Today, I wanna talk to you about what does it mean to put Jesus in a box? Now, this may or may not be a pencil box. I just borrowed or stole from the classroom next door. But it represents really what people do with God today. We like to have God in a box because we want to have access to him. And we like what God does for us. We like how church feels. We like comfort when we're feeling sad, right? We, we want somebody to talk to when we're struggling and we have issues. But we also like the box because we can close the lid, we can set it on our desk. And then when we don't want God, we don't want God telling us what to do. We don't want God to check what we're doing on our phones and our lives and our, on the weekends, we don't, we don't like God on a Sunday morning service and we can go and live our lives how we want and say, oh, isn't this great God is so good? He reigns above it all. Oh, amen. And then we go into Monday, we're like OK, God, I'll pick you back up in seven days. See, we are in a series entitled Who is Jesus? Well, we're trying to address the biggest question that you could ever ask in life as we talk about the most discussed figure in all of human history. Jesus through studying at least talked about gospel account in the Bible, the Gospel of Mark. In week one of our series, we talked about how Mark really, he breaks his gospel down into two sections, the crown and then the cross. We shared how Jesus has both the power and the passion to save. He's got the authority to save us, but also the affection and the care and the ability to save us. And then last week, as we began really reading through this gospel together, we shared how Jesus is both our savior to worship, but also our model to follow that the things that were available to Jesus are also available to us. Things like the Holy Spirit and community scripture, prayer, empathy for others that Jesus lays down his life for us. But then he lived in a way that when he says, follow me, he gives us the path to experience victory in our life. Well, today, we're gonna break down this topic of not putting Jesus into a box and my heart is to slightly if not deliberately offend everyone in the room today. And here's what I mean. Go ahead and take your uh if you're taking notes, write this down that Jesus is for everyone and his Lord over everything Jesus is for everyone and his Lord over everything. Now, these two statements when combined are very much biblically true. But my guess is that you don't like one of those two statements because if you only accept one of those two statements, what you've done is you've placed God in a very specific box. See those two statements represent what scripture is and who God is. But let me share with you. Now, the two main challenges in our culture today of Christianity, the first challenge of Christianity could be described as moralism. Now, moralism really says follow the rules and you're in now, our culture has shifted in the last decade to the second objection, which we'll get to in a moment. But if you look at you go beyond 10 years ago and then you take the previous 30 years or so ish, right? And most culture, if you try to put Jesus in a box, they put Jesus in this moralistic box. Some commentators described it as moralistic therapeutic deism, meaning follow the rules, be a good person. God's here to help you be the best version of yourself. And if you're good enough, God will let you in and there and it sounds good on the surface, right? Good people in bad people out, right? Who wants bad people anyway, the problem is that we always view ourselves as the good person and view somebody else as the bad person. And we define the lines to what suits us, right? We throw, we throw the dart and wherever our dart lands and how our life is. We then circle around and go oh bull's eye and for whatever bad things we struggle with, we find somebody worse. They say, well, at least I'm not that guy or that girl and we think we're great because naturally we like rules, not principles the Pharisees, for example, like the 10 commandments or the 600 commandments that were given in the Old Testament because then they added additional commandments and rules and regulations on them so that they can say, well, we follow the rules. You don't, therefore God loves us more. So if you've ever found yourself thinking, well, I'm glad I'm not that person or how could they, how could he, how could she uh whoever lifted your nose or turned your head? You fit into that category. But Christianity and knowing God is not about following a list of rules, but having a relationship with a God who saves you. I know we don't like rules or I know we don't like principles because Jesus comes in the New Testament and he gives us more simplified but more difficult things to follow a couple of examples. He says, love your neighbor. That's a principle, not a rule, right? How do people respond? Well, ok. But who is my neighbor. Where is that circle? Where does that end? How many neighbors do I have? What does it mean to love my neighbor? And so then he tells the story of a good Samaritan and he uses the extreme person, the, the Samaritans like, wait a second. That guy is not in good, in bad out. That's not, that person's not good. What are you talking about? He's like, well, this is what it means to love your neighbor. Another rule. Uh Don't murder seems like a good rule. Jesus comes in and says, OK, but don't hate anyone in your heart. Whoa, whoa, wait a second. Jesus. Hold on. I didn't kill anyone. I'm checking that box good in bad out. He says, OK, but no one's good. I'm not after you a checklist. I'm after