BE A ROOF RAISER

Mark 2:1-12 "And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 [a]Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speaks blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has [b]power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!

WOW!

Do we care about our friends and family like that? Do we possess a CONVICTION in our hearts to get our friends all the way to Jesus? PARALYTIC PERRY (as I like to call him) Has incredible friends. They possess characteristics we should strive to possess:

1. THEY POSSESSED A CONVICTION THAT WENT BEYOND PERSONAL COMFORT.

Do we want to be comfortable or happy? If you choose the comfort you will divorce yourself from happiness! Always choose fulfillment over personal comfort. Do not expect to get your friends to Jesus easily. Remember, Comfort it the cancer of Christianity and it will rot you from the inside out!

Comfort it the cancer of Christianity

2. THEY POSSESSED A CONVICTION THAT PRODUCED A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION.

If they wouldn't have cooperated, he would have rolled right off the roof. it took time, patience, and care! CARE ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS THIS WAY! Religion discards the theological implications of people ripping off the roof. Paralytic Perry is carried by his friends Gary, Larry, and Jerry ALL THE WAY to the place where Jesus was having a huge meeting. People were gathered around the doors and looking in all the windows and there was no room for them to enter... so they got on the roof and hoisted their friend up... they started ripping the roof apart making a huge hole, and they lowered their friend to Jesus! INTENTION... CARE... EFFORT...

3. THEY POSSESSED A CONVICTION THAT GOT THEM PASSED THE POINT OF CRITICISM.

Go beyond the wants of your friends to the real NEED! Religious folks will criticize you for this. Roof-raising faith will always attract the criticism of the crowd. Get the character and the conviction to handle the criticism of the crowd! If you're living a double life admit to somebody, then repent to God or you'll drop the stretcher in this tough moment of caring for your friends.
You will never be a leader unless you are willing to be misunderstood!

Be willing to be misunderstood. Be willing to be criticized and laughed at for your "different" way of doing things... the end result is BEING MADE WHOLE!

Roof-raising faith will always attract the criticism of the crowd

4. THEY POSSESSED A CONVICTION TO GET THEIR FRIEND ALL THE WAY

All the way to church... all the way into the building... all the way to healing... all the way to JESUS!
Get the anointing to stop Jesus right in the middle of what He is doing... because He sees your faith to reach your friends! It wasn't just about getting into a building, it was about getting to Christ! It's not always the touch of God on you, it's the touch of you on God!
Jesus was blown away by their action. Jesus accounted what they did for their friend as FAITH! He said to them after ripping the roof off and lowering their friend... "your faith has made him WHOLE"