Fantastic Faith
ILL>> Dad packs up and leaves it all - in blind faith believing in God for provision and placement.
Why do we need faith. I am saved. Isn’t that all I need? -
are you surrendered or self centered? --A Self centered see himself as ok, everything is going fin. Sure I have a few problems but nothing I cant handle. I am a Christian you know.
We must see ourselves as we really are!
ILL>>> My first basketball team was good. The first day I saw these guys had been playing together for a while and were really good. The first few practices went well and a starting 5 became clear. We ran plays like clock work. --- But after the first game when we were beaten by 40 points we began to realize “maybe we aren’t that good”. We had no defense and no wind, no stamina, and no power on the boards. We got discouraged but not defeated. We were down but not out. --- I began to run wind sprints till their tongues hung out. We worked on defense, full court press, boxing out, power rebounding , throwing elbows. WE CHANGED, and began to win a few games.
But we had to see ourselves as we really are, WE STUNK! -
God will always challenge us and bring things into our lives to make us look into the mirror. And the only honest view of ourselves is to see stinking rotten sinners, begging at the foot of God.
How do you see yourself? What can we do about it Luke 5:12-16
I. An Attitude of Faith v12 - many are to self sufficient
A. The unclean (sinner) - only the humble - where do you see yourself?
ILL>>> Horse at vets - kept in back side of bard - runny sores , very contagious all over - starved for attention - also - pitiful Dog with mange
This man is said to be full of leprosy; he had a very bad case, (covered with it), which represents our natural pollution by sin; (as Matthew Henry said) ---we are full of that leprosy, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is no soundness in us. -----
BUT >>>>(Luke 4:18 KJV) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
B. Looks to Jesus -- Jesus is always there
Jesus came close and touched him. This was also an offence to the Jews that required a process and ceremony of cleansing. Jesus did that for us!
(Heb 4:15 Jesus is ... “touched with the feeling of our infirmities;”
C. Falls on his face - in worship
ashamed of our filthy sin, and, blush to lift up our faces before the holy Jesus.
D. Begs God Admits that Jesus is God - and has saving power.
(John 6:37 KJV) ... him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
E. Accepts the will of God - “If you are willing” -
ILL>>> J. Vernon McGee illustrates it like this
We are not told how the man discovered that he had leprosy, but it could have happened in the following manner. One day he came in from plowing and said to his wife, “I have a little sore on the palm of my hand. It bothers me when I am plowing. Could you put a poultice on it and wrap it for me?” His wife bandaged his hand, but the next day the sore was worse. In a few days they both became alarmed. His wife said, “You should go to the priest.” He went to the priest who put him in isolation for fourteen days. When he was brought out the priest looked him over and found the leprosy had spread. The priest told him he was a leper. The heartbroken man said to the priest “Let me go to my wife and children and tell them goodbye.” The priest replied, “You cannot tell them goodbye. You will never be able to take your lovely wife in your arms again. You will never be able to put your arms around those precious children of yours.” The man went off, alone. His family brought his food to a certain place and then withdrew when he came to get it. In the distance he could see his wife and observe his children growing day by day.
F. Statement of faith - “You Can heal me” !
Then one day the Lord Jesus Christ came by. The leper declared, “If You will, You can heal me.” The King of kings replied, “I will, be thou clean.”
1. But notice how the Lord healed him. He put forth His hand and touched this man afflicted with leprosy. This poor man had not felt anyone’s touch for years. Can you imagine what it must have meant to him to have the touch of Christ’s hand upon him?
2. Has the Lord Jesus touched your life? There are so many lives that need to be touched. If you are His, I am confident that you can reach someone for the Lord. You need to reach out your hand and touch some soul whom only you can touch for Him today.
Jesus didn’t have to touch lepers. He could have been just as effective from a hundred yards away. But he touched them.
He is always willing to help in His wisdom, in direct response
to our faith and obedience
II. The Action of Faith v13
A. Listen to the Word! He charged him
for salvation
(Eph 2:8 KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Eph 2:9 KJV) Not of works, lest any man should boast.
for sanctification
(Heb 11:6 KJV) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
for service
(Mat 17:20 KJV) And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
B. Go and show - go to church and obey
Faith without works is dead. - James 2:26
C. Make an offering - in obedience - give in appreciation
Christ did not require him to give him a fee, but to bring the sacrifice of praise to God;
D. Obedience is a good testimony to the grace of God = proof of cleansing!
We walk by faith, not by sight. -- 2 Corinthians 5:7
E. Remember the Word continuously As Moses commanded
The just shall live by faith. -- Romans 1:17
ILL>>> Out of my office window I looked up and saw a squirrel jump from one high tree to another. On the ground several dogs were milling around. He appeared to be aiming for a limb so far out of reach that the leap looked like suicide. He missed--but landed, safe and unconcerned, on a branch several feet lower. Then he climbed to his goal, and all was well. An old man said once... I’ve seen hundreds of ’em jump like that, especially when there are dogs around and they can’t come down to the ground. A lot of ’em miss, but I’ve never seen any hurt in trying." Then he chuckled. "I guess they’ve got to risk it if they don’t want to spend their lives in one tree."
1st Q
How do you see yourself? Sitting covered in the leprosy of sin? Realistically!
2nd Q.
What are you going to do about it?
(Eph 2:8 KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
3rd Q
Are you ready to take a leap of Faith, or are you content to remain where you are?
