INTRODUCTION
After our Deacon’s Mtg, and on the way home, I began to think about our Prayer Time and discussion
The Lord over the rest of the night began to really tug and speak to my heart.
In fact, this message has been being formed all throughout the week
It speaks to us as individuals
It speaks to us as a church
WHAT Has You TIED DOWN THIS MORNING – IN BONDAGE – WHAT IS YOUR INFIRMITY?
Our Passage: Luke 13:10-16
I. THE WOMAN’S INFIRMITY
READ VERSES 10-11
A. ‘crippled by a spirit’ - ‘spirit of infirmity’-NKJV
MSG – ‘twisted and bent over with arthritis’
LIT. = “disease, weakness, feebleness of body or wind, distraction of the mind or body, a distortion”
Notice the added word ‘Spirit’ - Also notice the phrase in vs. 16 “whom Satan has kept bound”
Application
- We can see that infirmities are caused by Satan.
Had Sin and Satan never entered the world – no infirmity – no pain, distortion (things of confusion), no distraction, no sickness, no misery, no financial nightmares, no divorce, no failure, no – no - no
- Anything that robs the joy as God intended we have
“I have come that you might joy and that you might have it to the fullest”
What is it today that has robbed you of the fullest joy that Christ intends you have? WHAT IS IT?
B. ‘for eighteen years’
- A long time
- Can you imagine having a condition – an infirmity – for 18yrs. Knowing it comes from Satan
- Forget the pain, but the embarrassment, humiliation
- But still notice where she was – AT CHURCH
- She wanted help.
C. ‘was bent over’
- We don’t realize how much our infirmity pulls us away from God
- She was bent over
- One translation ‘she could not look up’
- Sickness in that day was considered a Spirit of a Demon
- I find nothing in the Word that shows it to be something else. As long as we are in this world, there will be infirmities of every sort.
- We are to long to be home – our real home.
D. What is Your Infirmity
- What about your hold? How long has it been?
- Church – What is our hold and how long has it been?
We have been chained, hand cuffed, shackled, imprisoned & trapped
- UNDERSTAND YOUR INFIRMITY IS OF SATAN
- Pain, habit, divorce, failure in life, bitterness, drugs, alcohol, insecurity, - ETC ETC
- ANYTHING that pulls you from the Joy God intends you have through Jesus
- Listen to Paul’s distraction from the MSG Translation:
Romans 7:14-20 (MSG)
14 "I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?" Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison.
15 What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise.
16 So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.
17 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help!
18 I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it.
19 I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.
20 My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
- What keeps YOU distracted – allows Satan to keep you from seeking God’s Deliverance!
- Church – What is keeping you from seeking God’s Deliverance out of this infirmity?
TRANSITION:
- It is so sad how long some of us will go down the road of infirmity – the road satan tricked you to being on – knowing it is not right – but not able to let go.
- The Psalmist prayed:
Psalms 19:12-14 (NKJV)
12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.
13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
- this woman wanted to be free. Notice where she was! In the Synagogue
- It’s NOT a stretch to say that if you want to be free escaping from the prison of your life, THEN put yourself in the place where you will interact with God and God’s people. (so many times satan influences you to do just the opposite – THINK – “why would he do that? Why would he not want you in the house of God?”
Because that is where the CURE is!
II. THE CURE
READ VS 12-13
Vs. 12 in NKJV – “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."
Notice: 1- he called; 2- she came; 3- he touched; 4- she stood up praising God (she looked up!)
Can you see the sight? Can you hear Jesus – I don’t believe he said it as I read it! I believe it was:
‘WOMAN – YOU BE LOOSED’!
Let’s explore this a bit:
A. She Heard His words
- Don’t you know it is the desire of the Lord Jesus to set you free from this infirmity?
- Church, don you know the same….?
READ JOHN 8:34-36
VS 34 – ‘sins’ – present tense meaning - continues to be distracted – will become a slave to that infirmity.
Vs. 35-6 – Focus is out of place – miserable just as the life of a slave was (not knowing who was going to buy them)
The ONLY cure is JESUS – ‘if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed!’
IF THE ‘SON SETS YOU FREE – YOU WILL BE FREEEEEE INDEED’ [CAN YOU SAY HALLELUJAH!!!!!]
