Warren Gillin - Circle or Gage

Adventist Radio London Inspiration for the Soul Amen, Amen, Amen. So if you have your Bible's Tobey to the book of Luke 5, we're going to go from 17, we're going to go from 17 when you found it say Amen, so when you found it say Amen. Now I need you to take note because what I'm just going to do is just basically break down what we already see here, and it says in Luke 5, 17 now it happened on a certain day as he was teaching that there were Pharisees, there was who, and teachers of the law sitting by who had come out of every town of Galilee Jew the rangeruselum, and the power of the Lord was present to Hill. Verse 18 says, "Then behold, men brought on bed, a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before him, who is Jesus." The Bible says that when they found him, when they could not find, how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the house top and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. Verse 20 says, "When he saw their faith, he said to him, 'Man, your sins are forgiven.' I'm going to read on just so that we can get context of what is going on in this passage." It says, "And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, 'Who is this who speaks blasphemy, who can forgive sins but God alone?' But when Jesus perceived their falsehood, he answered, 'And said unto them, why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is it easier to say, your sins are forgiven or to say rise up and what?' 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 or in other words, take up your mat and go to your house.' The Bible says immediately, he rolled up before them, took up what he had been laying on and departed to his own house, glory to God, glorifying God. And when they were all amazed and glorified God and filled with faith, saying, 'We have seen strange things today.' We have seen strange things today. Today I want to speak quickly on the topic. I promise you I will take too long, quickly on the topic. 'Friendology, circle or cage.' What should bow your head with me as we pray, heavenly Father? As I stand before your people today, I ask that your spirit will be here.' Lord, the truth is I have no words to say, but Lord, I pray that you would fill me with your spirit in this moment. Lord, I pray that these will not be my words but your words. So Lord, like the hymn writer says, 'Hover over me, holy spirit.' 'Bave by Chermelin Heartenbrough.' Fill me with thy hollow presence, come, oh come. And fill me now. Amen, amen, amen. 'Friendology.' Many of you know or may not know that this year I decided to study a bit more in the field of psychology. So I'm doing another Master's in Psychology. And one of the topics that we are studying in this semester is social psychology. One of the things that social psychologist stress is they look at an individual and the group and it looks at how the individual interacts with groups, how the individual interacts, not just on him as an individual but him as a group, him as a culture, him as he is conforming to what is going around his environment. That is what social psychologists pace particular attention to. And one of the things that social psychologist stress is that they stress the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people. So, psychologists stress the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and there was a man called Orts in 1951, he done a social psychologist test and we have many psychologists in here. You probably heard of the experiment that he done. So what he done was that he got a group of individuals and he gave them a standardized string. And then he gave them three other strings and he says you know what is the closest length to this standard and he gave a short string and he gave a the correct string and he gave a lot of long string. So, when that individual came in the presence of the group, what the psychologist done was that he told the rest of the other group to intentionally say the wrong answer and to see whether or not that individual that wasn't in on the plan, whether or not that individual would conform to what the rest of the people around them were saying. So, as you see, low, low, low, as you see, he went around and he asked them what size, how long is the string, what one compares the most to the standard string. So, one individual intentionally said all the short one. Then the next person said the same thing, the same wrong answer, the short answer. And the next person said the short answer until eventually he came to that particular individual and he asked that individual well what size is the correct size and low. Would you have it since of God, that individual also went with the erroneous decision of the group and also said that wrong answer. So, we tried that a number of times over and over again, over and over again and so they decided to all go with the wrong answer, the long string and then we went around again well what one is the correct answer and everybody said the wrong string. Everybody said the wrong string until eventually got to that individual and that individual wants the can, said the wrong answer over and over again. So, what this experiment has done, he decided to bring everybody into a private room and do the same exact test and would you have it the people that were going with the erroneous decision of the group in the private room was getting older answers correct. In fact, the social psychologist found that for 50% of people, 50% of the people that he had tested always went with the erroneous decision of the group. And this lets me know that we are a product of who we surround ourselves with, somebody say product. We are a product of who we surround ourselves with and this is why my mother would say, my mother would tell me show me your friends. Don't worry y'all know this, he said show me your friends and I will tell you who you are because there seems to be a strong correlation