1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:03,400 It's certainly good to see all that has made it out this 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:07,700 morning and thankful for. Man, who have led the songs, 3 00:00:07,700 --> 00:00:11,700 very appropriate songs, very timely songs, and the prayer 4 00:00:11,700 --> 00:00:14,400 that was led, I appreciate all of that. 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,900 And we're so thankful to be here today. 6 00:00:18,500 --> 00:00:22,900 I am passed out earlier before service a question year, some 7 00:00:22,900 --> 00:00:25,400 questions that we're going to ask and kind of go through and 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,000 apply God's word to it. If you don't have one, that's 9 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:28,600 fine. We're going to have the 10 00:00:28,608 --> 00:00:32,600 questions up here on the screen here. 11 00:00:32,700 --> 00:00:34,700 If you want to participate, that's fine. 12 00:00:34,700 --> 00:00:38,100 If you not, that's fine. And if you have a pen or pencil, 13 00:00:38,100 --> 00:00:40,300 you can Circle those, or if you just want to keep these things 14 00:00:40,300 --> 00:00:42,800 to yourself, there's nothing wrong with that. 15 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:48,000 These questions are intended to be pointed and to be effective. 16 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,400 And hopefully we will be able to draw from the word of God today 17 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:56,100 based on those questions. So I want to first start will go 18 00:00:56,100 --> 00:01:00,000 through these questions first and we'll have some opportunity 19 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:01,400 to answer those as we go through. 20 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:05,800 Here will be stuttering through Mark chapter 10 verses 29 21 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:07,000 through. Through 45. 22 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:13,100 The first question, do you ever feel unclean or dirty? 23 00:01:13,500 --> 00:01:16,500 Because of something, or some things, you have done. 24 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:19,700 There's five choices, five, choices that you have there. 25 00:01:19,900 --> 00:01:22,500 They're all the time. Most of the time sometimes 26 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:27,600 rarely or never. Circle, those of answer to 27 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:29,300 yourself, move on to the next one. 28 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,200 Question number two, do you ever feel unclean or dirty because of 29 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,600 something or some things that someone else has done to you? 30 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:43,200 Again, there's choices down below. 31 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:48,000 Five choices, five options. Question number three. 32 00:01:48,500 --> 00:01:50,300 Do you ever struggle with guilt over? 33 00:01:50,300 --> 00:01:52,400 Something. You something or things that 34 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,100 you've done even when, you know, you've been forgiven You have a 35 00:01:57,400 --> 00:01:59,400 low level of guilt that you deal with. 36 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,600 Sometimes just can't seem to shake it, something that you 37 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,300 struggle with from time to time rarely or never. 38 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,200 Do you ever struggle with guilt over something or things that 39 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:15,100 someone else has done to you? You ever struggle with some of 40 00:02:15,100 --> 00:02:16,800 the wrong that somebody has done to you. 41 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:23,400 Do you ever struggle with shame over something or things that 42 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:31,100 you have done? Do you ever struggle with shame 43 00:02:31,100 --> 00:02:34,600 over something or something that someone else has done to you? 44 00:02:39,100 --> 00:02:42,100 Question number 7, do you ever feel afraid of what others might 45 00:02:42,100 --> 00:02:44,800 think about you? If they knew things that you had 46 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:50,000 done. You feel afraid in that way. 47 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,900 Do you ever feel afraid of what others might think about you? 48 00:02:55,900 --> 00:02:59,300 If they knew something or that someone else has done to you, 49 00:03:01,100 --> 00:03:08,200 how often do you feel that way? Do you ever feel alone because 50 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:17,200 of something you've done? Do you ever feel alone because 51 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:19,300 of something someone else has done to you? 52 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,000 These last two questions are a little more specific. 53 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,000 There's no right? Or wrong. 54 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:29,200 You want to answer them to yourself? 55 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:30,700 That's fine. Just a few words. 56 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,700 What have you done? That has led to feeling unclean, 57 00:03:36,100 --> 00:03:40,000 guilty ashamed, afraid, or alone. 58 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:44,500 Just want us to be really honest with ourselves. 59 00:03:45,700 --> 00:03:50,600 When we answer these questions. And the last question, what has 60 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,600 someone done to you? That is lead to feeling unclean 61 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:58,100 guilty, ashamed, afraid or alone? 62 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,000 Just a few words answer that those questions if you would. 