Disease — Charles E. Fuller

Christian Heritage Ministry, in cooperation with Fuller Seminary, proudly presents the Old-Fashioned Revival, a broadcast of the Gospel with Dr. Charles Eagle.

Stand again and sing Heavenly Sunshine.

I don't know what would happen if we passed up this chorus, I'm afraid we'd get a flood of protest, but we'd love to sing it to you out in the radio audience. If you sing through the first time, turn around and shake hands with as many as possible.

All together.

Come on. Heavenly sunshine. Good morning, friends.

I heard your program today, the first time in several months, and it could never be expressed how I felt, for I needed it so much. I've heard it from all over the country, as I'm a Navy wife and I spend many lonely hours.

Right now, my husband is on an aircraft carrier out in Korean waters, where he has been for the past six months. Please pray for us that we might be together soon and may have a Christian home for our two small daughters.

Dear Reverend Fuller, we listen to you every Sunday night, from Grandma down to the children, and look forward to the songs, the music, and the sermons. Your program means much to us. We people who live in trailer houses and move frequently, as it is sometimes difficult for us to attend church, and we can always get your program.

From England, a man writes, interestingly,. Dear Dr. Fuller, thanks to your preaching and to the apparent sincerity of you and your wife and your son, I have been completely won over to the Lord, and I am with you, heart and soul.

I have heard many good preachers, all of whom have made me think, but your plea over the Luxembourg radio finally brought me to God. Believe me, sir, God has always mightily blessed me, and I never can repay him.

Will you please think of my 74-year-old mother, a keen listener to you and myself, for we both need your prayers. An elderly man writes from Texas,. Dear Mr. Fuller, I am a man almost 79 years old, and I surely do enjoy listening to the old-fashioned Revival Hour.

We lost our youngest son in World War II, and when his belongings were sent home, I was happy to find among the rest of his things a testament which he had received from you. I want to express my sincere appreciation and to tell you that this makes my heart very warm toward your ministry.

From a pastor of a Presbyterian church in the South,. Dear Dr. Fuller, please forgive me for waiting so long to write you my first letter. For a great many years I have heard the broadcast of the old-fashioned Revival Hour, and truly my soul has been fed and my spirit given drink in the midst of a dry and thirsty land of unbelief and liberalism.

Perhaps few people realize how much a Bible-believing pastor needs a pastor for his own heart, one who knows the word and gives it forth with sweetness and power. Thank God you have filled that need in my own life for many precious years.

The Lord bless and keep you, Mrs. Fuller and Dan, and the great choir, and multiply your gracious ministry till there is fulfilled in you the word of Paul to the Thessalonians. From you sounded out the word of the Lord in every place.

Dear Rev. Fuller, my testimony may be of an encouragement to you, for I was saved under your ministry while in high school. One Sunday night I knelt before the radio and accepted Christ. Since that time he has led through college, through medical school and Bible school.

The Lord willing, my wife and I, with our two children, will leave for Assam, India soon where we will take up work among lepers in a fairly large leper colony. God has used your ministry not only to bring me to himself, but to strengthen and encourage through these years of preparation.

I shall always be grateful for your ministry. We are told we can hear your program while in India. Well, indeed this program can be heard and is being heard in India. And this young man can find the day and the station by writing to the office.

And that is all I shall have time for today, friends.

I'm asking the quartet to sing the pearly white city. It's about heaven and we ought to learn a good deal about heaven. I know that everyone would like to have that hope of heaven. Well, you may have that hope through Christ.

Listen carefully as they sing this grand old song of the faith of pearly white city.

Pass me not, O gentle Savior.

Hear my humble cry while on others now are calling. Do not pass me by. I want everyone in the visible audience that's in Christ Jesus. Pray as you sing that this invitation number may strike into the hearts of those that are outside of Christ and that they be brought to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus.

Pass me not, O gentle Savior. Hear my humble cry while on others our calling. Do not pass me by. Two verses. Sing it out now. But.

Aaron, our son, Daniel Fuller, will lead us in prayer.

Oh, Father, we do thank you that thou art full of mercy and long suffering. And that thou dost hear each sinner when he cries unto thee in humble repentance. And we pray right now that during this program, many in America, North America and in Great Britain and other parts of the world may repent of their sins and believe on Jesus Christ as their Savior.

And Father, we, thy children across this vast radio network, come unto thee as one because we are one in the body of Christ. And today, Father, we pray not only for this program that many may be saved, but we also pray for thy truth as it is preached everywhere today.

Oh, we do pray that there may be a great ingathering, a mighty harvesting of souls. We pray especially for thy people who are in countries where the oppression of evil is felt so tremendously. We pray they may find resources and strength as they look up into thy face and trust in thee.

We pray also for those of the body of Christ who are behind the iron curtain. And we do pray that in these difficult times they may be given wisdom and that they may be able to win others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Heals the Leper in Mark 1

And so we pray today that many throughout this world may be added to the body of Christ. We ask it in his name and for his sake. Amen. Of God's word. And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

And Jesus, wooed with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was clean.

