Faithful Friends: The Power of Spiritual Support

Devotional

Day 1: Selfless Friendship and Spiritual Prioritization

True friendship is marked by selflessness, where the spiritual well-being of others is prioritized over personal recognition or status. In the story of the paralytic man, his friends exemplified this by focusing solely on bringing him to Jesus, disregarding any potential for personal acclaim. This act of selflessness teaches us the value of surrounding ourselves with individuals who are more concerned with our spiritual growth than with worldly accolades. Such friendships are rare and precious, as they encourage us to pursue a deeper relationship with God and to prioritize our spiritual journey above all else. [15:59]

Proverbs 27:9-10 (ESV): "Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away."

Reflection: Who in your life prioritizes your spiritual growth over their own recognition? How can you express gratitude to them today?

Day 2: Transforming Obstacles into Opportunities

A positive perspective can transform seemingly insurmountable obstacles into divine opportunities. The friends of the paralytic man demonstrated this by choosing to look higher when faced with a crowded house, ultimately accessing the roof to bring their friend to Jesus. This shift in perspective allowed them to see possibilities where others saw impossibilities. It serves as a reminder that when we change our perspective, we open ourselves to new opportunities and divine interventions that we might have otherwise overlooked. [20:13]

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV): "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Reflection: What current obstacle in your life could be transformed by a change in perspective? How can you begin to see it as an opportunity today?

Day 3: Innovation in Times of Need

Innovation without hesitation is crucial when faced with challenges. The friends of the paralytic man exemplified this by removing the roof to lower their friend into the presence of Jesus. This bold and creative action underscores the importance of having friends who are willing to think outside the box and act decisively to help us reach our spiritual goals. In times of need, such innovation can be the key to overcoming barriers and experiencing God's power in new and unexpected ways. [23:55]

Isaiah 43:19 (ESV): "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

Reflection: What bold, creative step can you take today to overcome a spiritual challenge you are facing?

Day 4: Partnering with the Holy Spirit

Partnering with the Holy Spirit is essential for experiencing miracles and the fullness of God's power in our lives. The actions of the paralytic man's friends were not just about physical effort; they were about aligning with God's will to facilitate a miracle. This partnership with the divine is crucial for opening ourselves to the transformative power of God and for witnessing His work in our lives. By seeking the guidance and partnership of the Holy Spirit, we can align our actions with God's purposes and experience His miraculous interventions. [27:17]

Zechariah 4:6 (ESV): "Then he said to me, 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.'"

Reflection: How can you invite the Holy Spirit to partner with you in a specific area of your life today?

Day 5: The Necessity of Supportive Community

We all need help to reach our spiritual destinations, as none of us can make it on our own. The story of the paralytic man and his friends reminds us of the importance of having faithful friends who will carry us, support us, and help remove obstacles in our path to Jesus. A supportive community is vital for our spiritual journey, providing encouragement, accountability, and assistance when we face challenges. By fostering such relationships, we can grow together in faith and draw closer to God. [31:11]

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV): "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"

Reflection: Who are the people in your life that support your spiritual journey? How can you strengthen these relationships today?

Sermon Summary

Grace and peace to each of you. It is a joy and honor to share this moment with you during this Lent season, as we reflect on the profound lessons of faith and friendship found in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 2. This passage reveals the story of a paralytic man who, despite his condition, was brought to Jesus by four faithful friends. Their actions teach us about the invaluable nature of true friendship and the power of faith in action.

In the narrative, we see that the paralytic's friends were more concerned with his salvation than their own status. They were not seeking recognition or fame; their sole focus was to ensure their friend had the opportunity to be in the presence of Jesus. This selfless act of friendship highlights the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who prioritize our spiritual well-being over worldly accolades.

Moreover, these friends demonstrated a positive perspective in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. When they encountered a crowded house with no way in, they chose to look higher, literally and figuratively, by accessing the roof. This shift in perspective allowed them to see possibilities where others saw impossibilities. It reminds us that a change in perspective can open doors to divine opportunities.

The friends' willingness to innovate without hesitation is another key lesson. They removed the roof to lower their friend into the presence of Jesus, showing that true friends are willing to take bold, creative steps to help us reach our spiritual goals. This act of innovation underscores the need for friends who can think outside the box and act decisively in our times of need.