63 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,900 And when you think about these last two questions, I think 64 00:04:08,900 --> 00:04:12,700 sometimes we have the idea and I've said it before, and I know 65 00:04:12,700 --> 00:04:15,900 we've prayed for it here before is, you know, we're coming here. 66 00:04:15,900 --> 00:04:19,899 We want to put all the things of this world out of our lives at 67 00:04:19,899 --> 00:04:23,300 this time to worship God, just to come inside and worship God. 68 00:04:23,300 --> 00:04:26,200 But sometimes I fear that, that doesn't really necessarily 69 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:30,200 acknowledge God for who he is for what he can do. 70 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,200 We come to worship. We should be bringing all these 71 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,800 things are in our life and laying them at God's feet. 72 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:43,300 It's authentic if we put things of our life out of out of the 73 00:04:43,300 --> 00:04:47,500 way and come here, it's really not an authentic Christianity. 74 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,600 We've all gone through things, we have things are alive that we 75 00:04:51,608 --> 00:04:55,000 just need to be authentic with God about and bring him and 76 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:59,600 bring it to his feet. We should not be putting on a 77 00:04:59,608 --> 00:05:02,900 face before God or each other, but be honest before, God, and 78 00:05:02,900 --> 00:05:05,000 each other about the realities in our lives. 79 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:06,800 And one of the things I love about the Bible is that it 80 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:11,300 doesn't really shy away from pointing those things out to us. 81 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,200 The Bible tells us exactly what's wrong with us and every 82 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:21,100 point of our lives and Jesus meets us like no one else can. 83 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:25,600 And I want to, I want to show us this starting in Mark 1 and 84 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,500 we'll start in verse 29. And what we're about to read is 85 00:05:28,500 --> 00:05:31,100 about a 24-hour span of Jesus's life. 86 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,700 It starts at about midday and goes through the night and picks 87 00:05:35,700 --> 00:05:37,100 up the next day. So we're looking at about a 88 00:05:37,100 --> 00:05:43,200 24-hour span of Jesus life, and we're going to see what Jesus 89 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:47,700 makes him like anyone else. And just before this, he was 90 00:05:47,700 --> 00:05:51,200 teaching in the synagogue was Spiritual Authority. 91 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,200 Like, no one else. And we see Jesus teaching with 92 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,500 authority here. Now, starting in verse 29. 93 00:05:57,500 --> 00:06:00,600 It says, now, as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, 94 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:04,800 they entered the Simon and Andrew with James and John. 95 00:06:06,100 --> 00:06:10,300 But Simon's wife's mother, lay sick with a fever and they told 96 00:06:10,300 --> 00:06:14,000 him about her at once. So he came and took her by the 97 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,200 hand, and lifted her up and immediately, the fever left her, 98 00:06:17,500 --> 00:06:21,000 and she served them, and I want to make a few observations as we 99 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,200 go through these particular versus an observation. 100 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:29,500 Number one, Jesus has authority over disease and sickness. 101 00:06:30,500 --> 00:06:33,600 It's just a simple observation. Simon's mother-in-law had a 102 00:06:33,608 --> 00:06:36,800 fever. Jesus goes to her with nothing. 103 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,800 No Tylenol Advil, Aleve or anything, like that. 104 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,100 He takes her hand, he lifts her up and by the time she standing 105 00:06:44,100 --> 00:06:48,400 the fever's gone, she's healed, just like that, that may seem 106 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,300 minor to some of us but, you know, you and I can't do that. 107 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:56,700 We don't have that capability. Verse 32, moving on says, verse 108 00:06:56,700 --> 00:07:01,500 32 at evening, when the sun had set, they brought him to all who 109 00:07:01,500 --> 00:07:04,700 were sick and those who were demon-possessed, and the whole 110 00:07:04,700 --> 00:07:06,500 city was gathered together at the door. 111 00:07:07,100 --> 00:07:09,700 Then he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and 112 00:07:09,700 --> 00:07:12,800 cast out many demons. And he did not allow the demons 113 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:21,500 to speak because they knew him. Jesus, of course, is the one who 114 00:07:21,500 --> 00:07:24,100 has authority over all disease and sickness, according to verse 115 00:07:24,100 --> 00:07:26,700 34. And it says there in verse 34, 116 00:07:26,700 --> 00:07:28,800 then he healed many, who were sick with various diseases, and 117 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:32,800 cast out many demons as he did. And he did not allow the demons 118 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,200 as because he knew of him. Observation number two, Jesus 119 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:41,400 has authority over demons. Jesus, speaks and demons. 120 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:44,600 Flee G, Ms. Jesus. He even has authority of when 121 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:48,600 they can and can't speak. And after a full day of 122 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,700 teaching, and healing and diseases, and casting out, 123 00:07:51,700 --> 00:07:55,400 Jesus, then goes to goes to sleep and verse 35. 