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Four People
I like these four people. They have no names in the Bible, but the Lord knows them.
They don’t speak in the Bible, yet they became messengers of the gospel that saves people from sins.
Some people brought a paralyzed man to see Jesus, carried by four men; because there were so many people, they couldn’t get close. So, they broke through the roof where Jesus was, and once they made a hole, they lowered the paralyzed man down on his mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:3-5)
I don’t know if these four men knew the paralyzed man. If they did, they must have been close friends or relatives; if not, it was their compassion (Mark 1:41) that made this miracle happen. Jesus performed miracles, and while some people were curious and supported Him, others followed Him wanting to hear the truth, and perhaps another group was plotting to capture Him. With the crowd so dense, it’s odd that no one made way for the paralyzed man to get close to Jesus.
We often hear about the need for prayer for the sick in church, and the situation is quite similar. Are we also used to just “crowding around Jesus,” forgetting to sincerely pray for those who are ill, knowing only that they are sick?
These four men were different. Their actions were the result of consensus, discussion, and agreement; they united to lift the paralyzed man. They were a real team, a successful evangelical team. Moreover, they did something nearly crazy—they broke someone else’s roof, just to seek healing from the Lord for the paralyzed man.
Breaking the roof, didn’t it cost money? Lifting to the roof, didn’t it require effort?!
“It was worth it”—because Jesus saw their faith and healed the paralyzed man. Before this achievement, who knows what was in their hearts? Did they know they could accomplish the Lord’s work? (Ephesians 2:10)
As church evangelical workers, we should emulate these four men. The faith to spread the gospel can be seen by the Lord, and we should not fear risks and the drain on our energy. When the Lord shows mercy and saves one person, we too rejoice with them (Luke 15:32); not acting alone or out of self-proclaimed zeal, but working together, supporting one another, and sharing the burden. Not following old methods, but using all kinds of wisdom to lead people to God, even if it means breaking a roof, to save a person; if one of the four had quit halfway, lifting to the roof would have been much harder, and lowering the paralyzed man would have been more difficult, thus losing his chance of salvation. The foundation these four men built was on faith; faith coupled with action is key to winning souls; Abraham’s faith in offering Isaac was tested through action, thus it became “living” faith, for faith without works is dead (James 2:20-22).
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:22-23)
The “many people” mentioned above, the Lord said, “I never knew you.”
“Not worth it”—they “achieved” many works, only to be rejected by the Lord. Before being rejected, who knows what was in their hearts? Did they know they could not share in the Lord’s glory?
Perhaps they also had faith, which enabled them to preach, cast out demons, and perform miracles. However, not acting according to the Lord’s will and lacking actions born from faith, they could not be saved, what a pity!
No matter what ministry we engage in within the church, “love” is always at the center of the Bible. Only when our actions stem from faith-filled love can we truly know God, because God is the source of love (1 John 4:8). I hope that all of us can experience the love among fellow workers, believing that we can be like these four unnamed workers, silent yet known by the Lord, and receive salvation.
We warmly invite you to come to the Chicago True Jesus Church’s Fall Evangelical Service and Spiritual Convocation in September. We will be learning about how to be an ambassador for Christ, and how to live for Him.
Thursday, September 26,2024 6:50PM to 8:10PM
Friday and Saturday, September 27-28, 2024 9:00AM to 8:10PM
Sunday, September 29, 2024 9:00AM to 1:00PM
Complimentary lunch and dinner will be served.
Please find our church location below:
True Jesus Church
4N550 Church Road
Bensenville, IL 60106
Google Maps
In the meantime, please feel free to join us for our regular Sabbath (Friday evening and Saturday) services online or in-person.
Friday Evening Service: 7:50PM – 9:00PM
Saturday Morning Service: 10:50AM – 12:00Noon
Saturday Afternoon Service: 1:30PM – 2:40PM
Email us at ilovejesus@tjc-chicago.org