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| Rev. Canon George Sinclair |
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(Podcast of CFRA broadcast on Sunday, January 6th,
2013)
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Broadcast Notes:
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(Abridged notes of a Sermon on LUKE 5: 12–39, are below; full broadcast can be heard through the link, above.)
'Hell?'
Text from Luke 5:12, and
following:
Luke 5:12-39 (ESVUK)
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full
of leprosy.[a] And when
he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can
make me clean.” 13 And
Jesus[b]
stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will;
be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.
14 And he charged him to
tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest,
and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to
them.” 15 But
now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to
hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers
of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and
Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.[c] 18 And behold, some men were
bringing on a bed a man who was paralysed, and they were seeking to bring him
in and lay him before Jesus, 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of
the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the
tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to
question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but
God alone?” 22 When
Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why
do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are
forgiven you’, or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has
authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man
who was paralysed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed
and go home.” 25 And
immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and
went home, glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified
God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”
Jesus Calls Levi
27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi,
sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow
me.” 28 And
leaving everything, he rose and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there
was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their
scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax
collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are
sick. 32 I
have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
A Question About Fasting
33 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often
and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and
drink.” 34 And
Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast
while the bridegroom is with them? 35 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken
away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” 36 He also told them a
parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and
puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from
the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If
he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the
skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.
39 And no one after
drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”[d]
Footnotes:
a.
Luke 5:12 Leprosy
was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
b.
Luke 5:13 Greek he
c.
Luke 5:17 Some
manuscripts was present to heal them
d.
Luke 5:39 Some
manuscripts better
Most Christians do not like
talking about Hell. I include myself in this category. Today's text as
important insights about this topic.
Read verses 12 - 15. The man does not doubt
that Jesus can heal him. He doubts that Jesus is willing to heal him.
The key spiritual principle we
can see here is: I lock the door to Hell from the inside. This is a very
surprising idea to many.
Notice the surprising aspects of
the Bible. These are important!
Read verse 16. (16 But he would withdraw to desolate
places and pray.) Note its context - what is on
either side of the verse. It’s sandwiched between these two stories: One is, “Jesus,
do you even have a will to heal me?” - and friends bring a friend to Jesus.
We see here that, if
Jesus has to pray, then we have to pray.
Another key spiritual principle
is: When
we work, we work; When we pray, God works. For most of
us, we need to pray more and work less.
Read verses 17 and following.
Another spiritual principle is: Every wrong act both violates a victim and wrongs the living God. This is a revolutionary idea!
Jesus offers evidence that He can forgive sins!
Another key spiritual principle is: The resurrection is the vindication of the person and work of Jesus.
Jesus has claimed that He can forgive sins and reconcile us to the Living God. Have you come to Him in repentance and faith? There is no better time than today to come to Him.
Let’s
just bow our heads in prayer,
Father,
Please draw us to your son, Jesus. Help us to trust him and have
confidence in him, and to rest in him, and to hope only in him.
We thank you, Father, that He is your great remedy for our great
need to be reconciled to you.
Amen.
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To listen to the above broadcast, click
on the following link:
http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/11525/good_news_041_feb24.mp3
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