January 11, 2015 | Bob Bartlett
Passage: Mark 2:1-12
State of the Church – 2015
“Ushering People into the Presence of Jesus” Mark 2:1-12
“Disciples making disciples is always the surest sign of a healthy, vibrant church.”
Matthew 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
3 Dynamics of a Healthy Church
Vs 3 “Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.”
1. Great belief: Jesus is real!
- Matthew 16:15-16 “But what about you?" he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
- They had, we have, firsthand knowledge of the forgiveness of sins.
- Belief: to live with confidence in my possession of the truth of Jesus Christ.
Vs 4: “Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.”
2. Great faith: Jesus does heal!
- James 2:22) “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.”
- Faith of the four friends drove them to bring their friend to Jesus.
- Faith: to act with confidence in the truth of the power of Jesus Christ.
Vs 4: “Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.”
- Great determination: to usher people into the presence of Jesus Christ.
- The four friends climbed to the roof and clawed a hole in the roof. Belief and faith resulted in a desire, diligence and a ‘do all I can’ mindset to bring people to Jesus.
- John 4:29-30 & 39 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.”
- “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony”
- Determined: to live my life always ushering people into the presence of Jesus Christ.
The church that is always ushering people in to the presence of Jesus Christ will always make for a vibrant church!