waiting Rooms, part 1

here is the message that i preached at MRWC on May 15.

Waiting Rooms, Part 1

Do you have someone who will take you to Jesus?

Sunday, May 15, 2016- MRWC

Well, Good morning everyone. it’s very nice to be up here today. I would like to take just a second to say Thank you for your love, support and prayers for the Graham family over these last few years. 

For some reason, we have been in the wilderness, and you folk have been right beside us the entire time, so thank you for your love and prayers and support. 

I would like to begin a new sermon series this morning called Waiting Rooms. 

ILLUSTRATION- I have spent more than my fair share of time in a waiting room of some sort. Be it waiting for a doctor or for some sort of test, I have had to sit and wait in a waiting room. 

More than once, I was fortunate enough to wait in the hallway, with tons of people walking by. 

Many of you have had to sit in a waiting room as well. 

Whatever the reason, sitting in a waiting room is no fun. 

Think about it: most of the magazines in the waiting room, you don’t want to touch, for fear you might pick something up that you don’t really want. 

You can’t watch the TV, because the only thing playing is “Live with Kelly and Micheal”; and you’re not really that interested in that show. 

And one can only play candy crush so long before that even looses its appeal. 

So most of the time you just sit there. Looking. Thinking. Trying not to get aggravated at how long it’s taking. 

Not only do we have to wait at a doctor’s office, we have to wait in line at the grocery store, we have to wait in line for gas, we even have to wait in line to go to the bathroom. 

Life is full of waiting rooms. I think the same can be said for our Spiritual lives.

Spiritual growth is a process. It takes time, lots of time for us to become like Jesus. It doesn't happen overnight. 

The key verse for this series, the verse that I would like for us to remember, and even memorize, comes from Isaiah 40:31: 

“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (NKJV)

When this series is all said and done, this is what I want you to remember along with the key verse: “While we wait, God is at work.” 

This might be difficult to remember while we are in the waiting rooms of life, both physically and spiritually,  but I believe it’s true: “While we wait, God is at work.”

What is God doing in life’s waiting rooms? A lot.

Primarily, He's transforming us into who He wants us to be, and that involves time; lots of time. 

So, if you have your Bibles, I would invite you to turn to Mark chapter 2 for our first lesson in this new series. 

Mark chapter two contains one of my favourite Bible stories. I have also found myself in this Bible story. 

We will be looking specifically at Mark 2, the first 12 verses:

“When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 

2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. 

While he was preaching God’s word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 

4They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 

5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves,  7“What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 

9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 

10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” 

Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11“Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!” (Mark 2:1-12, NLT2)

While Jesus was staying in Capernaum’s Motel 6, or at Peter’s house, the jury is out on which location it actually was, tons of people showed up, so many people in fact that there wasn't even room to turn around.

Luke’s version of this account tells us that included in this crowd were the Pharisees and teachers of religious Law; the religious police of Jesus’ day. 

Perhaps the crowd of people came to see Jesus, to investigate who He was, or even get a healing touch from Jesus. 

Never missing an opportunity to share the Good News, Jesus began to preach to them, when all of a sudden the roof opened up and down came a paralyzed man, who had been brought to Jesus by his four friends.

Which leads me to ask: “Do you have someone who will take you to Jesus?”

When you’re down and out, Do you have someone who will take you to Jesus?

The paralyzed man was unable to take himself to where Jesus was. He couldn't move. He was paralyzed. 

While we don’t know what was ailing this man, we do know that He couldn't get to Jesus on his own. 

His friends knew this. Not only did they know this, they did something about this. They got some duct tape, and taped this man to his mat and took him to where Jesus was. 

When they arrived to where Jesus was, they couldn't get in the door. They probably couldn't even see the door because of the crowd; but they were not deterred. 

They did the next best thing… they climbed on top of this house, tore off the tile roof and lowered this man down and placed him “…right in front of Jesus.” (Luke 5:19, NLT2)   

I want to ask again: “Do you have someone who will take you to Jesus?” 

ILLUSTRATION- I hold in my hand a fraction of the mail that Beth and I received when I was in the hospital for my second liver transplant. 

As Beth read the cards to me, and even as I read them upon returning home, they all said the same thing: “Pastor, we’re taking you to Jesus.” 

What is not included in this stash of cards, are the food that we enjoyed when coming back home, the texts, the tweets, FaceBook messages emails and phone calls from people all over telling us they are praying for us. 

I can say that I have people who have, and still are, taking me to Jesus. 

