They Sought Means - 8/30/26 - Meadows Baptist Church Missions Conference - Bro. Gary Crisp

Welcome to [music] the podcast of

Meadows Baptist Church of Walnut Cove,

North Carolina. We're so glad [music]

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friends. Now, let's join Pastor [music]

Charlie Branch with a word from God.

Glad I can say it's well with my soul

this morning. Amen.

And I trust it is with yours as well.

>> If it's not be good news it can be

before the day is over. Amen.

Take your Bibles this morning. Let's go

to the book of Luke.

Luke chapter number five this morning.

Luke chapter number five. Trust that you

have been praying and ask you that you

continue to pray for the services. Pray

for us. Pray for the Lord's will to be

done. And I truly am honored and excited

about what the Lord has in store for us

these few days. It'll go by real quick.

I promise you that. And uh I ask you if

you will this morning to prove me wrong.

It seems like that um especially in this

day and time that we're living in, the

least attended meetings that we'll have

as a church is usually a missions

meeting.

Whatever the reason might be, I'm not

real sure. I think a lot of people have

a mindset that it's going to be all

about money.

>> And I I will say this, it's not going to

be all about money.

>> If that's your perception of missions,

you've got the wrong perception.

>> It really it really is all about souls

is what it's all about.

>> And that that's really what the church

ought to be interested in is souls.

>> And so it's not going to be all about

money. Uh, but I'd ask you to prove me

wrong and um, show me this week that

this church ain't going to be like all

the other churches that uh, this this

meeting be well attended. Amen. That'd

be a blessing. And I I believe that it

will be. But uh, you pray for us and

pray the Lord's will be done. And ask

him specifically to speak to your heart

these days about what your job is,

what's your role in reaching the world

with the gospel. Say, "Well, preacher, I

I'm not a missionary. I'm not even a

preacher. I I don't even teach Sunday

school. You mean I've got a job. I have

a role in reaching the world with the

gospel. Sure you do.

>> If you're part of the New Testament

church, you have a responsibility just

like the missionary has a responsibility

to reach the world with the gospel. And

so pray these days and find out, ask the

Lord, what's my position? What's my role

in reaching the world with the gospel?

And if you'll ask him that, he'll show

you.

>> He'll tell you. I want to be involved in

it, don't you?

>> Yes.

>> And so, uh, ask the Lord what he'd have

you to do in the area of missions. And I

promise you, he'll reveal to you. He'll

speak to you these days. Amen. Luke

chapter number five. And, uh, we, Jenny

and I were talking on the way over to

church this morning. It It's hard to

believe that Miss Abby is now a pastor's

wife. and um got these beautiful babies

and u being used of the Lord like she is

and and um just it just reminded Jeannie

and I we getting old and so u it seems

like just a few days ago Jeannie was

teaching her in kindergarten

and we had a Christian school so we

didn't have a whole lot of staff and so

Jenny was her kindergarten teacher, her

first grade teacher, her second grade

teacher and stayed stayed with her for

quite some time and thank the Lord for

the good memories and and so thankful

how God has used Miss Abby and now

brother Charlie might mildly for the

Lord. Y'all got a good pastor. I hope

you know that.

>> Amen. And I trust that you're behind him

110%

and that you pray for him on a regular

basis. And a lot of churches are looking

for a pastor this morning. And I'll be

honest with you, there's not many out

there uh to look for. And so God's been

good to you and give you a good pastor.

Does he do everything exactly like you'd

like him to? Probably not.

And do you agree with everything that he

might say and or do? Good chance. Maybe

not. But he's your man of God. That's

right.

>> And the scripture said, the Lord said, I

will give you pastors according to mine

heart. And God has given you a pastor

from his heart

>> uh to be the leader of this flock. And

you, your family, and your children need

him.

>> Amen.

>> In this day and hour like you've never

needed them before. You say, "Preacher,

uh, this church really needs me." I

don't know about that, but I will say

this. you really need this church

>> and you need this pastor. And so, um,

I'm excited that he's here and doing

great things for God. Hadn't forgot your

grace gracefulness a year ago when we

had the mission school here. Y'all was

such a great host and we appreciate

that. Amen. It's 25 till 12. I'll quit

rambling and um, we'll give you a

thought this morning and we'll see what

the Lord does. Amen. Luke chapter number

five. Find verse number 17 with me. Luke

chapter number five. And we'll begin

reading in verse number 17. The Bible

said, "It came to pass on a certain day

as he was teaching

that there were Pharisees and doctors of

the law sitting by which were come out

of every town of Galilee and Judea and

Jerusalem.

And the power of the Lord was present to

heal them. And behold, men brought in a

bed a man which was taken with a pausy.

They sought means to bring him in and to

lay him before him. And when they could

not find by what way they might bring

him in because of the multitude,

they went upon the housetop and led him

down through the tiling which is with

his couch into the midst before Jesus.

And when he saw their faith, he said

unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven

thee. The scribes and Pharisees began to

reason, saying, "Who is this which

speaketh blasphemies?

