WORLD LEPROSY DAY 2014 SERMON NOTES
THEME: LIFE IN ALL ITS FULLNESS.
Introduction
Jesus offers us life in all its fullness
In John’s Gospel chapter 10, we read:
7Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The Leprosy Mission hasa mission statement that reflects this scripture.
It reads:
Following Jesus Christ, The Leprosy Mission strives to break the chains of leprosy, empowering people to attain healing, dignity and life in all its fullness.
Our Core Values, Compassion, Justice, Integrity, Inclusion and Humility are the measures we have put in place to remind us of our calling and keep us on mission.
There is a heart desire to enable all people suffering from leprosy and its consequences to have real choices in life: purpose, relationships, dignity, value, empowerment and lives transformed.
But for words to become a reality there needs to be a desire, a commitment, a determination and asteadfastness.
A breakthrough from mere words, as powerful as might be, into action.
We see this right in the heart of God’s kingdom principles:
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1 v14).
In Jesus, the Word became flesh to offer us new life, life in all its fullness.
Therefore we humbly acknowledge the need of the grace of ourLord Jesus Christ,the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to achieve that which has been put on hearts from the beginning of the Mission 140 years ago right up to today.
Life in all its fullness - what’s it all about?
What does this mean to us, how do we view or understand life in all its fullness, how do we receive it?
And what does it mean to people with leprosy, like a young man named Mohammad,who we will hear about,living on the very edge of society, feeling unloved, uncared for, unwanted and forgotten.
What does it mean to them?
Life in all its fullness – love demonstrated
To us, here in the gospel of John, is some good, good news.
On offer from Jesus is life in all its fullness; he gave up his own life for us to enter in to it, toexperience it.
The world cannot give this, it seeks to offer cheap imitation, distractions and to fill up our life with‘vain things’, robbing us, killing our hopes and dreams and seeking to destroy all that a loving God would have for His children.
On offer here from Jesus is peace, contentment, fulfilment, joy and a love than can satisfy the deepest hunger and the deepest thirst.A love that gives hope and a future, a life plan that will prosper us and not harm us and a life empowered by the Holy Spirit.
John’s gospel tells us that Jesusisthe Good Shepherd, one who is different from all others. One who is faithful, one who is true andone who is utterly dependable. One who offers absolute security.One who is the gate through which we can ‘come in’ to the presence of a holy God and be confident that we are sent to ‘go out’ with His blessing and authority into a world that needs to hear that there is a Father who loves them.
One who laid down His life for His sheep.
Because He is our Good Shepherd we can be assured by the truththat; ‘Surely your goodness and love will follow meall the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lordforever’ Psalm 23.
This speaks of life to the full, abundant life, on offer to us through the gospel of Christ.
It’s all about LOVE.
Life in all its fullness – love to be proclaimed
This gospel, this good news, this assurance, this fullness of life message is surely too good to keep to ourselves; this is not a story to be mothballed, buried, hidden or ashamed of.
This is love in action, love on the move,‘love divine all loves excelling’and all this empowered and gifted to us by God: ‘And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.’
(Romans 5 v 5).
The love of God - this needsproclaiming!
Life in all its fullness – love in action
This fullness of life needs to be embraced, received and livedout by us, taking up the authority and the responsibility that goes with it. Jesus has promised to be with us, to give us his authority and to empower us.
We need to demonstrate this love bysupporting the disadvantaged, liberating those captives of physical, spiritual and emotional bonds, and loving one another and our communities.
In Matthew 10 we see how Jesus gathered the twelve disciples and gave them the order to ‘go’ and fulfil the great commission:
1 ‘He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.’
7 ‘As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.’
The mandate was clear they were to ‘go’, the mandate was clear ‘as they had been given they were to give’, the mandate was clear ‘as they had had the Kingdom of heaven revealed to them they were to share it with those who needed to receive and through the goodness and grace of God they were given power and authority to fulfil the task’.
Life in all its fullness – it’s about receiving and giving!
We again see God’s Kingdom principles at work in Luke 6 v 38
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
And again in Isaiah 58 10-11
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Life in all its fullness – too good to keep to ourselves!
This life in all its fullness is too good to keep to ourselves; this is worth laying down our lives for.
This is not only about you or me;this is about Jesus, His kingdom values, his heart for the poor and His heart for the lost.
Life in all its fullness – for this young man?
What does life in all its fullness mean to people living with leprosy and its consequences, like a young man named Mohammad living on the very edge of society.
What does it mean to them?
Mother Theresa famously said: “Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody; I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.”
Here is his story.
Mohammad Shahnawaz is 17 years old. He came to The Leprosy Mission’s attention a year ago, a shell of his former self. Leprosy had caused the fingers on both of his hands to ‘claw’ andhis feet to drag on the ground. The disease has paralysed muscles in his face and hecan no longer close his eyes. He is constantly bothered by the dirt and dust of the Delhistreets getting in his eyes. He is at risk of blindness.
Staff at The Leprosy Mission’s Shahdara Hospital treatedhimwith compassion and he has undergone reconstructive surgery in both hands meaning he can grip a pen again. He has had surgery on his left foot so that it no longer drags on the ground. He is awaiting similar surgery on his right leg as well as sight-saving surgery to both eyes.
Coming from a small village in Bihar, Mohammad’s parents travelled hundreds of miles to take him to Shahdara Hospital for treatment. On arrival he felt the future held little opportunity for him. But having spent time with severely disabled leprosy patients whose injuries are beyond being corrected by surgery, he now sees a glimmer of hope.
Mohammad is daring to believe that he has a future,he is motivated to earn a living for himself and wants to be self-sufficient. If he returns to his home village where his father works as a rickshaw driver he will have limited opportunities. He will face rejection because he has had leprosy.
However, it is Mohammad’s plan to live in Delhi and start a new life. He is determined to experience all that life has on offer.
But he needs your help.
With help from donors like you, Mohammad could finish his education at The Leprosy Mission’ vocational training centre in Faizabad and receive job training.
There are young people like Mohammad who need help before it is too late.
Conclusion
Life in all its fullness – it’s not all about you and me
Mother Theresa once said: “At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.
We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”
Life in all its fullness – it’s all about Jesus
Whilst it’s not all about you and me, it is for you and me.
Whilst it’s not all about Mohammad, it is for him.
This is made possible by the grace of God through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Will you reach out today to the Father who loved you so much that he gave His only son for you and receive life in all its fullness?
Will you help Mohammad and wonderful people like him to grasp the hope of life in all its fullness.
Life in all its fullness is not just a matter of words; it is the Father’s desire for us.
It can be a reality. God’s word says so. For it says in Ephesians 3: 20-21.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
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