Mark 1:14-45

A Teacher with Authority

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Sermon Summary: Mark 1:14-45

Theme: Jesus' Ministry Begins

Jesus' Proclamation (vv. 14-15): Jesus announces the fulfillment of time and the nearness of God's kingdom, calling for repentance and belief in the gospel.
Calling of Disciples (vv. 16-20): Simon, Andrew, James, and John immediately leave their livelihoods to follow Jesus, demonstrating total commitment.
Teaching with Authority (vv. 21-22): Jesus' teaching in the synagogue astonishes people due to His unique authority, contrasting with the scribes' methods.
Exorcism and Authority Over Demons (vv. 23-28): Jesus casts out an unclean spirit, showcasing His dominion over spiritual forces and spreading His fame.
Healing Simon's Mother-in-Law (vv. 29-31): Demonstrating His healing power, Jesus cures Simon's mother-in-law, who then serves them, indicating restored health and gratitude.
Healing and Casting Out Demons (vv. 32-34): A multitude seeks Jesus for healing, highlighting His compassion and power over disease and demonic forces.
Jesus' Prayer and Purpose (vv. 35-39): Jesus prays in solitude, emphasizing His mission to preach in various towns, underlining the priority of His message.
Healing the Leper (vv. 40-45): Jesus compassionately heals a leper, commanding him to follow Mosaic law as a testimony, yet the news spreads, altering Jesus' movements.

Key Biblical Themes and Applications

Authority of Christ: Jesus' teaching and miracles display His divine authority, calling for a response of faith and obedience.
Repentance and Faith: The call to repent and believe in the gospel is central, aligning with the Westminster Confession's emphasis on repentance as a duty of faith (Westminster Confession of Faith, Ch. XV).
Discipleship: The disciples' immediate response to Jesus' call illustrates true discipleship, aligning with the Westminster Shorter Catechism's definition of effectual calling (Q. 31).
Jesus as the Fulfillment of Prophecy: Jesus' actions fulfill Old Testament prophecies, revealing Him as the Messiah and aligning with the Larger Catechism's teachings on Christ's offices (Q. 42).
Compassion of Christ: Jesus' healing miracles demonstrate His compassion and power, offering practical applications of caring for the sick and needy.
Prayer and Mission: Jesus' commitment to prayer and preaching highlights the importance of spiritual disciplines and evangelism in Christian life.

Personal Reflection and Application

Consider how Jesus' call to discipleship might challenge your current priorities and lifestyle.
Reflect on the areas of your life where you need to repent and strengthen your faith.
Emulate Jesus' compassion by actively caring for those in need within your community.
Prioritize prayer and scriptural engagement as foundational to understanding and living out your faith.

Automated Sermon Manuscript

Welcome to God's word for you. A ministry of Sharon RP church in morning sun Island. Check us out online at www dot Sharon rpc.org. We pray that this message will be a blessing to you, and that the Lord will use it to transform your faith in your life.

We turn your Bibles with me to the book of Mark the book of Mark chapter one. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John you too far. Go back, Matthew, Mark, Mark chapter one.

