Preaching Jesus Touching the Leper
3 questions you can use to challenge your church to impact those around them.
When the leper saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”
Luke 5:12
Jesus touching the leper can be a sermon to lead your church to see the possibilities…and pitfalls…to touching those no one else is willing to touch.
3 questions you can use to challenge your church to impact those around them.
Are you willing to touch those no one else touches?
Serving is not a marketing strategy for the church. Serving people no one else will touch is how Jesus did ministry.
Especially touching those the religious will not touch.
Who in your community will the religious not touch? How can you as a church serve them?
Do you want people to be clean?
Serving to market your church is a church growth strategy. To serve in this way is to not want people to get clean. People will find the healing and cleaning Jesus offers. But the end goal is for your church to get bigger.
Start with “Why?” Serving those no one else will touch starts with the Why of “we want people the religious have cast aside to find the healing and cleansing Jesus has to offer.”
This may initially lead to a church decline strategy. Because the religious refuse to get their hands dirty for the sake of someone else getting clean.
Will you prioritize your Hear & Follow relationship with Jesus?
The crowds came. Jesus became famous. But he knew the temptation fame brought.
He withdrew to the desolate place to Hear & Follow his Father.
If you want to really touch those no one else is willing to touch, you must stay connected to Jesus through a Hear & Follow relationship.
He will give you the strength to go the extra mile. Receive criticism from those you’d never expect. And find the next person to touch.