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Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus 

The Psalms Part 1 

The blessed life 

Today we are starting a new teaching series in the book of Psalms. 

Over the next few weeks we are going to do an intentional deep dive into 4 different Psalms. Our goal is to study each Psalm to understand how these words from thousands of years ago still offer wisdom and hope for our lives today. 

The book of psalms is a large collection of poems written by various different authors across the span of 1000 years. 

Many of these poems were lyrical in nature and intended to be set with music. The content of these psalms covers a large range of our human experience and relationship with God. 

Their diversity makes them a valuable tool for our faith walk today. 

Our series begins today with Psalm 1. In many ways Psalm 1 serves as an introduction to the whole book of Psalms so it makes perfect sense that we start our journey there today. 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬‬ 

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 

Blessed in this context is not as much about a feeling as it is about a condition of life. To be blessed is to be satisfied, to be full, to be content regardless of circumstances. 

Blessed is the one who does not… 

Walk in step with the wicked 

Stand in the way of sinners 

Or sit in the company of mockers. 

Most commentators on this passage see a progression of sin choices or behaviors that increase in severity and commitment. 

In short summary, the truly blessed life, is not one lived in compromise with sin and the way of the world. To live the blessed life, we must sin seriously, and avoid it accordingly. 

The blessed life as the bible teaches us is a life of purity and righteousness. 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬‬ 

but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 

To delight in the Law of the Lord means that we find great delight and satisfaction in God’s word. 

The reference to Law here is not specific to the 10 commandments, but to the whole revealed word of God. 

To delight in the word of God means that we would find enjoyment in reading it, fulfillment knowing that we are leaning into relationship with our heavenly father. 

And it says we are to meditate on his word day and night, that it would be a continual practice in our lives to be mulling over the word of God. 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬‬ 

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. 

The picture the bible gives us for the blessed life is that of a tree planted beside water. 

It’s a life of rooted perseverance, steadfast in the face of trials. It’s a prosperous life bearing fruit for to bring life and enjoyment for others. It’s constant, consistent, and celebrated. That’s the blessed life, and it stands in stark contrast to the other way of life. 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬-‭6‬‬ 

Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. 

The author changes metaphor here to a kernel of wheat and the outter hull called chaff. The chaff is separated from the kernel of wheat and blown away. This is the picture of the life lived in rebellion and sin. The opposite of a blessed life. Not only now, but in the future judgement, those who have chosen this life will not stand. 

The psalm ends in verse 6 with a direct contrast: 

The promise of God’s presence and watchful care over the righteous verses the way of the wicked leading to destruction. 

That’s one thing you will find as you engage the psalms, they don’t hold back from telling hard truths, from asking hard questions. 

Psalm 1 paints the picture of two different ways of life. 

The way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. 

The way of blessing that leads to life, or the way of the wicked that leads to destruction. 

And I wonder today, which path are you on? Are you living a blessed life? 

• WELCOME- GLAD YOU ARE HERE
• YOU ALREADY HEARD WE WERE ON RETREAT
• PURPOSE OF TODAY ISN’T TO RECREATE RETREAT- IT ISN’T TO MAKE MEN WHO DIDN’T GO FEEL BAD- WILD STUFF HAPPENED TO PREVENT MANY FROM GOING

 DEFINITION OF A RETREAT

• GO EAT A LOT
• CELEBRATE FREEDOM FOR A FEW DAYS
• MAKE STRANGE WEIRD NOISES
• WE WENT FOR PROBABLY MANY REASONS
• PRAY MAIN GOAL WAS GET CLOSER TO JESUS

FORMAT FOR THE WEEKEND:

   THURSDAY NIGHT MEAL TOGETHER-5:30PM

FOOD ALL WEEKEND WAS TERRIFIC

SESSION 1: MY FRIEND KYLE ROTH FROM PA SPOKE

SESSION 2: FRIDAY AM- SESSION 2- KYLE AGAIN

SESSION 3: PANEL DISCUSSION- 4 MEN WHO WERE ASKED ?’S

FREE TIME FRIDAY AFTERNOON– GOLF

 BEACH/BOARDWALK/WHALE DOLPHIN WATCHING

SESSION 4:

