1 00:00:02,569 --> 00:00:05,538 I just want to add a couple little things to what's been shared already. 2 00:00:05,538 --> 00:00:11,211 And just as ways of reminder, on the 14th Valentine's Day morning at 7:00, 3 00:00:11,211 --> 00:00:14,748 you men are invited to a breakfast here in this place. 4 00:00:16,082 --> 00:00:19,652 We'll have some time just to hang out together, eat some good food. 5 00:00:19,853 --> 00:00:24,290 A time of competition to win a really big gift card. 6 00:00:24,290 --> 00:00:26,726 So you can take your Valentine out to dinner that night 7 00:00:26,726 --> 00:00:29,729 if you're skilled enough in winning it. 8 00:00:30,563 --> 00:00:33,466 And then a little training on on about what real love is and how to love. 9 00:00:33,466 --> 00:00:34,200 Well. 10 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,370 And so men, we need you to I, I'm asking you make sure 11 00:00:37,370 --> 00:00:41,074 that we know that you're coming, so that we can get the food ready. 12 00:00:41,107 --> 00:00:42,308 Do you understand? 13 00:00:42,308 --> 00:00:43,109 You understand? 14 00:00:43,109 --> 00:00:46,613 And so, ladies, if you're here with your man, 15 00:00:47,847 --> 00:00:50,650 And he doesn't sign up to come, 16 00:00:50,650 --> 00:00:53,787 he doesn't care about you enough to fight for a gift card. 17 00:00:54,454 --> 00:00:57,590 So just think twice about him. 18 00:00:57,624 --> 00:01:00,460 Okay? So make sure that you do that. 19 00:01:00,460 --> 00:01:03,463 And then the day after that, on Sunday the 15th, I'm going to teach you, 20 00:01:04,364 --> 00:01:07,367 the six ways in the scripture, 21 00:01:07,367 --> 00:01:10,336 how Jesus and the disciples shared their faith. 22 00:01:10,336 --> 00:01:13,640 There's six ways in Scripture that we have to do that. 23 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,643 One of those six ways fits you perfectly. 24 00:01:16,709 --> 00:01:20,413 You probably just don't know what it is, but it fits you. 25 00:01:20,447 --> 00:01:21,481 You do it well. 26 00:01:21,481 --> 00:01:23,416 You can do it well if you learn how to do it. 27 00:01:23,416 --> 00:01:25,752 But it but it's not weird for you. 28 00:01:25,752 --> 00:01:28,755 And I want to teach you what yours is, your style of evangelism, 29 00:01:28,755 --> 00:01:31,257 and help you to learn to do it so that's on the 50. 30 00:01:31,257 --> 00:01:33,660 You don't have to sign up for that. Just got to show up. 31 00:01:33,660 --> 00:01:36,296 But you men have got to sign up for the breakfast. 32 00:01:36,296 --> 00:01:38,331 Is that clear? Yes. Yeah. 33 00:01:39,866 --> 00:01:40,433 I'm gonna ask you to 34 00:01:40,433 --> 00:01:43,436 open your Bibles to chapter eight of Matthew. 35 00:01:44,437 --> 00:01:47,974 If you don't have a Bible, look on someone next to you. 36 00:01:48,575 --> 00:01:50,710 If you need a Bible, stop by the welcome Center. 37 00:01:50,710 --> 00:01:52,712 We've got some for you. 38 00:01:52,712 --> 00:01:56,116 Matthew, chapter eight comes right after Matthew chapter 39 00:01:56,116 --> 00:01:59,819 seven and Matthew chapter seven as part of Matthew five six and seven, 40 00:01:59,819 --> 00:02:02,822 which is known as the sermon on the Mount. 41 00:02:02,822 --> 00:02:05,425 It's the longest continuous message 42 00:02:05,425 --> 00:02:08,428 that we have, recorded of Jesus. 43 00:02:08,461 --> 00:02:10,630 It's a profound passage of Scripture. 44 00:02:10,630 --> 00:02:13,633 We spent weeks and weeks going through those three chapters. 45 00:02:14,367 --> 00:02:17,637 Incredible implications and incredible insight 46 00:02:18,037 --> 00:02:21,407 from Jesus as the authority of the Word of God. 47 00:02:21,875 --> 00:02:23,776 About what? 48 00:02:23,776 --> 00:02:26,779 Being a part of his kingdom means. 49 00:02:26,813 --> 00:02:29,282 And now we get to a whole nother section 50 00:02:29,282 --> 00:02:32,252 in the book of Matthew in chapter eight. 51 00:02:33,753 --> 00:02:36,990 Matthew is not recorded for us chronologically. 52 00:02:37,190 --> 00:02:39,092 Some books of the Bible are. 53 00:02:39,092 --> 00:02:41,060 Matthew is more recorded. 54 00:02:41,060 --> 00:02:45,565 He records Jesus's life and ministry, according to topics. 55 00:02:45,565 --> 00:02:47,467 And so he's going to get into a whole new topic 56 00:02:47,467 --> 00:02:50,904 in chapter eight that will address in just a moment. 57 00:02:51,237 --> 00:02:54,807 But to set up chapter eight, I want to I want to, 58 00:02:55,141 --> 00:02:58,244 I want to to help us understand the reality 59 00:02:59,312 --> 00:03:02,515 of what has been going on since creation. 60 00:03:03,616 --> 00:03:09,322 And the fall, what was explicitly seen in the time of Jesus, 61 00:03:09,322 --> 00:03:14,761 what is still going on in our time in our world, though we don't see it much. 62 00:03:15,094 --> 00:03:18,531 So we're not aware of it, and we don't give it much credence. 63 00:03:18,531 --> 00:03:21,701 But I want to share with you truly what's going on. 64 00:03:21,701 --> 00:03:24,871 What we see in Matthew eight is the physical 65 00:03:24,871 --> 00:03:28,141 manifestation of what's happening behind the scenes. 66 00:03:29,609 --> 00:03:29,976 And we 67 00:03:29,976 --> 00:03:32,979 know from Scripture that this is the reality, 68 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:35,281 our struggle. 69 00:03:35,281 --> 00:03:37,483 We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. 70 00:03:37,483 --> 00:03:40,486 Our struggle, our main struggle and fight 71 00:03:40,486 --> 00:03:43,489 is not against that which is seen and physical, 72 00:03:44,157 --> 00:03:46,726 but we wrestle against rulers and against authorities 73 00:03:46,726 --> 00:03:49,729 and against cosmic powers over this present darkness, 74 00:03:50,330 --> 00:03:53,032 against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 75 00:03:53,032 --> 00:03:56,035 The reality. 76 00:03:57,237 --> 00:04:00,240 Is that behind what is seen 77 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,743 is a more real and more eternal 78 00:04:05,311 --> 00:04:06,879 force and power. 79 00:04:06,879 --> 00:04:07,847 That's work. 80 00:04:07,847 --> 00:04:11,351 The Bible says here Paul says rulers and authorities 81 00:04:12,051 --> 00:04:15,288 and cosmic powers over this present darkness. 82 00:04:16,556 --> 00:04:20,193 There's a spiritual reality that's going on right now. 83 00:04:20,693 --> 00:04:23,696 It's been there since creation. 84 00:04:23,963 --> 00:04:27,300 It's seen explicitly in the pages of Scripture. 85 00:04:27,333 --> 00:04:29,168 We'll see it in Matthew eight. 86 00:04:29,168 --> 00:04:32,905 It's still going on right now in our world, in our time, and 87 00:04:32,905 --> 00:04:34,207 right now in this place. 88 00:04:35,675 --> 00:04:36,809 We don't recognize it. 89 00:04:36,809 --> 00:04:37,410 We don't know. 90 00:04:37,410 --> 00:04:38,177 We don't see it. 91 00:04:38,177 --> 00:04:41,180 So we don't give it much credence. 92 00:04:41,614 --> 00:04:44,317 In Matthew eight, the the, the 93 00:04:44,317 --> 00:04:48,554 the topic that the the theme that Matthew is moving into from the sermon 94 00:04:48,554 --> 00:04:53,192 on the Mount, life in the Kingdom is now the authority of Jesus. 95 00:04:54,093 --> 00:04:55,395 Matthew five six and seven. 96 00:04:55,395 --> 00:04:57,630 This is the life and the kingdom. 97 00:04:57,630 --> 00:05:00,033 Now Matthew is going to deal with the authority of Jesus 98 00:05:00,033 --> 00:05:04,737 over everything in the physical world and in the spiritual world, 99 00:05:04,937 --> 00:05:07,940 in the natural and the supernatural. 100 00:05:07,940 --> 00:05:10,943 He's going to say Jesus has authority over it all 101 00:05:11,911 --> 00:05:13,513 because they're both real. 102 00:05:13,513 --> 00:05:17,083 They both exist, and Jesus has authority over all. Now. 103 00:05:17,684 --> 00:05:18,685 Chapter eight. 104 00:05:18,685 --> 00:05:19,952 We'll see it in the beginning. 105 00:05:19,952 --> 00:05:22,021 We're only going to get through part of chapter eight this week. 106 00:05:22,021 --> 00:05:26,159 We'll do with the other part next week has to do with the rule 107 00:05:26,159 --> 00:05:29,796 and reign of Jesus over the natural supernatural. 108 00:05:29,796 --> 00:05:34,400 I just got this email from O'Neill, who is the head of our church 109 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:35,902 planning movement in Cuba. 110 00:05:37,470 --> 00:05:38,371 I've been working with 111 00:05:38,371 --> 00:05:41,374 O'Neill for two decades now. 112 00:05:42,241 --> 00:05:44,110 And he was one of the first ones that went through 113 00:05:44,110 --> 00:05:47,113 the Discovery Center that we did in Cuba to start planning churches there. 