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A Hole in the Roof - The Gospels · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And when they could not come nigh
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  Speaker 1: unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where
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  Speaker 1: he was, and when they had broken it up, they
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  Speaker 1: let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
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  Speaker 1: Mark 2.4 As I ponder and meditate on Mark 2
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  Speaker 1: and Matthew 9, I stand in awe of how the
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  Speaker 1: two stories connect. in the same way that the friends
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  Speaker 1: got to Jesus in unconventional ways, so too did the outcasts, misfits,
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  Speaker 1: and tax collectors get to Jesus in unconventional ways. Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: may this story and your life serve as a reminder
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  Speaker 1: that you came to heal all that are lost and
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  Speaker 1: in need of healing, both physically and, more importantly, spiritually.
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  Speaker 1: no matter what their condition, I am committing my life
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  Speaker 1: to be able to be a helping hand to those
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  Speaker 1: in need of your forgiveness and grace. I will not
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  Speaker 1: look to title or economic standing to determine the passion
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  Speaker 1: of my pursuit. I will rip a hole through the roof,
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  Speaker 1: push through a crowd, or sit with those forgotten if
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  Speaker 1: it means they receive their breakthrough and healing. Thank you
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  Speaker 1: in advance for using me to lend a helping hand
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  Speaker 1: to people that are hurting. In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks
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  Speaker 1: for making prayer a priority in your life. To hear
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  Speaker 1: the Bible come to life, stay tuned for The Bible
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  Speaker 1: in a Year, brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: A hole in the roof. In our last story, Jesus
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  Speaker 2: climbed a small hill and preached to thousands of people
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  Speaker 2: about the kingdom of God. He spoke about the backwards
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  Speaker 2: economy of God's blessings, that the poor in spirit, meek,
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  Speaker 2: and mourning are the ones to inherit ultimate blessing from God.
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  Speaker 2: He spoke of loving your enemies, not harboring hatred in
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  Speaker 2: your heart, and removing judgment from your mind. All these
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  Speaker 2: things caused awe and wonder in those listening. Now we
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  Speaker 2: witness the faithful devotion of a few friends. They truly
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  Speaker 2: act out the kingdom of God by doing whatever it
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  Speaker 2: takes to get their friend to the feet of Jesus.
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  Speaker 2: They even risk vandalism and arrest to make sure their
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  Speaker 2: loved one is healed. Inspired by the Gospels.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year. Once again, we are so happy
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  Speaker 3: about the over 20 million people who have joined us
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  Speaker 3: on this podcast. And I would encourage you right now
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  Speaker 3: to pass this podcast along to others. Let them know
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  Speaker 3: because we want to get the word of God to
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  Speaker 3: as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. So
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  Speaker 3: let's pick up where we left off the last time.
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  Speaker 3: We heard Jesus teaching the Sermon on the Mount in
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  Speaker 3: our last episode. He laid out God's standard for true
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  Speaker 3: righteousness and made it clear that righteousness is not self-righteousness,
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  Speaker 3: but righteousness in Christ. That it's a matter of the heart,
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  Speaker 3: not just words or actions. Ultimately, Jesus was making a
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  Speaker 3: clear case for our need of a Savior, our desperate
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  Speaker 3: need for His salvation. Today, we'll hear of a man
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  Speaker 3: and his friends who demonstrated great faith and friendship as
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  Speaker 3: they went to extraordinary lengths to help their friend receive
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  Speaker 3: the healing he needed from Jesus. We'll also hear how
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  Speaker 3: Jesus called Matthew, a hated tax collector, to be one
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  Speaker 3: of His twelve disciples. In both stories, The religious elite
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  Speaker 3: become angry at Jesus' words and deeds as they fail
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  Speaker 3: to see who this man who heals and forgives really is,
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  Speaker 3: the Lord of life, the Lord of all. Let's listen
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  Speaker 3: now to the reading of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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  Speaker 2: The three friends stood outside the crowded house. Hundreds of
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  Speaker 2: people surrounded the property so they could hear Jesus teach.
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  Speaker 2: Two of them stood, the other one laid on a stretcher.
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  Speaker 2: The man laying down was completely paralyzed from the neck down.