between you and those that you hang out with. That's why the bio, that's why Jim Ron says that you are the average of the five people you spend the most with. The Japanese promise says when the character of a man is not clear, you look at his friends. That's a word for some sisters in here. When you can't find the character of that boy, you just look at his friend and it should give you some indication of who that individual is. The another saying is it's a bird of a feather. And this is when I like Nipsy Hussle said if you look at the people in your circle and you don't get inspired, then you don't have a circle, but you have a cage. You see, since the older I got, the more I began to realize that my mother was right. The older I got, the more I realized that I can't just be around anybody. That I can't allow in my circle, in my close proximity, any and any energy, any and any fives, any and anybody, that we ought to carefully filter those that we have around us. And this is what the Bible says. It's not just social psychologists that says this is what the Bible says. The Bible says, do not be just me. Bad company ruins good moral. This is why the Prophet says walk with the wise and become wise for a companion of full sufferers, sufferers harm. That's what the Prophet says. As I am sharpens, I am so one person sharpens one person. This lets me know that there is a great correlation between you who you are and those that you hang out with. You see what was quite striking in about the experiment or of the social psychologists was that he didn't just do this experiment on children or teenagers or youth, but these were grown adults who were conforming to the truth. pressures of the group because sometimes we look at peer pressure as being something that is for teenagers or something that is for children but we also come to group conformity. The Bible says this do not be deceived bad company ruins good morals this lets me know that no matter how prayed up you are no matter how many but memory verses that you taught your child if he's around bad company the likelihood that blackness will happen is is highly unlikely likely sorry and by one of the the essential things in human existence is community community is essential and God made us to be relational people we are made to be relational beings so if now if now God has made us relational and we ought to curate who we have in our presence then the real question is how do we navigate this choose and how do we navigate this filter we are made to be relational beings that's why when God made Adam and Eve he said Adam is not good for man to be I said it's not good for man to be there was nothing wrong with Adam Adam was a perfect being Adam was whole but still God says that it is still not good for man to be alone because God has made us relational beings God has made us to be in community with each other and this is one of the strongest strengths of the church is that we can have good community that's when the community is good so when we look at our passage of scripture we come to see a paralyzed man and as I was studied in this passage of scripture God was just blowing my mind at what he was revealing to me in this passage of scripture the Bible says then behold men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed whom they sought to bring in and laid before him here we find in this passage of scripture we find the characters in the passage of scripture we find Jesus we find the crowd we find the paralyzed man we find the friends who are carrying this man and I want us to identify who we are with in this story so when we look at Luke 5 it gives us a word on how we choose our circle and how we choose those that we surround our self with and the Bible says then behold a man brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed in other words the man the man said that the the man found some friends that was willing to bring him to Jesus okay you're just missed that the Bible says the Bible says that that that when the man could not bring himself to Jesus that he had some folks around him who were able to bring him to Jesus the Bible says that this man was paralyzed that this man was unable to bring himself to Jesus but the Bible says that that that that these people that that in market says that four men carried him to Jesus and the first thing I want to stop to tell somebody this afternoon is that we ought to get some friends who is able to bring us closer to Jesus somebody up to say amen on that point because it's all good and well that we have friends who is ready to ride and die for us it's all good as well that we have friends who is able to have our backs when we get find ourselves in trouble it's all good and well to have friends who we can call when we are going through a break up it's all good and well to have friends who is able to carry us through our hard moments but the Bible says that we ought to get some friends who is able to carry us to Jesus it says that these four men brought this man on a bed to Jesus and today I just want us to take inventory of the friends that and the people around us that we can clearly depend upon to bring us closer and bring us in the presence of Jesus today we ought to do inventory on our friends we ought to do inventory on our friends we ought to do a stop check on our friends to see who can we rely on that when we can't even bring ourselves to Jesus that we have some faithful folks who is willing to carry us and I want us to stop and think who is those friends who is those around us that will be able to carry us to Jesus that we ought to get some friends who will bring us closer to Jesus psychology suggested and the Bible suggested that if you have folks around you that are going in the wrong direction then the likelihood that you are going to go in that direction is very likely it said it that even when that individual knew the wrong thing even when that individual knew the wrong