Don't Invite People to Church; Have Faith and Bring Your Neighbor to Church

Do you remember the story in the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 2, of Jesus healing a person with paralysis? Four friends carry him on his cot to be healed by Jesus.

The definition of paralysis is "the inability to move." Every person sometimes suffers guilt and shame that can lead to inaction and losing faith in themselves. However, as in the story, we all need four friends who have faith in Jesus and faith that we are worth healing. Friends who are willing to walk with us and remind us of Jesus' love and forgiveness so we can pick up our cot and walk.

There are three lessons we can learn from this passage. First, the person with paralysis and unable to move has four true friends. When many have given up and left him, they have stayed faithful. They are willing to carry him and help him find a way to Jesus. If we want to help people, we need to have faith and believe they are a child of God and deserve God's grace and love. Many people today see no potential in themselves. They have lost hope and think they will be forever stuck right where they are. Sometimes we all need friends to help us see our value and worth.

Second, the person with paralysis was unable to move and needed the help of four friends to come to see Jesus. We don't know how many times they had tried to help him. We only know that they never gave up and were willing to carry him to someone who could help. Fortunately, they brought him to Jesus, realizing he could not go on his own emotionally and physically. We can help people take the first step when we offer to walk with our brother or sister into worship, Sunday school, Bible study, prayer group, or another church event.

Third, the paralytic's four friends believed that Jesus would heal and forgive him. They had so much faith that we were willing to rip the roof off the house to enable the paralytic to see Jesus. I know that Jesus forgives. I have experienced the joy of being forgiven and the freedom it brings to my life. I trust many of you reading this blog have also experienced the joy of forgiveness. Because of our trust and faith in Jesus, we believe Jesus will heal and forgive those who experience guilt and shame.

I have witnessed the power of small membership church members reaching out and helping others discover God's forgiveness and love.

I also know many in our communities need small membership church members to walk beside them and help them discover their value and worth.

May we take time to know our neighbors and be those who walk with them, have faith in them, and believe in Jesus' grace for them.

Yes, instead of inviting people to church, ask them to come to church with you (you'll pick them up) and go out to dinner with you after worship.