Whatever It Takes
In our text
These men carrying this palsied man were willing to do whatever it took to get him to Jesus,.
They probably didn’t know it was going to require so much from them, but they were committed to the
Task,
*They went all the way,
*They didn’t quit when it became uncomfortable
*They didn’t let the opinions of others stop them
*They knew they would be responsible for the damage done to the roof, but they felt it was a small price to Pay for this mans salvation and deliverance.
When the syrophenecian woman came to Jesus, she was prepared to do whatever it took to get her daughter delivered from the devil.
When Jairus came to Jesus he was willing to do whatever it took to get Jesus to his daughter, and get her healed (raised from the dead).
What is the value of a soul?
How far would you go to get someone saved?
*Are you willing to be uncomfortable?
*Are you willing to be misunderstood?
*Are you willing to be criticized?
*Are you willing to be persecuted?
Jesus was the greatest soul winner that ever lived and it was because he knew the value of a soul, and he was willing to do whatever it took to win them out of Satan’s kingdom
He was uncomfortable at times, He was misunderstood, he was criticized and he was persecuted.
Lets hear from another great soul winner (The Apostle Paul)
1Co 9:19-22
For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Paul was saying I have learned how to be relevant, how to meet people on their level
Paul was saying: Outside of disobeying God and bringing a reproach on the gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ I am willing to do whatever it takes to win souls.
I will go wherever I have to go, say whatever I have to say, dress however I have to dress, talk however I have to talk, endure whatever I have to endure ( to win souls).
Let’s hear this same passage from the message translation
1Co 9:19
Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people:
1Co 9:20 religious, nonreligious,
1Co 9:21 meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists,
1Co 9:22 the defeated, the demoralized--whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ--but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life.
*Paul understood that different kind of fish require different kinds of bait,
(Jesus was the greatest fisherman of all and he taught us the concept of fishing in relation to winning souls).
Mt 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
We would never expect to sit at home in front of the television and have the fish in the lake jump out of the water, get themselves all cleaned up then jump in a boat then head into town and come to where we are
But we are sometimes guilty of this very attitude concerning lost souls,
(They know where we are, when they get ready they will come)
There was a phrase that you used to hear the church use a lot, (win the lost at any cost).
But that spirit and that attitude has degenerated over the years to (win the lost at the lowest cost)
At the lowest amount of discomfort, and sacrifice, at the lowest amount of resistance, at the lowest level of persecution, criticism and misunderstanding.
If we are going to be effective in winning souls then we have to approach it like the serious fisherman,
He is willing to pay whatever price it takes to catch fish
He will leave his comfortable air conditioned, home, he will leave his 32 inch television, and his lazy boy lounge recliner,
He will wade out in to waters up to his waist, He will endure tick bites, mosquito bites, and risk snake bite, to catch a fish.
He will get sunburned in the summer, and freeze in the winter, he will sit on a rock and drink hot pop, all to catch a fish.
This was Jesus Attitude toward Souls, This was Paul’s attitude toward Souls.
And it must be our Attitude toward Souls
(Whatever It Takes) We will win them.
I remember the first time I ever saw them drink coffee and have a doughnut in a Sunday school class, I thought it was disrespectful, and I thought it was distracting.
(My Problem = I was looking at everything from a Christians Perspective) I was already comfortable, I already knew the people I was in class with.
Now I realize, Our target is not the believer, it’s the lost, the sinner, the sick, the hurting,
Mk 2:16-17 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Jesus was doing whatever it took to reach the lost, He knew how to meet them on their level,
Jesus endured great opposition, criticism, and persecution for his methods
But Jesus believed it was worth it
And so do we.
And whatever it takes, we are determined to win souls.
