Pilgrim Prayer: Psalms for the Journey PART VII
Dr. Timothy Keller
05 April 2015
EASTER SUNDAY 2015
Psalms 16: 1-11
1Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
2I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing."
3I say of the holy people who are in the land,
"They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight."
4Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
5Lord, you alone are my portion and cup;
you make my lot secure.
6The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8I will keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body will also rest secure,
10becuase you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
WHY WE NEED A REFUGE THAT CANNOT BE SHAKEN
--Hebrews 11-12; Abraham was looking for a foundation and a king that can't be shaken.
--Matter doesn't last.
--Intellectual thoughts come and go.
--We are all crying out for something.
HOW WE GET THIS REFUGE
--v.4 See what we run to
--v.2 + v.5 The Lord is the highest good and highest joy.
--Highest joy and praise
--Pursue God and not other things.
--v.9-11 Relationship with God is so strong that not even death comes between it.
--Creative rapture can be experienced as physical pleasure. (music, art)
Monday, October 26, 2015
The True King
Pilgrim Prayer: Psalms for the Journey PART VI
Rev Aaron Bjerke
29 March 2015
Psalm 110: 1-7
1The Lord says to my lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet,"
2The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying,
"Rule in the midst of your enemies!"
3Your troops will be willing
on your day of battle,
Arrayed in holy splendor,
your young men will come to you
like dew from the morning's womb.
4The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."
5The Lord is at your right hand;
he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
6He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead
and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
7He will drink from a brook along the way,
and so he will lift his head high.
A King that heals the world and all of us
NEED FOR A KING
--Israel calls out to be saved from the Roman empire.
--v.1 Yahweh is speaking of the Messiah
PRIEST
--v.4 "you are a priest"
--A go-between God and the lay people
--Priest is a king that specializes in worship.
--v.4 Melchizedek from Genesis is a priest and king.
--Wrestle with your brokenness at the heart level.
HOW DOES THE PRIEST KING HEAL US
--David's reference to Messiah as "my lord" implies God and man since Messiah was said to be the son of David.
--v.5-7
Rev Aaron Bjerke
29 March 2015
Psalm 110: 1-7
1The Lord says to my lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet,"
2The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying,
"Rule in the midst of your enemies!"
3Your troops will be willing
on your day of battle,
Arrayed in holy splendor,
your young men will come to you
like dew from the morning's womb.
4The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."
5The Lord is at your right hand;
he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
6He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead
and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
7He will drink from a brook along the way,
and so he will lift his head high.
A King that heals the world and all of us
NEED FOR A KING
--Israel calls out to be saved from the Roman empire.
--v.1 Yahweh is speaking of the Messiah
PRIEST
--v.4 "you are a priest"
--A go-between God and the lay people
--Priest is a king that specializes in worship.
--v.4 Melchizedek from Genesis is a priest and king.
--Wrestle with your brokenness at the heart level.
HOW DOES THE PRIEST KING HEAL US
--David's reference to Messiah as "my lord" implies God and man since Messiah was said to be the son of David.
--v.5-7
Prayer for the World
Pilgrim Prayer: Psalms for the Journey PART V
Dr. Timothy Keller
22 March 2015
Psalm 98: 1-9
1Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2The Lord has made salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God
4Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
6with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn--
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
7Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
8Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
9let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity
Psalm 98: v.9 - He will judge the world
Psalm 97: v.8 - The villages are glad because of your judgement
JOYFUL PROMISE OF JUDGEMENT
--True King comes in judgement and all will sing for joy.
--Inert and latent things explode in their full capacity--like the trees.
--Why are we fascinated with return of the True King?
--Democracy basically checks the worst aspects of human nature, but it's not great at solving them.
--We suppress the knowledge of God in Romans 1
--We have a memory trace of a True King.
PROBLEM OF JUDGEMENT
--Judges are suppose to right all wrongs and all wrongs need to be paid for.
--How can we rejoice over this?
--Postmodernism is about de-privileging meaning; all are equally valued.
--No set of standards for anyone to be judged.
--There's no way to assert any position, so we can't have judgement.
