SERMON NOTES February 11, 2024
Announcements / Service Moments
Reno Campus
IF: Gathering 2024
Carson Campus
Starting Point 3/24/24
IF: Gathering 2024
Reno Campus
Pastor Dave Pretlove
Carson Campus
Pastor Dusty Braun
Series: Gospel of Luke
Sermon Title: The Healing of the Leper Shows Us
Passage: Luke 5:12-16 NIV
- A Recognition of the Desperation of Our Situation.
Luke 5:12 - A Personification of Transformation Through Substitution.
Luke 5:13 - An Illustration of the Completion of Our Restoration.
Luke 5:14
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Since the man had a bad case of leprosy, he had no hope of improvement. He came to Jesus with a huge sense of desperation. Why do you think we often come to Jesus as a last resort?
- Leprosy kept people isolated from the community. Pastor Dave connected the idea of leprosy and sin. How has sin in your life kept you isolated from the community, or feeling like an outcast?
- Lepers legally had to declare their “uncleanliness” as they approached people. How would this shape his self image? What lies do we declare to ourselves when we repeatedly sin?
- We were designed for community, how does sin-filled life lead us into isolation?
- In this passage of scripture, there is an emphasis on the idea of “being willing.” Both the leper in his own way was willing to encounter Jesus, and Jesus was willing to become unclean for the leper. Discuss what the leper may have experienced to reach the point of willingly seeking out Jesus.
- In both this and the companion scripture of Mark 1:40-45, Jesus’ willingness to bring cleansing/healing is emphasized. How is his willingness (and not our faith alone) central to the ‘good news’ to anyone in need of a touch from Jesus?
- Read verse 13, What do we learn about the transformational substitutionary atonement and our sin from this verse?
- How is Jesus healing the leper a picture of our sin having no earthly cure?
- Jesus, Himself a Torah observant Jew, sends the man for verification of his cleanness (by miraculous healing). What does vs 14 say as to what Jesus’ motives were, at least in part? Was he also reaching out to the priest?
- Jesus tells the man to go to the priest to perform a ritual from Leviticus 14 which has a lot of similarities to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. This ritual will restore him to the community. How does believing the Gospel usher us into community?
PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Mentally, the leper had to be healed from his self image in addition to his leprosy, what can we learn from this passage about our forgiveness and self acceptance?
- The Leper never doubted Jesus’ power to heal, just his willingness to. When you reflect on your interactions with God do you doubt his power in your life our his willingness to restore?
- In an act of love and mercy, Jesus saw the leper, drew close and touched to the untouchable. What does this reveal about God’s personality and nature?
- What do you think Jesus sees when He looks at you?
- What truth about God’s character and nature do you need to believe about How God sees you?
SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON
RESOURCES
- PODCAST | CURTIS THOMPSON | OUR HEALING CLOUD OF WITNESSES
- BOOK | DANE ORTLAND | GENTLE AND LOWLY
- ARTICLE | SAM ALLBERRY | THE STAINS THAT NO ONE SEES
- Quotes Dr. A. B. MacDonald, who was in charge of a leper colony in Itu: “The leper is sick in mind as well as body. For some reason there is an attitude to leprosy different from the attitude to any other disfiguring disease. It is associated with shame and horror, and carries, in some mysterious way, a sense of guilt…shunned and despised, frequently do lepers consider taking their own lives and some do.”
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE TO TRY
Over the coming weeks, I want to encourage you to explore the spiritual practice of the EXAMEN. For the past millennia, our brothers and sisters of the faith have practiced this prayer discipline. The Examination of consciousness, or The Examen, provides opportunities to recognize where God shows up in our day. “The examen is a practice for discerning the voice and activity of God within the flow of the day. It is a vehicle that creates a deeper awareness of God-given desires in one’s life.” (Calhoun, Adele Ahlberg.) The desired outcome of this practice is to help you become aware of both God and your God-given desires, and respond to them.
For those of you who have a more positive outlook day to day, this practice helps discern times and places where you feel most aware of the fruit of the Spirit. For those who are more serious or melancholy, this practice helps shift your awareness to life-giving moments the Holy Spirit brings into your day.
“The examen makes us aware of moments that at first we might easily pass by as insignificant, moments that ultimately can give direction for our lives.” —Dennis Linn
As you grow in recognition and embracing of the Holy Spirit throughout your day, awareness of His prompting becomes more natural,- and surrendered obedience becomes more our heart’s desire. Our will becomes aligned with His will, self-centered living becomes more Christ centered living. Our life begins to form around God’s daily and momentary desires for us and the Kingdom of God. I look forward to hearing how this practice influences your day-to-day living out your faith relationship with our Lord.
Examen questions: (Taken from Adele Calhoun’s Spiritual Disciplines Handbook)
- When today did I have the deepest sense of connection with God, others and myself ? When today did I have the least sense of connection?
- When did I give and receive the most love today? When did I give and receive the least love today?
- Where was I aware of living out of the fruit of the Spirit? Where was there an absence of the fruit of the Spirit?
- Gather together the threads of your daily encounters and activities. Attending to them one at a time, ask yourself some of the examen questions:
- Where did I give or receive love in this activity or interaction?
- How did I withhold love in this activity or interaction?
- What activity gave me the greatest high?
- Which one made me feel low?
- Reflect on where God was in the highs and lows of the day.
- How is God inviting you to pray about these things before you nestle into his arms and fall asleep?
- Make a list of feeling words. For example: accepted, anxious, apathetic, confused, defeated, disgusted, ecstatic, enraged, paranoid, weepy, undecided. Then begin to ask yourself the examen questions. Let these words help you articulate what drains or saps you and what gives you life. Let this knowing inform your choices.
- Find a quiet moment to reflect on your day or week. Open your palms and ask the Holy Spirit to show you the moment for which you are least grateful. What made that moment difficult? Be with your feelings; don’t try to change them or make them acceptable. Offer them up to God. Talk to him about them. Where was God in this moment? You may want to thank God that he is always ready to be with you and talk to you.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
I believe many of us find ourselves in the inner dialogue of the leper from Luke 5:12-16. We may know academically or even believe intellectually that God has the power heal us, to save us, to rescue us from whatever situation we find ourselves in. However internally, I believe many of us, like the leper, wonder – Is He willing? This question is at the crux of the matter – is our undiscovered understanding that Jesus is love personified? Jesus’ willingness to touch the untouchable of life is his character and nature, so of coarse he was willing then, and He is willing now. He is Love, and His love and desire to forgive our sin and enter our desperation is not wavering or changing depending on the situation.
The Leper saw Jesus as powerful and was hopeful that Jesus would be willing. So I ask you, How do you see Jesus? Scripture tells us that God is slow to anger (Exodus 34:6) and rich in mercy (Joel 2:13). The answer to this question has profound implications as to your spiritual formation and development. Jesus desires for you to know, experientially, his character and nature. He is willing to enter into your story and be the soarce of healing.
As Jesus reached out and touched the man with leprosy, Jesus closed the space between them, restored dignity to him and initiated total healing and restoration for him. The man was assured of Jesus’ willingness to enter into his world and bring healing. God desires to do the same for you. Whatever you are experiencing that has made you ask, why God, or is God even willing to enter into my situation, the resounding answer is yes.
There is nothing that stands between God’s willingness to enter your world, He steps close to your pain or shame or anger and sin. You were designed for this close loving relationship. You, made in God’s image, you, who carry His breathe, carry a non negotiable dignity and He desires to draw near to you. Paul writes, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39. Leprosy didn’t keep Jesus from drawing close, nor will anything that you are walking in today.
Rob Hans | Adult Ministries Pastor