Desperate men pressing in (Mark 2:1-12)

1. Introduction: Jesus returns to Capernaum from a ministry trip where He did great miracles. News spread about this and a crowd awaits Him in Peter's house. People came for different reasons-some where desperate for healing, help, restoration-others were sceptical and curious. They were expecting more miracles, instead Jesus preaches to them. This shows the importance of Spirit and Word. Proclaiming the Word was important to the ministry of Jesus. So it should be today!

In this crowd was the four men carrying their paralyzed friend on a stretcher. Their attitude: WE MUST GET THROUGH TO JESUS, no matter what the cost! Their desperation activates faith. Nothing's gonna stop us!

2. Jesus is in the house (Mark 2:1). The Messiah, the Anointed One, the King of Kings and the Lord of lords is in the house. This makes the difference. The presence of the Creator God, the Star Maker is in the house! The Word that became flesh, God Himself, Immanuel, God is with us, is in the house. He is here to touch, change, heal, restore, save, deliver!

Jesus has drawing power (John 12:32.) When He is lifted up, when word gets out that Jesus is in the house, the people come.

Jesus came to model what the Spirit can do through one person. Get your attention on what God is doing now and not on what He has done. Don't go off on your own mission.

3. Desperate times require desperate measures. They couldn't get through by the door but they were willing to do whatever it takes to get to the Lord! NO excuse stopped them, they pressed in. They dared to do the unusual. It is not business as usual for the church. We need to pray, fast, worship, love, serve, give, sacrifice, minister, seek God, be open as never before. It took ingenuity to break up the roof to get that man to Jesus. They dug a hole through the roof (Amplified.) They made a plan to get into a position to receive. It is time for us to do the unusual to show our faith. We had lots of teaching, now we need lots of living! GOD IS CHALLENGING EACH ONE OF US TO MOVE UP to a next level with Him.

If we move up, the church will move up, His presence will increase, the life of Jesus will be evident amongst us.

4. Desperate times require faith. (V5) says, "...and when Jesus saw their faith..."

Jesus first sorts out his spiritual need (your sins are forgiven). This man's faith was very low, but Jesus saw the faith of his friends and acted because of it! When we are a blessing to others, helping them to believe, believing with them, God moves. Sometimes our own faith is low and we need brothers and sisters believing for us. It is impossible to be a blessing without a blessing also splashing over you as well. These friends dared to do what was difficult and costly. They realized that this man needed more than just being in the vicinity of Jesus, so they took him up close.

By forgiving his sins Jesus declares publicly He is the Messiah. The Jews was well aware that only God can forgive sin and that Jesus is claiming deity.

The scribes were just sitting there (Mark 2:6). They were discussing this amongst themselves and didn't have the courage to speak to Jesus openly.

Jesus heals this man and proved that He was worthy of faith.

5. With God all things are possible. When we turn to God in our desperation, He hears and moves. Whatever your situation may be, Jesus can change it, can change you, can change people that is involved, can change circumstances, can touch and heal! God is at work with His church in South Africa. It is a time of faith, of opening up to His Spirit and followinh where He leads.

A new move of God

Revival does not come to people who seek revival; it comes to a people who seek God! Far too many people are caught up in what God can do for them. But, seeking His face means that we HUNGER FOR HIM more than for what He can do. He wants us to love Him for Who He is! The essence of genuine revival is falling in love with Jesus all over again, (Rev. 2:1-7). SEEKING HIM will bring revival to His church. It Is A Challenge To Be Devoted! Nothing we are, or have, or think or do is to distract us from Him and from seeking His face. Our heart should settle for nothing less than all of His we can acquire!

We need the mentality:

Of Promise (2 Cor. 1:20). . Acts 7:17-19 (NKJV) “But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham…” Many personal and congregational promises. You and I have the liberty to approach God. - We may approach God with freedom. Freedom means we can be open and frank with God. God is faithful and true in everything that He says and does. So you can count on the promises of God to be absolutely trustworthy. (2 Peter 1:4) He has given us his very great and precious promises (Bible). Many of the Israelites of old failed to enter in to that which God had promised because of their unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). The Lord wants us to believe in the promises that He has made to us, that we might walk in all that He has for us and desires to do in and through us The Bible is a historical record of the ABSOLUTE RELIABILITY of God’s promises. The promises have always proven trustworthy, so you can COUNT ON them.
(Numbers 23:19) “God is NOT a man, that he should LIE, nor a son of man, that he
should CHANGE HIS MIND. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise
and not fulfill?”
Don’t evaluate God’s reliability like a human’s. God will never lie, never deceive, never mislead you. God will not change His mind.