FRIDAY EVENING BROUGHT IN CLOSER- P KERRY

THEME FOR THE WEEKEND- CARRY THE MAT

• STARTED 7 WEEKS AGO SATURDAY AM BREAKFAST
• BRIAN CHARETTE LAUNCHED US INTO OUR THEME
• STORY IS FOUND IN ALL 3 GOSPELS
• WE USED MARK 2
• I’M GOING TO USE LUKE 5 (LUKE IS A DR)
• ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS SAID
• FIND YOUR FAVORITE GOSPEL AND OWN IT

LUKE 5:17

  17. ONE OF THE DAYS WHILE JESUS WAS TEACHING,  SOME PROUD RELIGIOUS LAW-KEEPERS AND TEACHERS OF THE LAW WERE SITTING BY HIM. THEY HAD COME FROM EVERY TOWN IN THE COUNTRIES OF GALILEE AND JUDEA AND FROM JERUSALEM. THE POWER OF THE LORD WAS THERE TO HEAL THEM.

LUKE 5:18

  18. SOME MEN TOOK A MAN WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO MOVE HIS BODY. HE WAS CARRIED ON A BED. THEY LOOKED FOR A WAY TO TAKE THE MAN INTO THE HOUSE WHERE JESUS WAS.

 LUKE 5:19

  19. BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND A WAY TO TAKE HIM IN BECAUSE OF SO MANY PEOPLE. THEY MADE A HOLE IN THE ROOF OVER WHERE JESUS STOOD. THEN THEY LET THE BED WITH THE SICK MAN ON IT DOWN BEFORE JESUS.

• RIGHT NOW- IM SPEAKING- SOUNDS START
• DEBRIS FALLS- ALL OF YOU WOULD DO WHAT?

Luke 5:20-21

  20. WHEN JESUS SAW THEIR FAITH, HE SAID TO THE MAN, “FRIEND, YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN. “THE TEACHERS OF THE LAW AND THE PROUD RELIGIOUS LAW-KEEPERS THOUGHT TO THEMSELVES, “WHO IS THIS MAN WHO SPEAKS AS IF HE IS GOD” WHO CAN FORGIVE SINS BUT GOD ONLY?”

Luke 5:22-23

  22. JESUS KNEW WHAT THEY WERE THINKING. HE SAID TO THEM, “WHY DO YOU THINK THIS WAY IN YOUR HEARTS? WHICH IS EASIER TO SAY, “YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN, OR “GET UP AND WALK?”

THINK ABOUT THAT QUESTION: SO WHAT IN YOUR MIND IS EASIER?

 HEAL  A MAN?

 FORGIVE SINS? – YOU HAVE THE POWER FORGIVE

LUKE 5:24

  “SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW THE SON OF MAN HAS THE RIGHT AND THE POWER ON EARTH TO FORGIVE SINS, “HE SAID TO THE MAN WHO COULD NOT MOVE HIS BODY, “I SAY TO YOU, GET UP. TAKE YOUR BED AND GO TO YOUR HOME.”

LUKE 5:25-26

  25. AT ONCE THE SICK MAN GOT UP IN FRONT OF THEM. HE TOOK HIS BED AND WENT TO HIS HOME THANKING GOD.” ALL THOSE WHO WERE THERE WERE SURPRISED AND GAVE THANKS TO GOD, SAYING, “WE HAVE SEEN VERY SPECIAL THINGS TODAY.”

• KYLE IS 32– HES AN ELECTRICIAN BY TRADE
• KYLE SHARED FROM THIS STORY

WHAT STRUCK HIM IS THAT JESUS FORGIVES MANS SINS FIRST.

