Outside Of God's Reach?

Do you know of any hopeless cases? People in your world who are so far from God, you don’t even bother praying for anymore?One such case could have been Jeff. He had been witnessed to many times. He had been to church and didn't care for it. He was a major substance abuser and had been for decades. Twice divorced and virtually unable to be a positive partner in any relationship. No job. No money. Hopeless case.That’s when I met him. Better yet, that’s when he met Jesus. His brother, who never gave up on him, brought him to The Bridge. And this time, the Gospel connected and Jeff was saved.I won’t tell you the whole story now, but if you are reading this at The Bridge this weekend, that’s Jeff highlighted in the sermon, with his giving story on video. Today, Jeff not only loves Jesus, he has been alcohol and drug free for over five years. No one at The Bridge is here more, and he serves in multiple ways at both campuses. He has a good job and gives back generously of his time, talent, and treasure. He has surrounded himself with Christians and has been growing steadily since his transformation. And he’s never been happier.How did it happen? I see a parallel in Jeff’s story and Jesus’ healing of the paralyzed man in Luke 5. The friends of the man who needed Jesus’ healing, brought him to Jesus in a crowded house, by opening up the roof above where Jesus was teaching, and they let him down on a cot, right in front of Jesus. I love that! It’s a great lesson in how to help someone who appears hopeless.

• Persistence. The crowd in the way didn’t stop them. And for Jeff’s family, his lack of concern for spiritual things, addictions, and apparent hopelessness did not get in the way. They never gave up. Have you become discouraged in sharing Jesus? Do you witness? If you know Jesus, he’s called you to! And NOT to give up!
• Teamwork. I think we forget about the importance of getting help to reach our non-Christian friends and family. That’s why inviting them to church, Christian events, or even social gatherings with other believers, can be so helpful in reaching the lost. Especially for those we think are hopeless cases.
• Creativity. It took some thought and prayer to figure out their “through the roof” strategy. And if you spend some time praying, thinking, and listening to God, he’ll give you a pathway to effectively witness and reach those in your life that you might think are hopeless.

"Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9).