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  Speaker 2: His friends had brought him to the house in hopes
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  Speaker 2: that Jesus would be able to heal him. However, the
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  Speaker 2: house was overflowing with so many people, almost all hope
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  Speaker 2: of seeing Jesus was lost. The two men looked down
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  Speaker 2: at their friend, trying to hold back their tears. Then
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  Speaker 2: one of them looked at the house again. His eyes
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  Speaker 2: scanned the property. He smiled and looked at the others.
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  Speaker 2: I have an idea, he said. Jesus was teaching in
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  Speaker 2: the middle of the home. Hundreds of people sat and
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  Speaker 2: stood around him, hanging on every word he said. Jesus
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  Speaker 2: was speaking of the kingdom of God. He spoke of
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  Speaker 2: God's law, his love, and his forgiveness. As Jesus was speaking,
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  Speaker 2: he felt a small piece of plaster fall on his head. Startled,
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  Speaker 2: Jesus looked up to the ceiling to see the roof
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  Speaker 2: being torn apart from the outside. Jesus stood to his
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  Speaker 2: feet and the crowd stepped back as more roofing fell
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  Speaker 2: from the ceiling onto the floor. A bright light shone
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  Speaker 2: through the ceiling. Then, all of the sudden, Jesus saw
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  Speaker 2: a silhouette of a man on a stretcher being lowered
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  Speaker 2: down by ropes. The two friends had found a way
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  Speaker 2: to Jesus. Although it was unconventional and perhaps illegal, they
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  Speaker 2: were willing to do whatever it took. The paralytic was
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  Speaker 2: lowered slowly. Jesus went under the man and helped him.
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  Speaker 3: To the floor.
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  Speaker 2: Jesus looked up at the hole in the ceiling. He
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  Speaker 2: could see the friend's guilty smiles. Jesus grinned and looked
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  Speaker 2: down at the man. He placed his hand on his
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  Speaker 2: shoulder and said, My child, your sins are forgiven. As
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  Speaker 2: Jesus said this, a scribe in the crowd scoffed, His
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  Speaker 2: sins are forgiven? What authority do you have to forgive sins?
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  Speaker 2: God alone has the power to forgive sins. The scribe
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  Speaker 2: spat on the ground, angry at Jesus' words. Jesus looked
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  Speaker 2: at the man with compassion. He knew the scribe was
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  Speaker 2: questioning his words. Jesus smiled and answered him, Tell me,
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  Speaker 2: which is easier to say, Your sins are forgiven, or
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  Speaker 2: get up and walk? And immediately, as Jesus said this,
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  Speaker 2: the man's legs began to move. The paralytic's eyes widened
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  Speaker 2: as he lifted himself upright. Jesus stood up and helped
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  Speaker 2: the man to his feet. The two of them embraced,
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  Speaker 2: and the man picked up his bed and walked. The
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  Speaker 2: crowd parted to make way for the man, and Jesus
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  Speaker 2: could see his two friends standing outside, hugging him and
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  Speaker 2: leaping for joy. Standing shoulder to shoulder, the three men
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  Speaker 2: walked away back to their homes. After these things, Jesus
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  Speaker 2: went out and sat by the sea. The waves crashed
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  Speaker 2: gently on the shore. The breeze whistled to the left,
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  Speaker 2: and Jesus watched as crowds began to approach him. Their
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  Speaker 2: needs were endless, but so was his love for them.
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  Speaker 2: To his right, Jesus saw a man named Matthew. He
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  Speaker 2: was a tax collector and hated among his Jewish kin.
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  Speaker 2: Tax collectors were considered Jewish traitors. They whored themselves to
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  Speaker 2: the Roman government and used corruption for their own gain. Matthew, however,
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  Speaker 2: felt the weight of his sins. He sat at his
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  Speaker 2: booth with his head held low, ashamed of who he
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  Speaker 2: had become. Jesus approached the booth. Matthew had grown accustomed
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  Speaker 2: to men and women coming to the tax booth to
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  Speaker 2: spit on him and ridicule him. However, Jesus simply smiled
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  Speaker 2: and said two simple words that would change Matthew's life forever.
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  Speaker 2: Follow me, Jesus said plainly. Then he began to walk off.