strength size that individual still conform to the conformity of the group that lets me know that we ought to around ourselves with individuals that can get us closer to Jesus now don't miss don't miss miss miss understand me I'm not saying that you only should hang around Christian folks what I'm suggesting is that we ought to have some folks in our lives that we can rely on to bring us closer to Jesus so the Bible says and it says and and when they could not find how they they might bring him in because of the crowd Jasmine they went up on the house top and they let him down with with with with with he's bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus the Bible says that now that they are carrying this individual are to Jesus that that there is a crowd now and and the friends were not able to bring them closer to Jesus and this lets me know that sometimes it may take a fight to come into the presence of Jesus many of you have been Christians for a long time and know that sometimes following Jesus getting into the presence of Jesus ain't the easiest thing sometimes getting into the presence of Jesus that you got you ought to overcome some hurdles that you have in your life Lewis you ought to overcome some hurdles that you have in our life just simply to get in the presence of Jesus the Bible says that even when they they wanted to come to Jesus that they still had hurdles they there was a crowd that was gathering around them and and and and and they could not get through the crowd and the Bible says that they did that did not stop them from coming into into the house but but but now they decided to get creative and go up on a house back in the day they had flat ruse on it and so they were able and there was fairs to lead up to the roof and and now that they were breaking through the roof because this lets me know that sometimes getting into the presence of Jesus is going to be difficult is going to be much hurdles that they're going it's going to take much fight some of you know what I'm talking about because some of you when you wake up in the morning the first thing we pick up is our phones and not our Bibles because that is the hurdle I'm guilty of it to that is a hurdle that that that is a fight that we have just to simply get into the presence of Jesus some of you know that we have some friends around us that that are blocking us and stopping us from getting into the presence of Jesus and we have some spouses and some partners and some family members that are blocking us from getting into the presence of Jesus but what was so striking about this story is that no matter how much hurdles they had to overcome they still found a way to get into the presence of Jesus but here it is elder elder Hunter what blew my mind away was the Bible says that that that there was a crowd around in other words the Bible says that in the crowd it was sprized and Pharisees and teachers of the law so in other words in the crowd was scribes and Pharisees and teachers of the law in other words the crowd was church folks I didn't say the Bible says that there was Pharisees and scribes and teachers of the law you just read in verse 17 and the Bible says it was the it was because of the crowd was the reason why that these individuals were not able to get into the presence of Jesus the the crowd was simply church folks and I want to let you all know that sometimes the hurdles that we have to overcome is some church folks you don't want to be real in the house of the law today because sometimes a very hurdle that we have to overcome is those immediately around us But even so even so he wrote even sold her that the the the the the the the four men didn't allow the crowd didn't allow the church for coming to crowd to get in the way of getting to Jesus and and so they found a way somehow or another to get their friend to see Jesus. Can you not see their persistence? Can you not see their commitment? Can you not see that not only did they have to carry this man from a lunch along a distance Jerry? Not only did they have to fight through the crowd at Jordan? Not only did they have to to work through all of those hurdles that they had to bring him all the way upstairs? They're carrying this man. They had to fight through and dig through the roof top salt that this man can be lowered into the presence of Jesus. Sometimes we ought to have that persistence that we find one hurdle and we want to give up. Like we find one one one one one one disruption that we want to throw in the towel. But this lets me know that sometimes I'll the parmer getting into the presence of Jesus ain't going to be a walking apart. Sometimes you're going to have to break through roofs. So the Bible says either crop says I only got ten minutes but the Bible says that that that that is Jesus is preaching. Can you imagine where we're preaching here and and and and and and they begin to break through the roof and and they begin to chip away at the roof and and mash down the roof so so that their friend can can get into the presence of Jesus so they begin to lower him as Jesus is preaching just like I'm preaching right now they begin to lower him through the roof. Could you imagine all the folks frantically looking up looking around as dirt is dropping from the roof. Could you imagine the little sunlight that is now breaking through the crack that they made through the roof trickling through the house. Could you just imagine as Jesus is preaching their lowering this man into the roof and the Bible says that when Jesus saw their faith he said to him. When Jesus saw their faith he said to him. You see because Jesus knows that faith is more than just feeling. Faith is more than just knowing or feeling. Faith at first is action. Faith is first and foremost not knowledge about Jesus but active trust that Jesus is sufficient for one's deepest and most heartfelt need. Faith is not simply a working up of a feeling or suppress and doubt