Ep 431 | "I Am Willing; Be Cleansed" - Chris Osburn 1/2/22

It's certainly good to see all that has made it out this

morning and thankful for. Man, who have led the songs,

very appropriate songs, very timely songs, and the prayer

that was led, I appreciate all of that.

And we're so thankful to be here today.

I am passed out earlier before service a question year, some

questions that we're going to ask and kind of go through and

apply God's word to it. If you don't have one, that's

fine. We're going to have the

questions up here on the screen here.

If you want to participate, that's fine.

If you not, that's fine. And if you have a pen or pencil,

you can Circle those, or if you just want to keep these things

to yourself, there's nothing wrong with that.

These questions are intended to be pointed and to be effective.

And hopefully we will be able to draw from the word of God today

based on those questions. So I want to first start will go

through these questions first and we'll have some opportunity

to answer those as we go through.

Here will be stuttering through Mark chapter 10 verses 29

Mark 10:29

through. Through 45.

The first question, do you ever feel unclean or dirty?

Because of something, or some things, you have done.

There's five choices, five, choices that you have there.

They're all the time. Most of the time sometimes

rarely or never. Circle, those of answer to

yourself, move on to the next one.

Question number two, do you ever feel unclean or dirty because of

something or some things that someone else has done to you?

Again, there's choices down below.

Five choices, five options. Question number three.

Do you ever struggle with guilt over?

Something. You something or things that

you've done even when, you know, you've been forgiven You have a

low level of guilt that you deal with.

Sometimes just can't seem to shake it, something that you

struggle with from time to time rarely or never.

Do you ever struggle with guilt over something or things that

someone else has done to you? You ever struggle with some of

the wrong that somebody has done to you.

Do you ever struggle with shame over something or things that

you have done? Do you ever struggle with shame

over something or something that someone else has done to you?

Question number 7, do you ever feel afraid of what others might

think about you? If they knew things that you had

done. You feel afraid in that way.

Do you ever feel afraid of what others might think about you?

If they knew something or that someone else has done to you,

how often do you feel that way? Do you ever feel alone because

of something you've done? Do you ever feel alone because

of something someone else has done to you?

These last two questions are a little more specific.

There's no right? Or wrong.

You want to answer them to yourself?

That's fine. Just a few words.

What have you done? That has led to feeling unclean,

guilty ashamed, afraid, or alone.

Just want us to be really honest with ourselves.

When we answer these questions. And the last question, what has

someone done to you? That is lead to feeling unclean

guilty, ashamed, afraid or alone?

Just a few words answer that those questions if you would.

And when you think about these last two questions, I think

sometimes we have the idea and I've said it before, and I know

we've prayed for it here before is, you know, we're coming here.

We want to put all the things of this world out of our lives at

this time to worship God, just to come inside and worship God.

But sometimes I fear that, that doesn't really necessarily

acknowledge God for who he is for what he can do.

We come to worship. We should be bringing all these

things are in our life and laying them at God's feet.

It's authentic if we put things of our life out of out of the

way and come here, it's really not an authentic Christianity.

We've all gone through things, we have things are alive that we

just need to be authentic with God about and bring him and

bring it to his feet. We should not be putting on a

face before God or each other, but be honest before, God, and

each other about the realities in our lives.

And one of the things I love about the Bible is that it

doesn't really shy away from pointing those things out to us.

The Bible tells us exactly what's wrong with us and every

point of our lives and Jesus meets us like no one else can.

And I want to, I want to show us this starting in Mark 1 and

we'll start in verse 29. And what we're about to read is

about a 24-hour span of Jesus's life.

It starts at about midday and goes through the night and picks

up the next day. So we're looking at about a

24-hour span of Jesus life, and we're going to see what Jesus

makes him like anyone else. And just before this, he was

teaching in the synagogue was Spiritual Authority.

Like, no one else. And we see Jesus teaching with

authority here. Now, starting in verse 29.

It says, now, as soon as they had come out of the synagogue,

they entered the Simon and Andrew with James and John.

But Simon's wife's mother, lay sick with a fever and they told

him about her at once. So he came and took her by the

hand, and lifted her up and immediately, the fever left her,

and she served them, and I want to make a few observations as we

go through these particular versus an observation.