Who can forgive sins but God alone?" But

when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he

answered and said unto them, "What

reason ye in your hearts?" Whether is

easier to say, "Thy sins be forgiven

thee," or to say, "Rise up and walk."

But that ye may know that the Son of Man

hath power upon earth to forgive sins.

And he said to the sick of the Pauly, I

say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy

couch, and go into thine house. And

immediately he rose up before them, and

took up that that whereon he lay, and

departed to his own house, glorifying

God.

They were all amazed and they glorified

God and were filled with fear saying,

"We have seen strange things today."

Let's pray. Father, we're truly grateful

for this privilege you've given us to

come this way this morning. I'm asking

you, Lord, for help and for leadership

and guidance throughout not only this

morning's service, but Lord, for the

rest of this meeting. Please help us,

Lord. And God, do in our hearts, do in

our midst what only God can do.

Please speak and touch every heart that

that is here and that will come. And

Lord, bless this church mightily. Lord,

bless this dear pastor and his family.

[snorts]

Stir our hearts, Lord, in ways that

you've not stirred maybe in many years.

Lord, I ask you if we stand here this

morning that you'd touch us for freshes

and give us liberty to preach. Whatever

you do, we'll try our very best to thank

you for it. And Lord, we'll praise you,

give you every bit of the glory, Lord,

for it's in Jesus precious name that we

pray. And amen.

Bible tells us that it came to pass on a

certain day that Jesus was in a place

and he's teaching.

Scripture also tells us that the power

of the Lord was present to heal them.

It also mentions that the Pharisees and

the doctors of the law were sitting by.

They've come out of every town and

village from Galilee, Judea, and even

Jerusalem. If you know anything about

the area, it's a good distance from

Jerusalem to Galilee. And so people has

literally come from everywhere

to see to hear Christ as he is teaching.

Now many of them are there probably for

the wrong reasons but yet they are

there. They've gathered together.

And through this text and Matthew and

Mark's account, we'll know that they're

they're in a house. He's in some sort of

a dwelling place as he is teaching. The

crowds have came and they're standing in

the windows and the doorways and

everywhere listening to Christ. And

obviously he is he's healing some.

I don't know how long he is there and

how well it got announced that he was

going to be there, but there was some in

the community knew of a person that had

a great need for Christ.

Probably more than acquaintance. It's

probably a friend of theirs that has

taken the pausy took with a pausy. Pauly

is a paralysis.

This man is bedridden. He's has no

ability within himself to get up and go

to Jesus himself.

And so they there are these friends of

his then that have heard that Christ is

close by.

They no doubt have heard the

possibilities that what Christ could do

and what he might could do for this

friend of theirs with a pausy. So they

get together

and they go to get him and take him to

Jesus.

There's a statement made in the text

here in Luke chapter number five that I

really want you to focus on for a few

minutes this morning as I try to share

my heart with you. It's in verse number

18. The Bible said, "Behold, men brought

in a bed, a man which was taken with a

pausy." And notice this next phrase,

"and they sought means [snorts]

to bring him in." What does that mean?

They they looked

they sought a way that they might get

him to Christ.

With that in mind, let me show you a few

things about the text. First of all, we

see that there is an individual. There

is somebody

that is helpless

and hopeless.

>> This is literally the some facts about

the fallen. We have people maybe even in

our area that is helpless

>> and hopeless.

>> This gentleman because of the pausy that

he has, he cannot do anything from for

himself. I'm not sure if it's just from

the waist down or from the chest down or

from the neck down. I'm not real sure,

but he has a pausy and he's unable to go

himself to get to Jesus. So, somebody

somebody tries to get him to Jesus. I do

understand Jesus could have went to him,

but instead of waiting for the

possibility of Jesus coming to him, they

go get him and take him to Jesus.

>> Several years ago, I don't want to get

too caught up in stories. I don't have

time this morning, but in the 1700s,

there was not much missions efforts

taking place at all. According to

history, there's really not much. I'm

talking about even from the days of the

scripture until the 1700s, very little

history is recorded about any missions

efforts. We are sure that somebody's

telling somebody about Jesus because it

continued and it survived until the

1700s.

>> Thank God somebody was telling somebody.

>> The story kept kept God preserved it.

We'll say it that way. But in the 1700s,

there was a popular opinion throughout

churches

that it was God's responsibility

alone to save the lost.

There was a young man that had been

called to preach. His name, you've

probably heard it before, his name was

William Kerry. He was called to preach.

He was a brilliant young man. He was a

student of the scripture and he prayed

and he prayed and he prayed and he said

this. He said, "The more I read my Bible

and the more I pray, the more I'm

convinced that it's the church's

responsibility

to take the gospel to the heathen."

Well, that was a very unpopular opinion

in the 1700s.

And in those days, he was a he was from

England. And in those days

there was a preachers fellowship. They

called it something different, but it

was a preachers fellowship where some

preachers would get together and they

they'd uh discuss topics and things of

that nature. And so William Kerry became

associated with some of those preachers

and they invited him to one of their

meetings. And so he came to the meeting,

met the gentleman there at the preachers

fellowship and they had a pretty good

time together. And the oldest guy, he

was kindly moderating things. He said,

"We have a young man amongst us this

morning." He said, "I I think for the

next meeting that this young man,

Brother Carrie, would be the one that

would give us the topic of discussion

for our next meeting."

