Luke 5:18-20 (NKJV) Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralysed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven.”
God has never intended for us to face life’s challenges alone. Instead, He has placed us among the community of believers in a church to love and to be loved. He has also given us the Holy Spirit who is our helper, comforter, and counsellor who prompts us to help others.
Though we might not have friends who are paralysed, we might have friends who are down, bumped out, experiencing the blues, and struggling with hopelessness. Unfortunately, not everyone has the heart or know-how to befriend someone who is in those situations, especially in this digital age where we seem to have lost the art of communication. Therefore, we should slow down and show love toward people around us—family members, colleagues, and church members—in words and actions.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NKJV) Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
This passage addresses loneliness, facing challenges alone, and how to overcome them. It applies to those who are feeling down and oppressed. It says woe is the one who is alone when he falls. Besides marriage relationships, it also relates to friendships and Christian communities. If a marriage relationship is built on the wrong foundation of individualism and is seen as a contract rather than a covenant, it will not survive a crisis. Communication breakdown is the cause of many rocky marriages and an explanation of why many feel depressed.
In contrast, a covenant-based marriage will enable the couple to strengthen and uplift each other by standing in faith. That’s what God does when we are in trouble. Nothing will break us if we look at the threefold cord as the couple, the community, and God.
The journey of faith can be very challenging if we walk alone. Therefore, we must not isolate ourselves when facing issues, but share with our spouses to battle the situation together in faith. We must also have a group of people to journey with us and spur us on when storms come, like the four friends of the paralytic.
Sermon Series: Up! Cell Group Campaign 2023 (Part 3)
在基督里持久的婚姻和友谊
路加福音5:18-20 有人用褥子抬着一个瘫子，要抬进去放在耶稣面前，却因人多，寻不出法子抬进去，就上了房顶，从瓦间把他连褥子缒到当中，正在耶稣面前。耶稣见他们的信心，就对瘫子说，你的罪赦了。
上帝从来没有打算让我们独自面对生活的挑战。 相反，祂将我们放在教会的信徒群体之中去爱与被爱。 祂也赐给我们圣灵，圣灵是我们的保惠师、安慰者和谋士，提醒我们去帮助别人。
虽然我们可能没有瘫痪的朋友，但我们可能有情绪低落、遭遇挫折、在抑郁中和在绝望中挣扎的朋友。 不幸的是，并不是每个人都有心或知道如何与处于这些情况中的人做朋友，尤其是在这个我们似乎已经失去了沟通艺术的数字时代。 因此，我们应该放慢脚步，用言语和行动表达对周围人——家人、同事、教会成员的爱。
传道书4:9-12 两个人总比一个人好，因为二人劳碌同得美好的果效。若是跌倒，这人可以扶起他的同伴。若是孤身跌倒，没有别人扶起他来。这人就有祸了。再者，二人同睡，就都暖和。一人独睡，怎能暖和呢？有人攻胜孤身一人，若有二人便能敌挡他。三股合成的绳子，不容易折断。
这篇文章讲述了孤独、独自面对挑战以及如何克服它们。 它适用于那些感到沮丧和受压迫的人。 它说，当一人孤身跌倒就有祸了。 除了婚姻关系之外，它还涉及友谊和基督徒群体。 如果婚姻关系错误的建立在个人主义基础上，把婚姻看做契约而不是盟约，那么它就无法度过危机。 沟通障碍是许多婚姻破裂的原因，也是许多人感到沮丧的原因。
相比之下，基于盟约关系的婚姻将使夫妻能够凭信心来坚定和提升彼此。 这就是上帝在我们遇到困难时所做的。 如果我们将夫妻、社区和上帝看成是这三股合成的绳子，那么没有什么会击垮我们。
如果我们独自前行，信心之旅可能会非常具有挑战性。 因此，面对问题时，我们不能孤立自己，而是要与配偶一起凭着信心共同面对困难。 我们还必须有一群人，像瘫子的四个朋友一样，在暴风雨来临时与我们同行和激励我们。
讲章系列：起来！ 2023 年小组活动（第 3 部分）
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