--God's relationship with us is a covenant of promise.
--Since we're always breaking our promise, will God give up and abandon us?
--Or will God accept us anyway, so what of God's judgement and holiness?
--This seems like and irreconcilable relationship.
--Is God's covenant / blessing conditional or unconditional?
--If there's no judgement day, what hope is there for the world?
GOD'S PROVISION FOR JUDGEMENT
--The answer is in v.1-3--It's all stuff from the past.
--The reason we can look forward to judgement day because of the work he's already done.
--God saved Israel out of Egypt through judgement.
--God sends down judgement on Egyptians but also judged the Jews--hence the blood of the lamb.
--Everybody should have died unless their judgement fell on the blood of the lamb.
--Miriam's Song in Exodus 15
--Also sounds like Mary's Song in Luke.
--Essence of Sin is us putting ourselves in God's place
--Essence of Salvation is God putting Himself in our place.
--Judge pronounces the penalty and takes judgement on himself.
Dr. Timothy Keller
22 March 2015
Psalm 98: 1-9
1Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2The Lord has made salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God
4Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
6with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn--
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
7Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
8Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
9let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity
Psalm 98: v.9 - He will judge the world
Psalm 97: v.8 - The villages are glad because of your judgement
JOYFUL PROMISE OF JUDGEMENT
--True King comes in judgement and all will sing for joy.
--Inert and latent things explode in their full capacity--like the trees.
--Why are we fascinated with return of the True King?
--Democracy basically checks the worst aspects of human nature, but it's not great at solving them.
--We suppress the knowledge of God in Romans 1
--We have a memory trace of a True King.
PROBLEM OF JUDGEMENT
--Judges are suppose to right all wrongs and all wrongs need to be paid for.
--How can we rejoice over this?
--Postmodernism is about de-privileging meaning; all are equally valued.
--No set of standards for anyone to be judged.
--There's no way to assert any position, so we can't have judgement.
--God's relationship with us is a covenant of promise.
--Since we're always breaking our promise, will God give up and abandon us?
--Or will God accept us anyway, so what of God's judgement and holiness?
--This seems like and irreconcilable relationship.
--Is God's covenant / blessing conditional or unconditional?
--If there's no judgement day, what hope is there for the world?
GOD'S PROVISION FOR JUDGEMENT
--The answer is in v.1-3--It's all stuff from the past.
--The reason we can look forward to judgement day because of the work he's already done.
--God saved Israel out of Egypt through judgement.
--God sends down judgement on Egyptians but also judged the Jews--hence the blood of the lamb.
--Everybody should have died unless their judgement fell on the blood of the lamb.
--Miriam's Song in Exodus 15
--Also sounds like Mary's Song in Luke.
--Essence of Sin is us putting ourselves in God's place
--Essence of Salvation is God putting Himself in our place.
--Judge pronounces the penalty and takes judgement on himself.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Prayer of Rest
Pilgrim Prayer: Psalms for the Journey PART IV
Dr. Timothy Keller
15 March 2015
Psalm 91
1Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty
2I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3Surely he will save you
from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence
4He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5You will not fear the terror of night
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7A thousand may fall at your side.
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9If you say, "The Lord is my refuge,"
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12they will left you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
REMARKABLE PROMISE (CLAIM)
--v1-4 God is a shelter, shade, refuge, fortress.
--God will protect you.
--God's wings - Conveys strength and tenderness of God.
--Mother bird metaphor that protects her young (Feminine image)
--God is not remote nor distant.
MISUNDERSTANDING THE PROMISE
--v5-12 Trusting God sounds like it means life will go smoothly and you won't experience bad times.
--We want so desperately to believe that, so it should give us pause.
--Book of Job sees it differently, except, "his friends" do read it that way concluding Job is not being faithful to God. God's response to them was "You have not spoken truth about me."
--Satan wants us to read it that way;
--Devil quotes Psalm 91:11 in Luke 4 by trying to tempt Jesus.
--Jacob favors Joseph above all the brothers breaking that family apart.
--Everything went wrong for Joseph, but these led to him becoming a great man.
