The Christians Hour

Aaron Brockett: It's time for TCH. You're listening to The Christians Hour. TCH is a ministry of Gospel Broadcasting Mission, and GBM's mission is to broadcast the message of Jesus in their own language to unreached people groups and tribes worldwide. When I was young, my parents didn't always give me what I wanted, but they provided what was best for me. At the time, I couldn't see or understand the bigger picture.

In the scope of eternity, Jesus has that bigger picture, and he understands how our eternal welfare is dependent on our relationship with the Creator God. The Bible tells us we've broken that relationship through our disobedience, sin, and guilt. It's no wonder Satan capitalizes upon our guilt to keep us at distance with God, but Jesus has the authority to forgive our sin and bring us back to God.

This month, Gene Appel, senior minister with the Eastside Christian Church in Anaheim, California, has been unpacking some ways where only God can make a difference in our lives and how, this week, only God can forgive our past. Here's Gene to show us how to erase the guilt and find reconciliation with our Heavenly Father through perfect, eternal forgiveness.

Gene Appel: Now today, I want to begin by asking you this question: What do you think you need from God right now in your life? I want you to think about that. What do you need from God? I don't know if I'm accurate or not, but I would predict some of you are thinking things like, "I need help on my algebra test," or "I need a job," or "I need a better job."

I need a man, I need a woman, I need my marriage fixed, or my family fixed. I need coronavirus to disappear from the earth so my life, my job, my school, my kids can get back to normal. Amen? I need my bank account to be larger. I need my sick body healed. These are the kinds of things we think we need from God, and maybe we do.

But my sense is that what some of you think you need most from God today and maybe what you really need more than anything else are two very different things. I think that was true for a guy we're told about in Mark chapter 2 of the Bible who had spent his entire life living on this mat. The mat became a symbol for him of something, something he wished he could forget, something he wished he could put behind him but couldn't.

The man was physically paralyzed, and he's tired. He's tired of being isolated on this mat minute after minute, hour after hour, day after day, week after week, year after year. Some of you who live life in a wheelchair, you identify. He's sick and tired that the only mobility he knows in life is when people pick him up on his mat and carry him wherever he needs to go. He's tired of years of staring at the ceiling, tired of bedsores, and of being completely dependent on others to transport him, feed him, bathe him, clothe him, to help him to the bathroom.

But then words start circulating that crowds of people were flocking to see a miracle worker from Nazareth that was reportedly making sick people well. So he finds four friends who pick him up on his mat and carry him to Capernaum, a town I have visited many times and where crowds of people are flooding to come hear this reported healer named Jesus.

And when they reach the house where Jesus is teaching and ministering, it's standing room only. People are hanging out the doors. There's no way to get in. Obviously, no COVID-19. But instead of turning around and heading home, they quickly come up with plan B. His friends climb up on the roof. They begin digging a hole in the roof, which is inspiring to me because these four guys were saying, "We will do anything to get our friend to Jesus."

Can you imagine this crowd, like, jammed inside this house listening to Jesus as they start experiencing a little dust falling on their toga and sand between the toes of their Birkenstocks? And then someone sees something or gets something in their eyes, and plaster starts falling right where Jesus is teaching. And these four guys lower this paralyzed friend of theirs through the roof like a magic carpet ride from Aladdin or something, right down in front of Jesus.

Can you imagine the anticipation, the butterflies that would be jumping inside of you if you were this paralyzed man taking this magic carpet ride through the roof? You spent all your life on this mat, and you just want to forget this mat. You want to forget your past. And he had to be thinking, "This could be it. This may be the final moment I ever lay on this stinking mat. I'm going to walk out of here. I'm going to run. I'm going to dance. I'm going to bust a move. Today I will finally be free. So go ahead, Jesus. Heal me, Jesus. Just heal me."

So imagine how absolutely deflated and disappointed and even dumbfounded he must have been when instead of hearing the words, "Get up and walk," Jesus turns to him and says in Mark chapter 2 verse 5, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Huh? My sins are forgiven? Big whoopty-do. Anybody can say, "I forgive your sins." No, no, no, no. I'm here to get physically healed. I'm here to get un-paralyzed. I'm here to walk. I'm here to forget life on this stupid mat.