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  Speaker 2: Matthew paused for a moment and looked at the pile
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  Speaker 2: of coins and paper at his desk. Was he truly
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  Speaker 2: willing to sacrifice wealth and favor with Rome to follow Jesus?
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  Speaker 2: Was Jesus worth it? Matthew looked at Jesus walking away. Yes.
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  Speaker 2: It is worth everything, he thought to himself. Matthew stood
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  Speaker 2: to his feet and ran after Jesus. The two of
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  Speaker 2: them connected, and Matthew hosted Jesus and his followers at
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  Speaker 2: his home. They laughed and shared stories. However, not all
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  Speaker 2: were amused. The Pharisees stood outside the house with their
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  Speaker 2: arms crossed. They stopped one of his disciples and said,
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  Speaker 2: Look how he dines with tax collectors and sinners. Aren't
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  Speaker 2: you ashamed to follow him? The disciple paused, unsure of
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  Speaker 2: how he should answer. Before he could say anything, Jesus
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  Speaker 2: stepped outside and approached them. His eyes were piercing, filled
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  Speaker 2: with deep wisdom. Tell me, Jesus said, who needs a
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  Speaker 2: doctor more, the sick or the healthy? I have not
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  Speaker 2: come to sit at the table of the righteous, but
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  Speaker 2: to help sinners in need. Jesus left with his disciple
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  Speaker 2: back inside. As he left, he gestured for the Pharisees
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  Speaker 2: to join him. They sneered and left.
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  Speaker 3: As we begin the story of Jesus today, we find
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  Speaker 3: him teaching in a very crowded house. People are squeezed
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  Speaker 3: in from wall to wall and spilling out of the
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  Speaker 3: door as they listen to the wise words of this teacher, Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: who was unlike anyone they had ever heard before. We
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  Speaker 3: then discovered that some men had heard that Jesus would
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  Speaker 3: be nearby, and they had known of his healing ministry.
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  Speaker 3: Perhaps they'd seen some of the miracles happen. But for
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  Speaker 3: whatever reason, They knew that this was an opportunity to
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  Speaker 3: help a dear friend, a man who was paralyzed and helpless.
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  Speaker 3: They wanted to get their friend to Jesus. He would
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  Speaker 3: not have the ability to get to Jesus on his own,
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  Speaker 3: immobile as he was. But these friends demonstrated true love
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  Speaker 3: and compassion as they carried the man to the home
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  Speaker 3: where Jesus was speaking. When they arrived, it seemed impossible
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  Speaker 3: to get to Jesus. There were so many people around,
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  Speaker 3: and apparently no one else cared for the paralyzed man
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  Speaker 3: and wouldn't let him through. But these four friends were
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  Speaker 3: undeterred and undaunted. They climbed up on the roof and
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  Speaker 3: dug out a hole so that they could lower the
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  Speaker 3: man to Jesus. Talk about determination and dedication, compassion and cooperation.
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  Speaker 3: It's all here. They could have easily packed up and left,
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  Speaker 3: heads hanging low, defeated, sad because their friend would remain crippled.
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  Speaker 3: But that's not what they did. They insisted on seeking
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  Speaker 3: after Jesus. and the promise of healing they believe he
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  Speaker 3: could give to their friend. What a great reminder this is,
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  Speaker 3: that we should have compassion upon people that we love
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  Speaker 3: and care about, that we should do everything possible to
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  Speaker 3: spend and be spent in order to bring our friends
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  Speaker 3: and even people we don't know to Jesus. Are we
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  Speaker 3: willing to push through every obstacle, to search for every
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  Speaker 3: possible way to connect those who need the Lord to
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  Speaker 3: the one and the only one who can make a
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  Speaker 3: difference in their lives? Or do we just give a
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  Speaker 3: half-hearted attempt and turn away at the slightest setback? Pray
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  Speaker 3: that God would give you and me strong determination and
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  Speaker 3: devotion to get our friends to Jesus. These men show
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  Speaker 3: us the valuable lesson that Jesus taught about asking and
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  Speaker 3: seeking and knocking and never giving up because the answer
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  Speaker 3: will come. When Jesus saw the man coming down from
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  Speaker 3: the ceiling, he went into action. Going to the man
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  Speaker 3: and speaking to him, Here is what he said in
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  Speaker 3: Luke 5, verse 20. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, Friend,
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  Speaker 3: your sins are forgiven. First notice that Jesus was not
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  Speaker 3: speaking of this man's faith, the crippled man's faith, but
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  Speaker 3: the faith of his friends. It was their faith that
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  Speaker 3: brought the man to Jesus. Our actions, when done in faith,
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  Speaker 3: believing God, have significant impact on the lives of others.