--Genesis 50:20 You meant all these things for evil but God meant them for good.
--Romans 8:28 All things work together for good to those who love God....
--Bad things and evil will be defeated in the end.
--Luke 21:16-18 - Bad things will happen (to his disciples) and you will be hated but not a hair on your head will perish, but in patience you will posses your soul.
--You must trust God when in trouble
UNDERSTANDING THE PROMISE TO ENTER THE PEACE
--v.15 I will be with him in trouble (meaning trouble will happen)
--So don't misread the middle verses.
--Jesus experiences trouble, so in a sense, God experiences trouble and is with us in trouble.
--God knows what we're going through.
--Mother bird image conveys substitution--the wing suffers while those in shade are protected.
--Jesus on the cross.
--Jesus trusted fully in God, but bad things still happened to him.
Dr. Timothy Keller
15 March 2015
Psalm 91
1Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty
2I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3Surely he will save you
from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence
4He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5You will not fear the terror of night
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7A thousand may fall at your side.
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9If you say, "The Lord is my refuge,"
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12they will left you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
REMARKABLE PROMISE (CLAIM)
--v1-4 God is a shelter, shade, refuge, fortress.
--God will protect you.
--God's wings - Conveys strength and tenderness of God.
--Mother bird metaphor that protects her young (Feminine image)
--God is not remote nor distant.
MISUNDERSTANDING THE PROMISE
--v5-12 Trusting God sounds like it means life will go smoothly and you won't experience bad times.
--We want so desperately to believe that, so it should give us pause.
--Book of Job sees it differently, except, "his friends" do read it that way concluding Job is not being faithful to God. God's response to them was "You have not spoken truth about me."
--Satan wants us to read it that way;
--Devil quotes Psalm 91:11 in Luke 4 by trying to tempt Jesus.
--Jacob favors Joseph above all the brothers breaking that family apart.
--Everything went wrong for Joseph, but these led to him becoming a great man.
--Genesis 50:20 You meant all these things for evil but God meant them for good.
--Romans 8:28 All things work together for good to those who love God....
--Bad things and evil will be defeated in the end.
--Luke 21:16-18 - Bad things will happen (to his disciples) and you will be hated but not a hair on your head will perish, but in patience you will posses your soul.
--You must trust God when in trouble
UNDERSTANDING THE PROMISE TO ENTER THE PEACE
--v.15 I will be with him in trouble (meaning trouble will happen)
--So don't misread the middle verses.
--Jesus experiences trouble, so in a sense, God experiences trouble and is with us in trouble.
--God knows what we're going through.
--Mother bird image conveys substitution--the wing suffers while those in shade are protected.
--Jesus on the cross.
--Jesus trusted fully in God, but bad things still happened to him.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Prayer of Thirst
Pilgrim Prayer: Psalms for the Journey PART III
08 March 2015
Dr. Timothy Keller
Psalm 42:1-43:5
1As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2My soul thirst for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
4These things I remember
as I pour out my soul;
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
6My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon - From Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfealls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me--
a prayer to the God of my life.
9I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
10My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
11Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
43:1 Vindicate me, my God,
and plead my cause
against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked.
2You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?
3Send me your light and your faithful care,
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
4Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
CONDITIONS OF SPIRITUAL DRYNESS
--Downcast and thirsting
--No indication of anything done wrong or some tragedy
--Sensing God's absence like we need water to survive.
--1 Kings 19 - Take away my life and kill me ; despair; angel cooks for him
--Jonah 4 - Jonah wishes for death
--Despair happens to all - no matter how holy or not
CAUSES OF SPIRITUAL DRYNESS
--Disruption of corporate and communal worship.
--Some times, when we lose community, we realize our faith may have been experiencing it through the faith of others.
--External environment-stopped eating
--Underlying root cause is a downcast soul disconnected from God.
--Radical discontent in not finding satisfaction in things we thought were the answer.
--Peggy Lee - Is that all there is (song)
--CS Lewis - longing for things that this world can't satisfy, then we must be made for another world.
CURES FOR SPIRITUAL DRYNESS
--Prayer - pour out your soul with whatever's on your mind....whether you feel like it or not.
