Today's sermon came from Luke 5:17-26. In this passage we find the healing of the paralytic, a man whose friends were so determined to get help for him that they risked their reputations to tear a hole in the roof so they could get their friend to Jesus. This is one of the passages which contradicts those who claim Jesus never said He was the Son of God. In healing the man, Jesus also implicitly drew a conclusion about Himself for the Pharisees and teachers of the law. They said no one could forgive sins except God, and Jesus provided evidence that He could forgive sins. It was a conclusion most of them refused to draw.
The challenge of this passage comes with the actions of the friends. Are we so determined to bring our friends face-to-face with Jesus that we would take risks to do so? It's so easy to back down to pressure, even just pressure to remain politically correct. I'd like to give you the same challenge I brought to church today. Write down the names of three people you have contact with, whether family, friends, colleagues, or neighbors, who do not know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Pray each day that the Holy Spirit would work in their hearts, and that God would open doors for you and others to share Jesus with them. I believe that praying for those who are separated from the Lord is the first step we should take in sharing the good news with them; too often it's the last step we take when we reach the end of our own devices.
In our troubled world, we need to be determined to bring people to the One who has the solution to their deepest need. Will you accept this challenge today?
No comments:
Post a Comment