thank you if you have your bibles turn with me this morning to the gospel of mark to the gospel of mark chapter two i do want to say a thank you for the church for allowing us to stay in the prophets chamber accommodations are well, and then supper last night provided for the church, thank you for that, and all the other things, just enjoyed the time yesterday with the men, the prayer breakfast, and studying the Word of God, and just challenging the men to be leaders, and in this day that we live, there is a need for godly leadership, and God has given that responsibility to the men to lead in their home and to lead in the church. And then the time we were able to fellowship and eat the breakfast with the men yesterday, I do appreciate that and enjoyed getting to know them. We look forward to this afternoon and the opportunity to be able to get to know you a little better. I'm glad the opportunity to be able to fellowship in such a way. But in the time that we have before We go to the fellowship and the afternoon service and conclude the service this morning. I'd like for us to look at Mark chapter 2, the first of so many verses of this passage of scripture, a familiar passage to you. But let's read verses starting in verse 1. And again, he entered into Capernaum after some days, and it was noise that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door. And he preached the word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was born of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was. And when they had broken it up, they let him down the bed within the sick of the palsy. And when Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee. And there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in His Spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? whether it is easier to say, The sick of the palsy, thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk. That thou mayest know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, He says to the sick of the palsy, I say unto thee, Arise, take up thy bed, and go thy way into thy house. And immediately he arose and took up the bed, went forth before them all, insomuch that they were all amazed, glorifying God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion." Father, I pray in the time that we have this morning to look into Your Word and to look at this passage of Scripture. Lord, I pray that You would give to us what we need to hear. I believe You've laid this upon my heart, this passage of Scripture. A few weeks now we've been praying for this message and Lord we pray that Lord we would hear exactly what you want us to say. Speak to my heart in your name that we pray. Amen. I wouldn't consider myself necessarily claustrophobic, but I don't necessarily like tight places. We traveled to London, England about a year ago as kind of a graduation present for finishing my doctorate ministry work. And my parents and her parents were able to split up our kids. And so it was a great opportunity to go and just spend a few days. And when we got off the airport, we got on what is called the Tube. It's London's version of the subway system. And when we got on there, it wasn't anybody but just us. And we had plenty of room for our luggage and everything. And then we were going into the downtown area of London to find where our stay would be. And each one of those stops, a few more people gathered on, and a few more people, until we finally got pretty close to the inner city of London. And we had to stand up. There were so many people packed into that one car. By the time we got out of there, when the door opened, we piled out like sardines. I mean, it was just so packed in there that there were people's coats in my face. I was in other people's face. They were in my bubble, and I was in everybody else's bubble all at one time. And it was definitely too close for comfort. This is the way this house was that we read in Mark chapter 2 in Capernaum. It was packed. So much so, the Greek word press is used, akalos, meaning crowd or mob or a throng of people. They were packed into this little house. In fact, many times in Jesus' ministry, He was surrounded by people. Jesus' public ministry was filled with people everywhere He went. Jesus was popular. There were many times that Jesus actually attempted to get away from the crowd, to get away from the mom, but he couldn't, they were there. Whether he got on the boat, went to the other side, the crowd followed him and they were there. There was one time when the crowd was so packed around the Lord Jesus Christ as he was walking on the street, someone touched the hem of his garment and he stopped right there and said, who touched me? And I can imagine Peter rolled his eyes and said, Lord, what do you mean? Everybody's touching you. Remember when Jesus entered into Jericho and in his ministry, so many people were filling the streets that a little guy named Zacchaeus, Couldn't even see over the crowd, he had to climb a tree to see the Lord. Look in Mark chapter one in verse 45. But he went out and began to publish it much and to blaze abroad the matter insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in a desert place and they came to him from every quarter. Look at chapter one in verse 28. and immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all around the region of Galilee. Now we know that many times the crowd was gathered around Jesus for simply a show. All they were there for was the gimmicks, the tricks, the miracles. That's the kind of people that were fickle, that were just traveling around looking