your heart. He says to forgive one another. It's a principle. What do the disciples do? And the Pharisees? OK. But how many times forgive me? Like seven times like seven times 70. Like how many, what's the line? How many times, what is the list I can do? Right? And we do that when it comes to generosity. OK. But how much do I have to give it a tide? Is it really a tithe? Is it generous? OK. What, what's supposed to be? Right? Or in relationships? So many years in youth ministry? The common question? Well, how far is too far? All right. Where's the line? Because we all want to go up to the line and then not cross it so that we can judge the people on the other side right now. If you were with me in that right? And God gives us principles, love God, love others to give everything to who you are. It's a relationship, not rules if you're with me, like, yeah, tell them John preach it. Get those rule following jerks jump on their feet. Ok. Hang on. I'm about to offend you as well. OK? Because moralism is one box that we love to put God into. OK. And that's really defined the previous 3040 years up to about 10 years ago, 10 years ago ish, there wasn't really a defining moment but our culture has completely shifted and we are now in the other box. What is the other box? The other box can be described as relativism. It's a, it's a theological, philosophical extension of postmodernism which basically says this, that you determine your own truth, right? You we have a culture now that's like stand in your truth. Love is love is love, not quite God is love, but we think no, just believe what you want to believe. You determine what's true and we live and it seems really good. See, moralism says good people in bad people out. Relativism says open minded people in judgmental people out, right? See how the pendulum shifts here, right? But isn't it interesting that as soon as you call somebody judgmental. What are you doing? You are making a judgment and we live in a culture now that the top virtue is no longer truth. It's tolerance and not tolerance in the existence of a differing viewpoint, but rather tolerance of an acceptance of differing viewpoints as true. And therefore you, if you claim any hold to any type of truth, well, you are a judgmental bigot. Really. Can I ask, what is your standard for judgment to call me judgmental? You see where these two boxes coexist. And if if you hate the moralist, like all those religious jerks, right? You just need to be loving and kind and open minded. Ok? But what if, what about Jesus claimed to be the way the truth and the life? So you like the the phrase that says Jesus is for everyone but you don't like where it says Jesus is Lord over everything because you know what that means? That means Jesus is Lord over your identity, Jesus is Lord over your marriage, your sexuality, your finances, how you speak what you do, pursuit of pleasure, addictions, beliefs, worldview. He he wants all of it. Jesus is both and he doesn't fit in the box. He says everyone can come to me. He doesn't say John 316 for God so loved all the ones who kept the rules. He says, God so loved the world that he gave his only son. But then he also says in there that I am the way, the truth and the life. So here's the reality church. It's a tough one. It's a tough pill to swallow that. If Jesus is not Lord Lord over everything in your life, if he's not Lord over it all, can you honestly say that Jesus is Lord at all? Because you really want a God. Do you really wanna sing praises and worship to a God that you tell what truth is to, that you determine the standard. Did you know what life is? Did you create life? Did you sustain it? How much control do you really have over your life right now? And what happens to you? See on paper both sound really good. Don't they follow the rules? Do nice things, right? And you're in be open- minded, love everyone, right? Don't judge you in. But the reality is that both are true that Jesus is for everyone. But Jesus also lord over every thing and what moralism and relativism have in common is that they both end in a form of self righteousness. They both end telling somebody else what they can and cannot do where Jesus comes in and he offers the beauty of both. So it's personal, he's accessible, but he's also an authority and he's powerful and he says, you have to humble yourself but anyone come but you gotta come humbly see in Mark chapter one verse one, the one verse of commentary that he offers, he tells us who God is. He tells us who Jesus is. He says the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But today, we're gonna look at story found out of chapter two in which Jesus is gonna challenge all these different viewpoints. The message is entitled the Sick, the searching and the skeptics because in this one story, you're gonna see Jesus addressing all of them. But let's read it together. Mark chapter two verse one. And when Jesus had returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home and many were gathered together so that there were no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them and they came and begin bringing to him, a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him. And when they had made an opening, they let down the bed which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic son, your sins are forgiven. Now, some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts. Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming who can forgive sins? But God alone and immediately Jesus perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them. Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier to say to say to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven or to say rise, take up your bed and walk. But that you may know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins. He said to the paralytic, I say to you rise, pick up your bed and go home and he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all. So that they were all amazed and glorified God saying we never saw anything like this, the sick, the searching, the skeptics all had interactions with Jesus. And I'm guessing you're gonna fall into one of these three categories today. So what does that mean for us? From the story first, for the sick? I want you to notice that Jesus meets your deepest needs, put yourself in the place of the paralytic for just a moment. Imagine how he felt in a culture that if you were sick or you were hurt, it was assumed that God was placing judgment on your life. So you were often outcast, overlooked, judged left aside. So besides being physically sick, there had to be some emotional and and mental drainage there, right? You had to have some fear if you're already being outcast for such a long time. And because we know that there are scribes in the rooms, there's most likely Pharisees also in the room. So you got a room full of powerful judgmental religious leaders who probably cast you aside in everyday life. And now your friends don't just bring you to Jesus but are gonna lower you through the roof. Like that had to feel equivalent to Daniel being lowered to the den of lions, right? You gotta think there was a little bit of push back, don't you think? Like he's on the bed and his friend is like, come on, we're gonna take you to Jesus and he goes in the crowds. They're like, hey, it's OK. You know, this is come back, let's come back. You know, let's just go back a different day. No, no, we're gonna go on the roof. I, I can't go on the roof. We'll lift you. I, I don't wanna be lifted. Right? No, we're gonna cut a hole in the roof. No, let's not do that. Right. But his friends were like, what are you gonna do? Right. I mean, literally, what are you gonna do? You can't go anywhere. We're gonna take you to Jesus, trust us. And so they cut the hole in the roof and now he's being lowered into the room, his friends aren't being lowered. So the ones who are responsible aren't even seen and not even known, they don't even know the name of this person. Now being lowered into a room of the people that have judged him his whole life. And Jesus says your sins are forgiven. Wait, what? He comes back and it doesn't just address a physical need. He speaks to the eternal reality. Because if he healed that man in that moment without speaking to his eternal state, he still would have died a sinner. And that miracle would be temporary. But that miracle represented, the authority had to do something even greater. So what I want to encourage you today is that if you're walking through something so difficult, understand this, that even greater than your circumstance, God will speak and meet the greatest need in craving of your soul. That's eternity and forgiveness. Now he heals them. But one thing that struck me in, in studying for this Jesus says, take your mat or take your bed and go home. Wouldn't you be tempted to leave that thing behind? Like jump up. Oh I got legs. OK? Here we go. Let's go like and take off says no, take your bed and go home. Here's what's crazy to me. He had to carry the same thing with him that used to define him, but it doesn't define him anymore. I'm not saying this is exactly the same as today. But in this story, we see this truth. And so I ask you, is there something in your life right now that used to define you? That God is nudging you speaking to you this morning to say but take that you might carry it with you the rest of your life. But it does not define you anymore. That divorce doesn't define you anymore. That addiction, that failure, that financial bankruptcy does not define you anymore because you might carry the bed that you've laid on your whole life. But it's no longer representative of who you are. It's a reminder of where you've been, but it's not telling you where you're gonna go and it does not determine your purpose. Now that God speaks to the sick and the hurting and He brings comfort and hope and healing, but greater than your physical illness, greater than your emotional sickness and your struggle and your doubts and your worry is the spiritual need and craving to be saved and be forgiven. And He meets that need that if Jesus has the power to heal the paralytic, he has the power to forgive your sins and that is the greater blessing and freedom that can be found in Him. So whatever you're walking through right now, understand this, that God has forgiven both the sins that you have committed and the sins that have been committed against you. That your identity does not have to be one of victim of addicted, of broke, of lost, of hurt, that it could be a forgiven, saved child of God. And for some of you, it's time to get up and go home and live out of that new identity that He gives you. So God speaks to the sick, but also He speaks to the searching for the searching church. We have to understand that it's time to go break a roof. It's time to go break a roof. The boldness of those friends to understand that they were putting their reputation at stake to do something that looked ridiculous but gave an internal reward. What seemed like a risk actually wasn't a risk at all because they were doing it, pointing their friends to Jesus. Because what is it that Jesus said in that passage before he healed him? He looked and says, I saw