Sermon Central
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Jesus Said, "Be Opened"
Contributed by Jim Moore on Sep 18, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: Jesus' words are able to penetrate the most severe deafness and warm the coldest heart. When Jesus touches us with His saving grace we must tell others. Here in Mark 7 some caring people bring a deaf-mute to Jesus. Who are you bringing to Jesus?
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Titusville Church of Christ – Titusville, PA
Sunday Morning – August 17, 2014
Sermon Scripture – Mark 7:31-37
31 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.
32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.
33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.
34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.
36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.
37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
• What good is a tongue with nothing to tell? (We hear God’s word… we need to tell!)
• Since your ears have been opened and your tongue loosed by Jesus… you are now commanded to go and open the ears and loose the tongues of others in His name (Great Commission)
• HEAR God’s word… and REPENT
• HEAR someone’s needs… and DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM
• Put your EARS where they can HEAR the WORD of GOD
• SPEAK words of LOVE and FORGIVENESS
• REPEAT the WORDS of GOD for OTHERS
• This account is ONLY in Mark… Why did Mark include it?
• A compassionate Savior uses sign-language to assure the man that He was there to help him with his ears and tongue… and that his help would come from God (looked up to heaven) THEN Jesus prayed.
o NOTE… Jesus didn’t spit on the man’s tongue… He spat THEN touched his tongue… letting him know that He was about to help his tongue.
• No speech therapy needed… he was able to speak clearly…
• Why did Jesus tell him NOT to publish this miracle? It was NOT time for the Gentiles to receive the gospel of Christ… later…
• Vs 37… “He has done all things well…” And yet a year later the people would call for His death…
• God made the ear to hear His word… and the tongue to speak His glory to others…
• Each of the 7 letters to the 7 Churches in Revelation ends with Jesus saying, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
• Our continual problem is that WE DO NOT LISTEN TO THE LORD…
• And the world’s continual problem is that THOSE WHO DO LISTEN DON’T TELL…
• Joshua 1:8 Gold told Joshua, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth,…”
• We all come into the world deaf and tongue-tied concerning the word of God and proclaiming His praises… and it takes Jesus to UNSTOP ears and LOOSE the tongue…
• Pulled the man aside… This was not a show for the crowd… it was an act of tender compassion…
• Jesus commands the afflicted to do those things which by nature they cannot do on their own…
o “Rise up and walk” Luke 5 paralytic
o “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” John 5 on the porch 38 years
o “Stretch out your hand.” Mark 3 man with withered hand
o “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Mark 5 daughter of Jairus
o “Young man, I say to you, arise.” Luke 7 widow’s dead son at Nain
o “Lazarus, come forth!” John 11 dead for 4 days
• Acts 4:18-20
18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
• Vs 32 “Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.”
o Who are you bringing to Jesus?
o Who are you begging Jesus to save?
• You and I can’t lecture them until they hear! Only Jesus can give them open ears!
• You and I can’t open their mouths to praise the living God! Only Jesus can put the song in their hearts!
• I had an encounter… away from everyone… just for me… with Jesus…
• Jesus looked to heaven and sighed… groaned… a cry for answers when the questions can’t be spoken…
