Spot Reduction

Spot Reduction Spot Reduction Michael Morse / General CrossFit / Healing; Healed Leper; Faith; Leprosy; Sin; Worship / Luke 5:12-16 Leprosy was a condition that began in one spot and would soon over run the body. A leper was severely contagious and as such required to be quarantined from society. In order to be allowed back in they must present themselves clean - completely. A simple spot reduction would not be enough. Leprosy is akin to sin in the bible and no amount of sin will allow one to enter into heaven. A simple reduction in sin wasnt enough one needs to be completely cleansed. Both cleansings are impossible without Jesus but with Jesus both are possible and Jesus is necessary for both. Jesus does not just reduce our spots He completely removes and cleanses us so that as the leper can return home we can enter in heaven. Introduction - Myth of Spot Reduction 1. Spot reduction is a highly believed and circulated myth a. Want nice abs? i. Perhaps you have heard you just need more crunches to get rid of the fat covering them 1. Not talking Nestle or Captain - those dont work trust me ii. Studies have shown and prove that increasing muscle in one area does not reduce the fat in that area b. In order to reduce body fat it must be done over the whole body 2. Luke brings us to a man stricken with leprosy a. Leprosy was a sentence to complete isolation b. spot reduction would not be enough to get reintegrated - he must reduce (cleanse) leprosy from his entire body c. Leprosy Is a disease only Christ can cure 3. Leprosy is symbolic of sin a. It works from the inside so as to corrupt the whole being b. If a person was found to be with leprosy they were removed from family, community, love until they died a horrifying death i. Every person without Christ is in their sin 1. Just as He alone could heal leprosy - he alone can forgive sin ii. Every person in Christ still deals with sin 1. We must see sin as leprosy 2. We must trust Jesus to remove it completely - not just spot reduce 3. We cannot remove our sin - only Jesus can c. Lets read the story of Jesus healing this man and see how we too can come to Jesus to be completely cleansed. i. Jesus cleanses every sinner who senses his need and comes to Him › SLIDE Luke 5:12-13 CSB 12 While he was in one of the towns, a man was there who had leprosy all over him. He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged him: "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 13 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, "I am willing; be made clean," and immediately the leprosy left him. › SLIDE Luke 5:14-15 CSB 14 Then he ordered him to tell no one: "But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them." 15 But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. › SLIDE Luke 5:16 CSB 16 Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed. › SLIDE Recognize the Condition › SLIDE Christian Standard Bible Chapter 5 12 While he was in one of the towns, a man was there who had leprosy all over him. 1. Completely saturated by this disease a. Luke describes this disease as being all over him i. Covering him from head to toe - literally his body was full of leprosy ii. As bad a case as any Dr. Luke had seen or heard of b. Advanced case - probably in the final stages c. Leprosy was a condition of the skin that started off as a small sore and would begin to spread i. It doesnt hurt ii. Soon covers more and more of the body continuing to spread 1. The sores are white around the edges 2. still not painful but definitely looks horrible iii. The OT required the priest to be the one to make the discernment and declare one leprous or not › SLIDE Leviticus 13:3 CSB 3 The priest will examine the sore on the skin of his body. If the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is in fact a serious skin disease. After the priest examines him, he must pronounce him unclean. › SLIDE Leviticus 13:5 CSB 5 The priest will then reexamine him on the seventh day. If he sees that the sore remains unchanged and has not spread on the skin, the priest will quarantine him for another seven days. › SLIDE Leviticus 13:6 CSB 6 The priest will examine him again on the seventh day. If the sore has faded and has not spread on the skin, the priest is to pronounce him clean; it is a scab. The person is to wash his clothes and will become clean. › SLIDE Leviticus 13:8 CSB 8 The priest will examine him, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest must pronounce him unclean; he has a serious skin disease. 1. It is a process to being determined a leper and Leviticus 13-14 covers the determination in depth 2. Examination requires a quarantine - for a scab or sore a. This man had leprosy over his entire body - anybody could see it b. It had long been diagnosed or identified 2. Completely separated by this disease a. The law required those who are afflicted by this disease to be separated completely › SLIDE Leviticus 13:46 CSB 46 He will remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp. i. He was not allowed to touch anyone - not his wife, kids or family 1. In fact if he were to pat a dog on the head the dog would have to be killed to keep the disease from spreading ii. Lepers were to remain outside the city and not to enter the city any longer 1. They left their home 2. their job iii. They would now live in the leper colony outside with only lepers. b. They were to warn others as they approached - shouting "Unclean, Unclean" › SLIDE Leviticus 13:45 CSB 45 "The person who has a case of serious skin disease is to have his clothes torn and his hair hanging loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!' 3. Completely sentenced by this disease a. This disease was a death sentence i. He would slowly rot away over time 1. Some would live with this for 20 ish years ii. the sores and the disease would cause the person to truly look like a zombie - disfigured and repulsive b. Death is not the worst sentence from this disease i. Complete isolation and separation is the worst sentence from this disease 1. He was cut off from worship (no entrance to the temple or synagogues) 2. He was removed from community - ii. ceremonially unclean prevented him from any contact › SLIDE Come to the One Who Heals › SLIDE Christian Standard Bible Chapter 5 He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged him: "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 1. This man didnt just bump into Jesus on accident a. Luke tells us this leper saw Jesus but the other gospels gives us some more details › SLIDE Matthew 8:2 CSB 2 Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." › SLIDE Mark 1:40 CSB 40 Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him: "If you are willing, you can make me clean." b. This leper, this man sought out Jesus i. He had been a leper a long time