Steven Furtick - Freedom From What's Holding You Back
This is an excerpt from: The Restriction Has Been Lifted
I want to go to the Christmas Scripture that you’ve never heard before on Christmas, where we meet not baby Jesus but breakthrough Jesus. In Luke, chapter 5, the Bible says he had come to Capernaum. Now, the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Breakthrough Jesus… If you want to meet this Christ, he can be found in Capernaum. That’s where he based himself to do his miracles. The Bible says when he got to Capernaum he was teaching and preaching. Why? Because he is the Word. Wouldn’t you love to hear the Word preach the Word? I’ll bet that would be good. I’ll bet that would be awesome to hear the Word preach the Word. It was such an attraction that they gathered, and nobody could get in the door. They closed it, and they tried to send these guys to overflow. I want you to watch what happened in the meantime.
In Luke 5:17, the Bible says, «One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee [all of the surrounding zip codes] and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus…» Well, of course it was. He’s Jesus. Power is attracted to presence. Since he is God in human flesh…the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…it makes sense the power would be where the presence was. God is here, and anything can happen. God is here, and all things are possible. God is here. Chains might break any minute. God is here. Joy might flood your soul any minute. God is here. Something can happen right now because God is here. So, the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.
Verse 18: «Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus». But they couldn’t. «When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd…» Watch what they did. They went up on the roof, and they lifted their friend. So, when they said, «There’s no way. You can’t do it…» The moment they said, «There isn’t a way,» it sparked creative faith in the minds of these committed friends, and they looked all around for a little while. They tried to find somebody who was sleeping at the door, maybe an usher who wasn’t paying attention, but since they couldn’t sneak past a sleepy usher, they devised another way on the roof.
There were many that day who came to the same door needing a miracle from the Son of God, but they turned around and left, not because they couldn’t find a way, but because they didn’t commit to find a way. You quit too quickly. You give up too easily. You go home too fast. You get too discouraged by one person telling you, «You look stupid». You quit too easily. You give up too fast. These men didn’t leave; they lifted. They said, «If we can’t get through it, we’ve got to go over it. We’ve got to find a way because our friend needs Jesus». So, they go up on the roof. They went up around the restriction. «You can’t go in». When they got up, they lowered their friend down, and watch what baby Jesus did.
Let me hold you right here for a moment. You’ve been praying the baby Jesus, little Jesus you can carry around like a good luck charm, talking about, «O Jesus, I thank you for your presence with me. It’s just so good to know you’re with me». I love baby Jesus too, but I’m at the stage of my life, and I assume somebody else is too or else God wouldn’t have given me this message… I don’t need to carry him; I need him to carry me. I don’t just need him to show me where to go; I need him to help me do it, because I can’t without him.
Now, this man in the passage is physically restricted. There is a physical limitation, but it isn’t always. It isn’t always a physical limitation. It isn’t always a physical restriction. Sometimes it is emotional. Sometimes it is familial. Sometimes it is the pattern of the way you have processed your past experiences that will lock you up tight like a jail cell and say you can’t go out. But now this is not baby Jesus you’re dealing with, is it? «We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth». So, when they couldn’t find a way in, they went up. When they couldn’t find a way through the crowd, they went on the roof, and when Jesus… I love this part. «When Jesus saw their faith, he said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven.'»
Now watch these Pharisees, how they think about Jesus. Verse 21: «The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, 'Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone? '» They didn’t know who they were dealing with yet. Their limitation was the very truth Jesus was proving. He was God alone, so he can do this. They’re saying, «Uh, you can’t do that. Uh, you can’t heal him like that. Uh, you can’t forgive him like that,» but the restriction on God that you put on God only limits you. It doesn’t limit him. Who am I to deny what the Lord can do? Let me tell you something else. Even if people don’t like you, they can’t limit what God does through you. Trust me, I know. If God wants to use you, he will. He can forgive you, he can cleanse you, and he can save to the uttermost.
«Who do you think you are, Jesus? Who do you think you are? You’re the carpenter’s son. Who do you think you are? You were born of a virgin. Nobody really even believes her story anyway. Who do you think you are, Jesus»? «Let me show you who I am,» he said. «So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority…» This is my Christmas Scripture this year. It’s an unusual one. It’s an unorthodox one. It’s not a common one, but it’s powerful. It said, «Immediately [the man] stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God». Why did he do that? Go back to verse 24. Jesus said, «'I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.' So he said to the paralyzed man, 'I tell you, get up, take your mat [what was restricting you]…'» «Lift what you were lying on, and walk out of here healed and forgiven and with a second chance and a new identity». «So that you may know God is with us».
I don’t know what you were lying on when you came in, but it has been lying to you. God is bigger than this. God is bigger than it. God is bigger than your box. God is bigger than your background. The restriction has been lifted. Jesus said, «If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me». I’m preaching the cradle. I’m preaching the cross. I’m preaching the empty tomb. I’m all the way in Easter to tell you that the restriction… «But I can’t». But you can if you will. Get up and live into what Christ died for for your life. That’s Christmas. I’m talking about breakthrough Jesus, not baby Jesus. Thank God for baby Jesus. Thank God for your baby faith. Thank God for the point that you met God at 17 years ago.
Why are you still in that wilderness? Why aren’t you moving? Why aren’t you growing? Why are you still replaying that? The Bible says that when Jesus saw their faith he said, «I want to show you what I can do». «So get up. I know you came in restricted, but I want you to get up. What you were lying on when you came in is a lie, an excuse that is moving you away from the very gift I died to give you». So, now when I tell you Moses had a cloud that lifted up, but you have a Christ who came down, do you see why this is good news? Do you see why God had me preach this message to you before the year ends? Because the restriction isn’t real anymore.
Sin has no more power over you anymore. I keep seeing that guy in my mind. He said, «I can’t lie to you. I told you I didn’t think I could come, but the truth is I wouldn’t, and the issue is that I won’t». If you, my brother, my sister, can receive this Christmas sermon and believe in your heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, this could be the best Christmas of your life, not just to celebrate and spend and consume but to really know that God is able to do immeasurably more than you ask or imagine…exceedingly, abundantly above. The limit you put on God is a lie. I’m going to speak to a few.
«I’m too old». That’s a lie. Abraham was 100. Shut up. «I’m too young». Timothy tried that. God said, «Don’t let anybody say you’re too young». «I screwed up». Rahab was a prostitute. Shut up and do what God gave you to do. «Oh, I’m not bold; I’m timid». Gideon was a wimp. God called him a warrior. The restriction has been lifted. Let me try one more. «I don’t have anything in me». Mary was a virgin. Shut up, get up, take your mat, and walk in the favor of almighty God. The restriction is lifted! The grave couldn’t hold him! Herod couldn’t kill him! And he’s here.