Mark chapter one and we'll be looking together this morning at verses 14 through the end of the chapter Mark chapter one, beginning at verse 14. If you're using your pew Bibles and New King James in front of you, you'll find that on page 882, Mark chapter one beginning at verse 14, this is God's perfect word. Now, after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand, Repent and believe the gospel. And as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his and Andrew his brother casting a net into the scene for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, follow me and I will make you become fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little further from there, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were also in the boat mending their nets, and immediately he called them and they left their father's Ebody in the boat with the heart servants and went after him. Then they went into perineum. And immediately on the Sabbath, He entered the synagogue and pot. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in the synagogue with an unclean spirit and he cried out, saying, Let us alone, what have you to do? What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come here to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God. But Jesus rebuked him saying, Be quiet and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him, then they were all amazed so that they questioned among themselves saying, What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority command, it's even the unclean spirits and they obey Him. And immediately his fame spread throughout the all the region around Galilee. Now, as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of 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 you came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up. And immediately the fever left her. And she served them. At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those who are demon possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door, then he healed many who are sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew him. Now in the morning, having having risen a long while before daylight, he went out and departed to a solitary place. And there he prayed, and Simon, and those who were with him searched for him. When they found him, they said to him, everyone is looking for you. But he said to them, let us go up into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose, I have come forth, and he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to 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, I am willing be cleanse. As soon as he had spoken, immediately, the leprosy left him and he was cleanse. And he strictly warned him and sent him away at once and said to him, See to it that you say nothing to anyone. But go your way. Show yourself to the priests and offer for your cleansing those those things which Moses commanded as a testimony to them. However, they went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter so that Jesus could no longer openly enter That's the city, but was outside and deserted places. And they came to him from every direction. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for your word. And we pray now that your spirit would attend to the preaching of it. Lord, I pray that You would give me words to speak, and that you would work in the hearts of myself as well as the rest of your people. That we might not just read these words, as dead words on a page, but that you would let us stand in awe of who you are in Jesus's name, Amen. Mark is a fast pace gospel. And we're going to move through the book of Mark fast. So I need you to buckle up your seat belts, because we got a lot to look through, it's going to be a lot of fast things. I want you to pay attention to two things as we move through the second half of chapter one. First is what is Jesus doing? And how do people respond to who Jesus is? So first, as we go through, we're gonna look at what Jesus says in the very first part of verse 14. Now, after John was put into prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel. The gospel is a fancy New Testament word for good news. But when would you receive this type of good news? It was when a when a king was coming in, he was victorious, and it was good and sending out messengers, letting them know that, hey, the King has come victory is here. There was a conquering king coming. But see, when the king is away. Things happen in a house. I want you to think back to a house where mom and dad leave kids alone at home for few hours. There's really two different types of kids, when their parents leave them alone for two hours aren't there? There are the first child type kids. And then there are kids like me, there are the kids who are okay, we got to keep the rules. We got to keep everything together. And we need to follow every command. And then you have the kids who are like it is Hey, Day Mom and Dad are gone. We get to do whatever we want. But when news that mom and dad are coming home happens, it affects people's hearts in different ways, doesn't it? For the younger for the disobedient wild child. That's Oh, no mom and dad are coming home. I don't know how we're going to fix this. And for the child who's obedient,

it's, oh, yes, mom and dad are coming home. And they're going to set everything right. And my brother is going to get it. I'd like to propose to you that that's exactly what we see in the parable of the prodigal son.

