Jesus-The Mighty Miracle Worker

JESUS-THE MIGHTY MIRACLE WORKER

Luke 13:11-13

I saw an old movie on TV last week called the Miracle Worker. It was the story of Ann Sullivan and her miracle work with Helen Keller.

It was a a great work, as some would say a great miracle. But in truth, the greatest miracle worker is Jesus Christ.

When he walked upon this earth, he performed 36 recorded miracles. I said recorded for He did many more.

What is a miracle? A little girl answered this question day in Sunday School. She said a miracle is something you can’t do but Jesus can.

I think in our days people have forgotten that Jesus is still a miracle worker. He can still save souls and change lives.

We see in this story that on the Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

I-NOTICE THE CRIPPLE THAT IS MENTIONED: 11

Luke 13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

A-We See Her Hindrance: 16

And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

Jesus said the woman hindrance was the devil who had bound her.

According to Romans 8:15, Jesus does not bind us but free us.

I wonder today how many people the devil has fooled and in doing so has bound them in shackles?

A man was out hunting and came across a large hole in the ground. Seizing a pole he thrust it into the hole. But, to his dismay, the ground under him suddenly caved in and, before he realized what had happened, he found himself in a den of hissing, squirming, biting snakes. He was unable to extricate himself from these fearful creatures or to combat them. He cried piteously, and his cries brought his companions. They threw him a

rope and he clung to it while they pulled him out, but he was badly bitten.

We should be careful how we tamper with sin and play around the devil’s dens.- William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

The Devil has many devices in his den to attract them and get them into bondage.

He binds people today with:

Alcohol-One of our young men gave me the following experience. He said, "An old gentleman and a young man, who was the driver, stopped at Ringgold, Georgia, to get a lunch. They asked for a certain type of beer. They were informed the proprietor did not have this brand; so they left the restaurant and went to another. They gave their order with the call for this same beer. On being informed that they did not have it, they left in a rage. The young man angrily said, "We will have it [calling the brand] if we have to go to hell to get it." They then drove rapidly away toward Atlanta. In making one of those curves their car collided with a beer truck loaded with the brand he had demanded, and there was a fearful wreck and crash. They were both instantly killed and buried in broken bottles of the beer the young man had demanded." William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

Drugs-Drugs are killing My Brother (article) by John’s 10-year-old brother. It used to be a happy world before drugs came into it. My brother John* learned to use alcohol and smokes at school, from his schoolmates and their parents. Those drugs made him depressed and sad, so he changed to speed. He can’t get his car licensed because he spends his money on drugs. John lies, too. We asked him about a mark on his arm and he said he scraped it on a car, but we found out it was from needles. John is skinny because the speed takes away his appetite. Speed has made his back teeth go rotten and black, too. He lost his job because he hit his boss when he was in a bad temper. His eyes look like Frankenstein’s eyes when he takes drugs. I wish John would not do drugs.

Material things-Some time ago a magazine article gave a dazzling account of a scuba diver who had recently discovered the treasures of a sunken Spanish galleon in just twenty feet of water off the balmy coast of Costa Rica. 11 million dollars worth of gold was waiting to be claimed. Day after day the scuba diver secretly brought up perfectly preserved gold pieces of-eight. Let me add to that story and say that even though we think such an occurrence would answer all of our problems for life, that riches often brings poverty instead. Just 10 years after this man discovered the Spanish galleon, he was brought to misery, disillusionment, broken relationships, and bitterness. Riches did not prove to be the answer.