We're Better Together Sermon

We’re Better Together

Title: We’re Better Together

We’ve been working through a series called “In Every Space”

In this series we’re talking about the church claiming victory in every space that we live, work, and play in Jesus name. We aren’t going to be a church that stands on the sidelines, but we’re going to walk boldly in the night, because we carry the light and the darkness cannot overcome it!

The first week we talked about how God wants to do something in you so that He can do something through you.

Last week we talked about how guilt will cripple every area of your life, but grace will set you free.

Today we’re going to talk about taking that first step toward every space. Not just you and I walking in every space, but more specifically moving forward together as one in every space!

Question: Have you ever found yourself isolated and alone? It could even be that others are around you, but you still feel like you’re walking out this journey alone.

Story: The Guilford Guys

I love basketball. I grew up in the Michael Jordan era and watched every game they ever played. I used to play basketball for countless hours trying to be like Mike. Growing up in North Carolina, basketball was all I ever knew.

In high school I wanted to play basketball. Now, I was homeschooled my whole life, so you can imagine I didn’t have too many options to choose from. There was a team called the Guilford Panthers that was not your average homeschool basketball team. These guys played at a high level and had an incredible coach, Coach Pickett. I tried out and was honored to make the team.

We were a great team. What made us a great team wasn’t that we were all naturally talented at basketball, or that we were extremely tall, and it wasn’t that we were in unbelievable shape. What made us a great team, is that we were a TEAM. Everyone worked together, made selfless passes, played in their strengths, and worked hard toward a common goal… to win.

Nathan had the unstoppable jump shot, Sam worked the post, I made stops on offense and got rebounds, Matt was always the first on a fast break, and Joshua could drive on anybody. Everyone was committed to the mission even if it meant that our scores were all similar at the end of the game. We weren’t competing against each other, we all knew who the “enemy” was! Everyone took ownership over their position on the team and as a result, we won… a lot.

We worked together as one and as a result, we were an unstoppable force.

Big Idea: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

Passage: Mark 2:1-12 (Read with passion)

Mark is a master storyteller and he gives more of his Gospel to miracles than any other Gospel writer. Today we’re going to focus on one story in particular found in Mark 2:1-12. If you have your Bibles go ahead and turn there now. If you don’t have a bible I encourage you to download the YouVersion app on your phone and follow along as we look at this text. Mark is found in the New Testament just after Matthew and before Luke.

“And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,* 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”* 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?* 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?* 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—* 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”* 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Pray: (Pause 3-5 seconds)

Background:

Jesus performed many miracles around the region of Galilee, including this one. This miracle takes place early in Jesus’ ministry. At this point in the story Jesus had demonstrated power over illness and demons many times.

This was not an attempt to gain credibility, this was God’s love and compassion on display in a profound way. He was constantly showing the people that He had both the power and desire to perform miracles and forgive sins.

Main Points:

1. THEY WALKED TOGETHER

   1. And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.

      1. Of course the house is packed! You have the greatest communicator that's ever walked the planet preaching the word.
      2. Everyone wants to be close to Jesus and hear what Jesus has to say, but we’ve got to make room for more people!

2. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.

   1. Teamwork makes the dream work right?
   2. These men didn’t isolate themselves, they didn’t ignore the need, they weren’t too busy to help, they picked up the paralyzed man and carried him to Jesus!

   3. Illust: I need 4 men to volunteer to come on stage!

      1. Ask the smallest one to try and carry me by himself
      2. Then bring in another one to help
      3. Finally reset with all four people picking me up and walking

      4. The mission becomes possible when we work together to see it through. It may be possible to do it alone, but which takes you farther faster?

         4. Quote: “If you want to be incrementally better, be competitive (isolated). If you want to be exponentially better, be a team. Because there’s no limit to what can be accomplished when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” - Craig Groeschel

      5. Everyone wins when we work together as a team.

      6. Silos, clubs, segregation, cliques, none of that is welcome in the house of God!

         5. Question: Who’s depending on you? (Pause) What neighbor, co-worker, spouse, son, daughter, do you need to grab some people together and say “Let’s go!”

      7. We’ve all got people in our lives that are in need of a miracle. And there’s only one person I know that will never let them down, His name is Jesus!

      8. Question: What is one tangible thing you can do for someone in need this week?
      9. Buy a stranger’s dinner, watch their kids so they can go on a date night, fix their car, anything! Use what you have to serve and love those God has placed in your life!

