Jesus, Well-Maker

on Matthew 8:1-13... 
Jesus heals a man with leprosy...
Jesus heals a centurion's servant from afar

• Teaching section of Matthew (chapters 5, 6, and 7, the Sermon on the Mount) comes to end, what happens after teaching? LIVING.

• Jesus heals a man with leprosy... an outsider.

What is leprosy, more importantly what are effects?
   various skin diseases, caused leper to exist outside society. 

No normal life. Shout “unclean” from a distance.

Can you imagine a condition that cut you off?
   AIDS. Ostracized from society.

As Jesus makes the man well, he bears the consequences of the man’s condition.

• Jesus heals a centurion's servant... an outsider.

• Good news: Jesus is capable healer (write it down)

• Not-so-good-news (for insiders): healings for Gentiles (outsiders)... healings for outsiders who are active and have faith.

Aside: Would you rather have a “yesman” son who actually does nothing, or a son who's an outsider who does good work?

• Many of us are Christians... Many of us know not only the stories but the goodness. It's good to worship, good to enjoy fellowship, but it can't stop there... Jesus restored health & LIFE to church outsiders.

Why are we here? To make disciples... to save lives. To introduce broken lives to saving power of JC. Disciples bring people to Jesus.

Share the love of God with people in a hurting world...

Make disciples of JC for the transformation of the world.

TRANSFORMATION. Are we doing it?

What does transformation mean?

We do community when we interact with others...

• Interact through worship, song, commuion...

• Communion saying I love you. Some people don't hear that much.