I.Introduction - Illustration
On July 4, 1952, at the age of 34, Floerence May Chadwick attempted to become the first woman to swim 21 miles across the Catalina Channel, from Catalina Island to Palos Verde on the California coast. The weather that day was very poor. The ocean was ice cold, the fog was so thick that she could hardly see the support boats that followed her, and sharks prowled around her. Several times, her support crew used rifles to drive away the sharks. While Americans watched on television, she swam for hours. After 15 hours and 55 minutes, she felt that she couldn't go on, and asked to be taken out of the water. What she didn't know, due to the thick fog, she was only a half mile from the sore.
a. How many of you in life have felt like you can’t do anything?
b. That you stop doing something because you can't see what is ahead of you or that you feel that you have come to a dead end road or a closed door?
c. Florence May Chadwick Swimming the English Channel in 1952. 15 hr 55 mins and less than 1 mile away she failed
d. But see life doesn’t have to be that way.
e. See God wants to do some amazing things in our lives!
II. Read Mark 2:1-12 & Pray
III. Matt. 19:30 says the first should be last and the last should be first. So let’s start at the end of the passage.
IV. The Message says: “They rubbed their eyes, incredulously and then praised God saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”
V. How many of you want to see God do something amazing in your life? We have to get to a point in life where we don’t stop at the door so we can see what God has for us!
a. We miss out on a lot of God’s blessing because we stop at the door!
VI. Verse 2-4a the first thing is to get rid of all the excuses!
a. We give God all kinds of excuse!
b. Gideon in Judges 6:11-16
i. He was in a winepress hiding grain.
ii. Angel calls him a Mighty man of valor.
iii. He give excuses about being the weakest
c. God does not see us as we are, He see us as we will be!
d. Moses in EX 4:10
i. Moses gave all kinds of excuses
ii. I am eloquent speaker
iii. Ask to send someone else.
e. God is tired of hearing our excuse
f. Coach Bowers – You have to can before you can’t!
VII. Verse 4b: The second thing we need to do is don’t let obstacles get in the way.
a. There men didn’t let the crowd get in the way.
b. They didn’t allow the fact Jesus was preaching the word.
c. Nehemiah didn’t allow the distance get in the way.
d. He didn’t allow the fact he didn’t he didn’t have resources
e. 1 Samuel 17 – David fighting Goliath
i. He had no armor
ii. No military experience
f. They avoided the obstacle and made a hole in the roof.
g. To many times we let thing get in the way of what we are doing for God.
h. Sometime it is the circumstance just like the crowd.
VIII. Verse 5: Thirdly we have to be strong in our Faith
a. These four mean didn’t know if Jesus going to heal their friend, but they knew Jesus Could!
b. Heb. 11:8 Says “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”
c. Proverbs 3:5&6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”
d. Jesus saw their faith acted in their determination!
IX. Verse 6-11: Fourthly don’t let other discourage you!
a. Sometimes people are going to say things that are going to hurt you…
b. The people who hurt you the most are going to be your Friends, Family and your church
c. Friends – Job and his friends.
d. Family – Job’s wife
i. Jesus family
ii. Mark 3:21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. "He's out of his mind,"
e. Church - Here it was the religious leaders who questioned Jesus in their hearts.
f. These religious are the ones who are suppose to be tight with God… They are more interested in rules and regulations than a relationship with Christ!
g. You need to hang out with people who are going to encourage you!
h. Ecc. 4:9, 10 “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, then other can reach out and help. But someone who is falls alone is in real trouble!”
i. These four men encourage each other!
X. Verse 12: Lastly you need to celebrate when you see God’s amazing hand at work.
a. This man who could not walk got up and walked praising God for what He had done! AMEN
b. I think He was running and jumping!
c. Isaiah 25:1 O Lord are you my God: I will exalt you and praise you name for you perfect faithfulness long ago.”
d. Ps 71:16 I will praise your mighty deeds! O Sovereign Lord… I will tell everyone you are love and are just!