3. THEY KEPT MOVING FORWARD

   1. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him,

      1. Leaders that reflect the love and compassion of Jesus don’t allow obstacles to stop their progress. They work together to find a solution knowing it’s worth it!
      2. Fulfilling a dream does not come easy, it requires creativity, and it comes with a cost, count the cost and move forward together.

4. and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.

   1. Imagine the spectacle this must have been. Dust, dirt, and sticks falling all over everybody and then a man comes down from the ceiling?!
   2. This is CRAZY, this is IRRATIONAL, but THIS IS ALSO FAITH, AND LOVE in action!
   3. Quote: Bob Goff says, “Accepting the invitation to show up in life is about moving from the bleachers to the field. It’s moving from developing opinions to developing options. It’s about having things matter to us enough that we stop just thinking about those things and actually do something about them. Simply put, Jesus is looking for us to accept the invitation to participate.”
   4. Question: Do we have a “Whatever it takes mentality?” or are we perfectly content going about our daily lives never really risking anything for the sake of the Kingdom? (Pause)
   5. The love Jesus demonstrated to us was a crazy, irrational, risk it all, radical kind of love! As Christ followers we have a mandate to live the life of a Jesus follower. To be Christ like!

5. THEY WERE FILLED WITH FAITH

   1. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

      1. Is your faith active or passive. In your life, is faith a verb or concept?
      2. Words are a powerful thing, but words without action carry little weight.
      3. What if you told your wife “I love you”, but never took action in showing her that you love her? Probably wouldn’t go so well right?!
      4. What if you were about to jump out of an airplane and you said “I have faith that the parachute will catch me.”, but you never actually jump out of the airplane?
      5. Jesus saw their faith in action and forgave the paralyzed man of his sins.

6. 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

   1. The scribes did not recognize Jesus as God. This claim was punishable by death in their eyes. How could He claim to forgive sins of man? Only God can do that.
   2. Jesus used this moment, this perceived distraction, to proclaim His deity and power over both physical and spiritual healing.
   3. Present Gospel!

7. 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”— he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all,

   1. Can you imagine the awe that filled the room. You have a paralyzed man just stand up and walk!
   2. The visual alone is astounding, but the details of all that had to happen medically is unbelievable. Only Jesus!

8. so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

   1. Will you engage and contribute to the mission of God believing that He is already at work in your life? Believing that He’s already at work in Boulder, Colorado? (Pause)
   2. Are you living and loving in such a way that your neighborhood, work, or community says “We’ve never seen anything like this?” (Pause)

Big Idea: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. If you want to go far fast, go with TEAM.

Walking Points:

1. If you are a believer this morning, but are questioning whether God can use you or not, I want you to know this... There are many players in the scene, but without the paralytic we would have no story here!

   1. God doesn’t use you just because you’re broken, He wants to use you especially in your brokenness.
   2. Your greatest pain, your greatest fear, your greatest struggle is at the center of God’s work in your life and it is that part of your life God will use to change the world!
   3. God wants to take the things that are most painful in your life and use them to bring about the greatest progress for His Kingdom. C’mon, that’s good news for somebody this morning!

   4. Illust: Story of Nathan Moore and the Championship Game

      1. My senior year in high school my basketball team made it to the State Competition and ended up in the championship game. The game before our starting point guard named Nathan twisted his ankle and it was looking like he was not going to be able to play the championship game.
      2. We had played together for years and it was all of our senior years and there was no way we were going to hit the court without Nathan. Against all wisdom and rational thinking the coach let him play. We were going up against our arch rivals, Raleigh Durham.
      3. The game was a brawl back and forth. It came to the last play of the game and we were down by 1 and the other team had possession of the ball. They inbounded the ball and Nathan makes an unbelievable steal and passes the ball down court and we hit a last second buzzer to win the championship game.
      4. The point is this, the team rallied together and played better because of Nathan’s injury. Without the sprained ankle it is doubtful that we would have a championship. We played with more passion, drive, and teamwork than ever before! We were winning this for Nathan and for each other.
         5. Don’t hide behind your pain this morning. Don't say “I'm going to sit the bench on this one.” Don’t allow the devil to trick you to think that you cannot be used by God. That is a lie! God can use you. God is looking for you. And God has a beautiful plan for your life. HAVE FAITH, GET UP, AND WALK!

Just like the people in this story that carried the paralytic...

Let’s WALK together!

Let’s KEEP moving forward!

Let’s BE filled with faith!

We’re better together.

Let’s pray.