Last week we examined the first four, of eight, ingredients that must be present when we bring our friends to Jesus. Today we examine the last four of those ingredients.
5. In bringing our friends to Jesus we must accept the opportunities God gives us.
In our text God gave a group of men the opportunity to bring a paralytic to Jesus. That was exciting.
- Every individual is given unique opportunities by God.
- Our opportunities are divine appointments.
6. In bringing our friends to Jesus we must be persistent.
In our text the men succeeded because they were persistent. Their first attempt to bring the man to Jesus was met with frustration. The crowds were too large to fulfill their task. When that effort failed they carried the man to the top of the house and lowered him to Jesus, through the roof.
- Bringing our friends to Jesus requires determination.
- Bringing our friends to Jesus requires a never say die attitude.
7. In bringing our friends to Jesus we must be available and do what we can.
- In our text God used the combined efforts of a group of men to bring the paralytic to Jesus.
- Each of us are unique in our opportunities and personalities. God will use you and your unique style and personality to bring others to Jesus.
Illustration: In their book, Becoming a Contagious Christian, Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg discuss six personality types found in the New Testament. Bill Hybels says “why not start with each individual believer and try to help him or her discover what kind of role God has designed for him or her to fill?” (p. 123) Hybels and Mittelberg give six examples.
(1)Peter (Acts 2)- used a confrontational approach
(2)Paul (Acts 17)- used an intellectual approach
(3)The blind man (Jn. 9)- used a testimonial approach
(4)Matthew (Lk. 5)- used an interpersonal approach
(5)The Samaritan woman (Jn. 4)- used an invitational approach
(6)Dorcas (Acts 9:36)- used a service approach
- God uses simple things to touch people. In Mt. 25 Jesus mentions a cup of cold water, clothing, visiting the sick, and feeding the hungry as noteworthy ways of ministry. This was illustrated thousands of times along the Gulf Coast. Thousands of verbal testimonies have been shared as people cleaned, feed the hungry and helped the Katrina victims.
8. In bringing our friends to Jesus we should do it in a spirit of faith.
- In our text Jesus commends the faith of the men who brought the paralytic to Jesus.
- Faith gives us a purpose to believe in. The men who brought the paralytic to Jesus were passionate about their purpose.
- Faith allows us to relax. We can leave the outcome to Jesus.
