Unclean, Unclean: Come and Be Restored

12 And it happened that while he was in one of the towns, there was a man covered with leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell down on his face and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you are able to make me clean.” 13 And extending his hand he touched him, saying, “I am willing; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy went away from him. 14 And he ordered him, “Tell no one, but go and show yourself to the priest and bring the offering for your cleansing just as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them. 15 But the report about him spread even more, and large crowds were gathering to hear him and to be healed of their illnesses. 16 But he himself was withdrawing in the wilderness and praying.

Pray

Unclean, Unclean

In a world with very young medicines and science, the only way to keep things from spreading is to isolate the problem.

Quarantine

And a leper is about as unclean as it gets

What a way to live your life even for a period of time Leviticus 13:45 Specifies that lepers are to wear torn cloths, let their hair hang loose and cry unclean, unclean when approached

They are to live alone “outside the camp” Lepers often begged at the city gate during the daytime but would have been put out the city and night.

Never to be touched.

Never to be with someone.

Never to be accepted.

Outcast as long as they had this disease

And if you say that True Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) is a rare disease, You would be correct It rarely if ever accrued in first century Palestine But Leprosy in the Bible refers to all kinds of skin disease.

So who knows what type of skin disease this man has. Yet when this man prostrated his unclean body before the king of King, Jesus, Jesus reached out his hand Touching him and healed him

Commanding him to still go through the rituals of purification and present himself before the priest

As ascribed in the Law of Moses Torah (first 5 books of our Bible)

He touched him even though touching him would make Jesus unclean.

Be Restored

What an image of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. He reached out and touched me. Despite the knowledge that he was going to be made unclean by me. As he took my sins upon Him and cast his righteousness His pure holiness upon me.

Though I was unclean, fill of rags. Not because I was not a good person. Not because I did things worse than any other person. Not because I was scum between some ones toes. Not because I didn’t matter. Not because I wasn’t happy

But because I was corrupt I was unclean because I had a blemish on me I was slave to the sins that chained me. I was corrupt

But God’s Righteousness Has cleansed me I have been washed in the blood and made pure before his sight.

Even though I still mess up from time to time I am cleansed

What a gift Restores not just physically But spiritually, Mentally, Socially

It is a new birth

Amen

What a wonderful gift

And then we are part of the family and even then sometimes we let ourselves become unclean

We mess up

Isaiah 64:6 NIV

6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

And when we become like this it is easy to be defeated or guilt ridden or just stay there

Some stay there whether it’s true or not “I’m nothing but a sinner” I am just worthless

This isn’t a healthy or biblical attitude Because God has made you clean Did the leaper stay in his hobble and say unclean, unclean

Of course not He jumped up and told others

When something like that happens how can you keeps it quiet

Some need to ask for forgiveness

Forgiven By Skillet

Forgive me now cause I

Have been unfaithful

Don't ask me why cause I don't know

So many times I've tried

But was unable

But this heart belongs to you alone

[Chorus]

Now I'm in our secret place

Alone in your embrace

Where all my wrongs have been erased

You have forgiven

All the promises and lies

All the times I compromise

All the times you were denied

You have forgiven

[V2]

Forgive me I'm ashamed

I've loved another

I can't explain cause I don't know

No one can take your place

And there is no other

Forever yours and yours alone

[Chorus]

Now I'm in our secret place

Alone in your embrace

Where all my wrongs have been erased

You have forgiven

All the promises and lies

All the times I compromise

All the times you were denied

You have forgiven

{Bridge}

I get down on my knees

Feel your love wash over me

There will never be another

You're the only one forever

And you know I'm yours alone

Next Steps

What joy we have in Jesus that we are made clean

What joy And some of you need to be cleansed Being cleansed is about turning from sin

Not about saying woops I messed up my bad And then your good Ok im free to do it again

No it is about putting to death our sin

Where we do it less and less Its about getting better It’s a process of purification in which we accept the washing of jesus Not saying loose salvation But I am saying that when we sin our relationship with Jesus is broken and we need to make it right

What do you need to do?

ABC

ASK forgiveness

Joy

I get down on my knees Feel your love wash over me There will never be another You're the only one forever And you know I'm yours alone

Bibliography

Hurlbut, Jesse Lyman. Traveling in the Holy Land through the Stereoscope. New York; Ottawa, KS: Underwood & Underwood, 1900.

"Forgiven"Single by Skillet from the album Awake. Released August 2, 2010[1]Recorded2009 at Bay7 Studios, Los Angeles, California Label: Lava Ardent Atlantic. Songwriter(s)John Cooper Producer(s)Howard Benson

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