114 00:05:47,613 --> 00:05:52,352 He's my right hand guy in Cuba, and he's just sent this email. 115 00:05:52,352 --> 00:05:53,519 And I want to share this with you 116 00:05:53,519 --> 00:05:56,522 because it ties into this very thing I'm talking about. 117 00:05:57,090 --> 00:05:59,092 Hello, my beloved brothers and sisters. 118 00:05:59,092 --> 00:06:02,261 I hope and trust in God that you and your families are well. 119 00:06:02,962 --> 00:06:04,497 We, thank God, are well. 120 00:06:04,497 --> 00:06:07,767 The situation in Cuba is becoming more uncertain every day. 121 00:06:07,934 --> 00:06:12,372 Thanks be to God first and foremost and to you for being his instruments. 122 00:06:13,473 --> 00:06:16,442 We have enough money to buy nonperishable food 123 00:06:16,442 --> 00:06:19,979 and to store some for later, either for our own use as a family 124 00:06:20,012 --> 00:06:22,749 or for brothers and sisters in the faith who may need it. 125 00:06:22,749 --> 00:06:25,752 Things are going to start getting real bad in Cuba real quick. 126 00:06:26,285 --> 00:06:28,454 Here's what I wanted to communicate to you, though. 127 00:06:29,589 --> 00:06:30,556 While we continue 128 00:06:30,556 --> 00:06:33,559 to extend the Kingdom of God fulfilling the Great Commission. 129 00:06:33,659 --> 00:06:37,497 Last week, a married couple, surrendered to Christ. 130 00:06:38,064 --> 00:06:40,633 They practiced witchcraft 131 00:06:40,633 --> 00:06:44,370 and had many packs and a large number of idols in their home, 132 00:06:44,637 --> 00:06:47,440 but they surrender them all to be destroyed. 133 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:51,944 Demonic spirits manifested themselves in their home at night. 134 00:06:51,944 --> 00:06:55,882 The sofas were moving on their own, and the children 135 00:06:55,882 --> 00:06:58,885 saw an old ugly woman walking around their house. 136 00:06:59,685 --> 00:07:03,790 We know that the power of Christ had freed them from this darkness, 137 00:07:04,590 --> 00:07:08,127 and we have a good team of people to go into those places 138 00:07:08,127 --> 00:07:11,130 filled with fasting and prayer and helping them. 139 00:07:11,364 --> 00:07:14,133 Please pray for this couple and for us. 140 00:07:14,133 --> 00:07:15,301 Thank you for all your support. 141 00:07:15,301 --> 00:07:17,370 We love you. 142 00:07:17,370 --> 00:07:21,774 We don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers and authorities 143 00:07:21,774 --> 00:07:25,111 and the cosmic powers over this present darkness. 144 00:07:25,945 --> 00:07:28,281 It's real. We don't see it 145 00:07:29,282 --> 00:07:30,716 like they did in Scripture. 146 00:07:30,716 --> 00:07:32,485 We don't see it like they do in other places. 147 00:07:32,485 --> 00:07:34,053 The world. 148 00:07:34,053 --> 00:07:35,855 But it's very real. 149 00:07:35,855 --> 00:07:38,858 It's very present, is very active. 150 00:07:38,991 --> 00:07:41,060 And so I'm going to unpack some of it 151 00:07:41,060 --> 00:07:44,063 this morning in Matthew chapter eight. 152 00:07:44,864 --> 00:07:46,232 But before we do, O'Neill 153 00:07:46,232 --> 00:07:49,368 has asked us to pray for this couple and for them. 154 00:07:50,536 --> 00:07:53,539 So, church, join me in prayer. 155 00:07:56,576 --> 00:07:57,443 Jesus, I thank you 156 00:07:57,443 --> 00:08:00,446 that you have dethroned the evil one 157 00:08:00,746 --> 00:08:03,749 and that you've paraded him around the heavenly beings and 158 00:08:04,584 --> 00:08:07,587 has it conquered one? 159 00:08:08,054 --> 00:08:10,957 Father, I thank you for your authority. 160 00:08:10,957 --> 00:08:13,125 I thank you 161 00:08:13,125 --> 00:08:17,129 that Jesus, your name, is the name before whom everything 162 00:08:17,129 --> 00:08:20,166 that has a name must bow in heaven and earth, and under the earth. 163 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,003 We confess that we believe that. 164 00:08:24,003 --> 00:08:25,137 And I praise you because of it. 165 00:08:27,073 --> 00:08:29,242 In the name of Jesus, by the presence of the Holy Spirit, 166 00:08:29,242 --> 00:08:32,245 I pray your watch for protection over this couple. 167 00:08:33,813 --> 00:08:36,482 Thank you for dethroning 168 00:08:36,482 --> 00:08:39,485 the evil one that they used to give their lives to. 169 00:08:39,519 --> 00:08:41,587 Thank you for setting them free for your redemption. 170 00:08:41,587 --> 00:08:45,458 Thank you for your mercy and your grace that didn't allow them to be destroyed. 171 00:08:45,791 --> 00:08:49,295 Thank you for O'Neal and his church and his people who fast and pray 172 00:08:50,696 --> 00:08:52,798 and do spiritual battle right alongside them. 173 00:08:52,798 --> 00:08:54,066 I pray your protection over them. 174 00:08:54,066 --> 00:08:58,237 I pray that they are lights and examples of 175 00:08:58,237 --> 00:09:01,340 both your mercy and grace, and your power and authority in this world. 176 00:09:02,441 --> 00:09:05,011 We love you. We trust you. 177 00:09:05,011 --> 00:09:08,114 Open our eyes to help us see the reality of what's going on. 178 00:09:08,681 --> 00:09:10,416 That we will love you and trust you more. 179 00:09:11,484 --> 00:09:12,184 In your name I pray. 180 00:09:12,184 --> 00:09:15,187 Amen. 181 00:09:15,721 --> 00:09:16,589 Here's the big idea 182 00:09:16,589 --> 00:09:19,592 in chapter eight, and we'll see all three of these 183 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:21,527 graces. 184 00:09:21,527 --> 00:09:25,698 Free authority is real, and following Jesus is costly. 185 00:09:26,599 --> 00:09:29,602 That's the big idea in chapter eight that we'll see. 186 00:09:29,802 --> 00:09:30,770 Grace is free. 187 00:09:30,770 --> 00:09:32,004 And will I say grace is free. 188 00:09:32,004 --> 00:09:35,007 We have to understand grace isn't cheap. 189 00:09:35,575 --> 00:09:37,443 And so following Jesus is costly. 190 00:09:37,443 --> 00:09:40,446 And we're going to see that in these three instances 191 00:09:40,913 --> 00:09:44,383 in Matthew chapter eight and the first 22 verses, 192 00:09:44,850 --> 00:09:47,853 we're going to see Jesus heal three different people. 193 00:09:48,588 --> 00:09:49,989 And so let's just get in us. 194 00:09:49,989 --> 00:09:52,892 I'm going to read you the scripture and then we'll talk about it. 195 00:09:52,892 --> 00:09:54,760 It's not going to be on the screen. 196 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:57,964 I want, I want, I want to train us to bring our Bibles with us. 197 00:09:57,964 --> 00:10:01,734 And so like I said, open Matthew chapter eight, the first gospel, 198 00:10:01,767 --> 00:10:02,902 Matthew, Mark, Luke, John 199 00:10:03,903 --> 00:10:05,438 chapter eight. 200 00:10:05,438 --> 00:10:06,672 If you don't have a Bible, let us know. 201 00:10:06,672 --> 00:10:07,206 Welcome, center. 202 00:10:07,206 --> 00:10:09,775 We'll get you one. But here we go. 203 00:10:09,775 --> 00:10:11,210 When he came down from the mountain. 204 00:10:11,210 --> 00:10:12,211 Okay, that's our first clue. 205 00:10:12,211 --> 00:10:14,413 This is after the sermon on the Mount. 206 00:10:14,413 --> 00:10:17,216 He's coming down from the mountain. 207 00:10:17,216 --> 00:10:20,019 Great crowds followed him talking about Jesus. 208 00:10:20,019 --> 00:10:23,556 And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, Lord, 209 00:10:23,556 --> 00:10:26,559 if you will, you can make me clean. 210 00:10:27,393 --> 00:10:28,828 Let me just tell you about leprosy. 211 00:10:28,828 --> 00:10:31,364 Leprosy still exists in some third world countries. 212 00:10:31,364 --> 00:10:34,367 In this world, we've pretty much eradicated it from the 213 00:10:34,867 --> 00:10:37,336 industrialized world, from first world countries. 214 00:10:37,336 --> 00:10:39,872 But in the third world, it still exists. 215 00:10:39,872 --> 00:10:42,875 And in certain places, leprosy is horrible. 216 00:10:43,476 --> 00:10:46,512 It starts with nerve damage, especially in the extremities. 217 00:10:46,512 --> 00:10:50,049 And as the nerves decay and are destroyed. 218 00:10:50,049 --> 00:10:52,652 Numbness, numbness, obviously sets in. 219 00:10:52,652 --> 00:10:57,323 And with the numbness comes paralysis and deformation of the hands and the feet. 220 00:10:58,290 --> 00:10:59,792 And what ends up happening with 221 00:10:59,792 --> 00:11:03,963 leprosy is the skin develops these horrible ulcers 222 00:11:03,963 --> 00:11:06,999 that just start spreading throughout the body, eating the flesh, 223 00:11:08,267 --> 00:11:11,270 which result in great infection throughout the body. 224 00:11:12,438 --> 00:11:15,374 Eventually it became the entire body and resulting in death. 