Jesus in Action (Part C)

The battlefield of this life is called a fact of fate, and you're either fighting it you're running from and losing on the battle that answer is true, but it's not enough to take away the problems softened the blow it helps us to endure, to understand that God is doing something and it is by faith we can finish the fight you younger Christians. Hopefully you got a long road ahead.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the gospel of Mark.

Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the gospel of Mark chapter 1 with his continuing study called Jesus in action.

You don't have to cast out a demon for someone to go to hell.

My point is in his preaching. He was, not only preaching to those who held demons, but they were there to Mark makes it sound so routine is preaching in synagogues throughout Galilee. All any flood demons because it was routine for him with all the demons he cast out of the synagogues, how many would he throw out of many churches today, especially the liberal one when I say liberal, I mean the ones who say God's word is not God's word will say will take some of it out, but that's the definition of politics down the definition of a liberal theologian is one who has decided he has the right or she has the right to edit God's word. So I guess they edit out were God pronounces judgment on those for editing. God's word out convenient. The believer rather is more comfortable so you know I'll take it as it is all accepted as is, so he was preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons consider those churches in the Bible who were rebuked by him what predominance by attire by attire in Laodicea.

They did not have to have demons to do the evil that they were doing and all you have to do is read those two chapters in Revelation Revelation 2 and three and you can get a good look real quick at what Christ of what God is looking for from his people as an assembly and as individuals in verse 40 continues to pause here what it what we doing what is the purpose of all this to build us up to fight to build us up to not be panic stricken Christians we going to now meet a leper. Leprosy was a horrific disease is still exist there is no cure, but there is a treatment for it and the treatment is as good as acute and here we find in those days Christians who are not panic stricken in the face of such threats remain focused on what their calling was the simplicity of God's word.

I don't know what you're facing. I know you will face things, God will face them with you. I know you may think the clock is running down that you are suffering great losses that are irreversible. God is not moved by that nor is he limited by that you could be. You don't have to be. We endure we continue no matter what comes our way.

Because we believe the things that the Holy Spirit has preserved for us in his scripture and points out as often as he can and as you hear God's word. May you digested me as you eat as you consume God's word as you take it and may you digest it lets you just be a bloated Christian walking around knowing about these things, but never really entering in, it gets ugly sometime being a Christian. Sometimes it's is just downright you know you fighting resentment toward God. You're just tired of God's delay is in his methods and his ways and then you default though he slay me, I will trust him anyway. What can Satan do you just punch them out. You just took from him. His biggest weapon. The weapon that will destroy your trust in God. Now a leper. Verse 40 came to him, imploring him, kneeling down to him and saying to him.

If you are willing, you can make me clean. Remember, God the son knows this is going to be put in print. He knows countless Christians going to read this over the ages.

He knows Christians are going to be looking to be healed from all sorts of things and not get it, and still trust him, but right now he is showing everyone that he is indeed God the son, the same yesterday today and forever. And while his methods change heart never does one person that never has to apologize is God. We gotta learn that is not easy. How much can be preached from that single statement, a leper came to him how much is in that if anyone and if anyone wanted to walk down the street and they wondered into the space of the leper. What are the leper have to do here to say I'm playing unclaimed all come near me. I may contaminate you. This is how they had to live warning people to keep away from them. They were excommunicated from their religion, and from their society, their only companions were other lepers. Other people were as pitiful as them with no hope. Just like them. He could not work who would hire him would want to touch anything that they touched would want to be anywhere near what they had their hands on the endure living death until death. That was the life of a leper and here he is coming to Christ. The crowd was moving out of the way as he's making his approach. No one wanted to catch whatever it is that he had imploring him, kneeling down to him. This man was desperate. He was not arrogant is not greedy right at this moment he's humbled in the presence of God the son. There's more to the story of the band were getting to it in a moment, but contrary to the devils in the church that we read about in verse 34 and were implied and just I think verse 39.

Contrary to the devils of said let us alone. Let's read that if you have your Bibles open Mark chapter 1 verse 24. The started verse 23 now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, let us alone. What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth. Did you come to destroy us. I know who you are, the holy one of God. People are still saying that with their behavior, their attitudes against Christ. To this day. Will this man. He does not have that attitude. He's not saying Jesus leave me alone.

He's coming to Christ now a leper came to him, imploring him, kneeling down in this desperate state you knew Jesus had cast out demons and that he had cleansed lepers. He knew that Christ had overcome obstacles to both holiness and health.

That is the cleansing of the leper's understanding of Jesus Christ and he came for healing and Jesus made time for him and saying damn if you are willing, you can make me clean.

Notice he did not ask for things, except that cleansing that he wanted so much. He didn't give a long drawn out prayer, he simply said I want you to make me clean know you can do it.

