Bring Him In
For the man with the palsy to get to Jesus, four men had to bring him in. What’s it going to take for you to bring someone in? Men need to be brought to Jesus to be saved. If you’re going to bring him in, you need:
Jesus in the house, v.17. I’ve noticed something about this house. Jesus is here with us every Sunday. He’s here with the power to save the ones we bring in just as he was there with the power to heal the man they brought in. Jesus shows up in a special way when a seeking sinner wants to be saved.
Some men to help you, v.18. Mk 2:3, he was borne of four. Would you be able to convince other people to help you reach the lost who need to be brought to Jesus? Would you be a partner if someone wanted you to help them? They knew this man needed to get to Jesus and they had to get help.
Most of the people there that day gathered to hear him preach and teach. This is what we do on Sunday. But these guys realized that Jesus could heal this man on this certain day. In other words, most people want to be here just to keep learning. Like the Pharisees, v.17, many are glad to be just sitting by. There will always be spectators and hypocrites in the church. We aren’t perfect people, but we serve a perfect Saviour.
A sinner in need of a Saviour. This man was taken with a palsy, v.18. He couldn’t bring himself. They knew this guy was out there. They knew they needed to go to him first, before he would come to Jesus. This is what soul winning is about. Going out and finding people who need to come to Jesus and getting them to him. Would you be willing to give someone a ride? This is very inconvenient.
To find the way to bring him in. There was no room. Mk 2:2-4, there was no room to receive them. v.18 they sought means. v.19 they could not find by what way. Would you be willing to try other means to bring him in if the other means we have tried before won’t work? Door knocking and hanging door hangers may not work in the neighborhood next door. How are we going to reach our neighbors? You might be a spectacle. These guys were. But that fellow ended up getting healed.
Faith to believe Jesus will save him, v.20. The power of the Lord was there to heal, v.17. Contrast Mk 6:5. Do you have enough faith to believe that if you brought lost people here they would get saved? Do you believe that the Lord would lead in the message and in the service to bring them to Jesus?
Conclusion: what are you going to do with this message? Are you going to be like the Pharisees just sitting by to see what’s going to happen? Are you going to be like the multitude content to learn? Or are you going to be like these four guys willing to go out and find that sinner and bring him in? And if you are that sinner, are you willing to receive Jesus Christ today and be saved?