It's certainly good to see all that has made it out this
morning and thankful for. Man, who have led the songs,
very appropriate songs, very timely songs, and the prayer
that was led, I appreciate all of that.
And we're so thankful to be here today.
I am passed out earlier before service a question year, some
questions that we're going to ask and kind of go through and
apply God's word to it. If you don't have one, that's
fine. We're going to have the
questions up here on the screen here.
If you want to participate, that's fine.
If you not, that's fine. And if you have a pen or pencil,
you can Circle those, or if you just want to keep these things
to yourself, there's nothing wrong with that.
These questions are intended to be pointed and to be effective.
And hopefully we will be able to draw from the word of God today
based on those questions. So I want to first start will go
through these questions first and we'll have some opportunity
to answer those as we go through.
Here will be stuttering through Mark chapter 10 verses 29
through. Through 45.
The first question, do you ever feel unclean or dirty?
Because of something, or some things, you have done.
There's five choices, five, choices that you have there.
They're all the time. Most of the time sometimes
rarely or never. Circle, those of answer to
yourself, move on to the next one.
Question number two, do you ever feel unclean or dirty because of
something or some things that someone else has done to you?
Again, there's choices down below.
Five choices, five options. Question number three.
Do you ever struggle with guilt over?
Something. You something or things that
you've done even when, you know, you've been forgiven You have a
low level of guilt that you deal with.
Sometimes just can't seem to shake it, something that you
struggle with from time to time rarely or never.
Do you ever struggle with guilt over something or things that
someone else has done to you? You ever struggle with some of
the wrong that somebody has done to you.
Do you ever struggle with shame over something or things that
you have done? Do you ever struggle with shame
over something or something that someone else has done to you?
Question number 7, do you ever feel afraid of what others might
think about you? If they knew things that you had
done. You feel afraid in that way.
Do you ever feel afraid of what others might think about you?
If they knew something or that someone else has done to you,
how often do you feel that way? Do you ever feel alone because
of something you've done? Do you ever feel alone because
of something someone else has done to you?
These last two questions are a little more specific.
There's no right? Or wrong.
You want to answer them to yourself?
That's fine. Just a few words.
What have you done? That has led to feeling unclean,
guilty ashamed, afraid, or alone.
Just want us to be really honest with ourselves.
When we answer these questions. And the last question, what has
someone done to you? That is lead to feeling unclean
guilty, ashamed, afraid or alone?
Just a few words answer that those questions if you would.
And when you think about these last two questions, I think
sometimes we have the idea and I've said it before, and I know
we've prayed for it here before is, you know, we're coming here.
We want to put all the things of this world out of our lives at
this time to worship God, just to come inside and worship God.
But sometimes I fear that, that doesn't really necessarily
acknowledge God for who he is for what he can do.
We come to worship. We should be bringing all these
things are in our life and laying them at God's feet.
It's authentic if we put things of our life out of out of the
way and come here, it's really not an authentic Christianity.
We've all gone through things, we have things are alive that we
just need to be authentic with God about and bring him and
bring it to his feet. We should not be putting on a
face before God or each other, but be honest before, God, and
each other about the realities in our lives.
And one of the things I love about the Bible is that it
doesn't really shy away from pointing those things out to us.
The Bible tells us exactly what's wrong with us and every
point of our lives and Jesus meets us like no one else can.
And I want to, I want to show us this starting in Mark 1 and
we'll start in verse 29. And what we're about to read is
about a 24-hour span of Jesus's life.
It starts at about midday and goes through the night and picks
up the next day. So we're looking at about a
24-hour span of Jesus life, and we're going to see what Jesus
makes him like anyone else. And just before this, he was
teaching in the synagogue was Spiritual Authority.
Like, no one else. And we see Jesus teaching with
authority here. Now, starting in verse 29.
It says, now, as soon as they had come out of the synagogue,
they entered the Simon and Andrew with James and John.
But Simon's wife's mother, lay sick with a fever and they told
him about her at once. So he came and took her by the
hand, and lifted her up and immediately, the fever left her,
and she served them, and I want to make a few observations as we
go through these particular versus an observation.