124 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,500 It says, they're now in the morning, having risen a long 125 00:07:58,500 --> 00:08:02,300 while before daylight and went out and departed to a solitary 126 00:08:02,300 --> 00:08:06,600 place and there he prayed and Simon and those who were with 127 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,800 him, search for him, when they found him, they said to him. 128 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,800 Everyone is looking for you, but he said to them. 129 00:08:13,100 --> 00:08:15,900 Let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also, 130 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:20,500 because for this - I have come forth and he preached in their 131 00:08:20,500 --> 00:08:24,200 synagogues throughout all Galilee and casting out all 132 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:30,000 demons are next observation. We want to make is Jesus 133 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:34,200 prioritises time alone with God over every other thing in his 134 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,900 day. He rises early in the morning 135 00:08:37,900 --> 00:08:40,600 while it's still dark and finds a desolate place and spends time 136 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,600 alone with God, the father and I want to ask ourselves. 137 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:52,100 Do we make that our priority As Jesus says priority, I promise 138 00:08:52,100 --> 00:08:57,400 our priority. do we have different priorities than what 139 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:02,700 Jesus has and and if we do, why is that Now I know we're busy 140 00:09:02,700 --> 00:09:06,000 people, I give that, we're all busy, we all have things to do. 141 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,300 We have places to be, we got deadlines to me. 142 00:09:08,900 --> 00:09:12,900 We have assignments that need to be done, but Jesus was pretty 143 00:09:12,900 --> 00:09:14,000 busy too. Don't you think? 144 00:09:16,300 --> 00:09:21,800 You had a whole city at the door in Jesus was healing as many as 145 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,900 he seemed to be healed. That was his decision. 146 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:31,400 He had so many people who were doing those, none of us have 147 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,300 lines of people waiting out our side outside of our door every 148 00:09:34,300 --> 00:09:40,100 day to be healed. Jesus knew that the most 149 00:09:40,100 --> 00:09:43,000 important time of the day was a time alone with his father. 150 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,700 And if that's true for him, how much more is that true for us? 151 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,500 And during all the important valuable and necessary things 152 00:09:48,500 --> 00:09:51,400 that we do during our day, the time alone with God is 153 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,700 absolutely more important more valuable than any other thing 154 00:09:54,700 --> 00:10:00,300 that we can do, And if we want to get up five minutes early and 155 00:10:00,500 --> 00:10:04,000 spend time alone with God, praying to him, reading his word 156 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:07,900 or taking that time, you know, kid the the younger kids, you 157 00:10:07,900 --> 00:10:10,500 know, were teenagers, you know, make that a point, make that a 158 00:10:10,508 --> 00:10:15,500 habit and us as adults. Let's show them how to do that. 159 00:10:16,700 --> 00:10:19,900 Let's be the example that we need to be for our kids. 160 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:25,000 What could be more important in our day that meeting with the 161 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,200 one who gives us breath? Who causes our heart to beat? 162 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,000 Who loves us more than anyone else, who Reigns over the entire 163 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:36,800 universe with all authority. What more important things than 164 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:40,300 we have to do than that? Jesus, prioritizes time alone, 165 00:10:40,300 --> 00:10:43,000 with God, over every other thing in his day. 166 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:48,500 Observation number four, Jesus, prioritises, proclamation of the 167 00:10:48,500 --> 00:10:52,400 Gospel. Among people in more places over 168 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:54,600 meeting physical needs right around him. 169 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:04,600 Notice what Jesus says. When his disciples were asking, 170 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:07,000 why are you out here alone in this desolate place? 171 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,000 There are people need to be healed, we've got work to do. 172 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,700 Jesus says, let's go to the next town. 173 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:19,500 Why that I may preach there also because for this purpose, I have 174 00:11:19,500 --> 00:11:24,600 come forth. That's why I've come Jesus says 175 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:27,400 to proclaim the gospel. And we also see this in Mark, 1 176 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:30,700 verses 14 through 15, he proclaimed, the gospel to more 177 00:11:30,700 --> 00:11:32,200 and more people, and more, and more places. 178 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,800 Eventually designed for all places everywhere to hear the 179 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,100 gospel. It was not just for some people 180 00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:41,900 in one place to be healed of diseases and delivered from 181 00:11:41,900 --> 00:11:44,000 demons. No, that was not Jesus mission. 