TEAMWORK AND ITS EFFECT

MARK 2:1

A. OUR TEXT BRINGS TO OUR MIND
  1. Our Lord's method of working for the salvation of souls:
    1. "It was noised abroad that he was in the house"
    2. That is the most effective advertising for soulwinning - Matt. 9:1; Luke 5:18; John 1:38, 39
  2. A transformed home becomes the center for the ministry of our Lord:
    1. It became a light tower of the gospel.
    2. The center of dispensing divine mercy - Matt. 5:14-16
B. CHRISTIAN TEAMWORK IS THE BURDEN OF MY MESSAGE
  1. "And they came unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy"
    1. The burden they carried.
    2. He was a hopeless, helpless, suffering person that suffered great mental remorse because of a life of sin and shame.
    3. He had heard that the great physician had come to the community; his neighbors gave him hope of being healed.
  2. He was carried by four:
    1. That indicates Christian teamwork.
    2. And what is needed today to finish the work God has given to us.
    3. Said Moody, "Give me four men who are on fire for God and I will set the world on fire."
    4. Said President Lincoln, "United we stand, divided we fall."
    5. There is no limit to our achievement when we are united in our efforts to win souls for Christ.
  3. Their implicit faith:
    1. That there was hope for that helpless man.
    2. That Christ would honor their effort in behalf of the impotent man energized them to put forth the effort.
    3. It was a great faith - hope against hope!
    4. Such a faith is needed today to do effective work for God.
C. LET US TAKE A PRAYERFUL LOOK AT THEIR FAITH AND ITS RICH REWARD
  1. Jesus saw their faith:
    1. Christ saw their faith when they inspired the Paralytic with new hope.
    2. He saw it when they sought means to bring their burden to Christ.
    3. He saw it when they encountered difficulty on their way -- many obstacles.
    4. He saw it when they raised the roof to bring him near to the Lord.
    5. He saw their faith when they succeeded at last - Mark 2:1-14
  2. What a challenge to us!
    1. Does our Lord see us near the bedside of the hopelessly sick and seeking to inspire them with new hope for life?
    2. Does He see our faith when we seek ways and means to win souls for Christ?
    3. Does He see our reaction when we encounter difficulties on the way?
    4. Are we willing to do the unconventional to bring souls to Christ?
    5. How many people will be saved because of our faith?
  3. Let us look at the reward of their teamwork:
    1. Said Jesus, "Son, be of good cheer". Those words must have turned night into day for that helpless man.
    2. What the world needs more than anything else today is the words of cheer! That means words of hope. If our mission would bring cheer to the disheartened, it would bring glory to God.
    3. "Thy sins be forgiven thee." What a message to a poor sinner! Sin was the difficulty in that man's life; it brought the sickness upon him.
    4. Sin is the great problem that seems to make life so difficult for so many people in the world today.
    5. Friends of mine, is our teamwork responsible for our Lord speaking words of forgiveness to poor sinners?


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