Brother Carrie automatically knew what

he wanted to discuss. something God

really burdened his heart that it was a

church's job to take the gospel to the

heathen or get the heathen to Christ.

So the next meeting comes and William

Kerry studied and prepared and he's

ready to introduce the topic of it's

going to be missions. They just didn't

know it at the time. But he said, "I

prayed and I've studied and the more I

pray and the more I study," he said,

"the more I believe it's our

responsibility to take the gospel to the

heathen."

The older preacher that moderated the

things, he he spoke up quickly and he

said, "What we have here is a prime

example of youth and enthusiasm without

knowledge." He said, "If it's God's will

that he save the heathen, God can save

the heathen without us."

shot him down real quickly. He did not

let that deter him. He was convinced

through prayer and the word of God that

it was our responsibility.

>> It's our job to get the gospel to the

heathen and the heathen to Christ.

I'm glad that they could have waited for

Jesus to go to him, but instead of

waiting on that, they went and got him

and took him to Jesus. How many of you

believe it might have been the fact that

Jesus never made it to where this man

with a pausy was?

>> So, they go to him and they get him and

take him to Christ. He's helpless and

he's hopeless. Let me say something

about this this gentleman. I I I don't

know a name. Wish we had a name to call

him. He's just a man with a pausy. I I

guess for name's sake, we'll call him

old Joe this morning. Here's old Joe.

He's laying here in a bed. He's

helpless. He's hopeless. But I'll say

this about Joe. Life hadn't been too

kind to him, but at least he's got some

friends.

>> He's got somebody that cares about him.

>> That's a blessing right there. It

probably, brother Charlie started with

one. I just can't help but believe it's

Mark tells us in the the account of this

event that he was born of four. That

means he was carried by four. And so,

uh, there's four guys that get together

and go gets him, but it probably the

burden probably or the thought probably

started with one of them. Don't you

guess? And somebody that cared about old

Joe laying over there in the bed

helpless and hopeless. And not only did

he care about Joe, he knew about Jesus.

>> Amen.

>> He knew here here's an opportunity.

Jesus ain't too far away. Don't know how

long he's going to be here. Don't know

how long the window will be open. And

oh, Joe over there really needs a Lord.

And if he could have done it by himself,

I'd say this guy would have went and got

Joe by himself and drug him over there

to Jesus.

It's going to be hard to do it by

himself. So probably what he did,

Brother Charlie, he probably said, "I

I'm going to recruit me some help.

I can't carry him by myself." And so he

probably went to one and said, I don't

know if you've heard or not, but Jesus

is over here and and if you know

anything about Jesus, he's able to heal.

>> He probably even believed he's son of

God. I'm not real sure about that, but

he knew this, he could heal.

>> He said, "No, Joe, over here with a

policy. I'd love to get him to Jesus and

see what Jesus could do for him."

>> I can't get him there by myself. Would

you help me? Well, this obviously one of

them said, "I'll I'll help you."

And then he ends up getting two more

alongside and he's got four friends now

that's willing to put forth a little

effort and go pick up old Joe and try to

carry him to Jesus. He's blessed, didn't

he? Have somebody care about him like

that?

>> I want to ask you, you reckon you had

anybody in your life? I'm hoping you're

saved this morning. You've been to

Jesus.

>> Amen. And there's a good chance if

you're sitting here on a Baptist church

pew on a Sunday morning saved by the

grace of God, you probably had somebody

back through yonder in the days gone by

that cared about you.

>> It might just been mom and daddy that

drug you house of God. It might have

been a mama or papa or somebody like

that. Maybe it's just a older lady that

taught Sunday school like like Sister

Gibbs or SOME SOMETHING. I DON'T

Somebody cared about you. Amen. It might

have been that you was incarcerated and

had somebody came by your jail cell,

>> told you about Jesus. I don't know, but

somebody cared. This guy had somebody

that cared.

Four friends, we see we see the facts

about the fallen. We just see the favor

of some friends. Then think with this

with me, the fellowship of the four.

They get together and they got one.

Talking about that purpose this morning.

Sunday just go. They've got a purpose.

What's our purpose? We're going to get

Joe to Jesus.

>> We can't heal him,

but we know somebody that can.

>> And we're going to do everything we can

to get him to the one that can help him.

Okay. They said, "Well, when we going?

Sooner the better. I don't know how long

Jesus going to be there. Let's just go

now." So, they get together and they

they go to get old Joe. Amen. Four of

them. I don't know how it might have

played out. They knock on his door.

Probably had a caretaker there. Don't

you guess? Somebody trying to take care

of him. Told him why he's here. I don't

know if Joe was excited or he may have

not heard about Jesus. He may not have

believed that Jesus could heal. He might

have been one of them like some of you

were. Well, I I've heard that he could

do it for others, but he probably

wouldn't do it for me.

