Let us return to our major series on God’s Big Plan for You. Most recently, we completed the module on the “Gospel Cycle,” in which we showed how the Christian Reaper, operating under the Spirit of Faith, will go out and preach the gospel to the lost, and turn on six supernatural events in the life of the Reaper.
One of the supernatural events in the Gospel Cycle is the “Working of Miracles.” I want to take the next several weeks to talk about the Reapers performance of miracles, especially in healing the sick. We are going to Healing School to learn how to effectively heal the sick from all manner of diseases and illnesses. Our theme for this Healing School is taken from I Corinthians 6:13. “…The Body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the Body.” Healing the sick is the calling card of the gospel and salvation. Many times the Apostles first healed the sick, and it drew very large crowds of people, and then they proceeded to preach the gospel and multitudes of people who had seen the miracles believed in Jesus Christ and were saved. (Example Acts 5: 12-16)
I will start teaching on this theme next week, but today, I want us to focus on the mandate that Jesus has given to Reapers (every Christian) to heal the sick, as a part of the Great Commission. At Mark 16:15-20, Jesus commanded the Apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Every person who believes in the gospel message (Jesus and His finished works on the cross) shall be saved. In turn, Jesus said that several signs would follow believers in Him. One of the signs is that the believer will lay hands on the sick and they will get well. (Mark 15:17). Wow, what an awesome opportunity Christians have—to stretch forth their hands and touch those who are sick and heal them! In our country alone, there are literally millions upon millions of people who are suffering from chronic illnesses, infectious diseases and permanent disabilities. Sickness and disease causes a diminished quality of life, leads to premature death, high healthcare costs, and a lack of productivity in our economy.
Frequently, every Christian encounters someone among family, friends, neighbors or even strangers who have a serious or even life-threatening illness. In such instances, Jesus is waiting on the Christian to respond in accordance with His command, so He can work with the Christian to heal the sick. However, in most instances, Christians allow themselves to be overcome by the spirit of fear, which comes from the devil, and they fail to pray for and heal the sick. Instead, Christians just offer the sick person what amounts to a “Sympathy Card.” Saying things like: “I’m so sad to hear you are sick.” “What does the doctor say and how are they treating your illness?” “My family member had the same illness and lived for a while longer and died.” “I will keep you in my prayers, take care, and God bless you.” No, No, No! Jesus commanded that we lay our hands on the sick and they shall be healed.
Most Christians do not pray for the sick with the laying on of hands because they listen to the attacks of the devil reminding them of their past sins, and how unworthy they are to heal the sick. However, I want you to remember this truth, and never forget it: “GOD USES IMPERFECT PEOPLE PERFECTLY TO DO HIS WILL!” Abraham, the father of many nations is a perfect example that can be used to illustrate this truth. Because of our faith in Jesus Christ, we have been blessed with Abraham and his children. (Galatians 3: 6-9)
For many years, Abraham was far from perfect in his walk with God, and yet God blessed him mightily, and through his seed came Jesus Christ. In Genesis 12:1-3, God had told Abram (Abraham) to get out of his country, from his kindred and fathers house, and go into a land that God would show him. God promised to make him great, to bless and make him a blessing, to protect him from his enemies, and that through his seed the Savior of the world would come to bless all families of the earth. Abraham preached this good news to many people and left his country with his wife Sarah, Lot (Nephew), and a host of people to journey to the promised-land.
However, thereafter, Abraham sinned against God and men greatly. On two separate occasions, Abraham gave his beautiful wife Sarah to another man to have—once to a Pharaoh while in Egypt, and to a King named Abimelech. (Genesis 12: 9-20, 13:1-2, & 20:1-18) Abraham was so fearful that as they journeyed to foreign lands that the men would kill him if they knew Sarah was his wife—that he was willing to give her away. What a selfish, self-centered, and cowardly thing to do. Even though God had assured Abraham that he would protect Him from his enemies, he came up with his own plan of survival.
