Sovereign God, Broken Me

Open your Bibles with me to Mark chapter 1:

We are in our 6th week of our study of Mark

As you find your place, let me remind you

The last time we were together, we were talking about the person at the center of our relationship with God

And we were comparing the difference between a relationship centered on loving God for who He is verses loving God for ourselves.

You’ll remember that this was in the context of interactions between Jesus and the Father and then Jesus and Peter.

And what came from that discussion was a recognition that when we live in a loving relationship with our God and King, His power, His sufficiency, and His purposes overflow from us as He accomplishes His perfect will.

And so, today, as we turn back to the text, we’re going to be picking up at the end of chapter 1, starting in verse 40

And as is our custom, I invite you to stand with me

Mark 1:40–45 CSB

Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. Then he sternly warned him and sent him away at once, telling him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Yet he went out and began to proclaim it widely and to spread the news, with the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. But he was out in deserted places, and they came to him from everywhere.

Pray, Invite them to sit.

Jesus met a leper in his brokenness to bring the Gospel to the many.

When the pandemic turned widespread in 2020, all of us became familiar with the idea of quarantine, but it wasn’t until I experienced it that I really began to understand the profound weight and impact that isolation has on a life.

When we can’t be with people that we love.

When we can’t be with anyone.

When work, let alone basic functions of life are questioned to even be possible

This was the life of a leper in the time of Jesus.

Leprosy was an incurable illness, and those who had it were completely separated and considered unclean.

The whole world knew they were dirty and untouchable, but just to be sure they had to regularly announce it.

What they needed was a miracle that they didn’t dare to hope for.

And while we don’t have Leprosy, if we’re honest, This could describe the condition that many of us live in day to day.

We are quarantined because of our past mistakes, or the mistakes of others.

shame, hurt, bitterness, anger, and grief drive us to desolate places away from everyone.

We are isolated from family, friends, and people that care about us.

Things seem hopeless to us, and we don’t know what to do because there doesn’t seem to be any hope. And if that is you this morning, can I just tell you that I have good news for you, and it is this:

Jesus will meet you in your brokenness and heal you to His Kingdom purposes.

Just like the Leper in today’s passage, Jesus is ready to bring healing to you. He is ready to equip you and to use you for His Kingdom purposes.

And this morning, He is calling you to Himself.

I hope that today you will come to Him, and as you come, there are three Kingdom principles that Jesus wants you to understand. Let’s look at them together.

Verse 40:

Mark 1:40–42 CSB

Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.

I love what Jesus does here:

Jesus reaches out and touches the Leper

He could have simply spoken and healed him.

We see that Jesus commands the man to be cleansed and he is, so it is the words of Jesus that bring the healing.

But what does Jesus do? He reaches out and touches him.

This man had likely not been touched in years.

Simply touching a Leper was enough to make you unclean and in quarantine.

Lepers had to live far outside the community

Jesus touched this man for two reasons:

First, He was showing the man compassion and love, meeting Him where He was.

Secondly, He was showing His sovereignty over all things.

Jesus touching this man didn’t make Jesus dirty; it made the man clean. And in this, Jesus shows us He isn’t afraid of our broken parts.

The first Kingdom principle Jesus wants you to know is this:

If you will ask, Jesus will touch your untouchable-ness and bring healing.

Illustration: This week, standing on the ashes of homes burned to nothing, I watched Jesus bring healing.

Jesus isn’t afraid of your broken parts

Those things you are ashamed of, that you think will never heal: Jesus isn’t afraid of them.

He is ready to reach into your life this morning and to bring you healing from your sin and shame.

When Jesus touches your brokenness, He doesn’t get dirty, you get clean.

There is nothing that you have done that is too dirty for Him to cleanse

There is no sin too great that He can’t forgive

There is no relationship so broken that He can’t bring restoration.

There is no hurt or bitterness or anger or injury He can’t heal.

Jesus will meet you right where you are, in the midst of the ashes and make your life new.

Let’s continue, verse 42:

Mark 1:44 NASB95

and He said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

We’ll get to what actually happened in a moment, but let’s talk about Jesus’ command here for just a moment.

Jesus tells the man to tell no one of his healing, but to simply go to the priests and make the offering required by the law.

For you and me, and apparently for the healed Leper, this seems like a strange and nearly impossible command.

Jesus just did the impossible and He wants us to tell no one?

But that’s not what Jesus said.

Jesus said to show himself to the priests and to make an offering.