And he straightly charged him, and forthwith sent him away, and saith unto him, See that thou say nothing to any man, but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded for testimony unto them.

But he went out and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places. And they came to him from every quarter.

The Gospel as God’s Power Against Sin and Darkness

All through Mark we see the glorious gospel in dynamic action against the powers of darkness, against Satan and all of his hosts, and all of Satan's work. And we see the gospel of Jesus Christ in a head-on collision against the forces of evil, but always coming off victorious.

And truly the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes it. And my earnest prayer is that we open up this portion of God's word, the cleansing of the leper, that you may see your need, and in seeing your need, come to the one and only fountain of cleansing, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Last Lord's Day we spoke upon demons, Satan's cohorts, for demons are fallen angels under Satan's direction. Those fallen angels are ever seeking to be clothed upon with human flesh. Demons, however, are subject to the Lord, for Christ has all power in heaven and on earth.

Leprosy as a Picture of Sin and Death

He met demons in our message last Sunday. Today it's disease, and next Lord's Day, Lord willing, it'll be the last enemy called death. Now today in Mark 1, 40 to 45, Christ the great physician meets a poor, helpless, outcast, a leper, one held in the depths of a loathsome disease.

And here is a man under the curse and dominion of a terrible, dreadful disease called leprosy. Now leprosy is an internal blood disease. In its infant stages it is not easily detected. It is gradual in its development and is one of the most loathsome and offensive of malady.

Leprosy separates from friends and loved ones. Life and comeliness are gradually eaten away by this dreadful disease, until finally it is necessary for the leper to go to the abode of the lepers, where finally he passes from time to eternity.

Leprosy ends in a terrible death, and all this is a great Bible picture of inbred sin. Sin separates one from the Holy God, and since the wages of sin is death, and since all have sin, all men by nature therefore are separated from God, dead in trespasses and sin.

All men by nature are afflicted by the leprosy of sin. In some it's hard to detect, in others it's very obvious. Scarlet sinners cannot hide their sin, but before God all men have the leprosy of sin, and all men need to come to the fountain of cleansing, need to come to the great physician.

And so here in Mark, the first chapter in these few verses, we see the gospel of Christ again in action. The Lord Jesus meets a poor helpless leper, one who dwelled alone outside the city wall. Now we know very little about this leper, even his name is not mentioned.

And this leper no doubt spent much of his time in dreary solitude, or perhaps in begging, for he could not follow the ordinary pursuits of other men, nor earn his bread like other men. The disease of utter despair was upon him.

None could help him in his trouble until, until, the 40th verse, notice it, and there came a leper to him, until Jesus came his way. This is why we love to preach the glorious gospel. There is no lasting help nor complete healing until Jesus comes your way, sinner friend.

And as the leper of old was healed, so you now deep in your sin can be likewise cleansed and made a new creation in Christ Jesus. Every word of these few verses is filled with so much spiritual meaning.

The Leper Comes to Jesus in Faith

Let's meditate upon these words and be not only instructed, but be enriched. This leper, this hopeless outcast, thank God, came to Jesus. Oh how this sets the chords of one's heart, a heart vibrating with a beautiful heaven-sent harmony.

He came to Jesus. He did not come to any earthly organization, or the head of any earthly religious group, or any group, any place, but he came to the one and only person in heaven and in earth that could heal him, and that's God's beloved son.

Notice, and there came a leper to him. Bear in mind this, that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, and that faith without works is dead. Now previous to this account of the healing of the leper, we see in verse 28 these words, and immediately his fame spread about throughout all the region about Galilee.

Then dropping down to the 34th verse, and he healed many that were sick of diverse diseases, and cast out many demons, and suffered not the demons to speak because they knew him. Now here's the background.

No doubt word had come to this poor leper's heart that others had been healed by the great physician, that demons had been cast out, and this leper upon hearing said, I too can be healed, and this faith led him to a definite action.

There came a leper to him. Faith without works is dead. What good is it for me or anyone else to preach that you can be saved by the Lord Jesus through faith in him unless that faith leads you to action and you personally experience salvation and regeneration?

This leper knew in himself that his case was a terrible hopeless one, that he was looked upon as one is dead. While he lived, that his case was viewed beyond any known human health. Luke describes him as full of leprosy.

That is, he was in the final stages. His skin was so sore. His joints were rotting. His fingers, no doubt, were gone. His teeth and his hair were gone. And that soon, very soon, he must die. Yet he heard, he believed, and he came to Jesus.

Hope for Those Who Feel Too Sinful to Be Saved

No doubt there are many, or some at least, listening to this broadcast of the old-fashioned revival hour. Listening right now, you have said to yourself, I can never be saved. I'm too terrible a sinner.

