There are few things more frustrating than being stuck in bed. Not long ago, I had back problems and the pain was so severe I was stuck in bed for 3 days. I even had to call 911 to come and get me to take me to the hospital. They literally picked me up, bedsheets & all, and hoisted me up on a stretcher. I wish I didn’t need them, but I’m glad for those four guys who took me to the emergency room to get some relief.
There was a Bible guy who couldn’t get to Jesus because he was paralyzed. His story is in Mark 2:1-12. But he had four friends who carried him. Faced with an overcrowded building, they went up and made a hole in the roof and lowered him to Jesus where he was completely healed – spiritually & physically.
Those are four good friends. Jesus commended them for their faith – their unstoppable, unashamed determination to get their friend to Him. I notice three things about their faith.
1. Their Faith was Persistent
They were deeply concerned about their friend and wanted to see him helped. They had the faith to believe that Jesus could and would meet his need and they weren’t going to let anything stop them. They didn’t simply ‘pray about it.’ But they put some feet to their prayers and did not permit the difficult circumstances to discourage them.
George Mueller believed that more than thirty thousand souls came to know Christ in answer to his prayers. Early in his ministry, he began to pray every day for the conversion of five individuals. The first was saved within 18 months. The next two were saved within 6 years. Of the last two elderly Mueller said, “I have been praying every day for fifty-two years for two men, sons of a friend of my youth. They are not converted yet, but they will be!” Within a few months after his death, the last two became Christians.
2. Their Faith was Creative
They worked together and dared to do something different. Jesus rewarded their efforts. How easy it would have been for them to say, ‘Well, there is no sense trying to get to Jesus today! Maybe we can come back tomorrow.’
Craig Groeschel, pastor of Life Church in Oklahoma City, is leading a church that wants to bring people to Jesus. One weekend they hit a barrier. Craig preached the Saturday sermon and received a message that his wife went into premature labor. His priority of family over church would not allow him to preach the sermon on Sunday. What to do? After much discussion, they decided to show the video of his Saturday sermon. At the time it didn’t sound like the best idea, but it was the only viable idea, so they went with it. This became the model for their current simulcast church service throughout the country. Now, thousands are brought to Christ through the many Life Church satellite facilities.
3. Their Faith was Sacrificial
These men were willing to pay whatever cost it took to get their friend to Jesus. They faced humiliation, ridicule, and maybe even financial set-back (they probably paid to fix the roof).
In 1956, five missionaries tried to connect with the savage Auca Indians in the rainforest of Ecuador. After several months of exchanging gifts, they were attacked and speared to death by the warriors. Within weeks, the wife of Jim Elliot and the sister of Nate Saint, returned to Ecuador as missionaries. This eventually led to the conversion of many, including those who took part in the killing.
The greatest thing you can do for your friends is to bring them to Jesus. If they are paralyzed by the life, be persistent, be creative, and be sacrificial. The healing will be worth it.
If you are in a place where you feel you just can’t get to Jesus and don’t have a friend, please contact me. I would love to help carry you. You will find He can help you in whatever situation you find yourself.