Israel is that child who has been it's a mixed group, right, but there's those children who are wild and disobedient. And Jesus is going to show compassion to that wild, disobedient child and people aren't going to be happy about it. But Jesus is also going to show compassion to those who have been trusting in Him. Longing for the Messiah. John's ministry was one to say, hey, the kingdom is coming. The Mighty One is coming. The King is about to come. And now Jesus has gone through the wilderness temptation. Now he's gone through his baptism. Now he starts his formal ministry, John is put into prison. And now Jesus says the kingdom of God is at hand. And as we go through we're going to see that it's not just that the kingdom of God is at hand but it is a Jesus who is the king of that kingdom. So how are people going to respond? Right Well, Jesus calm and will he make all things right will people start repenting all around him? As we continue, we'll see that Jesus is the King of his kingdom. But the question is going to be will people repent, repent? Well, the person who has permitted us sexually turn from their sexual immorality and impurity and turn towards purity. Well, the person who has lustful thoughts turn his mind towards God with a person who steals get a job and repay what he is wrong with a person who covets put away selfish ambition and turn towards contentment before God. Well, the person who has who has worked hard, but has filled his heart with pride, turn to humility before God. Will the person who seems so put together yet tears people down by gossip and slander put away evil speaking Well, they repent, because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Well, they begin to learn to love and to tell the truth, while the person who says that they believe in God, yet is always filled with anxiety resigned themselves to God's sovereign care for them. Well, the person whose life is marked by anger, calm and bow before Jesus Christ, well, they repent and learn to put on love, kindness, patience, self control. Well, the person who says they follow God, but blast themes him that blaspheme his name, their hearts don't pray, and they have mixed their own opinions with God's word, will they turn and receive God is Jesus Christ presents the kingdom. How will people respond to Jesus as we work through the book of Mark? And as we go through this, I'm also going to ask you, how would you have responded to Jesus? And also, how are you responding to Jesus? For Believe me, those who repent and believe for the kingdom of God as a handle, I'd like to look with you at nine different responses. I was telling someone this morning, you better be ready as a two sided sermon outline type day. So we're going to move fast response. Number one, look with me Response number one, verses 16 through 18, Simon and Andrew, how do they respond. And as he walked us as Jesus as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon, by the way, Simon is a Hebrew name for Peter, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen pretty good thing for fishermen to do right to have net to their castle. This this is the nice thing about Mark, he tells us obvious things, right? So they're fishermen, they're casting their nets out to the sea. Then Jesus said to them, follow me and I will make you become fishers of men. And they immediately left their nets followed him. These guys have a real occupation. These guys have a real boat with real nuts, and they're really fishing in the real Sea of Galilee. You can go into the museum and gallery and you could see one of these boats they dug up out of the mud. They earned their living and they're there with real jobs, working by the sweat of their brow. And Jesus says, You know what, I know what you are. But I am going to call you to a higher purpose. Will you come and follow Me? And it's an imperative. Throw down your nets, lay down your nets, and I'm going to make you a fishery. I'm gonna make you become fishers of men and notice their response versus a team. They immediately left their nets and followed him. Is that how you would have responded? I've never met Jesus. Is that how you would have responded? Look at me at the second response Response number two verses 19 and 20. When he had gone a little further from there, he saw James a son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately Jesus called them and they left their father in the boat with the hired servants and went after him. He's people have a real job. They're working in their boats, they're mending their nets. They're doing hard work. And they have their dad there. And as James and John are in the boat, by the way, the Hebrew or the word for James is actually Jacob, but as Jacob so if you hear me get this mixed up, I don't know why English translations put it James, as Jacob and and John are they're working with their dad, Jesus comes alongside he says, Follow me. And notice what they do. They don't just leave their jobs. They leave their family. They left their father Zebedee in the boat. And they went and they followed him instead. This was the man who had raised on their entire lives. This was a man that when they would wake up early in the morning and go out fishing. He was the one who taught them how to make money. He was the one who showed them how to walk he was the one who showed them how to live And now Jesus says instead of following your father, come and follow me and they immediately leave their nets and follow him would you do that? How would you ever respond it? Would you leave forsake mother and father Oh, siblings, children to follow after Christ. I'm gonna let you know that some of you are called to do that. This very week,

maybe even today, in your life. It's a question of ultimate allegiance.

