WEDNESDAY, 10/15/14 GOSPELS. Mark 1:40-45 “Be Healed!” (By Barry) WORSHIP: Have you heard this hymn? It is a song that I grew up with. It has some GREAT truth in it! This is an AMAZING version of it. https://youtube/watch?v=uOFu4FKTeks SCRIPTURE: blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Mar&c=1&t=NLT#s=958040 Today’s 555 is intense. I ended up with FIFTEEN thoughts and questions! I think it will be worth it, though! Let’s start with our verses, and jump right in! 40 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” 42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. 43 Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: 44 “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.” 45 But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him. THOUGHTS & QUESTIONS… —1. Leprosy was a horrible disease. It still exists today, but it is not nearly as common as it was in Jesus’ day. It is thought of as a skin disease, but technically, it’s way more than that. Its symptoms spread to other parts of the body, and it can really make a mess of things, disfiguring bones, twisting limbs, even collapsing ears and faces. The really weird thing is that leprosy messes up your nerve endings, so that you can’t experience pain. It may not seem like it, but pain is very important, right? People with leprosy can sometimes have such a loss of pain that they can injure themselves BADLY. There have been cases where they are burned, or even had rats chew off their fingers-and they didn’t even know it! —2. Leprosy was also a terrible disgrace. If you had this disease, you had to leave your family, and you were not allowed to be part of society. In fact, if you were a leper and you were walking, and you saw someone, you had to call out, “Leper! Leper” so that they could avoid you. It was a really contagious disease, so you were NOT allowed to touch a leper! —3. This man was desperate! He was willing to break rules in order to be healed. —4. The leper knew Jesus COULD heal Him. But He wasn’t sure if He WOULD heal him. —5. Jesus’ response was AMAZING. He showed that He cared more for the man than He did for the “rules” He was supposed to follow. Jesus reached out and TOUCHED the man. Jesus told him He wasn’t just able to help, but He was willing! And Jesus instantly healed the man! —6. Leprosy ate away at you, and if it could be healed, you would still have the marks of it on you. But not this man! Jesus simply said, “Be healed,” and somehow, the leprosy just left. All of it. It was no longer welcome in the man! Jesus showed once again that there are no limits to His power! —7. Do you remember last week’s lesson? Jesus had gotten up early to pray, and His disciples had found Him, and told Him there were people who wanted to meet Him. Jesus had said it was time to go, and that there were people in other towns for Him to meet. This man with leprosy was one of those people! —8. Jesus sometimes surprises us. He surprised the disciples by telling them it was time to leave Capernaum. And now, He surprises both His disciples and the man He has just healed. “Don’t tell anyone about this,” He says. Why? (Does Jesus ever surprise you?) —9. Even if we don’t understand, it is important that we obey. This man has just been healed, and Jesus tells Him to stay quiet about it. Instead, the man goes around and spreads the news everywhere he goes! We can sort of understand his excitement, but we must also realize He DISOBEYED. And because of that, it got much harder for Jesus to travel. (Do you realize that your disobedience has consequences, too?) —10. This story has so many great points to it. What stands out the most to you? The man’s boldness? His disobedience? Jesus’ compassion? The incredible authority Jesus had over disease? —11. This story is literally true. Leprosy was a very real thing. At the same time, leprosy was often a picture in the Bible of sin. In other words, by healing this man of leprosy (and making the evidence of this disease completely go away!), Jesus was showing us He can do the same thing for our sin. Remember, Jesus is our Antidote! —12. Do you realize Jesus is both willing and able to erase the results of sin in your life? This is such a HUGE question! —13. What line in our worship song today stood out the most to you? Why? —14. Both the man with leprosy and Jesus were willing to break the rules. Which one surprises you the most? —15. We often think of “religion” as following rules. But having a relationship actually can mean BREAKING rules. Can you think of some examples? PRAYER: (Did our “ACTS” acronym help you yesterday? We are going to try to use it for awhile, as we work on on our praying skills. As we do, try to focus on things that impacted you from today’s lesson: —A. Spend a few moments ADORING God. Why is He so great? What do you love about Him? Tell Him! (EXAMPLE: God, I ADORE You, because you are both willing and able to heal my sin!) —C. What are some things you need to CONFESS to God today? (EXAMPLE: God, I have sometimes been disobedient to You. In fact, a lot. I am really sorry!) —T. What has God done for you lately that you would like to THANK Him for? (EXAMPLE: Father, You have shown compassion to me when I didn’t deserve it. Thank you!) —S. “SUPPLICATION” simply means to ask. God WANTS you to ask Him for stuff. Go ahead! (EXAMPLE: Will you please heal me of those stubborn sins in my life? I’m so tired of them affecting me!)
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 02:31:46 +0000