If the man had done this, several things would have happened

The priests would have had to acknowledge the miracle.

The Mosaic law would have been fulfilled, and a bridge to the Gospel opened

Maybe this was a moment some of the pharisees would have believed

We’ll never know because of what actually happened, but it draws us to our next Kingdom Principle and it is this:

When Jesus gives you orders, your move is to obey not to question.

Sometimes, as we follow Him, Jesus asks us to do things that don’t make sense to us.

I once watched Him prove His existence to someone because they had prayed for a sign and God sent me with the answer to that prayer.

I have been used to provide for a need no one but God knew about

The great thing about having a Sovereign God is that He knows things I don’t know and He is in charge of things I don’t even know exist

His way of doing things is always better.

You need to know, God is going to glorify Himself in your life

You can glorify God like Moses

Or you can glorify Him like Pharoah

Moses glorified God by leading His people across the dry ocean floor

Pharoah glorified God by watching his army drown in that ocean after they chased God’s people.

Don’t we think it is just better to trust the God who knows everything and in charge of everything?

Jeremiah 29:11 CSB

For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

God has a plan for you, and it is so much better than your plan

but it will involve things you don’t understand

I know this is easier said than done, but that doesn’t make it not true

You know, one time on my birthday, I had made a bunch of plans.

I’d told my parents what they were, and they had agreed.

But on the day, in the middle of my plans, they changed their minds.

They pulled permission and made me angry. I had a fight with them in our living room, and stormed off to our family room…

Into a surprise birthday party they’d even used my plans to orchestrate.

We don’t know all the details-so isn’t it better to trust the only one who does and obey Him?

After all, He is the one who healed us and gave us life in the first place.

The Leper in today’s passage didn’t do this. He didn’t listen to the command of Jesus. Let’s look at verse 45:

Mark 1:45 CSB

Yet he went out and began to proclaim it widely and to spread the news, with the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. But he was out in deserted places, and they came to him from everywhere.

Not only did the priests not get the message JESUS was sending them, look what happened.

The people formed a massive crowd that followed Jesus everywhere.

Jesus could no longer go into the towns around the area because the mob would just engulf Him.

The Leper thought he knew better, but it wasn’t the case.

And because of it, we’ll never know what might have been had he obeyed.

NOW, I want to stop here and give you a little hope, because maybe you’re like me.

Maybe God has called you to do something and you’ve been disobedient.

Maybe you have resisted, or even done the opposite and you’ve made a mess of things

And if that is you, I want to point something out.

JESUS MADE LEMONADE WITH THIS MAN’S LEMONS

Jesus knew what this man would do before he did it.

Jesus begins ministering to the crowd out in the desert place, and He wasn’t surprised.

We don’t have a story of Jesus smiting this guy or him dropping dead.

Jesus still accomplishes His earthly ministry

Jesus is still the Savior of the world.

IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR MISTAKES AREN’T GOING TO RUIN GOD’S PLAN

So, when you make them, remember our final Kingdom principle in this passage:

When you continue to fall short, Jesus is still enough.

This isn’t an excuse to live in disobedience or rebellion.

Rather, it is an acknowledgement that God has already planned for your shortcomings.

So, when you fall short, fall into His grace. Then, let Him pick you up and keep going.

From the moment Jesus heals you, you will be a new creation

but you will never be perfect until you get to heaven.

And that means you will still need His grace

You will still need His forgiveness

You will need even more healing

And He will still use you-He used the Leper

Because of the Leper

Many in the area heard the Gospel

Many came to Jesus

Many received healing

Many came into His eternal Kingdom

I don’t know where your heart is this morning, but Jesus does

Maybe you are in a place like this Leper, and this morning you need to come to Jesus and give Him the chance to tell you today “I am willing-be healed.”

Maybe you have a command from God before you

It is clear what He wants from you, even if it makes no sense to you

Maybe this morning, you need to be willing to step out in obedience.

Or, maybe you have found that yet again you’ve fallen short

You aren’t enough and you feel like your sitting in the ashes of what you burned down

And this morning, you need to hear that Jesus is still enough.

Jesus will still bring you healing

Jesus can still make you whole

Jesus still wants to use you

Won’t you simply come?

The worship team is going to come, and I’m going to pray for us

Then, I’m going to give you a short time to reflect on these things

And after we close, I invite you to find me so that together we can find a time to talk about what God is calling you to do in response to what He has told you.

PRAY.