And I'm sure at this point his friends, like, who wrecked the roof, are thinking, "Well, that's nice, Jesus. We'll be sure to say at his funeral someday that you forgave his sin. But we don't know if you noticed, but like today, it's his legs, like, they don't work? Could you fix like the big problem in his life today? That's what he really needs."

But just as he always does, Jesus looks deep inside this man's soul and realizes what this man thinks he needs and what he actually needs are two very different things. Jesus looks deep inside and sees a deeper need. He sees a crippled soul paralyzed by regrets in his past and comatose with shame. And Jesus says to him the words he wasn't hoping to hear, but he says the words he really needed to hear: "Your sins are forgiven."

Listen to me, Jesus knows the biggest problem for all of us is not our bodies. It's our souls. Why? Because legs can become crippled again. Bodies can get sick again. We'll all eventually die. But souls? Our souls last forever. Our souls are such a much bigger issue than our bodies.

So maybe, just maybe, what you really need from Jesus today is not what you think you need. Maybe what some of you really need to hear are the words of the Great Forgiver saying, "Your sins are forgiven." Maybe what you really need is a fresh touch of amazing grace in your soul. Maybe what you really need is to have your soul healed that has been crippled with guilt and regret and shame. Maybe what you really need is to be enamored all over again with the amazing grace behind a blood-stained cross.

But for that to happen, I've learned there are a couple things that must happen in our lives. First, I must honestly acknowledge my need for forgiveness. And can we be honest? We all have one. J.B. Phillips puts 1 John 1:8, "If we refuse to admit that we are sinners, then we live in a world of illusion and truth becomes a stranger to us."

Gang, let's not be deceived or naive about our own sinfulness. The Bible says there is none righteous, not even one. None of us are as good as we appear. And even though we may hide our sin from others, from our family, from our closest friends, God always knows. There's no such thing as a secret thought, a closed bedroom door, a secret website, a secret desire with God.

Over the years, I've developed a friendship with a high-profile Christian author who a number of years ago took a bad moral fall that was messy and embarrassing and public. But he turned God's direction, and he rebuilt his broken world. And he said following that, in a one-year period, he received over 6,000 letters from Christian men and women confessing to him their secret sins. And he said, "I never, never, never had any idea how many secret carriers there really are and how deep is their shame and pain."

I will never forget those words. For some of you, it was the cheating in school that still haunts you. For some, it’s marriage vows you violated. For some, it’s the guilt of a sexual encounter that happened maybe even long ago, or the haunting questions about the abortion. For some, it's the shame of taking something that didn't belong to you from a family member, from the company, from a purse, from the store.

For some, it's a divorce, and you still can't forgive yourself. For some, it’s your secret escape into images you watch on a screen or the conversations you have at a keyboard. I'll bet if the truth were known, there's a great number of secret carriers among us right now. And that kind of guilt can eat at us. It can be paralyzing.

For some, it occurred years ago, but it still haunts you and causes you to lose sleep. For others, maybe the memory is as fresh as last night. I know because I've been there more than once. I don't know about you. I've got a lot of failures in my past. I know I deserve to be punished for all my sins against the holy, awesome God of the universe.

And that, that's why I'm drawn like a magnet to this carpenter from Nazareth who says to paralyzed people like I can sometimes be spiritually: "Your sins are forgiven." But if we can't honestly acknowledge our sins, we'll never experience that healing work in our souls. Only God can forgive our past, but we have to confess and ask him to do it.

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:13, "You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them, give them up, then God will show mercy to you." But we try to hide our sins all the time, don't we? One time a woman came up to me after a church service, and she said, "Gene, your message last week was so meaningful to me, and I had a situation at work this week dealing with that very thing, and I'd like for you to pray with me about that."

And I said, "Well, sure, I'd be glad to do that." But for the life of me, I couldn't remember what I had taught on just the week before. My mind just went blank. And instead of honestly saying, "What did I talk about last week?" I just tried faking it like I knew exactly what she was talking about. And I tried to keep her talking, hoping it would come to me, even though I didn't have a clue.

And while I'm putting on this act, "Hmm, yes, I see, uh-huh, yes," suddenly I remembered. I had spoken on authenticity. It's hard to be honest about our faults sometimes, isn't it? I mean, it seems like we always want to put on an act and pretend to be something we're not, or pretend to be better than we really are.

