00:00Hey friends, you know this morning I was on a podcast called Going Deeper, and somewhere
00:08in the middle of that conversation, I was reminded of something we can easily forget.
00:14Other people matter tremendously in our journey.
00:19Kyler, the host, gave me the opportunity to basically take over the conversation, or at
00:27least it probably felt that way to him.
00:30But if you know me, you know that if you're not willing to walk away from the table, I
00:36might still be sitting there talking a few hours later.
00:40I just got the gift of gab, don't I?
00:44But behind that humorous truth is something important I want to point out.
00:51Kyler created a space for me.
00:54He listened.
00:55He encouraged me to share.
00:58He gave me an opportunity to speak about the things God has placed on my heart.
01:05Sometimes, that's exactly what a friend does.
01:08You see, a friend does not always carry you physically.
01:13Sometimes a friend carries your story.
01:17Sometimes a friend gives you a place to speak when you have spent years feeling unheard.
01:26Sometimes a friend opens the door, makes an introduction, asks the right question, or
01:33simply stays at the table long enough for you to say what you really needed to say.
01:46You know, there's a moment in the ministry of Jesus that shows us how much the people around
01:52us really matter.
01:54In Mark 2, Jesus was teaching inside a crowded house.
02:01So many people had gathered that there was no room left, not even near the door.
02:07Four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man.
02:11The man could not reach Jesus by himself.
02:16His body would not allow him to make the journey alone.
02:20He needed people who were willing to carry him.
02:25When the men reached the house, the crowd blocked their way.
02:30They could have decided that they had done enough.
02:34They could have looked at the packed doorway and said, we tried.
02:41But real friends, I mean real friends, do not always stop at the first obstacle.
02:49They climbed onto the roof.
02:51They opened it and lowered their friend down until he was directly in front of Jesus.
03:00Then scripture tells us something remarkable.
03:04Jesus saw their faith.
03:07Not only the faith of the man lying on the mat.
03:11Jesus noticed the faith of the people who carried him.
03:16That means your faith may help someone else reach a place they could not reach alone.
03:23Your encouragement may keep someone moving when they're ready to quit.
03:29Your invitation may place someone in a room that changes the direction of their life.
03:37Your willingness to listen may help another person realize that their story still matters.
03:44Your friendship may become part of the way God answers somebody else's prayer.
03:52You know, we live in a culture that celebrates independence.
03:57We're told to become self-made, self-sufficient, and strong enough to handle everything alone.
04:06But Jesus never taught us to live that way.
04:11Jesus gathered disciples.
04:14He built relationships.
04:17He shared meals.
04:19He sent people out together.
04:22Even in Gethsemane, during one of the most painful moments of his earthly life,
04:29Jesus asked his closest disciples to stay near him and keep watch.
04:35Now, if Jesus allowed other people to walk beside him,
04:40why do we sometimes act as though needing someone is a weakness?
04:46You were never meant to complete this journey entirely by yourself.
04:51There will be seasons when you're strong enough to carry somebody else.
04:57And there will also be seasons when you're the person that needs to be carried.
05:03Both positions require faith.
05:07It takes faith to carry someone when the road is difficult.
05:11But it also takes faith to let yourself be carried when pride tells you that you should be able to
05:19handle everything alone.
05:21Maybe someone believed in you before you believed in yourself.
05:27My wife believed in me way before I ever thought this was a good idea.
05:34Maybe someone gave you an opportunity you had not yet earned.
05:39I cannot tell you how many people in my business life helped me,
05:44and I never would have been able to achieve what I did without their help.
05:50Maybe someone introduced you to the person who changed your future.
05:58Well, I cannot tell you how many people have come into my life that changed my future.
06:04I know my wife introduced me to my children,
06:07and they mean everything to me,
06:10and they've changed basically every circumstance of my life.
06:16Maybe someone prayed for you while you were running from God.
06:21I spent the first 40 years of my life running from God.
06:27I don't know who prayed for me during that time,
06:30but whomever it was,
06:33I'm thankful for them.
06:36Maybe someone listened to you when your thoughts were still confused,
06:40and your words were not polished.
06:43I think we've all been that person.
06:48Do not dismiss those moments as coincidences.
06:53You know, God often works through people.
06:55He could perform every miracle without involving anybody else,
07:00but many times,
07:02He chose to let us participate in another person's story.
07:08The four men in Mark 2 could not heal their friend.
07:12Only Jesus could do that.
07:15But they could carry Him to the one who could.
07:19That's an important distinction,
07:21because you're not responsible for fixing everybody in your life.
07:28You cannot heal every wound,
07:30solve every problem,
07:32or rescue everyone from every difficult situation.
07:35But you can help carry someone toward Jesus.
07:40You can speak hope when fear has taken over.
07:44You can remind someone that failure is not the end of their story.
07:51You can sit beside them when they grieve.
07:55You can pray when they no longer know what to pray.
07:59You can open a door and give them room to speak.
08:04You may never completely understand how much one act of friendship can change a life.
08:11And do not overlook the people who have already done that for you.
08:17Think about the person who saw something in you when others did not.
08:24Think about the person who gave you another chance.
08:31Think about the one who stayed when leaving would have been easier.
08:39Think about the person who let you talk a little longer,
08:42because they understood that you needed to be heard.
08:47And thank God for them.
08:49If you can, thank them personally.
08:53Tell them that their friendship mattered.
08:56Tell them that their encouragement helped you keep moving.
09:00And tell them that you have not forgotten the way they carried you.
09:05You should also ask yourself whether you are willing to be that kind of person for somebody else.
09:12Are you willing to make room at the table?
09:16Are you willing to listen without constantly trying to redirect the conversation toward yourself?
09:24Are you willing to keep someone in reach of Jesus,
09:29even if you receive no recognition for doing so?
09:37You know, the Bible never tells us the name of the four men who carried the paralyzed man.
09:44History does not celebrate them.
09:47We don't know what happened to them afterward.
09:51But Jesus?
09:53Jesus saw them.
09:55And that was enough.
09:57You may not receive public credit for every life you touch.
10:02Some of the most important things you ever do may remain invisible to almost everybody.
10:10But Jesus sees every time you carry someone.
10:15He sees every prayer, every encouraging word, every quiet sacrifice, and every door you open for another person.
10:28You see, your journey matters.
10:32But so do the people walking beside you.
10:35Some will carry you.
10:38Some will challenge you.
10:39Some will listen to you.
10:41Some will give you an opportunity to tell your story.
10:46Others will need you to do the same for them.
10:51Do not take those relationships for granted, my friends.
10:56Never underestimate the power of a friend in your life.
11:01And never underestimate the power of becoming that friend for somebody else.
11:07You may believe you are only holding one corner of the mat.
11:13But that may be the very thing that helps someone reach Jesus.
11:23My name is Douglas Van der Graaff.
11:26And I believe in Jesus Christ.
11:30God bless every single one of you.
11:34Every single one.
11:37And everyone you love.
11:42Bye-bye.
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