jesus shows us 12:02 what we should be shouting over by teaching us 12:05 which one is more difficult for him to do. 12:09 Understand what Jesus does. 12:11 He perceives their heart that they believe that 12:16 He does not have the power or the authority to forgive sin. 12:21 So he asks the question, which is easier for me to say 12:25 Your sins be forgiven, 12:28 or to say take up your bed and walk. 12:32 And Jesus knows that they don't believe 12:35 that He has power over sin 12:38 and to demonstrate His power over sin, 12:42 what he does is he alleviates the man of his sickness. 12:45 Now you're probably say, why do you address sickness 12:50 in order to teach them your power over sin. 12:53 I'm glad you asked. 12:54 Remember that a Jew at that time always says suffering 13:00 as the result of some type of sin. 13:03 In other words, that was a belief 13:04 that if you had a sickness or a disease, 13:09 that it was some type of sin that put you in that position. 13:13 But the reason that God removed his said 13:17 before he removed his sickness is He wants us to know 13:21 that sin and suffering are not always related. 13:25 In other words, sin and suffering are not one. 13:29 The reason that Jesus removes the sin first is 13:32 He wants him to know 13:33 that he can have salvation even in the midst of his suffering. 13:38 Now, why is that critical? 13:40 Because if I know that I have salvation even while I'm 13:45 suffering, if I have salvation, then my suffering is temporary. 13:50 And see, the reason I need somebody to know this is because 13:53 some of us feel some alienation from God, 13:57 because we're carrying guilt simply by virtue of the fact 14:00 that we have suffering. 14:01 But I need to free somebody today to know that the sickness 14:07 is not always because of saying that the miscarriage 14:11 is not because of some uncovered iniquity, that losing 14:14 the job is not evidence that you're losing your hold on. 14:17 God, that's not Psalm 34. 14:19 It says that many are the afflictions the right says, 14:25 but the Lord delivers them from them all. 14:28 Are you all with me? Excerpts. 14:30 So, so now here it is. 14:31 Church of that gone be before you long, 14:34 I need you to make sure you get it. 14:36 So Jesus says. 14:37 Yo, yo, yo, yo. 14:40 Tripping, he says. 14:44 What do you think is easier for me to do 14:50 to forgive his sins 14:53 or to heal him of his disease? 14:57 He is showing you which thing you ought to be impressed with, 15:01 because the problem with some of us is we don't shout 15:04 until the man gets healed. 15:07 See, some of us are so utterly blessing centric 15:11 that we see the healing as the greater 15:14 blessing and forgiveness as the lesser blessing. 15:17 We see provision as the greater blessing and redemption 15:21 as a lesser blessing. 15:22 We see protection as the major blessing 15:26 and his mercy as a lesser blessing. 15:29 But the greatest blessing we can receive 15:32 is the merited grace of God. 15:37 So Jesus says, Hey, hey, what is there for me 15:41 to do to forgive the man or to heal him? 15:44 Now stay with me. 15:45 Church How many of us understand that every thing 15:50 in creation obeys 15:54 God perfectly? 15:59 In other words, I need you to stay with me. 16:02 Sickness obeys God. 16:04 Disease obey is God, 16:07 the wind and the waves obey God. 16:11 Do you notice in the Scripture that even demons obey Jesus? 16:16 Do you realize that when the Devil came to meet with 16:19 God about Joe, God said, You can have His stuff, 16:23 you can have His livelihood, 16:24 you can have his kids, but don't put your hand on his person. 16:28 And guess what? 16:29 The devil did not cross one boundary 16:33 that God put in place and is crazy 16:36 that the devil obeys God better than we do. 16:42 I hear what I'm saying. 16:44 So God says sickness is going to obey me. 16:47 Disease is going to obey me. 16:48 The wind and the waves obey me. 16:52 The devil himself obeys me and understand that 16:55 when he speaks it is done. 16:57 When he commands it, it stands fast. 17:00 Understand that there is no miracle and the outside of God, 17:04 wind, waves, sickness, obey is not a miracle. 17:07 That's just God's everyday reality. 17:10 And see what Jesus 17:11 is trying to say to them is that healing the man is done. 17:16 Cost me nothing. 17:19 Okay, okay. 17:22 Healing the man is. 17:24 See, because that's just an outgrowth of my divinity. 