The Four Men of Faith

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.” -Mark Twain

Father’s Day Phone Calls

Back in the day of long -distance calls...

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Too Late

Too Late

“O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Sam. 18:33b). The sun and wind of the centuries have failed to dry the tears or still the anguish of this exceedingly sorrowful cry. Who was this distraught person? A neurotic parent? No, a king—King David!

David was the first king in history to be selected according to ability rather than birth. He was courageous. His character crowned him king. He was considerate and in many ways magnanimous. Twice he spared the life of his enemy Saul. In spite of his sins, the people of Judah loved him. David was a good ruler, a fine soldier, and a wise statesman. He did not fail as king. He failed as father. He was too involved in royal responsibilities to relate adequately to his family.

While young Absalom was on reconnaissance with his father’s troops, his long hair became entangled in the limbs of a tree, making him an easy prey for the enemy. The king was crushed by the news of his son’s death because he realized the accident could have been avoided. David’s anguish was increased by the knowledge that he had not been a worthy example.

This is a continuing and familiar pattern of busy fathers. They have a way of coming too late to the needs of their children.

Independence Day

Do You Share the Dream?

Dr. George McLeod of

The Illinois Bell Telephone Co. reports that the volume of long-distance calls made on Father’s Day was larger than the number on Mother’s Day. The company found that most of the calls on Father’s Day were “collect calls.”

Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996).

Too Late

“O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (). The sun and wind of the centuries have failed to dry the tears or still the anguish of this exceedingly sorrowful cry. Who was this distraught person? A neurotic parent? No, a king—King David!

David was the first king in history to be selected according to ability rather than birth. He was courageous. Twice he spared the life of his enemy Saul. In spite of his sins, the people of Judah loved him. David was a good ruler, a fine soldier, and a wise statesman. He did not fail as king. He failed as father. He was too involved in royal responsibilities to relate adequately to his family.

This is a continuing and familiar pattern of busy fathers. They have a way of coming too late to the needs of their children.

G. Curtis Jones, 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1986).

Today I want this message to encourage Fathers to understand through God’s power you can be everything that God created you to be. Through God’s power you can be everything your family needs you to be. BUT without God’s power you cannot be what you want to be. In the Gospel of Luke chapter five, we have the story of four men of faith that wanted to make a difference, who did not quit, who believed more than anyone else in the room that Jesus is a difference maker.

Do you believe today that Jesus is a difference maker? Do you believe that more than anyone in this room? have you quit on God? Have you moved on?

Not these men! What made these men, “Men of Faith?

They were men of Action. ()

Luke 5:17–18 NIV84

17 One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.

Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.

-Harold S. Geneen

The Bible’s purpose is not to put more Christian on a pew, BUT to move them off of it. The Bible is a book of action. -WSC

Today the church is in need of men of action. We need men to bring people to Jesus!

They were men of Determination ()

Luke 5:19 NIV84

19 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.

Ministry is messy and is not easy … determination is a needed.

When there seems to be no way, find a way! The missing element is determination.

Ministry is not easy

Don’t let the crowd stop you. Don’t let the crowd discourage you, Don’t follow the crowd. Be determined to live above the crowd.

Don’t let the crown stop you.

At all cost, live with a determination to bring people to Jesus.

The determination of Peter

Acts 5:17–42 NIV84

17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.” 21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this. 25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. 27 Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” 40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Acts 5:17-

They were men of Faith ()

Luke 5:20–26 NIV84

20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” 21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Faith is seen, not said.

James 1:22–27 NIV84

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Faith is a action, not a reaction. (Miracles verse no miracle)(Pharisees verse the four men).

James 5:19–20 NIV84

19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Faith is spiritual, not physical. (Jesus looks at the Spiritual (Sin) rather than the physical (Paralyzed). Have you ever been paralyzed spiritually. (Cannot talk to God, cannot walk with God. cannot serve God. You feel helpless to the church and the work of God.

Satan has spiritually paralyzed you. Jesus will heal you and use you.

James 1:22–27 NIV84

You are useable for his kingdom just as you are!

There are people out there who are spiritually paralyzed because of their past, their sin, their lifestyle. AND they need someone to bring them to Jesus. They have no hope of walking with God. You must go to them and bring them to Jesus.

THE CRUSADE OF HOPE

Their Faith believed that they could make a difference.

Faith is believing in Jesus, not in self. The four men did not believe they could help the man, but Jesus could help the man. This is not a sermon encouraging you to believe in yourself more, but to believe in Jesus! Their Faith believed that Jesus could make a difference. The crowd and the Pharisees do not believe, until after the miracle!

Then everyone believed! Don’t allow your spiritual walk with Christ depend on physical circumstances. Don’t allow your spiritual walk with Christ depend on what Jesus does for you physically. Live in the Spirit.

2 Cor

2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV84

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Invitation (Softly and Tenderly begins)

I’m a sinner and will never be good enough.

Jesus was good enough.

Jesus did the work for you.

You just have to believe and respond to what he has done.

Prayer

“Your sins are forgiven!”

Get up and come home.

“Softly and Tenderly”

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling Calling for you and for me See on the portals He's waiting and watching Watching for you and for me

Come home, come home Ye who are weary come home Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling Calling, "O sinner come home"

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