During these two events, God did not abandon Abraham. In the first instance, the Pharaoh favored Abraham with many live-stock and servants, and by the time he came out of Egypt he was very rich! (Genesis 13:1-2) Before the Pharaoh and King Abimelech could even touch Sarah, God intervened with great plagues on the Pharaoh’s house and appeared in dream to King Abimelech—making it clear to them that Sarah was married and the wife of Abraham.
Moreover, in the case of King Abimelech who dwelled in Gerar, God revealed to him that Abraham was a “prophet, and that he would pray for him, and he would live” if he released Sarah. But, if he did not the king would “surely die” and all that he had would too. (Genesis 20: 7) King Abimelech was afraid and confronted Abraham about his deception, and Abraham gave him a sorry excuse, saying that he thought “surely the fear of God was not in this place,” and that they would slay him for Sarah. (Genesis 20:11) But Abraham had already seen in the first encounter with the Pharaoh how God protected him, so there was no need for him to fear again. Then Abraham and Sarah told the truth to the king that they were married. King Abimelech in turn favored Abraham with more live-stock, servants, and silver, and returned Sarah to him. Abraham then prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife, and all within his household—and all of the families in the king’s domain conceived and bore children. (Genesis 20:17-18) This was the first recorded healing in the Bible. God used an imperfect Abraham perfectly to complete His will.
Notice that Abraham’s sins did not stop God from seeing to it that he prospered as he journeyed to the land of Canon. His sins did not disqualify him as a prophet of God, nor having the ability to pray to God and the King’s household being healed. Abraham was learning how to walk with and trust in God, just as we must do.
Just because the Christian Reaper may still have some practice of sin in their lives, does not preclude God from using them to heal the sick. Next week, we will go further to look at the disciples of Jesus Christ and their imperfect performances, and how God used them perfectly to fulfill His will. Additionally, we will answer the question why as Christians, God chooses to overlook our imperfections to work miracles.
Jan. 10, 2021
Sermon: Healing School: The Body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the Body.
Let us return to our major series on God’s Big Plan for You. Most recently, we completed the module on the “Gospel Cycle,” in which we showed how the Christian Reaper, operating under the Spirit of Faith, will go out and preach the gospel to the lost, and turn on six supernatural events in the life of the Reaper.
One of the supernatural events in the Gospel Cycle is the “Working of Miracles.” I want to take the next several weeks to talk about the Reapers performance of miracles, especially in healing the sick. We are going to Healing School to learn how to effectively heal the sick from all manner of diseases and illnesses. Our theme for this Healing School is taken from I Corinthians 6:13. “…The Body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the Body.” Healing the sick is the calling card of the gospel and salvation. Many times the Apostles first healed the sick, and it drew very large crowds of people, and then they proceeded to preach the gospel and multitudes of people who had seen the miracles believed in Jesus Christ and were saved. (Example Acts 5: 12-16)
I will start teaching on this theme next week, but today, I want us to focus on the mandate that Jesus has given to Reapers (every Christian) to heal the sick, as a part of the Great Commission. At Mark 16:15-20, Jesus commanded the Apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Every person who believes in the gospel message (Jesus and His finished works on the cross) shall be saved. In turn, Jesus said that several signs would follow believers in Him. One of the signs is that the believer will lay hands on the sick and they will get well. (Mark 15:17). Wow, what an awesome opportunity Christians have—to stretch forth their hands and touch those who are sick and heal them! In our country alone, there are literally millions upon millions of people who are suffering from chronic illnesses, infectious diseases and permanent disabilities. Sickness and disease causes a diminished quality of life, leads to premature death, high healthcare costs, and a lack of productivity in our economy.
