Introduction: In 2009, Pastor Matt Chandler of the Village Church in Dallas was diagnosed with brain cancer. At the time of his diagnosis, this young pastor was not even forty years of age, a husband and the father of young children. He was given months to live.
Chandler is still alive today. He still serves as pastor, is now an author, and his church is reaching thousands of people weekly. In an interview, Chandler said he felt, in those initial meetings with doctors, like he was punched in his soul. He said when it seemed like things were spinning out of control, his theology and the Holy Spirit were there to remind him that:
“He is good and He does good—to remind
me that God has a plan for His glory and my
joy that He is working. I was reminded that
this cancer wasn’t punitive but somehow
redemptive (Romans 8).”
Pastor Matt had to come to the holy place of realizing that God was not punishing him, but was going to use this disease to bring Himself glory.
T.S.: By no means am I an authority on the subject I am going to preach on today nor do I have a corner on the truth about it. At the same time, I do not want to ignore it. I want to speak to you today on the subject,
“Why Christians Get Sick.”
Have you ever wondered why Christians get sick? I promise you today, there are people who are struggling in hospitals, emergency rooms, hospice centers, rehabilitation centers, recovery units, oncology clinics, homes and in churches today, wondering, “Why do I have this disease? Why me? What did I do wrong? Where do I go from here? Will God heal me?” All of those questions and more are legitimate. No one needs to be scolded or ridiculed for asking these questions.
Let’s look at what God’s Word says today about Christians being sick.
Exodus 15:26, “For I am the Lord who heals you.”
Psalm 103:3, “He forgives all your sin; He heals all
your diseases.”
Isaiah 53:4, “Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses and carried our pains…”
*Sicknesses: Diseases, afflictions, addictions, abuses, sadness, problems.
*Jesus lifted them up, carried them off, He bore them,
and He took them away.
“Isaiah 53:5, “But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities, punishment for our peace was upon Him, and we are healed by His wounds.”
*Brief insight: I will come back to it in a moment, but sickness entered the world because of sin. Jesus died for all sin. While God can heal physically whom He desires, ultimately in heaven for those who are Christ-followers, all sickness will be healed and we will all be made completely healthy.
Hebrew word: “Rapha” which means, “to heal, to make healthy, physician.”
Now for another Hebrew word used for healing . . .
Malachi 4:2, “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.”
*Prophetic word about what will happen when the Sun of righteousness comes: Referring to the first coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of the world.
*Jesus drives all darkness away, including the darkness of disease, becoming the medicine, the cure, the one who makes people whole, pulling them out of their sickness,
and giving them great energy to spring about physically like a calf released from the stall.
*Jesus alone is able to restore people to health.
Hebrew word: “marpe,” which means to “bring healing, a cure, to restore, and bring health.”
Acts 28:8-9, “It happened that Publius’ father was in bed suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, and praying and laying his hands on him, he healed him. After this, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.”
*Dysentery—an infection of the intestines marked by severe diarrhea.
Greek word in v. 8: “iaomai,” which means to “to cure, to heal, to make whole.”
Insight: This word indicates supernatural, instantaneous healing.
*Same word used in Acts 3 for the lame man being healed instantaneously; Matthew 15 when the lady’s daughter was healed by Jesus instantaneously, and in Luke 4 when Jesus stated that one of the reasons he had come was to heal the brokenhearted and hurting and did so, instantaneously.
*Therefore, when Dr. Luke, a physician who traveled with Paul and also authored the book of Acts that records this story, used the word “iaomai,” he was referring to Paul who instantaneously, supernaturally, through God’s power healed Publius’ father in this manner.
Now, for another Greek word used for healing . . .
Greek word in v. 9: “therapeuo,” which means, “to serve, to do service, to care for, to treat, to restore to health.”
Insight: This word indicates that one is ministering medicinal care of some kind, restoring people to health.
*God used the supernatural, instantaneous miracle of Publius’ father to be drawn to Paul and Luke; those who were sick, who had diseases, and through their care they were cured, ministered to through some kind of care and were cured, healed, and restored to health.
*Dr. Luke used a different word in v. 9 than he used in v. 8, meaning, while the ultimate result was the same, which was “HEALING,” one was done instantaneously and the other was done medicinally or through care; however, the result was the same—restored to health. This is where we get our word for therapy or therapeutic.
Elevate Two Guiding Influences from God’s Word:
1. God ALONE is our Healer.
If you were to ask me, “Pastor, do you believe in Divine Healing?” I would answer, “Is there any other kind?”
God ALONE is our healer. Doctors, nurses, and researchers are all tools in the hands of God. They will only discover what God Himself already knows.
2. God can heal miraculously or medicinally
or through a combination of the two.
From God’s Word, this is what I believe.
THEREFORE . . . WITH THIS UNDERSTANDING . . .
