What Do We Really Need

What Do We Really Need?

Mark 2:1-12

Exegetical : What did Jesus see in the men who came to Him?  Their faith as well as their greatest need.

Homoletical : How should we approach God? With faith believing that He knows what our greatest needs are.

Big Idea: When we come to God we must believe that He knows our deepest needs and is able to meet them.

Introduction:

·         This took place during Jesus' second year of ministry during what is known  as the year of popularity.

·         People are coming from all over the area to hear Jesus.

·         In today's account Jesus returns to Capernaum He had been there a few weeks earlier and now when people found out that He was back they came in great numbers to see and hear Him.

·         They came for a variety of reasons

I)        People Came: (v. 1-4)

A)     Some were curious- having heard from others about how he had taught. (Mark 1:21-22)

1)      The people were amazed at His teaching because He taught as One who had authority.

(a)    I Thess 1:5

(b)   Rom 1:16

B)      Some people came because they were looking for hope.

1)      They had seen Him cast out a demon (Mark 1:27-28) amazed- authority

2)      They had seen Him heal many. (Mark 1:32-34)

C)      Some people came because they were cautious- Teachers of the law

1)      Who is this man? Where did He come from?  Who was His teacher?  Is He spreading false doctrine?

D)     Some men came bringing a paralytic. (v. 3)

1)      Who was he?

(a)    A friend, father, brother,

(b)   Whoever he was he warranted a full out effort to get him to Jesus.

(i)      Lost people matter to God and they deserve a full out effort on our part to help them find Jesus.    

2)      They were not deterred by the crowd.

(a)    They went up on the roof and began to dig a hole through  and lowered their friend down in from of Jesus.

3)      I wonder if Jesus smiled, if He did He was probably the only one smiling.  Did Jesus smile at the tenacity of these men?

E)      If we believe that people without Christ are lost what are we doing to bring them to Jesus?  It was at personal sacrifice that these men brought their friend to Jesus.  But why did they bring him to Jesus?  Because they believed with all their heart that Jesus was the One the Only One who could bring healing to their friend and if that meant sacrifice they were willing to do it.  What are we willing to do to see people come to Christ?

1)      How is it evidenced in our lives that people matter to me?

II)      Jesus saw(vs. 5-8)

A)     Their faith- who's faith?

1)      The faith of those bringing the man to Jesus.

2)      What about the paralyzed man?

(a)    Can our faith in Jesus be what causes forgiveness to be granted to someone else?

(b)   Forgiveness is a personal issue between us and God. (Eph 2:8)

(c)    I believe that Jesus not only saw the faith of the men, but that He also saw the heart of this man. (Jesus is portrayed in this passage as seeing the faith but also seeing the heart)

3)      What does this say about Jesus?

(a)    Who is it that can forgive sins?

(b)   Who is it that can see the hearts of men? (Heb 4:13)

B)      Their hearts (vs. 6-8)

1)      The teachers of the law questioned in their hearts what Jesus was saying.

2)      Immediately it says Jesus knew in His Spirit what they were thinking in their hearts.

(a)    We do not fool God or do we hide from God. (Luke 9:47, John 6:15, John 18:4, Gen 18:10-15)

3)      God is the One, the Only One who knows our hearts.

(a)    He knows our joys, our fears, our disappointments, our anxieties, our hopes and dreams, our deepest desires, our sin.

(b)   He alone knows what is our greatest need and He alone is able to meet that need.

III)    Jesus Knew(v. 8-12)

A)     Jesus not only knew their hearts He alone knew what it was that they needed most.

1)      Your sins are forgiven. What !?!! Lord don't you see that this man is paralyzed?  Of course He saw this, yet He knew what this man needed most, and He responded to this man's faith.  More than anything this man needed to be forgiven of his sin.

2)      If healing was the most important facet of Jesus' ministry He would have done only that, yet we find Him leaving and go other places even when there was a need for more healing to take place.(Mark 1:38)

B)      The teachers of the law - they desired that the law and their religion would be kept pure but in the midst of being religious they were missing the One who had come to make them new.

1)      They needed to see that it not religion but a relationship that is the most important. 

2)      They needed to see that The true and living God was in their midst.

(a)    That you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins. Take up your mat and walk.

(b)   They needed to see that Jesus was not simply a man but He was God, and in seeing Him as such they needed to put their faith in Him as well. (GT)

C)      The Crowds saw.

1)      They no doubt knew the paralytic, they knew that he was not faking it.

2)      They were amazed and praised God, yet did it change their lives.

3)      How is your faith in Christ being evidenced in your life that those looking at you will know that you are a follower of Christ?

D)     Application:

1)      Do we believe that God knows our deepest needs, and if so do we believe that He alone si able to meet those needs.

2)      Are we willing to ask God to identify for us what that deepest need is, and when He does are we willing to allow Him to provide for that need?

3)      Are we willing to believe that only God can meet the deepest needs of my heart. 

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