The Mission Of Jesus Series

TEXT: Mar 1:41-42 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.

• Prayer:

• Purpose, mission. Why are you here? Why did Jesus come?

Mar 1:28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

• Jesus had cast a demon out of a man on the Sabbath day.

• Please notice that when people realized that Jesus ruled in the spirit world, he became very popular.

• People love to sense the power over the mysterious, spiritual.

• But notice Jesus’ actions.

Mar 1:29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

• Instead of feeding off the momentum, Jesus moves from the public to the obscure.

• He leaves the admiring crowds to the house of one of his disciples.

• We need to learn something: Jesus’ kingdom work does not march at the expectations of the crowd.

• That is because God does things, not in the way most people expect, but in His own ways.

• Isa 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Mar 1:30 Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.

• In these small houses, often slept in the same room as ate.

• However, when possible, houses had a sick room.

• Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in the sick room.

• They told Jesus about her.

Mar 1:31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

• Mark quickly moves through the story without some details.

• What was said, emotional reactions, appreciation and thanksgiving.

• What was Peter’s mother-in-laws reaction? She began to serve others.

• Pastor Tim, my Christian life is not complete. Have you began to serve?

• As long as we are satisfied with our ticket to heaven and short on appreciation for what Christ has done for us, attendance and personal lives will be enough.

• When we fully grasp what Christ has purchased for us with His horrible death, burial and resurrection, we will want to serve Him and others

Mar 1:32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons.

Mar 1:33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door.

Mar 1:34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

• This is a sad passage if we slow down and look at it.

• It is awesome that Jesus was moved with compassion to heal these diseased, tormented people.

• What is sad is that they waited until sundown.

• Remember, they had their Sabbath service interrupted by a demon that morning.

• They had the healer, Jesus Christ in town.

• Yet, they were so religious, the waited until sundown to bring their sick to Him.

• This will not be a sermon on the Sabbath.

• If you are confused at all about the Sabbath and Sunday, please let me know.

• Know this, however, from our passage.

• Religion will always have us elevate the things of God to a place of worship.

• Jesus taught us that the Sabbath was created for man, and here they elevated it to a point of worshipping the day.

• Their Sabbath ended at sundown. They were a religious, but dead, people.

• So are we when we distort the things created to that exalted place of the creator.

• Religion kills and prolongs suffering. Jesus gives life abundantly.

Mar 1:35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (there are a few sermons here).

Mar 1:36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him,

Mar 1:37 and they found him and said to him, "Everyone is looking for you."

Mar 1:38 And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came."

• Here again we see that the plan of God doesn’t make sense to our logical minds.

• If one was seeking only to rise in power, he would have stayed at this place.

• He had momentum going.

• But Jesus just met with God and focuses on His deeper purpose.