Just One Touch From The King!
Notes
Transcript
New Years Resolutions?
New Years Resolutions?
Loose weight?
Watch less telly?
Get Fit?
-----what about setting our hearts on pressing into Holiness
Good for Mental health
Good for our well being generally
There’s nothing like being in the right place with God!
Just one touch from the King!
Just one touch from the King!
It’s not been a year for good news stories
Welwyn & Hatfield Times 22nd December
Lisa Hardwick, 70
Mystery nurse
Husband had a heartattack
Saved his life
Just one touch from the King, changes everything
Passage:
The New Revised Standard Version Jesus Cleanses a Leper
8 When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; 2 and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” 3 He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
…there was a leper
…there was a leper
Nameless man
Unclean
General use for all skin conditions
raw flesh/White spots/swelling
doesn’t ask to be healed but be clean!
The person who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, “Unclean, unclean.”
He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.
“Purgo” route of word purged meaning ceremonially and spiritually clean
but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’ ”
...knelt before him
...knelt before him
Element of humility
Wanted to worship God
Sometimes our sin gets in the way of our relationship with God
Rather, your iniquities have been barriers
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
For your hands are defiled with blood,
and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies,
your tongue mutters wickedness.
....If you choose I can be made clean
....If you choose I can be made clean
Faith mixed with a feeling of inferiority
Sometimes our brokenness speaks louder than our faith
....He stretched out his hand & touched him
....He stretched out his hand & touched him
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Mt 8:3). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.Touched Him
Jesus’ reaction was to do the unthinkable
driven by compassion
despite the crowds
despite it not being considered proper
Or when any of you touch any unclean thing—whether the carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean livestock or the carcass of an unclean swarming thing—and are unaware of it, you have become unclean, and are guilty. Or when you touch human uncleanness—any uncleanness by which one can become unclean—and are unaware of it, when you come to know it, you shall be guilty.
He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
One touch from the king changes everything
One touch from the king changes everything
Or when any of you touch any unclean thing—whether the carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean livestock or the carcass of an unclean swarming thing—and are unaware of it, you have become unclean, and are guilty. Or when you touch human uncleanness—any uncleanness by which one can become unclean—and are unaware of it, when you come to know it, you shall be guilty.
He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
His touch reunites us to God
Enables us to worship again
....Be the Testimony!
....Be the Testimony!
Was Jesus being Bashful?
And he ordered him to tell no one. “Go,” he said, “and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them.”
I wonder whether Jesus is saying let your Cleansing being the testimony?
If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God.
Final twist?
Final twist?
Simon the Leper?
Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
House
He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.
By way of thanks
Simon the Leper -from curse to testimony to his healing
Last person to minister to Christ before Crucifixion
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jesus is able to cleanse everyone regardless
He is able to restore us to a right standing with God