But only when I honestly acknowledge my sin, my need for forgiveness, am I in a position to be touched by the only God who can forgive my past. So how about it? Can you have a truth-telling session with yourself and with God today at who you really are and say, "This is who I am, God. I'm a grumbler, an addict, a person with a lust-filled heart, a greedy heart, a thief, an adulterer, a person full of envy."

I hope so. Because if we refuse to admit we are sinners, then we live in a world of illusion. Now secondly, after I honestly acknowledge my need for forgiveness, I must experience a fresh touch of forgiveness. And so this paralyzed man, he's on his mat, so badly wanting to be physically healed, and instead he hears these words: "Your sins are forgiven."

But then there's a twist. There's a surprise ending here. Shortly after Jesus says the word, "Your sins are forgiven," Jesus then says to the man some words that I'll bet he never imagined to hear in a million years. Jesus says to this paralyzed guy in Mark chapter 2, he says, "Get up, take your mat, and go home."

And in an incredible moment, this man miraculously, physically gets up, takes his mat, and walks out of that house to the complete amazement to everyone that was there. Do you realize what Jesus has just done? He's just proved by this supernatural miracle in this man's body that he has experienced an authentic spiritual miracle of forgiveness in his soul.

Why? Because anybody can say the words, "Your sins are forgiven." I can say your sins are forgiven, but can I forgive sin? No. But by healing him with this supernatural miracle, Jesus verifies he has the power, he has the authority to forgive sins. It's true. Only God can forgive my past.

And Jesus says to all of us who are willing to acknowledge our sin: "Your sins are forgiven." And to prove it, I went to a cross and walked out of a tomb three days later to show you that God's heart toward you is that you should not be tortured or dogged by guilt anymore.

A number of years ago, I met a married man who just broke down, and he shared with me something he'd never told anyone. A few years earlier, he had had an affair. And the woman he was involved with became pregnant with his child. And to conceal their sin, they had an abortion. And the guilt of it all, the affair, the child that he never knew, the deceit to his wife who never knew anything of this, was just eating him alive.

And so I explained to him how the grace of Jesus Christ was available to him. And he said, "But Gene, somebody has got to pay for my sin." And I said, "Somebody already has. His name is Jesus Christ, and he came and he died for that sin and every other one you've committed and the ones you're going to commit."

And you know what? I saw it happen that day. That man left my office having experienced a fresh touch of forgiveness from the only God who can forgive the past. God has done the same thing for me many times, and it feels so good to walk in freedom, to walk cleansed of guilt, not because of anything I've done, but because of what Jesus Christ has done for me.

We've all watched in the movies and TV shows those anxious moments in a courtroom when the jury has deliberated, everyone has reconvened, and the verdict is about to be read. A defendant's entire future is up for grabs. And you know if you were facing years in prison, your heart would be pounding. It's a moment of high drama, and then judgment comes.

Whenever we watch that scene, it ought to remind us that every one of us will one day have to stand before a holy God, our Creator, for our day of judgment. And talk about nervous, because we know beyond a shadow of a doubt we're guilty. We're sinners. And we better have a pretty good defense attorney.

But that's the good news. It says in the book of Hebrews that Jesus Christ is our advocate, which literally means he is our defense attorney. And he stands before God. And if we belong to him, when the judgment is getting ready to be read, it will sound something like this: "On the account of Gene Appel on the charge of lying, we find the defendant not guilty."

And I'll go, "Yes!" because I know I'm guilty. On the charge of lust, not guilty. On the charge of theft, not guilty. On the charge of stretching the truth, not guilty. It's like I've done none of those things because Jesus Christ is a great defense attorney, and he has gone to bat on my behalf on a cross. And he says, "God, look at Gene through my perfect blood and forgive his past."

Listen, it feels so good to authentically experience a fresh touch of forgiveness like that. That the refreshing breeze of God's grace could just blow through the heart of anybody who is willing to acknowledge their need for forgiveness and receive the gift that God is ready to give through Jesus.

Acappella: Oh, Jesus gave water.

He gave water.

You know, my Jesus gave water.

He gave water.

Oh, Jesus gave water.