Some of you, you're going to be put into it into a position that only Satan could think of trying to make you choose between God and your family. What choice will you make? Response number three is turn arrives, the next verse, verse 21. Then they went into Capernaum. And immediately on the Sabbath, He entered the synagogue and taught, and they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. We find out in verse 21, that Jesus is a teacher. Right? He's not just a preacher, but he also goes into the synagogue, he opens the book, he reads the Bible to them. And he teaches on what it is, but he teaches a different he to see they were used to the grim Marion's who would be able to pick up the scroll of Isaiah and be able to parse out all the different parts, you know, they could say, well, hold on, this is actually a Yep, tool instead of a tick tool. And, and here, we're able to see that that you know, it's not singular, but it's plural. And it's the word is Marians. Have you ever met a girl marry in your life always picks apart your words? That's what the teachers were like, then they they were really well trained in the grammar of the text. But did you know you can know the grammar the text so well, that you missed the glory of God? That you can become so infatuated with the minutiae of Scripture that you actually miss the message of the gospel? And they don't understand here comes Jesus, untrained unlearn, kid, walks into the synagogue, and teaches them as one who has authority. Why? Because he has a Holy Spirit upon him. So he comes in, he preaches, and he teaches them as one who has a story, and how do they respond? They're astonished. People are amazed. I need you to be careful, right? Just because someone is amazed doesn't mean that they have faith. All sorts of people are amazed at Jesus's teachings, and yet have no love for him. The most likely in the synagogue, there's a mixed response. But look at me at what happens after this. Look at verse 23. This is Response number four of the unclean spirit. Now there was a man in the synagogue or in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, Let us alone, what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God. But Jesus rebuked him saying, Be quiet and come out of him. And when the unclear is the unclean spirit had convulsed him, and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. They were all amazed. So the question amongst themselves saying, What is this? What new doctrine is this? From with, for with authority, he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him. And immediately his themes spread throughout all the region of Galilee. This man is is someone who's in the midst of the congregation. People knew this guy. It's not like it said, they were they were in a good church meeting and then all of a sudden, the backdoors flew open and out of the dark came this really weird dude, no, he was a normal guy in the rest of the congregation, that synagogue, and all the sudden from out of his throat comes a voice it's not his own. It's unclean spirit. What have you to do with us? Jesus of Nazareth? Isn't that just freaky in and of itself? I just have to say when when demons start speaking in the gospels, and you start hearing, you know, they're using plural voices, but yet there's a singular demon. You're like, Dude, what the? I don't know what's going on here. I don't think the people understand what's going on here. This is what in the world this is not so. Now, I'm gonna tell you that there is this there's an anti supernaturalism that pervades our culture pervades our world today, right? We're so enlightened. We're so smart. We know that demon possession stuff was just first century superstition mumbo jumbo, but I'm telling you I was just talking to a guy this week. That as he was talking about someone he said he's going He's uh, I don't know what's wrong with him, it seems like he's got his demon possessed or something. When he gets like this, I don't know what to do. And it's not this person normally. Now I'm not saying that person is nor is actually demon possessed. But what I'm saying is, if we think we have everything about the spiritual world understood, go read your New Testament again. This unclean spirit cries out. Jesus of Nazareth, I know who you are the Holy One of God. He's pointing back to the book of Isaiah, the redeemer of God's people, we just read in the book of Isaiah, He says, I know you're that one. I know you're the one who's going to lay low the mountains, I know that you're the one who's going to redeem your people. I know you're the one who's going to do this. I need to stop here and just point out once again, that just because somebody knows that there is a God, even if they assent to something like theism doesn't mean that you're saved. The ranks of Satan's demons are filled with people or with demons who believe that there is a God and Schutter. They don't fear God, they don't love God. They don't reference him, but they hate him. Someone might know of God, but that does not mean that they believe in God is a fraud. It's a far cry from love, worship and obedience. And this demon doesn't want Christ. As unclean spirit speaks out of this man shows his true colors. Jesus commands him. And what Jesus commands everything must obey. He tells him to be quiet, to come out of him. And the word there I like actually, the New King James, he's converted three. He's Schick, he shook violently. Nick cries out with heaps three different words on itself and Greek as not just so he doesn't just cry out. He doesn't just cry out a little bit. But it's a mega cry. He cries out with his loud voice and it comes out of him. And what's the response of everybody else around them? slack jawed what just happened? Who is this? Have you ever met someone who's able to cast out demons? I haven't. Have you ever able Have you ever met someone who teaches was the type of authority that you're able to tell someone to get out of a boat and they abandon their family? And go and follow them? I only know one person who's able to do that. How would you have responded if that had happened in our church? Let's look at the fifth response. And the people who saw this exorcism, verse 27, then they were all amazed. So they question among themselves saying, What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority, he commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him. And immediately his fame spread throughout all of Galilee. But they discuss it amongst them. So how do the people who saw this respond? They discuss amongst themselves they they argue about it? Together? They question with one another? Right? Could you imagine what the potluck after church would look like after that? Right? Is this a type of new teaching with this type of authority that even the unclean spirits have to obey Him? Questions How would they respond? Would they repent? Would they believe? How would you respond? If you were there in that room, would you repent? Would you believe? Wonder how you would respond today. News goes out verse 28. And immediately his fame spread throughout all the region of Galilee. And then we're gonna find our sixth response here, the faith of the disciples, looking at verses 29 through 31. Now as soon as they came out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John, but Simon's mother, sorry, but Simon's wife's mother. I don't know if you're like me, that's kind of cumbersome. Let's just say Simon's mother in law. Alright, so Simon's mother in law, 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 or they come out of this synagogue, Sabbath, they come out the Jewish Sabbath, they come out of the synagogue, they go into the house of Peter. And their his mother in law is sick with a fever. And how the disciples, think about Jesus. Well, they go and they tell them about her immediately.