182 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:47,500 It was Jesus. Jesus is priority. 183 00:11:48,300 --> 00:11:50,700 Is that why not make that our priority? 184 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,700 Why don't we work together here in this congregation to get the 185 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,200 news of the Gospel out? Not just here, but the entire 186 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:10,800 world What happens in Jesus as he leaves when he leaves a lone 187 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,100 time time alone with his father, to go a new place. 188 00:12:13,500 --> 00:12:17,300 Verse 40 and says moving on and says now, a leper came to him 189 00:12:17,300 --> 00:12:19,800 imploring him kneeling down at him and saying to him. 190 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,300 If you are willing you can make me clean, then Jesus moved with 191 00:12:24,300 --> 00:12:27,200 compassion stretched out his hand and touched him. 192 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,500 And said to him, I am willing be cleansed. 193 00:12:31,100 --> 00:12:33,900 As soon as he had spoken immediately, the leprosy left 194 00:12:33,900 --> 00:12:38,900 him and he was cleansed and he We warned him and sent him away 195 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,000 at once and said to him, see that you say nothing to know 196 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:46,000 anyone, but go your way show yourself to the priest and offer 197 00:12:46,900 --> 00:12:48,900 for your cleansing. Those things, which Moses 198 00:12:48,900 --> 00:12:50,900 commanded as a testimony to them. 199 00:12:51,500 --> 00:12:55,700 However, he went out and began to Proclaim it freely and to 200 00:12:55,708 --> 00:12:58,500 spread the matter so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the 201 00:12:58,500 --> 00:13:03,200 city but was outside in deserted places and they came to him from 202 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:07,700 every direction. There's a lot that we could 203 00:13:07,700 --> 00:13:11,300 observe here with significant implications for the questions 204 00:13:11,300 --> 00:13:15,400 that we asked earlier. There's so many here, a leper 205 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,000 came to Jesus and that term a leper. 206 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:25,000 And the Bible is used describes a very disgusting and very bad 207 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:29,400 skin disease that we can read about. 208 00:13:29,500 --> 00:13:32,200 It could even attack someone's nervous system at the point of 209 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:35,900 infection and set into tissues disintegrate limbs fall off. 210 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:40,100 And the body body was literally starts to wither because of 211 00:13:40,100 --> 00:13:43,800 leprosy and leprosy was more than just a disease that needed 212 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,300 to be healed. Do we know? 213 00:13:46,300 --> 00:13:49,200 I want to notice here, the word healed here is not used once. 214 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:52,900 It's not used in the stork the story. 215 00:13:52,900 --> 00:13:54,300 The Leopard doesn't ask to be healed. 216 00:13:54,300 --> 00:13:58,900 The Bible doesn't say that he was healed and said it says if 217 00:13:58,900 --> 00:14:02,800 you are willing you can make me clean. 218 00:14:04,100 --> 00:14:09,700 Not healed, but clean. And that word is repeated in 219 00:14:09,700 --> 00:14:13,200 every verse that we reading. This little passage clean Clans 220 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,300 clean. Cleansed And this because to be 221 00:14:16,300 --> 00:14:21,800 a leper, if you are a leper, you were unclean, you were dirty. 222 00:14:23,300 --> 00:14:25,600 Leprosy was more than just a physical condition left. 223 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:29,800 She was a dreadful way of life that they had to go through and 224 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,100 Leviticus 13 and 14 in the Old Testament. 225 00:14:32,100 --> 00:14:35,500 It describes that if you had leprosy, you lived in shame. 226 00:14:35,500 --> 00:14:39,700 You lived alone. You had to stay a far distance 227 00:14:39,700 --> 00:14:43,400 from anyone else around you. If for some reason someone got 228 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:47,300 near you, you're required to yell unclean, unclean to let 229 00:14:47,300 --> 00:14:49,900 everybody know around you that you were a leper. 230 00:14:50,700 --> 00:14:55,700 That you have this disease. And I think we can imagine the 231 00:14:55,700 --> 00:14:58,500 physical and social, and mental emotional, even spiritual 232 00:14:58,500 --> 00:15:02,100 struggles that someone that had leprosy could go through. 233 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:08,600 Leprosy was actually represented as Sin itself in the book of 234 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,500 Isaiah lepers were looked upon as the Living Dead. 235 00:15:11,500 --> 00:15:13,900 If you had leprosy, you could not touch or even be close to 236 00:15:13,908 --> 00:15:17,000 your family friends or loved ones, couldn't be around him. 237 00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:22,200 I think that we can. Identify with that a little bit 238 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,700 today with covid that we've been dealing with. 239 00:15:25,700 --> 00:15:29,900 You know, people want six feet apart social distance, you know, 240 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,200 If you've been unvaccinated, you do make sure you wear a mask or 241 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,300 don't get near me. You know, we have that in a 242 00:15:37,300 --> 00:15:40,200 sense in a way not to the degree of leprosy but I think we can 243 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:49,200 identify that a little bit. People around this leper. 