Believers, we play a huge part in the eternity of others. People listen to what we say about our Savior, but more importantly, they watch to see if we are living what we say. Which reminds me of something I once read that said: “There are five Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – and the Christian. Most people never read the first four.” (Author Unknown) That observation, made a long time ago, could not be truer today. I, and you, are Living Epistles, we are Human Bibles that unbelievers are reading daily, whether we are at work, in church, in the laundromat, in traffic, or on a Friday or Saturday night. People are reading us as the Word and Work of God.
A Jesus-Follower’s Life Is Either A Reason For Someone To Check Out Jesus Or Check Out On Jesus. If We Drift Away From Him, We Take Watching Unbelievers With Us. The Failure Of The Messenger Does Not Change The Truth Of The Message.
Remember: The Focus Is The Savior And The Sinner, Not The Saint! With The Sinner Being So Vital, You Must Be Determined That Whatever “Roof” Is Separating Them From Jesus, Know That It Can Be Removed! How? “By You Caring Enough To Tear It Off!”
Here is one other very vital reality. The Failure Of The Messenger Does Not Change The Truth Of The Message. Jesus Said, “Follow Me.” Not follow My followers. He said, “I am the Way” (John 14:6). Not, “I will show you the way.” He told us, “I am the resurrection and the life…he who believes in Me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25). Not, believe in someone who practices the Christian religion. No, He said, “Believe in Me. Follow Me.”
Listen: we all have a role to play, just never confuse your part with God’s! We are a supporting actor, HE’S the star! Leave the Healing to Jesus.
In two months and 13 days, we will approach the end of 2024 and enter a New Year 2025 should Jesus delay His coming. I have a question? Who have you brought to Jesus or Who Are You Bringing To Jesus, Do Not Let Any Obstacle Stand In Your Way To Getting Someone To Jesus!
Mark 2:1-5, “After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that He was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they were not able to get in because of the crowd, THEY REMOVED PART OF THE ROOF and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, “Son, I forgive your sins.” (MSG)
This man on the stretcher was no lightweight; after all, it took four men to carry him! And with that thought in mind, I ask you, are you sure you want to be a soul-winner for God? Because if the truth be told, it is far from light work! Winning souls bring with them everything that is attached to them. Which means bringing them to Christ may require you to help them carry their addictions; habits; bad decisions; chaotic past; jobless present; estranged marriage; dysfunctional children; bitter loneliness; generational curses; emotional distress; physical ailments; mental struggles; financial woes; spiritual confusion; and the like.
Are you ready to help carry all that they are carrying with them? Because some will come from broken homes; molestation; rape; desert seasons of discouragement; frustrations and depression. Some are coming from chemo; physical therapy; rehab; prison; the VA hospital; the psych ward; the nursing home; the emergency room; surgery; dialysis; radiation; shelter; divorce court; the soup kitchen; even from under the bridge, while sleeping in a cardboard box and pushing their entire life in a shopping cart!
Please understand that this is no light-weight assignment! It is not something you can get in and once they get too ‘heavy’ you want to get out!
Galatians 6:1-3, “Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.” (MSG) The Bible says, ‘…reach out to those…” Which lets us know, THEY ARE WITHIN REACH!
