The spirit of the Lord is on me

Luke 4: 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. 23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” 24 “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

This is what Jesus said is so, but I want to know WHY?

2 Kings 5:9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” 11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. 13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. 15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in the entire world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant.”

Luke 17: 11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Whole, cleansed)

Most people talk about God, even practice some religious activities (is this true Church?)

Luke 4:22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. Good preaching Pastor Jerry!
But, If I push to believe, then…isn’t this Jerry Lillard?

o Came to God for help (but knew that God uses normal people)

Luke 4:23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” 24 “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.

Why did Jesus say this?

Humanness: Do you think that Jesus was ever sick? NO? Why?

He was just as much human as he was the son of God, it says in the Bible that he laid down his Godliness and became a human subject to death. “He became weak” “so that we could become strong, He suffered all that we suffer so that he could be a compassionate High Priest.

Familiarity: Do it here!

You don’t act like God all the time
I have seen you act human, and have faults, and…

People who receive from God know that God uses MEN (people) to bring his message and salvation.

2 Corinthians 5: 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

But we look past the people and see God’s gift! The spirit of the Lord is on me!

o Go!

o Don’t expect God to do things according to your expectations.

§ Naaman “I thought” 2 kings 5:11

§ I thought Pastor Jerry would… call me out by a gift of the Holy spirit, I thought that I would fall on the floor, I thought that it would happen with a warm feeling and goose bumps, I thought I would see Jesus…I thought….

o Move, act like it has happened,

o Leave, because you have received

§ believe you have received

Mark 11: 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

o The action of faith

o As they went

o Naaman (v:14…he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times)

o I said last week as we prayed for people “imagine yourself what you will do after you are healed and next begin doing it.

o The part that thanksgiving plays

o Praise to God

o Completes the transaction

Luke 17:17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Whole, cleansed)

God has healed many, but the scars are still there. Reminders of the pain. God wants to not only heal but to make whole.