The Purifying Power of Jesus
Hey, man. Good morning.
Reminder again that we do have a member meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m. So please come we want all members to be at the member meeting and We will gather together. And see what the Lord has for us in that time.
Do it open now your copy of the word of God to Luke. Again this morning Luke. chapter 5
I'll be reading from versus verse 12 through 16 this morning. Luke Chapter 5 beginning in verse 12.
Let's hear the word of God.
While he was in one of the city's there came a man full of leprosy. When Jesus when he saw Jesus he fell on his face and begged him Lord if you will you can make me clean. Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him saying I will be clean. Immediately the leprosy left him and he charged him to tell no one but to go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing as Moses commanded for proof to them. But now even more the report about him went abroad in Greek crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities, but he would withdraw to a desolate place and pray.
father
We come once again. To your word and we ask holy spirit that you would bring. light life that you would wound and that you would heal.
That you would tear down and that you would feel.
Father that you would Expose and that you would cover over. We ask it in the name of Jesus. Hey, man.
on this short text this morning. We want to see one main thing. The thing that I hope that we see this morning is that Jesus restores men and women boys and girls to worship and fellowship by making the filthy clean. Jesus restores men and women boys and girls to worship and fellowship by making the filthy clean.
first thing we need to see in this passage is that we see a map
see him there and verse 12. Jesus is in one of the Cities. and there came a man
Receive him unrecognizably coming through the crowd because his hair is long and unkempt Rags are hanging upon his body. The crowd is parting to make way for this man. Not because he's honorable not because he's famous not because they want him to have a clear path. But because they want nothing to do with him. They want to be nowhere near him. As we see this man, perhaps we hear his words his voice crying out. Unclean unclean he makes his way through the crowd we see. a man
We see his desperate condition as he gets a little bit closer. We not only see his his shaggy hair and his tattered clothes. We begin to see upon his skin raw sores skin disease that's evident and obvious to all those around festering wounds the text calls, it's leprosy and we know that biblical leprosy covers a range of skin diseases, but serious skin diseases and regularly uncurable skin diseases Snow small physical discomfort that this man is facing.
But the physical discomfort is not the heart of his problem. The physical discomfort does not get at the desperation of his condition.
The Old Testament in Leviticus chapter 13, there's extended instructions for the priest and how to identify a leprous condition in a person in Leviticus chapter 13 is extended descriptions of various kinds of evidence of leprosy upon a person and if something is they're there to present themselves to the priest and the priest makes examination.
and according to scripture priest is called to make a determination. Is this indeed leprosy?
and if this condition is leprosy the job of the pretty priest is to make a pronouncement. The job of the pretty pieces to make a pronouncement. He has to pronounce the individual unclean
And what does that mean to you? And to me someone to be pronounced unclean to the need to go and have a special bath and they need to get antibiotic ointment.
Under the old Covenant worship was regulated very carefully in order to protect the holy place of God. God had determined to live amongst his people and it promised to make his presence dwell in the midst of first attempt of me in the Tabernacle and then the temple that was built and the religious life of Israel was centered around guarding the holy place.
And nothing unclean could come into the holy place. And so the first aspect of the desperation of the condition of this man is the reality that he has been pronounced by a priest unclean and he has been cut off from access to the worship of the Living God. He is not permitted to enter the temple. He is not permitted to gather with the congregation and proclaim the Praises of the Lord. He is not permitted to have access to the dwelling place. of God His desperate condition has cut him off from worship.
But that's not the end of his desperation in his condition. It's desperate condition has cut him off from fellowship.
His desperate condition has cut him off.
from fellowship
Not only does he not have access to worship.
But we're eating Leviticus 1345. That the leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out unclean unclean and he shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease.
He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside to camp.
His condition is desperate because he's cut off from worship. But he's also cut off from fellowship. He is not permitted inside the cab just like that. If you want to imagine the picture of the shame of this reality the scapegoat upon whom head was confessed the sins of the people was sent out side of the camp that which is in pure that which is unclean that which is Simpsonville must be put out of the camp can have no access to God and can have no fellowship with the people. This is the desperate commit condition of this man. Do we see? this man imagine yourself not situation
you seem exposed for all to see no access to God. And no fellowship with people.
