Participants: Bill Liversidge
Series Code: VIJ
Program Code: VIJ000012
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00:23 The Lord is my shepherd
00:28 I shall not want 00:31 He makes me to lie down 00:35 In green pastures 00:38 He leads me beside the still waters 00:45 He restores my soul 00:49 He restores my life 00:53 He leads me in the path of righteousness 01:01 For His name's sake 01:11 The Lord is my shepherd 01:15 I shall not want 01:18 He makes me to lie down 01:22 In green pastures 01:26 He leads me beside the still waters 01:33 He restores my soul 01:36 Restores my life 01:40 He leads me in the path of righteousness 01:49 For His name's sake 01:57 Though if I walk through valley 02:01 of shadow of darkness 02:06 I will fear no evil 02:09 for You are with me 02:12 Your staff and Your rod 02:15 they comfort me 02:18 You prepare a table before me 02:24 In the presence of my enemies 02:31 You anoint my head with oil 02:38 And my cup run's over 02:52 Surely goodness and mercy 02:56 Shall follow me 03:00 All the days of my life 03:07 And I will dwell in the house, 03:11 in the house of the Lord 03:15 Forever Forever 03:23 Forever 03:33 Open your Bibles with me today, 03:37 to Mark Chapter 1. 03:40 Mark Chapter 1, 03:44 those of you who know me, 03:46 you know how hard it is for me 03:47 to not tell a story about New Guinea. 03:53 As you can't spend ten years of your life as missionary 03:57 without it making a significant impact upon you 04:03 and I have the privilege of being a student missionary, 04:07 for my first posting and the president called me 04:11 in and he said you know, 04:13 we heard that you are a rather adventurous person. 04:18 So who have you been speaking 04:19 to my mother or some body else? 04:22 He said, we just heard it. 04:25 I said, is it significant? 04:26 He said, yes. 04:27 We need an adventurous person. 04:30 I said for what? 04:32 He said, this is a short term assignment, 04:34 its three months. 04:36 I said, well, what is it? 04:39 He said, there's an island off the coast 04:41 several miles out, 04:43 and it's populated only with lepers. 04:49 You know, I knew that I was going 04:50 to be getting malaria, 04:51 but I had not thought about contracting leprosy. 04:57 I said, what is that had to do with me? 05:00 He said, well we need somebody 05:03 who would be willing to get a little closer 05:06 to the lepers than up till now. 05:11 I said, well, how close? 05:16 This close. 05:18 He said, it's easy to get someone 05:19 to go over there on the mission trip 05:21 once a week and preach a sermon 05:24 and jump on the ship and come back. 05:27 But we would like somebody 05:28 who is willing to mingle with the lepers. 05:32 I said again, how close sir, 05:35 we're talking about? 05:37 He said, well we actually given thought to the fact that, 05:41 there may be somebody bold enough 05:44 to actually give a leper a hug. 05:50 I said, what? 05:53 I said, I don't want to wake up one morning 05:54 and find a small patch of skin discolored on my arm here, 06:00 and to see my hands 06:01 and my face slowly get eaten away. 06:04 I have all the traditional fears 06:06 associated with leprosy. 06:08 In other words, I know nothing about it 06:10 but fearful of it. 06:13 He said, we have a physician waiting in the next room, 06:17 to alleviate all your fears. 06:19 I said, oh yeah, yeah. 06:22 So I went in and sat down 06:24 with the physician of very gracious man. 06:28 He said, so you have some questions? 06:30 I said, absolutely. 06:32 Am I in danger of contracting malaria? 06:36 I know nothing about it. 06:38 I'm sorry leprosy. 06:41 He said, well I can fairly well guarantee you, 06:44 that you will not get leprosy. 06:46 I said, well thank you very much. 06:49 Fairly well guarantee is not enough for me. 06:53 I need a much clearer assurance than that. 06:58 He said, well, he had a grin on his face he said, 07:02 it's a question of hygiene. 07:05 If you jump in a deep bath 07:08 and soap yourself all over 07:11 and go out there and he said, 07:12 if you wish hug a leper, hug a leper. 07:16 I said, I don't wish to hug a leper? 07:20 I'm being asked to consider hugging a leper. 07:24 He said, then come home 07:26 and jump back in a bath again, 07:28 and lather yourself all over again he said, 07:30 you will never get leprosy. 07:34 I said never as in never. 07:37 He said, you will never get leprosy. 07:39 Well, that's fine then, that's good enough for me. 07:44 So the next weekend 07:45 we sailed over to the leper colony. 07:50 I got off the mission boat 07:53 and looked around to see who was accompanying me 07:56 and discovered I was all alone. 