Number one, Jesus has authority over disease and sickness.

It's just a simple observation. Simon's mother-in-law had a

fever. Jesus goes to her with nothing.

No Tylenol Advil, Aleve or anything, like that.

He takes her hand, he lifts her up and by the time she standing

the fever's gone, she's healed, just like that, that may seem

minor to some of us but, you know, you and I can't do that.

We don't have that capability. Verse 32, moving on says, verse

32 at evening, when the sun had set, they brought him to all who

were sick and those who were demon-possessed, and the whole

city was gathered together at the door.

Then he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and

cast out many demons. And he did not allow the demons

to speak because they knew him. Jesus, of course, is the one who

has authority over all disease and sickness, according to verse

34. And it says there in verse 34,

then he healed many, who were sick with various diseases, and

cast out many demons as he did. And he did not allow the demons

as because he knew of him. Observation number two, Jesus

has authority over demons. Jesus, speaks and demons.

Flee G, Ms. Jesus. He even has authority of when

they can and can't speak. And after a full day of

teaching, and healing and diseases, and casting out,

Jesus, then goes to goes to sleep and verse 35.

It says, they're now in the morning, having risen a long

while before daylight and went out and departed to a solitary

place and there he prayed and Simon and those who were with

him, search for him, when they found him, they said to him.

Everyone is looking for you, but he said to them.

Let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also,

because for this - I have come forth and he preached in their

synagogues throughout all Galilee and casting out all

demons are next observation. We want to make is Jesus

prioritises time alone with God over every other thing in his

day. He rises early in the morning

while it's still dark and finds a desolate place and spends time

alone with God, the father and I want to ask ourselves.

Do we make that our priority As Jesus says priority, I promise

our priority. do we have different priorities than what

Jesus has and and if we do, why is that Now I know we're busy

people, I give that, we're all busy, we all have things to do.

We have places to be, we got deadlines to me.

We have assignments that need to be done, but Jesus was pretty

busy too. Don't you think?

You had a whole city at the door in Jesus was healing as many as

he seemed to be healed. That was his decision.

He had so many people who were doing those, none of us have

lines of people waiting out our side outside of our door every

day to be healed. Jesus knew that the most

important time of the day was a time alone with his father.

And if that's true for him, how much more is that true for us?

And during all the important valuable and necessary things

that we do during our day, the time alone with God is

absolutely more important more valuable than any other thing

that we can do, And if we want to get up five minutes early and

spend time alone with God, praying to him, reading his word

or taking that time, you know, kid the the younger kids, you

know, were teenagers, you know, make that a point, make that a

habit and us as adults. Let's show them how to do that.

Let's be the example that we need to be for our kids.

What could be more important in our day that meeting with the

one who gives us breath? Who causes our heart to beat?

Who loves us more than anyone else, who Reigns over the entire

universe with all authority. What more important things than

we have to do than that? Jesus, prioritizes time alone,

with God, over every other thing in his day.

Observation number four, Jesus, prioritises, proclamation of the

Gospel. Among people in more places over

meeting physical needs right around him.

Notice what Jesus says. When his disciples were asking,

why are you out here alone in this desolate place?

There are people need to be healed, we've got work to do.

Jesus says, let's go to the next town.

Why that I may preach there also because for this purpose, I have

come forth. That's why I've come Jesus says

to proclaim the gospel. And we also see this in Mark, 1

Mark 1:14–15

verses 14 through 15, he proclaimed, the gospel to more

and more people, and more, and more places.

Eventually designed for all places everywhere to hear the

gospel. It was not just for some people

in one place to be healed of diseases and delivered from

demons. No, that was not Jesus mission.

It was Jesus. Jesus is priority.

Is that why not make that our priority?

Why don't we work together here in this congregation to get the

news of the Gospel out? Not just here, but the entire

world What happens in Jesus as he leaves when he leaves a lone

time time alone with his father, to go a new place.

Verse 40 and says moving on and says now, a leper came to him

imploring him kneeling down at him and saying to him.

If you are willing you can make me clean, then Jesus moved with

compassion stretched out his hand and touched him.

