Be Creative in Methods to Use to Reach Out for Jesus

Pray – (1/2 minutes)

Read – (2 1/2 minutes) – “When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.” (Luke 5:19)
   Passage: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

         In Jesus’s time, most of the homes in Israel were built with flat roofs with wooden beams with the area in between the beams packed with a mixture of mud and straw. The composition of that mixture was strong enough to walk allow people to walk on it, but soft enough to dig through it. When the friends of the paralytic couldn’t get him into the house because of the crowd, I imagine someone might have suggested they try another time and then someone else said, “I’ve got an idea. Whey don’t we go to the roof, cut a hole and lower him down to Jesus.”
        Their determination to get their friend to Jesus led them to be creative in order to do whatever was needed. When the dust started falling and people began to realize someone was cutting a hole in roof, I’m not sure what the owner of the house thought about getting a skylight, but I’m pretty sure that Jesus had a smile on His face. God loves people and wants everyone to know Him. The message of the gospel never changes, but methods must change to reach different people in different ways. Paul understood that and was willing to do whatever it took to reach out for Jesus. So should we.

‍Apply - (2 1/2 minutes)
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Pray - (1 1/2 minutes)