225 00:11:15,374 --> 00:11:18,310 There's no cure for leprosy 226 00:11:18,310 --> 00:11:22,415 when someone is in in new chapter lives was diagnosed with leprosy, 227 00:11:22,848 --> 00:11:26,185 they were forced to wear old, ratty, tattered clothes. 228 00:11:26,185 --> 00:11:28,421 They were forced to let their hair grow long. 229 00:11:28,421 --> 00:11:31,424 They had to make it apparent that this was someone, 230 00:11:31,691 --> 00:11:34,694 who was not to be, 231 00:11:34,794 --> 00:11:36,629 who was to be shunned. 232 00:11:36,629 --> 00:11:38,597 They had to cover their face for a couple reasons. 233 00:11:38,597 --> 00:11:42,501 One, because as the leprosy spread on their face, their lips would fall off, 234 00:11:42,501 --> 00:11:43,669 their nose would there, too? 235 00:11:43,669 --> 00:11:48,240 Their mouth would, And so it was it's just it was just a nasty look. 236 00:11:48,541 --> 00:11:50,209 And it was also to prevent 237 00:11:51,243 --> 00:11:52,511 the idea of 238 00:11:52,511 --> 00:11:55,514 leprosy spreading through respiration. 239 00:11:55,681 --> 00:11:58,651 So they had to wear face coverings, 240 00:11:59,552 --> 00:12:03,089 and they had to shout out unclean, unclean, unclean. 241 00:12:04,390 --> 00:12:07,193 And they were forced, once they were diagnosed with leprosy, to move 242 00:12:07,193 --> 00:12:10,563 outside of the city, outside of the community and a leper colony. 243 00:12:11,097 --> 00:12:15,301 Once that happened, they were banned from all human contact. 244 00:12:16,035 --> 00:12:19,038 No friends, no family, no loved ones. 245 00:12:19,605 --> 00:12:22,608 They would never feel the touch of a human again. 246 00:12:23,142 --> 00:12:26,145 They were forced to beg for their food. 247 00:12:26,545 --> 00:12:29,548 They lost not only their health, they lost all people. 248 00:12:30,916 --> 00:12:33,486 It was often seen when someone had leprosy 249 00:12:33,486 --> 00:12:37,323 as a judgment of God because of some sin in their life. 250 00:12:37,323 --> 00:12:39,992 Now, that's not why people got leprosy. 251 00:12:39,992 --> 00:12:41,427 I want to be very clear 252 00:12:41,427 --> 00:12:45,731 that all people who had leprosy is not because God judged them. 253 00:12:45,731 --> 00:12:48,167 Though there are three instances in Scripture 254 00:12:48,167 --> 00:12:51,971 where because of someone's sin, God did inflict with leprosy. 255 00:12:53,339 --> 00:12:54,406 So that did happen. 256 00:12:54,406 --> 00:12:57,409 But that's not necessarily the case. 257 00:12:57,643 --> 00:12:59,812 But as a leper, 258 00:12:59,812 --> 00:13:02,815 they suffered physical suffering, 259 00:13:02,948 --> 00:13:08,654 social rejection, religious exclusion, and moral suspicion. 260 00:13:08,654 --> 00:13:11,223 Can you imagine? 261 00:13:11,223 --> 00:13:14,193 Because they were sick, 262 00:13:14,193 --> 00:13:18,030 the law was they had to stay 150ft away from everybody. 263 00:13:18,931 --> 00:13:21,267 They couldn't breathe, breathe the same air. 264 00:13:21,267 --> 00:13:24,270 It reminds me of a hyper, 265 00:13:24,670 --> 00:13:27,673 extreme Covid panic. 266 00:13:29,542 --> 00:13:32,044 The rabbis, the religious people at the time 267 00:13:32,044 --> 00:13:35,381 to make sure that they didn't get close to a leper who would have rocks 268 00:13:35,381 --> 00:13:38,751 and would throw them at the lepers to make sure that they stayed 269 00:13:38,751 --> 00:13:41,754 150ft away. 270 00:13:42,221 --> 00:13:45,224 Leprosy was called a slow motion funeral. 271 00:13:46,992 --> 00:13:49,995 It was horrible. 272 00:13:51,130 --> 00:13:53,966 And I was thinking, as I was thinking about leprosy this week, 273 00:13:53,966 --> 00:13:58,437 it reminded me, and if you were around church back in the 90s, 274 00:13:59,672 --> 00:14:02,808 it reminds me very much of the religious people 275 00:14:02,808 --> 00:14:05,811 in the churches response to the Aids epidemic. 276 00:14:07,713 --> 00:14:08,914 Because in the early days 277 00:14:08,914 --> 00:14:12,184 of the days of the Aids epidemic, it was absent by the church. 278 00:14:12,184 --> 00:14:16,155 It was absolutely seen as God's judgment on those sinful people. 279 00:14:19,592 --> 00:14:21,093 And in great fear, 280 00:14:21,093 --> 00:14:24,496 people lived with great distance from anybody who was infected with Aids. 281 00:14:25,831 --> 00:14:28,500 And it was a death sentence. 282 00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:31,470 And it oftentimes meant that those people 283 00:14:31,871 --> 00:14:35,708 were ostracized from their community, from their family, 284 00:14:36,508 --> 00:14:39,511 and from any institution of faith. 285 00:14:39,912 --> 00:14:41,881 If you're old enough in your own church in those days, 286 00:14:41,881 --> 00:14:44,283 you know exactly what I'm talking about. 287 00:14:44,283 --> 00:14:47,253 I was a youth pastor during those days, 288 00:14:47,887 --> 00:14:50,990 and I felt really convicted at the state of the church 289 00:14:50,990 --> 00:14:54,360 in response to people who had Aids, regardless of how they got it. 290 00:14:57,563 --> 00:14:58,264 And so I 291 00:14:58,264 --> 00:15:01,367 decided that I would go there was a hospital, 292 00:15:01,367 --> 00:15:05,504 a local hospital that was doing training on how to respond 293 00:15:05,671 --> 00:15:10,910 and how to care for people with Aids and the families associated with them. 294 00:15:11,677 --> 00:15:14,313 And as a young youth pastor, I said, I need to be a part of that. 295 00:15:14,313 --> 00:15:15,714 I need to know. 296 00:15:15,714 --> 00:15:18,717 And there was one other lady in our church, her name was Andy, 297 00:15:18,851 --> 00:15:22,788 and she went with me, and it was a multi-week thing. 298 00:15:23,155 --> 00:15:28,594 I was Andy and I were the only people from any church that were represented in it. 299 00:15:28,594 --> 00:15:32,431 In this, and it was not well received from my church. 300 00:15:34,233 --> 00:15:37,202 Why? Because they were lepers. 301 00:15:37,336 --> 00:15:38,070 That's this. 302 00:15:38,070 --> 00:15:43,342 That's this stigma is the stigma that associated these lepers. 303 00:15:43,776 --> 00:15:45,110 That's what we're dealing with here. 304 00:15:49,348 --> 00:15:52,351 And I want you to notice what the leper did. 305 00:15:52,418 --> 00:15:54,586 The leper came to Jesus and knelt before him. 306 00:15:54,586 --> 00:15:57,289 This was an act of worship. 307 00:15:57,289 --> 00:16:00,059 So he's not coming to Jesus, acting as if everything's okay. 308 00:16:00,059 --> 00:16:03,062 He knows something's bad in his life. 309 00:16:03,128 --> 00:16:04,830 He knows there's contamination. 310 00:16:04,830 --> 00:16:06,265 Do you understand? 311 00:16:06,265 --> 00:16:09,268 And he knows that he has to submit like he's 312 00:16:09,668 --> 00:16:12,705 he comes in as an act of worship and look at what he has. 313 00:16:13,172 --> 00:16:16,175 He says, Lord, what do you say? 314 00:16:17,910 --> 00:16:19,144 What do you say? 315 00:16:19,144 --> 00:16:22,581 If you're he says, Lord, if you're willing, you can make me clean. 316 00:16:22,581 --> 00:16:24,216 I want you to understand something. 317 00:16:24,216 --> 00:16:27,353 His question is not, Lord, do you have the power? 318 00:16:28,954 --> 00:16:31,290 His question is not if you can 319 00:16:31,290 --> 00:16:34,059 question is if you're willing. 320 00:16:34,059 --> 00:16:36,795 See for the leper, the first of the healing here. 321 00:16:36,795 --> 00:16:39,198 The power wasn't the question. Love was. 322 00:16:41,100 --> 00:16:41,900 He didn't question. 323 00:16:41,900 --> 00:16:43,202 If God had the power to him. 324 00:16:43,202 --> 00:16:46,238 He question if he was worthy enough to be healed by God. 325 00:16:47,006 --> 00:16:49,742 His question was a question of love. 326 00:16:49,742 --> 00:16:57,049 God, am I so far outside of your care that you're unwilling to heal me? 327 00:16:57,316 --> 00:16:58,851 That's what he's saying. 328 00:16:58,851 --> 00:17:02,321 Why? Because everybody in his world, everybody is life 329 00:17:02,454 --> 00:17:05,457 and said, you are no longer worthy, 330 00:17:06,158 --> 00:17:08,894 right? 331 00:17:08,894 --> 00:17:10,863 Apparently your family didn't love you anymore. 332 00:17:10,863 --> 00:17:12,031 Your friends all love anymore. 333 00:17:12,031 --> 00:17:13,832 Your faith can be don't love anymore. 