And said to him, I am willing be cleansed.

As soon as he had spoken immediately, the leprosy left

him and he was cleansed and he We warned him and sent him away

at once and said to him, see that you say nothing to know

anyone, but go your way show yourself to the priest and offer

for your cleansing. Those things, which Moses

commanded as a testimony to them.

However, he went out and began to Proclaim it freely and to

spread the matter so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the

city but was outside in deserted places and they came to him from

every direction. There's a lot that we could

observe here with significant implications for the questions

that we asked earlier. There's so many here, a leper

came to Jesus and that term a leper.

And the Bible is used describes a very disgusting and very bad

skin disease that we can read about.

It could even attack someone's nervous system at the point of

infection and set into tissues disintegrate limbs fall off.

And the body body was literally starts to wither because of

leprosy and leprosy was more than just a disease that needed

to be healed. Do we know?

I want to notice here, the word healed here is not used once.

It's not used in the stork the story.

The Leopard doesn't ask to be healed.

The Bible doesn't say that he was healed and said it says if

you are willing you can make me clean.

Not healed, but clean. And that word is repeated in

every verse that we reading. This little passage clean Clans

clean. Cleansed And this because to be

a leper, if you are a leper, you were unclean, you were dirty.

Leprosy was more than just a physical condition left.

She was a dreadful way of life that they had to go through and

Leviticus 13 and 14 in the Old Testament.

It describes that if you had leprosy, you lived in shame.

You lived alone. You had to stay a far distance

from anyone else around you. If for some reason someone got

near you, you're required to yell unclean, unclean to let

everybody know around you that you were a leper.

That you have this disease. And I think we can imagine the

physical and social, and mental emotional, even spiritual

struggles that someone that had leprosy could go through.

Leprosy was actually represented as Sin itself in the book of

Isaiah lepers were looked upon as the Living Dead.

If you had leprosy, you could not touch or even be close to

your family friends or loved ones, couldn't be around him.

I think that we can. Identify with that a little bit

today with covid that we've been dealing with.

You know, people want six feet apart social distance, you know,

If you've been unvaccinated, you do make sure you wear a mask or

don't get near me. You know, we have that in a

sense in a way not to the degree of leprosy but I think we can

identify that a little bit. People around this leper.

You know, you could imagine him coming through this crowd.

You know, he has to yell unclean unclean as he goes to this cloud

and people around him, start parting like the Red Sea or

running away from him pulling. Their kids away shouting for

everyone else, to do the same. And he comes up to Jesus Falls

in Aziz and implores him saying, if you are willing, Not, if you

are able but if you are willing this guy, this leper knew that

Jesus was able. He knew Jesus was able to do

this. And he was moved with

compassion. This word compassion, right

here. Very interesting word.

If you actually look at some of the other translations, I

believe it's the NIV, instead of the same compassion here.

It says anger. Jesus was moved with anger.

And I thought how in the world could two different versions

have to almost polar opposite words.

And this is part. One of the rare areas in the

Bible worth from the old manuscripts, were a couple of

the old manuscripts conflict in this, but I started thinking,

oh, well. They can actually maybe go

together a little bit if we think about it.

When you have someone in your life that is hurting or

suffering or going through something, your heart aches for

them, it feels for them. And at the exact same time,

whatever you hate in this Fallen world that we live in that

causes this disease or hurt to come upon somebody that causes a

little bit of anger. But the difference between Jesus

in us, you know, that's when we're in situations like that.

We feel that way because we're so helpless because we can't

help that loved one that is near to us because of whatever

they're dealing with. When we see this person that we

love is hurting a child, a parent or friend a spouse, we

want to change it, we want to take it away, but we can.

The difference is Jesus is able and willing to do something

about that and look at what Jesus does instead of turning

around from this man like everybody else Jesus.

Turns to him. He doesn't speak like we see

another Miracles. Jesus could have said a word, he

could have had a thought, he could have did whatever he

wanted to do. But Jesus instead moved with

pity he stretched out his hand and Jesus and the Jewish law

says do not touch a leper, you can't do it.

That's what the Jewish law states.

