If You Are Willing

Reasons for desperation

Read Luke 5:12-16

Leprosy not necessarily Hansen’s, but his was severe

OT gave regulations — helped you see severity and if you’d be a social outcast

“Unclean” — prevent spread of disease and ensure understanding of holiness

People (esp. Pharisees) assumed it was because of individual sin, not original sin

He gets the bigger issue (cleanness > healing), and we should too.

It has implications for sin (prosperity gospel misses this)

But what do we do when we’re unclean on the inside? Better yet, what will Jesus do?

Reasons for doubt

He breaks quarantine

“if”

I thought evangelism was convincing atheists God exists

More of it is convincing agnostics that God can forgive them

“I know Jesus can, but I don’t know if he cares”

Will he ostracize me?

My hurt by someone I should’ve been able to trust

People doubt because of…

severity — leprosy (“If you really knew”)

longevity — covered (“God’s finally fed up with me”)

humility — face to sound (“When I look at myself…”)

Reasons for hope

Mark 1 — “filled with compassion”

“I am”

He touches him and isn’t defiled

Jesus’ purity > our impurity

Mark 1:45 — he can’t help but tell everyone

Go to Jesus over and over

Non-Christian — you are cleansed by faith in Jesus

Christian — why do I still struggle?

“I Asked the Lord that I Might Grow”

Knowing he’s already cleansed me helps me live into that