Sermon about having the “Whatever It Takes” kind of faith for others – Mark 2:1-12

Pastor Eric began his sermon on January 16, 2022, by explaining that the Christian journey is one of faith. As believers, we walk by faith and not by sight. It is the Lord’s intention that we trust Him and believe His Word before He opens our eyes. The Bible makes it clear: We cannot please God unless we have faith.

Read Hebrews 11:6

The above passage indicates that those who approach God in prayer and seek Him earnestly will be rewarded. Not only does God hear us, but He also answers our prayers. It is through faith that we maintain a relationship with our Creator. No matter how difficult our circumstances are, we can be confident that we are not alone, as Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith.

Pastor Eric’s message today emphasized the importance of having a ‘whatever it takes’ type of faith: a faith that is prepared to face whatever challenges may arise. It’s the type of faith that penetrates through roofs. It is also a faith that extends to others.

Read Mark 2:1-5

In this passage, a paralytic entered the building through the roof and walked out the door. The same is true when we approach Jesus: We enter through the roof and exit through the door bearing witness to who He is.

Upon reading Mark 2:1-5, it is evident that:

1 – People are attracted to Jesus

At times, some may feel compelled to sugarcoat the gospel somewhat or to devise a gimmick to entice people to Christ. We mistakenly believe that people will not be interested in the gospel; therefore, we use creative means of introducing people to Jesus. The gospel should not be sweetened since only love and Jesus can lead people to salvation.

As recorded in Mark 2:1-5, the house was filled with people, and those gathered were blocking the entrance. As word spread that Jesus was in that house, people began to gather in large numbers. It was impossible to enter through the doorway. With His powerful words, authority, and truth, Jesus had drawn a crowd to Himself. In addition to forgiving sins and preaching about the Kingdom of God, Jesus healed the sick and gave them hope of everlasting life. The fact that He had something better in store for them, made Him call them to a higher standard of living.

A number of people gathered in the house where Jesus was preaching were well acquainted with the world, but the world had little to offer; therefore, their thirst remained unquenched. Several people are experiencing this thirst today. Some people around us may appear intimidating, but on the inside they are thirsting for truth. In many cases, people attempt to fill the void with something other than Jesus. The world, religion, money, fame, and drugs leave them thirsty. However, when people are introduced to Jesus, they become enamored with Him. Their hearts are touched by His goodness. In 2022, people are still hungry and thirsty for God.

In many cases, people do not reject Jesus; rather, they reject the image that they have of Him or reject the Jesus that was presented to them. On the other hand, when people encounter the true Jesus, they are receptive to Him.

We are reminded in Mark 2:1-5 that if we have faith that extends to others, as demonstrated by the paralytic’s friends, then, we too must place our trust in Christ. We must not be ashamed of God and His Word. In fact, the gospel is God’s power for salvation. The gospel is frequently substituted with entertainment, and then we wonder why so many people are abandoning their faith. Amidst their trials, they give up. Such an outcome may indicate that they did not follow the true Jesus, and that other influences were at work. As Christians, we must ensure that we are building upon the foundation of Jesus. People need the saving grace of God. They require a Saviour.

As Max Lucado once said,

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Saviour.

Have you accepted this Saviour into your life? Unless you do so, you will never be satisfied. There is no satisfaction to be found in money, fame, success, work, talents, or religion. You must meet with Jesus and speak to Him personally.

As Blaise Pascal stated,

There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.

Let’s make it about Christ. People need Jesus, not substitutes.

The paralytic’s friends had heard that Jesus was present in that house. Pastor Eric prayerfully anticipates that this will also be true in our “house” of worship in 2022: that all will recognize the presence of Christ at New Beginning Church. Furthermore, he is praying for a thorough proclamation of Jesus’ name throughout the area. It is about Jesus working through His people.

2 – They were determined to not settle for anything less than Jesus.

Read Mark 2:3-4

The paralyzed man’s friends had heard of Jesus. They were aware that He was capable of healing him. They knew their friend could be transformed if only they could get him to Jesus. Their faith was visible! Authentic faith can be seen! There is no faith without works. Their faith led them to help their friend in need, and they were not willing to accept anything less than Jesus. They had not come to observe the crowd; they had not come to see the house where Jesus was; nor did they come to see like-minded people. Their purpose was to see Jesus. Thus, they were inspired to be creative.

When we pray for someone who does not know the Lord, things often begin to happen because God is working behind the scenes. Sometimes it takes a while for things to improve, but we must not lose hope. We are to continue to pray until this person receives Jesus into his or her heart. This is what transpired here. The men did not settle for the crowd or the house. They wanted Jesus because only Jesus had the power to heal him.

3 – This was a community effort.

Several people were involved in bringing the paralytic to Jesus. It was a collaborative effort. Pastor Eric reminded us that occasionally, we are unable to carry the load on our own. Brothers and sisters in Christ are needed to pray alongside us. This is one of the blessings of being part of a local church. We do not have to carry the burden alone: We all individually and collectively come together to pray for the individual. Therefore, it is essential that we remain connected.

4 – Their faith affected the eternal destiny of the paralyzed man.

The men brought the paralytic to Jesus for physical healing. Jesus forgave the man despite the fact that he had not asked for forgiveness. By doing so, the Lord provided him with what he needed most. Forgiveness is humankind’s greatest need.

Read Mark 2:5

Today, Pastor Eric encouraged us to pray for others so that they may come to know Christ. It was also his desire that we take a moment today to say, “Jesus, I need your intervention in that person’s life. I present that person to You today, and I will not settle for anything less than that person’s salvation.” Perhaps that person cannot pray for herself or himself, but we can. That kind of faith will empower us to lead souls to Jesus Christ.

Let’s apply Mark 2 to our lives.

Watch video here.