for somewhat entertainment. The Lord knew how to distinguish those people who were genuinely looking for something. But the Lord did perform miracles. The things that He did were not illusions, they were not tricks, they were real. And people desired to see. They recognized in the presence of Jesus Christ, there was power, there was authority. There was something different about this man than the scribes and the Pharisees and all the other rabbis that were out there. Look at Mark chapter 1 and verse 32 and 34. And even when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with the devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door, and he healed many who were sick of divers' disease, and cast out many devils, and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. And in the morning, rising up a great while before the day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ had power. And when they brought the sick, when they brought the possessed, when they brought those to Him, the Lord Jesus Christ manifested the power of God. Imagine the Son of God on earth, the Creator, the One who would restore the earth back to its original design as God made it. Remember when John the Baptist's disciples were sent to Jesus, and they asked the question, Lord, are you the one? Are you the Messiah? Are we to look for another? Do you remember what the Lord Jesus Christ's response to John was? You go tell John, the lame leap, the dumb speak, the blind see, the deaf hear, the sinners are forgiven. Is there any more answer to that kind of question? That's enough. That's sufficient. God, the creator of this world has come down and people's lives are being changed. And I want to tell you today, we serve the same Jesus who has the same power, who can change lives today as well. He's not any different. We don't serve a puny God. The song that we sing with our little ones, my God is so big, so strong and so mighty. There's nothing my God cannot do. It's a simple truth, but yet it's so profound that we serve a God who is able to do these types of things, to step into a broken, cursed world and make a difference. He's the master of the sea. He's the creator of the world. He's our victor over our sin and over this world. I think that alone should give us confidence to live today. If we were to end the service and walk out, that should give you enough encouragement right there to be able to last the full week, that we serve a powerful God, and Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And He's the one, as we heard about this morning in Sunday school, He's the one that lives within your soul. Christ in you, our hope of glory. But I want to focus this morning, not necessarily on the miracle of healing. I want you to see these four men. Don't want to demean or overlook the miracle. It is here. It's important. We serve a mighty God, and He is able to perform these types of feats. And the reason He did that was to prove who He was. to prove that he was God on earth. And the reason that this miracle specifically is done and recorded for us is to show us that not only did he have power to cause the lame to leap and the dumb to speak, but because he was God in flesh, he had the power to look into man's soul and fix his most important need, the need of his sin. to forgive him of his sin. And that's why the conversation between the Pharisees and the Lord Jesus Christ in this miracle, the Lord Jesus Christ proved, what is easier to say? Thy sins be forgiven or take up thy bed and walk. But to show you that I have power to forgive sins, take up your bed and walk. Now, for the remainder of the time we have today, this morning, I'd like to talk about these four men. I've entitled this message this morning, Born of Four. Ask this question. This is our question that we want to answer today. What does it take to bring people to Christ? What does it take to bring people to the Lord Jesus Christ? Because we know that once we get them to the Lord Jesus Christ, once we come to the Lord Jesus Christ, he has both the power to do the miracles, and he has the power to forgive the ultimate miracle of all human heart. What does it take to bring people to Christ? And from these four men, I'd like to look at three specific points this morning. Number one, it takes a passion in your heart for people to see Jesus. It takes a passion in your heart for people to see Jesus. You see, it begins before you ever pass out the first track, before you ever come to church, before you ever go on visitation or go into your workplace, before you ever go on a missions trip or become a missionary, before you ever write a letter to a family or a person in prison, whatever the situation is, before you ever take a step to reach people for Christ, you must have a heart for it. To bring people to Jesus, it starts with our heart. A heart for the Lord and a heart for others. Look at the context of this verse in verse one of chapter two. And again, he entered into Capernaum for some days, and it was noised that he was in the house. In other words, the news was out, Jesus was in town. Jesus was here. It was in the Capernaum Times, the Galilean press. It was plastered everywhere. Jesus is here. He's here again. He went out. He was in the private. Everybody was looking for him. Now he's here. He's going to be at so-and-so's house. He's going to be here at this time. And that's what he's going to be doing. Everyone come on out. It was noised abroad. Why is that? Because they knew about Jesus. They knew his power. And when you've seen Jesus and you've heard about his presence and you've