334 00:17:13,832 --> 00:17:17,336 You are so contaminated that you're outside 335 00:17:17,336 --> 00:17:20,339 the scope of human love. 336 00:17:20,472 --> 00:17:23,342 So his question is not about the power of God. 337 00:17:23,342 --> 00:17:26,311 His question is about the love of God. 338 00:17:27,780 --> 00:17:30,783 There been there. 339 00:17:36,855 --> 00:17:40,025 In verse three and four, Jesus stretched out his hand. 340 00:17:40,025 --> 00:17:41,060 And what do you do? 341 00:17:42,361 --> 00:17:44,797 He touched him. 342 00:17:44,797 --> 00:17:46,465 He says, I am all right. 343 00:17:46,465 --> 00:17:47,833 I will be clean. 344 00:17:47,833 --> 00:17:50,536 And immediately the leprosy was cleansed. 345 00:17:50,536 --> 00:17:52,771 And you said to him, see that you say nothing to anyone 346 00:17:52,771 --> 00:17:54,206 but go show yourself to the priest and offer 347 00:17:54,206 --> 00:17:56,708 the gift of Moses that Moses commanded for the fruit to them. 348 00:17:56,708 --> 00:17:59,711 Here's what's happening. 349 00:17:59,945 --> 00:18:01,146 This this person 350 00:18:01,146 --> 00:18:04,149 who had been devoid of any of any human contact. 351 00:18:04,483 --> 00:18:08,053 It was religiously a defilement for to touch a leper. 352 00:18:08,053 --> 00:18:11,290 And it was also physically incredibly risky. 353 00:18:11,290 --> 00:18:12,791 This is how leprosy is transferred. 354 00:18:12,791 --> 00:18:16,261 And Jesus, because he has authority, 355 00:18:16,929 --> 00:18:19,998 reaches out and touches the first time 356 00:18:19,998 --> 00:18:23,068 this person has felt a human touch and who knows how many years 357 00:18:24,470 --> 00:18:28,874 and just says, I have authority over what contaminate you and I will touch you. 358 00:18:28,874 --> 00:18:31,610 And the moment he was touched by Jesus, what happened? 359 00:18:32,778 --> 00:18:34,079 His cleansing healed. 360 00:18:34,079 --> 00:18:37,516 Now we have to understand, other than what's going on in the physical world, 361 00:18:37,683 --> 00:18:41,320 leprosy is a symbol of sin. 362 00:18:42,721 --> 00:18:46,458 Sin and leprosy are the exact same in this. 363 00:18:48,060 --> 00:18:50,562 It infects a person 364 00:18:50,562 --> 00:18:54,333 and it spreads and it starts to deform. 365 00:18:54,933 --> 00:18:57,002 It starts to decay. 366 00:18:57,002 --> 00:19:01,607 It starts to defile that person and eventually lead to death. 367 00:19:01,607 --> 00:19:04,610 It's sin. 368 00:19:05,611 --> 00:19:07,946 And when someone acknowledges 369 00:19:07,946 --> 00:19:11,984 how much I have, how much we've been contaminated by sin, 370 00:19:12,217 --> 00:19:15,988 and when he gets bad enough, every one of us questions. 371 00:19:15,988 --> 00:19:18,991 God, do you still love me? 372 00:19:19,892 --> 00:19:21,093 You know what I've done. 373 00:19:21,093 --> 00:19:22,127 I know what I've done. 374 00:19:22,127 --> 00:19:28,033 And I've gone so far outside of your community, of your will, of your plan. 375 00:19:28,033 --> 00:19:31,036 How can you love me anymore? 376 00:19:33,071 --> 00:19:34,473 And even if we understand that 377 00:19:34,473 --> 00:19:37,809 Jesus died on the cross, his power, the question remains 378 00:19:39,611 --> 00:19:41,880 because of who I am, 379 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,483 can you love me 380 00:19:44,483 --> 00:19:47,119 to understand? 381 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:50,055 And what did Jesus do? 382 00:19:50,055 --> 00:19:54,560 He validated him and he said, do you still matter to me? 383 00:19:54,593 --> 00:19:55,961 You're still important to me. 384 00:19:55,961 --> 00:19:58,230 You are never too far gone for me. 385 00:19:58,230 --> 00:20:01,500 And he stretched out and touched him, and the moment he touched him, 386 00:20:02,467 --> 00:20:04,236 he was cleansed. 387 00:20:04,236 --> 00:20:07,306 The leper did nothing for his own cleansing. 388 00:20:07,406 --> 00:20:10,709 The leper did nothing to affect his own healing. 389 00:20:10,809 --> 00:20:14,346 It was simply by the touch of Jesus and my friends, 390 00:20:14,446 --> 00:20:18,317 this is exactly what happens in the spiritual world with our sin. 391 00:20:18,383 --> 00:20:21,453 We are so contaminated by sin and with sin 392 00:20:21,787 --> 00:20:26,458 that left to itself, it will continue to spread and infect 393 00:20:26,592 --> 00:20:30,362 and alter and eventually lead to our own death. 394 00:20:32,531 --> 00:20:36,301 But if we approach the healer and say, 395 00:20:36,335 --> 00:20:40,272 do you love me enough and get a resounding yes, I do, 396 00:20:40,272 --> 00:20:46,478 and allow him to touch us immediately that contamination is cleansed. 397 00:20:46,578 --> 00:20:50,015 Not because we've been good, not because we've been religious, 398 00:20:50,015 --> 00:20:55,354 not because we've done right, but because he has authority over it 399 00:20:57,322 --> 00:21:00,325 to understand. 400 00:21:00,993 --> 00:21:03,228 Here's what we got to understand 401 00:21:03,228 --> 00:21:06,331 that grace is greater than our contamination. 402 00:21:07,366 --> 00:21:09,635 It's by the grace of God 403 00:21:09,635 --> 00:21:12,738 that Jesus healed this man, though he was 404 00:21:14,172 --> 00:21:17,175 deathly contaminated. 405 00:21:19,544 --> 00:21:22,547 I'm so thankful for his grace. 406 00:21:23,548 --> 00:21:25,951 But the key 407 00:21:25,951 --> 00:21:28,920 the leper had to want to be healed. 408 00:21:30,589 --> 00:21:32,791 And then he had to approach 409 00:21:32,791 --> 00:21:35,794 Jesus and ask for it. 410 00:21:36,695 --> 00:21:39,931 There are times in Scripture when someone who was sick 411 00:21:39,931 --> 00:21:42,934 or ill or dying or whatever, Jesus will say, do you want to get better? 412 00:21:44,870 --> 00:21:47,873 There has to be an argument that I'm not good right now. 413 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,810 I am contaminated. 414 00:21:55,113 --> 00:21:58,116 And I want you to make me better. 415 00:21:58,150 --> 00:22:01,153 I want you to heal me. 416 00:22:01,386 --> 00:22:04,389 You get it? 417 00:22:04,756 --> 00:22:06,325 You get it. 418 00:22:06,325 --> 00:22:07,759 Like I'm not afraid to start over. 419 00:22:07,759 --> 00:22:09,094 It's not Super Bowl Sunday yet. 420 00:22:13,465 --> 00:22:14,366 So that's the first healing. 421 00:22:14,366 --> 00:22:15,934 Let's look at the second one I'm going to read. 422 00:22:15,934 --> 00:22:19,304 I'm going to read verses five through nine when he had entered Capernaum. 423 00:22:19,304 --> 00:22:22,240 Oh no wait. I'm gonna go back to verse four. 424 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:25,077 Jesus said to him, see that you say nothing to anyone, 425 00:22:25,077 --> 00:22:26,878 but go show yourself to the priest and offer 426 00:22:26,878 --> 00:22:28,547 the gift that Moses commanded for the proof of that. 427 00:22:28,547 --> 00:22:31,550 I love that just like, don't tell anybody what 428 00:22:32,551 --> 00:22:34,586 what what 429 00:22:34,586 --> 00:22:34,920 he said. 430 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:36,421 Don't, don't, don't like, don't be spread. 431 00:22:36,421 --> 00:22:38,557 Now, can you imagine if this happened today? 432 00:22:38,557 --> 00:22:40,592 Some pastor 433 00:22:40,592 --> 00:22:41,526 like, has this big he'll. 434 00:22:41,526 --> 00:22:43,462 You know what he would do. 435 00:22:43,462 --> 00:22:45,464 Hold on a minute. Hold on a minute. 436 00:22:45,464 --> 00:22:45,931 Right. 437 00:22:45,931 --> 00:22:49,468 Like take a selfie on my post is like, my followers are going to go 438 00:22:49,468 --> 00:22:52,170 through the roof. I'm gonna start a podcast. 439 00:22:52,170 --> 00:22:53,805 Everybody's going to listen to me. 440 00:22:54,773 --> 00:22:57,776 You know, it just is stupid. 441 00:22:58,810 --> 00:23:02,714 And Jesus was like, look, I, I don't need fandom. 442 00:23:02,714 --> 00:23:05,484 I want followers, 443 00:23:05,484 --> 00:23:08,487 I'm not building a brand. 444 00:23:09,121 --> 00:23:12,090 I wonder what Jesus would say today 445 00:23:12,424 --> 00:23:15,427 to all the hype. 446 00:23:16,161 --> 00:23:17,462 These skinny jeans. 447 00:23:17,462 --> 00:23:17,829 What? 448 00:23:17,829 --> 00:23:20,832 I'm. Yeah, I'm whatever I 449 00:23:21,933 --> 00:23:24,936 it's like, look. 450 00:23:25,270 --> 00:23:27,506 I'm not sending this to the PR department. 451 00:23:27,506 --> 00:23:29,174 I'm not doing selfish about this. 452 00:23:29,174 --> 00:23:30,509 I'm not built. 453 00:23:30,509 --> 00:23:31,510 What does he say? 454 00:23:31,510 --> 00:23:35,347 He says, I want you to leave here now, after what I've done, and be obedient 455 00:23:35,881 --> 00:23:37,649 to all I want. 456 00:23:37,649 --> 00:23:38,650 That's why I said, go to the priest. 