• WE KNOW WHAT THE RELGIOUS GUYS THOUGHT-

IT TELLS US IN VERSE 20-21 JESUS KNOWS

• DOESN’T JUST KNOW THEIR THOUGHTS
• THEIR THOUGHTS ARE REFLECTION OF THEIR HEARTS
• WHAT DO YOU THINK THE MAN THOUGHT?
• WHAT DO YOU THINK THE GUYS CARRYING HIM THOUGHT? JESUS HUH? THAT’S NOT WHY WE CARRIED HIM ALL THIS WAY- WENT ON TOP OF THE ROOF- TORE A HOLE OPEN

KYLE SAID “JESUS HEALS WHAT HE KNOWS IS NEEDED MOST – WHAT’S HIS GREATEST NEED?”

   ITS OBVIOUS JESUS- THE MAN CAN’T WALK

WE GET EXCITED FOR WHAT IS COMING AND MISS WHAT THE GREATEST NEED IS-

   HE NEEDS HIS SINS FORGIVEN

KYLE THEN SHARED HIS JOURNEY OF GREATEST NEED.

   KYLE WAS DRUMMER ON OUR WORSHIP TEAM

   KYLE LED YOUTH AT CHURCH

   KYLES WIFE WAS ONE OF OUR WORSHIP LEADERS

 KYLE HAD ONE SON (EMMIT) -ANOTHER ON WAY

ALI HIS WIFE HAD A DIFFICULT PREGNANCY

AT 29 YEARS OF AGE- THE DAY THEY CAME HOME WITH THEIR SON OWEN- AFTER A PLANNED C SECTION

GOT A CALL TO MEET THE DR- FOUND OUT WHY

ALI HAD STAGE 4 COLON CANCER (AUGUST)

ALI HAD A ROUGH JOURNEY AND SO DID KYLE

ALI WAS OUT OF IT MUCH OF HER LAST DAYS IN HOSPICE

I WOULD GO AND SIT TO BE WITH KYLE- TALK- JUST BE PRESENT- LISTEN/ PRAY- CRY

I DEDICATED THEIR SON IN HOPSICE- TENDER

FEW DAYS BEFORE ALI WOULD PASS- OUT OF IT

LADY WITH GUITAR CAME IN TO PLAY WORSHIP

  KYLE “I FIGURED THE LORD KNEW THE OBVIOUS NEED”

LORD SAID” KYLE I HAVE FORGIVEN YOUR SINS

THURSDAY MORNING HE SHARED- THE LORDS DESIRE AND INTENT TO RESTORE ALL THINGS

   KYLE WAS HEALING BUT ALSO REELING

   CAME TO MY OFFICE ONE DAY” I’M N OT DOING WELL- TRYING TO RAISE TO BOYS AND GOING TO BED BY MYSELF

   KYLE SHARED “I WAS ON THE MAT- I WAS IN TROUBLE” IF SOME PEOPLE HADN’T CARRIED ME- I WOULDN’T BE HERE

   THE LORD REMINDED ME OF MY GREATEST NEED MET

   THE LORD ALSO HAD ANOTHER PLAN

THE LORD BEGAN TO WORK ON KYLE AND ALSO ANOTHER YOUNG LADIES HEART- TOTAL MIRACLE

GOD WAS RESTORING THINGS FOR KYLE BEYOND WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS HIS GREATEST- MOST OBVIOUS NEED

   HE HEALED HIS FAMILY AGAIN.

• IN AUGUST SERIES CALLED “FOR 1”
• WE LOOKED AT STORIES- JESUS PURSUED 1
• LUKE 15 A STORY ABOUT “UNTIL 1”
• I ASKED YOU ALL – WHO IS YOUR ONE?

WHO IS THE PERSON YOU REARANGED YOUR LIFE FOR- IN ORDER TO INTRODUCE THEM TO JESUS.

NOT YOUR PROJECT THEY ARE YOUR ONE

   JESUS DID MUCH OF HIS MINISTRY ONE AT A TIME

FINISHED LIFE GROUP SERIES STUDY- 1 AT TIME

SO I’M REVISITING SAME QUESTION IN A DIFFERENT WAY-

   WHO ARE YOU HELPING TO CARRY TO JESUS

THIS IS ANOTHER STORY OF FOR 1- BUT IT’S A GROUP THAT CARRIES THE ONE.