I feel sometimes when I read about these lepers that it's me and my unclean state, especially before salvation that I'm the leper that come that had come to Christ asking to be made clean and just like that the snap of a finger. He cleansed me and it keeps me even when I fall that recurrent grace. It just flows right through my life.

It flows over my life. It allows me to keep pressing forward. Paul said not that I've already attained, or imperfective, but one thing I do I press towards the mark for the prize for the high calling in Christ Jesus is almost as though pulse is a time to cry over spilled milk about what I did wrong yesterday. Today is another shot and I'm taking it and if I fall today. Today becomes yesterday and I keep moving forward toward tomorrow wicked. That's what Christianity is supposed to be doing, causing us to press towards the mark. This leper was no fool you knew where to go.

Those ready for the touch of Christ upon their leprosy come to him without terms admitting that they need to be cleansed, admitting that they are unclean and there is the disconnect again. I started out again saying the carnal man cannot receive the things of God. They are foolishness to him many times because I don't want no one to be made clean. They like the dirt and it is heartbreaking to us and it is heartbreaking to God.

But the fight is on and that's what it is and is nothing other than a fight.

It is not a play is not a ballet. It is not a sport I look at how rough the sport may be, it is not a sport. It is a fight for souls and you are part of the fight. Whatever hardship you are going through in your life as a Christian is part of the fight in Christ expects you to win because he's not going let you go so verse 41 then Jesus moved with compassion, stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, I am willing be cleansed. Jesus moved with compassion. See, when I became a Christian that goes of things it got me those are the things that move me to repentance, saying who he wasn't seeing his compassion.

But why does life so often include events that shaped my confidence in a compassionate God.

Why do events cause me to doubt his compassion. It is because this life is the one battlefield upon which everything is settled everything of eternal importance is settled on the battlefield of this life.

It is called the fact of faith in your eye.

The fighting it you're running from it and losing on the battlefield. That answer is true, but it's not enough to take away the problems, but it softens the blows it helps us to endure, to understand that God is doing something and it is by faith we can finish the fight you younger Christians. Hopefully you got a long road ahead of you and hopefully you will going a little of that role with altars of worship as Abraham did follow Abraham in the Old Testament. See how many altars he made walk away from made another one see that wherever Abraham when he worship God no matter what was going on. In fact, when God was ready to judge the sodomites. It was Abraham praying for them, trying to find a way to keep the judgment back but it had reached the tipping point about us. We look at sodomites when we look at other sites other people that are just the wretched of the earth. Is there any love left in our hearts for them there souls I meant about their ways we hate what they do. I mean you mean you don't just do no excuse a serial killer.

For example, but what if you let your heart get hard, who's doing, who hardens the heart is the Lord tells us that Pharaoh hardened a God hardened Pharaoh's heart. How did he do that very easy. He withdrew Saul got asked to do. You can do this with that is get some clay get a level playing just leave it alone and see what happens. That play.

It hardens up yet to keep it moist if you going to use it yet, take care of someone insists insist insist that God leave them alone. Let us alone what we have to do with you.

He does but the Christian Christian doesn't do that Christian may feel like he wants to do that you may sometimes feel you want to retaliate against God, that's with the atheist us fine. I'll show him all act like he's not there had a cousin, close cousin. We grew up together spent so much time together and growing up if if you did something to him. He would stop talking to you. I mean at the high school and it was usually last a day or two. I just sent you will pick they come out of it.

Eventually you never know what happened and a course who cares if a teenager like or find his back by the school and it was just the funniest they that was his way of striking back is going to ignore you. The atheist is more far more vicious than my beloved cousin was and the atheist wants to strike back at God.

We should understand that in our own lives.

We should understand some of us need to. Maybe you just one of those nice people you talk about your nice people.

Sometimes it's sickening to the rest of us who are more down-to-earth picture. Some people it seems so good all the time wish that was me what you doing up there.

We want somebody that's good all the time to find them to get to heaven anyway. The honest thinking man knows that there is no alternative to God. He knows that and if God is to be loved as God, he must be trusted as God no matter what, so you can say this compassion fails, though it does not. You don't understand you run that battlefield and it's about the fact of faith and is going to be settled in this life with you one-on-one with God no matter what happens. His existence is settled fact those who know his touch. You have no dispute about that. This leaves the lopsided intellectuals unsettled hurt, and in the dust. They don't like the fact of God that his existence is settled and we are here to help them and if they don't want to receive.

We move on to the next one. Phase 1 of Christianity is not flight it is fight. Phase 2 is flight no more fight long as we are in phase 1. That is this life. It is a fight. He is with us.

There are many joys in the midst of that but there's work to be done and think about these things. I know their true but I gotta go live of this week coming just not a preaching is not enough.

Gotta get up and you gotta go do it and work so we would. Let's finish this because we have to finish this. He stretched out his hand and touched him, only the touch of Christ cleanses because only the touch of Christ is himself without sin.