Someone who so desperately needs your Jesus is within arm’s distance, right at your fingertips, will you open your arms with the same open arms Jesus extended to you (before the cross; on the cross; and after the cross)? Matthew 9:35-38, “Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!” (MSG)
Will You Be Jesus’ Harvest Hands, even if the Harvest is Heavy? BE WARNED, while ministry sometimes looks easy, bringing people to Jesus really consists of some hard work. Such as:
1…BEING SENSITIVE TO THEIR NEEDS: Chances are someone close to you right now is lying on a “stretcher” inwardly! Oh, they look like they have got it altogether, but do not be fooled by their façade. They are hurting, and paralyzed—and they know it! When alone they cry, “God, unless You help me, I’m finished; I’ve messed up, and I’m so tired of playing cover up; send help ASAP before my mask falls off.” Therefore, you must be close enough, sensitive enough, to hear what they DON’T SAY! Because truthfully, some people are hurting so badly that they do not know what to say, and others have said all they can say and cannot find anymore more words, just silent tears. So, you must go the extra mile and be extra sensitive towards them. Pay attention to their words and actions and ask God for discernment so that you can hear what their words are not saying and see what their actions are not showing you. When someone keeps saying they are fine, you tend to just take them at their word and move on. Do not do it! Why? Because saying ‘I’m fine’ and then drinking just to fall asleep. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ then taking pills to dull the pain. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ while going home nightly to endure domestic abuse. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ when the rapist was released from prison. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ when they have received the diagnosis. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ when their marriage was on life support. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ when they did not have any money to feed their children and slept in the homeless shelter. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ when mentally they had already left the church. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ while debating if maybe their third suicide attempt might finally be the successful one. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ while already in a back-slidden condition. People are saying they are fine while preaching; teaching; praying; quoting scriptures; leading; overseeing; training and attending bible college and seminary. In other words, their ‘I’m fine’ is not always true, their ‘I am Fine”, was a lie! Therefore, be patient, be kind, be loving, be comforting, be supportive. They need it even when they do not ask for it. Philippians 2:1-4, “If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Do not push your way to the front; do not sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Do not be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” (MSG) Remember, David had Jonathan; Barak had Deborah; Mary had Elizabeth; Elisha had Elijah; Ruth had Naomi and so on. In other words, all throughout the Bible people needed other people to help them to get through their go through. And someone near you, Needs You Too! Proverbs 17:17, “Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.” (MSG) Therefore, Be Sensitive!
2…CARRY THEM ALL THE WAY: We want to see people set free, BUT ONLY IF IT DOESN’T INVOLVE PERSONAL SACRIFICE ON OUR PART! But that is not how it works! Committing to bringing somebody to Jesus means BRINGING THEM THE WHOLE WAY! It means comforting, encouraging, and holding them securely ‘till they get there. And all of that takes time. Which means once again, you need to exercise tolerance, suffering, and patience. Their healing and deliverance may not come in one service, one prayer, one scripture, one sermon, one talk, truth is, it rarely does. So, you must be willing to wait for it with them. You cannot hold their hands and give a brief “it’s going to be alright by-and-by” prayer. No, you must fight on their behalf even when they have already decided to throw in the towel and give in, give up and give out. You must make sure they get started AND get finished. It is not about getting them to the altar, the real work comes after the altar, in their day-to-day lives where they must learn to trust God, obey God, follow God, talk to God, lean on God, when they feel at the same time God is nowhere to be found. In other words, if you do not see them in church, call, visit, send a letter, card, text, or email. But do something! Far too often we invite people to church (to support a function), but never follow up about their souls. It is about building the Kingdom of God; not building a big Church Audience. Then there are also times when someone does come to Christ. But then, we left them right there. We do not walk with them through their process of sanctification (you do remember that it is a process, don’t you?) And a ‘process’ is defined as, a series of actions or steps towards achieving a particular end.’ Did you get that? A Series of Steps, Not Just One Overnight Leap! Just as it took time for you, it will take time for them. A babe in Christ is much like an actual baby. They will have wobbly legs; they will stumble and fall; they will make a mess; and it is often hard for them to communicate what they are feeling, but be patient, they will grow if you keep nourishing them. Which is why you cannot allow them to go M.I.A. They are already at the point of giving up, which is easier to do when you feel no one cares about you or what you are going through. So, pace yourself and work with them all the way through to their deliverance and healing.