This is the desperation of his condition. Not the physical reality. But that reality that he is cut off from worship and he is cut off from fellowship. As we see this man. We need to see not only his desperate condition. But then as we walk into this text, we see him coming and and we observe his desperate condition as we begin to defeat all the situation that he is in but then we see his humble petition. You notice what happens there as we come through verse 12 and when he saw Jesus he fell on his face and begged him. We see his humility. Is man approaches Jesus of Nazareth? Any comes up to him and there is no pretensions about this man. There is no pomp or Ceremony. This man knows his desperate condition. He knows exactly the situation that he is in and in humility he comes Any falls on his face? And he begs the Lord. We see his humility in his action. But we also see his faith. In this petition we see his faith in this petition. You see what he says. He fell on his face. And begged him.
Lord Lord remember this far in the gospel only Peter in seeing God clearly displayed in the glory of Jesus Miracle sees himself truly and falls on his face and addresses Jesus as Lord. This is the second time now this leprechauns he falls on his face. He begs him and he says the Lord
If you will you can make me clean.
this man comes to Jesus We don't know if he has seen Jesus working in the past. We don't know where he has heard of Jesus, but he clearly has heard of Jesus and not only has he heard of Jesus.
But he knows something about Jesus and he expresses it here in his petition as he falls down and his face before him begging simply saying if you will you can heal me here is a man who has no doubts about the ability of Jesus Christ to deal with his desperate condition here is a man who comes not wondering maybe, you know, I saw him do this kind of work over here and I heard him teach about this over here. Maybe he could handle my situation to know this man with a humble face prostrating himself before the Lord and simply saying if you will you can kill me.
There's no.
There's no presumption. With this man, you notice she doesn't come say Lord Heal Me.
He has no special word from the Lord that his individual case will be dealt with by Jesus, but he knows that in Jesus resides the power to make him clean. So we see his desperate condition and then we see his humble faith-filled petition. And remember what he is asking.
Here's a man who has been cut off from the worship of God through this leprous disease. Here's a man who has been cut off from fellowship with people and the people of God and he comes before Jesus your dresses him as a Lord and he says if you will you can make me clean If you will Jesus, you can restore me to worship. You can restore me to Fellowship. You can make me whole again.
So we see a man.
But having seen a man his desperate condition and his humble petition.
You need to see yourself. We need to see ourselves.
You need to see yourself and I need to see my self.
this man by his uncleanness has been cut off from worship. And held out of Fellowship. And friends this morning brothers and sisters this morning. We need to see ourselves in this man. Our sin does not only make us guilty before the righteous judge of the universe, but it makes us dirty before the radius of Purity himself.
Our sin does not may only make us guilty before the righteous judge of the universe, but it makes us dirty before the bright Radiance of Purity himself.
if you considered some of the descriptions
of our state in uncleanness due to our sin. It's pervasive Isaiah 1:6. The Lord says from the sole of the foot even to the head. There is no sound Us in it, but bruises and sores and Raul. They are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil Isaiah. 59:3 says for your hands are defiled with blood your fingers with iniquity. Your lips have spoken lies your tongue mutters wickedness Jesus Christ addressing the people in Matthew 15:18 says it's what comes out of the mouth that precedes from the heart and this defiles a person.
Murderous thoughts theft violence sexual immorality adultery gossip slander things like these these are what defile a person.
We must see ourselves. in that man I don't know what it is for you kids maybe. maybe you lied to Mom and Dad last week or last month and You've never told them the truth in. Tricks at your conscience once in awhile.
Our sin makes us guilty, but it also makes us dirty and imagine yourself. Mom puts on the clean clothes you're all waiting at summertime. So you're waiting outside. You're going to get in the car. Mom says don't don't step in the puddles.
and of course your kid You see the puddle and you jump in and there comes the mud splashed up on you. And you think I'll just I'll just deal with this quickly. I'll just handle it. I'll just wipe it off and what happens now a few spots have smeared around in your clothes and now you're covered with Phil and friends. This is us in our sin. And this is us as we try to deal with ourselves. We are as unable to deal with the filthiness and dirtiness of our sin as that leper was unable to deal with his uncleanness in his leprosy. He could not say get off from me. He could not bathe enough time to make himself. Well, he could not cover himself with anything to hide his filth know there was nothing he could do.
Do you see your desperate condition?
Do you see your dirtiness?
send undealt with as God has provided for in his word. Sin undealt with as God has provided for in his word. Cuts us off from true and living worship and cuts us off from real and genuine Fellowship. brothers and sisters this past week. The Lord has exposed in me.
A deep-fried and wanting to be seen as more spiritual than I am.