244 00:15:49,500 --> 00:15:51,900 You know, you could imagine him coming through this crowd. 245 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:57,700 You know, he has to yell unclean unclean as he goes to this cloud 246 00:15:57,700 --> 00:16:00,400 and people around him, start parting like the Red Sea or 247 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,700 running away from him pulling. Their kids away shouting for 248 00:16:02,700 --> 00:16:07,000 everyone else, to do the same. And he comes up to Jesus Falls 249 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:14,300 in Aziz and implores him saying, if you are willing, Not, if you 250 00:16:14,300 --> 00:16:20,000 are able but if you are willing this guy, this leper knew that 251 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,500 Jesus was able. He knew Jesus was able to do 252 00:16:23,500 --> 00:16:26,600 this. And he was moved with 253 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:29,000 compassion. This word compassion, right 254 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,200 here. Very interesting word. 255 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,100 If you actually look at some of the other translations, I 256 00:16:35,108 --> 00:16:39,500 believe it's the NIV, instead of the same compassion here. 257 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:47,000 It says anger. Jesus was moved with anger. 258 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:52,900 And I thought how in the world could two different versions 259 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:57,000 have to almost polar opposite words. 260 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,800 And this is part. One of the rare areas in the 261 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,800 Bible worth from the old manuscripts, were a couple of 262 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:08,400 the old manuscripts conflict in this, but I started thinking, 263 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:12,900 oh, well. They can actually maybe go 264 00:17:12,900 --> 00:17:15,099 together a little bit if we think about it. 265 00:17:17,700 --> 00:17:20,700 When you have someone in your life that is hurting or 266 00:17:20,700 --> 00:17:24,300 suffering or going through something, your heart aches for 267 00:17:24,300 --> 00:17:29,900 them, it feels for them. And at the exact same time, 268 00:17:29,900 --> 00:17:33,500 whatever you hate in this Fallen world that we live in that 269 00:17:33,500 --> 00:17:37,700 causes this disease or hurt to come upon somebody that causes a 270 00:17:37,700 --> 00:17:44,500 little bit of anger. But the difference between Jesus 271 00:17:44,500 --> 00:17:48,400 in us, you know, that's when we're in situations like that. 272 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,200 We feel that way because we're so helpless because we can't 273 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,800 help that loved one that is near to us because of whatever 274 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,200 they're dealing with. When we see this person that we 275 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,300 love is hurting a child, a parent or friend a spouse, we 276 00:18:00,300 --> 00:18:02,600 want to change it, we want to take it away, but we can. 277 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,700 The difference is Jesus is able and willing to do something 278 00:18:05,700 --> 00:18:08,700 about that and look at what Jesus does instead of turning 279 00:18:08,700 --> 00:18:11,600 around from this man like everybody else Jesus. 280 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:16,400 Turns to him. He doesn't speak like we see 281 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,100 another Miracles. Jesus could have said a word, he 282 00:18:19,100 --> 00:18:21,100 could have had a thought, he could have did whatever he 283 00:18:21,100 --> 00:18:26,500 wanted to do. But Jesus instead moved with 284 00:18:26,500 --> 00:18:29,500 pity he stretched out his hand and Jesus and the Jewish law 285 00:18:29,500 --> 00:18:31,800 says do not touch a leper, you can't do it. 286 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:34,300 That's what the Jewish law states. 287 00:18:35,900 --> 00:18:39,000 To touch a leper. Would to be become unclean 288 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:43,100 yourself to touch a leper would be to join that leper in his 289 00:18:43,100 --> 00:18:47,800 uncleanness with and shame. But Jesus Jesus stretched out 290 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:51,200 his hand. He stretched out his hand and 291 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,700 touched him. He blew the doors off of Jewish 292 00:18:54,700 --> 00:18:58,900 law. He just you turned it upside 293 00:18:58,900 --> 00:19:01,000 down. He did, he did exactly what they 294 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,600 expected him not to do and it's just amazing to me. 295 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,200 And we could imagine the crowds gasping in horror, as Jesus, you 296 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,400 know, now, defiled himself and Jesus. 297 00:19:10,700 --> 00:19:13,600 Jesus says, I am willing be cleans and immediately the 298 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,500 leprosy left him. Can we imagine what that me a 299 00:19:16,508 --> 00:19:20,200 look like, you know, just picture it in your mind, you 300 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:24,100 know, the shriveled staying skin on your hand and maybe loss of 301 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:26,900 fingers or whatever it may have been? 302 00:19:27,100 --> 00:19:36,400 and that this guy was, Dealing with and immediately gone clean 303 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:42,300 normal skin. Shame instantly removed and the 304 00:19:42,300 --> 00:19:44,900 man looks around and realize I realized for the first time in a 305 00:19:44,908 --> 00:19:48,000 long, long time that he doesn't have to yell out anymore when 306 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:52,600 he's coming around. For the first time in a long 307 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:54,300 time. He's not alone, he's not afraid. 