1. Igreja dos Cristãos Resgatados de Deus em Angola RCCG – City Church Luanda Sul www.citychurchluanda.org

2. Sunday School

4. Memory Verse: Romans 10:14 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?.” BIBLE PASSAGE: Mark 2:1-5, Mark 2: 10-12 INTRODUCTION: A major reason people are not winning souls today is lack of burden for the salvation of sinners. Jesus Christ performed many miracles because He had compassion on the people concerned - Luke 7:12-13. The miracle of feeding the multitude was performed because Jesus Christ had compassion on them. He went the extra mile to feed them physically after feeding them spiritually - Mark 8:1-9.

5. Outlines: 1.THE FRIENDS WERE BURDENED 2.THERE ARE PRICES TO PAY 3.YOU ARE THE FRIEND

6. Outline 1: THE FRIENDS WERE BURDENED. The sick man in our Bible passage had four burdened friends. Not much is known about these friends: their names, age, social achievements and family background. They were desperate to have their friend healed and knew that any problem that gets to Jesus Christ was as good as solved. They knew that the first step to a miracle is to come to Jesus Christ –Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 55:1, Matthew 11:28. They got to the building but did not get the attention of Jesus Christ until their friend was in the location required, the presence of Jesus Christ.

7. Outline 2: THERE ARE PRICES TO PAY. There is always a price to pay to get a sinner or the sick to Jesus Christ. Getting to lower an adult down through the roof was definitely loaded with a lot of burdens but they were ready to do anything to get their friend to Jesus Christ. The maid in the home of Naaman risked being called fanatic or ethnocentric; she opened her mouth 2 Kings 5:2-4. The four men broke the roof because of their faith. This is the faith that is ready to overcome any obstacle – Matthew 9:2, Mark 9:23, Mark 11:23, James 1:7-9. The man was healed physically and spiritually. Note the difference between the two, temporal and permanent, spiritual over physical – Matthew 6:33.

8. Outline 3: YOU ARE THE FRIEND. The Lord is calling on us today to be burdened about the salvation of our relations, neighbours and every sinner. The Lord is equally in the business of healing and deliverance. It is our duty to bring them to Christ and leave the rest to God - Romans 15:1, Galatians 6:2, Galatians 6:9, Proverb 31:20, Luke 10:29-34.

9. CONCLUSION The Lord wants us to be able to say like Job said that, “I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame, I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.” – Job 29:15-16. Let us call on God to give us burden for souls.