Second Corinthians 5 for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God. I can't stand before heaven before God in heaven and say well you let me and I been a good boy not going to work because the standard is going to be Jesus Christ is God the father would then say have you been as good as my son. Of course, within then you can earn your way in, because you want to earn your way and that's the standard, but if you want to receive salvation. You have to receive my son all that he says about himself and all that he says about you and all he says about everybody else you do that, then it is the grace of God.

Not that any man should boast.

You will not whip out an IOU on God is that you owe me salvation we receive it we love it. The leopard not making as long pray didn't say I deserve this. You owe me this just asked if the Lord was willing and he said I am willing be cleansing just like that he was cleansed.

Verse 42, as soon a he had spoken immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed had he not come to Christ like this, he would've died unclean, but he came to Christ to be cleansed and that is what happened. Verse 43 and he strictly warned him and sent him away at once that this is clear as a bell, where says he strictly warned him.

The Greek word strictly has an element of anger in it. That's how the word is used it can be translated with indignation. It means that when Christ said, look, I'm telling you I don't want you telling this to anybody that's how he's laying it out is this that force in the word is not hope. By the way most of the time. Christ just makes these, you know, don't do this don't do that Guatemala was nonchalantly this is not one of those times is it is strict it is strict it is strict it is firming doesn't really care what this man thinks he just cleansing system telling you don't go blabbing this, go to the priest. Follow the processes of the law and be restored. Verse 44 and he said them see that you say nothing to 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. Verse 45 going to fill the sin for us, but would just a moment on verse 44 he said to him see that you say nothing to anyone about who cleansed you, why, why, why does Jesus avail his identity well going to find out verse 45. The part one of the problems but he kept his identity obscure in many ways, and you could hear was there at all the evidence was there. If you knew how to read and you got it. Nobody can do this but the son of God. This is matching with the prophets. That said, especially Isaiah by this is the Messiah, God the son in human form. All of the info was there, but no one was picking it up.

In fact, quite the opposite. People resisting and it was not until he was ready to suffer and die that he really pull off the veil, but for now, his work is preaching to get that preaching done. He withholds his eye is for identity in his humanity. This happens in Mark five Mark seven Mark eight Mark nine Mark records this repeatedly is is go your way, show yourself to the priest. That's the ironic priesthood. The Jewish priest.

This entire process would take more than a week for him to be restored and the rules laid down in Leviticus 13 and 14 chapters 13 and 14.

He doesn't say to him you have been a leper. Everybody knows this.

I just cleansed you. Now we going to make you celebrity say, we see sometimes celebrities get saved and become celebrity. What converts I think we damage them. We damage the ministry we invite them to speak in churches, we pay them to tell their story.

They haven't paid their dues yet and many times that it ends up in disaster.

Many times, a slip backwards, they cannot have a. They cannot handle it. What we really need of celebrities who convert to Christ is for them to line up with the rest of us to be celebrities no more. My point is we don't see Christ parading the individual around we see him putting a cover on it. First Timothy chapter 3 verse 10. Let these also first be tested, then let them serve being found blameless by the people get offended by that. Well anyway, he hasn't go to the priest that is in accordance with the law. Jesus, to think that that I've come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. In verse 45. Now, however, he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread this met 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 so on his way to the priest. He goes public.

He blabbed that out. He does not obey. The man was humble in his approach to Christ with disobedience in his departure.

How much truth is packed into that.

How often do we see is that however the someone go to church behave themselves within they go away and then no longer behaving. How often it is. Or maybe someone behave themselves in front of the pastor was not behaving themselves with people in the pew. Maybe they're obnoxious maybe they're just arrogant. Whatever it is. This is a warning is a lesson here. That's why watching Jesus in action, we see that here he just simply sternly warned this person in Mark remembers it well. Peter remembers it.

Mark, make sure it gets recorded he could have said and I will put that in the Holy Spirit is it know you going to put up with that.

It I want to act like Mark was rejecting it or anything like that with the Holy Spirit and pressed upon market and retain it and Peter after all those years remembered it. He spread the matter disobedient because he was euphoric.

He was just couldn't contain himself. Not a good enough excuse their consequences.

Disobedience so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in the deserted places. Who else is annoyed by this guy. I I'm annoyed, but with an asterisk.

It's not like I'm so good. That's the*vividly did tempers the you know the anointing you messed it up for all of us, like I get it all right all the time so Christ withdraws as the John the Baptist to the wilderness, and they came to him from every direction. There we see that principal you you know saying he's too far to churches.

I just got too much headaches going to church is not an excuse. Blabbermouth made it difficult for everyone.

But enough of them still gain it again. Mark blamed him, buckles him up to.

Don't be this guy. Not that he's going to hell or anything like that just he hampered the ministry of Christ.

What Christian wants to do that. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast.

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