• OBSTACLES DON’T PREVENT THEM
• WHAT KIND OF A FRIEND ARE YOU?

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO CARRY WITH OTHERS- A PERSON TO JESUS?

• HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO BE CARRIED TO JESUS? KYLE WAS
• KYLE THEN COMES TO CARRY THE MAT WITH US

DESMOND DOSS

• BORN FEBRUARY 7, 1919 LYNCHBURG VA
• PRIVATE DOSS- AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN
• JOINED ARMY BUT WAS A CONSCIOUS OBJECTOR (WOULDN’T CARRY GUN)
• BECAME MEDIC
• 2 COMMANDING OFFICERS MISTREATED HIM
• TRIED TO GET HIM KICKED OUT

 HACKSAW RIDGE

• HELP ME SAVE ONE MORE- LORD
• HELP ME SAVE ONE MORE
• TRUTH IS HE COULDN’T SAVE ONE BY HIMSELF
• GUYS ON THE OTHER END CARRIED THE MAT

SCENE WHERE COMMANDER IS WALKING THROUGH TRIAGE

   “WHERE ARE ALL THESE SOLDIERS COMING FROM- HOW DID THEY GET HERE?”

DOSS SIR- DOSS IS SAVING ALL THESE GUYS.

TUDOR ELECTRIC FOOTBALL GAME

• BACK WHEN BRIAN CHARETTE LAUNCHED THE IDEA OF CARRY THE MAT WITH MENS PRAYER BREAKFAST
• SHOWED PICTURE AND A VIDEO OF THIS GAME
• THE GAME WOULD GET PLUGGED IN AND JUST VIBRATE AND SHAKE-
• SOMEONE MIGHT SCORE- SOMEONE MIGHT NOT
• BUT INVARIABLY- THE PLAYERS WOULD SCATTER TO THE SIDELINE
• BRIAN CHALLENEGED US- WHEN THINGS START SHAKING- DON’T SCATTER TO THE SIDELINE MEN.

“AND SEEING THEIR FAITH- JESUS FORGIVES HIS SINS AND HEALS THE MAN”

• WHAT DOES HE SEE IN ME AND WHAT DOES HE SEE IN YOU

TODAY WE HAVE 4 MATS- SPREAD AROUND THE ROOM

IM GONNA INVITE YOU TO PLACE THE NAME OR NAMES OF SOMEONE WHO YOU ARE GONNA NEED TO GET HELP AND CARRY THEM TO JESUS.

YOU ARE JUST GONNA WRITE THEIR NAME AND THEN WE AS A CHURCH AS A STAFF – PLACE THESE IN VARIOUS PLACES AND PRAY OVER THESE NAMES

“AND SEEING THEIR FAITH”

   IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RETREAT ONE OF THE WISER PASTORS ASKED

   “ HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU TOOK THE HAND OF YOUR SPOUSE AND PRAYED AT THE ALTAR?

“HOW LONG MEN HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU PRAYED AT AN ALTAR? WHY? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

MAYBE TODAY YOU NEED TO BRING A NAME OR A REQUEST NOT JUST ON A MAT BUT TO THE ALTAR?

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
  2
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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
  3
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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
  4
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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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.”
5. 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?
6. 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.
7. 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?
8. We all have blind spots. And o en, the
   people we walk with every day are carrying
   burdens we don’t even see.
9. 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.
10. • the 4 friends were so desperate to get their
11. friend to Jesus they did what that had to do
12. to get him there.
13. • I don’t know about you, but when I have
14. prayed for loved ones, when I have tried to
15. get them to Jesus, I recognize the
16. temptation to give up.
17. • To see the crowded house, the di iculty in
18. the way and think “well I guess it wasn’t
19. meant to be.” but what we see in this text is
20. that these 4 friends teach us a valuable
21. lesson of persistence.
22. • we each have a circle—a family member, a
23. 12
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25. co-worker, a neighbor—someone walking
26. through life in the shadows, trying to make
27. sense of their story without the light of Jesus.
28. • What would you do to help them find the
29. healing and hope they desperately need?
30. • Sometimes, the breakthrough someone
31. needs isn’t a sermon or a grand gesture like
32. 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.

