Mercy Brings People to Jesus | P. Lorena Gamba

In this message, we learned that mercy is more than a feeling—it is love in action.

Through the story of the paralyzed man in Luke 5:17–26, we see a group of friends who did whatever it took to bring someone to Jesus. Their mercy was not just compassion; it moved them to action.

God has given us a mission: to share the Good News and help people take steps toward Jesus.

In this message we learned:

✨ Mercy sees people that others overlook.
 ✨ People are Jesus’ mission.
 ✨ Mercy multiplies when people work together.
 ✨ We were called to reach people in community.
 ✨ Mercy takes initiative and finds a way.
 ✨ Many people are spiritually paralyzed and need help getting to Jesus.
 ✨ Sharing our faith is an expression of mercy.

👉 Mercy does not simply feel compassion—it does whatever it takes to bring people closer to Jesus.

Sunday Recap

In Luke 5:17–26, we find the story of a paralyzed man who could not get to Jesus on his own.

While the house was crowded with people, a group of friends was determined to bring him to Jesus. Their faith and mercy created a way where there seemed to be none.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Mission Orlando's podcast. We hope that through this word you will get closer to Jesus. Be sure to subscribe so we can get you new messages every week. Have a blessed day. I want to speak about mercy brings people to Jesus. Mercy brings people to Jesus. So a few years ago, I had the opportunity to share the gospel or share the good news to one of my neighbors. So I invited her over to my house. We started um like just a friendship. I had a like we had some barbecue with them. We had some barbecue time, and then we started going to each other's house, and it became a really nice friendship eventually. I told her with my other neighbor about our church, and she started coming. Then she invited her sister and her husband as well to our church, and they also had a great time. And and her sister also started taking steps in church. She started coming on Sundays, she started going to a go group or a small group. Then she also started serving, like a few years later, she started serving at our church. And uh I was really, really proud when, like about two or three weeks ago, she actually gave the word at our go group. And I'm like, oh my goodness, look at what the Lord has done in just a short time. Can you praise God for that? So that's that's amazing because we're called to share the gospel, share the good news, and then you just wait to see what the Lord does in people's lives. Look at what 1 Peter 3 15 says. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. Say with me, always be prepared. So we have a mission to share the hope. How many of you know that Jesus is the hope of the world? So and it says we need to always be prepared to share the good news. And you know what? We can do it with people. You know, we we we we can collaborate with other people to speak the good news. Look at what 1 Corinthians 3 9 says. For we are co-workers in God's service, you are God's field and God's building. So sharing our faith can actually be more effective when we do it with other people. That's why I love being part of a small group, and I love it when we all share a little bit of what the Lord has done and we all play a part. And we've been seeing throughout this series that mercy equals love in action. What is mercy? I don't know if you've been able to practice what we've been talking about, but I've been able to practice it, and it's been so funny because every time we we have to tell our kids, like, don't do that, or you know, something like that. They're always telling us, Mom, mercy for your family. Like, every time they're not behaving, they're telling us over and over, Mom, Dad, mercy for your family. So it's been a a blessing to see it in our in our house. But you know, the Bible tells a story that I really, really like, and it's about uh four friends who helped a paralyzed man, and they do they did everything to get that man to Jesus. Back then, being paralyzed or having a disease like that meant like you were an outcast, like invisible, basically. But these were good friends, and they said we need to get him to Jesus. So I love this story, and we can find it in Luke 5, verse 17. It says, One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea as well as from Jerusalem. And the Lord's healing power was strongly with Jesus. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn't reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took up some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, Young man, your sins are forgiven. So I love this whole picture, because imagine they got to the place, it was so crowded, like, because everybody wanted to hear Jesus, even the religious people, they wanted to hear Jesus. It was so, so crowded. So, how do they get a paralyzed mind? And back then, obviously, there were no wheelchairs or anything like that. They were just he was just on a mat. So they were very creative. So they climbed to the top, to the roof, removed the tiles, right? And they had to bring him down. And obviously, the first thing you might think is like, oh, Jesus is gonna heal him right away. But what is the first thing that Jesus did to him? He said, Young man, your sins are forgiven. So it really impacted me because Jesus saw the faith of his friends. It wasn't even his own faith, it was his friends' faith. And they said, and and Jesus said, Because of their faith, your sins are forgiven. So Jesus is more interested in your soul, in your salvation, than in even your physical health. A lot of people come to Jesus because they're in need of a miracle. Maybe they're in need of a physical miracle or a miracle in their marriage or in their finances, and that's why they go close to Jesus. But Jesus was interested in his soul first. That's the first thing. The first miracle we need is the miracle of salvation. And if you look at verse 21, it says, But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, Who does he think he is? That's blasphemy. Only God can forgive sins. Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven, or stand up and walk? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins. Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, Stand up, pick up your mat and go home. And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, We have seen amazing things today. Can you say God is good? Alright. We're gonna talk about three things. Number one, mercy sees people, others overlook. Mercy sees people, others overlook. And and we we see that this was a paralyzed man who was on a sleeping mat. So many people saw a crowd, others saw a meeting, religious meet leaders saw an opportunity for debate, but these friends they saw a hurting person. So mercy notices people, and many hurting people think nobody cares, nobody notices me, nobody understands, and it's not nice to feel like unnoticed, right? I remember when I first moved to the US, uh, I was in middle school, and my first day in school, the first week, I was so nervous, you know. I know that many of you guys have experienced that. You new language, you don't know anyone. First day, and you know, are people gonna notice me? And then I didn't even start when the year started, I started like months later, so I was there and I was trying to make friends, but then I felt so unnoticed for many weeks. I was like sitting by myself, and then I was like, ah, great, but then one day someone spoke to me, yes, and it's like someone noticed, someone noticed. I have a uh I think I can make a friend, and that was nice. So many people feel like that. Many people feel so unnoticed and visible, and I don't know if if you guys have seen the movie The Prince's Diaries, yes, it's so funny. I just watched it with my kids, and the then at the end she fell for the guy, and he she was like, Oh, I knew it was you because you saw me when I was invisible. So we want someone, we want people like that. They see us when nobody notices. So we we see Jesus. Jesus was on a mission, right? And his mission is people, that's his mission. So every day, maybe we're always busy doing our things, and we don't really notice people, but there's a lonely co-worker, there's that teenager who's also struggling with many things, or a single parent, or someone whose marriage is falling apart. But you gotta pray and say, God, who can I notice today? Who can I pray for today? Who can I approach today? Um I'm naturally more task-oriented than people-oriented, right? So, you know, if I come here to church, you might be crying, or someone might be crying there in the corner, but then I see like maybe the light's not working, or the sounds not working, or the screens, naturally, I'm gonna be drawn to the thing, right? Because I'm like, oh, those things, uh, people can wait, right? But then I look at Jesus. I don't know if someone's like that, but maybe I'm the only weird one. Yet I'm a pastor, hallelujah. But then I noticed I see what Jesus did, and he wasn't like that at all. He would always walk slowly, right? He would always hear people, listen to their questions. People were never an interruption to Jesus, he was always for people. So we need to notice people, we need to notice them what they're doing, and and and really walk slowly, right? This is a country where everyone walks fast, everything needs to be fast. Fast food, microwave, and we just want everything fast. But who knows that relationships are not like that? Who wants microwave relationships? Doesn't work, right? Even we see we see many stories. We see when Jesus and the two blind men, Jesus saw them and and he stopped. And he's like, What do you want? And we wanna we wanna see. And Jesus prayed for them and he healed them immediately because Jesus notices, and you know what? People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. That's a cool phrase. You gotta people gotta really they they notice if you really care for them. Romans 15 1 says, those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step and lend a how a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is