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2 Reasons Why I Haven’t Given Up On The Church 1. Jesus I saw in people. Mark 2:1-5 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.  2  They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.  3  Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.  4  Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.  5  When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (NIV) 2. I became a Christ Follower Mark 2:6-12 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves,  7  “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8  Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?  9  Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”So he said to the man,  11  “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”  12  He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (NIV) 3 Things I’ve Learned From Following the Life and Words of Jesus  1. If an imperfect church was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me. Luke 4:16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. (NIV) 2. The goal outweighs the grief. Matthew 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  17  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.  18  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  19  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV) Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  14  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (NIV) 3. Choose to be a part of the solution not part of the problem. Matthew 16:18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), [a]  and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell [b]  will not conquer it. (NIV)