Introduction: Have you ever wondered what is the best way to bring
people to Jesus? Should we go door to door? Talk to people when they
are trapped next to us in an airplane? Pass out flyers? Stand on the
street corner and proclaim the message? Let’s jump into our lesson
and examine some stories of people being brought to Jesus!
- The Roof Rippers
- Read Mark 2:1-2. Is Jesus tackling people in the street
to listen to His message? Is He trapping people in a house
to listen to Him? How many people were there to listen to
Jesus? (They did not have even standing room – even the
places outside the door were taken! Jesus had a crowd.) - Did the people come to Jesus’ “home?” What does this
suggest about the need to tackle people in public?
(It suggests that if you have a worthwhile ministry,
people will come to you!) - Read Mark 2:3-4. Here is an example of bringing a person
to Jesus. Assume you are one of the friends who wants to
bring this paralyzed guy to Jesus. What obstacles do you
have to overcome? (Lots! First, this guy cannot get to
Jesus on his own. You cannot bring him by yourself, so you
have to work with others. Second, when you get there, the
crowd is so big you cannot approach. Third, you have to
break into the property of someone else to get Jesus’
attention! Last, you have to lower the fellow down to
Jesus.) - Do you think these friends had to fix the roof later?
- How many of you have been willing to
do so much to
bring someone to Jesus? I assume some of you have
been willing to drive someone to church. Would you
have you been willing to drive someone if it took
three other people to help? What if it involved house
repairs? - What would you do if you brought a friend to
church and it was full and you had no place to
sit? - What lesson do we learn about
witnessing from
this story so far? Is it just passing out tracts
or flyers and running away? (No! This is an
example of extreme, determined, personal
involvement! Tackling people in public is by
nature impersonal.) - Read Mark 2:5. Whose faith did Jesus see? (Every
translation I consulted renders this as plural: “their
faith.” The friends who brought this paralyzed guy showed
their faith in going this far to bring him to Jesus.) - If you were one of the guys who brought the paralyzed
guy, would you be discouraged at this point? Did they
bring this fellow to be forgiven of his sins? - Couldn’t they get his sins forgiven down by the
temple where the crowd was limited? - Read Mark 2:6-9. Are the teachers of the law right?
- Do you agree with the logic of the argument that
Jesus’ made to these teachers? (The teachers of the
law were exactly correct in thinking only God can
forgive sins. Jesus was also correct in saying “talk
is cheap.” As an aside to this exchange between Jesus
and the teachers: If you do not believe that Jesus is
fully God, you are not paying close attention when
you read the Bible!) - Read Mark 2:10-12. Do you agree with Jesus’ logic here? If
you heal, are you God? If you heal, do you have power to
forgive sins? - Let me just spin your mental wheels a moment. Does
Jesus’ statement in Matthew 16:19 fit in with Jesus’
suggestion in Mark that if God gives you the power to
heal, He can also give you the power to forgive?
(This story and Matthew 16:19 challenge my
traditional thinking. Let’s consider carefully the
logic of this story. The teachers of the law believed
that only God could forgive sins. Jesus did not
dispute that conclusion. Instead, He argued that
proof that He was God was found in His ability to
heal. I agree this is some proof, but it would not be
conclusive proof for me. However, Jesus did not say
this was conclusive proof.) - Let’s turn next to another story in Mark.
- Our Power to Heal
- Read Mark 9:17-18. We are going take this story out of
order for a little bit. Tell me why this man says that he
“brought [Jesus] my son” when he brought the son to some
of Jesus’ disciples? (Apparently, the father believed, or
the disciples claimed, that they were Jesus’ agents.) - Is there any lesson in this in bringing people to
Christ? (We need to make clear that we are not God!
Further, we need to be careful about claiming to
speak for Him. It is better to direct the people to
God and what He has written.) - Now, let’s start at the beginning of this story. Read Mark
9:14-16. Let me ask you the same question Jesus asked,
what do you think they were arguing about? (It obviously
had something to do with the boy not being healed.
However, I do not think that was something to argue about
because he obviously was not healed. Instead, I think they
were arguing about their authority to heal or their
authority to speak on behalf of Jesus. They were not able
to heal, but they maintained that they could.)
- Read Mark 9:17-19. Who is the unbelieving generation?
What if I am right that the disciples were arguing about
their ability to heal? Is Jesus saying that the disciples
lacked belief? (They argued they had the “right stuff,”
but it turns out they did not. Note that if the disciples
were arguing with the teachers about the power of Jesus,
then Jesus might be addressing this comment to the
teachers of the law.) - Let’s jump ahead again to better follow
this line of the
story. Read Mark 9:28-29. Why didn’t Jesus say “this kind
can only come out by faith” – since He had just referred
to an “unbelieving” generation? - As you are trying to bring someone to Christ, is
“roof ripping” the only necessary ingredient? That
is, our first story taught us the necessity of
diligent effort. This story teaches us something
else. What is it? (That we need to earnestly ask in
prayer for God’s power. We are co-laborers with Him.
Prayer is the link to heaven.) - Let’s go back now. Read Mark 9:20-23. Why do you think the
spirit threw the boy into a convulsion when he saw Jesus?
(It seems this was some sort of challenge to Jesus. Sort
of a rebel’s “brave face.”) - This is an example of another person brought to
Jesus. What can this convulsion teach us about
problems in bringing an unbeliever to Christ? (Satan
and his evil angels will resist. Sometimes the person
who is interested in Christ will, perhaps, seem
hostile at times because of the resistance of evil.) - There is a big theological question
lurking in these
verses. How is it that a child can be demon-possessed? The law has
something known as the “age of
accountability” and Christians generally subscribe to
the idea that a child has to reach a certain age
before he can knowingly accept or reject salvation.
Can you be demon-possessed before this age? (This
specific Greek word is only used once in the New
Testament. However, the word from which it is derived
can refer to a “mature child.”) - Although the Bible clearly ascribes
this child’s
condition to an evil “spirit,” many would suggest
that this speechless (v.17) child has a medical
condition which results in these seizures (v.18).
Does Jesus’ question in v.21 sound more like a
medical question or a theological question? (I am not
one who rejects the plain statement of the Bible to
superimpose my “superior” wisdom about modern medical
diagnosis. However, it surely sounds like Jesus is
asking a medical question. What difference would the
length of the condition make if the cure is casting
out the evil spirit?) - Look at v. 22. What is wrong with the
father’s
request? (He suggests that Jesus is like His
disciples — He might not be able to help.) - Is that attitude a problem? (Yes!)
- If you pray and your prayer request is not granted,
is it because you lacked faith? (This story clearly
teaches that a lack of faith, a lack of prayer, could
be the reason. However, our lesson (Wednesday) has a
brilliant comment that notes Jesus said (v.23) all
things are “possible,” not all things are
“guaranteed.” Jesus asks us to believe that are
prayer requests are possible.) - Read Mark 9:24-27. Is there anything that you particularly
like about the Father’s statement in verse 24? (I like
that he asks Jesus for help even in the fact of believing.
This is total dependence on God.) - Why was the spirit allowed to abuse the boy even
after Jesus was on the scene? (This is another lesson
in personal witnessing. Jesus is the victor over sin
and will ultimately eliminate it, but the battle
still rages between good and evil here on earth.
Those who are coming to God should not be surprised
when Satan gives them a few last kicks as he leaves.) - Friend, bringing someone to Jesus can be hard work. It
requires not only a personal touch, but it requires faith
and a serious prayer effort. Are you up to the task? If
not, ask Jesus to help you. - Next Week: Powerful Pray-ers