A deep-fried and not seeking out the help of my brothers and sisters to deal with my own sins and failures. There was a specific situation where I knew I needed to make confession and seek forgiveness and as I empty nest and so much for your listeners and addressing the reality of my conscience things that
food by his spirit He's allowed me to walk into the light. He's allowing me to make confession. He's allowed me to seek forgiveness and some of you have received emails from me. So I've talked to some of you. I'm sure they'll be more.
brothers and sisters we need to see that man. And then we need to see our desperate condition in him. But I'm not here this morning tell you about myself.
You notice that's what happens here is coming along with all his uncleanness things. He cannot deal with himself then he saw Jesus.
And he approached Jesus and he said Lord if you will be clean as we see Jesus In this passage, he was moved with Luke shows us that he was to see what he does there verse 13. Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. It is genuinely possible that this man would not have had another human contacted him for 5 years or 10 years or 20 years or 30 years. We have no idea how long he was in this condition.
We have no idea how long he was in this condition, but see the Deep compassion of Jesus. Friends, when you come with your uncleanness to Jesus with the attitude of this desperation with no pretensions and with faith Jesus far from saying away from me far from dealing with you at a distance. He will come up to you and he will put his hands on you because Jesus is a friend of sinners.
See his deep compassion.
But seeing his words his willing heart.
The thing that every single one of us if the spirit has awakened our conscience if the spirit has brought our sin to our hearts and mind the thing that every single one of us has dealt with in some capacity as we see our own sand and we see the dirtiness of it in some way. We have sat in the darkness and wondered even if we've seen that Jesus can we've wondered if he will.
See Jesus this morning. He will. Every time he will see his willing heart. What does he say? Not only does he put his hand upon this man and touch him. He says I will bee clean
and what have you been? living within your conscience
something that lies I'm dealt with in the way that God has provided in his word. Some slander against someone that you have never made, right?
Some stand against your spouse or against your children or against a friend. Something you stole yesterday or three years ago that you have never confronted you have never addressed.
What is the uncleanness that clings to you this morning?
Oh that you would see Jesus.
That you would call out to him in faith that you would see his compassion and that you would know his willing hearts.
Through his actions and through his words. We see his power to purify. We see his power to purify you go back to those priests in the temple. They had a job their job was to make a determination according to the word of God and then a pronouncement and that is all. Yes, that is leprosy. You are unclean go out from the worship of God and go away from fellowship with the people of God. Why because they needed according to the word of God to guard the Holiness of God In His holy place.
But in Jesus, there's a different kind of focus. In Jesus, there's a different manifestation of Holiness. Here is a Holiness that can be defiled by the unclean but rather reaches toward that which is filthy and when he touches it and when he speaks words what he says happens and immediately this man is clean what the priests power to do if Jesus died in a sec and with a word and he does that for his people now this morning, We walk in the light as he is in the light. We have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Do you see Jesus?
Do you see Jesus?
She comes. to restore Men, like you women like you a man like me children like you in his grace and mercy to worship and to Fellowship.
Have you been walking along even as a Believer with sin that son dealt with an and your worship is hindered and you feel like Bill you are inserting finger in the midst of people but there is there is something going on there. There's a distance. It's because it's inevitable. The uncleanness of our sin separates us from true worship and it separates us from real living Fellowship. You see that connection in those two verses from John if we walk in the light if we confess our sins, we have fellowship with God and with each other. Brothers and sisters. I have none the restoration of that Fellowship this week.
Just merely being in the presence of a brother or sister and there's nothing but the spirit of God, please come on into that reality. Do you see Jesus?
Comes to restore you. to worship the fellowship and the conviction perhaps that you're feeling right now the impulse to run back and hide a little bit longer to hide a little bit more the lie that in coming out with your sin. Your shame would be magnified is a Lie from the pit of Hell this man exposed to shame to all he was willing to come right into the Heart of the City and have the crowds part around him back off from his unclean this because he knew that Jesus was there.
Coming into the light. Will not make your shame worse, it will take it away forever.
And that Spirit who's bringing those things up in your mind and heart right now. He's not just the spirit who can fix the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment Jesus. He opens Hearts to receive Jesus with real Faith you come if you come to Jesus. Hoping that he will give you relief from your guilty conscience so that you can continue on and send your not coming in faith, but what he offers you is cleansing and forgiveness and adoption restoration and life and life abundantly all friends or brothers and sisters. Oh Jesus. Could you do us in this in this place? Would you do this for us? We could do this in a soul spirit of God would we see Jesus?
It's in his name. I pray. amen