The Healing Word Of God Series

As we continue in our series on Dynamic Disciples and Dynamic Discipleship our focus this month has been on The Word of God.

When I preached here earlier this month we considered the verse from Matthew 4:4 People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (See http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/hindrances-to-god8217s-word-dean-courtier-sermon-on-discipleship-202744.asp)

I encouraged each of us to not allow anything to hinder us in Hearing the word of God, Reading the Word of God or Studying the Word of God.

I also encouraged each of us to Memorise parts of the Word of God to encourage us and build our faith.

The Word of God can lead us, guide us, comfort us, change us and transform us.

This morning on this Healing and Wholeness Sunday, we are going to consider together the truth that it is the Word of God that heals us and saves us.

Why do we have a specific day dedicated to Healing and Wholeness?

In many ways today is no different from any other day and perhaps that is where the problem is...

Our Sundays can feel so routine - our expectation is the same - being church together is something we can do on auto-pilot.

Be honest, when your alarm clock went off this morning, were your expectations of today the same as every other Sunday?

Or did you rush out of bed with an expectancy that God would do something special today?

We know God is the same yesterday, today and forever - but we specifically set aside the fifth Sunday of the month as Healing and Wholeness Sunday so that we can be reminded that God is still God and He is able to perform miracles today.

God can bring healing and wholeness to your life today.

God can change your circumstances today.

God can work a miracle in your life right now.

To focus our thoughts and expectations this morning let’s consider God’s Word together.

Listen as I read Psalm 107 from The Message Paraphrase.

Psalm 107 The Message (MSG)

107 1-3 Oh, thank God—He’s so good!

His love never runs out.

All of you set free by God, tell the world!

Tell how He freed you from oppression,

Then rounded you up from all over the place,

from the four winds, from the seven seas.

4-9 Some of you wandered for years in the desert,

looking but not finding a good place to live,

Half-starved and parched with thirst,

staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion.

Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God.

He got you out in the nick of time;

He put your feet on a wonderful road

that took you straight to a good place to live.

So thank God for His marvelous love,

for His miracle mercy to the children He loves.

He poured great streams of water down parched throats;

the starved and hungry got plenty to eat.

10-16 Some of you were locked in a dark cell,

cruelly confined behind bars,

Punished for defying God’s Word,

for turning your back on the High God’s counsel—

A hard sentence, and your hearts so heavy,

and not a soul in sight to help.

Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;

He got you out in the nick of time.

He led you out of your dark, dark cell,

broke open the jail and led you out.

So thank God for His marvelous love,

for His miracle mercy to the children He loves;

He shattered the heavy jailhouse doors,

He snapped the prison bars like matchsticks!

17-22 Some of you were sick because you’d lived a bad life,

your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;

You couldn’t stand the sight of food,

so miserable you thought you’d be better off dead.

Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;

He got you out in the nick of time.

He spoke the word that healed you,

that pulled you back from the brink of death.

So thank God for His marvelous love,

for His miracle mercy to the children He loves;

Offer thanksgiving sacrifices,

tell the world what He’s done—sing it out!

23-32 Some of you set sail in big ships;

you put to sea to do business in faraway ports.

Out at sea you saw God in action,

saw His breathtaking ways with the ocean:

With a word He called up the wind—

an ocean storm, towering waves!

You shot high in the sky, then the bottom dropped out;

your hearts were stuck in your throats.

You were spun like a top, you reeled like a drunk,

you didn’t know which end was up.

Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;

He got you out in the nick of time.