Number one, Jesus has authority over disease and sickness.
It's just a simple observation. Simon's mother-in-law had a
fever. Jesus goes to her with nothing.
No Tylenol Advil, Aleve or anything, like that.
He takes her hand, he lifts her up and by the time she standing
the fever's gone, she's healed, just like that, that may seem
minor to some of us but, you know, you and I can't do that.
We don't have that capability. Verse 32, moving on says, verse
32 at evening, when the sun had set, they brought him to all who
were sick and those who were demon-possessed, and the whole
city was gathered together at the door.
Then he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and
cast out many demons. And he did not allow the demons
to speak because they knew him. Jesus, of course, is the one who
has authority over all disease and sickness, according to verse
34. And it says there in verse 34,
then he healed many, who were sick with various diseases, and
cast out many demons as he did. And he did not allow the demons
as because he knew of him. Observation number two, Jesus
has authority over demons. Jesus, speaks and demons.
Flee G, Ms. Jesus. He even has authority of when
they can and can't speak. And after a full day of
teaching, and healing and diseases, and casting out,
Jesus, then goes to goes to sleep and verse 35.
It says, they're now in the morning, having risen a long
while before daylight and went out and departed to a solitary
place and there he prayed and Simon and those who were with
him, search for him, when they found him, they said to him.
Everyone is looking for you, but he said to them.
Let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also,
because for this - I have come forth and he preached in their
synagogues throughout all Galilee and casting out all
demons are next observation. We want to make is Jesus
prioritises time alone with God over every other thing in his
day. He rises early in the morning
while it's still dark and finds a desolate place and spends time
alone with God, the father and I want to ask ourselves.
Do we make that our priority As Jesus says priority, I promise
our priority. do we have different priorities than what
Jesus has and and if we do, why is that Now I know we're busy
people, I give that, we're all busy, we all have things to do.
We have places to be, we got deadlines to me.
We have assignments that need to be done, but Jesus was pretty
busy too. Don't you think?
You had a whole city at the door in Jesus was healing as many as
he seemed to be healed. That was his decision.
He had so many people who were doing those, none of us have
lines of people waiting out our side outside of our door every
day to be healed. Jesus knew that the most
important time of the day was a time alone with his father.
And if that's true for him, how much more is that true for us?
And during all the important valuable and necessary things
that we do during our day, the time alone with God is
absolutely more important more valuable than any other thing
that we can do, And if we want to get up five minutes early and
spend time alone with God, praying to him, reading his word
or taking that time, you know, kid the the younger kids, you
know, were teenagers, you know, make that a point, make that a
habit and us as adults. Let's show them how to do that.
Let's be the example that we need to be for our kids.
What could be more important in our day that meeting with the
one who gives us breath? Who causes our heart to beat?
Who loves us more than anyone else, who Reigns over the entire
universe with all authority. What more important things than
we have to do than that? Jesus, prioritizes time alone,
with God, over every other thing in his day.
Observation number four, Jesus, prioritises, proclamation of the
Gospel. Among people in more places over
meeting physical needs right around him.
Notice what Jesus says. When his disciples were asking,
why are you out here alone in this desolate place?
There are people need to be healed, we've got work to do.
Jesus says, let's go to the next town.
Why that I may preach there also because for this purpose, I have
come forth. That's why I've come Jesus says
to proclaim the gospel. And we also see this in Mark, 1
verses 14 through 15, he proclaimed, the gospel to more
and more people, and more, and more places.
Eventually designed for all places everywhere to hear the
gospel. It was not just for some people
in one place to be healed of diseases and delivered from
demons. No, that was not Jesus mission.
It was Jesus. Jesus is priority.
Is that why not make that our priority?
Why don't we work together here in this congregation to get the
news of the Gospel out? Not just here, but the entire
world What happens in Jesus as he leaves when he leaves a lone
time time alone with his father, to go a new place.
Verse 40 and says moving on and says now, a leper came to him
imploring him kneeling down at him and saying to him.
If you are willing you can make me clean, then Jesus moved with
compassion stretched out his hand and touched him.
And said to him, I am willing be cleansed.