08:00 And the captain and crew were all lined up 08:02 on the deck waving goodbye to me. 08:05 They we are not coming. 08:07 And I walked across the island, 08:09 and in the distance I can see a thatched roofed village. 08:14 Some smoke coming up, 08:17 and that's a very typical site in New Guinea. 08:19 I said, okay. 08:20 So live in a village here, with little houses 08:23 and as I began to walk toward the village, 08:26 I noticed a movement, 08:29 a man was coming towards me from the village. 08:33 As I looked more clearly, 08:36 I noticed that his legs were just stumps. 08:42 About one foot up his leg that was all eaten away, 08:46 he had no crutches of any kind. 08:49 So he is coming on these little stumps towards me. 08:53 As he got closer, I noticed 08:55 that's his arms were stretched out like this. 08:59 And as I look more carefully, 09:02 the hands were missing up to about here. 09:06 Just stumps of raw flesh being eaten away. 09:10 And as he got really close, 09:14 I noticed the condition in New Guinea, 09:16 we call it grille. 09:18 It's the skin condition where the skin is flaking 09:21 all over the body like a snake skin. 09:26 It's horrible to look at. 09:29 So here's a man whose body is flaking 09:32 from top to bottom, 09:34 he has no feet and no hands 09:39 and he appears to be from what I can observe 09:43 unduly excite of about something. 09:47 And he is shouting out and fortunately for me 09:49 I had already learned Pidgin English. 09:52 So I could at least hear what he was saying. 09:59 He is saying, are you the man? 10:04 And every thing in me saying, 10:06 no, no, no, I'm not the man. 10:12 This is you are the one, 10:13 that the president talked about? 10:15 I said, what did he tell of? 10:20 And this guy keeps coming toward me, 10:23 just like a bulldozer approaching you. 10:26 I have a moment of great shame here 10:28 where I acknowledged to you that 10:30 I stood there like this at attention, 10:36 incapable of moving. 10:39 As this leper, 10:41 with the stumps of his arms out like this 10:43 came all the way up to me reached out those two stumps 10:50 and put them around me and I stood there like this, 10:55 incapable of moving. 10:57 I'm very shame to what happened then. 11:00 And he is so excited, he burst into tears, 11:06 and through his tears I hear him saying, 11:08 this is the first time 11:11 I have felt another human touch in 40 years. 11:17 And I am not touching him, he is touching me. 11:22 And I'm so embraced and I'm so ashamed, 11:25 but God was one step ahead of me as usual 11:28 He was endeavoring to educate me 11:31 and the Holy Spirit went knock, knock. 11:37 And I know that God is communicating with me. 11:41 And God says to me, what is wrong with you? 11:47 He is not hugging you 11:54 he is reaching out to Me. 11:59 You just happen to be My instrument 12:05 for him to reach Me through. 12:10 That God He has a remarkable sense of humor said to me, 12:14 listen up buddy, listen up. 12:19 How does thing in my life, 12:21 I've ever done up till that moment I am young man, 12:23 in my early 20's. 12:27 I managed to get my arms up free, 12:29 because he is holding me tight. 12:33 And with great caution I stretched out my arms 12:38 and I put them this flaking 12:42 piece of human flesh with no feet, 12:47 with no arms and he doubled his weeping, 12:51 as he felt my arms go around him. 12:56 And at that moment the joy of the Lord 12:59 flowed in to my soul 13:01 and I repented of the fact 13:03 that I could stand there like this 13:06 when the most needy of human beings 13:09 was approaching me, and all he needed was a hug, 13:14 to feel the warmth of human love and fellowship. 13:16 And so my repentance was deep. 13:20 It was tested shortly afterwards 13:22 when 150 lepers lined up for their hug. 13:28 I spent like a whole hour just hugging. 13:32 I couldn't wait to get back to the mission station 13:34 and jump in to the bath, and lather myself whole over. 13:39 But then each week it got easier, 13:42 and I began to realize that God in His infinite wisdom 13:49 even though Jesus thought it not robbery 13:51 to be equal with God 13:54 He took up on Himself the form of a servant 13:58 and became all things to all men, 14:02 and that I was privileged to walk in His foot steps. 14:06 I was privileged 14:07 to become all things to 150 lepers 14:11 who had never felt like human hug 14:13 most of them in their entire lives. 14:16 And I want to tell you the healing was mine. 14:19 I was the one who experienced great healing 14:22 and they on the other hand were filled with great joy. 14:27 And the good news is, 14:28 I never got a little discoloration on my skin, 14:31 I was never at risk of contracting leprosy. 