--Talk about your hope. Talking to yourself--What am I allowing to control me that is not God?; Give over to Him--Shift my hope over to Him.
--Comfort yourself with his unconditional love (v.6-therefore I will remember you)
Jesus on the cross - You have forsaken me and I thirst means a complete absence of God
08 March 2015
Dr. Timothy Keller
Psalm 42:1-43:5
1As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2My soul thirst for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
4These things I remember
as I pour out my soul;
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
6My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon - From Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfealls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me--
a prayer to the God of my life.
9I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
10My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
11Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
43:1 Vindicate me, my God,
and plead my cause
against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked.
2You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?
3Send me your light and your faithful care,
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
4Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
CONDITIONS OF SPIRITUAL DRYNESS
--Downcast and thirsting
--No indication of anything done wrong or some tragedy
--Sensing God's absence like we need water to survive.
--1 Kings 19 - Take away my life and kill me ; despair; angel cooks for him
--Jonah 4 - Jonah wishes for death
--Despair happens to all - no matter how holy or not
CAUSES OF SPIRITUAL DRYNESS
--Disruption of corporate and communal worship.
--Some times, when we lose community, we realize our faith may have been experiencing it through the faith of others.
--External environment-stopped eating
--Underlying root cause is a downcast soul disconnected from God.
--Radical discontent in not finding satisfaction in things we thought were the answer.
--Peggy Lee - Is that all there is (song)
--CS Lewis - longing for things that this world can't satisfy, then we must be made for another world.
CURES FOR SPIRITUAL DRYNESS
--Prayer - pour out your soul with whatever's on your mind....whether you feel like it or not.
--Talk about your hope. Talking to yourself--What am I allowing to control me that is not God?; Give over to Him--Shift my hope over to Him.
--Comfort yourself with his unconditional love (v.6-therefore I will remember you)
Jesus on the cross - You have forsaken me and I thirst means a complete absence of God
Prayer of Seeking
Pilgrim Prayer: Psalms for the Journey PART II
Rev. David Bisgrove
01 March 2015
Psalm 34:1-22
1I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
4I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5Those who look to him are radiant;
there faces are never covered with shame.
6This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
8Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
14Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to blot out their name from the earth.
17The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
21Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22The Lord will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
Lent - What ways have I not taken my relationship with God seriously?
Suffering - v.6, 17,18,19
--Things have filled David with fear.
--You can still have good days even in suffering
REALITY OF THE FEARS AND ITS DESTRUCTIVE NATURE IN YOUR LIFE
--David was a shepherd and God picked him to replace Saul as king.
--David was on the run.
--God called him to serve and his life explodes.
--God prays for delivery from fear, not just the circumstances he's in.
--In the end, we are lambs, not lions.
--We aren't in control of the circumstances of our life.
--The more you love someone, the deeper the fear (fear of losing your child)
--If we find purpose in death, we are sort of assigning meaning to our lives.
--Non Christian coping methods tend to fail in the end.
REPLACE IT WITH THE FEAR OF THE LORD v.7
--Letting God humble you won't crush you--it should restore you.
--Being in the presence of glory what gives us a sense of awe and reverence.
--Learning the fear of the Lord is to Worship God.
--v.2 Let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
--Faith, hope and love...and the greatest of these is Love...the Love of God.
--Moralistic, therapeutic theism--God is there, but we go to him when sick.
--If most of our prayer life is about us, the we see God as existing to meet our needs.
--How do I keep on moving, when my life is getting worse.
--Go to the foot of the cross and accept what Jesus did
HOPE
--Mark 24:21 - We had hoped for the one who is going to redeem Israel.
--Evil does not get the last word--Life wins.
--It's a fighting religion because of the resurrection.
--v.5; Love God more than the rest of our loves.
--Don't love others less....love God more.
--Christ died out of love; he came back out of love;
--He wants to restore the world out of love.
Rev. David Bisgrove
01 March 2015
Psalm 34:1-22
1I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
4I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5Those who look to him are radiant;
there faces are never covered with shame.
6This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
8Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
14Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to blot out their name from the earth.