3…LEAVE THE HEALING TO JESUS: David cried, “LEAD ME to the Rock of safety” (Psalm 61:2). Hurting people know what they need—and so does God. So, once you LEAD them there, back off a little and leave the rest to Him. You are to represent God…not attempt to be Him. Take them as far as the Holy Ghost allows, and then leave them in the capable hands of their Savior to do what you cannot do. The inside job will always be completed by the One Who resides on the Inside! 1 Corinthians 6:16-20, “…Or didn’t you realize that your body is a SACRED PLACE, THE PLACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT? Don’t you see that you cannot live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So, let people see God in and through your body.” (MSG) Do your part as a soul winner, then let the Holy Ghost handle the rest! Truth is, too often we tend to look for outward signs of change, but Jesus addressed this paralyzed man’s inner condition (WHERE IT COUNTS MOST) before completing the outer work! “…Jesus said to the paraplegic, “Son, I forgive your sins.” So, do not dismiss God’s tendency to work in ways that do not make sense to you! Isaiah 55:8-11, “I DON’T THINK THE WAY YOU THINK. THE WAY YOU WORK ISN’T THE WAY I WORK.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so THE WAY I WORK SURPASSES THE WAY YOU WORK, AND THE WAY I THINK IS BEYOND THE WAY YOU THINK.
Listen: we all have a role to play, just never confuse your part with God’s! We are a supporting actor, HE’S the star! Leave the Healing to Jesus.
Remember, It’s About Him, It’s About Them, It’s Not About Us! So, do not look for a blessing, a merit badge, or name recognition. Just to hear Him say to the one you brought to Him, son/daughter you are healed, you are whole, you are forgiven, you are delivered, you are changed, you are free, you are saved, you have new and eternal life, all is well, is enough!
Note: In Palestine, the houses usually had a flat roof. Stairs on the outside led up to the roof that was made of beams and boards covered with packed earth. In other words, this was not an easy job. In fact, it was a dirty job! First, they had to believe in Jesus. They had to believe He alone was able to heal their friend if only they could get their friend to Him. Then once at the house they had another decision to make. Yes, Jesus is inside, and yes Jesus can heal him. But it is too crowded! We cannot get to Jesus, and we cannot get him to Jesus. So, do we quit or strategize? After all, this is not for US personally, it is for him. Truthfully, we will go to all lengths when it is about US or OUR breakthrough. But what decision do you make when the breakthrough has nothing to do with you? Well, they decide what their friend needs is Jesus, and if they cannot get him through the door, they will go through the roof! Now, it requires taking stairs to get the paralyzed man to the roof. You must get the image in your head of 4 men carrying a paralyzed man on a “… [THICKLY PADDED] QUILT OR MAT…”, while going up stairs! Then to get him to the roof and having to make another decision. Are we really going to put in the work of tearing an opening in this roof?! Because that means we must get tools, this was not done by hand any more than you can take your bare hands today and tear open a roof! So, we must get tools, tear an opening big enough to “…LET DOWN THE [THICKLY PADDED] QUILT OR MAT UPON WHICH THE PARALYZED MAN LAY.” Remember, the house is crowded so much so, that no one could get through the door, which lets you know how difficult it would be to get the man through a roof and to Jesus in an already packed house!
You see, unlike us, these four men were not focused on the crowd, they were focused on Jesus Christ! The difficulties did not matter; how hard this would be doing not matter; the fact that they would have to tear up a roof did not matter; the fact that the crowd was thronging Jesus did not matter. All that mattered to them was getting the man to the Man! And in some texts, it states they made a hole or dug an opening, but I like the one that says they uncovered the roof! They were playing no games! They went to work on someone else’s behalf! And this was so important to them that they were strategic in where they tore open the roof! It was, “ABOVE JESUS; ABOVE WHERE JESUS WAS; ABOVE JESUS HEAD; ABOVE WHERE JESUS WAS STANDING; ABOVE WHERE JESUS WAS SPEAKING” THEY DIDN’T FOCUS AN OUNCE OF ATTENTION ON THE CROWD, IT WAS ALL ABOUT GETTING THE PARALYTIC TO WHERE JESUS WAS STANDING AND SPEAKING! Do you care enough about people’s salvation, deliverance, and healing to TEAR OFF THE ROOF ON THEIR BEHALF, FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN GETTING THEM TO JESUS BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY?!
