Faithful Friends

Faithful Friends (Luke 5:17-26)

Their names are not given, their occupation is not mentioned, nor are their ages listed. The Scriptures only records one thing that they did. But the one thing which these men did is the most important work ever performed by men: these men brought a helpless man to the Lord. “It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands” Arthur H. Stainback.

These men knew the Lord. They had true faith in Christ. They believed Him to be the Messiah. They recognized His power and authority as the sovereign Lord, the Son of God. They knew that He had power both to heal disease and to forgive sin. These men had a friend who desperately needed Christ. Their friend was a hopelessly, helplessly paralyzed man. They could not heal their friend or forgive his sin. Knowing Christ’s power and grace and knowing their friend’s desperate need, these men determined to bring their friend to Christ. It was not an easy thing to do. The room was packed with people, standing room only. In fact, there was no room through the front door. No one offered to assist them nor even to make room for them, but they were not deterred. They never gave up on their friend. They found a way to bring him in and to lay him before Jesus. At last they got their friend before the Lord. They said nothing; they simply laid the helpless man before Christ. And as a direct result of their labors and faith towards Christ, two marvelous things happened: a sinner was freely forgiven of all his sins and the Lord God was glorified. These men had been voluntary instruments in the hands of the Lord, and God used them to accomplish his eternal purpose!

Early Christians "turned the world upside down" as they shared Jesus Christ with others. They were interested in the souls of men that needed to be saved. I want to be like these men, diligently laboring to bring sinners to Christ, faithfully giving myself to the great commission, allowing nothing to stand in my way. We cannot save men, but we can do our part and get others under the sound of the Gospel.

It's far more important that I care about people, rather than plans. The cause of Christ ought to be at the top of our priority lists. We should always be mindful of how we can be used to lead others to Christ. You may be in a hurry as you're reading this today; but in your haste, don't neglect opportunities to let your light shine for Christ. Be available to lend an ear or a hand, and you'll be amazed at how God will use you

Points to Ponder:
These men were willing to make sacrifices to help the paralyzed man.
They were willing to get involved in his life to help him.

Questions to Consider:
Is there an expectation in your life you want to see fulfilled?
What are the obstacles you face today that hinder you from getting close to the Lord?
What keeps you from seeing your expectations fulfilled?

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for saving my soul and for Your gift of eternal life. You used a friend and a co-worker who lead me to You. Help me to have that same passion for others in Jesus name, AMEN.

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