14:34 Isn't God gracious? 14:36 So imagine 2,000 years ago, 14:42 if you were a leper and everywhere you went 14:45 somebody was crying out unclean, unclean 14:51 and people scattered the moment you came near them. 14:57 No chance of a human hug back then. 15:00 You were on the lowest level of the totem pole, 15:03 when it came to cleanness in the community. 15:06 Everybody avoided you like the plague. 15:10 So in Mark chapter 1 15:13 beginning with verse 40, 15:18 it should not surprise you 15:21 that the encounter with the leper 15:23 begins with the incredible statement, 15:26 "a leper came to Him." 15:32 So, first point this morning, 15:35 and I'd like to remind you 15:39 that Jesus was seen by the lowest levels of society 15:47 and the most un-cleaned members of society. 15:51 Jesus was viewed as approachable. 15:56 Even a leper felt free 15:59 to come into the presence of Jesus 16:01 because by now it was understood 16:04 that Jesus was not in the condemning business. 16:08 He wasn't into the shunning business. 16:12 He wasn't into being horrified business. 16:16 Jesus was simply approachable, because He loved the unlovely 16:23 and He loved them unconditionally 16:26 and some how I felt drown to His presence. 16:32 By the way, 16:35 just in case there is a leper sitting here this morning 16:40 who may have brought into the, the foolish thought 16:45 that my un-cleanness is keeping God at a distance. 16:51 Please rethink that position as we go along 16:55 because I want to you know 16:56 that Jesus is just as approachable today 17:00 as He was 2,000 years ago. 17:03 And the deeper we more-- 17:05 we have fallen in to the pit of sin, 17:07 the more approachable Jesus becomes 17:11 because He too has entered in to human flesh. 17:15 He understands the feelings that we wrestle with, 17:19 the temptations that overtake us, 17:22 He understands this. 17:25 And because He has overcome, 17:28 through the strength of His Father within Him, 17:30 He makes himself available to minister to all those 17:36 who have been overcome 17:38 by the frailties of human flesh. 17:41 How is your faith this morning? 17:43 Amen. 17:44 Well, let's see what happens here, 17:45 it gets quite exciting. 17:49 I think Jesus must have a great 17:50 sense of humor you know. 17:52 I have thought that for some time, 17:54 and not just because I have 17:55 a highly developed on myself. 18:00 My mother tells me that I laugh too much 18:03 especially when I'm preaching, 18:05 I'm to be more sober, I tried being sober, 18:08 but that just not me you know. 18:11 But look at verse 40... 18:17 my version I'm reading the New American Standard. 18:20 My version uses an interesting word here, 18:22 "A leper came to Him, beseeching Him." 18:26 Anyone have a different word to beseeching? 18:30 Imploring Him. 18:31 Anything different? 18:33 There is another version that says begging. 18:36 Some of you have that. 18:38 "So a leper came to Him, beseeching." 18:41 I still like beseeching to me 18:42 it has a bit of dynamic activity in it. 18:45 Beseeching, begging and imploring. 18:48 If I was a leper, I have decided 18:50 I would be beseeching Him to, wouldn't you? 18:52 Yes 18:54 Begging Him, but look at the words 18:55 that He uses. 18:57 This is where I think Jesus has great sense of humor, 18:59 because the leper says to Him, 19:02 "If You are willing" 19:07 I find it hard to believe Jesus kept a straight face 19:09 when the guy said to Him, man, why did Jesus come? 19:15 To heal the sick, to raise the dead, 19:18 to bind up the broken hearted, 19:20 if you are willing. 19:23 Of course, He is willing. 19:25 And the next verse, He ratifies it doesn't He? 19:29 Look at the end of verse 40, I mean the end of verse 41. 19:33 If you got a Red Letter Bible like I do, 19:35 you can see the words of Jesus there, 19:37 He says "I am willing, be cleansed." 19:41 I'm willing. 19:43 You don't have to ask me if I am willing. 19:44 I am willing. 19:47 I behooving this morning, 19:52 if you are sitting here this morning 19:53 and you are a leper 19:56 and you need healing physically, 20:00 emotionally, spiritually, 20:06 intellectually, 20:09 relationally it doesn't matter. 20:13 What's your specific area of need is, 20:18 the message this morning is crystal clear. 20:21 Jesus is saying to you and to me this morning 20:26 "I am willing." Praise the Lord. 20:30 I am willing. 20:33 It ain't need to hold back with Jesus today. 20:36 He is willing, just as He was 2,000 years ago 20:41 when approached by what many considered to be 20:45 the most unclean member of the society, 20:48 think of that, the most unclean. 