How can we lead people to Christ? The passage of the four friends becoming creative in order to bring their paralyzed friend to the Lord is very helpful in regards to this question.

We learn the following lessons from this story:

1. A paralyzed man cannot walk. The man must be carried to the Lord because he cannot walk by himself. No man can come to God on his own – nor does he want to (Rom 3:10-12). Of course, the Father draws sinners to Himself (John 6:44), but we must also realize that no one becomes a Christian unless brought to Christ. Lame people cannot walk by themselves. Perhaps you are the one who brings a spiritually paralyzed fellow human being to the Lord?
2. A worker is not alone. Four men bring the paralyzed man to the Lord Jesus. Paul explains that it is the same with the work on unconverted souls: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one… For we are God’s fellow workers” (1 Cor 3:6-9). Perhaps someone has already planted something in your fellow human beings in the past; maybe someone will water what you are planting today in a few years. Then some pray for it. And do not forget: God is also involved in all of this! You are not alone!
3. Obstacles can be overcome. The four men could have said: “Too bad, we can’t get any closer. Then we’ll wait – or better leave it at that.” No, they got creative to bring their friend to the Savior. Whatever obstacles you face can all be overcome with the Lord’s help. Whatever objections you face (“He/she will laugh at me”; “What am I going to say?”; “What if he/she asks a difficult question?”; etc.), don’t let them stop you.
4. We just bring people to Christ. What the four friends do applies to us figuratively: we bring people to Christ – from then on, He takes over 100%. We cannot convert anyone or push anyone over the threshold to heaven. Ultimately, God works repentance in the heart of the sinner. This thought can take a lot of pressure off those for whom conversion seems like an insurmountable mountain. Carl Kerby says encouragingly: “It’s not my job to convict or convert people; it’s my job to talk to them. The Holy Spirit takes on the role of convicting and converting”. Acts 16:14 shows us that the Lord opened Lydia’s heart so that she could receive the preached word.The following story is very encouraging: “A Christian sailor, for example, who was stationed at a naval airplane base, one day stood with a friend at the corner of an airplane hangar and also testified to him of his faith in conversation. A third sailor, standing behind the corner and not even noticed by the other two, heard the gospel in this way by chance, recognized his sins at once, and converted to God in all sincerity. But the man to whom the message was intended did not respond.” Ecclesiastes 11:6 repeatedly proves itself: ” In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”

5. Your faith makes a difference. Of course, faith is necessary for the person concerned to be saved. And yet, the Lord connects the healing and the faith shown by the four friends. Your faith that the Lord wants to save people (1 Timothy 2:4) could also be the reason for someone’s conversion. Do you take the Lord at His word and rely on the fact that He wants to “seek and save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10) – and that He still does? Spurgeon says, “He wins souls best, I think when he believes in immediate conversions. How can he expect God to do what he himself does not believe in? According to his faith, it shall be done unto him.” Once, a preacher came to him and said, “I have been preaching for a long time now, and no one has been converted.” Spurgeon asked him: “Yes, do you think that someone is converted every time you preach God’s word?” “No, of course not,” was the modest reply. Spurgeon replied: “That’s the problem!”
6. Evangelism does not always mean preaching. Instead, true evangelism is a lifestyle, a daily witnessing, a “simple” leading people to the Lord. C.H. Mackintosh says: “This is a form of evangelism that one can look for today: individual commitment; seeking out one’s neighbor and bringing him to Jesus. I’m afraid that we hardly have anything like that. When you hear the word ‘evangelism,’ you involuntarily think of large arrangements, gatherings of people, and preachings. Of course, evangelists are given to the church as special gifts (Ephesians 4:11). But there is also evidence in the Bible that blessed sharing and witnessing was practiced by those who were never said to have the special gift or commission to do so.” We should all evangelize every day.

“He who wins souls is wise.” (Prov 11:30)