To touch a leper. Would to be become unclean

yourself to touch a leper would be to join that leper in his

uncleanness with and shame. But Jesus Jesus stretched out

his hand. He stretched out his hand and

touched him. He blew the doors off of Jewish

law. He just you turned it upside

down. He did, he did exactly what they

expected him not to do and it's just amazing to me.

And we could imagine the crowds gasping in horror, as Jesus, you

know, now, defiled himself and Jesus.

Jesus says, I am willing be cleans and immediately the

leprosy left him. Can we imagine what that me a

look like, you know, just picture it in your mind, you

know, the shriveled staying skin on your hand and maybe loss of

fingers or whatever it may have been?

and that this guy was, Dealing with and immediately gone clean

normal skin. Shame instantly removed and the

man looks around and realize I realized for the first time in a

long, long time that he doesn't have to yell out anymore when

he's coming around. For the first time in a long

time. He's not alone, he's not afraid.

He sees his friends, he sees his spouse.

Maybe she's a child, he's able to hug his family again to have

that connection. There's No One Like Jesus.

No one can do that. But Jesus and then Jesus tells

us man to go to the priest in the temple, according to the

into God's law, in the old Covenant, in order to be

officially declared clean. Jesus tells them not to speak

about this anymore. And we see this, of course

multiple times when Jesus performed miracles to kind of,

you know, keep it to yourself. But of course, this guy couldn't

contain himself. He had to go tell everybody

about what Jesus had done. So I want to go back to the

questions that we asked their earlier.

Do you ever feel unclean or dirty because of something

you've done? What about feeling and clean or

dirty? Because of something?

Someone else has done to us. You ever struggle with guilt

over something. You've done what about shame

over. Something you've done, what

about fear of what, others might think of us?

That they knew the things that we have done the over feel alone

because of something you've done.

And in just a few words, describe what?

You have done. That's LED you to feel unclean,

guilty, ashamed, afraid or alone.

What is someone else done to you?

That has led to feeling and clean guilty ashamed, or afraid

or alone? I could imagine.

Of some of the things that may go through our heads.

When we Ponder these questions. And I just want to summarize by

saying that we are living in a broken and Fallen World, and we

are hurting people in one way or another.

There are things in my life that you all don't understand.

There's things in each individual's life that's going

on that. I don't understand. and, We

can't just put on a face all the time and worship God and be fake

about it. We need to be authentic to our

worship towards God. That's what God wants God's once

the raw us. We all feel these things in some

measure, and I would submit that if any of us don't feel those

things. Maybe we were in the most

dangerous position of all. You know, because we have all

done things. We've all done things for which

we are guilty before God and of others denial.

Maybe you know the drug of our choice covering up some of these

things but God makes it clear that his were in his word that

all the fallen short. In Romans 3:23, we're all Fallen

Romans 3:23

people fall and families in a fallen, sinful world.

And the first step towards healing and wholeness health is

realizing that So where is the one who is able and willing to

make us clean? And the good news of the Bible

is that there is one the one that God sent and that is Jesus.

That is why he came. He came to make us clean to take

all the sins in our life and take it upon himself and become

sin. His self for us, he has

authority over all disease with all authority, all over all

demons. He's procam to proclaim, the

good news to all people in all nations, no matter who you are.

Or what we have done. All of us are sinners.

And so how can Jesus, who is perfectly true?

Who is perfect in every way? How can he declare any of us

innocent when we are all guilty of sin?

How can Jesus, give any of us honor when we all deserve

judgment for our sin? How can any of us have eternal

life with God? When all of us in our sin,

warrant Eternal separation from God?

And the answer is what makes Jesus unlike any other that we

have ever seen. And it's the why, the story of

Jesus. And the leopards actually

pointing us to a much greater story about Jesus in our lives.

The leper who was humble and bold enough to come to Jesus

stretched out his hand and touched a leper.

In order to make that man clean in a much greater way, he

stretched out his hands on the cross.

And took all the sin and uncleanness of those who believe

his gospel. And he paid the price, the whole

price, the only price that could be paid.

And that is the gospel. We have talked about course,

things that we have done, and the things that maybe others

have done to us things, which we've done that.

