From Sickness, To Service! (Hix)

Matthew 8:14-17-Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever.

So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.

When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”

The Pharisees used to get up, and they said the same thing every morning. "I thank Thee that I am not slave, a Gentile, or a woman."

In Matthew chapter 8 Jesus is going to heal leaper (Someone Unclean), talk to a Gentile (Centurion) and answer he request to heal his servant (Slave), then if that wasn’t bad enough, He is going to heal a woman!

Whenever people try to put God in a box, He destroys the box, He eliminates that box,

He can not and He will not be confined to what we limit Him to be!

He will not be limited to who He can help, or the ways He can help!

He doesn’t always answer prayer like we think He should!

He doesn’t always heal in the ways we think He should!

But we are not in control are we? He is!!

People try to limit Him, but He is a limitless God!

People try to control Him, but He’s uncontrollable!

He does what He wants, when He wants!!!

The sooner you come to grips with that, the better off you are going to be!!

Verse 14-He Saw-Aren’t you glad Jesus sees?

He sees are affections! He sees our needs! He sees our despair! He sees our times of discouragement! He sees us in our loneliness!

He sees us in our times of trouble!

So when you are feeling like nobody cares, and you feel like nobody sees you struggling!

Know this: Jesus Sees! His eye is upon the sparrow and I know He watches me!

Verse 15-He Touched Her Hand

Bore-penetrate: to penetrate into the inner or hidden parts of somebody or something

God is not some standoffish God, He gets right in the middle of our lives, if we allow Him to!

He Touched Her Hand-He reached out to her!

How many of you sitting here today has God reached out too!! Everyone one of you!!

“Oh, no, I search for Him, I reached out for Him!” “But, who gave you sense to reach out to Him?” HE DID!

Verse 15-Fever Left Her

When Jesus touches us something always wonderful happens!

Did you notice that she didn’t get healed till Jesus was invited into the house!

(Even with Peter living in the house, a man that one day just his shadow would heal people, No matter who we are, we still need Jesus to touch our family)

We need to invite Jesus into our house so healing can happen!

It maybe relationships that need healing, it maybe old wounds (Like past words or actions) that need to be healed!

Verse 15-And She Arose And Served Them

Immediately as soon as the fever left, she started to serve!

She didn’t wait till she got a degree!

She didn’t wait till she was even asked to serve, she just got up and served!

Some people are waiting to be asked to do something for God, are they are waiting on a title before they do something for the Lord!

Some people are waiting so that others can see them, before they start doing something for the Lord!

Has God healed you? Has God forgiven you? Has God saved you?

Has God healed a love one?

Then why aren’t you serving Him?

Oh, you waiting till you know more, till you can do more!

She got up and fixed them a meal or lest served them the meal, she didn’t preach a sermon, or sing a song, play instrument, she did what she knew to do and it honored God!

Your service to the Lord might be cooking, or cleaning, or serving, mowing, cleaning flowerbeds, visiting at the nursing home or hospital…but God wants you to serve Him right where you are!!

There are a lot of people who God has healed, and they are not serving Him!

Shame on them! Please don’t let that be you!