Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
September 22, 2022: SOAP #4676: Daniel 9-10; Psalm 123; Luke 5    

SCRIPTURE:  Luke (NIV) 5:24 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.”

OBSERVATION:  They had indeed seen “remarkable things” that day.  They had seen four friends lowering a paralyzed man through the roof to be placed before Jesus.  They had heard Jesus speak forgiveness of sins, and healing.  They had seen the paralyzed men, stand up, pick up his mat and go home praising God! 

But today, the Spirit draws my attention not to what they saw, but to what Jesus saw! 

SCRIPTURE:  Luke (NIV) 5:18 Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 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. 20 When Jesus saw THEIR faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

OBSERVATION:  Their faith was seeable!  Their faith caused them to DO SOMETHING!  Not only Jesus, but everyone in the room saw their faith as they lowered their friend to Jesus. 

APPLICATION: It is good for me to consider that my faith could be the key to a friend’s salvation and/or healing.  Like the friends of the paralytic, my faith should be seeable, and my priority should be to get my friends to Jesus.

PRAYER:   Lord, help me bring my friends to you.  May you see my faith and respond in meeting their need.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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