>> I've heard that before, too, hadn't you?

I don't know what Joe's attitude was,

but these four friends, one gets on one

corner, one gets on the other corner,

the other two get on the other two

corners, and they pick him up.

[clears throat]

>> His couch or his bed, called two or

three different things in two or three

different places. But they begin to

carry him to Jesus. Y'all with me?

>> Not real sure how far they got to carry.

There's a burden involved in this. They

got to carry their load. Might have been

one stronger than the other, but four

together was able to do the job.

>> They put him on their shoulder and

they're carrying. They carry a Joe. At

least one in that crowd's pretty

excited. He's the one that might have

initiated this thing. He said, "Joe,

boy, I can't wait for you to see Jesus.

I I can I can already see it. I can see

you walking away from after when he gets

through with you."

They probably a couple of doubters in

the crowd, but regardless, they're

carrying old Joe to Jesus.

I don't know how far they carry him, but

they come around the corner

and the house is just right there where

the Lord is. They come around the corner

and they see a crowd has gathered. the

multitude. The the scripture says in one

place the press

>> and there's a crowd there and they get

there and they they they head toward the

door. Now I'm just thinking now a little

bit of this speculation so bear with me

but common sense would say don't you

guess they tried to get through the

door. Excuse me. Pardon us. We got

somebody really that needs the Lord.

Would you let us in? Nobody's moving.

Nobody's moving.

Four of these men get together with the

same purpose. They work as partners.

Amen. And and here they are with a plan.

Here they are trying to do what needs to

be done and they run into a problem. So

we see now the frustrations that they

face. They get there and they can't get

him into Jesus.

Now

here's what I really want you to think

about this.

They have tried, have they not?

>> Yeah.

>> They've done more than anybody else have

done for Joe.

>> They've really put forth a great effort.

And may we applaud them on their effort.

>> Well, they've done they tried.

I can almost imagine for at least one or

two of them, they might have said,

"Well, Joe, man, we tried."

>> Yeah,

>> we tried.

I guess we'll have to take him back to

the house and maybe there'll be another

opportunity.

Maybe there'll be another day. Maybe we

can get Jesus to go to Joe's house. I

don't know. But we we tried. We tried.

And they could have easily turned around

and took him back home because they

couldn't get through the press.

>> Right.

>> That's what a lot of us would have done

>> if we'd done anything.

>> Yeah.

>> Tell it, preacher. Tell it. That's a big

if.

>> Yeah.

>> If we done anything, we could have

patted oursel on the shoulder. Boy, we

put forth a good effort today, didn't

we? We really tried to get old Joe to

Jesus. Feel good about Lord. Did you see

what we did? We carried him a half a

mile.

Surely there'll be a reward for that.

They could have felt real good about

themselves and took old Joe back to the

house. But Joe would have still been in

the bed. He'd still been with a pausy.

He'd still been in the same shape,

helpless and hopeless

>> even though they tried. Again, I commend

their effort. Thankful they tried. And

some of you been trying to get somebody

to Jesus. Let me commend your effort.

Have you passed out any gospel tracks

lately?

If you have, I appreciate that. You're

doing something. That's more than some's

doing. Some ain't doing nothing.

>> Amen.

Maybe maybe you're here. Maybe you've

not passed out any tracks, but you said,

"Preacher, I've been praying for the

lost." Well, I appreciate that. Uh, I

covet prayers and and if if you're like

me, you believe prayer works.

>> Amen.

>> Amen. I appreciate you praying.

>> We can commend you for that and applaud

your efforts for taking some time and

praying.

>> But I'm glad they some every now and

then ain't satisfied with just saying a

prayer.

>> Amen.

I'm glad there's some that ain't just

going to stop and just say, "I've handed

out a gospel track."

>> Preacher.

>> Amen.

>> The statement that I mentioned in the

beginning, they sought means [snorts]

they wasn't satisfied with just an

unsuccessful effort.

>> Yeah.

>> I'm going to be honest, some of you in

here this morning, I I even heard a

prayer request this morning about

praying for my lost loved ones.

Hey, some of you been praying for a

while for somebody lost.

>> I appreciate Don't stop praying.

>> Prayer does work. It really does. But

don't be satisfied just praying.

That's a big effort now. Well, I Sunday

morning I requested prayer for my lost

family. That's wonderful. Let's do a

little more than that.

>> Amen. Let's let's seek means

maybe maybe you've been inviting them to

church and you've invited them time and

time again and it's been unsuccessful.

They just don't want nothing to do with

it. I appreciate you inviting them.

Maybe you've been persistent. You've

been inviting them, inviting them and

inviting them. It's just not working. I

appreciate that. Let's don't quit yet.

Let's don't give up. Let's don't be

satisfied. Say, "Well, I've been

inviting them." We can feel pretty good

about oursel. We invited some people to

church this week. That's wonderful.

That's wonderful. Now, it's not worked

yet, though. They still lost. Is that

not right?

>> They still lost. Well,

>> may maybe pass out a go hand them a

gospel trap. Maybe maybe take them a CD

of one of the church services where

brother Charlie was used mightily of the

Lord to preach a salvation message. Take

them. Wonderful. I appreciate that. But

are they saved yet?