17The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
21Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22The Lord will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
Lent - What ways have I not taken my relationship with God seriously?
Suffering - v.6, 17,18,19
--Things have filled David with fear.
--You can still have good days even in suffering
REALITY OF THE FEARS AND ITS DESTRUCTIVE NATURE IN YOUR LIFE
--David was a shepherd and God picked him to replace Saul as king.
--David was on the run.
--God called him to serve and his life explodes.
--God prays for delivery from fear, not just the circumstances he's in.
--In the end, we are lambs, not lions.
--We aren't in control of the circumstances of our life.
--The more you love someone, the deeper the fear (fear of losing your child)
--If we find purpose in death, we are sort of assigning meaning to our lives.
--Non Christian coping methods tend to fail in the end.
REPLACE IT WITH THE FEAR OF THE LORD v.7
--Letting God humble you won't crush you--it should restore you.
--Being in the presence of glory what gives us a sense of awe and reverence.
--Learning the fear of the Lord is to Worship God.
--v.2 Let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
--Faith, hope and love...and the greatest of these is Love...the Love of God.
--Moralistic, therapeutic theism--God is there, but we go to him when sick.
--If most of our prayer life is about us, the we see God as existing to meet our needs.
--How do I keep on moving, when my life is getting worse.
--Go to the foot of the cross and accept what Jesus did
HOPE
--Mark 24:21 - We had hoped for the one who is going to redeem Israel.
--Evil does not get the last word--Life wins.
--It's a fighting religion because of the resurrection.
--v.5; Love God more than the rest of our loves.
--Don't love others less....love God more.
--Christ died out of love; he came back out of love;
--He wants to restore the world out of love.
Prayer of Confession
Pilgrim Prayer: Psalms for the Journey PART I
Dr. Timothy Keller
22 February 2015
Psalm 32: 1-11
1Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit
3When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4For day and night your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
5Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord."
And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
6Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.
7You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9Do not be like the horse of the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
10Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord's unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Psalm 32 is one of six Penitential Psalms
POISON OF SIN
--Transgressions - self assertiveness (v.1)
--Internal impulse that nobody can tell me what to do.
--Active inclination to break the rules, promises, and relationships.
--Sin is the fabric of going against how God made things.
--Lying to people is about manipulating and controlling them.
--Sin is poisoning of reality.
--Covering ourselves because we don't live up to our own standards. (v.1)
TREATMENT OF SIN
--Confession (v.5)
--Getting the right standard (v.5 ....acknowledged my sin to you)
--1 Corinthians 4:3
--Paul writes about his conscience being clear because only because God can judge AND that he knows he's not innocent.
--Take full responsibilities for your iniquities--no blame shifting.
--Liberating confession frees you from self-pity which comes from hating the consequences of the sin, not hating the sin itself.
--Liberating confession frees you from self--flagellation and trying to atone for sins on your own.
--Guilt is to be evil and twisted
ANTIDOTE OF SIN
--v.2 David has divine revelation regarding premonitions of JC as savior.
--Paul cites David in Romans 4
--Death on the cross is a time that JC was totally uncovered.
--Free-ness of Grace on the cross - 1John 1:9
Dr. Timothy Keller
22 February 2015
Psalm 32: 1-11
1Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit
3When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4For day and night your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
5Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord."
And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
6Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.
7You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9Do not be like the horse of the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
10Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord's unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Psalm 32 is one of six Penitential Psalms
POISON OF SIN
--Transgressions - self assertiveness (v.1)
--Internal impulse that nobody can tell me what to do.
--Active inclination to break the rules, promises, and relationships.
--Sin is the fabric of going against how God made things.
--Lying to people is about manipulating and controlling them.
--Sin is poisoning of reality.
--Covering ourselves because we don't live up to our own standards. (v.1)
TREATMENT OF SIN
--Confession (v.5)
--Getting the right standard (v.5 ....acknowledged my sin to you)
--1 Corinthians 4:3
--Paul writes about his conscience being clear because only because God can judge AND that he knows he's not innocent.
--Take full responsibilities for your iniquities--no blame shifting.
