1. The Power and Authority To Forgive Sins February 9, 2014

2. An Act of Great Faith  Jesus is preaching the Word.  Four men carry a paralyzed man on a stretcher to Jesus for healing.  The men climb up to the roof, make a hole, and lower the paralytic down to Jesus.

3. The Response of Jesus 1)Jesus sees their faith. 2)Jesus told the paralytic that his sins are forgiven.

4. The Challenge to the Authority of Jesus 1.The religious leaders question Jesus’ authority to forgive sins. 2.Jesus discerns their hearts.

5. Jesus Asks a Piercing Question  Which is easier to say? “Your sins are forgiven”? Or… “Rise, take up your bed and walk”?

6. The Point of Jesus’ Piercing Question 1)To show that it is easier to say: “your sins are forgiven”. 2)To show that it is harder to say “Rise, take up your bed and walk”.

7. The Answer to the Piercing Question 1.Jesus healed the paralytic in order to demonstrate and prove that he has divine authority to forgive sins. 2.In healing the paralytic at his Word, Jesus demonstrated that the paralytic had also been forgiven at his Word.

8. Four Takeaways 1.Just as Jesus saw the faith of the men who brought the paralytic – he sees your faith too. 2.Repentance is a matter of the heart not the mouth.

9. Four Takeaways 3.Forgiveness is at the heart of Jesus’ Gospel and must be at the heart of Jesus’ followers too. 4.Our greatest need as people is to be forgiven by our loving, Almighty Creator God.