DON’T LET THE ROOF STOP YOU! THERE ARE SOULS THAT HAVE NEED OF YOUR HANDS!
Listen to the rest of the story: “Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, “He cannot talk that way! That is blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins.” Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, “Why are you so skeptical? Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, ‘I forgive your sins,’ or say, ‘Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking’? Well, just so I am the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . .” (he looked now at the paraplegic), “Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home.” And the man did it—got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, incredulous—and then praised God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!” (MSG)
Now this last point might hurt, but it is the truth. Not everyone you help is going to say Thank you! The Bible says, “…And the man did it—got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him…” (MSG) People of God, you must do the work of winning souls without the need of winning approval; validation; pats on the back; or even a thank you.
The Great Commission Does Not Always Come with Great Compliments and Commendations.
You do it because it is what you have been called to do, not what you are celebrated for doing. So, lead them to Jesus without looking to receive a reward for your work now. Remember, no reward here only means a great ‘well done’ reward later. We must be the light to bring someone to Jesus.
Truth is, darkness is always dark, right? No shock and no surprise there. But the actual problem is the failure of the light. And a lot of us Christians have been lamenting what we perceive as the growing spiritual darkness around us: Fewer people identifying themselves as Christians, more people identifying themselves as nonbelievers, long-time moral boundaries that are eroding or collapsing. Marriages are failing, children are straying, there is so many robberies, fires, slashing’s, murders, and the like. Let Christians tell it, this is the worst the world has ever been, the darkest it has ever been!
But might I throw a monkey wrench into the equation? Because when it is dark, the problem is not the darkness. It is the failure of the light to shine. And Jesus Himself said to His followers, “YOU are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14 NKJV). It appears something is wrong with the light, not the dark. The dark is fulfilling its purpose, but the light, however, is not!
It is never about the messenger, only the message. It is never about the clay, only the treasure within. It is never about the vessel, only the hand that molds it.
Another danger is that as our culture moves, and Christians tend to move with it. We stop speaking about sin, holiness, righteousness, repentance, because we need to say things in a way that brings them to the church (not changes them or even brings them to Christ) just brings them to the church. However, that is not the goal. The goal is to save souls. And we cannot accomplish that calling Sin: “affairs, struggles, issues, strongholds” NO, Sin is just that, Sin.
BUT there is an alternative, and His name is Jesus! Church, we must get back to a clear, concise message about Jesus. And the only way to do that is to preach, teach, and share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Not the latest cliché, not the latest movie title or dance, not the latest slang. But the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Completely Undiluted, Uncontaminated, Unaltered, Unadulterated! So, when people read your life, make sure they are reading a clear, concise, unchanged Word about Jesus!
Even Jesus made it all about Jesus with His simple invitation, “Follow Me” (Mark 1:17). “Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28). “Believe in Me” (John 14:1). The message we are to share is that people are to follow, come to and believe in JESUS! Not us, not our church, not our ministry, not our pastor, not our gifts, not our anointing, not our choir, not our praise breaks! But JESUS! In other words, I do not want nor to need to hear anything else but JESUS!
Can you imagine what would happen if we went back to preaching the Word, preaching Jesus, preaching the Cross, preaching holiness, preaching the Blood?! That message, uncompromised, unencumbered, delivered with love, is what it has always been. Romans 1:16, “The power of God at work, saving everyone who believes”. It is all about Jesus and His Cross and His Word. Stick to that!
Messengers who act like Jesus, a message that is all about Jesus. That is a bright light on an otherwise dark and dangerous stretch of road. We, my friends, are Human Bibles that unbelievers are reading daily. Make sure that the Message they read in our lives is that of the Unadulterated Word of God, the Name of Jesus and the Power of His Blood, Cross, Salvation, Healing, Deliverance, and Redemptive Life-Changing Power!
Do not Speak About the Horrible Gossip You Heard When You Can Speak About the Holy Ghost You Heed! Do not complicate the Message, do not confuse the readers, keep it simple…keep it about the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus!
“The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity, but it’s sending capacity.”
Blessings
J.P. Olson
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