When God's Story is Bigger Than Ours
Pastor Laurie Polich
September 16, 2024
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Main Topics Discussed
The Story from Scripture: The Healing of the Paralytic (Mark 2:1-12)
Context: Four friends carry their paralyzed friend to Jesus, overcoming obstacles by lowering him through a roof.
Highlight their determination and the potential awkwardness with the house owner.
Imagine the anticipation of the friends: their hope for physical healing.
The Unexpected Twist: Jesus’ first action is forgiving the man's sins.
Reflect on how this must have surprised the friends: "Your sins are forgiven" was not what they expected.
Explore the deeper spiritual significance: forgiveness before physical healing.
Divine Redirection: When God's Plan Surprises Us
Key Point: Sometimes our expectations don’t align with God's plan.
The friends expected physical healing, but Jesus prioritized spiritual healing.
Relate this to times in our own lives when we expect one thing from God, but He has a different and bigger plan.
Personal Story Example: Mission Trip to Haiti
Describe the plan: a hopeful future with a pastor and a mission together.
Share how God redirected that plan:
The breakup with the pastor.
Meeting Ephraim, the Haitian pastor.
Supporting Ephraim’s ministry instead of the original idea.
Result: Multiple mission trips to Haiti, the establishment of a school, a lasting friendship with Ephraim.
God's Stories Are Bigger Than Our Own
Illustration: God’s plan wasn’t just about the immediate healing; it was about revealing His authority to forgive sins.
Jesus not only healed physically but made an eternal impact by addressing the man's spiritual need.
Key Takeaway: Physical healing is temporary, but spiritual healing is eternal.
Personal Reflection: God’s plan unfolded through years of support for Ephraim and his ministry, leading to greater things than imagined.
The Importance of Community and Friendship
Scriptural Reflection: The paralytic’s friends played a crucial role in bringing him to Jesus.
The power of friendship: How crucial it is to have friends who will "carry us to Jesus."
Connect to Christian fellowship and the need for deep, spiritual relationships.
Personal Story Example: Melissa and Lifelong Friendship
Meeting Melissa through an unexpected introduction via a Marine fiancé.
Staying friends through breakups, life changes, and eventual marriage.
The ongoing impact of their friendship, including Melissa’s son becoming a Marine alongside your stepson.
The Ripple Effect of Faithful Obedience
Reflection: The paralyzed man’s story didn’t just impact him—it impacted everyone in the room.
Jesus’ forgiveness of sins challenged the beliefs of those around Him and expanded the story far beyond a physical healing.
Testimony Example: How the mission to Haiti expanded, with others (like Dr. Tom) getting involved and sustaining Ephraim’s ministry even through turmoil.
The engagement story in Haiti: Ephraim’s long-time prayers answered as you were proposed to by your husband, Jerry, during a mission trip.
God's Plan Includes Us All, but It’s Not Just About Us
Key Point: God's story is bigger than our individual plans. It involves others and has ripple effects that extend beyond what we can see.
We often approach God with a small, personal vision. God’s plans include us but are more expansive than we can imagine.
Final Personal Reflection: Ephraim prayed for you for 15 years, showing how interconnected our stories are through God’s design.
Spiritual Healing vs. Physical Healing
Key Insight: Spiritual healing is of greater importance because it lasts forever, while physical healing is temporary.
The paralytic eventually passed away, but his spiritual healing remained eternal.
Relate this to the audience: We often focus on temporary fixes, but God is more concerned with our eternal souls.
Conclusion: Application and Call to Action
Challenge: Be the friend who carries others to Jesus.
Don’t wait to find friends like the paralytic’s—be one!
Encourage spiritual friendships that strengthen one another’s faith.
Final Prayer:
Pray for th 2425e community to embrace God’s bigger story.
Pray for the strength to be the kind of friends who carry one another to Jesus.
Biblical References
Mark 2:1-12 – The story of Jesus healing the paralyzed man after his friends lowered him through the roof. This passage focuses on Jesus first forgiving the man's sins before physically healing him.
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” (Mark 2:5)
John 11:43-44 – Refers to the resurrection of Lazarus, highlighting that although physical healing or resurrection is spectacular, it is temporary. This is used to contrast the power of spiritual healing.
“When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” (John 11:43-44)
Romans 6:23 – To emphasize the temporary nature of physical healing versus the eternal value of spiritual healing.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 10:28 – To reinforce that spiritual healing carries over into eternity.
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
John 13:35 – Used to illustrate the importance of Christian love and friendship, which was a key theme in the sermon.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Reflection Questions
What lengths would you be willing to go to in order to bring someone you care about to Jesus? How can you demonstrate that level of commitment in your relationships today?
In Mark 2:5, Jesus forgave the man’s sins before healing him physically. How does this challenge your understanding of what is most important in your own life and in the lives of those around you?
Have you ever experienced a time when you expected one outcome from God, but He did something completely different? How did that situation ultimately reveal a bigger plan that you couldn’t see at first?
Reflect on the role of friendship in your spiritual journey. Do you have friends who carry you to Jesus? How can you be more intentional about being that kind of friend for others?
Jesus prioritized spiritual healing over physical healing in this story. In your own life, what areas might you need to focus more on spiritual healing rather than just seeking physical or material solutions?
Daily Activities
1. Identify and Support a Friend in Need
Activity: Think about someone in your life who may be struggling—emotionally, spiritually, or physically—and commit to helping them. Reach out to them and offer prayer, support, or even practical help like running errands, listening, or spending quality time with them.
Application: Just as the friends went to extraordinary lengths to bring the paralyzed man to Jesus, you can actively be a source of support to someone, embodying the call to carry others to Christ.
2. Create a Prayer Journal for Spiritual Healing
Activity: Start a journal focused on spiritual healing in your life. Write down areas where you need forgiveness, reconciliation, or healing beyond physical needs. Pray over these areas regularly, asking God to prioritize spiritual growth and restoration.
Application: Reflecting on Jesus’ choice to first forgive the man’s sins, this activity helps you shift focus from material needs to the more profound work of spiritual transformation.
3. Host a Small Group Bible Study on Friendship
Activity: Organize a small group Bible study or discussion about the importance of Christian friendship. Use Mark 2:1-12 as the focal passage and talk about how to be intentional in forming friendships that lead others to Jesus.
Application: You will deepen both your understanding of friendship and your community by learning how to be a friend who strengthens others' faith, just as the paralyzed man’s friends did.
4. Volunteer in a Mission or Outreach Project
Activity: Engage in a local or international mission project, focusing on helping those in need. Find a way to serve, whether through financial support, physical work, or advocacy, similar to the personal mission trip and relationship-building that developed in Haiti.
Application: This act will help you broaden your perspective on how God uses us to be part of His bigger story, often in unexpected ways.
5. Forgive Someone You’ve Been Holding a Grudge Against
Activity: Think about someone in your life who has wronged you or someone you’ve been struggling to forgive. Take a step toward forgiveness, just as Jesus prioritized forgiving sins over physical healing. Pray for that person and, if possible, reach out to them with grace.
Application: By practicing forgiveness, you align your heart with Jesus’ example, understanding that spiritual healing, both given and received, is essential for living in God's will.
