Carry your mat
• Picture this: A crowded house. People
packed in every corner. No room to squeeze
in—not even at the door.
- Then suddenly, the roof starts coming
apart. Dust falls. Sunlight breaks through.
And a man, paralyzed and helpless, is
lowered down on a mat—right in front of
Jesus.
• What happens next is powerful. Jesus
doesn’t just see a man in need of healing—
He sees faith. And before He even speaks
healing to the man’s body, He speaks
freedom to his soul: “Son, your sins are
forgiven.”
• But here’s the part we often overlook—after
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Jesus heals the man, He tells him to do
something specific: “Get up, take your mat,
and go home.”
• but, if Jesus healed him, why tell him to
carry that old mat? The mat had been the
symbol of his limitation, the thing he’d been
stuck on for who knows how long. But now,
Jesus transforms it into a testimony. That
mat becomes proof—not just of where he
was, but of what God has done.
› (pause)
• Today, I want to talk about what it means
for you to carry your mat.
› (prayer )
MAIN STRIPTURE
Mark 2:1–12
Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 2)
When he entered Capernaum again a er
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some days, it was reported that he was at
home. 2 So many people gathered together
that there was no more room, not even in
the doorway, and he was speaking the word
to them. 3 They came to him bringing a
paralytic, carried by four of them.
4 Since they were not able to bring him to
Jesus because of the crowd, they removed
the roof above him, and after digging
through it, they lowered the mat on which
the paralytic was lying. 5 Seeing their faith,
Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are
forgiven.”
6 But some of the scribes were sitting there,
questioning in their hearts: 7 “Why does he
speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can
forgive sins but God alone?”
8 Right away Jesus perceived in his spirit
that they were thinking like this within
themselves and said to them, “Why are you
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thinking these things in your hearts?
9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up,
take your mat, and walk’? 10 But so that you
may know that the Son of Man has authority
on earth to forgive sins”—he told the
paralytic—11 “I tell you: get up, take your
mat, and go home.”
12 Immediately he got up, took the mat, and
went out in front of everyone. As a result,
they were all astounded and gave glory to
God, saying, “We have never seen anything
like this!”
story
• Several years ago, I found myself deep in
the heart of Northern Virginia, working on
the construction of a seven-story hotel. By
that time, I had been going back and forth
to that region for years—living out of
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suitcases, rotating through hotels, and
watching life at home pass by from a
distance.
• To say the travel was wearing on me would
be an understatement.
Sleeping in unfamiliar beds. Working while
sick. Missing birthdays, milestones, hugs
from my kids. The toll was real—physically,
emotionally, spiritually.
• Most EARLY MONDAY MORNINGS, I’d sit in
my truck before the long drive back—and
cry. Not just from exhaustion, but from a
deep ache that came from leaving my wife
and children behind again. But I went—
because it was my job. Because I thought I
had no choice.
• Over time, the weight of it all turned into
bitterness. I functioned well on the surface—
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met deadlines, got the job done—but inside,
I was breaking. - Frustrated. Angry. Wondering why I always
had to carry this burden, and feeling like no
one else really understood the weight I was
under. On the outside I looked like
everyone else, but on the inside I was
paralyzed.
SCRIPTURE BACKGROUND
• THE TEXT FOR TODAY IS SET IN THE
ANCIENT CITY OF Capernaum
• Capernaum WAS A city on the northwest
shore of the Sea of Galilee. Gospel writers
refer to it as Jesus’ “own city” (Matt 9:1)
because a er leaving Nazareth, He went to
live in Capernaum, for at least a time. - Capernaum means “the house (or, town) of
Nahum”; however, the identity of this
Nahum is unknown. In New Testament
times, Capernaum was a center of
commerce. - Fishing and trade were important, and the
town was a Roman tax polling station.
• In Capernaum, Peter, Andrew, James, and
John, who were fishermen, joined Jesus as
his disciples; Matthew, who was a tax
collector, also joined him.
As we enter The text for today Jesus has just
returned to Capernaum from preaching in
the area of the Galilee and healing the man
who was overcome with leprosy.
POINT 1 – HOPE SOUGHT
- When he entered Capernaum again a er
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some days, it was reported that he was at
home.
2 So many people gathered together that
there was no more room, not even in the
doorway, and he was speaking the word to
them.
3 They came to him bringing a paralytic,
carried by four of them. - In our text today, some came from right
around the block, while others came from
as much as 100 miles or more away.
a. To put it in perspective, It would be like us
walking from Elkton to Richmond…
Or Washington, D.C.…Or to Salem, Virginia
—AND ANY WHERE IN-BETWEEN
b. On foot. - My feet hurt most days just from regular
walking—I can only imagine after journeying
such a distance—but that didn’t stop this
crowd from pressing in to see Jesus.
a. they are literally filling the house and
blocking the doorway. This is a full standing
room only house. - In this text we are introduced to 4 people
carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.
scripture doesn’t say how far they carried
their him.
a. But we do know they WERE FOCUSED ON
ONE THING. GETTING THEIR FRIEND TO
JESUS NO MATTER WHAT.
lets continue in our text
POINT 2 – FORGIVENESS AND
HEALING
4 Since they were not able to bring him to
Jesus because of the crowd, they removed
the roof above him, and after digging
through it, they lowered the mat on which
the paralytic was lying. 5 Seeing their faith,
Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are
forgiven.” - What barriers are standing in our way?
What’s keeping us from fully seeing Jesus at
work in our lives?
a. for the four friends in our text, the crowds
were keeping them from getting to Jesus.
What has it been for you? - For me, during those long seasons of
travel work, the greatest barriers weren’t
physical. They were internal.
a. I wrestled with the quiet doubt that
anyone really cared.
b. I was weighed down by the frustration of
lost time—birthdays missed, moments I
couldn’t get back, the slow ache of being
away from home. Those thoughts clouded
my view of God’s presence.
i. I was functioning—but not free.
c. those things kept me from being able to
see Jesus, and receiving the healing I so
longed for. - So I ask you—what’s keeping you, or
someone you love, from experiencing
true freedom found in Christ?
a. What’s blocking the view, Is it pain?
b. Maybe its Shame? Or Disappointment? Or
Pride? - We all have blind spots. And o en, the
people we walk with every day are carrying
burdens we don’t even see. - the crowds around Jesus that day
prevented these four friends from getting
their friend to Jesus, but, they didn’t give
up.
a. They knew that their friend needed Jesus,
he needed help and hope,
b. they were committed to doing whatever it
took. - • the 4 friends were so desperate to get their
- friend to Jesus they did what that had to do
- to get him there.
- • I don’t know about you, but when I have
- prayed for loved ones, when I have tried to
- get them to Jesus, I recognize the
- temptation to give up.
- • To see the crowded house, the di iculty in
- the way and think “well I guess it wasn’t
- meant to be.” but what we see in this text is
- that these 4 friends teach us a valuable
- lesson of persistence.
- • we each have a circle—a family member, a
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- co-worker, a neighbor—someone walking
- through life in the shadows, trying to make
- sense of their story without the light of Jesus.
- • What would you do to help them find the
- healing and hope they desperately need?
- • Sometimes, the breakthrough someone
- needs isn’t a sermon or a grand gesture like
- hacking a hole through someone’s roof.
- Sometimes carrying the mat is a simple act
of love. A quiet prayer. A message that says,
“I see you. I care. I’m praying for you.”
• maybe its a conversation over coffee, or an
invitation to church.
• WE CAN NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPACT
OF A SIMPLE KIND QUIET GESTURE.
• the key is that whatever we do is done in
faith that Jesus is willing and able to heal, he
is the one we all need.
• the kind of faith that Jesus saw in the four
friends that day was persistent, committed,
and focused.
lets finish our teaching text starting in verse 6
POINT 3 – HOPE FOUND
6 But some of the scribes were sitting there,
questioning in their hearts:
7 “Why does he speak like this? He’s
blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God
alone?”
8 Right away Jesus perceived in his spirit
that they were thinking like this within
themselves and said to them, “Why are you
thinking these things in your hearts?
9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up,
take your mat, and walk’?
10 But so that you may know that the Son of
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Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—
he told the paralytic—
11 “I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go
home.”
12 Immediately he got up, took the mat, and
went out in front of everyone. As a result,
they were all astounded and gave glory to
God, saying, “We have never seen anything
like this!”
• In todays passage Jesus sees the faith of
the friends, and he heals the one who was
on the mat, but not in the way you might
have thought.
• HEALING THE OUTSIDE MEANS LITTLE IF
THE INSIDE IS STILL BROKEN.
• you see, the friends brought this man for
the obvious need of being paralized, but
jesus saw that his greatest need was to be
forgiven of his sins. - Jesus always sees our greatest need.
THE REST OF THE STORY
• I had been working out of town for about
six months on a demanding, seven-story
hotel project. Every day felt heavy. - I was filled with anger and frustration—
resentful of the distance between me and
my wife, and aching for time with my young
daughters. - On the outside, I looked fine. I did my job. I
showed up. - But inside, I was unraveling. My thoughts
were clouded. My spirit felt stuck. It was like
I was paralyzed— not physically, but in my
mind.
• What I failed to see in those moments was
something simple, yet profound: God’s
presence was just as real on that job site
as it was in any church, any prayer closet,
or at any altar.
• One day, while working on the trim-out—
just doing my job, tools in hand—I had
music playing from a mixed Pandora
station. Then “Stay” by William McDowell
came on. And something shi ed.
• Right there, in the middle of a loud, chaotic
construction site, I was completely undone.
I had to step away, find a quiet corner
amidst the noise—and worship.
• Tears came before words did. I wept. I
worshiped. I surrendered.
• In that moment, I knew—God saw me. He
hadn’t forgotten me. He was with me.
• The frustration didn’t vanish overnight. But
something far more important happened: I
was reminded that I wasn’t invisible. I
wasn’t alone. - The God of the universe met me in the
middle of a job site, covered in dust and
sweat, and wrapped me in His presence.
CONCLUSION
• WE ALL HAVE NEEDS, WHAT NEEDS HAVE
YOU CARRIED with you TODAY?
• Church, if there’s one thing we can all agree
on—it’s this:
The world we live in is desperate for
hope.
Psalm 42:1–4
“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I
long for you, God. I thirst for God, the
living God. When can I come and appear
before God? My tears have been my food
day and night, while all day long people
say to me, “Where is your God?” I
remember this as I pour out my heart:
how I walked with many, leading the
festive procession to the house of God,
with joyful and thankful shouts.” - People are searching, Searching high and
low, Near and far.
From the corners of success to the shadows
of despair.
• SEARCHING FOR THE HOPE WE HAVE IN
CHRIST AND in HIM ALONE.
• MAYBE TODAY YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR
THAT HOPE, YOU HAVE RUN EVERY
DIRECTION YOU COULD THAT DIDN’T
INVOLVE RUNNING TO THE CROSS.
• LET ME SAY IT PLAINLY, WE CAN search at
the bottom of a DARK BROWN bottle, OR IN
A BOTTLE of a PILLS.
• WE CAN SEARCH in relationships,
promotions, OR possessions.
• But, You won’t find hope there, Not real
hope. Not the kind that lasts.
• In MARK 2, we read ABOUT A paralyzed
man WHO WAS lowered through the roof to
meet Jesus. His friends were SO desperate
for him to be healed THAT THEY DID WHAT
EVER IT TOOK to get him there.
• maybe you are here this morning and you
too have been DESPERETLY searching for
real hope.
WE ARE GOING TO RESPOND IN A FEW WAYS
TODAY AS BETH LEADS US IN A SONG OF
RESPONSE.
FIRST I WOULD INVITE YOU TO CARRY YOUR
LOVED ONES TO JESUS IN FAITH FILLED
PRAYER, this front row of chairs can serve as
an alter if you need to come sit at the feet of
The Healer.
WE HAVE SMALL CARDS AVALIBLE AT THE
FOOT OF THE CROSS. I WOULD INVITE YOU
TO WRITE THEIR NAME ON THE CARD AND
PIN IT TO THE CROSS IN AN ACT OF FAITH
KNOWING THAT JESUS IS ABLE.
SECOND IF YOU ARE HERE TODAY AND YOU
SENSE YOU NEED TO ENCOUNTER JESUS
MAYBE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
MAYBE FOR HEALING, FOR HELP, OR MAYBE
YOU NEED TO SIMPLY TRUST HIM WITH
YOUR GREATEST NEED,
PASTOR TERRY AND PASTOR JARED ARE IN
THE BACK AND WOULD LOVE TO PRAY WITH
YOU.
LET US COME ALONG SIDE YOU AS WE SEEK
JESUS TODAY.
Benediction
Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all
joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with
hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Go now into a world that needs hope, go knowing that you
are loved.