Mentality of hope. In our circumstances in South Africa it is very easy to fall in pessimism, negativity. The devil is trying his best to break S.A but let’s not forget God's ability and faithfulness to keep His promises. We are not in a flat spin like the world on the outside, because Jesus is alive and totally capable to handle S.A and all its complecities. (Jer. 32:17) says, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You." (

Jer.) 32:27 adds, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?"

(Matth. 19:26) Jesus declared, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

In Luke 1:37, concerning the virgin birth, Jesus added, "For with God nothing will be impossible." When viewed within the realm of God's ability, everything that He promises is possible. In light of all that God is able to do, nothing that He promises is impossible for Him to fulfill. Some scripture passages address specifically the ability of God. Jude v. 24 asserts God's ability to protect the purity and strengthen the consistency of our spiritual walk. "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." Ephesians 3:20 proclaims God's ability goes far beyond our prayers or thoughts. "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think." God's ability to do all that He promises to do exceeds our deepest needs, as well as our highest contemplations.

Mentality of progress. Jesus came out of tomb to go somewhere- to the right hand of the father. To glory. To send us the Holy Spirit. You came out of the tomb with Him, but are you are going somewhere?

Mentality of winning ( Rom.8:37). We live in a time where men are consumed with breaking the records that their predecessors once achieved. Humanity is looking to do things faster, quicker, greater, higher.

Many have broken records, but all will pass away. There is One Barrier Breaker who lives on, and is still breaking barriers! It is Jesus Christ! Because of Him, there is no limit to our possibilities. For the Bible tells us “for with God, ALL things are possible, and that “greater is He that is within you than he that is in the world.” He who was dead is alive forever more, now has the keys, not only of death and hell, but all those that unlock the gates to every barrier that was made to be broken! When we look at the possibilities through the power and provisions of God, our vision expands. we are able to reach out and break the barriers before us (2 Petr. 1:3)!

Mentality of seeing with spiritual eyes (open the eyes Eph. 1:18). For the Church to adapt itself to this new reality, we will have to see the world through God’s eyes. If ever there was a time when we need Holy Spirit revelation it is now!!! If God doesn’t intervene in S.A. we are in big trouble! All the hard work of the last few yrs will go down the drain and this country will be devastated. God is calling us to pray (Rom. 13).

Famous believers like Paul and David said:
Paul - “That I may KNOW him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” Philippians 3:10.
David – “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.” Psalm 27:4.
And – “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” Psalm 17:15
And – “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” Psalm 42:1-2

Becoming all that you are destined to be in Christ

1. Introduction: Change of focus. (Isaiah 52:1) "Awake, awake! Put on your strength, o Zion; put on your beautiful garments." God changes people. Our attitude (South Africa) needs to change, thinking needs to change, churches need to change, ways need to change, prayer needs to change etc. God wants to raise up a army of God centered, Jesus obsessed and possessed people scary to the devil!

2. They GAINED what was promised N.I.V. (Hebr. 11:33). Come in a new and different place with God. (John 14:21) It means less distance between us and Him, getting nearer to His heart, understanding more of His ways, stronger relationship with Jesus, hearing His voice clearer, flowing in a deeper dimension of His Spirit-a connectedness with God! (Hebr. 11:34) Their weakness was turned into strength. Ordinary people who didn't start out strong, but they were shaped by God (2 Cor.12:9; 1 Cor. 1:27).

3. The church being repositioned for the next season of God. God is already positioned, now it is time for the church to get in position. God is a giving God (John 3:16). He gives salvation, grace, gifts, joy, fullness of His Spirit, peace, provides every need, freedom etc.
Church must get positioned to receive!

4. Raising a new breed of Christians (Isaiah 9:7). It is time to embrace prayer and the miraculous (Rom. 8:26). It is time to be a people of faith. Get established in the present truth that God is revealing. We are called by God (Rom. 8:30; Eph. 1:4-6, Eph. 4:1.) Called to commitment. Commitment means money, time, service, sacrifice!
Breaking limitations. He is not a limited, partial inadequate God. God says, "Break out."
This will flow from knowing Him (Phill. 3:10).
Seeking the Lord's face is about wanting Him more than anything else in this world!