--Liberating confession frees you from self-pity which comes from hating the consequences of the sin, not hating the sin itself.
--Liberating confession frees you from self--flagellation and trying to atone for sins on your own.
--Guilt is to be evil and twisted
ANTIDOTE OF SIN
--v.2 David has divine revelation regarding premonitions of JC as savior.
--Paul cites David in Romans 4
--Death on the cross is a time that JC was totally uncovered.
--Free-ness of Grace on the cross - 1John 1:9
Glory Displayed
Light in the Darkness: The Glory of Jesus in Mark PART VII
Rev. John Lin
15 February 2015
Mark 9:2-13
2And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4And there appeared to them Elijah and Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5And Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." 8And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
9And as there were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seem, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11And they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" 12And he said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him."
Transfiguration is an eruption of change that can transform the earth.
WHAT IS THAT GLORY
--Glory of God comes down in a cloud just as it did for Moses back on Sinai
--Wants to see the unveiled glory of God.
--Can't see God's face, but Moses comes down physically radiant, but it eventually fades.
--Here, Glory is whiter than anything on earth.
--Jesus is that Glory and radiates it directly.
--Hebrews 1 - Radiant of His glory.
--Reconcile who Jesus is--exact representation of God.
--We have to take a stance on the claim that Jesus is God.
--Jesus is the only entity that emanates the Glory of God from within
--Jesus's Glory is not derivative as it has been in the others.
EXPERIENCING THAT GLORY
--God works and moves in a cloud.
--Something needs to house the Glory of God or else it will destroy everything.
--Peter acknowledges the need for a shelter.
--Cloud immerses Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, but none die.
--v.8 Jesus is the only one left.
--Accessing the brilliance of God without being destroyed is called worship.
--Worship is adoring something that is true and beautiful.
--Wrapped up in the embrace of God's love.
--Is this what my heart yearns and dies for?
WHY DO WE NEED THAT GLORY
--After Jesus returns from transfiguration, he returns to chaos and confusion.
--Returns to hostility and confusion.
--Life will be a long and chaotic journey.
--Pulsating and life giving glory.
--Transfiguration is a taste of resurrection and a glimpse of future glory.
--Christianity maintains that there is hope in suffering.
--So there is glory on the other side of suffering.
HOW DO WE GET THIS GLORY
--Glory can be in the ordinary.
--Glory can be in defeat.
--A man with an ill child comes to Jesus in desperation.
--Jesus rebukes the spirit and the child looks dead--but then is healed.
--"Everything is possible to those who believe...Help me with my unbelief..."
--Jesus heard nothing when crying out on the cross.
--This was a moment of glory and victory in crushing defeat.
Rev. John Lin
15 February 2015
Mark 9:2-13
2And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4And there appeared to them Elijah and Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5And Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." 8And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
9And as there were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seem, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11And they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" 12And he said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him."
Transfiguration is an eruption of change that can transform the earth.
WHAT IS THAT GLORY
--Glory of God comes down in a cloud just as it did for Moses back on Sinai
--Wants to see the unveiled glory of God.
--Can't see God's face, but Moses comes down physically radiant, but it eventually fades.
--Here, Glory is whiter than anything on earth.
--Jesus is that Glory and radiates it directly.
--Hebrews 1 - Radiant of His glory.
--Reconcile who Jesus is--exact representation of God.
--We have to take a stance on the claim that Jesus is God.
--Jesus is the only entity that emanates the Glory of God from within
--Jesus's Glory is not derivative as it has been in the others.
EXPERIENCING THAT GLORY
--God works and moves in a cloud.
--Something needs to house the Glory of God or else it will destroy everything.
--Peter acknowledges the need for a shelter.
--Cloud immerses Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, but none die.
--v.8 Jesus is the only one left.
--Accessing the brilliance of God without being destroyed is called worship.
--Worship is adoring something that is true and beautiful.
--Wrapped up in the embrace of God's love.
--Is this what my heart yearns and dies for?
WHY DO WE NEED THAT GLORY
--After Jesus returns from transfiguration, he returns to chaos and confusion.
--Returns to hostility and confusion.
--Life will be a long and chaotic journey.