been in his presence, you can't help but spread the news. You can't help but come across the Lord Jesus Christ. And when you do meet the Lord, it makes an impact in your life that you never forget. You never forget. Jesus was a magnet for people. Look at verse 3. And they come unto Him. These four men, they come unto Him. Now, these four men had a passion for others because I believe they believed that Jesus was real. I believe they knew when they brought their friend to the Lord Jesus Christ, they had either personally been, we don't know, we're speaking probably from silence to some extent, probably they had been in the presence of the Lord when he was in the city in chapter one, and they had heard him preach, and they had heard him, but if anything, at least we understand these men believed that Jesus could change their friend's heart. And I believe what is important for us to understand, that it takes a heart for the Lord Jesus and a heart for others. Someone said this, if you have tasted something delicious, then you want others to taste it too. Do you have a favorite restaurant? You have a place you love to go eat? And when your family comes in town or when your friends are here, when you want to go out to eat with some friends, you want them to go to that restaurant that you enjoy. You want them to order that thing that you enjoy. Why is that? Because you have a passion for it. You have a taste for it. You know it's good. Let me ask you this morning, have you seen the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you been in His presence? Has He changed your life? Has He made an impact on your life? The fact that Jesus has walked into your path and by your way, and because he has passed by your life, he made the difference in your life and has changed you. You see, when Jesus comes into your home, you're never the same again. When Jesus takes your sins away, you know it, and it gives you a reason to live in a joy that can't be explained in simple words. When Jesus speaks to your heart, it gives you a passion and a hope and a peace that you just can't help but share it with others around you. Because you've tasted it, you want others to taste it as well. Wherever Jesus is, there's something miraculous happening. Jesus knows how to leave a mark. that you just can't let go. It begins in your heart. You see, reaching others starts with a passion in your heart for Jesus Christ. And if you've gotten over that passion, then no wonder you will probably have gotten over the passion of reaching others for Christ. If you've forgotten what it was like to have a heart for the Lord Jesus Christ and how much it meant to you when you first met him, And what happens is we become lethargic, we become apathetic, and we no longer have the heart of God, we no longer have the feelings of God, because we're not in tune, we've forgotten. We've forgotten what it was like to be touched by the Lord Jesus Christ, and how much it changed our life. These men hadn't forgotten. These men had a passion for the Lord, and because they had a passion to see Jesus, they had a passion for others to see Jesus as well. should take for granted what Jesus has done in our life. Maybe you don't have a passion for others to see the Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe you've not been reaching others as you should just simply because you've lost your heart. You've lost your heart for the Lord. Another important point in this Look at verse 2, "...and straightway again were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them. No, not so much as about the door. And he preached the word, and they come to him, one sick of the palsy, which abhorred a foreign, when they could not come nigh unto him for the mob, for the press, for the crowd, the slew of people that was gathered in the house." They were so packed into the house that there was no more room for anyone else. Now, I don't want to stretch the narrative here, but I do believe I can point out, and I think there's a reason to understand this here, that this man and these four men could not come to the Lord Jesus Christ because there were so many people in the house that were hearing Christ. Can I explain it this way? We took our kids to a zoo here not too long ago and everyone was gathered basically to see the prime attraction, the tigers. And they were out roaming up and down this giant glass case with a border in there. And we kind of walking through. And there they were, the big tigers. The problem is, everyone was packed up against the wall. They were right up against the glass case and looking in. And here we come into the backside with the little kids. And here we are. And my kids can't see. And I said, I'm trying to lift them up. And that doesn't help. When you're short, it doesn't help at all, the crowd. There were no trees around to climb like Zacchaeus. We couldn't get to it. So we just waited and waited, and I was waiting for a little hole in the crowd. Somebody would leave, and then you get in the hole. Every time I waited for the little hole, somebody that had just walked in the room would go right into the hole. And I was like, well, you know, I don't want to be rude, but my kids want to see. And we've been here, you know, I feel like two hours, you know. Two minutes to a child is like two hours. And then they want to go, and it's like, you know, let's see the tigers. So we wait, and we wait, and we wait. You got to take your turns. You gotta make sure there's enough for everyone. Listen, there's enough for Jesus for everyone. Nobody's left out in the Lord Jesus Christ. But let