But now notice this. Don't let this escapee Jesus hasn't healed physically, anyone yet. How do they know Jesus is going to be able to do this? All they know is that here's Peter's mother in law, she's sick, and they need to bring her to Jesus. There's no precedent for this. I don't know their motivation mate was a concern for her mother that they were embarrassed because the house is in disarray because normally the lady who's like picking up stuff on the night before it was it was dirty. And so she was sick. She didn't know what to do. Or is it because there's no food? Right maybe this is like a good Iowa House. Right? You walk into somebody's house and what's the first thing they asked you? Do you want anything to drink? And then right after that, do you want anything to eat? Right after you eat a little bit they said you want some more food? But this is the normal custom showing hospitality was huge and Jewish culture. And so was it because there's no food there that they have to explain away? Like, hey, Peters mom in law's sick. She's normally the one who makes food for Sabbath. Sorry, we don't have anything to use. We don't know. But they just go when they tell Jesus, that she's sick. And so Jesus goes in. He lives her up by taking her hand. And the fever leaves her. How's that happen? How does someone gently reach down? Grab someone by the hand helps her up gently. And she's better?

What's her response? And verse 31. She serves them. She serves them. Are the disciples responding with faith? How would you respond? Do you take people who are sick to God in prayer? Do you trust a great physician? Who knit you together in your mother's womb? Do you believe that Jesus can actually do miracles? So let's look at the seventh response. At evening when the son had said they brought to him 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 are sick with various diseases and cast out many demons. And he did not allow the demons to speak because they knew him. Right? The crowds calm. The crowds are like at the gates right there, right there in Capernaum. At The Gates of Peter's house, it surrounded the place and they're just they bring it sunset, right? The Sabbath is over. So now they could carry all their sick people to Jesus Christ, as they've just heard that there's somehow there's someone there who's able to heal them. So the crowds there's a sense of chaos and desperation. The sun is down and they bring they're sick and they're demon possessed. And Jesus heals and casts many out. Question is why were they at the gates? Why were they there? I suggest to you that there's at least three reasons or three groups of people why they were at the gates. The first is somewhat, some of them were there at a desperation. I'm sure some of them had gone to the doctors time and time again and no one can heal, heal them and they know that the something is wrong. Maybe finally someone's able to heal them. If you've ever read Nabeel Qureshi, his book seeking Allah finding Jesus as a Muslim guy who became a Christian, I'd highly recommend this book. Nabil, at the end of the book he converts to Christianity is this amazing story. And at the end of the story, spoiler alert, he gets brain cancer. It's kind of wife and young kids. And he's an educated Christian man at this point, right? He's gone to college, he's gone to seminary, he's gone and he's doing a PhD at Oxford. And he finds out he's got terminal cancer. He's

about to die. He's desperate, right? He just wants to stay alive. So he'd see his wife and his kids.

