A Message from Pastor Jamey
Hey Everybody,
This week in our "Year with Jesus" reading plan, we read Mark chapter 2. If you don't know what the Year with Jesus reading plan is, you can read last week's Outlet article here. In short, the plan we are doing as a church will take us through the four Gospels twice in one year. The reading plan can be found in the Believers Church App. Coincidentally, Mark 2 is also the main text I will use for the next part of our House Party series this Sunday. So, if you haven't already read it, give it a read before Sunday so that you can maximize our time together.
The chapter recalls when Jesus was in town, and a massive crowd came out to hear him teach. Many people who came out to see and hear Jesus had heard rumors of some of the miraculous signs that He had performed, including physical healings, casting out demons, etc. 4 guys who heard that Jesus was coming near them had a paralyzed friend. They decided their friend needed more than anything else to get in front of Jesus. So, they placed their friend on a mat, grabbed a corner, and took their friend to Jesus. When they got to the house where Jesus was teaching, it was so crowded that they couldn't get their friend in the door. So, they go to extraordinary lengths to lower their friend in front of Jesus from the house's roof.
Can you imagine if you were there that day? Have you ever been to church and been distracted by a phone going off or someone chatting nearby? It can be a little frustrating! Imagine if you were there and you saw some dirt starting to fall from the ceiling. Then, you saw some sunlight shining through the impromptu skylight that suddenly appeared, and then…down comes someone on a mat through the hole in the ceiling, and this guy is lowered right in front of Jesus.
If you are familiar with this story, what happens next might make you yawn, but imagine if you were there and had no idea what would happen. If you were there, you might think, "The owner of this house is going to be MAD! He has a hole in his house now." Or you might think that Jesus is about to get upset because someone is interrupting his teaching. Right? These would be the predictable outcomes of something like this.
Instead, Jesus does two miracles. The first miracle makes this man right with God…He forgives the man's sins. When he was being lowered before Jesus, this guy had to have thought that his greatest need was to be healed of his paralysis. But moments later, when his sins are forgiven, he realizes that the greatest need he had was one that he wasn't even aware of. He needed to be forgiven. He needed to be in a relationship with his Creator. He was forever changed in that moment. Amazing.
Those watching were skeptical of the "your sins are forgiven" thing that Jesus did. I don't blame them, really. If I had been there, I might have also been one of the skeptics. His sins are forgiven? How convenient! We can't see this man's sins; how do we know they are forgiven? Besides, they think to themselves that only God can forgive sins.
That's when Jesus really shows off. Knowing their thoughts, he says, "What is easier to do, forgive someone's sins or heal someone's physical limitations? To show you that I have the authority to forgive sins, which is way harder, I will do the easy part of healing this guy physically." And then he tells this guy to pick up his mat and go home.
As you might expect, the place goes crazy with excitement. No one had ever seen anything like this before! And if you think they were excited, imagine the guy on the mat! He was carried in, but he danced out! His forever was changed, AND the quality of his life was changed, too. It had to be the best day of his life! Right?
All of that was made possible by 4 friends who cared enough to carry their friend to Jesus.
Who are you carrying to Jesus? The good news is that you don't have to carry anyone on a mat; you can just invite someone. That's way easier. But the impact might still be the same. A person you invite could come into our Foyer, encounter Jesus, have their sins forgiven, AND experience His healing touch in their lives. They could be set free from bitterness, guilt, and shame…all because you cared enough to bring them to Jesus.
This week, I heard a story of someone who decided to try Believers Church out for the first time after being invited years ago. They drove to our previous location on Peek Trail in Chesapeake, and when they got there, they realized that Believers was no longer there. After talking about what they would do, they pulled back onto the road, and the vehicle in front of them had a Believers Church bumper sticker. They decided to follow the car…and it led them straight to Believers Church in Harbour View! They attended for the first time on Christmas Eve.
The person who invited them years ago probably thought their invitation had been ignored. The person with the bumper sticker on their car probably didn't realize anyone was paying attention. But they both ended up being on the side of the mat, bringing someone to Jesus through Believers.
Who's on your mat? Who are you praying for? Who are you inviting with the hope that they will encounter Jesus? Let's be as intentional, persistent, and as creative as the 4 friends in Mark chapter 2.
Know that I'm praying for you. I hope you will join me THIS Sunday to continue our House Party!
Pastor Jamey
PS Who's on your mat? Reply to this email with the name or the initials of who you are praying for, and I will add them to my prayer list and join you in praying for them. We will carry their mat together! I'm praying God does miraculous things in their life, too!
