When Jesus Is In the House
Mark 2:1-12
Intro: We need more churches that can testify that JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE!
I’ve been to some churches, and I wanted to walk up on the platform, take the microphone and say, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Jesus Christ has left the building.”
It’s a sad state of affairs when He’s not welcome in His own house!
I want it to be said of our church that JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE!!
WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE,
I. The Savior will be the Attraction – vs. 1
The Bible says it was noised that HE was in the house.
- Not a preacher.
- Not a program
- Not a performance
- Not a personality
HE – The Lord Jesus was in the house.
ILLUSTRATION: In Revelation 3, Jesus was standing outside the door of the church of Laodicea.
We are living in an age where the Lord is outside trying to get in.
In many places, Jesus once was the preeminent One, but has been kicked out.
His glory has departed.
His Spirit is no longer there, working and wooing.
WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE,
II. The Scripture will be the Authority – vs. 2
A. Notice Jesus’ Activity
The Bible is clear what happened after the people came.
He preached.
For some reason, people today don’t have much of an appetite for preaching.
They prefer a motivational speech.
They prefer a life-coach.
They prefer a teacher.
- 2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
Isn’t it strange how that many churches were started with preaching, but after they grow, they stop?
Many pastors that once preached now teach.
The qualification of the bishop is that they be APT to teach.
But the call of the bishop is to PREACH THE WORD!
God sent Jonah to Ninevah TO PREACH!
- Jonah 3:2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
John the Baptist was a preacher.
- Matthew 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Jesus was a preacher.
- Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Jesus made preaching the center of the Great Commission.
- Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Philip was a preacher.
- Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Paul the Apostle was a preacher.
- 2 Timothy 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
B. Notice Jesus’ Authority
He preached THE WORD unto them.
- 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
NOTE: The parable of the sower and the seed is about THE WORD.
- Matthew 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
- Matthew 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
- Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
- Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for diminishing the word.
- Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE,
III. The Sick will be Attended – vs. 3, 4
God is interested in sick people.
But God doesn’t pet and pamper sick people.
God doesn’t bolster the confidence of sick people.
God doesn’t justify or defend the sickness of sick people.
Jesus heals sick people.
Jesus eradicates the sickness of sick people.
Jesus touches them and He heals them.
Jesus doesn’t turn away sick people, but He doesn’t send them back home like they came!
You might hear us sing JUST AS I AM, but not JUST LIKE I WAS!
Jesus doesn’t cast out sick people; He cleanses them.
Jesus doesn’t make sick people comfortable; He makes them better!
Sick people never got in the in presence of Jesus Christ and left sick.
Blind people that showed up where Jesus was left seeing.
Deaf people that showed up where Jesus was left hearing.
Dumb people that showed up where Jesus was left speaking.
Lepers left cleansed.
Crippled and lame people left walking.
You know Jesus is in the house because the sick people will be attended
WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE,
IV. The Sin will be Addressed – vs. 5, 6
The word on the street today is that you can’t preach on sin and build a church.
The word of God says you can’t build a church WITHOUT preaching on sin.
Sin is the problem. Jesus Christ is the answer.
Jesus has the power to forgive sin.
He also has the power to FIND sin.
The sick of the palsy had an obvious problem. He was crippled.
But Jesus saw the bigger need – forgiveness of sin.
Mark it down – when Jesus is in the house, He will ALWAYS address the sin problem.
Many places today are missing His presence because they don’t want the SIN ISSUE addressed.
If that crippled man in verse 5 had been in the average Baptist church, verse 6 would read like this:
“And he, being sick of the palsy said unto Jesus, Who art thou that judgest another? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone. For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
When Jesus is in the house, He addresses the sin problem!
WHEN JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE,
V. The Skeptics will be Amazed – vs. 8-12
A. They were Amazed at His Perception – vs. 8
The Bible says that Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He addressed them.
He didn’t avoid the issue.
He didn’t dance around it.
He didn’t concern himself with winning them over.
He wasn’t worried about his love offering.
He wasn’t lobbying for another meeting.
The Bible says that immediately when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, “Why reason ye this things in your hearts…”
B. They were Amazed at His Power – vs. 10-12
- 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.