C. Lacy Thompson
LBM Associate Editor
The gospel of Mark tells the story of the four men who carried their paralytic
friend to Jesus, only to find they could not reach Christ because of the crowd
gathered around him.
The gospel of Mark tells the story of the four men who carried their paralytic
friend to Jesus, only to find they could not reach Christ because of the crowd
gathered around him.
As a remedy, the four men tore up the roof of the house where
the crowd was gathered and lowered their friend down to Jesus, who both forgave
and healed the man in need.
It is a story modern Christians must heed if they hope to reach
lost people, Philip Robertson said in an address at the 2001 Southern Baptist
Pastors Conference in New Orleans.
“I cant take a heart thats broken and make
it over again,” stressed Robertson, pastor at Philadelphia Baptist Church
in Deville and current president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive
Board.
“I cant take a soul thats sin-stained and
wash it white as snow. … But I know a man who can. And his name is Jesus Christ.
And he has the authority to forgive sins.
“And he is the answer.”
Unfortunately, not all lost people are able to see that, Robertson
reminded Pastors Conference participants.
He noted that the gospel account tells how Jesus arrived in
town – and it quickly was heard he was “in the house.”
Not all churches can say the same today, Robertson said. “I
believe the root problem for many churches today is that Jesus is no longer
in the house. … My prayer for my church is that the word, the rumor, the talk
around will be, Hey, guess who showed up at the church house. Jesus is
there. ”
The Bible says as soon as it was learned Jesus was in the house,
people flocked there until there was no more room, Robertson pointed out. “I
believe this is one of the keys for church growth. If we want to see our churches
grow and we want to see God work in our churches and in the lives of our churches,
the thing we need to do is get Jesus in the house.”
Then, people will come, Robertson said. “When Jesus is
in the house, people are going to come. … When the power of God and the glory
of God shows up on the scene and in the life of our churches and the life of
God is there and Jesus is in the house, then people are going to come.”
It is not just preaching and presentation and programs, Robertson
stressed.
“Without Jesus in the house and the power and presence
of the Lord Jesus Christ in our churches, we are powerless.”
The Bible account also notes that Jesus “preached the
Word” to the people who gathered, Robertson pointed out.
He preached the truth boldly, the Louisiana Baptist pastor
said, noting that some say preachers cannot do that today because people will
be turned off and not respond.
“(But) Jesus never compromised the preaching of the Word
of God. … Jesus was not a namby, pamby preacher.”
Indeed, Jesus preached on the hard subjects – and people
came because they were hungry and thirsty for truth, Robertson said. “I
dont ever want to compromise the preaching of the truth of the Word of
God simply for the sake of drawing a crowd. I believe you can preach the Word,
and if Jesus is in the house, the people will come.”
However, many will come only if someone goes out in the authority
of the Word of God and helps bring them to Jesus, Robertson continued. And the
story of the four men with a paralytic friend offers three insights into that
task, he noted.
To begin with, note that the men actually brought their friend
to Jesus, he said. “When was the last time you brought someone to Jesus?”
Robertson asked.
Sinners are “helpless and hopeless” and dependent
on someone to help bring them to Jesus, Robertson said. Thus, God is looking
for soul seekers, who will go out and help bring people in need to Jesus, he
noted.
“Thats the way it ought to be in our churches. Our
people ought to be about the business of bringing people to Jesus.”
In addition to bringing their friend, the four men also broke
through all obstacles to get him to Jesus, Robertson noted. “What is it
in our churches that is keeping people from getting to Jesus? … Whatever it
is in our churches that is keeping people from Jesus, weve got to break
it up. Weve got to tear it down. Weve got to disassemble it. Weve
got to do whatever we have to do to make a way, to clear a path, so that people
can bring lost people and get them to Jesus.”
Two things are keeping folks from Jesus, Robertson said.
One is hypocrites, he said. “Because people arent
what they ought to be and are living hypocritical lives, theyre keeping
people from coming to Jesus.”
A second obstacle is deadness in churches, Robertson asserted.
“When our people do bring … their lost friends to … the house of God,
… what are they going to see?” he asked. “Are they going to see
the life of God?”
Too often, the answer is no, Robertson continued. “Our
churches are dead, and theres no life of God there. … People come to
our churches, desperate, hurting, looking for some life and all they
find is deadness, …” he warned.
“They ought to be able to see that there are some answers,
and there is some hope. I believe deadness in our churches are keeping people
from Jesus – and like these four men, we ought to break it up.”
However, the four men not only brought their friend and broke
through barriers, but they also believed that Jesus could make a difference
in his life, Robertson noted.
“I dont believe there is such a thing as a hopeless
case for God. … God is in the miracle-working business, …” he said.
“Dont give up, folks. Dont lose faith. Bring
them to Jesus. Break through whatever you have to to get them there. And then,
believe that Jesus is the answer and that he can change their lives. …
“My prayer … is that Jesus would be in the house, that
the power and presence of God would move in such a powerful way that people
will be bringing lost people to Jesus, and miracles will be happening, and people
will be getting right with God,” Robertson concluded.
“And all those around them would say, Weve
never seen anything like this.
“May God help it to be so in your church and in my church and in the life
of our convention.”