me ask this question. Are you a hindrance for someone else to see the Lord? Are you an obstacle for someone else to get to Christ? You see, this crowd was so packed into the door, all this man needed was one moment. It wouldn't take Jesus long. All he had to say was, take up thy bed and walk. He could get back out the door on his own. It wouldn't take long. It just needed a moment. Someone just to move off to the side so that I can come in, so that we can get through, so that we can see the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, often the crowds get in the way for others who need to see Christ because we are so self-centered and self-focused about what we want. and not focus about what others need. All he needed was an open door. All he needed was someone to care, to say, here, let me move over. You have my place. All he needed was someone to let him through. Just a little break in the window for someone else's time and space. Think about this, how often are we instead of an encouraging bridge or an avenue for someone else to get to Jesus, we become an obstacle and a hindrance to that person. Believers can be so selfish at church. We can be so self-focused on our space and our time and our pew and our listening to the sermon and our Sunday school class and our program and our song and our lunch and our friends that we never even think about the person next door. Don't you become a hindrance to the gospel to be presented? If believers would just stop for a moment and set their heart in the right place and put Jesus at the center and others as their focus, then I believe more people would be reached for Jesus Christ. It takes a heart for God and a heart for others. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about a Mary and Martha situation. I'm not talking about being so busy in your schedule that you fail to get at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not talking about your devotion and your passion and your personal relationship with the Lord and that you ought to sacrifice that for someone else. No, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about reaching others for not being self-centered or self-focused about what you can get in your time, in your schedule, in your space. But when a person is in need to come to the Lord Jesus instead of being a hindrance, you're a stepping stone for that person to say, here, stand next to me, or here, here's the Lord Jesus Christ. I've tasted Him. You ought to taste Him, too. There's plenty to go around. I think it's important for us to understand that these men had a passion for their friends and others to see Jesus, that their own needs were put aside, and they became a stepping stone for their friend to see Jesus Christ. Let me ask you, how concerned are you for those around you? What kind of heart do you have for your friends? What kind of heart do you have for your co-workers? I'm not talking about bashing them over the head with a Bible. I'm talking about being legitimately concerned about their spiritual and physical needs that you focus so much so on them seeing the Lord Jesus Christ because He is their answer. There's a lady in our church named Erna Wagner who, while eating at a restaurant week after week, made friends with one of the workers. Over time, by just conversation and just talking, she invited her to church. At age 79, she invited her friend, age 85, to come to church with her. And her friend heard Jesus Christ, and at 85 years old, accepted Jesus as her Savior. I had the privilege to baptize her a few years ago. And she was in our church and a member of our church for eight years and just passed away about three weeks ago at 93. All it takes is one person. to be concerned about another person because they've tasted of the Lord Jesus Christ in their heart. What does it take to reach people for Christ? A heart. A heart for the Lord and a heart for others. An outer focus. What does it take to reach people for Christ? Number two, it takes action. It takes action to bring others to Christ. Get this picture. These men believe Jesus can change the life of their friend. They could have talked about it until they were blue in their face. They could have planned it. They could have set up conference calls about it. They could have written up diagrams and what was going on and how they were going to do it. They could have prayed and prayed until everyone else was gone from the church. They were the only ones left. But until they got up and did something about it, it was never going to happen. Think about this from the men's standpoint. Well, let's take him to the Lord. Well, wait a second. He can't walk. We'll carry him. But wait a second. The door is filled and we can't get in. The house is packed. We'll take him to the roof. But wait, there isn't a sunroof. There's no windows up there. We'll rip it up. Well, he won't be able to see Jesus from up there. He's on a bed. We're on the ceiling. What's going to happen? We'll get some rope and lower him down. You see, these men would not take no for an answer. They had such a passion for their friend to see Jesus that it caused them to do what normal people would not do. To go over and beyond. They were doers of the Word, not hearers only. Look at verse 5. And when Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. Now, I'm sure that Jesus got a smile on His face when He saw the ceiling was breaking up. Some believe, some scholars believe that this was Peter's house. Jesus had been in Peter's house in chapter one and healed his mother-in-law and possibly Jesus was using Peter and