308 00:19:54,300 --> 00:19:56,100 He sees his friends, he sees his spouse. 309 00:19:56,100 --> 00:20:00,000 Maybe she's a child, he's able to hug his family again to have 310 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,900 that connection. There's No One Like Jesus. 311 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,600 No one can do that. But Jesus and then Jesus tells 312 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:09,600 us man to go to the priest in the temple, according to the 313 00:20:09,900 --> 00:20:12,400 into God's law, in the old Covenant, in order to be 314 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:15,600 officially declared clean. Jesus tells them not to speak 315 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:17,800 about this anymore. And we see this, of course 316 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:20,100 multiple times when Jesus performed miracles to kind of, 317 00:20:20,500 --> 00:20:23,300 you know, keep it to yourself. But of course, this guy couldn't 318 00:20:23,300 --> 00:20:26,100 contain himself. He had to go tell everybody 319 00:20:26,100 --> 00:20:27,900 about what Jesus had done. So I want to go back to the 320 00:20:27,900 --> 00:20:30,500 questions that we asked their earlier. 321 00:20:31,700 --> 00:20:33,800 Do you ever feel unclean or dirty because of something 322 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,700 you've done? What about feeling and clean or 323 00:20:36,700 --> 00:20:38,200 dirty? Because of something? 324 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:42,000 Someone else has done to us. You ever struggle with guilt 325 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:43,900 over something. You've done what about shame 326 00:20:43,900 --> 00:20:45,900 over. Something you've done, what 327 00:20:45,900 --> 00:20:48,300 about fear of what, others might think of us? 328 00:20:48,300 --> 00:20:51,700 That they knew the things that we have done the over feel alone 329 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:53,700 because of something you've done. 330 00:20:54,500 --> 00:20:56,500 And in just a few words, describe what? 331 00:20:57,500 --> 00:21:00,000 You have done. That's LED you to feel unclean, 332 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:01,900 guilty, ashamed, afraid or alone. 333 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:04,400 What is someone else done to you? 334 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,200 That has led to feeling and clean guilty ashamed, or afraid 335 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:12,200 or alone? I could imagine. 336 00:21:15,100 --> 00:21:17,300 Of some of the things that may go through our heads. 337 00:21:18,500 --> 00:21:21,700 When we Ponder these questions. And I just want to summarize by 338 00:21:21,700 --> 00:21:27,300 saying that we are living in a broken and Fallen World, and we 339 00:21:27,300 --> 00:21:29,300 are hurting people in one way or another. 340 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,100 There are things in my life that you all don't understand. 341 00:21:34,100 --> 00:21:36,600 There's things in each individual's life that's going 342 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:42,200 on that. I don't understand. and, We 343 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:47,800 can't just put on a face all the time and worship God and be fake 344 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,600 about it. We need to be authentic to our 345 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:54,500 worship towards God. That's what God wants God's once 346 00:21:54,500 --> 00:22:01,600 the raw us. We all feel these things in some 347 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:05,800 measure, and I would submit that if any of us don't feel those 348 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:09,100 things. Maybe we were in the most 349 00:22:09,100 --> 00:22:13,800 dangerous position of all. You know, because we have all 350 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:15,800 done things. We've all done things for which 351 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:18,400 we are guilty before God and of others denial. 352 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:22,800 Maybe you know the drug of our choice covering up some of these 353 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:25,500 things but God makes it clear that his were in his word that 354 00:22:25,500 --> 00:22:31,500 all the fallen short. In Romans 3:23, we're all Fallen 355 00:22:31,500 --> 00:22:33,800 people fall and families in a fallen, sinful world. 356 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:37,200 And the first step towards healing and wholeness health is 357 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:44,800 realizing that So where is the one who is able and willing to 358 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:48,600 make us clean? And the good news of the Bible 359 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:53,600 is that there is one the one that God sent and that is Jesus. 360 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,500 That is why he came. He came to make us clean to take 361 00:22:56,500 --> 00:23:01,100 all the sins in our life and take it upon himself and become 362 00:23:01,100 --> 00:23:04,700 sin. His self for us, he has 363 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,700 authority over all disease with all authority, all over all 364 00:23:07,700 --> 00:23:10,100 demons. He's procam to proclaim, the 365 00:23:10,108 --> 00:23:13,600 good news to all people in all nations, no matter who you are. 366 00:23:14,500 --> 00:23:17,700 Or what we have done. All of us are sinners. 