>> If they still not saved, let's keep

looking for another way.

>> Amen.

>> I can see a couple of them's ready to

take Joe back home, but one of them

said, "Now, wait a minute, fellas. I'm

not satisfied yet. He He's still in the

bed.

>> Yeah,

>> he's still helpless. Matter of fact,

right now, he's still hopeless. Even

though we've carried him here,

we ain't got him Jesus yet." What are

you going to do? I don't know. Let me

think about it. I'm going to look for a

way salt means.

>> Yeah,

>> I can see them lay the bed down. Lay the

couch down. Joe might have said

something like this. I appreciate the

effort, fellers, but just take me back

home. That one said, "Not yet.

>> Not yet." What are you going to do?

Don't you guess he walked around the

house?

>> Probably see if there's a back door.

Let's see if there's a window we can get

through.

>> Amen. I mean, listen. Boy, he's taking

it a little far, don't you think?

>> Tell it, preacher.

>> What's he doing now? What? Look, he he

going up on the roof. What What in the

world's he I don't know if there was a

ladder. I don't know if there's steps.

It could have been steps that led up to

the roof. I understand that, but I'm not

real sure. But he's going up on the

roof. Watch him. What's he doing? He's

seeking means.

He trying to find a way. Amen. He gets

up there on the roof. Watch this. He's

up there doing something like this.

Now, what's he doing? I can I can hear

him say something like this. Fella, come

up here and help me a minute. What are

you doing? I'm going to tear the roof

apart.

Oh, don't you reckon that upset

somebody?

We can't do that. I mean, listen, that's

going to cost something.

>> Yeah. Amen.

>> Yeah.

>> He's ignoring what they're saying, but

they're saying, "Listen, somebody going

to have to build this back. Somebody's

going to have to pay for it."

>> They don't care. He reaching in. The

Bible said in Mark's account that they

broke it up.

>> Yes.

>> Here in Luke's account said they they

removed the tiling. I like what Mark

said. They broke it.

>> Amen. He he gets down there and he

starts tearing a roof apart and somebody

man, somebody going to have to pay for

this. Don't you know this going to be

expensive? Don't you know this going to

cost something? Y'all with me?

>> Well, it may cost something. But for

that one down on his knees tearing that

roof apart, oh, Joe's worth it.

>> Amen.

>> Amen. Oh, I want you to get a hold of

that. Oh, Joe's worth it. He's worth the

expense. He's worth the effort. He's

worth everything that we can do. JESUS

IS RIGHT THERE. AND ALL WE GOT TO DO IS

FIND A WAY TO get him to him.

>> Oh my. Let me say about at least for one

of them. Maybe all four of them said

they. So it may have been all four of

them together down on all fours tearing

that roof apart. But they really cared

about Joe. Don't you guess? Yes,

>> they really There's no doubt in my mind

that these four guys cared about him.

You got some lost family.

>> I got to ask you this, and please don't

get mad at me. I think it's something we

ought to look at. Do we really care

about them?

>> Do we really Well, preacher, didn't you

hear me ask prayer? I appreciate that.

And it's obvious you do care, but how

much do you care?

>> How much do you care? You willing to

take it beyond asking prayer for them?

You willing to do take it to another

level?

Hand them something to read, ask them

again. Call them again. You willing to

go pick them up? Whether you talking

about running buses, and you made them a

statement this morning, if we bring in

bus kids,

I think I'm all right here. Y'all don't

know me too well. I don't think you'll

run me off yet,

but if we bring in bus kids, now let me

say this real quickly. I if there had

been buses in Robinsville in the 70s,

I'd been a bus kid. I didn't have nobody

take me to church. I enjoyed going. I

just never had nobody take me. Mom and

daddy was all about making a living and

church wasn't on the agenda. They

regretted that later in life. But when I

was a kid,

they didn't take me church. I'd have

been a bus kid. There was nobody running

no buses.

If you bring in bus kids, let me tell

you what they going to do, y'all. Okay,

>> it's about 2 minutes after 12. I'm going

to try to hurry up and quit. I hope you

didn't turn me off two minutes ago. Give

me Give me a little grace, will you?

Just a little grace.

Let me tell you what they going to. If

you bring in bus kids, they liable to

track mud in your clean church.

>> They liable to and they going to be some

of them had took a bath in a while and

ain't going to smell real good.

>> Amen. And I tell you what, if you give

them some candy or something, you know

what they going to do? They going to

leave candy wrappers everywhere.

>> And and somebody going to have to clean

that up. Yes, sir.

>> And and they liable to ruin something.

Y'all with me?

liable to. I'm talking about they might

tire up something and it have to be

replaced and stuff ain't cheap this damn

time. It's going to cost something. But

let me ask you, do do we really care?

Do we care more

about the roof than we do, Joe?

>> Tell it, preacher. Tell it.

>> Do we?

>> Oh, help me now.

These fellas didn't care near as much

about that roof as they cared for Joe.