17:28 Y'all see it and get it. 17:30 He say it's easy for me to heal him 17:34 because of God and because I'm omnipotent. 17:38 His healing doesn't cost me nothing but understand that 17:42 when Jesus says you're forgiven, 17:47 forgiveness comes at a price. 17:51 Do you realize that when Jesus says he is forgiven, 17:56 it is actually his first plans 17:59 to go all the way to the press? 18:01 Because in order for him to be forgiven, there's 18:04 got to be a substitute, and that's got to be a sacrifice 18:09 so that when somebody's 18:10 forgiving, sin doesn't just dissipate into the air, 18:14 it's simply 18:15 applied to somebody else and somebody else has to die. 18:19 Y'all still not with me yet? 18:21 Jesus says it's easy for me to forgive your sense 18:25 simply because I am God. 18:26 But in order 18:28 for you to be forgiven, I've got to take your place. 18:32 I've got to suffer your condemnation. 18:35 I've got to pay your rent, ransom. 18:36 I've got to stand in your stead. 18:39 It cost me something 18:43 in order to forgive you. 18:45 Because remember, friends, that up until the time 18:47 of Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Abraham, 18:51 those guys with pretty much saved on 18:53 credit. 18:57 No, no, no. 18:59 You realize it was not complete yet that the service is up. 19:03 A Land's End does that that was simply a placeholder 19:08 that at some point the time had to make that type. 19:12 The shadow had to meet the reality. 19:14 The Covenant could only be ratified by blood 19:18 so that if Jesus doesn't go all the way to the cross, 19:21 those that went to sleep, say, would wake up, condemn 19:25 their Jesus does not finish his work, 19:28 and see the reason, beloved, that God wants us to understand 19:32 that for healing is not superior, or then 19:35 forgiveness is because healing doesn't cost God anything. 19:41 But every time we are able to recognize 19:45 that we are forgiven for our sins, there 19:47 ought to be a praise that is what's in your soul, 19:52 because you realize that you are born with a price, 19:56 not with 19:58 corruptible things such as silver and gold, 20:01 but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 20:04 And listen, before I take my seat, 20:06 I want to just let you know. 20:07 You want to thank God for all of your blessings. Yes. 20:10 What if he provides? 20:11 You are to praise him. 20:13 If he protects, you are to praise him. 20:17 If he promotes you, you ought to praise him. 20:20 If he healed you, you are to praise him. 20:24 If he takes care of you, you ought to praise him. 20:28 But how many of us know that our best praise 20:31 it out, not be over? No house. 20:33 It ought not be over. 20:34 No shoes, not not be over, no job but your loudest praises 20:40 praise ought to be over the fact that he was home hard. 20:44 He was stressed. 20:46 Why he lowered his heart. 20:49 And there he that that thank God that 20:52 that's not how the story ends. 20:57 Because every day he rose again. 21:01 Is that ready body thankful that you've been redeemed? 21:05 Everybody thankful that you've been forgiven 21:08 anybody grateful that you say anybody 21:13 thankful that your inequities have been inferior. 21:17 Anybody thankful that no record has been expunged? 21:21 Anybody grateful that there is no condemnation? 21:25 Anybody thankful that the accuser has been cast? 21:28 That anybody grateful for the grace of God today? 21:33 Amazing grace. 21:35 How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me 21:40 I once was lost But now one time I was dead. 21:44 But now I see Can we praise God 21:48 for 30 seconds? 21:51 Kick you? 21:53 It can be set for 30 seconds Can you stop looking cute 21:59 for 30 seconds and praise him for the press praise. 22:04 And then he went to the great 22:06 praise of that the stone is the way 22:09 and that we want a new message of life 22:14 because we are covered by his redeeming 22:17 power, his righteousness, and his blood. 22:21 And see, I just want somebody to understand 22:24 that we think 22:25 that just because we confess our sins, he's 22:28 faithful and just forgive us and cleanse us. 22:31 But guess what? 22:32 The only reason that can happen is because he paid the price. 22:36 He already paid the ransom. 22:38 And so if you get he'll crazy. 22:40 But the greatest blessing is one that you can celebrate 22:43 every single day of your life, 22:46 that we've been redeemed by the blood of the lamb. 22:50 Somebody give him glory in this moment 22:52 when people say 22:57 there's somebody today 22:59 that needs to truly embrace 23:04 the reality of this moment, because you've been thinking 23:09 the hardest 23:10 thing you need God to do is to get you financially cleared. 