As soon as he had spoken immediately, the leprosy left
him and he was cleansed and he We warned him and sent him away
at once and said to him, see that you say nothing to know
anyone, but go your way show yourself to the priest and offer
for your cleansing. Those things, which Moses
commanded as a testimony to them.
However, he went out and began to Proclaim it freely and to
spread the matter so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the
city but was outside in deserted places and they came to him from
every direction. There's a lot that we could
observe here with significant implications for the questions
that we asked earlier. There's so many here, a leper
came to Jesus and that term a leper.
And the Bible is used describes a very disgusting and very bad
skin disease that we can read about.
It could even attack someone's nervous system at the point of
infection and set into tissues disintegrate limbs fall off.
And the body body was literally starts to wither because of
leprosy and leprosy was more than just a disease that needed
to be healed. Do we know?
I want to notice here, the word healed here is not used once.
It's not used in the stork the story.
The Leopard doesn't ask to be healed.
The Bible doesn't say that he was healed and said it says if
you are willing you can make me clean.
Not healed, but clean. And that word is repeated in
every verse that we reading. This little passage clean Clans
clean. Cleansed And this because to be
a leper, if you are a leper, you were unclean, you were dirty.
Leprosy was more than just a physical condition left.
She was a dreadful way of life that they had to go through and
Leviticus 13 and 14 in the Old Testament.
It describes that if you had leprosy, you lived in shame.
You lived alone. You had to stay a far distance
from anyone else around you. If for some reason someone got
near you, you're required to yell unclean, unclean to let
everybody know around you that you were a leper.
That you have this disease. And I think we can imagine the
physical and social, and mental emotional, even spiritual
struggles that someone that had leprosy could go through.
Leprosy was actually represented as Sin itself in the book of
Isaiah lepers were looked upon as the Living Dead.
If you had leprosy, you could not touch or even be close to
your family friends or loved ones, couldn't be around him.
I think that we can. Identify with that a little bit
today with covid that we've been dealing with.
You know, people want six feet apart social distance, you know,
If you've been unvaccinated, you do make sure you wear a mask or
don't get near me. You know, we have that in a
sense in a way not to the degree of leprosy but I think we can
identify that a little bit. People around this leper.
You know, you could imagine him coming through this crowd.
You know, he has to yell unclean unclean as he goes to this cloud
and people around him, start parting like the Red Sea or
running away from him pulling. Their kids away shouting for
everyone else, to do the same. And he comes up to Jesus Falls
in Aziz and implores him saying, if you are willing, Not, if you
are able but if you are willing this guy, this leper knew that
Jesus was able. He knew Jesus was able to do
this. And he was moved with
compassion. This word compassion, right
here. Very interesting word.
If you actually look at some of the other translations, I
believe it's the NIV, instead of the same compassion here.
It says anger. Jesus was moved with anger.
And I thought how in the world could two different versions
have to almost polar opposite words.
And this is part. One of the rare areas in the
Bible worth from the old manuscripts, were a couple of
the old manuscripts conflict in this, but I started thinking,
oh, well. They can actually maybe go
together a little bit if we think about it.
When you have someone in your life that is hurting or
suffering or going through something, your heart aches for
them, it feels for them. And at the exact same time,
whatever you hate in this Fallen world that we live in that
causes this disease or hurt to come upon somebody that causes a
little bit of anger. But the difference between Jesus
in us, you know, that's when we're in situations like that.
We feel that way because we're so helpless because we can't
help that loved one that is near to us because of whatever
they're dealing with. When we see this person that we
love is hurting a child, a parent or friend a spouse, we
want to change it, we want to take it away, but we can.
The difference is Jesus is able and willing to do something
about that and look at what Jesus does instead of turning
around from this man like everybody else Jesus.
Turns to him. He doesn't speak like we see
another Miracles. Jesus could have said a word, he
could have had a thought, he could have did whatever he
wanted to do. But Jesus instead moved with
pity he stretched out his hand and Jesus and the Jewish law
says do not touch a leper, you can't do it.
That's what the Jewish law states.
