HEALING SCHOOL #2: 15 REASONS WHY PEOPLE DON’T GET HEALED
OPENING QUOTE: “It is abnormal for a Christian not to have an appetite for the impossible. It has been written into our spiritual DNA to hunger for the impossibilities around us to bow at the name of Jesus.” (Bill Johnson, When Heaven Invades Earth).
THE BIG IDEA: We are going to take a look at some of the reasons why people don’t receive their healing from the Lord. As we look at these obstacles, and do whatever we can to overcome them, we will open the door to experience more healing in our lives.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17).
1. UNBELIEF:
“And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:14-20).
• Sometimes we don’t get healed because we don’t believe God’s promise of healing.
• This is why it’s important to feed on God’s Word, and read books and listen to audio sermons that will strengthen our faith!
2. UNFORGIVENESS:
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your sins. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your sins.” (Mark 11:24-26).
• Sometimes we don’t get healed because of unforgiveness in the heart.
3. UNCONFESSED SIN:
“Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16).
“Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." … Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (John 5:5-8,14).
• Sometimes we don’t get healed because of unconfessed sin in our lives.
4. PRIDE:
“Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper… And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean." But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to myself, ’He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:1,10-11).
• Sometimes we don’t get healed because of pride.
5. RELIGIOUS SPIRIT AND ATTITUDES:
“Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.” (Matthew 16:1).
The scribes and Pharisees were “lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.” (Luke 11:54).
• Sometimes we don’t get healed because we are asking for a healing for the wrong reasons, or because of critical and judgmental attitudes.
6. DEMONS:
“Then Jesus called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.” (Luke 9:1).
• Demons not only cause sickness, but they also hinder healing today. Sometimes it is not a matter of praying for healing, but casting out devils.
• Spirit of Infirmity - Luke 13:10-11
• Spirit of Epilepsy - Matt 17:14-15
• Spirit of Depression (Heaviness) - Isaiah 61:3
• Deaf and Dumb (Mute) Spirit - Mark 9:25
• Spirit of Blindness - Matt. 12:22
• Sickness is Demonic Oppression - Acts 10:38
7. A GENERATIONAL CURSE:
“You shall not bow down to idols nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the sins of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.” (Exodus 20:5).
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.” (Galatians 3:13).
• Sometimes we don’t get healed because we need to break a generational curse.
8. LACK OF PERSEVERANCE:
“And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ’Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within and say, ’Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.” (Luke 11:5-8).
“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1).
• Sometimes we don’t get healed because we don’t persevere in prayer.
• We need to P.U.S.H. in our prayers – Pray Until Something Happens!
9. LACK OF HONOUR TOWARDS LEADERS:
“Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country…" Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.” (Mark 6:1-5).
• Sometimes we don’t get healed because we don’t honour those God sends to us.
10. NEGLECTING NATURAL MEANS:
“Then Isaiah said (to Hezekiah), "Take a lump of figs." So they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.” (2 Kings 20:7).
• Sometimes we don’t get healed because we don’t take care of our bodies.
• God requires us to use wisdom (nutrition, diet, vitamins and exercise).
• God will use doctors and natural medicine, too.
11. A BROKEN SPIRIT:
“A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.” (Prov. 17:22)
“The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?” (Prov. 18:14).
• Sometimes we don’t get healed because of trauma and wounds from the past.
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted… To comfort all who mourn… To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” (Isaiah 61:1-3).
• Sometimes we need to receive emotional healing before physical healing.
12. IGNORANCE OF GOD’S WORD:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6).
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17).
• Sometimes we don’t receive God’s blessings because we don’t know what our inheritance is!
13. NO EXPECTATION:
“Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.” (Acts 3:1-7).
• Sometimes we don’t get healed because we don’t expect to receive anything from God.
• “You do not have because you do not ask.” (James 4:2).
14. LACK OF PRAYER AND FASTING:
“However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21).
“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 58:6,8).
• Sometimes we don’t get healed because we haven’t aggressively sought God in prayer and fasting.
15. THE MYSTERY OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD:
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever.” (Deuteronomy 29:29).
• Sometimes there is no answer to the question of why we didn’t receive our healing.
• Then our response must be, as Job’s was: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21).
• QUOTE: “God can’t always be explained, but He can always be exalted.” (Pastor Dave Koop).
• Our job is to pray for the sick – God’s job is to heal the sick.
CLOSING: Prayer for the sick.
For more sermon outlines or audio sermons, visit:
www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