but is demonstrated committed to get into the worm whose power we stake our trust. The Bible says that when Jesus looked up and saw their faith. Ah Jesus they didn't have to utter a word but he saw their faith. That's a word for somebody. He didn't even have to ask the man it paralyze if he wanted to get healed because he already saw their faith. He already saw the trust. He already saw their commitment but here is the sharp taste of God. Here is the sharp here is the sharp here is the sharp here it is when Jesus saw the faith of the four friends he looked at the paralyzed man. When Jesus saw what the friends were doing he looked at the paralyzed man. In other words the paralyzed man's blessing was dependent upon the faith of his friends. The feeling that the paralyzed man was experiencing was not his faith but the faith of his friends. You see this is why it is so paramount to have those individuals around us that will bring us closer to Jesus because Jasmine, Jasmine, Jasmine, Jasmine, Jasmine, when you don't have faith when your faith may be low it is the faith of those around you that you can still find hearing when you have given up when you have run out of faith the Bible says that Jesus looked at their faith and he healed the man. Oh I wish I had a church in this building today because Jesus didn't even speak to the man. Jesus didn't even ask the man but he just saw the faith of the four friends lowing in him and based upon the faith of those four friends the man was able to get healed. This is a powerful thing because this is the advocacy of intercession. This is the advocacy of those that are praying for you. Those that are working for you because I know that I have been through some ups and down and if it had not been of the faith of those around me I would have been dead and gone and if you too was just to look back over your life you will realize that you ain't been Christian all your life and it was based upon the faith of those around you praying around your those that were calling and uttering your name onto Jesus even when you did not have faith and now you are healed. I got to go but I've got to finish the story. The Bible says he looks at the favor of the man and he heals the paralyzed man but before he heals the paralyzed man he says this thing he says your sins are forgiven. Now what was striking about this is Kim is that the man was requiring physical healing but Jesus was saying well your sins are forgiven. You see Sister Helen I don't understand why what what what what Jesus was telling the man he sins are forgiven when the man did it often he sins to be forgiven. The answer to the man asked to be healed he's a paralyzed man he was being carried demanding ask Jesus for no forgiveness of sin and I'll say Jesus why is it that you asked to heal him spiritually when he needed physical healing and as I was reading a study of the Bible more I believe to see that there was a correlation between one's spiritual life and one's physical life and I want to suggest to you today that maybe that some of the reasons why we are going through heartache and pain in our lives right now may not be to something physical but could it be that something spiritual is missing? Somebody needs to hear this word could it be that perhaps if we spent our time trying to desire and seek after God and and get our spiritual lives right then then something in our physical life might change. Can I suggest to you that may be if your if our spiritual life was intact then we wouldn't be praying God fix my marriage because our spiritual life we we we we we we we are our following the fruit of the spirit love kindness and patience and and in a marriage ought to be patient perhaps it is the lack of our spirituality that brings a negligence on our physicality like perhaps if if we were more godly people then perhaps our marriage is my automatically be okay like perhaps if we were more spiritual I've talking to myself now if we were more spiritual then perhaps our physical life could it be that the reason why we are suffering certain things the reason why we are making certain decisions is because there was something not just wrong with our physical life on a coffee but there's something wrong with our spiritual life and perhaps if we get our spiritual lives right then maybe something might change in our physical life okay y'all I'm a Henry so I'm gonna go on I'm gonna go on so the Bible says that he asks and he says all forgive them for forgive your sins are forgiven the man knows that now he is he is he is not full of guilt and now the Pharisees are I told you the Pharisees are in a crowd I said the Pharisees the treacherous folks are in a crowd then the Pharisees says who can forgive sins but God and I want to let you all know something that the Pharisees they were correct because the way that forgiveness worked in that time was that you had to go to the temple that was the system and the structure that God used God used a temple system in order to bring about forgiveness on a hunter that was all through the Old Testament you see this example and the structure that is being set up but but but but but but but now the Pharisees come and say man you know who gave you this right to forgive sin all need the the priest so the only the priest could forgive sins and Jesus is trying to teach them something in this moment Jesus is trying to say yes you are correct that that's what God was doing that's what God was what was doing back then but now Jesus is set it up a new system, a new structure that does not need a temple or sabbatical law or the priest to forgive sins. But Jesus is saying that I am God that you are looking at I am that system I am that structure I am that process you you don't need to go to a priest because I forgive sins it is me I am God I am the way the truth and the light and this is a message for some of us here today and and the message is clear that sometimes we are so fascinated