not strength is for service, not status. Can you say that last part with me? Strength is for service, not status, and that's what a true leader is. When you when you study the life of Jesus, the greatest leader of all, many people they say, I want to become a leader, or I want to be the boss, so people can just do whatever I tell them to do, right? When I get to the top, but that's not Jesus, Jesus came to serve, and he says, When you have leadership, when you have strength, it's for service, not for status. And I'm really happy when I hear friends helping each other here in church. For example, my my friend, one of my best friends, who's a single mom, and she's been she was she was having a lot of health issues. She was in the hospital, she's a single mom, and then I hear her friends, the the ones who serve with her in the outreach team, coming together to help her to take care of her kids, to take shifts. Oh, I picked them up from school, then you you pick them up, then they can stay over. Who knows that that's mercy, that's true mercy. So even though she doesn't have family, she does have a family, which is her church family, right? And they're helping each other. And it's something we say here in church. We say we're not like family, but we are family. So mercy sees people, other overlook, others overlook. Number two, mercy multiplies multiplies when friends join together. Mercy multiplies when friends jump join together. And it's interesting because in this verse it says some men. It could have said a man to help the paralyzed guy, the paralyzed man, but it says some men, so it's plural. So mercy was never meant to be a solo mission. We need people. He needed four friends because some burdens are too heavy for one person to carry along alone. So maybe how do you share your faith? You do it with other friends, you do it together. That is something that I love doing as well. When I'm able to share the gospel with someone, I bring a friend with me because I want to connect friendships, I want people to connect with each other. And look at what 1 Corinthians 3 5 says. It says, After all, who's Apollos, who's Paul? We're only God's servants through whom you believe the good news. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your heart and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It's not important who does the planting or who does the watering. What's important is what God is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose, and both will be rewarded for their own hard work. First Corinthians 3 5 7. So what you do, those little seeds that you plant, don't take it for granted. Because a lot of times you say, Oh, you know, I try to share the gospel, but that person didn't really accept Jesus, or I try and invited them to church, and that person didn't come to church. But imagine how many people sow seeds in your life, right? So it's like every seed you're sowing is gonna bear fruit. And I always tell people, don't get tired of sowing seeds. That prayer that you make for someone when you're sharing the gospel with someone, when you're buying lunch for someone, that's that's not in vain, you know, and then we all do it together because back then this verse is saying, like some people are saying, Oh, I follow Apollos, I follow Paul, and they're saying who they follow. But here they're saying it doesn't matter, like the apostle position doesn't matter. That doesn't matter. What matters is you have a purpose. It says the verse 8 says, the one who plants and the one who waters, they work together with the same purpose. So we're all working together, and that's something that me and my husband were continually praying and and asking the Holy Spirit, who can we show God's way to this week? Who can we bless this week? And every week we have people over at our house, we have someone that we invite, we have someone that that we go and have lunch with also on Sundays after church, and we we just listen to their stories, we just pray for them, and it's a way that not only they're blessed, but we're blessed as well. So pray for someone. And I heard a phrase that says, Do for one what you wish you could do for many. Do for one what you wish you could do for many, because you you say, Oh, I wish I could speak the word to hundreds of people. Okay, maybe you can't do that right now, but can you bless one person? Can you can you say, Hey, let's go have coffee? But you say, I don't have much money, it doesn't matter. You just it can be just coffee one day, just a little seed that you can sow in someone, listen to their story, and also share your story, share what the Lord has done. And me and my friend Ashley, the one that I was talking about, I I told her, Ash, let's join and have us a go group in English for girls. So we're starting a go group, we're so excited, and we've been just visiting people, we've been doing a lot of one-on-ones, having coffee with people, and just planting those seeds. And I'm like, Ash, we both have to work together, and we both have to pray for each other, have to pray for