He gave water.

And it was not from the well.

Oh, Jesus gave water.

He gave water.

You know, my Jesus gave water.

He gave water.

Oh, Jesus gave water.

He gave water.

And it was not from the well.

Well, there was a woman from Samaria

Who came to the well to get some water.

And there she met a stranger,

And he did her story tell.

She left my Savior singing,

As she came back to him bringing.

Mother, time she had living water,

And it was not from the well.

Oh, Jesus gave water.

He gave water.

You know, my Jesus gave water.

He gave water.

Oh, Jesus gave water.

He gave water.

And it was not from the well.

More than a friend.

More than a friend.

More than a friend.

More than a friend.

Well, he's more than a friend,

More than a friend,

Yes, he's more than a friend to me.

Because he gave up his life,

And at also a price.

And he's more than a friend to me.

People keep on searching for that perfect friend.

Make them perfect.

Perfect fashion in the company they keep.

Because they need someone to love them in the deepest way.

Hear what I'm about to say.

He was willing to give his life.

Ultimate sacrifice.

He was God made flesh and put to death for me.

Now you know it's easy to see.

That he's more than a friend.

More than a friend.

Yes, he's more than a friend to me.

Because he gave up his life,

And at also a price.

And he's more than a friend,

More than a friend,

More than a friend to me.

God made him who had no sin.

So that we might become his righteousness.

Well, instead of us, he offered himself.

So that we might become his righteousness.

So that we might become his righteousness.

So that we might become his righteousness.

Holy God was offered for us.

So that we might become his righteousness.

So that we might become his righteousness.

Lead me to rest, sweet Lord.

Lead me to rest.

From my journey here,

Lead me to rest.

The relief I found,

From the burdens that weigh me down.

Lead me to rest.

Lead me to rest.

Lead me to rest, sweet Lord.

Oh, Lord, won’t you lead me,

Lead me, lead me.

Oh, Lord, won’t you lead me,

Lead me, lead me.

Oh, Lord, won’t you lead me,

Lead me, lead me.

Oh, Lord, won’t you lead me,

Lead me to rest.

Rescue.

Rescue.

Rescue.

Rescue.

Rescue.

Rescue.

Rescue.

Rescue.

Lord, you know everything I've done.

Every thought I've had.

You know everyone.

And Lord, you know every time I fall.

Still, you come to my rescue when I call.

And Lord, you hear every idle word.

Every thoughtless deed.

How it seems absurd,

That Lord, you give not what I am due,

But mercy, mercy, all mercy,

You come to my rescue.

You come to my rescue.

Rescue.

Rescue.

Rescue.

Thank you, Father.

Rescue.

Come into my rescue.

You come to my rescue, yes.

Rescue.

Thank you, Lord.

Rescue.

For coming into my rescue.

We have seen his glory,

In awesome power from above.

We have seen his glory.

Yeah! We have seen his glory.

The one and only Son.

We have seen his glory.

We have seen his glory.

We see how he works in our lives today.

We have seen his glory.

The one.

The one and only Son.

The one and only Son.

The one and only Son.

The one and only Son.

The one and only Son.

The one and only Son.

Aaron Brockett: Moving ahead into eternity is so much easier when we're not dragging the anchor of guilt. Jesus has the authority and the power to forgive us, just as he demonstrated in today's lesson from Mark 2. And that forgiveness is bigger, it's more significant than any miracle, and Jesus wants to forgive you.

In the book of Acts, when confronted with the reality of their sin and guilt, the people asked, "What must we do to be saved?" Well, I challenge you, go to Acts 2, read for yourself Peter's answer to that question. Need to take the next step? Call us at 515-770-2241. We'll put you in touch with someone who can walk you through receiving Jesus's forgiveness.

Our thanks to Gene Appel for today's message, and we want to express our thanks to the group Acappella and their ministry through music. For a free copy of today's program, just call us at 515-770-2241. That's 515-770-2241. Leave your name and mailing address. We'll send you a CD. It's free for the asking. That phone number again: 515-770-2241.

You're also free to download your own copy at oneplace.com, iTunes, Google Play, or our website, thechristianshour.org. That's thechristianshour.org. Thanks so much for listening. Please join us again next week for TCH, The Christians Hour.