To touch a leper. Would to be become unclean
yourself to touch a leper would be to join that leper in his
uncleanness with and shame. But Jesus Jesus stretched out
his hand. He stretched out his hand and
touched him. He blew the doors off of Jewish
law. He just you turned it upside
down. He did, he did exactly what they
expected him not to do and it's just amazing to me.
And we could imagine the crowds gasping in horror, as Jesus, you
know, now, defiled himself and Jesus.
Jesus says, I am willing be cleans and immediately the
leprosy left him. Can we imagine what that me a
look like, you know, just picture it in your mind, you
know, the shriveled staying skin on your hand and maybe loss of
fingers or whatever it may have been?
and that this guy was, Dealing with and immediately gone clean
normal skin. Shame instantly removed and the
man looks around and realize I realized for the first time in a
long, long time that he doesn't have to yell out anymore when
he's coming around. For the first time in a long
time. He's not alone, he's not afraid.
He sees his friends, he sees his spouse.
Maybe she's a child, he's able to hug his family again to have
that connection. There's No One Like Jesus.
No one can do that. But Jesus and then Jesus tells
us man to go to the priest in the temple, according to the
into God's law, in the old Covenant, in order to be
officially declared clean. Jesus tells them not to speak
about this anymore. And we see this, of course
multiple times when Jesus performed miracles to kind of,
you know, keep it to yourself. But of course, this guy couldn't
contain himself. He had to go tell everybody
about what Jesus had done. So I want to go back to the
questions that we asked their earlier.
Do you ever feel unclean or dirty because of something
you've done? What about feeling and clean or
dirty? Because of something?
Someone else has done to us. You ever struggle with guilt
over something. You've done what about shame
over. Something you've done, what
about fear of what, others might think of us?
That they knew the things that we have done the over feel alone
because of something you've done.
And in just a few words, describe what?
You have done. That's LED you to feel unclean,
guilty, ashamed, afraid or alone.
What is someone else done to you?
That has led to feeling and clean guilty ashamed, or afraid
or alone? I could imagine.
Of some of the things that may go through our heads.
When we Ponder these questions. And I just want to summarize by
saying that we are living in a broken and Fallen World, and we
are hurting people in one way or another.
There are things in my life that you all don't understand.
There's things in each individual's life that's going
on that. I don't understand. and, We
can't just put on a face all the time and worship God and be fake
about it. We need to be authentic to our
worship towards God. That's what God wants God's once
the raw us. We all feel these things in some
measure, and I would submit that if any of us don't feel those
things. Maybe we were in the most
dangerous position of all. You know, because we have all
done things. We've all done things for which
we are guilty before God and of others denial.
Maybe you know the drug of our choice covering up some of these
things but God makes it clear that his were in his word that
all the fallen short. In Romans 3:23, we're all Fallen
people fall and families in a fallen, sinful world.
And the first step towards healing and wholeness health is
realizing that So where is the one who is able and willing to
make us clean? And the good news of the Bible
is that there is one the one that God sent and that is Jesus.
That is why he came. He came to make us clean to take
all the sins in our life and take it upon himself and become
sin. His self for us, he has
authority over all disease with all authority, all over all
demons. He's procam to proclaim, the
good news to all people in all nations, no matter who you are.
Or what we have done. All of us are sinners.
And so how can Jesus, who is perfectly true?
Who is perfect in every way? How can he declare any of us
innocent when we are all guilty of sin?
How can Jesus, give any of us honor when we all deserve
judgment for our sin? How can any of us have eternal
life with God? When all of us in our sin,
warrant Eternal separation from God?
And the answer is what makes Jesus unlike any other that we
have ever seen. And it's the why, the story of
Jesus. And the leopards actually
pointing us to a much greater story about Jesus in our lives.
The leper who was humble and bold enough to come to Jesus
stretched out his hand and touched a leper.
In order to make that man clean in a much greater way, he
stretched out his hands on the cross.
And took all the sin and uncleanness of those who believe
his gospel. And he paid the price, the whole
price, the only price that could be paid.
And that is the gospel. We have talked about course,
things that we have done, and the things that maybe others
have done to us things, which we've done that.