367 00:23:17,700 --> 00:23:20,500 And so how can Jesus, who is perfectly true? 368 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:25,200 Who is perfect in every way? How can he declare any of us 369 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,600 innocent when we are all guilty of sin? 370 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,000 How can Jesus, give any of us honor when we all deserve 371 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:35,400 judgment for our sin? How can any of us have eternal 372 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:37,800 life with God? When all of us in our sin, 373 00:23:38,100 --> 00:23:40,300 warrant Eternal separation from God? 374 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:45,800 And the answer is what makes Jesus unlike any other that we 375 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:48,000 have ever seen. And it's the why, the story of 376 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,400 Jesus. And the leopards actually 377 00:23:49,700 --> 00:23:52,700 pointing us to a much greater story about Jesus in our lives. 378 00:23:52,900 --> 00:23:55,700 The leper who was humble and bold enough to come to Jesus 379 00:23:55,700 --> 00:23:58,400 stretched out his hand and touched a leper. 380 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:03,200 In order to make that man clean in a much greater way, he 381 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,000 stretched out his hands on the cross. 382 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:09,900 And took all the sin and uncleanness of those who believe 383 00:24:09,900 --> 00:24:14,300 his gospel. And he paid the price, the whole 384 00:24:14,300 --> 00:24:17,200 price, the only price that could be paid. 385 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:24,200 And that is the gospel. We have talked about course, 386 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:26,800 things that we have done, and the things that maybe others 387 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:28,700 have done to us things, which we've done that. 388 00:24:28,700 --> 00:24:31,900 Leave us feeling unclean, guilty ashamed, afraid alone. 389 00:24:32,500 --> 00:24:35,000 May look a little different in your lives and does from mine. 390 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:40,300 But the the stain of saints in is all over all of us and there 391 00:24:40,300 --> 00:24:44,200 are things in this, you know, world that we've experienced 392 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:47,400 when it comes to suffering. Disease sickness struggles, we 393 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:50,200 live in a world that offers all kinds of avenues to get rid of 394 00:24:50,208 --> 00:24:53,800 these feelings. You know, just work hard work 395 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:55,000 harder and you'll get through it. 396 00:24:56,500 --> 00:25:01,800 Stay busy more, keep working. maybe get another job to occupy 397 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:06,600 your time or Maybe get a little little more busier in the 398 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:10,500 church, do more religious things and you'll get through these 399 00:25:10,500 --> 00:25:17,800 struggles. and, As hard as we try, it's still there, right? 400 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:20,500 Although all that work that we put in is still there. 401 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,200 All those things that we deal with is still there because the 402 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:28,200 reason is because we're looking to a fallen world for something 403 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:33,500 that it cannot take care of There is no one, no matter how 404 00:25:33,500 --> 00:25:36,500 great the relationship is who can take away or unclean this 405 00:25:36,500 --> 00:25:38,300 and make us feel clean in this world. 406 00:25:38,500 --> 00:25:41,700 But the good news of the Bible is at the pure and holy one of 407 00:25:41,700 --> 00:25:43,800 God In the Flesh. Emmanuel has come to us. 408 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,800 Lived a perfect life among us and willingly chose to suffer on 409 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:50,400 a cross for us and shed his blood at the price for our sin. 410 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:54,000 So that when we decide to follow the gospel, no matter what we've 411 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:56,900 done, no matter how afraid, we might be no matter what others 412 00:25:56,900 --> 00:26:01,900 may think about us. Jesus knows about that in his 413 00:26:01,900 --> 00:26:05,800 taking it all upon himself. He defiled himself, became sin 414 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:09,400 for ourselves that we might be come, the righteousness of God, 415 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:14,900 free from sin, that's good news. That's great news. 416 00:26:16,900 --> 00:26:19,500 Maybe we're still thinking, I've still got some suffering this 417 00:26:19,500 --> 00:26:21,900 world, you know, I still struggle with sickness and 418 00:26:21,900 --> 00:26:23,600 disease. I prayed for healing for my 419 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:27,800 disease, but it's still there. I've experienced this person did 420 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:31,400 this to me, I can't get it out of my mind, whatever it may be, 421 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,400 you know, these are realities that we deal with. 422 00:26:35,100 --> 00:26:39,000 Beyond what Jesus has done to pay the price for our sins. 423 00:26:39,300 --> 00:26:43,900 When Jesus went to the Cross as well, he suffered our sins to 424 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:47,700 even just died for our sins, you suffered for on our behalf, he 425 00:26:47,700 --> 00:26:50,500 died on the cross, he experienced death in our place 426 00:26:50,500 --> 00:26:52,800 and