APPLICATION
- He saw her and called her – He knows your condition and is calling you
- So how long will you stand in misery?
- Paul says in READ II COR. 5:17
BE NEW THIS MORNING – GIVE IT UP
‘WOMAN – MAN – BE YE LOOSED’ (LOOK AT YOUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY ‘BE LOOSED’ [SHOW YOUR TEETH NOW]
III. THE PESSIMIST
There is always some who just are not willing to believe. There something wrong – don’t like the messenger – the conditions – the way – etc.
READ VS. 14
- This isn’t right – You didn’t follow the rules! Notice he doesn’t address Jesus but the crowds.
- The sad part is that there is always one who does so much damage.
- doubt, fear of letting go, insecurity, - SATAN –
- what about you: is there something not letting YOU let go? Are YOU the Pessimists today?
- If you are, I implore on you, ‘don’t bring down those that are ready to let the Lord set them free’!
- consider what Jesus says
READ 15-16
A. ‘daughter of Abraham’
Galatians 3:6-9 (NKJV)
6 just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed."
9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
- a CHILD of ABRAHAM, then, was a ‘CHILD OF FAITH’
So, should not this ‘daughter of Abraham’ this ‘daughter of faith’, this one who CHOSE to RECEIVE AND EXPERIENCE THE FREEDOM CHRIST OFFERS through the RELEASE OF HER INFIRMITY be SET FREE?
Should not YOU, ‘child of Abraham’ this one WHOM SATAN HAS BOUND FOR SO LONG, BE SET FREE FROM WHAT BOUND HER?
(use examples of individuals and church)
SUMMARY
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
- Strapped with Infirmities
- Standing to receive His Touch – His Freedom
- Remaining bound up – The Pessimist
TODAY – BE YE LOOSE – BE SET FREE!
1. Infirmities, Distractions, Pain, Disease, DEATH – are from Satan (make no mistake)
2. Infirmities will bound you, hold you, shackle you, rob you.
3. Infirmities can rob you for a long long time.
4. Turn to GOD and HIS PEOPLE for FREEDOM!
5. DON’t be a PESSIMISTS!
He Calls, You Come, He Touches, You Stand Up!
That habit, sin, failure, past hurt, fear, - LET IT GO
He can give you physical healing – It may not be today, or next week, - BUT HE WILL in HIS TIME.
He can give you emotional healing – let him touch you today.
NHBC, let’s be released today – just because we’ve been hurt in the past; just because some of our visitation didn’t work, just because this or that person left, IT DOESN’T MEAN GOD’S SPIRIT DOES NOT DESIRE THAT WE EXPLODE.
WE MUST REMEMBER, THAT “WE ARE HIS AMBASSADORS – WE ARE HIS REPRESENTATION”
YES, God will grow this church BUT WE MUST remember that WE ARE HIS HANDS.
Let our past infirmities GO this morning and LET’S GET BACK TO WORK.
ILLUSTRATION:
- I told you earlier I made a promise – No more Infirmity – I chose Freedom
- Charles Abercrombie is a man we’ve been praying for.
Bone Cancer – Spoke to him last week – God began to put him on my heart – Went to see
Wasn’t home – Left Card – Called and Left Message
Driving back into town – word – ‘hospital’ kept running through my mind!
- My trip to hospital.
Don’t tell me God doesn’t want to use us! BE YE LOOSE – The CHOICE IS YOURS
TODAY I’M ASKING YOU TO MAKE A STAND FOR ONE OR BOTH OF TWO REASONS:
1: If you have an infirmity and you want to be touched and prayed for today, I ASK YOU TO STAND.
2: If you are a NHBC member and are willing, with me, to say, ‘I let my part of the past disappointments of our church go – I release my infirmity – My distraction. I stand wanting the touch of God in order to be used of Him to grow the church.
In either way, I ask you – if anything is distracting you – I ask you to stand with me. Let’s get busy! NO MORE infirmity. No more entrapment – TODAY is a new day and I stand being a child of Abraham, a child of faith saying “God use me to do my part” – IN LIFE, IN MY WORK, IN MY FAMILY, IN MY CHURCH –
Teach me more of the FREEDOM THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO ME.