Andrew's house as a base in Capernaum. So Jesus could have been in Peter's house. But think about that. We know Peter. What do you think Peter thought when he looked up to the roof and he saw his ceiling was coming down? I'm sure his mouth dropped open. Everyone in the room. Can you imagine the distraction, the disturbance? I can't hear Jesus with all this racket. Now is not the time to bring people through the roof. That's later in the church schedule. This is not the order of the things. We don't do it this way. Get down from there. These men were willing to be seen by others. to get their friend to Jesus Christ. You see, their faith was a faith of action. There are some who believe that when it comes to the gospel that we should just preach the Word and let the elect come. However, the Bible teaches that we are both to preach the Word and live the Word. Our light doesn't just shine by our talk. It also shines by our walk. What did Jesus say? Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify the Father in heaven. Listen to what James says in James chapter 2 and verse 18, I believe is appropriate for this. Yea, a man may say that he has faith, and I have works, Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believeth that there is one God, thou doest well. The devils believe and tremble, but wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead. James is saying here that if all we are is talk, then our faith is vain. It's empty. Because God is looking for people who will both talk and live and walk a consistency. You see, that's the kind of love that God demonstrated to us. One of my favorite passages or verses in the scripture, Romans 5, 8. But God commendeth his love towards us. He demonstrated, He acted. How did He act? But God commendeth His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God wasn't all talk. God wasn't all promises. He didn't write all the Old Testament just to show us what He thought. He wrote it to show this is what I'm going to do. And I have done it to demonstrate my love for you. And Jesus set that as an example for us in his love for us in becoming obedient unto the cross. These men demonstrated their faith by action. They showed their faith by bringing their friend to the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen, there is no substitute for good hard work. What visible acts do you do to bring other people to Christ? Think about this. These men gave their energy. They probably got tired. That was a long haul. But they kept going. That was a lot of stairs. You shouldn't have ate so much last night, friend. They kept climbing. You see, a lot of us don't want to go out of our way to reach others because it just takes too much. Time. It just takes too much energy. It just pulls so much out of me. I just wish I had the time for it. Wish I had the energy for it. These men gave of their energy. They gave of their time. These men were willing to do something uncomfortable, like climbing on top of the roof and ripping it apart. Sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone to reach others for Christ We may have to get out of our seats in church and actually walk over and say hi to someone Maybe to invite them over to lunch It may mean we have to go across the road and talk to our neighbor in their yard knock on their door take them some cookies and What do we do? It may mean raking their leaves or cutting their yard, all for the intent and the purpose to build a bridge, to make an avenue, not a hindrance, but a stepping stone. But it takes action. These men had to lose their self-conscience. Someone said this, their self-conscience had to go out the window as they went through the roof. We can't be worried about what people think. Romans chapter one and verse 16, I am not ashamed of the power of the gospel of Christ. I'm not ashamed of the gospel. The gospel itself, it is the power. It changes lives and I'm not embarrassed by it. Was Jesus self-cautious? when He lay bare and naked upon the cross? Was Jesus worried about what people thought of Him when He lay there in agony taking the cat of nine tails? Did Jesus care about being embarrassed when everyone else was mocking Him and laughing at Him? No! These men had to count the cost. It cost them something to bring their friend to Jesus. I'm sure probably they offered Peter, can you hear the conversation later? Here's $20, we'll fix that. We'll be here tomorrow morning, bright and early, eight o'clock. We'll do whatever we can. We'll take our lunch break. You can use my car, my house, my time, my money. What resources do you have that God is asking for so that you can reach others for Jesus Christ? It's gonna take work, it's gonna take action. In the early 1900s, there was a revival that happened in Belfast, Ireland. The shipyard workers stopped all of their work to come to pack the churches so that they could hear about Jesus and accept Christ. It was recorded that the railings of the church were pulled down and some of the windows in the churches were broken up so that people could hear the sermons preached. Listen, if that were to happen in this church or in your home, how many people would be up in arms? What's important to you? People hearing Jesus Christ, I'm not about destroying property. But what is more important? The souls of men? The resources that we have? They ought to be tools to say, Lord, here's my lunch. Here's my donkey. Here's my house. Here's my table. Here's my upper room. You take it and use it however you please. It's His anyway. Not only does it take action, but it also lasts very quickly. Let's