Four of a Kind Beats a Full House!

I want to share a message with you entitled, “Four of a Kind Beats a Full House!”  I wish I could take credit for that sermon title, but I actually heard it from Steve Stroop, pastor of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall.

 

I must confess to you that I don’t know much about poker.  I have probably only played five or ten times in my life and then only for fun or goldfish crackers or Oreo’s. 

 

However, I do know a little about how certain hands rank.  I know that the best hand possible is a Royal Flush.  That is a ten, a jack, a queen, a king, and an ace all in the same suit.  The next best hand is the Straight Flush.  That is something like 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in the same suit. 

 

Just under a Straight Flush is four of a kind.  That could be four 2’s or four 7’s or four 10’s.  And just under four of a kind is a full house, which is three of a kind and one pair.  Four of a kind beats a full house.  Four of a kind beats a full house in poker and in today’s story from Mark 2.

 

This story of Jesus healing a paralytic is found here in Mark 2 but also in Matthew 9 and Luke 5. 

 

In the recent weeks, we have seen Jesus demonstrate His authority in doctrine as He taught, over demons and disease, and today, we will see that Jesus had authority over death, and that is spiritual death.  Make three observations with me.

 

 

1. A Unified Minority, Mark 2:1-4

1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 

 

In verse 1, you see that this story took place in Capernaum, and Jesus was in a local house preaching to the people.  More than likely, this was Peter’s house.

 

By the way, this is the way it should always be.  When there is preaching, the house should always be full, and that should be true regardless of the preacher.  Why?  Because the preaching of God’s Word is more important than your day off.  The preaching of God’s Word is more important than your “honey-do’s.”  The preaching of God’s Word is more important than your hunting, fishing, or golfing, and the preaching of God’s Word is more important than your child’s extracurricular activities.

 

The house was full for Jesus’ preaching.  It was so full that the crowd began to spill over outside the house.   You couldn’t get anywhere near Jesus because of the full house. 

 

In verse 3, we see the unified minority.  We think there were four because it stands to reason that these four men brought their friend or loved one to be healed by Jesus, and each carried a corner of his bed.

First, they were unified in their initiation.  They came to Jesus.  They brought him to Jesus.  They didn’t wait for Jesus to come to them.  The picked up their friend on his bed and took him to Jesus.

 

Second, they were unified in their cooperation.  When was the last time you picked up 175 pounds of dead weight?  It’s not easy. The cooperated together and carried this man who was otherwise helpless.

 

Third, they were unified in their determination.  They couldn’t get him into the house.  Did they give up?  Did they wait?  Did ask Jesus to come outside?  No, they made their way to the roof, dug a hole, and lowered him down and placed him at the feet of Jesus. 

 

Brothers and Sisters, Emory and Rains County needs a unified minority to bring their friends to Jesus. 

 

 

1. An Unmistakable Message, Mark 2:5-11

5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”  6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”  8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

 

What is the unmistakable message that these four friends believed?  They believed that only Jesus could heal or save their friend.

 

Why was that true?  That was true because Jesus is God.  Only God can forgive sins, and Jesus proved that He was God and could forgive sins by healing this paralytic and enabling him to walk again. 

 

What does it mean when God forgives your sin?  Forgive means to send away your sin or drive your sin away.  Here are some word pictures regarding forgiveness that I want you to see.

 

Psalm 103:12, As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

 

Isaiah 38:17, Indeed it was for my own peace That I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

 

Jeremiah 31:34, No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

 

Micah 7:19, He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities.  You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.

 

Colossians 2:13-14, And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

 

Brothers and sisters, a unified minority needs an unmistakable message, and that is only Jesus saves.

 

 

• Unimaginable Ministry, Mark 2:12

12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

 

What happens when you put a unified minority together with an unmistakable message?  There is the potential for unimaginable ministry here at EBC.

 

I long for the day when people say, “Have you heard what’s going on at EBC?”  Jesus is doing miraculous things there.”

 

 

Conclusion

So allow me to wrap up like this.  This story teaches that undoubtedly that Jesus is God, and only God can save.  Only Jesus can forgive sins and save souls.

However, it also teaches us that God rewards our work.  Remember in verse 5 that Jesus saw their faith.  Whose faith?  It was the faith of the four friends.  Don’t get me wrong, each individual will be held accountable by God for what he or she has done with Jesus, but let’s get busy bringing our sick or lost family and friends to Jesus.

 

On April 7, we are going to have Friend Day at EBC, and I am going to challenge you to invite one person to come with you to Sunday School and church that day.  Who will be your one?

 

On April 14, we will celebrate Palm Sunday, and our choir will be sharing their Easter Music Presentation.

 

Easter Sunday will be April 21.  In 2015, we had 360 on Easter Sunday.  In 2016, we had 446 on Easter Sunday.  In 2017, we had 483 on Easter Sunday. In 2018, we had 566 on Easter Sunday. 

 

In 2019, I am challenging you know to have 600 at EBC divided in two morning services on Easter Sunday.  We will have one at 8 AM, and the second at 10:30 with Sunday School in the middle. 

 

A unified minority with an unmistakable message will translate into unimaginable ministry, and don’t forget, “Four of a kind beats a full house every time.”