"The Best Place in The World"
Matthew 15:30

And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:

• If you would have asked me… “Where the best place in the world is at”, on June 15, 1992… I would have replied… “In Oklahoma when my wife and I got married”.
• Or, on December 11, 1999 at Olathe Medical, when my son Brett was born.
• Or, last Friday evening I may have said it was at Kemper arena watching the Rodeo.
• I believe the best place in the world right now is at the feet of Jesus.

According to my study this week… “The eye of the needle” was the small gate built into the large gates of Jerusalem. Perhaps, the Lord had seen a cameleer striving desperately to squeeze his camel through the opening. First, all the baggage had to be removed; then the animal was commanded to kneel and be persuaded to pass through the small opening. It was a difficult and complicated maneuver, but a determined traveler often accomplished the challenging task. Every listener understood at that time what Christ meant when He said in Matthew 19:24… “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

• Proud people refuse to kneel at the feet of Jesus.
• Many times they are not able to unload their treasures to follow Christ.

I. The Place of Conviction

· Luke 5:1-8… “1) And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2) And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3) And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4) Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5) And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6) And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7) And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8) When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

• Lesson #1 here is… That you notice that Peter said that they had worked hard at fishing all night and caught nothing. Here we learn that only through us being at the feet of Jesus can we see results… “Nothing of ourselves, but through Christ.”
• Peter’s boat had never before been used as a pulpit before now!
• Lesson #2…It is Important to remember here that Peter caught the fish after he had heard the Savior’s sermon.
• I believe that Conviction come over Peter as he was handling the boat during the Savior’s message and become so convicted that he told the Lord… “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
• This is why I believe it is vitally important for parents to control their children in the house of God during the service and especially during the invitation!

II. The Place of Curiosity

• Luke 19:6… “And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2) And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3) And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4) And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5) And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6) And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.”
• Curiosity here is what “Saved the Cat”. Zacchaeus climbed the tree not only because he was short in stature, but, he was short on salvation and mostly because he was curious.
• People many times will come to God’s house out of “curiosity”
• Many times those who come to hear “The Word” out of curiosity will often have their consciences awakened.
• Zacchaeus’s openness to receive Christ shames us when we refuse his calling.

III. The Place of Conversion

• Luke 5:19… “Luke 5:17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18) And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19) And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.”
• Webster’s Dictionary describes “palsy” as being: “Paralysis of any part of the body sometimes accompanied with involuntary tremors.” The “Shaking Palsy” was a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by tremors, muscular rigidity, weakness, and a mask-like expression.
• His condition and experience can be summarized under four headings…
  1.) He was sick…His disease had reached the vital areas of his body to where he had become hopeless and helpless for which there seemed to be no known cure. Jesus said in verse 20 the cause of his condition was sin. I believe the man was ignorant to the fact.
  2.) He was sure… To get him into the building some structural damage was necessary and I think that it is quite possible that he was SURE that he would be healed and able to either work to pay for the repairs or repair the building himself.
  3.) He was surprised… also in verse 20 when Christ said… “Man, thy sins be forgiven thee.” He was surprised because he came to be healed, not to be forgiven of his sins.
  4.) He was saved… The man’s life was transformed
  a) His pain was replaced with peace.
  b) His paralysis replaced by praise.
  c) His helplessness was replaced by happiness.
• Everything changed when he reached the feet of Jesus and was converted.

IV. The Place of Concern

• Matthew 17:14… “ And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15) Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick(Insane), and sore vexed(Disturbed or Afflicted): for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16) And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17) Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18) And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.”
• The father was desperate. His family was being avoided like the plague.
• He was concerned!
• In verse 16 we see where the father had taken him to the disciples and they could not heal him…Why? I believe it was a lesson for men not to have faith in men but in Christ who is all powerful, all knowing, all healing.
• When we are concerned… we need to be at the feet of Jesus. · Again … Only at the feet of Jesus was he healed.

V. The Place of Contentment

• Luke 10:39… “ And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.”
• Martha was the leader in the family, she made the decisions, and apparently was never challenged. Martha was a doer… she would finish doing a task while others would be just getting started.
• Mary was Contemplative, a dreamer, who traveled a long ways while sitting still. She looked into the eyes of Jesus and saw God!
• Mary sat at the feet of Jesus… and was content.
  1) She had an increasing desire to learn.
  While others were paying attention to the miracles of Christ and the things that He had done… Mary was paying attention to the things He said…the words of the Heavenly Father.
  Mary had a desire to learn.
  2) She was discerned through her listening.
  Mary’s eyes were full of tears as her Lord was about to die.
  I believe that there may have been others in Simon’s house that were not listening the way that Mary was.
  Even in messages today across the world, people are not listening the way that Mary listened.
  3) She had an inspired Devotion in Loving · When Mary anointed His body, she gave the greatest of all her possessions.
  Nothing was too good for her Lord.
  When Martha complained about Mary’s absence, from the kitchen, Jesus replied: Luke 10 : 41)“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42) But this one thing is needful: Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
  The best place in the world is not…in Church, on visitation, on a church retreat, or a rock concert, or world’s most famous diner… But it is at the feet of Jesus!