The Healing Touch Series

Actual sentences found in patients’ hospital charts

1. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.

2. When she fainted, her eyes rolled around the room.

3. Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.

4. (after knee surgery) On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.

5. She is numb from her toes down.

6. Patient suffers from occasional, constant infrequent headaches.

7. Patient was alert and unresponsive.

8. The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stock broker instead.

9. The patient refused autopsy.

10. Discharge status: Alive but without my permission.

APPLY: These humorous mistakes just go to show that Doctors and Nurses are human too. They make mistakes on hospital charts and they make mistakes (occasionally) with things that are more serious.

Everything from

* Ordering the wrong prescriptions or

* Dispensing the wrong medications

* To making the wrong diagnosis

* And perating on the wrong leg in surgery

It doesn’t happen often… but it does happen. And it only proves that Doctors and Nurses aren’t gods. They’re NOT infallible. And as much as they want to heal everyone that comes in their doors, it isn’t always going to happen!!!

I. Now, things were different in the days of Peter

When Peter was around everybody got healed.

There were no mistakes… there was no human error.

Whenever Peter came to town there was always a healing.

In Acts 4, we’re told “… a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us!’

… Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.” (Acts 3:2-4/ 6-8)

Later, Acts 5:15-16 we’re told that “… people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.”

AND NOW, here in Acts 9, Peter heals one person and raises another from the dead… not a bad day’s work.

In fact - as a result of this display of God’s power, we find that: “All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw (the healed paralytic) and turned to the Lord.” Acts 9:35

AND “…all over Joppa… many people believed in the Lord.” Acts 9:42

II. Wouldn’t it be great if there men like Peter around today? Men who could just pass by – and their shadow would bring you healing. Men who speak a word and you could be cured of any disease in your body

Men who could visit a funeral home and raise the dead from the casket.

Now, there are men (in our society) who claim to have abilities like that. They’re called “faith healers” AND they have huge followings.

They’ll have enormous revival meetings and there will be a whole line of sick people up on stage.

The Revivalist will give a mighty shout.

He’ll thump on the head … and they’ll fall down

It’s called being “slain in the spirit”

NOW… I’m not real excited about “faith healers”

I’ve seen how they conduct their meetings… and I’m greatly suspicious about their claims.

I’ve noticed their approach is dramatically different than Peter’s was.

Think about it…

· Peter didn’t wait for the sick to seek him out – he went to them.

Acts 9:32-33 tell us “As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years."

Peter WENT to the local church, and finding there a man who was a paralytic, Peter healed him.

· And there was no need for an audience to observe his methods. When Peter raised Tabitha from the dead Acts 9:40 tell us that he sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed.

ILLUS: One person noted, of the 37 accounts of healing in the Gospels and in the book of Acts,