"If You Are Willing..."
Gospel of Luke • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 views"If you are willing." This is the plea of a man doomed to death. "If you are willing." This is the desperate cry of a man with nothing to lose... with nowhere else to turn... "If you are willing." How often do we hear that cry in our world? How often do we find ourselves in that same desperate state? "If you are willing." Jesus gave a resounding "YES!!!" Do we???
Notes
Transcript
“If You are willing....” Four little words…
Four words spoken in desperation… Four words uttered by a doomed man… Four words… Filled with more faith than any of the words or actions of any other character in scripture…
Turn with me to Luke 5.
The first time I read this story with someone in a Bible Study, it was with a Korean Man who had moved back to Pyoungtaek from Sydney, Australia… (tell story)
12 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.”
13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
14 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.”
15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
I. Who was this leper?
a. a man with a horrible disease
eats away at your flesh
infects your blood and body
Steals your life a little at a time
b. Lev 13:45-46
45 “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’
46 As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.
c. Had nothing to lose
Luke 5:12 (NIV)
12 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.”
II. Jesus is willing.
13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
A. Look closer at that verse — I think we sometimes miss it!
Jesus reached out His hand… and touched him!!!
Do you see what just happened?!?!?!?
Jesus just made Himself unclean!!!
THATS’S LOVE!!!
That’s the God we serve!
Christ makes Himself unclean… for us!
But I wonder… Is THAT how we FOLLOW?!?!
B. Look @ Luke 5:13
13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
The instant Jesus spoke, the leprosy was gone!
The same is true for us!
No matter how “dirty” we are… No matter how “unworthy” we feel… the instant Jesus speaks, we are made worthy!
Charles Finney tells the story of a time in Detroit when he preached on this passage…
stranger approached him and asked if he’d come to his house and talk…
Many of the people knew the man, and advised against it…
He had a reputation…
Finney went anyway…
The man lived in a rough part of town… as they walked, he turned down a dark alley… his home was in the back of one of the bars…
when they entered the house, the man pulled a gun…
“This gun has killed 4 times. Is there any hope for me?”
1 John 1:7 (NIV)
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
“I own a saloon, and have led many men into a life of alcoholism. Is there any hope for me?”
“At the back of my bar, is a gambling joint. Many a man has lost all his money and a few have taken their lives… Is there any hope for me?”
“I’ve cheated on my wife and abused my children. Is there any hope for me?”
Finney responded: “O’ son, what a terrible and dark story you tell, but… the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin!”
III. Jesus was willing, Are we?
A. What would have happened to that man and his family if Finney hadn’t gone with him?
Are we willing to go to the lepers… to the undesirables… to the outcasts…?
B. So much of the Church today, looks like this story…
Divided… avoiding the outcast… the unacceptable… the “sinner”…
All to avoid being “unclean”…
C. The Church is divided into two groups — 1 big, 1 small
“Not a Fan” Kyle Idleman… describes the big group… “Most Christians are fans of Christ. They are enthusiastic admirers.”
He continues: “Is this how you define your relationship with Him? … an “enthusiastic admirer”? Drawing just close enough to get the benefits, but not so close as to require sacrifice?”
Jesus is looking for followers.
But… not just any follower — Completely. Committed. Followers.
10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”
11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Jesus is calling us to be people who give up EVERYTHING to follow Him… to reach out with His LOVE… and touch the Leper!
People’s Fellowship story
When we live this way… When we reject and avoid… Our Life becomes just as dirty as the leper!
But there is Hope!!!
IV. Jesus said “I am willing.”
A. In his “rooftop experience,” the angel told Peter, “Do not call anything unclean that God has made clean.”
B. Jesus would say, “Do not call anything unclean that I intend to make clean!”
C. Who are you calling unclean?
Is it someone else?
Is it yourself?