by now - probably had given up all hope ii. There was this man he had heard about - healed all diseases iii. Though there was every discouragement He came 1. He knew his situation - hopeless 2. He knew everyone else knew his situation - hopeless 3. No leper had been healed by Jesus and no leper healed since Elijah a. In fact only 3 lepers had ever been healed in the Bible › SLIDE Moses Exodus 4:6-7 CSB 6 In addition the LORD said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was diseased, resembling snow. 7 "Put your hand back inside your cloak," he said. So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it had again become like the rest of his skin. › SLIDE - Miriam Numbers 12:10 CSB 10 As the cloud moved away from the tent, Miriam's skin suddenly became diseased, resembling snow. When Aaron turned toward her, he saw that she was diseased › SLIDE Numbers 12:14 CSB 14 The LORD answered Moses, "If her father had merely spit in her face, wouldn't she remain in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in." › SLIDE - Naaman 2 Kings 5:14 CSB 14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean. 4. No promise that Jesus would heal him or see him 5. No invitation to come to him 2. This man risked everything to get to Jesus a. Lepers were not allowed in the city at all by command of the law i. verse 12 tells us they were in a town when this incident took place b. Lepers were to remain apart from people i. 100 cubits down wind - 150 feet ii. 4 cubits upwind - 6 feet c. This man knew that without Jesus his situation would remain hopeless i. What more did he have to lose? He had everything to gain though if this Jesus was the Messiah and healer › SLIDE Jesus remains our hope in the most dire circumstances 3. The man came in humble worship to Jesus a. Luke tells us this man fell facedown - this is a position of submission and humility i. He put himself at the mercy of Jesus ii. Mark tells us he came on his knees › SLIDE Mark 1:40 CSB 40 Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him: "If you are willing, you can make me clean." iii. Matthew tells us he worshipped › SLIDE Matthew 8:2 CSB 2 Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 1. Translated as knelt here -but the word for knelt is prosekynei - which is translated elsewhere as worshipped a. This man came in an attitude of humility and worship to Jesus b. He calls Him Lord - kyrios the same as Simon did last week b. He begged him i. Did you know begging is praying - think about it prayer is our requests before Jesus and this man was begging Jesus › SLIDE Matthew 7:7-8 CSB 7 "Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. › SLIDE - persistence in prayer Luke 18:1 CSB 1 Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up. ii. Notice the man begged he didnt demand 1. Lord IF you are willing 2. Essentially he was saying I have no right to demand healing - it is entirely if you are willing › SLIDE When we ask for healing or cleansing we come based on mercy and grace not by merit or worthiness c. He believed Jesus and did not doubt i. He called Him Lord - Kyrios 1. This means he identified Jesus as one who has authority and ability ii. If you are willing - YOU CAN make me clean 1. He asked Him to heal him but did not doubt He COULD clean his spots 2. Jesus was the only solution for his problem › SLIDE Jesus Heals Completely › SLIDE Luke 5:13 CSB 13 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, "I am willing; be made clean," and immediately the leprosy left him. 1. Jesus embraces us as we are a. The verse says Jesus reached out his hand - more accurately He stretched out his arm i. Commentators take this to mean Jesus embraced this man full of leprosy › SLIDE Jesus loves the one condemned to be without love ii. Think about the meaning in that Jesus hugged this man who no other would ever touch let alone hug and embrace iii. It shocked the man and it probably shocked the disciples too as well as the crowds 2. Jesus wants to touch our lives a. Jesus responds to this man - "I am willing" i. He desires to and wants to - its in his plan to b. As the hug implied Jesus wants to touch our lives completely - not just in spots but in whole i. the word touch in the Greek is - hapto - it is a self-conscious effort to touch (an act of the will) not a brush or bump but an intentional touch ii. The sense of this word is to handle an object so as to exert a modifying influence on it › SLIDE Jesus touches our lives in a way that changes us 3. Jesus cleanses us completely - not just spots a. Jesus says I am willing be made clean i. He meant the whole - 1. not just the face so people would look at us 2. Not just the eyes so we could see clearly 3. Not just the ears so we can hear right 4. He heals us completely and cleanses us completely b. Immediately the leprosy left him i. There was no delay and there was nothing residual › SLIDE By the grace and power of God men are cleansed completely Conclusion › SLIDE Luke 5:14-16 CSB 14 Then he ordered him to tell no one: "But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them." 15 But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed. Which do you doubt more? God's power or God's love? › SLIDE Jesus cleansing the leper by touching Him shows us His love and His power to do so 1. The OT said that those who touch something unclean becomes unclean itself a. Jesus shows us His love in this exchange › SLIDE 2 Corinthians 5:21 CSB 21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. › SLIDE 1 Peter 2:24 CSB 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. b. We must see our sin as clearly as we can see leprosy - then we can see the beauty of this miracle i. Jesus didnt take care of some of the sin - He took it all completely 2. It is interesting that Jesus told this man to tell no one a. It is more interesting that Jesus commanding Him to tell no one didnt stop him from telling everyone › SLIDE We are commanded to tell everyone and be a witness to all and how often we dont tell anyone 3. Jesus sent the leper to the temple to the priest to give testimony of his cleansing a. Jesus didnt want to just do spot reduction - he wanted to heal the whole i. That meant restoring this mans life entirely ii. The priest would put him back into society iii. we must have a complete cleansing of sin in order to enter heaven just being less sinful isnt good enough we need the healing forgiveness of Jesus for our complete cleansing of sin b. This testimony would alert the priest that something awesome was here - leprosy was not usually healed and would point to something extraordinary 4. More demands meant more time for prayer › SLIDE Demands of life should push us to prayer not from it › SLIDE "I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer." Page . Exported from Logos Bible Software, 12:50 PM October 19, 2019.