Everyday Faith: Humble Everyday

INTRO:

• The Voices of the World
  • Appetite says, “Be sensuous, enjoy yourself.”
  • Education says, “Be resourceful, expand yourself.”
  • Materialism says, “Be satisfied, please yourself.”
  • Psychology says, “Be confident, fulfill yourself.”
  • Pride says, “Be superior, promote yourself.”
  • Humanism says, “Be capable believe in yourself.”
  • God says, “Be wise, humble yourself.”
    • Proverbs 18:12
      • Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.
        • D.L. Moody.
          • Be humble or you’ll stumble. 
• Today is titled: Humble Everyday
• I know many of your are asking, why are we talking about humility and concluding with it in a series about practices and tools a follower of Jesus should engage/“do” every day?
• If we engage the 4 tools/practices we covered in this series:
  • Prayer
  • Scripture reading
  • Serving
  • Fellowship/Community
    • Without the proper heart posture then we are inevitably going to be frustrated, dejected, burdened, or self-righteous.
      • We must recognize at the foundation of it all that we are sinners in desperate need of His grace.
        • And so in the practice of our salvation, our discipleship/apprenticeship to Jesus—humility combats self-righteousness
• It’s sometimes a challenge to walk in humility because, frankly, we want what we want.
  • We want the kingdom without the king, the saving without the sacrifice.

• We are prone to be prideful about what we “DO” and “doing” or practices have been what this series has been about
• Either pride will keep you from these tools/practices as I would refer to them or you will practice them with the wrong posture of heart (pridefully) and you will not see real and lasting fruit from God’s spirit in your life.
  • The practices place us before God so he can do His real work in us, bringing us closer to His image.
    • But pride will get in the way EVERY TIME unless it is confessed and repented of.
• We have probably all said or at least heard the phrase, “That was a humbling experience.”
  • So I acquired from good ole Google
• What does “it was a humbling experience mean?”
  • /ˈhʌm.bəl.ɪŋ/ causing someone to understand that they are not as important or special as they thought: humbling experience It’s a humbling experience to see people being so positive about life when they have so little.
• What does humbling mean in slang?
  • If someone says “you humbled me “ means that he has been made to feel modest. Or undeserving. Generally meaning he feels he really doesn’t live up to the compliment, or action, or gift.

• What does a humble person act like?
  • Humble people have accurate opinions of themselves, put accomplishments into perspective, and believe that they are not better than others. Humility is characterized by gratitude and the freedom from arrogance and entitlement. A humble person acknowledges mistakes and is aware of limitations.
    • Maybe you’ve heard it said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is just thinking of yourself less”…I see why that might work from a worldly perspective but it doesn’t quote work for the biblical one.
      • The humble person is not one who thinks meanly of himself; he simply does not think of himself at all!
        • Tim Keller – Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness
          • “What are the marks of a heart that has been radically changed by the grace of God? If we trust in Christ, what should our hearts be like? It is not simply a matter of morally virtuous behaviour. It is quite possible to do all sorts of morally virtuous things when our hearts are filled with fear, with pride or with a desire for power. We are talking about hearts that have been changed, at the root, by the grace of God — and what that looks like in real life.”

PRAYER

MESSAGE:

• Matthew 11:28-30 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

• Chuck Swindoll commentates it this way,
  • “I am gentle. I am humble. These are servant terms. Gentle means “strength under control.” It is used of a wild stallion that has been tamed. Humble in heart means “lowly”—the word picture of a helper. Unselfishness and thoughtfulness are in the description. It doesn’t mean weak and insignificant, however. Frankly, I find it extremely significant that when Jesus lifts the veil of silence and once for all gives us a glimpse of Himself, the real stuff of His inner person, He uses gentle and humble. When we read that God the Father is committed to forming us to the image of His Son, qualities such as these are what He wants to see emerge. We are never more like Christ than when we fit into His description of Himself.
    • • SO WHAT ABOUT YOU, HOW IS YOUR GENTLENESS AND HUMILITY?

