I know we’re not supposed to applaud someone who disobeys God but I just love the disobedient guy in Mark 1:40-45. He is a leper who approaches Jesus, begging to be healed. Jesus reaches out and touches the man and heals him. Since Jesus does not want people following Him strictly for physical blessings He sternly warns the man NOT to tell anyone but rather go to the priest and make an offering. But read what the healed leper does instead, “But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere” (Mark 1:45). This guy was ‘fixed’ by Jesus and he could not help himself – he had to tell everybody he could about Jesus.

None of us are perfect – we all need spiritual healing that Jesus freely gives us as we turn to Him in faith. After we are saved why would we not naturally tell others? Why would we not want everyone to have eternal life in a beautiful relationship with the Lord? Surely we want all of our loved ones in heaven! We are like the leper except maybe we are more like beggars. And, I like the evangelism saying, “I am just one beggar telling other beggars where to get the bread”.

God will use beggars and healed lepers and redeemed sinners to share Jesus’ salvation and bring glory to Himself in doing so. We are broken parts that the Lord can use mightily IFFF we feel responsible and IFFF we are grateful for what God did for us in Christ and IFFF we share the good news.

We need to remember we are not alone. Jesus told the disciples after His resurrection, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20). Did you see that? Jesus is with – US – ALWAYS – EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE.

All of us need to reach out more to others than we currently do. And right now it is so easy. We can invite people via phone, text, email, and Facebook. It is so easy to extend a simple invitation and include the link to our church website. This Sunday I will be preaching on Psalm 8. It is a great passage about seeing God’s majestic power and wisdom as we look out at the creation. Non-Christians, un-churched people, lost sinners – whatever you want to call them – they can be saved with a five-minute effort by you.

Read Isaiah 6:1-8. Then tell God, “Here I am – Lord send me”. Then tell others, “Please join me Sunday online @ whchurchofchrist.org”. Oh yeah, don’t forget to listen to Here I Am by Downhere.

Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”