I have broken every commandment, not once but hundreds of times. My sins are mountain high. I am too far gone. I want you to bear in mind that this leper, full of leprosy, too far gone in the natural, he came to Jesus and was cleansed.

And I send out the glad tidings to you who feel so far gone that there's no hope. There is hope if you'll do what the leper did and come to Jesus. And if you feel yourself to be one full of corruption and sin, and perhaps hardened and insensible in conscience, I say to you, come now.

Come unto Jesus for cleansing, for pardon, for forgiveness. For him that cometh, God says, I will need no wise. Cast out. Come at once. Come now. There's no time to lose. You may die in your sins and be a lost soul forever unless you come now.

Notice also, no one could or would take him to Jesus, that is, this leper. He was too foul to be touched. He was too far gone to be the subject of any hope. Well, notice, he came beseeching, that is, he was dead in earnest.

He sought God with his whole heart. I have good news for you. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. And no matter how dark or damnable your past or your present is, if you will come with an honest, open, believing heart, God says, I'll blot out your transgressions, put them behind my back, and I'll never remember them against you anymore forever.

Notice further his humility, kneeling down so much as to say, I'm not in any way worthy to be in thy presence, Lord. I have nothing to commend myself before thee. I am completely undone, an outcast, helpless, hopeless.

Then notice his plea, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Underline those three words, make me clean. And may that be the prayer of your heart. Make me clean. Not your neighbor, not your relatives, but make me a personal matter.

Christ’s Compassion and Mediatorial Work

Make me clean. And here it comes from an honest heart. And this leper, an outcast, full of leprosy, most hopeless of cases from the natural, says, Lord, make me clean. Now you notice verse 41,. And Jesus, I like this, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will be thou clean.

Jesus, notice it, not any earthly potentate or ruler, but Jesus, the sweetest name among all names, God's beloved son, moved with compassion, that is, moved with a great inward heart, affection, a divine characteristic, love for the unlovely, put forth his hand.

This great compassion led to action as it did on God's heart. Back before the foundation of the world, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

And while we were yet sinners, unlovely, full of leprosy, of sin, Christ died for us. And here in this case, led Christ to put forth his hand, the sinless one, God's beloved son, touching the sinless one, the sinful one.

And there you have a picture of his mediatorial work, bridging the gap between the holy, spotless, eternal God, touching the vile, the sinful, the lowest of humanity. We come up with these words that he's the one mediator between man and God, the man, Christ Jesus.

What a scene! If I know anything about the Bible, I believe this is true, that when Christ put out his hand to touch that man full of leprosy, that the angels in heaven stopped their singing, stopped their worship, and looked down upon that scene, down upon the Judean hills of God's son touching the lowest in humanity.

“I Will, Be Thou Clean”

Notice the words, I will, be thou clean. And I want to call it to your attention that Christ did not say, I will not. Search the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, and you will never find a soul honestly seeking God to be refused.

I have never heard of a case throughout history or in the scriptures where a soul has come to Christ seeking redemption and forgiveness and pardon of sins, and Christ has said to that soul, I will not.

I will. Be thou clean. And will you notice it? And here's the simplicity of the gospel. Verse 42, and as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. As soon as those words were spoken, that leprosy departed from this man, and he was cleansed.

Now will you notice the simplicity of the gospel? First the plea, make me clean. Christ answered, be thou clean. And then the conclusion, he was cleansed. And I talk to you right from the bottom of my heart now.

Listen to me carefully. On the authority of God's word, if you will come right now in faith, believing, and pray this sinner's prayer, God be merciful to me, a sinner, and save me for Christ. Make me clean.

The answer from heaven will be heard instantly, and God will say, I will. Be thou cleansed. And you too, like the leper of old, will become a new creation in Christ Jesus, passing from death unto life instantly.

Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, and though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. God laid this simple gospel message on my heart today.

Perhaps there's some out in the farms, out in the mountains, that have never heard the gospel message before. I pray with you right now that you'll pray the leper's prayer, make me clean, and hear God say, I will.

The Final Call to Repentance and Faith

Be thou clean, and then have thee a witness in your heart that you are cleansed, passing from death unto life. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Listen to me carefully. God's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repent.

And if the leper of old, coming to Jesus by faith, was cleansed, there's hope for you. And I say to you out in the radio audience, or perhaps in this splendid visible audience here today, God knows your heart.

And some of you may be so deep down in sin, you're saying to yourself, there's no hope, there is hope. And I say to you now, if it's the last thing you ever hear me say, come now, come now, I'll cleanse you and make you as white as snow.

Take God at his word, and kneel in his presence, and look up into the Father's face through Christ, and thank him for receiving you. For as I said a moment ago, him that cometh unto me, God said, I'll in no wise cast out.

There's hope. And this is the glorious, glad-tiding, the gospel of Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believe it. This is Charles E. Fuller bidding you goodbye, and God's richest blessing upon you.