And I’m looking at them. (And I gotta say: “You look good Church”, so, thank-you for taking me to Jesus.  

Many days, I was unable to get there on my own, but you folk were faithful in taking me and my family to Jesus. 

Do you have someone who will take you to Jesus?” 

Do you have someone in your life who will take you to the Throne Room of God? 

Maybe you’re asking “Why?” “Why do I need someone to take me to Jesus?”
Believe it or not, at some point in your life, you are going to have a bad day. Maybe two. You might even have a bad week. 

If we’re being honest, you might even have a bad month. 

We’re all going to have a time—or times— when the wheels fall off the cart of our lives. 

We are all going to have days when we just don’t want to get out of bed. 

We’re all going to have times in our lives when life just sucks. 

Friend, it’s in those days that you are going to need someone who will take you to Jesus.

This reminds me of the account found in Exodus 17. Moses had commanded Joshua “…to go out and fight the army of Amalek…” (Ex.17:9, NLT2)

As Joshua and the army went out to fight, Moses would stand at the top of a hill, holding God’s staff in his hand. 

We’ll pick up our reading in verse 10 of Ex. 17: “So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. 

Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. 

11 As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. 

12 Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. 

Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. 

13As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.” (NLT2)

At some point in time, you’re going to need someone to take you to Jesus. You’re going to need someone who will lift up your arms. You will need someone to take you to Jesus. 

We are not lone ranger Christians; we need one another. 

In fact, Paul told us in Galatians chapter 6 to: “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” (6:2, NLT2)

When you take someone to Jesus in prayer, you are lifting up their arms; you are sharing their burden, you are standing in the gap with and for them. 

So, what do I want you to do with what you just heard? At least three things:

Pray about someone who you can approach. 

Spend a few moments thinking and praying about someone who you can approach about taking you to Jesus. 

Devote some time to praying about a Godly person whom you can ask to take you to Jesus when you have a bad day. 

Don’t be afraid to be specific when you pray; God is a big God and He can lead you to just the right person. 

Next, Approach this person someone ask them to take you to Jesus.

Some of the time we are guilty of simply praying about a name and never asking this person to actually take us to Jesus. Don’t be scared… approach the person who God has brought into your mind and ask them to take you to Jesus. 

It could be your spouse, it could be your prayer partner; it could be your cousin’s great grandmother; whoever it may be, ask them to take you to Jesus. 

Then keep in touch with them. Send them an email when you’re having a bad day. You could even pick up the telephone and ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you’re having a bad day. 

ILLUSTRATION- The times that I’ve been dealing with a temptation, I have sent a text to one of my accountability partners and, while the temptation to do wrong was still there, I felt better in knowing someone else knew what was wrong and I was able to keep going because someone was taking me to Jesus. 

We are not called to do life alone, we need each other, so pray about someone who you can ask to take you to Jesus, and then ask that person to take you to Jesus. 

There is one more thing to remember: Don’t give up.  

When the paralyzed man’s friends saw the crowd of people blocking the doorway, they didn't give up on this man. 

They simply recalculated. They couldn't get in the door, so they ripped open the roof. Don’t give up when taking someone to Jesus.

If you’re prayers are not answered the first time, keep asking.  

Jesus Himself told us to: “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 

8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”   

(Matthew 7:7-8, NLT2) 

The idea here is to be persistent. Don’t stop asking. Keep knocking. Keep seeking. Keep taking people to Jesus in prayer. 

While I can’t scientifically prove this to be true, I believe that God does His best work while we wait. 

The Bible is full of stories of people who were asked to wait for the promise of God. 

I think this is true because God works while we wait. God is present while we are in a waiting room. 

I love these words from the Apostle Paul; “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? 

Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 

37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. 

Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 

39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Not even a waiting room!) (Romans 8:35,37-39, NLT2) 

At one time or another, we will find ourselves in a waiting room of some sort— physically, emotionally or spiritually, and in those times we would do well to find and have someone who will do whatever it takes to take us to Jesus.

So it’s time to get up-close and personal.

If you are in need of someone to take you to Jesus; you have issues that are just too big for you to handle on your own; raise your hand;

If you are willing to be someone who can take others to Jesus; raise your hand. 

We are not in this thing called life alone; we need one another, so if you need someone to take you to Jesus and you feel comfortable doing so, ask one of the people who raised their hands this morning; but not before you prayed about it. 

God does His best work while we wait; so let’s find someone who will take us to Jesus; and ask them to place us“…right in front of Jesus.” (Luke 5:19, NLT2).