these girls. And I love go groups, go groups, or small that's how we call our small groups. Those are the best way you can make friends, you can pray for each other, and you can actually start growing in your faith so much. So make sure you join a group. I believe there's a QR code right there in your guide, and also consider leading a group, considering leading or co-leading a group. That's the best way to grow as well, because that's a that's the way that you actually need to pray for people, host people. It's amazing. I've seen it, I've seen how I grew so much when I had to lead a group, and I've seen it in my friends as well. And number three is that mercy has an action plan. Luke 5.19 it says, but they couldn't reach him because of the crowd, so they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down in the crowd, so it's not like you have a wishful thinking, like, oh, maybe one day I'll help the guy, maybe one day I'll tell him about my faith. But you actually have an action plan. These men weren't like, oh, maybe one day that paralyzed man will get to Jesus. They're like, we have to do something now. We we have to do the impossible. We we have to take him to Jesus. Imagine climbing with that with that sleeping man. Imagine how heavy that must have been, and how hard it must have been to go there. Imagine also it's it's costly, right? Roof, taking of the tiles, getting him down, and who paid for that? I'm pretty sure they did, right? They had to pay for that. So it costs as well. It costs money, it costs time, but they had a plan and they put that plan into action. And he was paralyzed physically, but many people are paralyzed spiritually. So who can you think that is paralyzed spiritually? Everybody needs Jesus, everybody needs the gospel. Colossians 4 5, it says, live wisely among those who are not believers and make the most of every opportunity. So it was it was so crowded there, but they made the most of that opportunity, they lifted their friends. So are you looking for opportunities to share your faith? Because many Christians are secret agent believers, and you know what? The more time you're a Christian, the less you're gonna share the gospel. That's just a fact. Because all your all your friends are already gonna be in church, right? So you gotta get out of your comfort zone and really ask God. I don't want to be a secret agent believer, but I want to share my faith, and that's what Jesus did. Jesus told the unbelievers, come and see. He was always there, come and see. But he told the Christians, go and tell. Can you tell the person next to you, go and tell? That's what we need to do. Go and tell. The merciful cares for the lost. So think of a friend that you can share the gospel with this week. Write down their name, and and we're gonna take a time to pray for that person so that you can really be that person that goes and tell. You tell others about your faith, you tell others that Jesus loves them. Can you say amen? Amen. Let's all stand and we're gonna pray for this. Say thank you, Jesus, for what you did today. Thank you for your word, thank you because you are good. Jesus and your mercies are good. Help us, Lord, to be merciful because mercy brings people to Jesus, Lord. I don't want to just keep mercy for myself or faith for myself, but I want to tell others what the Lord has done in my life, Jesus. I want to tell others, Lord, about the goodness of God. And just like these four men who did the impossible to bring people to bring that paralyzed man to Jesus, Lord. Show me a friend or a family member that I could bring to you, Jesus. That I could tell them the Lord is good. Look at what the Lord has done, Jesus. I want to be that Father, that person who goes and tells, Lord. And maybe the Lord is putting in your in your mind, in your heart, someone who's unnoticed, someone who's going through a struggle secretly. Say, Lord, show me who is that unnoticed person. Maybe a teenager who's struggling with their identity. Maybe a married couple who's struggling. Say, Lord, I want to go to the unnoticed, to the ones who think nobody cares about me. But there you are showing mercy. But there you are being the hands and the feet of Jesus. But there you are praying for them. Say, thank you, Lord. I I want to be that person, I want to be that agent, Lord, of good news. I want to speak of the hope of the world, which is Jesus. I want to be prepared to tell others about you. Thank you for what you're doing, Lord. I want to do for one what I wish I could do for many, Lord. And I want to sow seeds of mercy, sow seeds of compassion, Lord. I want to be like Jesus. Tell Jesus I want to be like you. Give me your heart, Lord, of compassion. Give me your heart of love, Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for what you're doing. We love you. We love you, Jesus. We love you, Lord. In your name I pray, Jesus. Thanks so much for tuning in. We hope this message blessed you greatly. We encourage you to subscribe and share it with your friends. For more content from our church, visit Mission Orlando Church.com.