• Philippians 2:1-8
  • Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
  • 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
• Lowliness of mind is a good way to describe this humility the Paul is addressing
  • One Pastor said, “Lowliness/humility is the opposite of living with a sense of entitlement.”
    • Do you walk through life mainly feeling, ”YOU OWE ME____________”
      • You owe me a certain look on Sunday morning
      • You owe me a certain level of consideration before others
      • You owe me because I have kept the rules/commands much better then most people I know
      • YOU OWE ME BECAUSE WELL BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU DO
        • And I get MAD when you don’t pay!
          • If that is your basic orientation, this pastor continued, then you aren’t humble.
            • Who in the world can be like that?
              • Christians…
              • Paul in Romans 1:14 — debtor/obligated to EVERYONE — He was saying I owe everyone and no one owes me anything
              • How does he get to this place?
              • He is absolutely stunned by the grace of God
                • Pastor continued, “When He owed you nothing but Hell he went to hell for you. Until you are stunned by that you will have a sense of entitlement. You will walk through life with the basic orientation —“You owe me…” when God’s grace hits you with stunning force that you were owed hell and you got heaven instead at the cost of the life son of God in the flesh…so much for your sense of entitlement —it’s over—humility happens.”
        • Someone might ask, “Does this mean I have to see myself as garbage or something lesser first?”
          • NO!
            • You have to realize first that you were created in the image of God and sin has distorted that image so you can’t actually be the good you were truly created to be, and that sin has a wage and that is death.
              • Realizing that you deserve death/hell but you can have life/heaven because someone paid your debt in full
                • THAT SHOULD ABSOLUTELY STUN YOU — WRECK YOU — CHANGE YOU
• Listen y’all, this is a war.
  • All of this flies directly in the face of all our culture preaches and promotes
    • Autonomy is essential to our flourishing and the good life – LIE
    • How you feel is the foundational test of truth for your life – LIE
      • We war against the world, the flesh, and the devil daily and I have to remind myself of the Gospel truth and His word daily…
        • BUT the power of His Spirit is greater and that power is fully activated when you are yielded to Him completely in humble surrender.

(SLIDE) 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing (of no reputation) by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

• Lowliness/humility = “The opposite of a sense of entitlement”
  • In Phil 1, it is “Christ first” and in Phil 2 it is “others next.”

• Example of disciples…
  • Mark 9:30-35, 10:32-45
    • Jesus tells of death and resurrection (a little earlier end of 8 he tells them that the way of his kingdom/ denying yourself and taking up our cross daily) + disciples respond in these instances with a sense of entitlement —with prideful dispositions.
      • Now we often shake our heads at these knuckleheads who were the closest friends of Jesus =)
        • But have you been there, are you there now?
          • How are you doing in the area of humility, really?
• Some people are proud of being “humble”, and this is one of the very worst sorts of pride.

James 4:5-10

5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”  (Prov 3:34)

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

CONCLUSION: (TEAM COME BACK UP)

• I is the center of
  • sIn
  • prIde
  • dIe
• DIE is at the center of obeDIEnce
  • (Humility is at the root of all righteousness, pride is at the root of all sin.
  • Listen, the call of Jesus is to
    • Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Him/learn from him
      • You CAN NOT be full of pride if you are denying yourself and taking up your cross each day
        • Coming to the end of yourself is the only way to learn from Jesus, the way of Jesus, the everyday essence of gentleness and humbleness of heart
          • I have so far to go…

• When a man asked George Mueller the secret of his service, Mueller responded: “There was a day when I died, utterly died; died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends; and since then I have studied to show myself approved only to God.”
• THAT IS THE SECRET TO LIVING EVERYDAY FAITH, IN THE WAY OF JESUS, AND EXPERIENCING DAY-TO-DAY THE ABUNDANT LIFE THAT JESUS CAME TO OFFER

EVERYDAY FAITH

• TOOLS FROM THE TOOL BOX
• WEEK 1 – PRAYER “ARE YOU TIRED OF PRAYING THE SAME BORING LAME PRAYERS?”  

