Wed. Night Impact

I know this is a little late. I've been busy with some different things and just haven't kept up with the blog as good as I should have. So, I'm going to catch up over the next couple of days.
Last Wed, I spoke about unknown heroes of the Bible. This was the third sermon on this subject. The first was about John Mark. The second was about a blind man named Bartimeus. This was about the 4 friends who brought their lame friend on a mat to see Jesus. When they came to the house where Jesus was, they found that there was no room. So, they went to the top of the house, and dug a hole in the roof, and lowered him down from the roof in front of everybody. The Bible says that Jesus saw the friends' faith and then he looks at the man and says that his sins are forgiven. Some people thought it was blasphemous for Jesus to say that, so Jesus told them, "which is easier, to say get up and take your mat and walk or that your sins are forgiven, but that you might believe, get up, take your mat, and walk." And at once the man got up off his mat and began to walk, praising God.

A couple of things that I think are interesting in this encounter with Jesus. First, it wasn't the sick man's faith that healed him. It was the friends' faith in Jesus. Second, Jesus is more concerned with spiritual health than the physical health. It was more important to Jesus that this man's sins were forgiven rather than his ability to walk. Third, it doesn't seem that anybody got upset that some guys dug a hole in somebody else's roof.

I told the kids that somebody you have to carry your friends. When they are going through a hard time, you have to support them and carry them to Jesus. For the most part, Christians have decided to kick the people who are hurting, and keep them down. We need to be willing to lift these guys up and pray for them, and have faith that God is the one who can heal.

And sometimes your friends will carry you. For me, it's easier to carry somebody than to be carried. I feel like a loser if I can't help out and participate. If I see somebody doing something that I should be doing, then I feel like a little lump of poo. But sometimes, we are going to go through hard times, and we can't keep it to ourselves. It's OK to ask for help and lean on others. And I want our youth ministry to be like that; a place where kids can feel comfortable and safe. And when they are struggling, people aren't going to judge them, but are going to lift them up. And when they see somebody struggling, we don't shy away, but stand up and offer to carry them.