Through the Bible - Exodus 23-26, 2 Thessalonians 2-3
Good morning,
As people go to worship this weekend they may hear expository sermons, dealing with a passage or a few verses, they may hear topical sermons, sermons aimed at salvation, hope, comfort or any number of things. The hope of the pastor is his Master's spirit will be alive in him and that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of the hearers for its intended purpose.
In most congregations there will be a combination of doctors, lawyers, professionals, laborers, employed and unemployed, from fancy homes and possibly homeless. What will they be coming to hear?
For today's verse we'll go to Luke 5 where Jesus heals a man.
Luke 5:17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. RSV
Notice what the verse says, the power of the Lord was with him to heal. The same will still be true this weekend, but who will be healed? As in this case in Luke, the message, the Word, will have an impact according to what the people are looking for. The Pharisees were looking for something for which they could accuse Jesus of blasphemy. There were those looking to find faul or find "holes" in the sermon. Some would say there was nothing in it for me. Some would take in the word eagerly and will be changed. Some would come looking for hope, comfort, peace, encouragement, and transformation and find it.
Charles Spurgeon wrote, "those poor tremblers who were praying for healing were not disappointed, the Good Physician passed by not a single case, and at the same time his disciples who were looking for opportunities of praising him anew, were also fully gratified, for with glad eyes they saw the paralitic restored, and heard sins forgiven."
The question as you go to worship is, what will I go "looking for"? Pray, prepare your heart to look for opportunities to praise Him anew, to see the broken healed, and sins forgiven. The power will be there.
As we draw upon His power, there is joy that never shall depart.
Read the account from Luke 5 below. From the Pharisees to the paralitic and his friends, to Jesus, they found what they were looking for.
Blessings,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.netmikesvotd.blogspot.com Luke 5:17-26
17 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic (Matt 9:2-8; Mark 2:1-12) Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.
19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
23 Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'?
24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" — He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"
NKJV
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