Enjoying Good Health Series

INTRO.- ILL.- When a physician remarked on a new patient’s extraordinarily ruddy complexion, he said, "High blood pressure, Doc. It comes from my family."

"Your mother’s side or your father’s?" I asked. "Neither," he replied. "It’s from my wife’s family."

"Oh, come now," I said. "How could your wife’s family give you high blood pressure?" He sighed. "You oughta meet ’em sometime, Doc!"

ILL.- The doctor took his patient into his office and said, "I have some good news and some bad news." The patient said, "Give me the good news." The doctor said, "They’re going to name a disease after you."

Acquiring good health is big priority with most people.

ILL.- I saw an online CNN survey on January 2, 2010: “What is the focus of your New Year’s resolution?” Family. Health. Work/$$$. Other. None. Guess?

37% Health

25% Work/$$$

16% None

15% Family

7% Other

Health was the number one focus for 2010. I thought it might be work and/or finances, but it wasn’t. And, of course, you can’t work and make money if your health isn’t good.

ILL.- Recently, my preacher friend Bob Stacy in Middletown, OH, wrote me about all the illness he’s seen in his church, etc. Here is what he wrote: “You know, Steve, there are more suffering people today than I’ve ever seen in my 55+ years in ministry. It may be that people are living longer, but many of these for whom I request prayer are not really old people. I think our lifestyle, our eating habits, et cetera contribute a great deal to our downward health trend in this country. And I really wonder about medications, too. It seems the more medications that medical science comes up with, the more debilitating illnesses increase. I may be wrong and certainly have no proof, but I just wonder!”

I wonder too, however, the important thing is that we must learn to take care of ourselves as best we can if we want to be able to serve the Lord. And this is why we are. And this is why Bob Stacy at age 75 is still preaching in a fairly large church and doing a good job. God has blessed him with good health. Bob told me that he’s only been in the hospital one time in his entire life. That’s a pretty good record.

ILL.- Many of you may well remember one of my college professors, Don DeWelt. Don passed away in June, 1991, ago at the age of 72. I saw Chris (his son) last year and for some reason (why? I don’t know) he said, “You know that dad never took care of himself.”

Why should we take care of ourselves? Because our bodies belong to the Lord.

PROP.- Consider the secret to good health and soul prosperity.

1- Minister to one another

2- Be faithful to God’s truth

3- Demonstrate love to all

I. MINISTER TO ONE ANOTHER

2Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

I do that for you too, just as John prayed for them. What is this? It’s called ministering to one another in prayer. And it could well be that the greatest thing that we do for one another is to pray for one another.

Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

With all kinds of prayers and requests. Any kind. For anything. We should pray for good health and healing for people. WE SHOULD ALWAYS PRAY FOR OTHERS!

ILL.- I’ve got a friend whose daughter and step-daughter have been put in jail for fooling around with Meth. They’ve both been in rehab before and may go back unless something worse happens. THEY NEED PRAYER!

Colossians 4:2-4 “2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.”

James 5:13-16 “13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”