Matthew 18:19-20 (NKJV) “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 2For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Have you ever wondered what are the essential elements of success of the healing of the paralytic in this passage? It must have birthed out of the paralytic’s heartfelt sharing of his desire to be healed by Jesus. Then the agreement between him and his four friends on Jesus’ power to heal and the plan must have been the force behind their determination.
We can be confident that God is with us whenever we are gathered in two or three, but to have effective prayers as a group, there must be honest sharing from the heart for the group to agree, especially if we want to know whether something is God’s idea or our idea, such as starting a business, a job, or a family, God is the silent listener of our conversations, and He will prompt us to probe each other regarding the Word of God that we are standing on in our decision-making process. We should even allow others to play devil’s advocate to ensure no area is left uncovered before we venture out. This kind of honest and open sharing is what is needed to bring us closer as a family of believers. The three-strand cord is not easily broken when we are all in faith!
Luke 5:20 (NKJV) When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
Faith lifts us up by looking at God rather than a depressing situation. We must all agree this is what faith is so that we can spur each other on to persevere and not look at our circumstances or bad reports. Another prerequisite is that we must have received a promise or the Word of God to base our faith on. Thereafter, we can remind each other to stand on the promise God has given us.
Lowering the paralytic from the roof of a crowded house was no easy task, but the four friends were not discouraged by their circumstances—the crowd and their friend’s paralysis—or the strenuous work involved. Because they were already full of faith in Jesus’ ability to heal, they weren’t affected by what they saw or their experience.
Therefore, if we want to be a blessing to people who are going through challenges, we need to be faith-filled friends who are forward-looking, rather than complain or participate in a pity party about the circumstances. Instead, we need to stand in faith with fellow believers and let them know that they are not alone on the journey!
Sermon Series: Up! Cell Group Campaign 2023 (Part 3)
信心满满的朋友 相互扶持
马太福音18：19-20“我又告诉你们：若是你们中间有两个人在地上同心合意的求什么事，我在天上的父就必为他们成全。20 因为无论在哪里，有两三个人奉我的名聚会，那里就有我在他们中间。
这段经文中的瘫子得了医治，你可曾好奇这成功之中的关键元素是什么？这一定源自于瘫子向祂的四个朋友披肝沥胆地表达了他蒙耶稣医治的渴望。于是他和四个朋友都一致相信耶稣医治的大能，这计划的执行力必定源自于他们如此这般的决心。
我们可以确信，每当两三个人聚集在一起时，神就在我们中间。但是若要进行有果效的团体祷告，就必须有发自内心的坦诚分享，得到组员们的一致同意，尤其是当我们想知道这是神的旨意还是我们的主意时，比如创业、申请新工作、打算成立家庭。神是我们对话的默默倾听者，但祂也会促使我们彼此探究在决策的过程中的圣经依据。我们甚至应该让人扮演魔鬼代言人的角色，这样就能知道，在自己满怀信心地去做某件事情之前，方方面面都已经被考虑到了。正是这种开诚布公的分享使我们作为信徒的大家庭更加亲密。只要我们都有信心，三股绳子就不容易扯断！
路加福音5：20耶稣见他们的信心，就对他说:“你的罪赦了。”
信心使我们举目定睛于神而不是令人沮丧的环境。我们都必须同意这就是信仰，让我们能彼此激励，坚持下去，而不是看着我们的环境或坏的报干瞪眼。另一个前提条件是我们先领受到神的一个应许或圣经应许，以此作为信心的基石。因此我们就能提醒彼此要站立在神已经赐给我们的应许之上。
把瘫子从一个被挤得水泄不通的房子的屋顶上放下去不是件容易的事，但那四个朋友不因环境而气馁，无论是拥挤的人群、瘫痪的朋友、还是这一番操作所需的费力的工作。因为他们对耶稣医治的能力充满信心，不受眼见和经验的影响。
因此，如果我们要成为那些正经历挑战的人的祝福，我们必须成为充满信心的朋友，向前看，而不是抱怨或陷入对环境的自怜。相反，我们必须与其它的信徒一起凭信心坚立，让他们知道这一路他们并不孤独。
讲章系列：天天向上！细胞小组运动2023 （第三部分）
Image Source: pixabay.com