your faith. Faith is best expressed through action. I love singing songs of worship. OK? But worship is not confined to music on the stage. It's best expressed in your obedience and faith in your everyday life. That's worship. How do you speak to your spouse? That's worship. How do you treat your kids? That's worship, how you handle your finances, that's worship, how you work in that space, that's worship. And when you do that, when you act in faith, God sees it, the world sees it and it makes a difference. Church. Can we be a church that's ready to break a roof for the name of Jesus? Amen? So that last group here, you're not sick, you're not searching but you're skeptical. OK? May we be reminded that Jesus is both just and forgiving. He's just and forgiving. They got mad at Jesus. See Jesus, you gotta deal with his claims to be God. He can't just be some knife. You know, crocheted picture of Jesus with a little Bible verse of a nice rabbi teacher petting a lamp, right? He claimed to be God. And if He's not God, that's blasphemy. But he says your sins are forgiven. He's just and forgiving forgiveness is not opposed to justice, but based on justice. See, we read in first John 15 through nine, it says this is the message that we have heard from Him and proclaim to you that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him, while we walk in darkness, we lie and we do not practice the truth. So but if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, his son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. And the truth is not in us. And if you wanna mark our verse, mark down first John 19, he says, but if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. See, here's what stood out to me. The Pharisees and the scribes were so close to Jesus in the very room and they were missing it. And he says to show you that I have the power to forgive sins, rise and walk. But let me ask you this, how does Jesus have the power to forgive sins? He's not saying, well, that doesn't count just don't worry about it. One, he can forgive the sins because there are sins against him. So he's in a room full of sinners, right? And it's not just this story, the very story after this, each with Levi also known as Matthew, the tax collector blows everyone's mind. It says that when he says, no, Jesus is for everyone, the sinners tax collectors, everyone, he goes on and he says he's the Lord of the Sabbath and he addresses the rules there too. And so he's Lord over everything. And so he's understanding, he says, no, your sins are forgiven one because it's against me. But two just pause for a second. Think about how powerful this is. He can forgive sins because he's the one to pay for it. So what I don't want you to miss that. It's easy to miss in this story. It's just us. It's not just a nice little Sunday school lesson. Oh Jesus heal the guy. Get up and walk. When he said your sins are forgiven, he was condemning himself to the cross. He said I can forgive your sins because I'm going to pay for them. That miracle is so much deeper than you could ever know. He says, I'll take it, I'll take all the shame, all the guilt, all the pain, not just yours but of the whole world. I'll take it all because I love you. Tim Keller Pastor wrote this. It's such a powerful quote. He says on the cross at the end of his great act of redemption, Jesus said it is finished and we can rest on the cross. Jesus was saying of the work underneath your work. The thing that makes you truly weary, this need to prove yourself because who you are and what you do are never enough that is finished that he has lived the life that you should have lived and he has died, the death that you should have died. That if you rely on Jesus finished work, you know that God is satisfied with you and you can be satisfied with life. See, Jesus is for everyone and his Lord over everything. So let me just ask you two questions as we wrap up. Number one, do you believe that Jesus is for everyone? I think we're gonna be surprised in heaven of who makes it what you're there. And if there's no one that you're surprised about, you might be the person that they're surprised about, right? That means that Jesus is for you too, that you're enough. No sin that you've committed no sin that's been committed against you will keep you out of his grace and his love that He is for you. He is for everyone. But then the second question is just as challenging as the first. And that is, is Jesus lord of everything in your life. He has to be Lord of all. Otherwise he's not Lord at all. You can't put him in a box and a nice little thing on a Sunday or things and say, well, I'm gonna do what I want here or this is mine, this is mine, Jesus. I'm gonna do this. He is the way of the truth and the life he is for everyone and he is lord over everything. And when we embrace that, you know what? We'll find freedom. It's time to take up your mat, go home. Let's pray dear heavenly Father. Just thank you for who you are. Thank you that you are the God for the sick, the searching and even the skeptics that when you forgave the sin instead of the paralytic and you healed his body, you could do so because justice was served on the cross that your justice is the basis for your forgiveness, that it's out of your power and love and sacrifice that we can find forgiveness and freedom, our deepest need and craving of our soul. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for being for everyone. Let us remember that you are also lord over everything and we give that thing, whatever that is that we're hanging on to, to you this morning, that your son let me pray. Amen.