GOD BLESS MY FOOD/ WATCH OVER MY TRAVELS

TOOL WE OFFERED WASN’T ONLY WAY- 1 WAY

PRAYER JOURNAL- PRAYER MAY BE  TOOL BOX

• WEEK 2 WAS GODS WORDS

OUR CAMPUS THAT 4 DAYS A WEEK MADE AN ACTUAL DIFFERENCE-  1-3 DAYS BIBLE READING LITTLE IMPACT

  WEEK 3- SERVING, JESUS TAKES OF HIS TITLE HIS ROBE AND PICKS UP A TOWEL. WE GAVE OUT TOWELS.

WEEK 4– FELLOWSHIP- TOOK 5 MINUTES OUT OF THE MESSAGE AND WE JUST PUT 4 QUESTIONS UP- FELLOWSHIPED (PEOPLE LOVED IT)

FOOTBALL COACH

• MET WHEN I WAS IN HS
• WON EVERY AWARD AS A PLAYER
• WON MORE AS A COACH-UNUSUAL

BASKETBALL PLAYER

• JESS RHEINHEIMER
• WON AWARD FOR THE BEST STUDENT ATHLETE IN COUNTRY (500 SCHOOLS)
• SENIOR YEAR/LAST GAME/WENDYS

 I PETER 5:5

   5. IN THE SAME WAY, YOU WHO ARE YOUNGER, SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO YOUR ELDERS. ALL OF YOU, CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH HUMILITY TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER, BECAUSE,

I PETER 5:6

   “GOD OPPOSES THE PROUD BUT SHOWS FAVOR TO THE HUMBLE.

• WHERE ELSE DO WE READ GOD OPPOSES ?

I PETER 5:7

  HUMBLE YOURSELVES, THREFORE, UNDER GOD’S MIGHTY HAND, THAT HE MAY LIFT YOU UP IN DUE TIME. CAST ALL YOUR ANXIETY ON HIM BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU.

 EVERYDAY FAITH

 MARK 10:35

  35. THEN JAMES AND JOHN , THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE CAME TO HIM. “TEACHER, THEY SAID, “WE WANT YOU TO DO FOR US WHATEVER WE ASK.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?” HE ASKED

 MARK 10:36

  36. THEY REPLIED, “LET ONE OF US SIT AT YOUR RIGHT AND THE OTHER AT YOUR LEFT IN YOUR GLORY.” YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ASKING,  JESUS SAID. “CAN YOU DRINK THE CUP I DRINK OR BE BAPTIZED WITH THE BAPTSIM I AM BAPTIZED WITH?”

   “WE CAN” , THEY ANSWERED

 MARK 10:37

  37. JESUS SAID TO THEM, “YOU WILL DRINK THE CUP I DRINK AND BE BAPTIZED WITH THE BAPTISM I AM BAPTIZED WITH, BUT TO SIT AT MY RIGHT OR LEFT IS NOT FOR ME TO GRANT. THESE PLACES BELONG TO THOSE WHOM THEY HAVE BEEN PREPARED.”