look. It also takes unity to reach others for Christ. Look at verse three in the title of my message this morning. And they come unto him, one sick of the palsy, which was born of four. It took all four of them to get this man to Jesus. All four of them had the same passion. All four of them got into the action together. All four of them saw the importance. All four of them put their heads together. All four of them decided to go for it. All four of them counted the cost. All four of them carried the load. All four of them worked together to get the job accomplished. It took unity with these men. And I believe this is the point that Jesus is showing, that these men were in this together. And every one of them had a part in reaching this man for Jesus. We must understand that we are in this together. Listen, it's not only the pastor's job to reach the loss, it's not only the deacon's job to reach the loss, it's not only the choir member's job to reach the loss, it's the whole church's job to reach the loss, and it will take a whole church to get it accomplished in a community. Yes, I know the Great Commission is an individual mandate, but it is also a collective mandate. Jesus gave it to the disciples together. All 11 of them were standing there, and all 11 of them were to go together in the power of Jesus Christ. You see, we need each other to get the job done. Often churches and believers are too busy fighting each other, arguing with each other, fussing over each other, and not working together. Often in a church, one or two are doing all of the work while the others just sit around or pack the house out and watch their selfish state while one person carries all of the load. Reaching others for Jesus means co-laboring with Christ. This means letting others help instead of wanting to do it your own way. It means cooperating. Often one person doesn't want to do anything else with anybody else because they want it done their way. They don't want to do anything different. Maybe because they want to get the glory and they don't want to share it. These men were not that way. This means putting down our individualism and joining a church to get the job done. Are you a member of a church? Have you joined a community? Have you joined the body of Christ so that collectively we can come together and reach the loss? This means getting involved. This is not a spectator sport. We are all to be involved reaching the world around us. This means cooperation. You know what cooperation is? Two people working together to get a job done. I like the way someone nicknamed these four men. Sympathy, originality, persistence, and cooperation. I asked you today, are you hindering or helping others get to Jesus? Sometimes people are a hindrance coming to the Lord because they've watched a believer live a horrible testimony Their inconsistency of their belief and their walk is a hindrance and an obstacle. Why would I want Jesus if that's what it is? That can be an obstacle, that can be a hindrance. Are you concerned or do you have a heart for others the way you should because you have a heart for God? Are you involved? Are you doing the work together for the gospel around the world and in your community? You have a prayer of faith. Someone said this, that these men, as they were carrying, just imagining the circumstance, the scenario of these men praying, and each one saying something like this, Lord, give us faith that can be seen by others. Another one prays out and says, Lord, give us faith that works together to bring others. The third one said, Lord, give us faith that won't be embarrassed by others. The fourth one said, Lord, give us faith that won't quit until all others have seen Christ. Then the man laying on the cot, hearing all of the words in tears, cried out and said, Lord, I want what these men have. Forgive me. That's what it takes to reach others for Christ. And when we see that in Mark chapter 2, we see four men. We don't even know their names. Probably we don't even see Him in the Scripture anywhere else. And yet one person was important to them because they had tasted of the Lord and they wanted Him to taste as well. Father, I pray as we close this morning. Lord, I know that there's a whole lot more to reaching others for Christ, prayer, There are other points that could go along with this, but from this passage of Scripture, observing these four men and what it took from them. Lord, I pray that this morning hearts would be touched by the Holy Spirit and what it means to reach others for Christ. The Great Commission is both giving the gospel and reaching the lost, and also discipling and making, and maybe we need to be focused on both of these aspects, and how we can use our time and energy, and how we can work together in unity together for the cause of Christ, how we can build in our passion for Jesus and our passion for others, and what that means, what it's gonna take of our time and resources. Lord, I pray your will would be done and that you would reach into hearts this morning. Maybe there's someone here that doesn't know Jesus as their Savior, and you know who they are. They've never tasted of the forgiveness and the peace and the joy that Jesus brings. And this morning, they're still in their sins, and they need to accept Jesus as their Savior. We plead with them this morning. that they would open their heart, open their mind and accept Christ by faith and repent and turn of their sins and turn to a God who loves them and gave himself for them. Lord, as we conclude this service in the time of invitation, would your will be done.