Leave us feeling unclean, guilty ashamed, afraid alone.
May look a little different in your lives and does from mine.
But the the stain of saints in is all over all of us and there
are things in this, you know, world that we've experienced
when it comes to suffering. Disease sickness struggles, we
live in a world that offers all kinds of avenues to get rid of
these feelings. You know, just work hard work
harder and you'll get through it.
Stay busy more, keep working. maybe get another job to occupy
your time or Maybe get a little little more busier in the
church, do more religious things and you'll get through these
struggles. and, As hard as we try, it's still there, right?
Although all that work that we put in is still there.
All those things that we deal with is still there because the
reason is because we're looking to a fallen world for something
that it cannot take care of There is no one, no matter how
great the relationship is who can take away or unclean this
and make us feel clean in this world.
But the good news of the Bible is at the pure and holy one of
God In the Flesh. Emmanuel has come to us.
Lived a perfect life among us and willingly chose to suffer on
a cross for us and shed his blood at the price for our sin.
So that when we decide to follow the gospel, no matter what we've
done, no matter how afraid, we might be no matter what others
may think about us. Jesus knows about that in his
taking it all upon himself. He defiled himself, became sin
for ourselves that we might be come, the righteousness of God,
free from sin, that's good news. That's great news.
Maybe we're still thinking, I've still got some suffering this
world, you know, I still struggle with sickness and
disease. I prayed for healing for my
disease, but it's still there. I've experienced this person did
this to me, I can't get it out of my mind, whatever it may be,
you know, these are realities that we deal with.
Beyond what Jesus has done to pay the price for our sins.
When Jesus went to the Cross as well, he suffered our sins to
even just died for our sins, you suffered for on our behalf, he
died on the cross, he experienced death in our place
and in doing. So he was saying to all, who
believe and follow him and are baptized for the remission of
their sins. Whatever, we experience in this
world, whatever we suffer with experience, disease, sickness or
anything else that anybody has ever done to us.
Those things don't Define us. That's not Who We Are.
Those things that the world thinks about is is not who we
are. They don't Define us.
He died on the cross. He rose from the grave and he's
coming back one day. We know this. and on that day,
he's going to take All of our sorrows and all of our troubles
and all of our cares and hurt and anger.
I was feeling alone that's going to be gone in the blink of an
eye. You know, I think of some of the
things that, you know, members here in this Congregation of
gone through and are going through and deal with on a
day-to-day basis. You know, it's it's encouraging
to know that. One of these days, it's all
going to be taken care of. We won't even think about those
things anymore because we'll be worshipping or God in heaven
forever and ever and ever. It may not be on our time.
You know we pray for these things and think okay prayers
going to take care of this. God knows the time, it may not
be now, may not be tomorrow. You may not be next year but one
day even when it's on his time when he calls it into this
world, all that pain is going to be gone and that's good news.
No one else but Jesus can heal our deepest hurts take.
They take that, which is unclean and make us clean, take that,
which is guilty and make a sentence.
It take that witches is ashamed and bring us honor that could
remove fear and reconcile us to into the relationship with our
creator, only Jesus. If only we would be bold and
humble enough like the leopard and come to Jesus, knowing that
he is willing and he is able if we put all of our pride aside
and come to him if we choose to obey Jesus and have him be Lord
in our life, today we have a means of baptism for the
remission of our sins. We can facilitate facilitate
that today here in this building for them, for all those who, you
know, who have chosen to obey the gospel of Christ, With all
those who follow him and call him, Lord of our life, I'm not
presuming in. Any way that there's not a
battle that we deal with everyday.
That sometimes these feelings are real and that's a blessing
that we receive when we're in the church.
You know, we have the blessing of brothers and sisters around
us to help us get through those things.
That's a, that's a huge blessing in the church applying gospel
help and healing to each other's hearts and Minds day after day
as we share life with each other week after week.
And if there is someone here who is in need of any type of
prayers or needs to make a public confession, to rid us of
those sins, we ask you, please come and do so as we stand and
seeing at this time We thank you for listening to our podcast,
put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional
information or you would like to receive a free Bible
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Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.
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