--Pulsating and life giving glory.
--Transfiguration is a taste of resurrection and a glimpse of future glory.
--Christianity maintains that there is hope in suffering.
--So there is glory on the other side of suffering.
HOW DO WE GET THIS GLORY
--Glory can be in the ordinary.
--Glory can be in defeat.
--A man with an ill child comes to Jesus in desperation.
--Jesus rebukes the spirit and the child looks dead--but then is healed.
--"Everything is possible to those who believe...Help me with my unbelief..."
--Jesus heard nothing when crying out on the cross.
--This was a moment of glory and victory in crushing defeat.
Friday, October 2, 2015
A New Sabbath
Light in the Darkness: The Glory of Jesus in Mark PART VI
Dr. Timothy Keller
08 February 2015
Mark 2:23-28, 3:1-6
23One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
25He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."
27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
3:1Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
4Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
ANGER OF JESUS 3:5
--Epic anger and he grieves over stubborn hearts.
--According to Pharisees, Jesus was doing a bunch of illegal things on the Sabbath.
--Legalistic rules thwarted the purpose of the Sabbath.
--Sabbath is about rest, renewal, and restoration.
--v.27 Law was made for us as a gift, not a burden.
--Not eating from the tree in the Garden requires an attitude of the heart.
--Serpent's lies have gotten into all of our hearts.
--Obey God just because we trust Him, not out of trying to get something from Him.
--Something in our hearts sees the Law as a chain
ENEMIES OF JESUS
--Herod was a secular power; Pharisees were traditional Jewish laws.
--Although they were sworn enemies, they united against Jesus
--Can obedience be intrinsically satisfying?
--Sex-God made it to create community between two people, not for personal fulfillment.
--v25-David eating the holy bread in the tabernacle suggests that ceremonial rules of how you worship God are temporary.
CLAIM OF JESUS
--God rested on the seventh day because the work was done.
--Jesus Christ finished the work on the cross that crushed us after the fall
--Looking for the rest underneath the physical rest we need.
--Jesus just doesn't change or overturn the Sabbath, but he is the Sabbath.
Dr. Timothy Keller
08 February 2015
Mark 2:23-28, 3:1-6
23One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
25He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."
27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
3:1Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
4Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
ANGER OF JESUS 3:5
--Epic anger and he grieves over stubborn hearts.
--According to Pharisees, Jesus was doing a bunch of illegal things on the Sabbath.
--Legalistic rules thwarted the purpose of the Sabbath.
--Sabbath is about rest, renewal, and restoration.
--v.27 Law was made for us as a gift, not a burden.
--Not eating from the tree in the Garden requires an attitude of the heart.
--Serpent's lies have gotten into all of our hearts.
--Obey God just because we trust Him, not out of trying to get something from Him.
--Something in our hearts sees the Law as a chain
ENEMIES OF JESUS
--Herod was a secular power; Pharisees were traditional Jewish laws.
--Although they were sworn enemies, they united against Jesus
--Can obedience be intrinsically satisfying?
--Sex-God made it to create community between two people, not for personal fulfillment.
--v25-David eating the holy bread in the tabernacle suggests that ceremonial rules of how you worship God are temporary.
CLAIM OF JESUS
--God rested on the seventh day because the work was done.
--Jesus Christ finished the work on the cross that crushed us after the fall
--Looking for the rest underneath the physical rest we need.
--Jesus just doesn't change or overturn the Sabbath, but he is the Sabbath.
A Paralytic Forgiven
The Glory of Jesus in Mark PART V
Dr. Timothy Keller
01 February 2015
Mark 2:1-12
1A few days later, when Jesus entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus and after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralytic man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7"Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9Which is easier: to say to this paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10But that you may know that the Son or Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralytic, 11"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
THE KING
--Kingdom of God has come because He has come.
--Healing, renewing of God's ruling power.
--We start to heal when we enter back under His Lordship.
--We begin to heal, when we come into a relationship with Him.
--Although being a paralytic might be more urgent, nothing is more important than a right relationship with God.
KING OF YOUR SALVATION
--News of a great historic event.
--Not an advice paradigm.