457 00:23:38,650 --> 00:23:39,918 Show him the law of Moses. 458 00:23:39,918 --> 00:23:42,387 Obedience to Scripture, offer what you got to offer, 459 00:23:42,387 --> 00:23:45,190 and be obedient to the scripture that's already there. 460 00:23:45,190 --> 00:23:47,859 That's what he says. 461 00:23:47,859 --> 00:23:50,462 When Jesus steps in and does something, 462 00:23:50,462 --> 00:23:55,333 his expectation of those for whom he did it is their obedience in response. 463 00:23:55,333 --> 00:23:56,034 Do you understand? 464 00:23:58,203 --> 00:23:59,471 So let me get to the second one. 465 00:23:59,471 --> 00:24:01,773 Now, verse five. 466 00:24:01,773 --> 00:24:05,744 But when he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing 467 00:24:05,744 --> 00:24:09,281 to him, Lord, my servant is laying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly. 468 00:24:09,481 --> 00:24:11,483 And he said to him, I will come and heal him. 469 00:24:11,483 --> 00:24:15,420 But the centurion replied, Lord, I'm not worthy to have you come under my roof, 470 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:18,723 but only say the word, and my servant will be healed, for I 471 00:24:18,723 --> 00:24:22,127 too am a man under authority, and with soldiers under me. 472 00:24:22,194 --> 00:24:24,629 And I say to one, go! And he goes on, come. 473 00:24:24,629 --> 00:24:27,699 And he comes into my servant, do this, and he does it. 474 00:24:31,403 --> 00:24:34,473 The centurion, this is a Roman soldier. 475 00:24:34,473 --> 00:24:36,208 He's a man in charge of 100. 476 00:24:36,208 --> 00:24:38,743 That's why it's sent the centurion. 477 00:24:38,743 --> 00:24:40,312 So he's got 100 men under him. 478 00:24:40,312 --> 00:24:42,581 And he has the servant who's paralyzed. 479 00:24:42,581 --> 00:24:43,582 Something's wrong with him. 480 00:24:43,582 --> 00:24:47,719 Under Roman law, the centurion has the right by law 481 00:24:47,819 --> 00:24:50,722 to have that servant executed because he's no longer of service. 482 00:24:51,990 --> 00:24:53,959 That's what usually happened. 483 00:24:53,959 --> 00:24:56,495 So what we see in the centurion is this. 484 00:24:56,495 --> 00:24:59,664 This man who was outside the community of faith. 485 00:24:59,931 --> 00:25:03,301 But he has such love for another, 486 00:25:03,502 --> 00:25:07,472 such concern for another, that rather than execute him, 487 00:25:07,472 --> 00:25:10,909 which is his right by law, he seeks his healing. 488 00:25:11,576 --> 00:25:15,747 And he goes to Jesus and he asks on behalf of another, 489 00:25:16,414 --> 00:25:19,384 Will you do this? 490 00:25:19,384 --> 00:25:23,355 He understands the value of another person 491 00:25:23,355 --> 00:25:26,358 and he understands authority. 492 00:25:27,959 --> 00:25:29,027 And so he approaches 493 00:25:29,027 --> 00:25:31,796 Jesus on the basis of his authority. 494 00:25:31,796 --> 00:25:34,833 Now, I want you to understand the difference between the leper 495 00:25:34,933 --> 00:25:37,269 and the centurion. 496 00:25:37,269 --> 00:25:39,638 The leper came to Jesus and said, 497 00:25:39,638 --> 00:25:42,641 if you're willing. 498 00:25:43,208 --> 00:25:46,211 The centurion said, just say the word. 499 00:25:47,245 --> 00:25:49,581 The leper appeals to Jesus. 500 00:25:49,581 --> 00:25:51,616 His compassion. 501 00:25:51,616 --> 00:25:53,752 The centurion 502 00:25:53,752 --> 00:25:56,154 comes to Jesus, submitted to his authority. 503 00:25:58,690 --> 00:26:01,693 The leper knows Jesus can. 504 00:26:02,928 --> 00:26:05,063 The centurion knows that 505 00:26:05,063 --> 00:26:08,066 Jesus rules and reigns 506 00:26:08,300 --> 00:26:10,902 vastly different. 507 00:26:10,902 --> 00:26:13,638 One asks for mercy. 508 00:26:13,638 --> 00:26:16,841 The other submits to his authority. 509 00:26:19,311 --> 00:26:20,545 Vastly different. 510 00:26:20,545 --> 00:26:23,548 Both will receive grace, 511 00:26:24,316 --> 00:26:28,019 but they come approaching Jesus from vastly different perspectives. 512 00:26:28,620 --> 00:26:31,623 Now what I want to share with you why that's important. 513 00:26:31,890 --> 00:26:32,591 Verse ten. 514 00:26:32,591 --> 00:26:35,994 When Jesus heard this, he marveled. 515 00:26:35,994 --> 00:26:39,931 He was amazed literally and said to those who follow him, truly 516 00:26:39,931 --> 00:26:43,201 I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 517 00:26:43,602 --> 00:26:46,605 The faith of this non Jew 518 00:26:47,639 --> 00:26:50,508 amazed Jesus when I was studying. 519 00:26:50,508 --> 00:26:52,744 So I'm like, what was so amazing about this? 520 00:26:52,744 --> 00:26:54,179 He wasn't the one sick. 521 00:26:54,179 --> 00:26:58,249 He didn't have to believe all he did was go ask Jesus on behalf of somebody else. 522 00:26:58,383 --> 00:27:00,285 This leper was dying. 523 00:27:00,285 --> 00:27:01,853 He knew there was no cure. 524 00:27:01,853 --> 00:27:04,789 He comes and ask on his own self and has faith to ask you 525 00:27:04,789 --> 00:27:07,192 what was so amazing about the insurance faith 526 00:27:07,192 --> 00:27:09,260 that was more amazing than the lepers faith? 527 00:27:10,295 --> 00:27:12,330 Jesus wasn't amazed at the lepers faith. 528 00:27:12,330 --> 00:27:14,299 He was amazed at the centurion's faith. 529 00:27:14,299 --> 00:27:18,236 And he said, this guy who isn't even a part of the click 530 00:27:18,737 --> 00:27:21,306 has more faith than anybody who is a part of the click. 531 00:27:21,306 --> 00:27:23,842 It's amazing to me, he says. 532 00:27:23,842 --> 00:27:26,478 What was so amazing? 533 00:27:26,478 --> 00:27:28,146 Here's why. 534 00:27:28,146 --> 00:27:31,549 Because the centurion believed that Jesus rained, 535 00:27:31,916 --> 00:27:34,919 not just responded. 536 00:27:36,321 --> 00:27:39,391 He believed and submitted to the authority of Jesus. 537 00:27:39,391 --> 00:27:40,892 He wasn't just looking for Jesus. 538 00:27:40,892 --> 00:27:43,895 His hand. 539 00:27:45,263 --> 00:27:46,531 This insurance just didn't 540 00:27:46,531 --> 00:27:49,501 believe that Jesus had the power. 541 00:27:49,501 --> 00:27:53,605 He believed Jesus had absolute authority over, 542 00:27:54,439 --> 00:27:57,542 and he put himself under the authority of God, 543 00:27:58,576 --> 00:28:00,812 who has authority over all the rulers 544 00:28:00,812 --> 00:28:03,815 and authorities and principalities. 545 00:28:04,282 --> 00:28:07,285 See, the leper saw Jesus as the healer. 546 00:28:07,485 --> 00:28:10,455 The centurion saw Jesus as the king. 547 00:28:11,456 --> 00:28:13,591 The leper wondered if he was worthy. 548 00:28:13,591 --> 00:28:16,594 The centurion admitted he was not. 549 00:28:19,831 --> 00:28:22,834 And relied on grace alone. 550 00:28:23,935 --> 00:28:26,771 There's only two times in the Bible where Jesus was ever amazed, 551 00:28:26,771 --> 00:28:30,175 this time at the faith as a centurion who understood the authority 552 00:28:30,175 --> 00:28:32,544 of Jesus and submitted himself to it. 553 00:28:32,544 --> 00:28:35,447 The all the other time where Jesus was amazed is a record 554 00:28:35,447 --> 00:28:39,484 of for us in Mark six six and a mark six six it says he, Jesus 555 00:28:39,651 --> 00:28:42,654 marveled, was amazed because of their unbelief, 556 00:28:43,621 --> 00:28:46,391 won at the faith and belief of the submission of the centurion, 557 00:28:46,391 --> 00:28:49,694 and one of the unbelief of those who said that they knew him. 558 00:28:53,231 --> 00:28:54,399 And he was amazed 559 00:28:54,399 --> 00:28:58,503 that people could be so close to him and have so little faith in him. 560 00:28:59,971 --> 00:29:01,039 So, my dear friends, there's 561 00:29:01,039 --> 00:29:04,042 two ways to amaze Jesus. 562 00:29:05,343 --> 00:29:08,313 To understand and submit to the authority of Jesus 563 00:29:08,313 --> 00:29:12,150 as the authority over all things physical and and spiritual. 564 00:29:15,086 --> 00:29:16,321 Or to think to 565 00:29:16,321 --> 00:29:19,324 to be close to him and have no faith in him. 566 00:29:28,867 --> 00:29:31,669 He says, I tell you in verse 11, I tell you, many will come from the east 567 00:29:31,669 --> 00:29:34,506 and the west, and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 568 00:29:34,506 --> 00:29:35,740 in the kingdom of heaven, while 569 00:29:35,740 --> 00:29:38,743 the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. 570 00:29:38,910 --> 00:29:41,913 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 571 00:29:42,747 --> 00:29:44,983 And this end to the centurion 572 00:29:44,983 --> 00:29:47,986 Jesus said, go, let it be done to you as you have believed. 573 00:29:48,386 --> 00:29:50,889 And the servant was healed at that very moment. 574 00:29:50,889 --> 00:29:51,990 This whole idea 575 00:29:51,990 --> 00:29:54,993 Jesus says, listen, I'm going to blow this whole thing down to faith. 576 00:29:55,794 --> 00:29:59,364 You came in faith and you received in faith. 577 00:30:00,098 --> 00:30:03,067 He said, I'm going to tell you at the end of time 578 00:30:03,067 --> 00:30:06,171 at this great banquet with all of God's people, 579 00:30:06,905 --> 00:30:11,142 there will be people who think they get into that because of who they are 580 00:30:11,142 --> 00:30:14,979 and what they've done, apart from faith, and they're cast out and 581 00:30:15,980 --> 00:30:18,983 weeping and gnashing of teeth and outer darkness. 582 00:30:19,050 --> 00:30:22,120 Those who are going to sit at that table are going to come 583 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:25,657 just like you came by faith, by faith were saved. 584 00:30:26,891 --> 00:30:30,562 You understand by the grace of God through faith, it's a gift. 585 00:30:31,296 --> 00:30:34,299 That's what Jesus is saying. 586 00:30:35,466 --> 00:30:37,602 At that moment, he was healed. 587 00:30:37,602 --> 00:30:38,603 Those are to him. 588 00:30:38,603 --> 00:30:41,539 Now look at this third one, verse 14. 589 00:30:41,539 --> 00:30:44,542 Now when Jesus entered Peter's house, Peter, the disciple, 590 00:30:45,376 --> 00:30:47,979 he saw his mother in law lying sick with a fever. 591 00:30:47,979 --> 00:30:51,549 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. 592 00:30:52,050 --> 00:30:55,720 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons. 593 00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:59,657 And he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick. 594 00:30:59,791 --> 00:31:02,427 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah. 595 00:31:02,427 --> 00:31:04,495 He took our illnesses and our diseases. 596 00:31:04,495 --> 00:31:07,498 When I was when I was reading this, I gotta be honest, I gotta tell you, 597 00:31:07,665 --> 00:31:09,300 like kind of where my mind goes sometimes. 598 00:31:12,637 --> 00:31:14,505 I'm. I'm saved. 599 00:31:14,505 --> 00:31:15,173 I'm a Christian, 600 00:31:15,173 --> 00:31:18,543 I love Jesus, and I love my mother in law, but I gotta I gotta tell you, 601 00:31:19,844 --> 00:31:22,847 I'm reading this and look at how this reads. 602 00:31:23,147 --> 00:31:24,782 Jesus goes to Peter's house. 603 00:31:24,782 --> 00:31:26,985 Peter's mom in law is fever. 604 00:31:26,985 --> 00:31:28,920 She's she's bedridden. 605 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:31,122 Jesus walks over and heals her. 606 00:31:31,122 --> 00:31:34,125 In my mind, I think it feels like. 607 00:31:40,231 --> 00:31:41,966 I didn't ask for that. 608 00:31:41,966 --> 00:31:44,969 You don't say it like. 609 00:31:46,738 --> 00:31:47,005 I don't. 610 00:31:47,005 --> 00:31:50,108 Yeah, it's funny, I just I don't think it happened that way. 611 00:31:50,108 --> 00:31:53,745 I think Peter is very, you know, but but I just like, you know, guys, 612 00:31:55,613 --> 00:31:58,983 anybody is bunch of cowards. 613 00:31:59,217 --> 00:32:02,220 Yeah. 614 00:32:02,987 --> 00:32:04,222 Look, don't look at what happened. 615 00:32:04,222 --> 00:32:05,690 There's no time healing. 616 00:32:05,690 --> 00:32:06,791 Just just understand. 617 00:32:06,791 --> 00:32:11,095 This is the third healing one requested healing for himself. 618 00:32:12,297 --> 00:32:15,300 One requested healing for others. 619 00:32:15,466 --> 00:32:18,202 One. There was no request made at all. 620 00:32:18,202 --> 00:32:21,205 What's the pattern? 621 00:32:21,639 --> 00:32:23,741 Watch one. 622 00:32:23,741 --> 00:32:26,744 Jesus touched one. 623 00:32:27,045 --> 00:32:29,881 He spoke a command from a distance. 624 00:32:29,881 --> 00:32:32,884 One he touched and nothing was spoken. 625 00:32:33,751 --> 00:32:36,754 What's the pattern for healing? 626 00:32:37,555 --> 00:32:37,989 Listen. 627 00:32:37,989 --> 00:32:39,724 Yeah, yeah. You're right. Exactly. 628 00:32:39,724 --> 00:32:44,829 Jesus decides if and who and how he will heal. 629 00:32:45,630 --> 00:32:49,000 There's no system that directs his decision. 630 00:32:50,501 --> 00:32:53,137 There's no special way to do it. 631 00:32:53,137 --> 00:32:55,673 It's by the grace of God. 632 00:32:55,673 --> 00:32:56,574 And please understand. 633 00:32:56,574 --> 00:32:59,577 Every physical healing will still end in death. 634 00:33:00,778 --> 00:33:02,647 It's just it's just push back a little bit. 635 00:33:02,647 --> 00:33:05,650 Do you understand? Yes. 636 00:33:06,384 --> 00:33:09,253 And I want you to notice the response, 637 00:33:09,253 --> 00:33:11,990 the response of the leper. 638 00:33:11,990 --> 00:33:14,959 Be obedient. 639 00:33:14,959 --> 00:33:15,893 Be obedient. 640 00:33:15,893 --> 00:33:18,363 Now, you may not have been before. 641 00:33:18,363 --> 00:33:21,833 Now you start the response of the mother in law. 642 00:33:21,833 --> 00:33:22,533 Serve. 643 00:33:24,902 --> 00:33:26,204 Please understand 644 00:33:26,204 --> 00:33:29,040 the proper response when Jesus moves in 645 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:32,043 life is obedience and service. 646 00:33:34,012 --> 00:33:35,747 I know what I've been saved from. 647 00:33:35,747 --> 00:33:39,317 I know God's grace and I will gladly serve in response. 648 00:33:40,485 --> 00:33:43,488 I'm gonna tell you this you need to know this. 649 00:33:45,957 --> 00:33:48,960 If you ever asked me to pray for you, 650 00:33:49,193 --> 00:33:52,196 like in a healing way, especially, 651 00:33:52,263 --> 00:33:54,966 this is this is how my prayer goes. 652 00:33:54,966 --> 00:33:57,168 And there's been a lot of there's a lot of people on my prayer list. 653 00:33:57,168 --> 00:33:59,937 I pray for healing every single day. 654 00:33:59,937 --> 00:34:02,940 But but here's my prayer, father, 655 00:34:03,441 --> 00:34:07,011 as they serve you and your kingdom, heal them 656 00:34:07,412 --> 00:34:10,748 so that they will continue serving you 657 00:34:10,748 --> 00:34:13,751 and your kingdom. 658 00:34:16,754 --> 00:34:20,124 I don't expect healing for anybody 659 00:34:20,124 --> 00:34:24,829 if they're just going to continue a life of sin or ignoring the kingdom, 660 00:34:24,829 --> 00:34:28,800 or a life of materialism to spend the remaining of their days on themselves. 661 00:34:30,935 --> 00:34:31,869 Now God may, 662 00:34:31,869 --> 00:34:34,872 because he is gracious and merciful. 663 00:34:34,972 --> 00:34:39,210 But my prayer for people as they serve you and your kingdom, heal 664 00:34:39,210 --> 00:34:42,680 so they can continue serving your kingdom if they're not going to serve you in 665 00:34:42,713 --> 00:34:45,016 the kingdom, 666 00:34:45,016 --> 00:34:48,019 reach them in a way that they will. 667 00:34:50,021 --> 00:34:53,024 And honestly, this is somewhat biblical. 668 00:34:53,357 --> 00:34:56,461 Jesus, when he would peel, people oftentimes said, you've been healed. 669 00:34:56,461 --> 00:34:58,863 Now go sin no more. 670 00:34:58,863 --> 00:35:01,632 Do you understand? 671 00:35:01,632 --> 00:35:02,233 My kingdom. 672 00:35:02,233 --> 00:35:04,569 First, 673 00:35:04,569 --> 00:35:06,370 let me say this. 674 00:35:06,370 --> 00:35:09,373 I think there's some of you today that could be healed. 675 00:35:13,144 --> 00:35:15,513 Today? 676 00:35:15,513 --> 00:35:18,516 Why? Because Jesus has authority. 677 00:35:19,584 --> 00:35:22,186 Jesus taught a lot on prayer. 678 00:35:22,186 --> 00:35:25,823 In his sermon he preached and shows us the value of it. 679 00:35:25,957 --> 00:35:28,292 In Matthew eight, 680 00:35:28,292 --> 00:35:29,894 requesting of Jesus his prayer. 681 00:35:29,894 --> 00:35:30,895 That's what these people are doing. 682 00:35:34,232 --> 00:35:36,234 All three of these healings show Jesus 683 00:35:36,234 --> 00:35:39,237 power and authority in the real world to heal 684 00:35:40,371 --> 00:35:42,507 through prayer. 685 00:35:42,507 --> 00:35:45,510 So why do we act as if prayer is optional? 686 00:35:46,410 --> 00:35:49,413 And why do we act as if 687 00:35:49,580 --> 00:35:52,583 someone else? 688 00:35:53,451 --> 00:35:56,454 Always must do it for us. 689 00:35:57,021 --> 00:35:58,823 For none of these people was the request 690 00:35:58,823 --> 00:36:01,826 of Jesus in their own mind, in their own heart. 691 00:36:02,660 --> 00:36:05,196 It was a crying out of their 692 00:36:05,196 --> 00:36:08,199 need and request for healing. 693 00:36:08,966 --> 00:36:12,136 I'm. I'm telling you, there are people in this church with little prayer lanyard. 694 00:36:12,136 --> 00:36:16,374 They would love to pray with you and for you or for your loved ones with you. 695 00:36:20,444 --> 00:36:23,447 Why would you resist that? 696 00:36:27,652 --> 00:36:30,655 It makes no sense to me. 697 00:36:31,856 --> 00:36:34,859 Let me let me wrap up with this. 698 00:36:37,662 --> 00:36:38,229 In the Bible. 699 00:36:38,229 --> 00:36:39,664 Good. 700 00:36:39,664 --> 00:36:40,631 In the Bible, good. 701 00:36:40,631 --> 00:36:42,633 Like, there's so much here 702 00:36:42,633 --> 00:36:46,137 I wish we could talk about this for, like, the next six hours or so much here, but, 703 00:36:48,906 --> 00:36:49,941 I won't do that, obviously. 704 00:36:49,941 --> 00:36:51,609 Let me let. Okay. Verse 18. 705 00:36:51,609 --> 00:36:53,678 Well, look at what Jesus says now. 706 00:36:53,678 --> 00:36:57,181 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other 707 00:36:57,181 --> 00:36:58,082 side. 708 00:36:58,082 --> 00:37:01,052 I love how Jesus always walked away from the crowd 709 00:37:02,119 --> 00:37:05,122 is it's so different than today, 710 00:37:05,990 --> 00:37:07,592 Charlie. 711 00:37:07,592 --> 00:37:09,961 Verse 19 and a scribe, a religious press came into him 712 00:37:09,961 --> 00:37:12,263 and said, teacher, I'll follow you wherever you go. 713 00:37:12,263 --> 00:37:15,166 I mean, he sees the hype. He sees what Jesus do. 714 00:37:15,166 --> 00:37:16,567 And he's like, wow, this is a groundswell. 715 00:37:16,567 --> 00:37:18,135 This is going to be awesome. 716 00:37:18,135 --> 00:37:21,005 And Jesus said him, foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, 717 00:37:21,005 --> 00:37:22,773 but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. 718 00:37:22,773 --> 00:37:25,776 Well, that's not very encouraging. 719 00:37:27,645 --> 00:37:29,046 Another of his disciples came to him 720 00:37:29,046 --> 00:37:32,216 and said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. 721 00:37:32,383 --> 00:37:33,884 And you said to him, 722 00:37:33,884 --> 00:37:37,922 I tell you what, you follow me and leave the dead to bury their own dead. Oh, 723 00:37:39,323 --> 00:37:41,859 does that sound brutal? 724 00:37:41,859 --> 00:37:42,193 Yeah. 725 00:37:42,193 --> 00:37:44,161 You sound just so rough. 726 00:37:44,161 --> 00:37:46,864 He's so harsh. 727 00:37:46,864 --> 00:37:47,865 Listen. What? 728 00:37:47,865 --> 00:37:48,399 Jesus. 729 00:37:48,399 --> 00:37:50,868 Right now he's talking about the requirements 730 00:37:50,868 --> 00:37:53,971 for a disciple, not for the requirements of salvation. 731 00:37:54,805 --> 00:37:57,375 We have to understand this about the Gospels. 732 00:37:57,375 --> 00:37:59,844 You have to understand this about Jesus. 733 00:37:59,844 --> 00:38:01,312 Salvation is free. 734 00:38:01,312 --> 00:38:05,016 It's the gift of God by God's grace through faith. 735 00:38:06,150 --> 00:38:09,920 Then after receiving the free gift by faith, 736 00:38:10,221 --> 00:38:13,557 then comes self-sacrifice and a change of lifestyle. 737 00:38:13,658 --> 00:38:16,894 So he what he's talking about here is you want to be my disciple. 738 00:38:17,428 --> 00:38:20,531 You become my disciple by grace through faith. 739 00:38:20,865 --> 00:38:21,932 It's a free gift. 740 00:38:21,932 --> 00:38:24,468 You can't earn it just like these who were healed. 741 00:38:24,468 --> 00:38:27,471 They didn't earn it. Okay, but now. 742 00:38:27,571 --> 00:38:29,507 Now you want to live like a disciple. 743 00:38:29,507 --> 00:38:30,608 Here's the standard. 744 00:38:32,209 --> 00:38:34,478 Here's the standard. 745 00:38:34,478 --> 00:38:37,682 And he doesn't talk either of these guys out of following him. 746 00:38:37,682 --> 00:38:39,050 He just says, I want to be clear about the standard. 747 00:38:39,050 --> 00:38:41,552 You're going to be my disciple. Listen, I'm. 748 00:38:41,552 --> 00:38:43,487 I got no place to lay my head. 749 00:38:43,487 --> 00:38:45,389 What he's saying is this. 750 00:38:45,389 --> 00:38:47,425 You want to be my disciple, that's great. 751 00:38:47,425 --> 00:38:51,062 But you have to understand that you're not going to get rich from following me. 752 00:38:51,729 --> 00:38:55,099 Just because you follow me doesn't mean that your life 753 00:38:55,099 --> 00:38:57,535 is going to get more comfortable. 754 00:38:57,535 --> 00:39:01,272 A disciple means that your life is not about your comfort 755 00:39:01,272 --> 00:39:03,974 and building your assets. 756 00:39:03,974 --> 00:39:05,676 I don't even have a place to lay my head. 757 00:39:05,676 --> 00:39:08,679 What makes you think you're going to get to stand? 758 00:39:09,213 --> 00:39:12,149 So he's not saying, don't follow me, he said, I want you to understand 759 00:39:12,149 --> 00:39:15,786 the standard not of salvation, but as a disciple. Now 760 00:39:16,854 --> 00:39:19,857 and then he says, let the dead bury the dead. 761 00:39:19,924 --> 00:39:21,292 That sounds really rough. 762 00:39:21,292 --> 00:39:23,394 Here's the implication that this guy's dead. 763 00:39:23,394 --> 00:39:25,396 Wasn't dead yet. 764 00:39:25,396 --> 00:39:29,500 What what's behind the statement is, listen, when stuff slows down 765 00:39:29,500 --> 00:39:33,304 and don't have any more responsibilities, then I'll follow you. 766 00:39:34,171 --> 00:39:38,743 But right now, man, I got a family, I got a mortgage, I got a pay. 767 00:39:38,743 --> 00:39:41,479 I got a job that, you know, has most of my time. 768 00:39:41,479 --> 00:39:43,681 I got these family are big. I got these kids. 769 00:39:43,681 --> 00:39:44,348 I got to take care of. 770 00:39:44,348 --> 00:39:45,182 Got travel ball. 771 00:39:45,182 --> 00:39:47,651 They I just get all this stuff. 772 00:39:47,651 --> 00:39:50,421 I just don't have margin right now. 773 00:39:50,421 --> 00:39:54,492 And Jesus like, oh, I mean, if that's where you want to live, that's fine. 774 00:39:54,492 --> 00:39:55,860 Just let the dead bury the dead. 775 00:39:58,562 --> 00:40:00,498 Yeah, because we all know what happens. 776 00:40:00,498 --> 00:40:04,135 I mean, right now, God are like, my my plate is really full. 777 00:40:04,502 --> 00:40:07,104 And when I get stuff off my plate, when the kids get where 778 00:40:07,104 --> 00:40:09,907 we're not going to travel, we're not doing the job, you know that. 779 00:40:09,907 --> 00:40:11,342 Then I will. 780 00:40:11,342 --> 00:40:14,111 But we all know what happens by the time that comes. 781 00:40:14,111 --> 00:40:17,014 Now we're looking at retirement and all we want to do is sit back 782 00:40:17,014 --> 00:40:20,017 and enjoy the good life and travel. 783 00:40:22,953 --> 00:40:25,956 We have to understand. 784 00:40:26,690 --> 00:40:28,559 Seek is primary the kingdom of God. 785 00:40:28,559 --> 00:40:32,396 And what that means is that the Kingdom of God is too big 786 00:40:32,396 --> 00:40:35,399 to fit in our left over spaces. 787 00:40:36,467 --> 00:40:38,569 So just says, look, I'm not going to talk you out of follow me. 788 00:40:38,569 --> 00:40:40,538 I just want you to know the standard. If you are 789 00:40:41,806 --> 00:40:43,274 in my king, the standard of 790 00:40:43,274 --> 00:40:46,277 my kingdom is not the leftover of your life. 791 00:40:47,411 --> 00:40:50,214 You got to carve some stuff out of your life right now. 792 00:40:50,214 --> 00:40:53,217 So my kingdom, that's what he's saying. 793 00:40:53,918 --> 00:40:55,252 And it comes with cautious horse. 794 00:40:55,252 --> 00:40:56,520 It's not horse. 795 00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:58,689 It reminds me of Nick Saban Alabama football. 796 00:40:58,689 --> 00:41:02,092 He was he was he was asked all the time why are you so hard on horse 797 00:41:02,092 --> 00:41:02,660 on your players. 798 00:41:02,660 --> 00:41:03,527 He said I'm not a horse. 799 00:41:03,527 --> 00:41:06,330 We just have a really high standard. 800 00:41:06,330 --> 00:41:09,333 It's not about being harsh about having a high standard. 801 00:41:11,368 --> 00:41:14,371 Jesus says, listen. 802 00:41:14,572 --> 00:41:17,575 If you want to be my disciple. 803 00:41:18,442 --> 00:41:20,311 There's a standard. 804 00:41:20,311 --> 00:41:23,647 Let those who don't want to live by my standard do their thing. 805 00:41:24,181 --> 00:41:26,684 Discipleship means my son and Jesus is going 806 00:41:26,684 --> 00:41:29,687 to say this exact same later in a few chapters. 807 00:41:29,820 --> 00:41:30,721 Matthew 12, 808 00:41:30,721 --> 00:41:34,291 whoever is not with me is against me, whoever it is, and gather these scatters. 809 00:41:34,291 --> 00:41:35,493 There's a high standard. 810 00:41:37,328 --> 00:41:40,598 Listen, it's not that God wants to ruin our life. 811 00:41:40,598 --> 00:41:43,601 He just will ruin everything that's ruining our life. 812 00:41:45,569 --> 00:41:48,572 That's the standard. 813 00:41:48,939 --> 00:41:51,108 We don't sacrifice to get Jesus, 814 00:41:51,108 --> 00:41:54,111 but because we got Jesus who sacrificed everything for him. 815 00:41:56,413 --> 00:41:59,650 The standard of discipleship is the response to grace. 816 00:41:59,683 --> 00:42:00,050 Not so. 817 00:42:00,050 --> 00:42:03,053 That will get grace. 818 00:42:04,488 --> 00:42:07,191 So please understand this is not about salvation. 819 00:42:07,191 --> 00:42:08,726 This is about discipleship. 820 00:42:08,726 --> 00:42:12,062 Salvation is free because of God's grace through what Jesus did by faith. 821 00:42:13,831 --> 00:42:16,834 But once we claim that this is the standard of disciples, 822 00:42:17,935 --> 00:42:20,938 these two missed the invitation. 823 00:42:21,605 --> 00:42:23,007 Apparently they miss invitation. 824 00:42:23,007 --> 00:42:25,910 They'd rather be the guys on the team 825 00:42:25,910 --> 00:42:29,580 who don't want to work and just stand on the back of the sidelines 826 00:42:29,580 --> 00:42:31,682 and hope they get a ring, because they're a part of the team, 827 00:42:33,117 --> 00:42:35,653 which is just fine. 828 00:42:35,653 --> 00:42:39,356 But they're content on the sidelines in the back, hoping that 829 00:42:40,424 --> 00:42:41,792 everything works out. 830 00:42:41,792 --> 00:42:43,794 Which I get it, I get it. 831 00:42:43,794 --> 00:42:44,728 They're on the team. 832 00:42:44,728 --> 00:42:47,998 They got the jersey on that salvation and it's by grace. 833 00:42:48,566 --> 00:42:49,500 Doesn't matter. 834 00:42:49,500 --> 00:42:50,868 Doesn't matter good or bad. 835 00:42:50,868 --> 00:42:53,871 Like it's by grace. 836 00:42:55,539 --> 00:42:56,373 And I'm really thankful 837 00:42:56,373 --> 00:42:59,376 that God doesn't do cuts 838 00:42:59,476 --> 00:43:00,778 like he does here. You're not good enough. 839 00:43:00,778 --> 00:43:01,278 You're off the team. 840 00:43:01,278 --> 00:43:04,114 I'm so thankful he let some of us stand in the back on the sidelines. 841 00:43:04,114 --> 00:43:05,182 I'm really grateful. 842 00:43:05,182 --> 00:43:08,619 I mean, is the grace and the Kingdom is a lot like last football. 843 00:43:09,486 --> 00:43:10,187 Like, we don't do it. 844 00:43:10,187 --> 00:43:12,590 Anybody can come out. It's all good. Like we don't do cuts. 845 00:43:12,590 --> 00:43:14,425 And you know, y'all get we all get the jersey. 846 00:43:14,425 --> 00:43:16,560 We all get the you know celebration. 847 00:43:16,560 --> 00:43:17,695 And that's fantastic. 848 00:43:21,699 --> 00:43:22,232 But for 849 00:43:22,232 --> 00:43:25,235 me I don't want to be just a jersey where 850 00:43:25,235 --> 00:43:27,771 that's not enough for me. 851 00:43:27,771 --> 00:43:30,774 And a pray it's not enough for you. 852 00:43:31,709 --> 00:43:34,511 Though these guys missed it. 853 00:43:34,511 --> 00:43:37,648 Listen, as long as there's breath in your lungs, 854 00:43:37,648 --> 00:43:40,651 there's an invitation. 855 00:43:41,285 --> 00:43:43,487 Peter missed it at first. 856 00:43:43,487 --> 00:43:44,288 Thomas missed it. 857 00:43:44,288 --> 00:43:46,590 At first, all the disciples missed it. 858 00:43:46,590 --> 00:43:48,592 At first. 859 00:43:48,592 --> 00:43:51,595 But Jesus restored them in order to reengage them. 860 00:43:52,896 --> 00:43:55,899 That's grace. 861 00:43:58,135 --> 00:43:59,670 Jesus doesn't cut 862 00:43:59,670 --> 00:44:03,040 any of us from his team because we don't play well. 863 00:44:04,675 --> 00:44:07,678 He calls us off the bench and into the game. 864 00:44:09,513 --> 00:44:12,483 And so we end where we began. 865 00:44:12,950 --> 00:44:15,953 Grace is free but isn't cheap. 866 00:44:18,355 --> 00:44:19,490 The authority is real, 867 00:44:19,490 --> 00:44:22,493 and following Jesus is costly. 868 00:44:22,860 --> 00:44:25,863 Matthew eight is about the King 869 00:44:26,030 --> 00:44:28,766 who touches the unclean, 870 00:44:28,766 --> 00:44:30,701 the king who commands the unseen, 871 00:44:31,669 --> 00:44:34,672 the king who heals, and the king who says, 872 00:44:35,072 --> 00:44:38,042 Will you follow me with your whole life? 873 00:44:38,208 --> 00:44:40,010 And so 874 00:44:40,010 --> 00:44:43,013 it leaves us with the question. 875 00:44:44,114 --> 00:44:47,117 You in? 876 00:44:50,254 --> 00:44:53,257 You in. 877 00:44:53,590 --> 00:44:56,593 I want you to pray with me. 878 00:45:00,698 --> 00:45:03,200 Two groups of people this passage relates to. 879 00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:05,502 One is those 880 00:45:05,502 --> 00:45:08,472 who are contaminated by sin, 881 00:45:08,472 --> 00:45:11,475 who have not asked Jesus to cleanse them. 882 00:45:12,976 --> 00:45:14,511 And if that's you and you realize that 883 00:45:14,511 --> 00:45:17,514 I invite you in this moment right now. 884 00:45:18,482 --> 00:45:21,485 Through prayer, by faith. 885 00:45:22,786 --> 00:45:24,254 To admit before God. 886 00:45:24,254 --> 00:45:27,257 God, I admit that I am contaminated by sin. 887 00:45:29,093 --> 00:45:30,861 And I know it's going to destroy me, 888 00:45:30,861 --> 00:45:33,864 and I cannot heal myself of it. 889 00:45:35,566 --> 00:45:38,335 Jesus, I accept what you did on the cross 890 00:45:38,335 --> 00:45:41,338 to become my healing, 891 00:45:41,405 --> 00:45:44,408 and I receive that today. 892 00:45:44,508 --> 00:45:46,844 I accept you as the leader of my life. 893 00:45:46,844 --> 00:45:49,012 Thank you for healing me. Now lead me. 894 00:45:51,882 --> 00:45:54,251 Others of us in this place. 895 00:45:54,251 --> 00:45:56,920 We got the jersey on. 896 00:45:56,920 --> 00:45:57,821 We're part of the team. 897 00:45:57,821 --> 00:46:00,524 By God's grace, through faith, not anything that we've done. 898 00:46:00,524 --> 00:46:03,527 We've just been accepted onto the team. 899 00:46:03,660 --> 00:46:05,462 And yet we've lived as those content 900 00:46:05,462 --> 00:46:08,465 to stand in the back of the sidelines. 901 00:46:09,233 --> 00:46:12,236 There's a cost to discipleship. 902 00:46:12,836 --> 00:46:15,839 And I would invite us to say, father, 903 00:46:16,473 --> 00:46:18,842 no longer is your kingdom 904 00:46:18,842 --> 00:46:21,845 secondary in my life. 905 00:46:22,846 --> 00:46:25,215 Your kingdom first, 906 00:46:25,215 --> 00:46:26,917 I submit myself 907 00:46:26,917 --> 00:46:29,920 to your authority over my life, 908 00:46:30,087 --> 00:46:32,856 and I ask that you show me your power 909 00:46:32,856 --> 00:46:35,859 and authority in my life. 910 00:46:36,026 --> 00:46:37,194 Thank you for your mercy. 911 00:46:37,194 --> 00:46:40,197 Thank you for your grace. 912 00:46:41,265 --> 00:46:42,633 Help me to walk with you in a way 913 00:46:42,633 --> 00:46:45,636 worthy of your name that I claim. 914 00:46:47,171 --> 00:46:48,172 In your name I pray. Amen. 915 00:46:49,473 --> 00:46:51,642 Listen, I'm proud of you. 916 00:46:51,642 --> 00:46:53,510 I'm proud of you. 917 00:46:53,510 --> 00:46:55,979 Studying the Bible is good, 918 00:46:55,979 --> 00:46:58,282 and it is revealing and refreshing 919 00:46:58,282 --> 00:47:01,285 and liberating if we let it do what it does. 920 00:47:02,352 --> 00:47:04,021 I want you this week to read chapter 921 00:47:04,021 --> 00:47:06,990 eight in its totality, because we'll wrap it up next week. 922 00:47:07,291 --> 00:47:10,294 But before we close, I just want to reiterate 923 00:47:11,762 --> 00:47:14,765 some of you need to approach Jesus personally 924 00:47:15,232 --> 00:47:17,534 in prayer and by prayer. 925 00:47:17,534 --> 00:47:20,537 And there are people on this campus who have that prayer lanyard. 926 00:47:22,072 --> 00:47:25,075 Don't be afraid and don't resist it. 927 00:47:25,909 --> 00:47:28,111 Go before the throne of God. 928 00:47:28,111 --> 00:47:31,281 You'll find mercy and grace to help you in your time of need, 929 00:47:31,281 --> 00:47:34,284 and do it with someone who can pray with you and over you. 930 00:47:36,854 --> 00:47:37,988 Just like the leper. 931 00:47:37,988 --> 00:47:39,289 Just like the centurion. 932 00:47:39,289 --> 00:47:41,024 Just like the mother in law received. 933 00:47:44,328 --> 00:47:47,331 Friends, please don't resist it. 934 00:47:47,698 --> 00:47:49,333 I know I'm way over. Jeff. Let's sing.