Finally, the story illustrates the necessity of partnering with the Holy Spirit. The friends' actions were not just about physical effort; they were about aligning with God's will to facilitate a miracle. This partnership with the divine is essential for experiencing the fullness of God's power in our lives.

Key Takeaways

1. True friendship prioritizes spiritual well-being over status. The friends of the paralytic man were more concerned with his salvation than their own recognition, teaching us the value of selfless relationships that focus on our spiritual growth. [15:59]
2. A positive perspective can transform obstacles into opportunities. The friends' decision to look higher and access the roof demonstrates how a shift in perspective can reveal new possibilities and divine opportunities. [20:13]
3. Innovation without hesitation is crucial in times of need. The friends' bold action to remove the roof shows the importance of having friends who are willing to take creative and decisive steps to help us reach our spiritual goals. [23:55]
4. Partnering with the Holy Spirit is essential for experiencing miracles. The friends' actions were aligned with God's will, highlighting the necessity of spiritual partnership to facilitate divine intervention in our lives. [27:17]
5. We all need help to reach our spiritual destinations. The story reminds us that none of us can make it on our own; we need faithful friends who will carry us, support us, and help remove obstacles in our path to Jesus. [31:11]
** [31:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:38] - Honoring the Pastor and Family
[03:52] - Introduction to the Gospel of Mark
[04:24] - The Paralytic and His Friends
[05:32] - The Importance of Friendship
[07:56] - Jesus in Capernaum
[09:25] - The Unrepentant City
[11:35] - Knowing Jesus Personally
[12:39] - The Packed House
[13:12] - Paralyzing Times
[15:31] - Faithful Friends and Salvation
[18:33] - Positive Perspectives
[23:23] - Innovation Without Hesitation
[27:17] - Partnering with the Holy Spirit
[31:11] - The Help We All Need

Sermon Clips

The news spread that he was at home, and so many gathered there was no longer any room, not even by the door, and he preached the word to them. Some people came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four of them, and when they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus and then after tearing it out, they lowered the stretch of the paralytic was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." [00:04:36]

On the surface, on the superficial, you would have thought that Kemp was referring to James' immense skill set, his talents, his physique, his wealth, or even his success. But in actuality, that's not what Kemp was referring to at all. When asked about the comparisons between he and LeBron, when Kemp said, "If I had what he had, not only would I have been a champion, but my life would have been drastically different," Kemp was specifically referring to the principle of friendship. [00:06:24]

It just goes to show you, my beloved, that out of all the things that are important and that are essential in this life, that true friendship is priceless and invaluable. According to the word, friendship can make all the difference in the world regarding your miracle, your deliverance, your breakthrough, and especially your miracle in the presence of the Christ. Come on, walk with me through the text. We are already in hour two. The Bible says that Jesus is in a place called Capernaum. [00:07:42]

Scripture teaches us that Capernaum was one of the more primary unrepentant cities during first-century ancient Palestine, and that despite their connectivity to the Christ, they still refuse to turn away from their wicked ways and follow him. In other words, in Capernaum, they were more impressed with his celebrity than they were his salvific significance. They were more impressed with his dynamism than they were his deity. They were more impressed with his popularity than they were his purpose. [00:08:44]

Don't be around the Lord all your life, don't be around his presence all of your life, and don't be, Lord help, in the church for the majority of your life, but yet at the end of the day, you still don't know them, still don't trust in them, still don't be convicted in them, still don't have a relationship with him, and still believe that heaven is yours and that salvation is yours without you having to do anything different, without you having to change, without you having to repent. [00:10:59]

You got to hear this. You got to know him as your savior. You got to know him as your deliverer. You got to know him as your provider and as your messiah. You got to know him as your sustainer. You got to know him for yourself as Lord of Lord and King of Kings. Tell someone near you real quick, you got to know them. Come on, Capernaum is where the Lord is. He's in a place where they admire him, but they won't follow him. [00:12:05]

The Bible says that when the paralytic carried by his four friends arrive at the crib where Jesus was, that they discover that they were yet again on the outside of a divine opportunity. Access to the house was impossible. Admittance to this miracle moment appeared bleak. There was no way in or even near the entry to the house, blocked by obstacles, hindered by hindrances, impeded by improbability, and jammed by what would appear to be jeopardy. [00:19:10]