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  Speaker 3: Our faith moves from faith to faith. Notice that Jesus
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  Speaker 3: doesn't immediately heal the man's body. His first words are
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  Speaker 3: words of forgiveness. The crowd, and especially the Pharisees and
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  Speaker 3: the teachers of the law, take note of this. It's
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  Speaker 3: offensive and shocking to them that Jesus would claim to
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  Speaker 3: be able to forgive sins. That's something only God can do.
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  Speaker 3: But Jesus shocked them again as he spoke to reveal
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  Speaker 3: their hidden thoughts. He asked if it would be easier
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  Speaker 3: to say the man's sins were forgiven and or to
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  Speaker 3: tell the man to get up and walk. Clearly, it
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  Speaker 3: would be easier to just say his sins were forgiven
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  Speaker 3: because there would be no visual proof of this having
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  Speaker 3: worked or not. So he turned to the man and
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  Speaker 3: told him to take up his mat and go home. Immediately,
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  Speaker 3: the man was healed. He stood up from his cot
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  Speaker 3: and began praising God. With those words, Jesus showed that
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  Speaker 3: he has the power to both heal, but most importantly,
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  Speaker 3: to heal the soul, to forgive sins. Everyone praised God
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  Speaker 3: in amazement for what they saw Jesus do. We then
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  Speaker 3: see Jesus calling another disciple. This time it was a
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  Speaker 3: man named Matthew. He was a tax collector, which means
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  Speaker 3: the Jewish people saw him as a traitor and a
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  Speaker 3: servant of the invading Roman government. Tax collectors were not
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  Speaker 3: respected or revered members of Jewish society. They were just
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  Speaker 3: included with all the other sinners. So when the religious
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  Speaker 3: crowd saw Jesus with tax collectors, they once again sneered
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  Speaker 3: and scoffed that this man would stoop so low as
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  Speaker 3: to associate with outcasts and sinners. How could anyone follow
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  Speaker 3: such a man, they thought. And once more, Jesus called
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  Speaker 3: them out for their hypocrisy. He had come to heal
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  Speaker 3: the sick, to help sinners, not the righteous. They could
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  Speaker 3: not understand that the purpose of Christ's coming was to
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  Speaker 3: save sinful people. The righteousness of the Pharisees and the
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  Speaker 3: religious crowd was only skin deep, and that they needed healing,
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  Speaker 3: soul healing, just as much as the tax collectors and
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  Speaker 3: the sinners. Christ came into the world to save sinners
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  Speaker 3: like you and me. Jesus was ready and willing for
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  Speaker 3: all to follow him, but so many rejected him, especially
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  Speaker 3: those who were very religious, and yet he kept on
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  Speaker 3: helping people, loving people, and would one day go to
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  Speaker 3: a cross to lay down his life so that our
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  Speaker 3: sins could be forgiven. Dear God, we thank you for
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  Speaker 3: the four faithful friends who go to great lengths to
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  Speaker 3: show your love and compassion to their friend for the
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  Speaker 3: healing and the power of Jesus to save. Help us, Lord,
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  Speaker 3: to be friends like these to people we know and
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  Speaker 3: to do whatever it takes to bring people to the loving,
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  Speaker 3: saving arms of Christ. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download the
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  Speaker 3: Pray.com app and make prayer a priority in your life,
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  Speaker 3: just like over 20 million people have done to this date.
• 15:22
  Speaker 3: If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you
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  Speaker 3: know and love, because by sharing this message of the
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  Speaker 3: Word of God, you can make an eternal difference in
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  Speaker 3: someone's life. And I want to encourage you to go
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  Speaker 3: to jackgraham.org That's me at JackGraham.org. God bless you, and
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  Speaker 3: we look forward to joining you again the next time.