in doing. So he was saying to all, who 427 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:55,100 believe and follow him and are baptized for the remission of 428 00:26:55,100 --> 00:26:57,100 their sins. Whatever, we experience in this 429 00:26:57,100 --> 00:27:00,500 world, whatever we suffer with experience, disease, sickness or 430 00:27:00,500 --> 00:27:02,600 anything else that anybody has ever done to us. 431 00:27:03,900 --> 00:27:09,300 Those things don't Define us. That's not Who We Are. 432 00:27:11,300 --> 00:27:13,900 Those things that the world thinks about is is not who we 433 00:27:13,900 --> 00:27:15,100 are. They don't Define us. 434 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:17,700 He died on the cross. He rose from the grave and he's 435 00:27:17,700 --> 00:27:22,600 coming back one day. We know this. and on that day, 436 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:27,600 he's going to take All of our sorrows and all of our troubles 437 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,400 and all of our cares and hurt and anger. 438 00:27:32,100 --> 00:27:35,600 I was feeling alone that's going to be gone in the blink of an 439 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:40,500 eye. You know, I think of some of the 440 00:27:40,500 --> 00:27:43,200 things that, you know, members here in this Congregation of 441 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:46,400 gone through and are going through and deal with on a 442 00:27:46,408 --> 00:27:50,300 day-to-day basis. You know, it's it's encouraging 443 00:27:50,300 --> 00:27:54,700 to know that. One of these days, it's all 444 00:27:54,700 --> 00:27:57,800 going to be taken care of. We won't even think about those 445 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:01,000 things anymore because we'll be worshipping or God in heaven 446 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:07,100 forever and ever and ever. It may not be on our time. 447 00:28:07,100 --> 00:28:09,600 You know we pray for these things and think okay prayers 448 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:13,100 going to take care of this. God knows the time, it may not 449 00:28:13,100 --> 00:28:17,600 be now, may not be tomorrow. You may not be next year but one 450 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:21,000 day even when it's on his time when he calls it into this 451 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,500 world, all that pain is going to be gone and that's good news. 452 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,800 No one else but Jesus can heal our deepest hurts take. 453 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:31,700 They take that, which is unclean and make us clean, take that, 454 00:28:31,700 --> 00:28:33,500 which is guilty and make a sentence. 455 00:28:33,500 --> 00:28:37,800 It take that witches is ashamed and bring us honor that could 456 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:40,700 remove fear and reconcile us to into the relationship with our 457 00:28:40,700 --> 00:28:47,900 creator, only Jesus. If only we would be bold and 458 00:28:47,900 --> 00:28:52,300 humble enough like the leopard and come to Jesus, knowing that 459 00:28:52,300 --> 00:28:57,400 he is willing and he is able if we put all of our pride aside 460 00:28:57,900 --> 00:29:02,800 and come to him if we choose to obey Jesus and have him be Lord 461 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:05,800 in our life, today we have a means of baptism for the 462 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:09,000 remission of our sins. We can facilitate facilitate 463 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:14,200 that today here in this building for them, for all those who, you 464 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:19,000 know, who have chosen to obey the gospel of Christ, With all 465 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:21,400 those who follow him and call him, Lord of our life, I'm not 466 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:23,100 presuming in. Any way that there's not a 467 00:29:23,100 --> 00:29:24,600 battle that we deal with everyday. 468 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,900 That sometimes these feelings are real and that's a blessing 469 00:29:29,900 --> 00:29:31,700 that we receive when we're in the church. 470 00:29:33,100 --> 00:29:36,800 You know, we have the blessing of brothers and sisters around 471 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:38,500 us to help us get through those things. 472 00:29:39,900 --> 00:29:43,800 That's a, that's a huge blessing in the church applying gospel 473 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:46,500 help and healing to each other's hearts and Minds day after day 474 00:29:46,500 --> 00:29:49,200 as we share life with each other week after week. 475 00:29:49,700 --> 00:29:53,100 And if there is someone here who is in need of any type of 476 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:58,700 prayers or needs to make a public confession, to rid us of 477 00:29:58,700 --> 00:30:01,300 those sins, we ask you, please come and do so as we stand and 478 00:30:01,300 --> 00:30:05,500 seeing at this time We thank you for listening to our podcast, 479 00:30:05,500 --> 00:30:09,400 put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. 480 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:13,000 Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional 481 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,200 information or you would like to receive a free Bible 482 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:21,700 correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at True 483 00:30:21,700 --> 00:30:24,200 Church of Christ Bakersfield.com. 484 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:30,000 Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 485 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:34,500 Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us. 486 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,200 We would love for you to be our honored guest.