20:51 In fact, many of the Jews believed 20:53 that it was sin in this man's life 20:55 or in his parent's life 20:57 that had caused him to be like this. 20:59 Who has sin this man or his father 21:02 that he is in this terrible condition? 21:04 That was Jewish thinking 21:07 so that made him feel even worse. 21:09 It was bad enough to deal 21:11 with the fact that he was a leper, 21:13 better than the fact that everyone in the community 21:16 thought he was also a big sinner to abate. 21:20 Thought about kicking the dog while he is down, 21:23 that's the way it was. 21:26 Let's see what happened here. 21:30 I'm in verse 41, 21:33 one of my favorite aspects of the character of God 21:36 as manifested in His son Jesus Christ. 21:41 "Moved with" Jesus, 21:45 was "moved with compassion." 21:52 You're hearing that today? 21:53 Yes. 21:56 I have a very personal question to ask you all today. 22:00 Are you letting God love you? 22:04 Amen. Amen. 22:06 Are you permitting 22:09 the incredible compassion of Jesus 22:13 for suffering sinful humanity? 22:17 Are you letting His love 22:19 and compassion wash over you? 22:26 What you have little wows up. 22:29 I know people who come to God, 22:31 it's kind of a stop that I like it. 22:34 I need this, but don't get too close to me. 22:37 I learned to keep everyone at a distance, 22:39 because it's too painful to let people get too close. 22:45 You don't need to do that with the Jesus, 22:47 because He knows exactly how you feel. 22:52 He wants us to let our barriers down 22:56 so that His love and compassion 22:59 can wash through our entire beings 23:03 and whatever part of us needs healing and restoring, 23:10 He will bring it about. 23:14 I told you the story 23:15 of the young homosexual last night. 23:19 I have never heard such a sad story 23:21 of abuse in my entire life. 23:24 I was weeping myself as he told me the story. 23:30 And God said to me it's good for you weep, 23:32 but remember its Jesus that you need present him with. 23:37 Because it's Jesus 23:39 who is the master of compassion, 23:41 He is touched 23:43 by the feelings of our infirmities. 23:47 That's biblical, isn't it? 23:49 We have a high priest who is touched 23:52 with the very feelings of our infirmities. 23:54 I am gonna say it again, are you letting Jesus love you? 24:02 I live in Palm Springs, California, 24:06 and recently I was having dinner 24:08 in a restaurant on the Main Street. 24:11 That was evening, 24:12 I parked my car on the Main Street, 24:15 winter is our busy season there 24:16 we triple our population in winter. 24:20 So it was starting to get busier. 24:23 I went in to the restaurant, I had a good dinner, 24:25 I came out and see my car parked out there 24:27 and I am heading towards it 24:29 and I hear a commotion behind me. 24:32 I look around and to my great surprise 24:34 I see a homeless woman. 24:37 I'm not great at calculating women ages, 24:41 but I said to myself, 24:42 "This women looks to me to be like you know, 24:44 50's may be even approaching 60." 24:50 And I was surprised that she was as old 24:51 as she was and she obviously homeless. 24:54 She had a brown paper bag, 24:57 she had gone into the very restaurant 24:59 that I had just come out of 25:01 and she had obviously been asking for food 25:03 or food scraps or whatever. 25:06 And two of the waiters has had picked her up borderly, 25:09 they lifted her up 25:10 and carried her out of the restaurant 25:12 and placed her down on the sidewalk. 25:16 And people in Palm Springs 25:17 this is such a uncommon development, 25:19 people gathered to watch. 25:21 Its like 50 people just gathered on the street. 25:25 So I stood there I'm leaning up against the telephone pole 25:27 and I just stood there watching this whole situation. 25:33 And the Holy Sprit as he frequently does to me 25:35 came to my mind and said knock, knock. 25:40 I said well, what's up? 25:42 I know what's up. 25:44 I know God really wants to do. 25:46 And God, I have communications regularly, 25:51 and God says well, I want to minister to her. 25:55 Creative Media Ministries is a faith based ministry 25:58 dedicated to the sharing of the good news 26:00 of the Lord Jesus Christ. 26:02 We need your help to take this dynamic message 26:04 to the uttermost parts of the earth. 26:06 If God has touched your heart 26:07 and the Word of God has come to life like never before 26:10 contributions can be sent to Creative Media Ministries, 26:14 PO. 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Revised 2015-01-08