23:15 You think the biggest miracle you need 23:17 is some healing in the arthritis in your knee right now? 23:22 The biggest thing that some of us need got to do 23:24 is to pay up. 23:25 You know, God says, listen, you realize, got said listen, 23:28 you know, some of those things that you are 23:29 that you are stressing about 23:31 the truth is because you are his child, 23:33 he's going to do 23:33 some of those things, 23:34 whether or not you even pray about those things. 23:37 He says, I know what you need even before you ask. 23:40 And I need, you know, paying your bills. 23:42 Don't call God that he owns a lot of thousand hills, 23:45 he says the silver and gold belong to me. 23:48 He's just like, Man, no matter what's happening in the stock 23:50 market, my stuff is always right. 23:51 I don't hear what I'm saying. 23:53 Hey, pay your bills. 23:54 Don't cost God nothing. 23:56 Healing doesn't cost him anything. 23:58 But I need to know that there is only one thing that creates 24:01 expense to God and it is our redemption. 24:06 Listen, there's somebody today 24:08 that needs to recognize that God has so much value for you 24:13 that he pay top dollar 24:16 even when your behavior was on the low end of the market 24:21 before you were even thinking about God, 24:24 God was thinking about you 24:26 that while we were yet 24:27 since Christ died for the ungodly, 24:31 there's somebody today that maybe 24:33 you're in a heart and soul. 24:34 You kind of wonder, 24:37 does this apply to somebody like you? 24:40 Maybe look at your life 24:41 like man and wonder, am I shut out and separated 24:44 from God and his covenants and his promises? 24:46 But I need you to know the arm of the Lord is not, 24:48 or that He cannot say, and his ear is not, 24:52 though that it cannot be. 24:54 If you keep letting losing happen to you, 24:57 if you keep letting people do you 24:58 and treat you any kind of way, it's 25:00 going to become our culture winners. 25:01 Winners and losers lose their vision and dream. 25:04 This conference has been a true blessing. 25:06 My breakout sessions for amazing practical ways 25:09 for entrepreneurs to start their business, 25:11 all of the guest speakers. 25:12 I mean, it's quite amazing calling all Dreamers, 25:16 CEOs, content creators and entrepreneurs. 25:20 We're inviting you to the second Annual Vision 25:23 and Dreamers Conference November 7th through the ninth, 25:27 right here in Huntsville, Alabama. 25:28 Last year we did it big, but this year 25:31 we're going to do it even bigger. 25:32 We're going to kick it off that Friday night 25:34 with hip hop preacher himself. 25:36 Dr. Eric 25:37 Thomas is going to be in the house 25:38 and then that Saturday morning at 11, 25:41 I'm going to exhort you and teach you in the world 25:44 on how to crystallize and walk in the visions God gives you. 25:47 And then that afternoon, 25:48 we're going to hear 25:49 from the leadership voice of this generation, Dr. 25:52 John Maxwell, 25:53 and then we're going to close out the day 25:55 with the anointed one. 25:57 God's the woman, Miss Tabitha Brown 26:00 And when we come together that Sunday, 26:02 you're going to attend a number of breakout sessions 26:05 that are going to build, instruct and encourage you 26:08 and how to make those visions a reality. 26:11 And then we're going to conclude with our second annual Vision 26:14 and Dreamers brunch. 26:15 Listen, you do not want to miss this conference visit 26:19 breathoflife.TV and grab your tickets today. 26:24 It's going to be epic and they'll be amazing. 26:27 And you don't want to miss this. 26:28 Inspire ring event that's coming to Huntsville in November. 26:32 Listen, I believe it's going to be the biggest event 26:34 to hit the city of Huntsville in a long time. 26:37 So if you're in Huntsville, you need to come. 26:38 If you're outside of Huntsville, you still need to come. 26:42 And if you want to join online, 26:43 there's a way for you to register 26:45 and join from a distance as well. 26:48 I believe that we are in the age of visions and dreams. 26:53 Joel 2:28 lets us know that there's more visionary 26:55 power available now than at any other time in history. 27:00 So we look forward to seeing you at the 2025 Vision 27:03 and Dreamers conference. |
Revised 2025-06-26