* Did you know that you can move the heart of God?
* Vs 41 - He was “moved with compassion.”
* We can give Him an emotion (which means we have an element of control).
* So what did this man do?
* Vs 40 - there are three things he DID and three things about what he SAID.
* Here’s what he DID:
* 1) He came to Jesus - he didn’t simply consult doctors.
* 2) He begged - God listens to those who have nothing to offer.
* 3) He fell on his knees - he had the posture of reverence for a king.
* Here are three things about what he SAID:
* 1) Recognize God’s power to do whatever He wants (You can…).
* 2) Request what you want done (…make me clean…).
* 3) Release the results to Him (…if you’re willing).
* This got Jesus all in His “feels!”
* Vs 42 - immediate results.
* Now let’s flip the script - let’s look at the scenario through Christ’s eyes:
* Jesus didn’t move into the leper colony - He simply allowed the power of God to flow through Him as He went about His work.
* Vs 43-44 - why this command?
* Two reasons:
* So the priests would know the Messiah was here.
* Nobody in Israel had been healed of leprosy since Miriam a thousand years prior.
* So Jesus wouldn’t become a rock-star.
* His time had not yet come.
Mark 1:40-45 (2/22/22)
What Moves God?
February 23, 2022 • Benham Brothers • Mark 1:40–45
Mark 1 (2/22/15)
February 22, 2015 • Benham Brothers
Baptism - Mark 1:4-8. Disciple - Matthew 28:19. Parable - Mark 4:10-11. The word "baptism" in the Greek means "immersion." John preached an immersion by way of repentance. He preached that if you wanted the kingdom of God you needed to be immersed in His nature through repentance. John painted the picture of this immersian through dunking people in the water. When you immerse yourself in the water EVERY part of your body gets wet. When you immerse yourself in the nature of God every part of you gets touched. In Mark 1:8 John reveals that we are to be immersed in the Holy Spirit, which washes away your internal dirt. Matthew 28:19 - Jesus gives us a key on how a disciple is made: Immersion into the very nature of God - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For our spirits this is a one-time event - new identity through justification. For our souls (mind, will, emotions) it's a continual process - transformation through sanctification. The only way our brain catches up with our new identity is through immersion! Mark 4:11 - only disciples are the ones who "get it!" The devil doesn't want you to be a disciple because he doesn't want you to "get it!" The mystery of the kingdom were given only to disciples. For everyone else Jesus had to paint pictures. Our lives as disciples become His pictures - His living parables.
Mark 1:4 (2/20/20)
February 20, 2020 • Benham Brothers
* Faithful in little leads to faithful in BIG. * Jesus could’ve come at any time in history. * But He came before books, newspapers, telephones, internet, media, etc. * He came at a time when word about Him would spread slowly - very slowly. * Vs 4 - John was stationed in an “uninhabited region.” * This would be like God’s main spokesman for what He’s doing in the world having a Twitter following of 17 people. * But if that person was simply faithful, as John was, then he would fulfill God’s role for his life. * Just about the time John’s audience began to grow, he was removed from the picture. * Now, 2k+ years later we’re still talking about his faithfulness. * Testimony of Bible study - at the height of our business I started doing it with hardly anyone there….