--Saved by what He has done.
KING OF YOUR MIND
--Taught with authority, NOT as an expert in the Law.
--Jesus claimed original authority, not derived authority.
KING OF HEART
--We're all under the control of something.
--But it ultimately fails us.
--We sense our brokenness and a need for forgiveness.
--Jesus is the only master that forgives you.
--Jesus should have supremacy.
--St Augustine--you are mainly what you love the most.
KING OF LIFE PATH
--Follow me--prayer life of personal relation.
--Going somewhere, be faithful, no matter what you do or where He takes us.
--Relationship with the Father allows us to get through life.
TRUST HIM
--Thread of God's will took Jesus to hell, but on the other end, was our salvation.
--We can follow our thread, no matter where it takes us, based on what Jesus accomplished.
--Jesus's grace is initiating and eager to forgive.
Help us to make him King and know the joy that comes from it.
Dr. Timothy Keller
01 February 2015
Mark 2:1-12
1A few days later, when Jesus entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus and after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralytic man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7"Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9Which is easier: to say to this paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10But that you may know that the Son or Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralytic, 11"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
THE KING
--Kingdom of God has come because He has come.
--Healing, renewing of God's ruling power.
--We start to heal when we enter back under His Lordship.
--We begin to heal, when we come into a relationship with Him.
--Although being a paralytic might be more urgent, nothing is more important than a right relationship with God.
KING OF YOUR SALVATION
--News of a great historic event.
--Not an advice paradigm.
--Saved by what He has done.
KING OF YOUR MIND
--Taught with authority, NOT as an expert in the Law.
--Jesus claimed original authority, not derived authority.
KING OF HEART
--We're all under the control of something.
--But it ultimately fails us.
--We sense our brokenness and a need for forgiveness.
--Jesus is the only master that forgives you.
--Jesus should have supremacy.
--St Augustine--you are mainly what you love the most.
KING OF LIFE PATH
--Follow me--prayer life of personal relation.
--Going somewhere, be faithful, no matter what you do or where He takes us.
--Relationship with the Father allows us to get through life.
TRUST HIM
--Thread of God's will took Jesus to hell, but on the other end, was our salvation.
--We can follow our thread, no matter where it takes us, based on what Jesus accomplished.
--Jesus's grace is initiating and eager to forgive.
Help us to make him King and know the joy that comes from it.
A Leper Healed
The Glory of Jesus in Mark PART IV
Rev. John Lin
25 January 2015
Mark 1: 40-45
40A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, make me clean."
41Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleaned.
43Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44"See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." 45Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
FULLNESS OF MINISTRY
--Leprosy is a disease where people are unable to feel pain.
--Lepers were outcasts because they were contagious and considered unclean.
--v.41, Jesus could have healed him with words, but instead, he touched him.
--He healed the body as well as offered him comfort and acceptance through his touch.
--The Leper was starved for connection.
--It was a comprehensive response to the current conditions.
LEPER'S DESPERATION
--Focused mainly on his physical healing and had not hope beyond that.
--Sin disfigures our humanity.
--We have an inability to acknowledge our desperation as we want to come clean on our terms.
--Healing has nothing to do with the afflicted, but what Jesus, and Him alone, brings to them.
--Jesus is the cleanliness personified.
Rev. John Lin
25 January 2015
Mark 1: 40-45
40A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, make me clean."
41Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleaned.
43Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44"See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." 45Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
FULLNESS OF MINISTRY
--Leprosy is a disease where people are unable to feel pain.
--Lepers were outcasts because they were contagious and considered unclean.
--v.41, Jesus could have healed him with words, but instead, he touched him.
--He healed the body as well as offered him comfort and acceptance through his touch.
--The Leper was starved for connection.
--It was a comprehensive response to the current conditions.
LEPER'S DESPERATION
--Focused mainly on his physical healing and had not hope beyond that.
--Sin disfigures our humanity.
--We have an inability to acknowledge our desperation as we want to come clean on our terms.
--Healing has nothing to do with the afflicted, but what Jesus, and Him alone, brings to them.
--Jesus is the cleanliness personified.
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