April 2, 2023
God, Are You Willing?
- Darrin Simpson
Sermon Notes
Luke 5:12-16 NIV
"While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." Yet the news about him (Jesus) spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."
Luke 12a NIV
"While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy."
Your fate was in the hands of the law, not the priest.
Leviticus 13:45-46 NIV
"Anyone with such a defiling disease (Leprosy) must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp."
Luke 5:12b NIV
"When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.'"
There was no hope of improving his situation on his own. He needed Jesus.
Your posture with Jesus matters.
Luke 5:13 NIV
"Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him."
Jesus touched him.
Luke 5:14 NIV
"Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.'"
Coming clean is a process.
Luke 5:15 NIV
"Yet the news about him (Jesus) spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses."
Luke 5:16 NIV
"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."
We are all the leper.
"I am that man and dare I say it, you are that man"… "I believe Jesus is saying, "You think this external disease is bad? You have far worse on the inside. Your diabolical disease is eating you alive. It's called sin, and you're dying, and you need to be given new life." - Judah Smith, Life is ____.
It's time to have a family meeting.
Jesus represents Christians.
Accountability comes at the foot of the cross, not on the terms we, as Christians create.
John 3:17 NIV
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
We've been so focused on looking and acting right, that the world is losing sight of Jesus in us.
If we aren't careful, God becomes a checkbox, not a lifestyle.
Does the Jesus you portray to the world look like the Jesus in this text?
Kingsway's Mission statement: To become more like Jesus.
"Do for one what you wish you could do for many." – Andy Stanley
"Here is the simple message Jesus has for us. If we fill our bucket with love, we can actually become love." - Bob Goff, Everybody Always
"People don't need more information, they want examples. God wants to use people like us to show the world what we know about Jesus by having them see the way we love the people around us." - Bob Goff, Everybody Always
Church, if you are willing, will you love well?