MARK 10:38

  38. WHEN THE TEN HEARD ABOUT THIS, THEY BECAME INDIGNANT WITH JAMES AND JOHN

• ADDRESS OPPOSITE OF HUMILITY
• OPPOSITE IS ENTITLEMENT- JAMES/JOHN

“HUMILITY COMES FROM BEING STUNNED AT THE GRACE OF GOD.” PIPER

GOOD TO GREAT BOOK- WILL AND HUMILITY

3 MEN

 POP POP 8^TH GRADE- SAVED OUTSIDE A CHURCH GRANDPA TAUGHT MUSIC- HATED IT AS A KID

MY DAD– DAVE GRIFFIN- ALL LOVED GOD WELL

BLACK AND WHITE PICTURE

• TWO IMAGES IN THIS PICTURE
• HUMILITY AND FALSE HUMILITY ARE SOMETIMES HARD TO DECIPHER
• HUMILITY AND PRIDE/ARROGANCE ARE NOT

ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TALK ABOUT HUMILITY AND NOT TALK ABOUT PRIDE

 PRIDE

   CS LEWIS SAID “PEOPLE DON’T HAVE A PRIDE ISSUE THEY HAVE A COMPETITIVE COMPARISON ISSUE- PEOPLE AREN’T PROUD OF BEING SMART, OR FAST OR STRONG OR RICH. THEY ARE PROUD OF BEING SMARTER, FASTER, STRONGER RICHER”

SIN

• I WANT WHAT I WANT.

DIE

   CHRISTIANITY ISN’T THIKING OF YOURSELF LESS AND LESS AND LESS- CHRISTIANITY IS NOT THINKING OF YOURSELF AT ALL.   S MANLEY

OBEDIENCE

• GLEN HOLLAND MUSIC TEACHER
• MUSIC PROGRAM CUT (BUDGET)
• LAST DAY- FAMILY COMES LEAVING
• THIS IS A PICTURE OF HUMILITY

MR. HOLLANDS OPUS MOVIE CLIP

• HE ISN’T RICH/ FAMOUS
• BUT HUMBLE LIFE IMPACTED MANY

MATTHEW 11:28

  28. “COME TO ME, ALL WHO ARE WEARY AND BURDENED, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND BURDEN IS LIGHT.

(tapeinos) :  lowly- not rising far from the ground, borderline humiliated-  Deferring to serve others

HEBREW WORD IS “ANAVA” -MODESTY

TRULY HUMBLE PERSON SEES THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GIFT.

CHUCK SWINDOL SAID THIS:

  I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE STUDY OF SCRIPTURE FOR OVER 50 YEARS. IN ONLY 1 PLACE HAS JESUS “IN HIS OWN WORDS” DESCRIBED HIMSELF- HIS OWN INNER MAN AND ITS RIGHT HERE.

   JESUS DOESN’T SAY I AM MIGHTY AND POWERFUL, I AM SUPER STRONG AND BRILLIANT, HE DOESN’T SAY I AM THE GREATEST AND THE RICHEST-  HE DOESN’T EVEN SAY I AM HOLY AND ETERNAL- HE SAYS I AM GENTLE (STRENGTH UNDER CONTROL) AND HUMBLE IN HEART.

   IT IS SIGNIFIGANT THAT WHEN JESUS FINALLY LIFTS THE VEIL OF SILENCE INTO WHO HE IS IN HIS INNER MAN- HE SAYS “I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART”

WHEN WE READ THAT GOD THE FATHER IS COMITTED TO FORMING US INTO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON- THESE TWO QUALITIES ARE WHAT HE WANTS TO SEE EMERGE. WE ARE NEVER MORE LIKE CHRIST THAN WHEN WE FIT INTO HIS DESCRIPTION OF HIMSELF.

CHRISTIANITY ISN’T THIKING OF YOURSELF LESS AND LESS AND LESS- CHRISTIANITY IS NOT THINKING OF YOURSELF AT ALL.   S MANLEY

WE HAVE CARDS FOR YOU-

CAPITAL I  TO LOWER CASE i

I THE OPPOSITE OF HUMILITY- LOWER CASE i-

HUMBLE YOURSELVES UNDER GODS MIGHTY HAND

BACK HAS SOME VERSES TO HELP YOU

WORSHIP SONG-

TUCKER RODKEY GOING TO GIVE US VISUAL

HE WILL MAKE A FEW COMMENTS

FREE TO WORSHIP/PRAY/BOW/GO GET A CARD

JUST WORSHIP WHILE WATCHNING

VISEO DAVINA