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The difficult task of bringing a soul to Christ

Scripture: Mark 2:3-4.

A message preached in Kilskeery Free Presbyterian Church,

Lord’s Day 18th February, 2018 by Rev Ivan Foster (Rtr)

Stream or download The difficulty of bringing sinners to Christ

The name ‘Capernaum’ means “Village of Comfort” and it proved that to this unnamed man whose friends were so faithful and diligent in getting him to Christ for His blessing.

When the Lord Jesus comes to a place it cannot remain a secret. His presence will be known. “And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them,” Mark 2:2.

Christ can stir up in the hearts of men a glorious interest in Himself!

We are told here of 4 men who saw an opportunity to do good to their friend. “And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four,” verse 3.

Palsy was a form of paralysis often accompanied with tremors and convulsions. It resulted in a state of helplessness. It took 4 men to help him as he could not help himself at all. This was no partial paralysis but rather a general utter disability.

This man is a picture of a sinner in his natural state, who is insensible of his condition, of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, of his danger and misery to which he is exposed, of his lost and undone condition, of his necessity of the new birth, and of his need of salvation by Jesus Christ.
He has no power to come to Christ for life and salvation and as his friends took him, and brought him to Christ, so it becomes the friends, relations and neighbours of unregenerate persons to be concerned for them and to bring them under the means of grace. There they may be brought to a sense of their sins and a view of the free and full forgiveness of them through the mercy and power of the Lord Jesus.

We may learn from the actions of these men.

I. THESE MEN WERE INFORMED ABOUT THE LOCATION OF CHRIST

1. They were not indifferent or uninterested in the affairs of Christ! All too many Christians are more interested in the business activities than they are in the affairs of the Kingdom of God. Hag 1:3-6, John 6:27.

2. Their ears were tuned to reports of Christ’s movements. “It was noised that he was in the house.” They heard that “noise”!

3. They immediately saw the opportunity presented to help their friend. His need was uppermost in their hearts. These men used their time and strength to bring this man to Christ. Oh to be alive to the needs of others and the danger their souls are in! Hell opens at their feet and they are helpless to escape! “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ,” Gals 6:2; Rom 15:1; John 13:14.

4. Note the word ‘straightway’. They acted immediately!

II. THEIRS WAS A CONCERTED EFFORT

1. They would have received no help from their paralysed friend. In this he pictures the unconverted sinner. John 5:40. Refusal of  Naaman!

2. They acted jointly and energetically. They must have been amongst the first to react to the news of Christ’s presence. What good can be done by such a holy partnership! Christian, seek out the company and friendship of such!
“A threefold cord is not quickly broken,” Ecclesiastes 4:12.

3. They immediately ran into difficulties. No good can be done in this world without opposition. How often the crowd present a difficulty! The difficulty of getting their friend to the house, not any negligence on their part, slowed them up so that others were there before them.

4. Their determination is seen in how they overcame the formidable problem. The crowd can hinder. “They uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay,” 4.

5. The cooperation of the owner and cost to the 4 friends should be noted. The roof was seriously damaged and would have to be repaired.

Nothing is more important than the salvation of a soul!

III. NOTE WHAT IT WAS CHRIST OBSERVED.

1. Jesus saw their faith. Verse 5. “I will shew thee my faith by my works,” James 2:18. The faith of the 4 men not of the sick man. Everything they did, the carrying of the man, the removal of the roof and all that entailed, spoke of their faith to Christ.

2. Christ also saw the chief need of the man. “Jesus  . . . .said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” The palsy was bad but unpardoned sins are immeasurably worse!

3. Forgiveness of sin is neither earned nor deserved. Rather it is bestowed by the grace of Christ. The man did nothing, not even speaking a word!

4. Please notice that the forgiveness of sins was not all that Christ bestowed upon the man. That is a most wonderful blessing but there was more. Our lifetime and our eternity will be filled with the more that follows!
Christ’s healing of the man was in order to demonstrate His power and authority to forgive sins! He demonstrated that He was God.
It is with God we have to do if we are to have forgiveness of sin! Not Mary or the saints or the church or our works! The scribes were correct when they said: “Who can forgive sins but God only?” Verse 7. But they were blind to the fact that Christ was God!
It is to Him, the God-man, sinners must go for salvation.

5. The happy outcome. The 5 friends would have walked home together, after they had repaired the man’s roof!

The Parables #41

The parable of the Prodigal son, Pt 3 

Luke 15:11-32

Stream or download The Parables #41

The Prodigal’s Restlessness and Rebellion, v11-13.

THE SON’S DISCONTENTMENT  continued:

3. The discontentment stemmed from his desire for that which was not to be found in his father’s house. That which took man out of Paradise takes the sinner away from God and His house and His word. His lust, his sinful appetites. Natural man would live far from God. The further the better. When we see men turn their backs upon God and His house it bodes ill and shows they are controlled by sin.

II. THE SON’S DEMAND

1. He calls him father but does not act as a son. A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? Malachi 1:6. He is seeking to be free of his father’s rule and company. He sees no good nor any hope of good in his father’s household.
He thought that he could manage his affairs better than his father. He felt more wise than his father.

2. His desire is born of his carnal nature. Sinners would part with Heaven in order to gain the world  and gratify their sinful lusts. “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you,” John 6:26-27.

3. His demand testifies to his blindness. “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider,” Isa 1:2-3.

Poor foolish boy, he did not know the value of that which he cast away nor did he realise the danger he embraced. This spirit of resistance to the blessings of the gospel is what made Christ weep over Jerusalem. “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes,” Luke 19:41-42. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Matthew 23:37.

The Parables #40

The parable of the prodigal son, Pt2 

Luke 15:11-32

Stream or download The Parables #40

I. THE SON’S DISCONTENTMENT

Discontentment is of the devil, who is a most discontent spirit, Job 1:7, 2:2; 1 Pet 5:8.

It is plain that the subject of the parable was discontent in his father’s household.

1. He has no real grounds for complaining. He voices no formal complaint. Indeed, later he acknowledges that he had been well off in his father’s house, verse 17.

He was able to approach his father and ask for a portion.  He was not a tyrant. He was able to return home after shaming his father. These things indicate that his home was a good place.

Such is illustrative of the kindness and love of God. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32.

2.  Despite this he was discontent. How groundless is sinner’s discontentment with God. “Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?” Jeremiah 2:5. “O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me,” Micah 6:3.

This is an ongoing wickedness amongst men. No kindness by God is ever received with any gratitude or acknowledged. Man chafes under the rule of God, having a heart that desires sin!