Frequently, every Christian encounters someone among family, friends, neighbors or even strangers who have a serious or even life-threatening illness. In such instances, Jesus is waiting on the Christian to respond in accordance with His command, so He can work with the Christian to heal the sick. However, in most instances, Christians allow themselves to be overcome by the spirit of fear, which comes from the devil, and they fail to pray for and heal the sick. Instead, Christians just offer the sick person what amounts to a “Sympathy Card.” Saying things like: “I’m so sad to hear you are sick.” “What does the doctor say and how are they treating your illness?” “My family member had the same illness and lived for a while longer and died.” “I will keep you in my prayers, take care, and God bless you.” No, No, No! Jesus commanded that we lay our hands on the sick and they shall be healed.
Most Christians do not pray for the sick with the laying on of hands because they listen to the attacks of the devil reminding them of their past sins, and how unworthy they are to heal the sick. However, I want you to remember this truth, and never forget it: “GOD USES IMPERFECT PEOPLE PERFECTLY TO DO HIS WILL!” Abraham, the father of many nations is a perfect example that can be used to illustrate this truth. Because of our faith in Jesus Christ, we have been blessed with Abraham and his children. (Galatians 3: 6-9)
For many years, Abraham was far from perfect in his walk with God, and yet God blessed him mightily, and through his seed came Jesus Christ. In Genesis 12:1-3, God had told Abram (Abraham) to get out of his country, from his kindred and fathers house, and go into a land that God would show him. God promised to make him great, to bless and make him a blessing, to protect him from his enemies, and that through his seed the Savior of the world would come to bless all families of the earth. Abraham preached this good news to many people and left his country with his wife Sarah, Lot (Nephew), and a host of people to journey to the promised-land.
However, thereafter, Abraham sinned against God and men greatly. On two separate occasions, Abraham gave his beautiful wife Sarah to another man to have—once to a Pharaoh while in Egypt, and to a King named Abimelech. (Genesis 12: 9-20, 13:1-2, & 20:1-18) Abraham was so fearful that as they journeyed to foreign lands that the men would kill him if they knew Sarah was his wife—that he was willing to give her away. What a selfish, self-centered, and cowardly thing to do. Even though God had assured Abraham that he would protect Him from his enemies, he came up with his own plan of survival.
During these two events, God did not abandon Abraham. In the first instance, the Pharaoh favored Abraham with many live-stock and servants, and by the time he came out of Egypt he was very rich! (Genesis 13:1-2) Before the Pharaoh and King Abimelech could even touch Sarah, God intervened with great plagues on the Pharaoh’s house and appeared in dream to King Abimelech—making it clear to them that Sarah was married and the wife of Abraham.
Moreover, in the case of King Abimelech who dwelled in Gerar, God revealed to him that Abraham was a “prophet, and that he would pray for him, and he would live” if he released Sarah. But, if he did not the king would “surely die” and all that he had would too. (Genesis 20: 7) King Abimelech was afraid and confronted Abraham about his deception, and Abraham gave him a sorry excuse, saying that he thought “surely the fear of God was not in this place,” and that they would slay him for Sarah. (Genesis 20:11) But Abraham had already seen in the first encounter with the Pharaoh how God protected him, so there was no need for him to fear again. Then Abraham and Sarah told the truth to the king that they were married. King Abimelech in turn favored Abraham with more live-stock, servants, and silver, and returned Sarah to him. Abraham then prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife, and all within his household—and all of the families in the king’s domain conceived and bore children. (Genesis 20:17-18) This was the first recorded healing in the Bible. God used an imperfect Abraham perfectly to complete His will.
Notice that Abraham’s sins did not stop God from seeing to it that he prospered as he journeyed to the land of Canon. His sins did not disqualify him as a prophet of God, nor having the ability to pray to God and the King’s household being healed. Abraham was learning how to walk with and trust in God, just as we must do.
Just because the Christian Reaper may still have some practice of sin in their lives, does not preclude God from using them to heal the sick. Next week, we will go further to look at the disciples of Jesus Christ and their imperfect performances, and how God used them perfectly to fulfill His will. Additionally, we will answer the question why as Christians, God chooses to overlook our imperfections to work miracles.