Leave us feeling unclean, guilty ashamed, afraid alone.

May look a little different in your lives and does from mine.

But the the stain of saints in is all over all of us and there

are things in this, you know, world that we've experienced

when it comes to suffering. Disease sickness struggles, we

live in a world that offers all kinds of avenues to get rid of

these feelings. You know, just work hard work

harder and you'll get through it.

Stay busy more, keep working. maybe get another job to occupy

your time or Maybe get a little little more busier in the

church, do more religious things and you'll get through these

struggles. and, As hard as we try, it's still there, right?

Although all that work that we put in is still there.

All those things that we deal with is still there because the

reason is because we're looking to a fallen world for something

that it cannot take care of There is no one, no matter how

great the relationship is who can take away or unclean this

and make us feel clean in this world.

But the good news of the Bible is at the pure and holy one of

God In the Flesh. Emmanuel has come to us.

Lived a perfect life among us and willingly chose to suffer on

a cross for us and shed his blood at the price for our sin.

So that when we decide to follow the gospel, no matter what we've

done, no matter how afraid, we might be no matter what others

may think about us. Jesus knows about that in his

taking it all upon himself. He defiled himself, became sin

for ourselves that we might be come, the righteousness of God,

free from sin, that's good news. That's great news.

Maybe we're still thinking, I've still got some suffering this

world, you know, I still struggle with sickness and

disease. I prayed for healing for my

disease, but it's still there. I've experienced this person did

this to me, I can't get it out of my mind, whatever it may be,

you know, these are realities that we deal with.

Beyond what Jesus has done to pay the price for our sins.

When Jesus went to the Cross as well, he suffered our sins to

even just died for our sins, you suffered for on our behalf, he

died on the cross, he experienced death in our place

and in doing. So he was saying to all, who

believe and follow him and are baptized for the remission of

their sins. Whatever, we experience in this

world, whatever we suffer with experience, disease, sickness or

anything else that anybody has ever done to us.

Those things don't Define us. That's not Who We Are.

Those things that the world thinks about is is not who we

are. They don't Define us.

He died on the cross. He rose from the grave and he's

coming back one day. We know this. and on that day,

he's going to take All of our sorrows and all of our troubles

and all of our cares and hurt and anger.

I was feeling alone that's going to be gone in the blink of an

eye. You know, I think of some of the

things that, you know, members here in this Congregation of

gone through and are going through and deal with on a

day-to-day basis. You know, it's it's encouraging

to know that. One of these days, it's all

going to be taken care of. We won't even think about those

things anymore because we'll be worshipping or God in heaven

forever and ever and ever. It may not be on our time.

You know we pray for these things and think okay prayers

going to take care of this. God knows the time, it may not

be now, may not be tomorrow. You may not be next year but one

day even when it's on his time when he calls it into this

world, all that pain is going to be gone and that's good news.

No one else but Jesus can heal our deepest hurts take.

They take that, which is unclean and make us clean, take that,

which is guilty and make a sentence.

It take that witches is ashamed and bring us honor that could

remove fear and reconcile us to into the relationship with our

creator, only Jesus. If only we would be bold and

humble enough like the leopard and come to Jesus, knowing that

he is willing and he is able if we put all of our pride aside

and come to him if we choose to obey Jesus and have him be Lord

in our life, today we have a means of baptism for the

remission of our sins. We can facilitate facilitate

that today here in this building for them, for all those who, you

know, who have chosen to obey the gospel of Christ, With all

those who follow him and call him, Lord of our life, I'm not

presuming in. Any way that there's not a

battle that we deal with everyday.

That sometimes these feelings are real and that's a blessing

that we receive when we're in the church.

You know, we have the blessing of brothers and sisters around

us to help us get through those things.

That's a, that's a huge blessing in the church applying gospel

help and healing to each other's hearts and Minds day after day

as we share life with each other week after week.

And if there is someone here who is in need of any type of

prayers or needs to make a public confession, to rid us of

those sins, we ask you, please come and do so as we stand and

seeing at this time We thank you for listening to our podcast,

put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional

information or you would like to receive a free Bible

correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at True

Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.

Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and

Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.

We would love for you to be our honored guest.