Monday, November 3, 2014

 "What's Your Ugly?" Was the title of the message I preached last night to my home church and wow have I been challenged by it, so I wanted to share it here to. 

Mark 3:1-6, NASB: He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" And He said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him. 

This man had a withered hand and it was something ugly compared to the world but Jesus had plans to restore him. Here are four points I took from this text:

1. He, Jesus, Challenged Culture, He Challenged the Norm
2. He Confronted the Ugliness, With a Command
3. He Made the Ugliness Beautiful 
4. People Talked

As Jesus challenged the culture, you and I must challenge our culture or our norm and let the veil down of pride and self esteem or perhaps call sin what it is and and confront the ugly things in our life. When we give our ugliness to Jesus as this man did He will restore us and make us whole; and lastly people talk. Instead of them talking about the ugly things in our life that we try to keep covered up, allow them to talk about the goodness of God and how He alone can restore even the ugliness of people. 

Be blessed! 

--Josh--

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