about what we used to do that we can't imagine what God is trying to do right now that we are so caught up in our tradition and we haven't spoke to ox god god what is it that you want to do in this moment like God what is it that you they were correct that that's what the temple how the temple was in the past but Jesus is saying now this is the way they were correct that that you had to go through that structure but now I am able to forgive sins sometimes we are not to serve God from memory but from imagination he that you missed that that sometimes we are not to serve God from memory but through imagination through what he can do for us right now and in the future because sometimes we we don't allow the spiritual work in our now because we are so frustrated upon what we've done before like we don't allow Jesus to work in this moment because we're so caught up at how things used to be and how we've been doing this thing for so long but I want to ask the question what is it that God is doing right now like the same spirit that that that that that that that that that that church had God is giving to us like the same holy spirit that that our that that that that and on wide and our early church fought for for us had the Bible said that God is giving to us what is it that the spirit is telling us right now to do we ought not to serve God from memory but we ought to serve God from imagination so the Bible says that now that the Pharisees they come and the Bible says that that that that that that Jesus says what is it easier to do is it easier for me to say for your sins are forgiven or is it easier for me to say take up your bed and go so that's what Jesus does Jesus says I say to you arise take off your bed and go home you see saying so God if you hadn't said amen throughout my sermon this is the chance to say amen because God gives us some decorations and some instructions he says arise take up your bed and go to your house say the rise take up your bed and go home and this is where I'm going to land for today to the rise take up your bed or it says take up your mat and go home and I was wondering Jesus why did you require a demand to take up his mat like Jesus why did you give that specific instruction you could have said get up and go but you instructed him to say arise take up your mat and go home normally when Jesus brings about healing he normally says you know your sins are forgiven go in peace go your way but these were a little bit more specific instructions he didn't just say your faith has made you whole and and go about your way or or or go in peace he says take up your mat arise take up your mat and go home and I was wondering Jesus why did you tell him to take up his mat because the man is healed he no longer needs his mat the man is healed he no longer needs needs the bed that was carrying him but Jesus says carry the thing that was used to carry you ah let me break this down Jesus says carry the thing that you are being carried on the Bible says that God says take up your mat and go home in other words the Bible that Jesus is is is telling this man not to simply go home quietly but but to go home and testify about the goodness of Jesus you see because the mat now that when he goes home when people see the thing that used to carry him he is now carrying on his own they can see that Jesus has done something good you see because the mat was a sign of his testimony the mat was what he used to identified with the mat was a symbolism of his sickness but a Bible says that Jesus asked him to arise to take up his mat and to go home you see because he's a man was his testimony because when people would now see him they will not see him being carried they will not see him being hauled by these four men but now these individuals will individuals will see that he has a mat and I want to let somebody know in church today does somebody walk into church with their mat does somebody walk in church not just with your children not just with your spouse not just with your clothes but your man it is your map that is your testimony it is your man that signifies what God has done for you do I have a church in this building because God wants to see you with your mat because when other folks see you they say man here goes that individuals that was once paralyzed but now the very thing that he is that used to hold him he is now carrying and I want to let somebody is there a mat praise in Holloway church today somebody that can praise God and thank God for the mat that what used to carry you you are carrying it somebody that can look back over your life and can identify two or three things that used to carry you but today you can praise God in this place this day that I'm carrying my man are you carrying your mat I said are you carrying your man I said are you carrying your man because your mat is a symbol of what God has done for you has been not made away out of no way has he not brought you from a matchy long way has he not brought you through ups and downs because I don't want to see just your smiles I don't want to see just your pretty face but I want to see your mat Hallelujah praise God for your man praise God for that what used to carry you you are you are carrying it praise him for the mat praise him for the mat yes yes by the steps then you ought to go back home show them your man go back home tell them where you're coming from go back home tell them how far you've come go back home not being carried go back home and really on that because it declares the clear that God has been great and healing has taken place your place of the quietly but I was just take up a rise take up your bed take up your mat and go home gives the specific instruction because he knows that somebody where he came from needs to head this way he gave this specific instruction because he knows that somebody from his house that may have believed that he will never get healed he is now being healed (upbeat music)