Who will bear the Stretcher?
Matthew 9:1-8 / Mark 2:1-12
We see from time to time somebody on a gurney being taken from either one place in a hospital to another, or we see them being took from their homes to the hospital.
When we see this, there is a sort of sympathy or we feel a bit sorry for those on the stretcher because we know, they need help. In one form or another, they need help.
When we see this, we know the people are being taken to where they can get help. You’ve never seen a person on a stretcher going in the wrong direction. If you have, it’s because somebody has lost the route, not because they don’t know where the help is.
We have been through last years Y2K, and the big election of 2000. And we are getting ready to go into another New Year.
But there are some problems that are still going on with people. And they may be waiting for time to take care of it, but the years just keep clicking away. What we need today, and in the New Year ahead, are stretcher-bearers. People who have the hope, faith, and love along with the willingness to work.
If I could name these 4 men who brought this guy to Jesus, that’s what I would name them, Faith, Hope, Love, and Work.
These men were deeply concerned about their friend and wanted to see him get help. They believed that Jesus could help him. Suppose the one in the stretcher was a friend, a family member, maybe even a stranger, but suppose it was your Church, would you be a stretcher-bearer?
They didn’t simply pray about it, but they had work right in there to help. They did not permit difficult circumstances to discourage them. They dared to be different.
It would have been so easy for them to say there is no use trying today to get him to Jesus, maybe tomorrow.
I want you to notice what Jesus did in this situation.
1---He looked down. He saw the man lying on his bed and he immediately went to the heart of his problem, sin. Jesus forgives the man, why? Forgiveness meets the greatest need, costs the greatest price, brings the greatest blessing, and has the most lasting results.
2---He looked around. He saw the critics who came to spy on him. These people never came with open minds or open hearts, wanting to really know the truth. They came with critical minds wanting to trap him up in his speech. He gave them front row seats I believe.
3---He looked within. He gave them something to ponder, which is easier, to heal a man or to tell him he is forgiven? What was did on the outside was just proof of what he did on the inside. They knew only God could forgive, and they were right, but Jesus is God the Son. Jesus did it not only in front of His friends, but His enemies as well.
But I want you to focus on those four men who brought this man to Jesus. These are the people we should want to be in the year ahead. If we are, we can see God not only do a few things here at Cazy, but lots of things here at Cazy. But if you are not one of these mentioned here, this year will be just like the last year for you.
Lot’s of people are like these four men, but still they are different. Plenty have faith, hope, love and works, but they love to do other things, have faith that somebody will do them, hope nobody asks them to do it, and will work really hard at avoiding what they should be doing.
But look at these fellows if you will and pray that God will let you be a Stretcher Bearers.
1---MR. FAITH--- He believes God can do anything. Sometimes he is so annoying to be around. Either tell what God has done or what God will do.
The devil hates this guy. He tries to get him discouraged all the time, but can’t do it. He tries to confuse him, but he can’t, He tries to complicate him, but never has. Mr. Faith is just a simple guy who isn’t afraid to jump and leap all over the place , and he never waits until he understands things, he just believes it because God said it.
Mr. Faith has this little song he goes around singing all the time, For All I Take Him, For All I Trust Him, For All I Thank Him.
But everybody knows that he don’t get everything he wants, but he says God gives him what he wants him to have.
Mr. Faith begins each day by doing some strange exercises, He begins by letting go of his own understanding, stretching out on the promises of God and never takes a deep breath, clenches his fists or bites the bullet. He ahs the attitude of trust or bust and he never has busted yet.
Mrs. Faith once said if somebody could shake him, she would get another kind. But she has been with him ever since she met him, and said she never find another one like him.
But he was one of those fellows who believed that Jesus could take care of his friend or family member once he brought him to him.
2---MR. HOPE---
Mr. Hope is just like Mr. Faith, they must have grown up together. They have seen lots of the same things. Mr. Hope said he has seen God do so many things for him in other situations that he knows he can do them for him in this one too.
In fact Mr. Hope is a strange kind of fellow, he must really be strong because one of the Bible writers said he was like an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.
They said what made him that way was He knew it was impossible for God to lie. Whatever God said, Mr. Hope was there too.
Mr. Hope must be a popular guy, because there are lots of false hopes running around trying to pretend they are part of the real Mr. Hopes family. But he has a sure way of exposing them.
First of all he tells them face to face, there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is death.
You see Mr. Hopes way is life, not death. Mr. Hope never depends on something he can do, but in what God can do and has done.
You see some have thought in the past that Mr. Hope is blind and can see, but he’s not. Mr. Hope sees what God has done and even bases his name on those promises. And only in those does he depend.
In fact he even sings a little song that makes the devil mad. He sings, My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. Then he goes on to say, On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
Even Peter the Apostle knew Mr. Hope, he said he would know him to the end. Mr. Hope knew if he could get his friend to Jesus, he would be much better.
3---MR. LOVE---
As a Preacher I have got to warn you about his fellow. He can make you do strange things. He makes you act alot different than you use to.
This fellow if you hang around with him will have you doing things for people.
In fact this guy has been known to make some people actually sick. But in a good way they say. But he doesn’t say a whole lot. But he stays busy, I can’t understand that.
In fact Mr. Love said that if he can’t do the things that people need to do, they just waste their time.
Mr. Love said that if people had all kinds of gifts, gave all their things to the poor, or even if they could move mountains and he don’t do it, they just waste their time.
Mr. Love a strange character to some people to say the least. He is kind, never gets puffed up, has all kinds of patience. Never easy to get stirred up and never wants something for himself.
This fellow never is happy when somebody mess’s up. But when they do what’s right, you would think he has threw a party.
I think when Mr. Love was carrying this stretcher, he had most of the load, because I read where he bears all things, believes all things, and hopeth all things, endureth all things, in fact Paul knew this guy and he said he never failed. And that out of all those I have told you about, Paul said Mr. Love was the greatest.
4---MR. WORK---
As important as the others are, Mr. Work seems to be the backbone of the Quartet. Mr. Faith. Mr. Hope, and Mr. Love could have the greatest ideas in the world, but without Mr. Work, ideas and good intentions are all they would have.
In fact Mr. Work, hangs around so much with the other three, that it’s hard to tell them apart, but he is his own self.
Mr. Work is there showing people what the others are trying to say. Whatever they say he backs them up. Whatever needs done he is the one who volunteers.
But he will be the first one to tell you, that he takes orders from the other three. In fact he works so close to Mr. Faith that without him, Mr. Faith would be dead.
Mr. Work is the most visible of the Quartet. He maybe is the biggest or most colorful I don’t know. I just know when these three others show up Mr. Work is always there. In fact if he does not come with them, be careful, the others aren’t who they say they are.
Anytime one of these three come up to you and introduces themselves as Mr. Faith, Mr. Hope and Mr. Love, if Mr. Work isn’t with them, don’t believe them, they are the wrong ones to follow. Mr. Work always hangs with the others.
In Fact, he was the one who told the others they could take this man to Jesus, they knew Jesus could help the man, but it was Mr. Work who talked the others into going.
Here are the Stretcher bearers, a great group of guys, and I wonder as the new year opens up on us, will we take their place, to those who we know need to Come to Jesus, will we be the ones who bears the stretcher?