>> Somebody said, "I'll put it back. I'll

build it back myself. I'll pay the

price. I'll gather the lumber or the

seammen or whatever needs to be done.

I'll gather the I'll take care of it.

But I want to get Joe to Jesus. And if

this is the way we can do it, let's go

ahead and do it." Amen.

>> They salt means can't you see Jesus is

down there somewhere inside and he's a

teaching and about that time there's

some dust starts falling from the

ceiling.

>> Can you can you see that these little

particles and it starts falling and it

gets and and about that time there's a

little ray of light comes down through a

hole that they've got started in that

roof. little light comes down and then

all eyes now they they take their eyes

off of Jesus and they watching the

ceiling up there. What in the world's

going on?

>> And then a finger comes through that

hole and then a hand comes through and

they they're tearing the roof apart. Now

listen, it wasn't no little hole. They

going to lower him down on his bed.

>> THEY TORE A BIG OLD HOLE OUT OF THAT

ROOF.

OH, they just watch. What in the world?

Oh, Joe's just laying there.

Wow. Can't believe somebody care about

me like that.

>> Tore that roof apart. I believe that's

good, fellas. We can get him down now.

And they got ropes or whatever it might

have been. One on each corner. And they

started lowering old Joe down. Y'all see

that? Here he comes.

Right there in front of Jesus.

>> Wow.

Now they've done all they can do.

They've done all they can do. He's He's

before the Lord. Did it work?

Well, I want you to notice something. We

see the frustrations that they faced.

Notice the faith of these friends.

The Bible says clearly here in the text

when he saw when the Lord saw not Joe's

faith

said when he saw their faith

>> verse 19 when they could not find but

what way might bring men because the

multitude they went up on the housetop

let him down through the tiling with the

couch in the midst before Jesus and when

he saw their faith he said unto Joe him

man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Said when he saw their faith,

huh? I wonder if my faith has ever been

the result of somebody else getting

saved,

their faith. Now, now listen, salvation,

we understand, for by grace are you

saved through faith.

Salvation is the sinner's faith in the

Lord Jesus. We understand that, right?

>> But here in this in this text,

somebody's else's faith had a direct

impact on somebody else getting saved.

>> Amen. Oh, help us, Lord.

>> Amen. Now, I've been preaching this as

an individual thing with you and your

lost loved ones, your lost friends, your

lost neighbors. But listen, there's a

world out there that's lost.

>> Amen.

I understand we care about our family,

don't you? You ain't lost loved ones,

relatives.

>> Surely you care about them. Hey, if you

can't care about them, we're going to

have a real hard time getting you to

care about the Chinese.

>> Yeah. Amen.

>> Surely you care about your loved ones

and then them friends of yours. How

about some co-workers?

How about some schoolmates? There's a

good chance right now of some of your

neighbors, some of your friends,

co-workers, schoolmates, if they died

today, they going to be some of them

split hell wide open. Y'all know that,

don't you? Do do we really do we really

care about them?

I'm going to say this. If we're really

saved and where we need to be with the

Lord, we don't just care for just

friends and relatives and co-workers and

schoolmates. We care about the Chinese.

We care about the African. We care about

the Hindu. We care about we care about

all of them all around the world that

needs to be saved. And so while we're

trying to win Joe,

we ought to be seeking means of how we

can get somebody halfway around the

world to Jesus.

>> Somebody said, "Preacher, I'd really

like to be able to give more to

missions. Would you

seek means

find a way if you really want it bad

enough, you'll find a way." Ain't going

to be some old old country boys in here.

I am in the country, ain't I?

>> I didn't see no skyscrapers coming in. I

think we're country folk. There going to

be some old country boy here that really

likes hunting. And you've had your mind

set on that new rifle.

I know how we are. We really want it bad

enough. Y'all help me right here. We

find a way, won't we? Amen. Bassboat.

I don't know. I have no idea who's got a

bass boat. So don't say I ain't been

talking to preacher. You really want it

bad enough. I know how we are.

We'll find a way, won't we? Ladies,

you know how to manipulate that husband.

You know how to do it. And if you really

want it bad enough, they've ran it on

sale down at the mall in Winston Salem.

And if you really want, you'll find a

way, won't you? HEY, IF WE REALLY WANT

THEM SAVED, IF WE REALLY WANT THEM saved

enough, we'll find a way. They sought.

They sought means. If you really want to

see your family get saved, you'll find a

way. You won't be satisfied just

requesting prayer. You won't be

satisfied just inviting them to church.

Say, "Preacher, I've been invited. It

ain't worked yet." You ain't satisfied

then, are you? Amen. Find a way. Don't

give up. Put forth some effort. Might

cost a little bit. Might might be a

heavier burden to carry. Find a way.

Amen. Fi, I'm not getting out of bounds

here. I'm not talking about compromising

scripture. Find a way. Amen.

[snorts]

Some churches are doing things that's

not normal trying to get lost people in.

>> Yeah.

>> Okay.

>> I'm not for compromise. I'm not for

changing music. I'm not going to change

my Bible. Y'all with me? Some things I'm

not going to do. But we better be

careful about criticizing another church

for trying something that we've not

tried yet.

