God’s Word & Message… ScriptureMark 6:1-6 Message “Why Do We Limit God” Flannel Board / Power Point * Naaman, a little girl & a prophet… Jesus heals a blind man w/mud & spit

Jesus, the People’s Response… Faith is a spiritual gift & asset that is to operate in the natural realm. - a gift & asset from God to every person… - that we are to utilize & flex… Mark 6:1-6 - Jesus goes back home… - Disciples, Sabbath, Synagogue & crowds… * his teaching & miracles. Their downfall: a. The understanding of Jesus’ identity… b. Their unbelief in Him…

Billy Graham Handbook Faith is a total commitment to everything God is, does, and says. It is staking our life on the reality of His trustworthiness. But unless faith become operative in our own lives, it is only a word. - Hebrews 11:1 - The Gospel is a way of faith. - The Christian life is a walk of faith. Faith pleases God and rewards it. - Hebrews 11:6

Billy Graham has said: “Faith will manifest itself in 3 ways: #1- Doctrine… #2- Worship… #3- Fellowship… It will manifest itself in morality in the way we live and behave. The Bible also teaches that faith does not end with trust in Christ for our salvation. Faith continues! It grows! It may be weak at first, but it will become stronger as we begin to read the Bible, pray, go to church, and experience God’s faithfulness…

Called to take a step of Faith Today, we are going to 2 stories in the Bible that God calls people to take a step of faith… - the 1 st story is in the Old Testament… * book of 2 Kings 5:1-14 * about a captain who had leprosy… - the 2 nd story is in the New Testament… * the Gospel of John… * about a man born blind… God is going to do a work in each of their lives… - but they each have to take a step of faith.

Naaman, a little girl, & a prophet… 2 Kings 5: Naaman was a commander of the Syrian army.. * great and honorable man of valor… * the LORD had blessed Naaman… - Naaman was a leper. The little captive girl from Israel… - a servant to Mrs. Naaman… -she tells them about a prophet who could heal him. Naaman tells the king, the king sends a letter… - Naaman goes with gifts of money… * to Elisha’s tent… * Elisha’s instructions… * Naaman become furious… * His servants challenged Naaman…

A blind man, Jesus & mud + spit… John 9:1-7 - a blind man was sitting by the road… * he had been blind since birth… - The disciples asked Jesus why he was blind… * was it because of sin??? * Jesus said, No! It was for God’s work… Jesus told them, “I am the Light of the World” * He then spit on ground & made a mud pack... * He took it and rubbed on the man’s eyes… * Go wash in the pool of Siloam… The Blind man went & washed & came back seeing

God, Jesus, the Bible, Faith & Me… God wants each one of us to: - Listen to Him, His Word & His Spirit… - Trust Him in our lives… - Read His Word: believe it & do it… - Accept Jesus as our LORD & Savior… - Pray each day and go to church… - Tell others about Jesus & God’s love for them… God wants us to have Mustard seed faith. - A Little Mustard Seed grows & produces.

Mustard Seed M USTARD A PLANT OF THE GENUS sinapis, a pod-bearing, shrub- like plant, growing wild, and also cultivated in gardens. The little round seeds were an emblem of any small insignificant object. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament; and in each of the three instances of its occurrence in the New Testament (Matt. 13:31, 32; Mark 4:31, 32; Luke 13:18, 19) it is spoken of only with reference to the smallness of its seed. The common mustard of Palestine is the Sinapis nigra. This garden herb sometimes grows to a considerable height, so as to be spoken of as “a tree” as compared with garden herbs.Matt. 13:3132Mark 4:3132Luke 13:1819

Leprosy This disease “begins with specks on the eyelids and on the palms, gradually spreading over the body, bleaching the hair white wherever they appear, crusting the affected parts with white scales, and causing terrible sores and swellings. From the skin the disease eats inward to the bones, rotting the whole body piecemeal.” “In Christ’s day no leper could live in a walled town, though he might in an open village. But wherever he was he was required to have his outer garment rent as a sign of deep grief, to go bareheaded, and to cover his beard with his mantle, as if in lamentation at his own virtual death. He had further to warn passers-by to keep away from him, by calling out, ‘Unclean! unclean!’ nor could he speak to any one, or receive or return a salutation, since in the East this involves an embrace.”

Sin / Leprosy That the disease was not contagious is evident from the regulations regarding it (Lev. 13:12, 13, 36; 2 Kings 5:1). Leprosy was “the outward and visible sign of the innermost spiritual corruption; a meet emblem in its small beginnings, its gradual spread, its internal disfigurement, its dissolution little by little of the whole body, of that which corrupts, degrades, and defiles man’s inner nature, and renders him unmeet to enter the presence of a pure and holy God” (Maclear’s Handbook O.T). Our Lord cured lepers (Matt. 8:2, 3; Mark 1:40-42). This divine power so manifested illustrates his gracious dealings with men in curing the leprosy of the soul the fatal taint of sin.Lev. 13: Kings 5:1Matt. 8:23Mark 1:40-42