Bypassing Barriers: Bold Faith for Breakthroughs

Introduction:

Feeling stuck and unable to access God’s blessings? This message explores the concept of “getting into action” with bold faith. We’ll see how the story of the paralyzed man healed by Jesus (Mark 2:1-12) illustrates the importance of perseverance and unwavering belief (James 2:17).

They said, there must be a way, there is no way, we will make one! You say, there must be a way; you make a way, push everything aside. They went to the roof; opened the tiles, and made a way big enough for the sick man to be brought on a mattress, tied with four ropes on four corners; they remained up there; they did not wait for Jesus to finish His message. Where He is, there is no; every eye closed, every head bowed, you can interrupt Him. Where the power is, there is an interruption. I will not complain when you keep interrupting me. 

I will not complain because of the power, get to the power, and where there is power, there is reaction. You cannot put your finger in the socket and stay there philosophically, PhD, you can’t put your finger in the socket and stay there as a modern-day lady. If the electricity can shock the owner of the power of electricity How about you? Ask anybody, what is electricity. Ask the General Manager of Kenya Power Lighting Company what electricity is, they don’t know! No one knows, plus the GM! Do you think they know? They will tell you, electricity is a flow of electrons. But what are electrons?

The men lowered their crippled man, they were not in a night vigil the previous Friday you can’t prove to me they were I know you Kenyans; you think you can twist God’s hand by refusing to eat (fast), you cannot force God to do anything by your fasting, you will die of hunger, and He will not attend your funeral. The Bible says when Jesus saw their faith, He did not ask when they were in the synagogue last, He did not ask if they were baptized. 

He won’t ask you any of these questions we ask, all He wants is you in His presence. The Bible says, they lowered him to the feet of Jesus, not to the sofa, to the dry ground, where the feet of Jesus were, that is the most comfortable sofa you can be. In His presence is fullness of joy. Hallelujah! Jesus stopped preaching! Eight eyes up there caught Jesus’ two eyes, and those eyes said; he is now yours! Our brother was a cripple, but now he is all yours! I am breaking every barrier, I am breaking everything that is hindering you, I am breaking your youth, I am breaking your education cover, I break that! Don’t bring your money here, I break that! Don’t bring your tribe here, I break that! Don’t bring your name here, I break that! Don’t bring your political party, I break that! And I bring you to the feet of Jesus. In the presence of God, 

I despise your beauty, in the presence of the Lord, I despise your suits, In the presence of God, I despise your money, in the presence of God, I despise your age, in the presence of God, I despise your tribe, in the presence of God, I despise your education, in the presence of God, I despise where you were born, in the presence of God, I break every barrier, I break your femininity, your male gender. Hear this, when Jesus saw their faith, show your faith, He can’t see what you don’t show, show your faith, and He will see it. Faith is an action, it is not a talk! It is not a theory, it is not theology! He stopped preaching. 

He will stop anything to attend to you, if it is Joe Kayo who is coming between you and Jesus, bypass him and go to Jesus. Jesus saw their faith; He despised the Bishops, He despised the Reverends, He despised the Doctors of the Law, and those with PhDs in religion, to concentrate on a crooked body, very ugly, someone you couldn’t marry, to concentrate on the useless nobody. You think Jesus will leave everybody and concentrate on your beautiful face? You are deceiving yourself! He will concentrate on the crooked ugly, smelling ones who find their way to His presence.

You must be willing to despise your face, despise your money, despise your education, despise your marriage, and find your place at the feet of Jesus. His friends brought him there to be healed, but Jesus saw beyond that crooked body. What I see is not what God sees in you. Preachers see your empty pockets when you don’t send money; they know you are broke, but Jesus sees beyond your pockets. 

You who have no money, Jesus is concentrating on you. While others are fronting their money, Jesus is concentrating on your life. He said, “Your sins are forgiven.” He had not repented yet, but he was forgiven. That is the kind of God who we serve. He was forgiven. The past is for Because of the faith of his people, given, the past file is thrown away, you are now righteous before God, crooked but forgiven, crippled but righteous before God, looking ugly but forgiven. 

You are forgiven! Since Jesus died, you were forgiven. Shout I am forgiven! You have shut the devil out! Shout again; forgiven! You have shut witchcraft out, sorcery out, demons out, everything out; the old file is not in the archives of heaven, it has been thrown away and nobody can retrieve it, I am a new creation.

Now, I am not going to concentrate on the reaction of the religious people. They are not a part of the Gospel; they complained; who can forgive sin except God? Don’t worry about them; they are a waste of time. Jesus ignored them and said I am going to show you how superior I am. 

He told the paralytic: Arise, roll up the mattress that brought you here, and go home. That man was healed, he rolled up the mattress and said, make way, didn’t you hear? You keep sitting by, I am going home. Today, that which carried you, has no more power over you, today, you have the power over it. Today, you can go home safe, go home light, you can go home dancing, go home smiling, you can go home forgiven and healed. Hallelujah! It is over! It is finished! Don’t struggle with what Jesus finished! 

Conclusion:

The text emphasizes that genuine faith is active, not passive. It’s about taking initiative and bypassing obstacles to reach God’s presence (Mark 2:4). The story of the four men who lowered their friend through the roof exemplifies this principle.

By showing up with unwavering faith, we open ourselves to God’s transformative power. This power can heal us, forgive us, and empower us to overcome the limitations that have held us back. As the text says, “today, that which carried you, has no more power over you.”