Apparently, somebody in the group made the suggestion that instead of focusing on the door, that maybe they needed to be looking towards the roof. And it was when they shifted their attention from the door towards the roof, it was when they looked higher that they then discovered a different perspective pertaining to their predicament. In other words, what couldn't be accomplished down there could certainly be accomplished up there. [00:20:28]

It's amazing what a different perspective can provide. It's amazing what a different angle can provide. It's amazing how things look differently and how things can even turn out differently if there's just someone in your circle who is positive enough to get you to see things from another perspective. The Bible said that when they couldn't get inside of the house the regular way, they decided to go higher and they climbed up to the top of the roof. [00:21:24]

Somebody in your friendship circle needs to be positive. Somebody in your group needs to be optimistic. Somebody in the crew needs to see the bigger picture. Somebody on your team needs to be encouraging, and somebody on your team needs to be able to say that despite the reality of the situation, despite the odds, and despite the circumstances, that God is still able. Everybody in your group can't be a complainer. [00:22:02]

You need some friends who won't hesitate to innovate. Okay, it's right there in the fourth verse of the text where it says that when the four friends realized that they were not gonna be able to get them in because of the crowd that was in the way, that they became, I love this, creatively innovative and that they decide here this to remove the section of the roof of the house that was directly over where the Lord was teaching. [00:24:02]

Without any blueprints, without any architectural designs or sketches, without any 3D renderings, without any permits for renovation, demolition, or new construction, the text says that they move without a committee hearing or meeting or motion to be passed. They move to remove the roof. Now, we don't know for sure. Maybe, maybe, we don't know. Maybe, maybe this paralytic had some connections within the tear of his four faithful friends. [00:24:38]

The text does not speak to that. However, at the very least, one would at least like to believe that out of the four friends, that somebody had to have had one of those affirmation qualities because how else do you explain, number one, the innovation to remove the section of the roof directly above where the Lord was teaching, and then number two, the ability to move without any hesitation or reservation to cut a hole in the roof of somebody else's crib. [00:25:30]

They were innovative in that they didn't just put up any old section of the roof as they were creative enough, they were inventive enough, and they were ingenious enough to specifically remove the section that was precisely over where the Lord was teaching. And so again, without any hesitation, they were able to invoke innovation concerning their dear friend's situation. Therefore, in doing so, regardless of what their professions were, regardless of what their connections were. [00:26:06]

At the very least, I like this, these four faithful friends were willing to become roof removers if need be, and according to this biblical formula, that's exactly what you come up with when you sequence the four faithful friends who are more concerned about salvation than status, who are able to provide a positive perspective pertaining to your particular predicament, and who are able to invoke innovation without hesitation regarding your situation. [00:26:48]

When you add all of that up in sequence, what you get is roof removers as a miracle, and therefore when you're paralyzing this life or even when you find yourself paralyzed by this life, you need to have some friends around you who have the ability and the innovation to become roof removers if need be. If there's something blocking you from your blessing, then you need someone in your corner who knows how to partner with the Holy Ghost. [00:27:30]

If there's some obstacle in your path, some impediment in your lane, some hindrance in your way, some barrier in your line of sight that's keeping you from your joy, that's keeping you from your peace, and that's keeping you from your power and your deliverance, if there's something in your way that you can't seem to move around, to get around, or get beyond, then you need some people carrying you who don't mind getting their hands dirty. [00:29:14]

If we're honest with ourselves, many of us are here tonight not because life has always been easy, not because we've never had any struggles or any challenges, or not because there were never any things, moments, or people who seem to get in the way of what God was calling us to. No, we're here tonight because in the midst of his grace and his mercy, God used some people around us. I'll testify by myself. [00:30:20]

God used some people around me who love me enough, who love me enough, who love you enough, who love your life enough, but who love God more to help get some stuff out of your way so that in the midst of your being paralyzed, you would still have a chance to see the Lord. Come on, somebody ought to testify right there. Is there anybody in here who can testify that in your most desperate hour and in your most paralyzed predicament? [00:31:12]

God used some people around you to not only carry you, not only to transport you, but also to remove some roofing for you, to remove some barriers for you, to knock down some walls for you, not only that you might be healed, not only that you might be blessed, not only that you might be made whole, but more importantly, that you might see Jesus. That's why we ought not ever get so beside ourselves. [00:31:58]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?