So in that desperation, even Nabil went to one of these faith healer things, just thinking maybe, I don't think that this is real, but maybe maybe I'll go to one of these faith healers and I'll see if maybe they could heal me. I don't know. Now it didn't happen. faith healers are off In dealing in snake oil, I think there's a whole bunch of people in this group who are just desperate. There are others who are just going, because they're going with the crowd. Or they're, they're the family members, I remember going to these harvest crusades in Southern California growing up and it filled the entire Angel Stadium. And just tons and tons of people would show up. Very few of them actually wanted to be there. They just wanted to be there for the crowd. They didn't want to be there for the gospel message, myself being one of them. But some of them were responding in faith. Because they knew that somehow this man was their only hope.

Somehow the king had finally come. How would you have responded? Why would you have gone to Jesus? Would you have gone at all?

Last few responses hold with me. Quick, the applications are just going to be questioned. So you're gonna, we're gonna move through these last ones fast. And next is Pete Jeter and Jesus and Peter, look with me at verse 35. Now, in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, he went out and departed to a solitary place. And there he prayed, and Simon and those who were with him searched 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 purpose, I have come forth. And as he was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons, right, Jesus had been working late into the night, right? It's after the evening time when they start bringing all the sick people to Jesus. And what does Jesus do? He's working all night long. And then when everybody else is still sawing logs asleep, before the morning, for that glorious sunrise, he goes out to a deserted place. And what does this Jesus do? He prays as Jesus is exhausted from his ministry, communion with His Father in heaven is most important. He goes where to a deserted place? Why for prayer, to go and commune with God to offer up his desires to his father, to bring to him this thanks, and a supplications. How does Peter respond to this? Right when Peter wakes up in the morning? There's people knocking at the door, hey, is this where Jesus is? I don't know. Let me let me go wake him up. Oh, no, there's his bed mat. He's not there. Go start looking for him. Right? They send out a search party or bingo trying to find him. And as they're looking all over for him, he finds Jesus. And what does he say to him? In verse 36, and 37. I'm going to summarize this in my own translation. Right? They found him and they said to him, everyone is looking for essentially they're saying, dude, there's work to do. What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere? Come on, man. Get with it. The gates do have people there. What are you doing Jesus? Come on back. Let's see Jesus has a focus on his mission. Verse 38, what is the mission of Jesus? But he said to them, let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also. Because for this purpose, I have come forth, Jesus came to preach Jesus's primary message, his primary mission was to preach. People love the miracles of Jesus. Right, because our extraordinary a lot of people love what Jesus can do for them, rather than loving the Jesus, who is God. The miracles were signs of the veracity of his message, but they were not the purpose of his mission. Jesus goes on a preaching tour in verse 39. And so I have to ask you, do we respond to Jesus wanting him? Or do we respond to Jesus wanting what he can do for us? Do you respond to Jesus because of who he is? Or do you respond to Jesus just because of what he can do for you? Do you love him? Or do you just want your belly filled? Last response Response number nine, Jesus and the leper. Verse 40, now the leper came to Him. Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to him, if you are willing, make me clean. The lepers body is someone who's filled with the source. The leper is this person who who Who is an outcast from society? In the law? If they were to walk through town they had to cry out leprosy, leprosy just so that way, if anybody saw them or walked near them and accidentally touched them, they wouldn't become lepers, right? They were outcasts. They were exiles, they were put on the fringes of society. They were kept at an arm's distance. And here comes this man in desperation to Jesus and notice his position. Notice his posture, he gets on

his knees. I submit to Him in His heart, if you are willing,

make me clean. I noticed Jesus's response to this type of attitude. was my favorite record ever. Jesus is moved with compassion, the word the word there comes from the word splogs, non

Jesus's it's moved in his bowels, students from deep down his kidneys, he sees this man. And with all the compassion that can ever be drummed up in the Son of God. He looks at him and he loves him.

And then he does something. Look, let's just slow it down here for a brief second.