>> At least they're doing something.

>> They're trying to find a way to get them

to Jesus or Jesus to them. So before we

start looking at everybody else and what

they're doing or not doing, what are we

doing?

>> What are we not doing? If we really want

the world to get saved, we'll find a

way. We really want to give more to

missions. We'll find a way. Y'all with

me?

>> We really want to get them to Jesus.

We'll find a way. We won't be satisfied

until Joe is before Jesus. Their faith

was recognized.

Their faith was reasonable.

>> Let me ask you, do you not think Jesus

can save a sinner?

>> What about the old boy that's on drugs?

He's a nuisance to the community.

Y'all know who I'm talking about.

Y'all got him.

I I'll say this. My wife can testify. We

got one across the road from us.

I'm going to be honest with you. My

flesh, I'd like to buy him out just so

we could get rid of him.

Don't look at me with them big

self-righteous eyes.

>> I mean, my flesh. I I I thought about

maybe I make him an offer on his house

just so he'd leave. I That's That's

horrible, ain't it?

But if I really want him saved bad

enough,

I believe Jesus can fix him.

>> That's right.

>> He ain't met one yet that he can't fix.

>> Amen. I don't care what they look like.

I don't care what they hooked on. I

don't care what they've been doing. I

don't care how dirty their mouth is.

They ain't been one yet he can't fix.

>> Amen. It's reasonable to believe. No

matter who it is, if we can get them to

Jesus,

>> Jesus can fix them.

>> Amen. Their faith was recognized. Their

faith was reasonable. And their faith

was rewarded.

>> I can almost see it now. I'm done. But I

can almost see he they listened. They

heard the Lord say, "Thy sins be

forgiven thee." And Pharisees and

doctors of the law, they're thinking,

they ain't even said nothing. But the

Lord knowed their thoughts.

>> He rebuked them. He said, "Is it easier

to say, thy sins be forgiven thee? Rise

up and walk." But I said that so that

you might know that the son of man hath

power on earth forgive sins. And he

looks at him and says, "Take up your bed

and walk."

Amen. And they got to watch God

transform that boy and make a difference

in his life. I can almost see them,

Brother Charlie. They up there

high-fiving. Amen. THEIR FAITH WAS

REWARDED. IT WORKED. You talking about a

blessing. It's almost as good as you

when you get saved as when one that

you've prayed for, you've worked with,

you've talked to, you've tried

everything, and finally they'll come to

Jesus. Man,

>> I I don't see why ain't some high-fiving

going on the house of God. Amen.

>> Works. If we can just get them to Jesus,

>> they sought

means what are you doing?

This week I want challenge you look for

a way

be real real sad if we just focus on the

world and forget about our neighbors

and be real sad. So we're focusing on

our neighbors. Let's don't forget about

the world. Let's find a way. Let's find

a way to do more.

Go more. Give more. Whatever it might

be. If we want it bad enough,

we'll find a way. Heads are bowed, eyes

are closed. I'm done. I wonder if

there'd be one here this morning on a

Sunday morning that came to church. And

maybe you've been the one they've been

working on. Maybe you're the one they've

been inviting.

Maybe you're the one they've been

praying for.

Maybe you've got a mama just won't give

up on you.

Maybe you've got a a mama that just will

not give up on you.

Maybe they there's a Sunday school

teacher. They somebody goes down to

church. Maybe they're here this morning

and they just have not given up on you.

Maybe you're the one. Maybe you're Joe.

Maybe you're helpless and hopeless this

morning. Here you are. Well, I wished I

could save you. I wished I could touch

you and make your life different and

better, but I can't.

And them the ones the ones that's been

trying to get you here, they can't.

They've done all they can do. I got good

news for you. He's still here this

morning. He's here today. He He may not

be in physically in body. He ain't lost

no power. He was able to heal then. He's

able to heal now. He was able to save

then. He's able to save now. He's able

to forgive sin then. He's still able to

forgive sin now. Maybe it's you. I

wonder if you'd let me pray for you a

little extra prayer. Would that be one

just slip up your hand? said, "Preacher,

won't you pray for me? I'm I'm I'm not

saved.

I'm the one that needs Jesus." Preacher,

would you please pray for me? Would you

let me do that real quickly? Just slip

up your hand. Let me see [music] that.

I'm not going to come to you. I ain't

going to embarrass you. I just want to

say a little extra prayer for you this

morning. [music] I see that hand. God

bless your heart. Wonder if there'd be

another preacher. Please pray for me.

I'm not saved yet. [music]

Please pray for me. Anybody? Would there

be another one? Would there be one more?

Preacher, I'm [music] not saved. Please

pray for me. Anybody else? Anybody else?

All right, let me ask this. How many of

you knows a Joe?

Maybe a Jane. I'm not sure. But there's

somebody in your family. There's

somebody in your neighborhood. [music]

There's somebody down at the workplace.

There's somebody at school that you're

you're concerned about them. If they die

right now in the shape they're in,

you're pretty sure they probably going

to split hell wide open. You don't want

[music] that, do you? How many of you

got somebody like that? You'd say,

"Preacher, help me pray for them." Would

you slip up your hand? [music] I see

hands all over the church house this

morning. I I got to ask you, now I don't

mean this in a bad way, but can I

[music] ask you, do you really care for

them? Do you really do you really care?

How much [music] do you care for them?

Do you care for them enough to come to

this altar and mention their name one

time, more time? Do you care that much?

Would you take it a step even beyond

that? Would you give them another call?

Would you go by and invite them one more

time? Do you care that much?

Well, if you care that much, would you

would you try to go a little farther? If

that's not worked, would you hand them a

gospel track? Would you would you give

them your testimony? Would you do

something else? Would you try something

else? Do you care that much? How much

[music] do you care? Let's don't be

satisfied till we get them to Jesus.

Let's don't give up. Let's don't give

[music] up. Let's find a way. Let's seek

means. Do we care about the world?

Would we like to do more? [music] Would

we like to give more?

If we really care, we would. Let's find

a way. Let's seek means. Let's [music]

all stand. Some's done come. You mind

the Lord this morning? Mind the Lord.

Well, if I was old Joe, I sure wish

somebody care about me enough to at

least [music] call my name out in

prayer.

At least call my name out in prayer.

I was old Joe. I wish somebody care

enough come by and [music] see me.

I was old Joe. I wish somebody care

enough come by and get me.

Help us [music] to care. They salt.

They salt means Charlie. [music]

>> [music]

>> Some are praying, every head still

bound.

[music] The miracle that

in that text I think we miss a lot of

times is the fact that Jesus can be

found.

cannot say, neither my ear heavy that I

cannot hear. [music]

The truth is,

if we're his body,

[music]

if there's a failure, it's on our part.

Church,

preacher, people aren't getting saved

like they used to. Well, we're not going

like they used to go.

[music]

We're not praying like they used to

pray. Preacher, times have changed.

Well, God's not changed.

[music]

Sinners ain't changed. Sinners are still

sinners. They're still lost. You say

they're harder to reach in this day and

time. Well, I won't disagree with you on

that. But I'll tell you this, friend.

[music] The hardest part is is that we

as the children of God are failing.

We are failing. And if that message

[music] didn't touch your heart this

morning, I pity you.

God help us. Every single one of us know

that person he was talking about.

[music]

And they're not too far away. But I'll

tell you this, Jesus is closer than they

are. You say, "How is that, preacher?"

Well, if he if you're saved by the grace

of God, he lives on the inside of you.

Father, I pray in Jesus name.

Lord, for that lost sinner here today,

God, you know where they're at.

Lord, you know what's needed in their

life. I pray God that [music] they'd be

saved today. Lord, I pray for every name

that's been called out on this altar.

Some have been called out from their

pews. Lord, you know every name of every

individual. [music] Lord, I pray for the

ones this morning, God, who are not

burdened enough to come. [music] I pray

you deal with their heart. God, would

you break our hearts for the lost,

[music] God? Not that we would just do

what we can, but Lord, we would go

beyond and do what we think we cannot

[music] do,

Lord, cuz I realize it's going to take

effort.

And Lord, that's worth doing right. And

would you please God give us a urgency,

a fervor, Lord, that we've not had,

God, I pray, Father, Lord, that even as

we leave this place today, God, that if

you've laid it on somebody's heart to go

see somebody, I pray they'd do that.

[music]

Lord, I pray that you would put the

thoughts out of their mind, Lord, that

would say that's too radical or that's

unreasonable. Lord, [music] Lord, we

could be in your presence forever before

this day is up. Lord, I don't know when.

I don't this may be the last altar call

that's given at Meadows Baptist Church.

Lord, you may come Lord at any moment.

We believe that. We believe you are

coming at any moment. And God, would you

help us to be urgent, Lord, help us to

do this on purpose

because Lord, you called us to.

And Joe needs us. [music] Lord, I sure

love you. Thank you for the message

today. Thank you for using the man of

God. And I thank you, Lord, for everyone

that's come and prayed on this altar. I

pray they'd receive a blessing. But

Lord, I pray they wouldn't stop at this

altar. But God, they'd take that burden

with them, Lord, and they'd go to that

person that you've laid on their heart.

Lord, I ask you, God, you would give us

grace remainder of this meeting. I pray

all your will would be accomplished.

God, I know you want to do great things.

Help us to do our part, whatever that

is. Help us to do whatever it takes.

Lord, I sure love you. Thank you for

first loving me. God, we ask all this in

Jesus name. The church said,

>> "Amen."

>> Amen.

>> Thank you for joining our service

[music] today. We'd love it if you'd

join us in person the next time you are

able at Meadows Baptist Church. Our

[music] physical address is 2988 Stewart

Road in Walnut Cove, [music] North

Carolina. Our service times are Sunday

school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday [music]

morning worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday

evening worship at 6:00 p.m., and

Wednesday evening Bible study at 700

p.m. For more [music] information, visit

us at meadowsbaptisturch.com.

Thanks again for tuning in.