GETTING PEOPLE TO JESUS!
Mark 2:1-12
In Mark chapter two, we find four individuals united in one common goal—getting their friend to Jesus. The characteristics of their efforts on behalf of their friend are the same characteristics that must be true of Christians today, if they are to get men and women to Christ.
Every time I read it I am encouraged, inspired and challenged. It is the perfect blend of human spirit and divine intervention. And it is packed with a ton of sermon opportunities. For instance:
• I could talk about the “Noise of God’s presence.”
Mark 2:1 (KJV) “It was noised that He (Jesus) was in the house…”
When Jesus was in town, people knew it. His presence was talked about and it did not take long for others to hear. The noise of His presence attracted large crowds. “Wherever God is present, change happens. Things grow. People’s attitudes are altered. Situations are turned around.”
A Spirit led church produces an atmosphere in which it easy for God to work and it is hard for the devil to interfere.
A church that allows Jesus to be in their midst is a church where Jesus is working miracles. Make no mistake, the “noise of His presence will be heard.”
• We could talk about the “State of the palsied.”
Mark 2:3 “Bringing one sick of the palsy…”
This man was bound up! One who has the palsy is one who has found himself in an immobile state. He wants to move, but he can’t! He wants to function, but he can’t! The desire, will and passion are all there but for some reason the body parts do not respond to the commandments of the brain. The man with this kind of palsy knows something is wrong with him, but he can’t seem to do anything about it.
Our nation is over run with individuals who have a form of palsy. They may have physical movement, but spiritually they are bound up! They want to move with God, but they can’t! They want to function as spiritual giants, but they can’t! They have desire and passion, but for some reason their flesh will not obey their spirit!
• We could talk about the “Spectacle of God’s power.”
Mark 2:11 “Jesus said, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
Once this man made it to Jesus, everything changed! The disease that had him paralyzed was no match for the power of Christ, because the power of Christ is absolute, unchanging and perfect.
oThe power of Christ can be criticized… but not contained.
o can be frustrated or let down … but it cannot be stopped.
o Can never be hindered… nor can it ever be quenched.
If God is behind even the smallest thing, it becomes mighty, effective, and powerful to the tearing down of all types of strongholds!
• But I have chosen to focus on the “assistance of his partners.”
Mark 2:3 “They came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.”
I want to talk to you about the four men who carried their friend to Jesus. There is not much said about them directly, but indirectly there is a wealth of information to gain.
“I have to admit, I really LIKE the four men who were carrying the man with palsy to Jesus. They were not ordinary believers. They were radical.”
“Those guys were relentless! They were true friends who refused to let anything hinder their friends journey to Christ.”
“These were special friends who understood the meaning of unity.”
Radical! Relentless! Special! These words only begin to describe these men.
The fact that they were willing to carry their friend shows that they were men of compassion.
The fact that they did carry him shows that they were men of action.
The fact that they carried him together shows that they were men of unity.
The fact that they were taking him to Jesus shows that they were men of faith.
The fact that they continued to carry him when they encountered the crowd shows that they were men of determination.
The fact that they climbed on the roof shows that they were men of Ingenuity.
The fact that they tore a hole in the roof to lower him down shows that they were men of mission.
The fact that they did all this with no selfish agenda shows that they were men of integrity.
The greatest natural resource in the world is not in the earth’s waters or minerals, nor in the forests or grasslands. It is the spirit that resides in every unstoppable person. And the spirit of the individual benefits us all.
I believe one word can sum up the spirit of these four men… PARTNERSHIP! Partnership is the key to receive from God corporately! Notice that it took four folks to bear the burden of the weight of this situation.
It is only as we Partner together, that we can accomplish our objectives.
If it is getting someone saved, healed, or delivered – We agree in Prayer
If it is to build a church – We agree on the Project
If it is to expand the Kingdom – We agree in Purpose
If we will Partner one with another we can accomplish most anything. It is the Power of Agreement at work. Mat 18:19 “IF we will agree we shall see”
Listen folks, there are certain things in life that we simply can not do on our own. One is too small a number to achieve greatness.
The paralyzed man would have never made it to Jesus without the assistance of his friends! And the task required more than one person.
As with the Four that Bore the man on the mat, anything that we hope to see accomplished will require four balance points in order to move in the direction of God.
I want us to look at 4 points of agreement that his friends had to work together as a TEAM.
1. VISION – There must be an idea of what we expect to accomplish. (Look ahead)
~ Somebody had to have said: “I Believe Jesus can heal our friend!”
ALL FOUR HAVE TO VALUE AND BELIEVE THE VISION.
Vision gives team members direction and confidence. Great vision precedes great achievement. Every team needs a compelling vision to give it direction!
2. UNITY – There must be willingness to stand together. (Lay aside differences)
~ Unity of purpose can take you places you could never get to by yourself.
ALL FOUR HAVE TO PICK HIM UP TOGETHER.
Teammates must be able to count on each other when it counts. We don’t work for each other, we work with each other. Either we’re pulling together or were pulling apart.
3. HARMONY – There must be a common chord that is struck between us. (Link Up)
~ Harmony is not all singing in the same pitch just the same song!
ALL FOUR HAVE TO BE MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.
The goal is more important than the role! If you think you are the entire picture, you will never see the big picture. If a team is to reach its potential, each player must be willing to subordinate his personal goals to the good of the team.
4. ORGANIZATION – There must be determination to get this done together! (Labor together)
~ Four times in vs.4 the word ‘they’ is used to denote the combined efforts of those involved. (In vs.5 it says; “when Jesus saw THEIR faith…”)
ALL FOUR HAVE TO MOVE TOGETHER TO GET TO THE PLACE OF VISION.
All team members have a place where they add the most value. Having the right people in the right places is essential to team building. A team’s dynamic changes according to the placement of people: (Let me show you what I mean.)
The wrong person in the wrong place = Regression
The wrong person in the right place = Frustration
The right person in the wrong place = Confusion
The right person in the right place = Progression
The right people in the right places = Multiplication
It doesn’t matter what kind of team you are building, the principles are the same, and when you discover your place, you will say, (Let me tell you what I know about DCOG) “There’s no place like this place anywhere near this place, so this must be the place!”
God has entrusted a hurting world into our hands. What are you doing about it? Remember that you and I are the light and the salt of the world.
When we look at our hands, what do we see?
1. Do we see busy hands - too busy to reach out to the needy?
2. Do we see dirty hands - too sinful to count for Christ?
3. Do we see delicate hands - too delicate to reach the dirty?
4. Do we see careless hands - too indifferent to realize our responsibility?
I pray and hope that that will not be the case. My prayer is that we will see serving hands coming from a loving heart in which Christ Jesus resides.
The bottom line is that these four friends accomplished their goal. They were able to get the palsied man to Jesus. What a goal!
Let’s work hard to accomplish the same.