Then Jesus, moved with compassion stretched out his hand. And no, no, don't do that. You can't touch him, Jesus, you'll get leprosy. You can't touch him, you'll get unclean, you can't touch a leper. Touch yourself. This is most likely the first time this man has been touched in decades. And Jesus touches him, he says I will be clean. See, because when you come in contact with a holy one of God, you are no longer unclean, but you are clean. Jesus can't be made on clean for He is the Holy One of God. The unspotted lamb.

The sacrifice without blemish. When you come into contact with a living God, you become clean. Jesus banishes his uncleanness Jesus takes away his isolation is gone. His loneliness is gone. His pain is gone. His grief has gone his shame is gone. His inclusion. Exclusion has gone. But Jesus commands him. And this is paradoxical, right? We're going to see this again and again and look at Mark. What Jesus commands him is really interesting in verse 43, and he strictly warned him and sent him away at once, verse 44, and said to him, See that you say nothing to anyone, but go your way. Show yourself to the priests and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded as a testimony to them. Alright, first, Jesus tells him, don't say nothing. Don't say anything. Zip the lips, but you cannot spread this around. Right now, thank God in his sovereignty, even though people might mess things up and disobey God still accomplishes his plans. Because time and time again, Jesus says, Don't say this. Don't let everybody know why. Because they're going to try to forcefully make Him a king. They're going to try to force him into the mode that they want their Messiah to be. And Jesus says, No, don't tell anyone. Right, keep your mouth shut. What you need to do is just go up to the temple. Remember what Moses told you go do what He commanded. But here's a guy respond first 45 however, he went out. Just like when you tell your kids a secret and say, don't tell anyone. And he told everyone, he began to proclaim it freely and spread the matter so that Jesus could no longer open li enter the city but was outside and deserted places and they came to him from every direction. They couldn't keep silent. The word spreads. What we don't even know if he actually went to the temple. How would you respond? If Jesus had cleansed you?

How would you respond if he had told you everything you had ever done and said, I still love you.

The result result of this is Jesus has to go back into the deserted place it has to go back into the wilderness and people have to come out to him. There's too many crowds So I'll leave you with nine questions of application nine questions of application, they're gonna come fast. You can ask me later if you don't get all of them. That's okay. Question number one. Are you willing to leave things and people behind to follow Jesus? Am I willing to leave things and even people behind to follow Jesus? Number two, the question of response. Would you follow Jesus immediately? Or do you follow Jesus in your life immediately? Question number three. Do you love Jesus? Or do I love the stuff that Jesus can do for me? Do I love Jesus? Or do I just love the stuff that Jesus can do for me? Question number four, do you live your life under Jesus's authority? Do you live your life under Jesus's authority? Question number five. Do you live your life for Jesus's mission? Do you live your life for Jesus's mission? Question number six. Part of discipleship is learning. Do you learn from Jesus? Do you LISTEN to Him? Question number seven. Part of discipleship is following. Do you follow Jesus? Do you OBEY Him? Question number eight. Do you repent of your sins? Do you turn from your sins with grief and hatred in your heart for those sins? And with full apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, will you turn from your sins unto God and endeavor for new obedience? Question number nine. Do you believe? Do you respond to Jesus Christ with faith? Once you guys just ponder those through the week, feel free to come back later. Ask yourself two questions in this afternoon.

Let's pray. Father, thank you. For Jesus Christ, our Savior and King. God please let us know the Holy One of God. Not just intellectually, but as our Lord and Savior and His name we pray

thanks for listening to this week's message from God's word for you. The Ministry of Sharon RP church in rural southeast Iowa. We pray that the message would be used by God to transform your faith in your life this week. If you'd like to get more information about us, feel free to go to the website. Sharon rpc.org. We'd love to invite you to worship with us. Our worship time is 10am Every Sunday at 25204 1/60 Avenue. Morning son Iowa five to 640 may God richly bless you this week.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai