Hope for the Hopeless Part 1
Matthew 8:1-4 Hope for Those
Who Struggle in Sin.
Thursday
morning – I had to go to the Endodontist for a Root
Canal
A) Trauma as a kid had affected one of my front teeth – causing
a problem that I had waited a year to take care of.
B) See I had a root canal
when I was a kid and all I remember was it really hurt
1)
So I wasn’t looking forward to this and I put it off as long as possible
because – When it comes to the Dentist I am a wimp
C) So I arrive at the office
– at 9am sharp – Greeted by the receptionist – Good morning – are you ready to
have some fun. – I guess so –
1)
Inside I am thinking – Lady you are way
too excited about this procedure – something is wrong with this woman
D)
She leads me back to the Chair - get comfortable – yea right – Doc will
be here in a minute - He comes and he is
just as perky –
1)
Good morning – ready to get started – this is going to be great - I wanted to run right there -
2)
These pp are sick – Wouldn’t hurt if I waited another year would it.
E)
Well it ended up being a great experience – No pain – he did a great job – even
called me later that night at home just to see how I was doing – really great.
But
as I sat there in the Chair – this thought came to my mind. –
A)
These pp are really excited about what they are doing – I know it had way more
to do with than the 1000k this was costing me.
B) I could tell they really
enjoyed taking care of pp with teeth problems
1)
They were confident in the technology – They were skilled – they knew that what
they were doing would work – It would fix the problem
C) That
is when it hit me! – Wow ! We in the Church should be
just as excited to do what we are called to do in this hurting world.
1)
Bring Hope to the hopeless
D)
We are surrounded by pp with problems – pp who are in
need of Hope
1)
We know the answer – Jesus – Proven tools – Word and the Spirit
Today
we are starting a series of messages – taken from Matthew’s Gospel called hope
for the Hopeless
A)
Matthew on Sunday nites – here on Sunday mornings we
are going to look at some things in depth here -
This series – Hope for Hopeless
Hope for those struggling in
Sin
Hope for those who are going
through storms
Hope for those who have
exhausted all their options.
Hope for those who have been
crippled by life.
Today we are starting with
Hope for those who are struggling in Sin – Read
v.1-4
Now
right away you might be thinking why did you title this message{
Hope for those who are struggling in Sin?
A) This story is about a man
who was infected with the deadly disease of Leprosy
B) Leprosy was the aids
virus of the 1st century – a deadly incurable disease – infected
many
C)
The Talmud (the written record of
rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish laws, ethics, customs and history) referred
to lepers as the walking dead.
1)
Because there was no cure. So in those days it was considered a death sentence
from God.
D)
The rabbis called leprosy the ‘finger of God.’
1)
They believed that when someone contracted leprosy they were being judged by
God for sin.
Barclay tells us the affects
The
nodules grow larger and larger. They
ulcerate. From them there comes a foul
discharge. The eyebrows fall out, the
eyes become staring. The voice becomes
hoarse and the victim wheezes because of the ulceration of the vocal
chords. The hands and feet always
ulcerate. Slowly the sufferer becomes a
mass of ulcerated growths.
The
average course of the disease is nine years, and it ends in mental decay, coma,
and ultimately death. The sufferer
becomes utterly repulsive both to himself and to others."
E)Dr Luke 5 – Tells us he was full of Leprosy – Really bad advanced stages
So
Yes this is a story about a man who was cleansed of Leprosy!
But
the affects of Leprosy are strikingly similar to the affects of Sin!
A)
Interesting, Bible talks about Leprosy, it is always the idea of being cleansed
– not healed.
1.The
disease would often start with a hard spot.
A) And that is just how sin
starts in our lives - with some hardening.
B) Resistant to the
conviction of the Holy Spirit.
1)
The Holy Spirit comes and convicts us concerning that particular fire that we
are playing with or getting too close to.
C)
We ignore that voice.
2.
Leprosy starts small but spreads{ takes over the whole
body –
A) Sin can have a very small
beginning a little { starts with a thought or an
attitude – a little compromise – but it will grow
B)
Left alone – it will seek to take over.
C)
Read a story about a French Diplomat in the 1970’s – who kept a strange pet in
his home: a two-year-old lion.
1)Started out as a little cub but like every lion it grew
D)At night he would lock it in the Bathroom to sleep – Well, one night the
Lion, now almost full grown decided “ I am tired of the bathroom …mauled
E) That is what sin so often does
- starts off small like that little lion cub/ seems innocent- maybe playful
1) but it grows / ultimately destroys a person- mauls a person
3.
A third way that Leprosy is like sin is in the advanced stages a person would
become desensitized to feeling.
A) A Leper could touch
something hot burn flesh not even know it
Leper colonies – common rats
gnaw on feet while sleep – unaware
B)
Sin works in the same way: The longer a person resist the
conviction of the Holy Spirit – they become desensitized to their sin
1) No longer feels wrong –
Paul refers to it in Ephesians 4:18,19 – they become past feeling
C)1 Timothy 4:2 { Conscience seared – Cauterized – deaden with a hot iron
4.
Leprosy affected a person’s relationship with others and their ability to
worship.
A) The
description of the diagnosis of this disease is given in great detail in Leviticus
13.
B) They were VERY CAREFUL to
diagnose a blemish as leprosy.
1) BECAUSE leprosy, for all intents and
purposes, ENDED your life.
C) You would be put out of
your family.
1) You could never again be around your
spouse.
2) You could never again be around your
children or parents.
D) Ostracized from Society{ Always keep a distance of 6 ft and if standing down wind 100ft
1)Yell Unclean Unclean – announce - BO / Bad Breath / Lust
You
could never again be around the temple.
A) You could never again be
around worship.
B) You could could never again work and earn a living.
C)That is exactly what sin does to people pp who are struggling with Sin – often they
feel like they have been ostricized from God and from
others
Amazing
how the devil plays with our minds – start thinking – everybody is looking at me
funny – talking about me.
A) There is this incredible
sense of shame
B) Sin exposes us! – Adam
and Eve naked – no idea until sin
1) Naked and ashamed
C) We can also feel like the
last person we can come to is God.
D) Sin causes a sense of
loneliness – The Devil’s strategy, isolate
1) Bars are filled with Lonely pp trying to forget their Loneliness
E) Seen people who have
blown it – end up going down this awful road
Feel unworthy to even be in
fellowship
Often in Jesus’ day a leper would see that
spot coming and he would keep it covered
A) Sometimes for a month,
for a year, for two years, even though
he knew that it would finally become obvious to everyone.
B) Hedid
this because he knew that the day that it was seen that he was cast outside the
camp.
C)Maybe
you’re feeling like, “I’m
hiding this. I hope it doesn’t come out.”
1) Maybe
you’re thinking, “I have this constant anger. This is constant
bitterness or this constant lust, this constant problem
D) The
devil is starting to get you to think that there is no hope for you.
See
what we can learn from our friend the Leper here in Matthew 8
1. He breaks all the rules –
in coming to Jesus.
A) He was desperate – so he wasn’t
thinking about rules – he was not thinking about consequences –
B) Rush Amy to the Doctor –
breathing - not thinking about tickets
C)
Here is what is interesting to me though – Luke says he was full of Leprosy –
advanced stages – it was noticeable – pp could tell – but no one notices him –
and there is no record that he covered himself up - Why didn’t they notice him
D) Because the Multitude was
focused on Jesus –
E)
What a great picture that is for us – when we are focused on Jesus – we don’t
see the flaws in each other
Notice
how He comes to Jesus?
Mark
and Luke tell us He fell down
Matthew
says He came worshipping.
A) He comes in Humility
acknowledging the Sovereignty of Jesus
B) Matthew seeks to present
Jesus as the King !
C) Victory over sin starts
with a heart that is willing to be submitted to the Will of Jesus
1) Have to denounce self
from the throne
D) Attitude that says Lord I
am tired of living to please myself!
1) See all it has caused is
pain and misery
What
He says to Jesus is intriguing to me! Lord if you are willing you can make me
clean
A)
This man did not question Jesus’ ability – He was wondering about His
willingness.
B)
Boy I have struggled in that same way before -Lord I know that you are able to
help me – but are you willing -
C)
Maybe you’re thinking, “I have this constant anger. This is
constant bitterness or this constant lust, this constant problem.
1)I need to be cleansed. - But
is He really willing.
Is He really willing to touch me?”
D)“Wouldn’t it be easier for Him to
just cast me off and have nothing to do with me?”
1)
Maybe you’re a Christian who thinks, “I’ve been
wrestling with this so long.
Is He willing to put up with me one more time as I come with the
same thing?”
INTERESTING:
Wuest’s Translation of the New Testament reads his statement as, “Lord, if you
have a heart felt desire.’
That’s
what the word ‘will’ means there.
THAT is what he NEEDS to know about this
Jesus - Is it in the heart of this Jesus to cleanse a man such as me!
When
Jesus says, “I am
willing , be cleansed ,” its literally - ‘I desire it with all of my heart.’
That is
His heart today:
A)
The thing he desired with all His heart – Cleanse Sinners
B) That is why he went to the Cross
Matthew
tells us Jesus touched this man – Literally he fastened himself to the guy
It
wasn’t a – tip of my finger thing – it was – grabbing a hold of the guy
Listen,Jesus was willing then and
He is willing today.
A)The rabbi’s taught that Leprosy was a punishment
from God – but here the hand of God was right in front of this man – reaching
out not to judge but to cleanse.
Jesus
touched him saying I am willing, be cleansed.
Isn’t
that the question? Because we think He loves with a human love.
KEY
OBSERVATION:
This guy says if you’re willing. You are able to do this.
Listen,
Jesus was willing then and He is willing Now!
If
you’re not a believer - that’s very important.
Because
you see - You
NEED to be cleansed of sin, not merely have something fixed!
The
leper needed MORE than new fingers - he needed to be cleansed of the thing that
was destroying him!
So
too - You need a supernatural touch upon your life.
No
priest can do it for you. No pastor can do it for you.
You
need to be
cleansed of this thing called sin
This thing that starts so slowly in our lives and ultimately
erupts and comes to the surface.
This
thing that destroys life, destroys families.
This
thing that will ultimately bring eternal judgment upon you!
THAT
is HOW you
get saved…. JESUS TOUCHES and CLEANSES
you from your sin.
KEY
INSIGHT: Now
what we have here is a reversal of Levitical law.
Levitical law says that when you touch a leper you become unclean.
Heaven
does it a different way….. When Jesus touches the leper the leper becomes
clean….Jesus doesn’t become contaminated.
So
Jesus touches him and it says that immediately he was cleansed.
Jesus
fastened Himself to a Cross in order to touch us –
A)
Took our Sin - Gave
us His righteousness.
B)
You today – He is willing ! – Struggle –
One
Last thing: Go to the Priest – tell Know one!
A)God laid out in Leviticus 14 specific instructions that the priest were to
follow when a Leper was cleansed.
B)
Jesus even says in Luke 4:27 that in the days of Elijah there were many
lepers in
The
only record in the Bible of an Israelite being cleansed from leprosy was
Miriam, before the law concerning leprosy was prescribed.
In
the wilderness journey in Numbers she is cleansed of leprosy in an instant.
But
there is no record anywhere in history that lepers were cleansed in
KEY
POINT: That means something very significant.
That
means that Leviticus 14 was written for Caiaphus.
This
man had to go show himself to Caiaphus and Annas the priests.
Then
they had to examine him. Fulfillment of
Scripture was met in Jesus
Tells us two things: #1 When
a Leper was cleansed it was to be obvious
Inspection was appropriate
So too, when a sinner is
cleansed – the results should be obvious – life marked by a change
#2 It meant that Jesus loved
Caiphus and Anaias –
Jesus
loved Annas and Caiaphus.
Jesus
LOVED the men who would ultimately turn Him over to Pilate.
The
door was still open for them at that point in time.
Jesus
was sending a message to the religious center of
That
message was that lepers were being touched and cleansed in their
nation by the Messiah.
KEY APPLICATION: And you see that’s the message that we are supposed to take to the nation that we live in, through lives TOUCHED… CLEANSED and TRANSFORMED by Jesus