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Book: Matthew
 Print ( PC Only )
Matthew 9:1-8 A New Beginning
Intro. The thought of a new beginning is often intriguing. Words like,
"Let's start all over." "Let's get a fresh start." "Take it
from the top." There is always that hope that maybe we can do a
better job the next time. We now have a little more experience,
hopefully we have gained from that experience.
I. A fresh start is not always possible.
A. You can't always erase the past.
1. When the Jews came to Pilate concerning the inscription
on the cross which read, Jesus of Nazareth, King of
the Jews, and asked him to change it to, He said He was
king of the Jews. He responded, "What I have written, I
have written." This is true of our lives, what we have
written, we have written.
2. We would like to do a rewrite on history, but that is
impossible what has been done, has been done.
B. Many times a person declares, "I am going to change." In fact
this time of year, new years resolutions are in vogue. But they
have also become a joke, for we know that changes are not
always easy to effect.
C. We know that real changes takes more than just declaring it. It
takes more than just desire. More than hoping.
D. There are issues in our past that the Bible calls sin, it has
left an indelible blotch on your life, and is gradually
destroying you.
1. There is absolutely nothing you can do to erase it.
2. If you should do nothing but good deeds the rest of
your life, you cannot change what has already been
done.
3. All personal and corporate ills of the world result
from this little word sin.
a. Think of how many lives that you know that have
been or are now being destroyed by sin. Maybe
your own.
b. I think of how many small children are being
scared psychologically by some usually older
member of the family who is sexually molesting
them.
c. I think of how many lives are being destroyed
by gang violence. We read of all of the people
killed by shootings and we think of the pain
and sorrow inflicted upon the families of the
victims.
d. From this scene of pain and sorrow, the
suffering caused sin, let's look at another
scene.
II. Word has spread throughout the Galilee region that there is a man who
has been able to effect marvelous cures on sick people, it seems that
it doesn't make any difference how serious the sickness may be. Blind
are seeing, lame are walking, deaf are hearing, and even the dead are
coming back to life. He was called Jesus and He was from Nazareth.
A. There was a group of men who were real buddies, put them
together and they were a real riot. They were a crazy lot that
would do anything. A fun loving bunch, but one of them
contracted that oriental disease known as palsy.
1. It was a disease that attacked the joints of the body
much like arthritis. Palsy would cause a contraction of
the joints, and was extremely painful, and besides,
there was no human cure.
2. These fellows decided to take their buddy to see this
fellow Jesus to see if maybe He could do anything for
him. They got a stretcher and the four of them carried
their pal to the house where they heard Jesus was
staying.
3. Upon arrival they found the crowd was so great around
the house that there was no hope of getting into the
house with the stretcher, but true to form, these
fellows decided to climb up on the roof and remove a
few tiles, and let their buddy down in front of Jesus
where He was teaching.
4. Inside the house as Jesus was teaching, they heard this
racket up on the roof, and suddenly this man lying on a
stretcher is being let down on a stretcher held by four
ropes.
B. I can imagine that Jesus chuckled when he saw this sight, He
said to the man lying there at His feet. "Son, be of good
cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee."
1. This brought an instant mixed reaction from the crowd.
a. For the buddies who had gone to such extremes
to get their friend to Jesus, it was probably
dismay. Look Lord, we didn't bring him here for
you to clean up his act, we want him to be able
to run with us again.
b. To the Pharisee's who were in the crowd it was
outrage, their thought was that is audacious,
the height of blaspheme, no one can forgive
sins but God.
c. To the man that was lying there, I believe that
it was a great relief. What a joy, to be
forgiven. "Oh how happy is the man whose
transgression is forgiven, whose sin is
covered." Your guilt is gone, your past is
forgiven. Your slate is clean.
2. Jesus addressed Himself to the reaction of the
Pharisee's. He asked, "What is easier to say, your sins
are forgiven, or rise, and walk?"
a. It would be easier to say, "Your sins are
forgiven." for that is an inward action that
would be almost impossible to prove or to
disprove.
b. To say rise and walk would give immediate
evidence of the true power or lack of power in
your words, for the evidence would be
immediately forthcoming and observable by all.
c. To prove that His words had power and that His
declaration, your sins are forgiven carry
weight, He then said to the man who was sick of
the palsy. "Arise, take up your bed and go
home."
d. And he arose and departed to his house.
III. Which of the statements did the man the most good?
A. Many would assume that the second statement was of greatest
value, for now he could resume a normal life.
1. There are always those who wrongly place a greater
emphasis on the material rather than the spiritual.
They prefer the short term benefit to the long term
gain.
2. If the man was only healed of the palsy, he might have
instant temporal relief from the torment of the palsy.
But if he was not forgiven of his sin, he would still
be facing an eternal torment of hell.
a. Paul said that we look at the things that are
not seen, but the things that are not seen, for
that which is seen is temporal, but that which
is not seen is eternal.
b. You may see the man sick of the palsy taking
his stretcher and walking home, that was
temporal.
c. What you don't see is the cleansed life, the
blotting out of the past, the forgiveness of
the sins, that was eternal.
B. This man received from Jesus, a new beginning. The past sins
were forgiven, and he was able to start over again.
1. This is what Paul was talking about in the scripture
reading in Corinthians, "If any man be in Christ, he is
a new creation, the old things have passed away, and
all things become new."
2. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said to
the ruler of the Jews, "You must be born again to enter
into the kingdom of heaven."
3. Jesus gives to you a new life, a new beginning.
4. Just to forgive our sins is not sufficient, I need the
power to live a new life free from sin. That is what
comes by being born again by the Spirit.
5. If you are tired of the load of your sin,
Let Jesus come into your heart.
If you desire a new life to begin,
Let Jesus come into your heart.
Just now your doubting give o'er
Just now reject Him no more,
Just now throw open the door.
Let Jesus come into your heart.
C. What a glorious way to begin a new year. Old things passed away
a whole new start. All things new.
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