I want to do talk about major matters regarding sickness.
THIS WEEK, I am going to talk about “Why Christians Get Sick,” and NEXT WEEK, I am going to teach you about “When Christians G et Sick.” Then at the conclusion of the message, we will take action on what God’s Word teaches about what we are to do when we get sick physically or suffer emotionally. This week, in our remaining time, we are going to talk about . . .
WHY CHRISTIANS GET SICK
(1) Imperfect world
(Genesis 3:14-19) After Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned against Him, God cursed Satan for eternity, crushed his power at the cross, and will one day for all of eternity sentence him to hell. To Eve, the woman, God said her sin would bring about major pain in her life, and in childbirth, she will be major anguish—all because of sin.
To Adam, the man, you will work on this earth all the days of your life because of sin, and listen to what else he said, “Because of your sin, you were created from dust and you will return to dust,” meaning you will die. Why? Sin!
(Acts 17) Speaks of how through Adam, we all are born, but seeking God because we need a relationship with Him. Christ is the only Savior for the entire world—through Him alone we live!
(Romans 8:20-22) All of creation has been corrupted by this sin and has been groaning together with labor pains since Adam and Eve sinned.
Therefore, understand clearly: we live in an imperfect world. It is fallen. When sin entered the world, death became its sentence. Obviously, sickness became the norm when sin entered the world. Through sickness, we die. Furthermore, since the world is imperfect, we will all
suffer through sickness and one day die.
Ill: Regardless of my commitment to care for my body, I still was born and live in an imperfect world. Therefore, eventually, I will die. Eating right and taking care of ourselves physically improves the quality of our lives and perhaps the quantity of our days, even though God Himself has our days numbered.
(2) Poor choices
(2 Chronicles 26) Records how arrogant King Uzziah became, which led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to God and determined he was going to take on the role of a priest. He was warned not to do it by the Lord’s ministers; however, he was enraged when they told him not to do it and as soon as he did, God struck him with leprosy, a serious skin disease. He was taken away immediately and was diseased, living alone until he died. Sickness followed a poor choice, a sinful choice.
(Daniel 4) When Nebuchadnezzar the King became proud, God struck him with a major mental breakdown, resulting in him acting and living like a cow. He became sick. Not until he repented to God was he healed and restored.
(1 Corinthians 11:27-30) When Christians ceased to examine their lives at the time of taking the Lord’s Supper or Communion, they took it unworthily. This means they took it, disregarding sin in their lives. When they ate and drank Communion, they brought judgment on themselves. Paul said, “This is why many Christians get sick and ill, some even dying.” Poor choices can lead to sickness.
Ill: Most Americans are eating themselves into sickness and this is the biggest health crisis in history. Poor choices. Most Americans refuse to exercise, spending most of their time sitting behind a computer or with a remote control in one hand and a bowl of ice cream in another, all moving towards sickness. Poor choices. Children and teenagers are consumed with computers, cell phones, and video games, and now energetic physical education is ignored in many schools, all of this contributing to the most obese childhood population in American history. Poor choices. Poor choices lead to sickness.
App: Regardless if you are a Christian or not, you will reap what you sow. Poor choices and sin always have a
high cost to pay.
(3) Satanic attack
(Job 1-2) You cannot deny in Job 1 and 2 how Satan appealed to God to let him loose on Job, telling God that Job would become unfaithful to God. God permitted Satan to attack Job, resulting in Job going through major suffering so severe that Job’s wife said, “Curse God and die! You look horrible and are miserable!” Job refused and was faithful to God.
Acts 10:38, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and curing all who were under the tyranny of the Devil, because God was with Him.”
*This verse leaves little room for anyone to question Satan’s power. He uses the enemies of sickness, suffering, abuses, and addictions to get people to turn from God and the power of Jesus Christ. Yet, Christ is Healer. The word referred to here as “curing” is “iaomai,” meaning instantaneous, supernatural healing.
Great News: The cross of Jesus Christ has reversed the curse of sin and Satan; therefore, take authority over all the attacks of Satan on your life.
Follow me: WHY CHRISTIANS GET SICK
*Imperfect world
*Poor choices
*Satanic attack
and now finally we get sick to . . .
(4) Demonstrate God’s Glory
Jesus noticed one day a man who had been blind since birth. Jesus’ disciples asked him, regarding this man’s sickness, who had sinned in his family. His parents? This man? Jesus stunned them with his answer.
John 9:3, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him.”
*Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud, and spread it on the man’s eyes. Then He told the man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. The man did, and he came back healed, miraculously healed! The people were stunned. The Pharisees and others heard of this miracle and they called the man to them, and he testified how he could see. He was called back and told them again, “I was blind and now I can see!” They wanted to know what Jesus did and how He did it. The man who was blind told them, “You don’t get it, where Jesus is from? He opened my eyes!”
*Seeing God’s glory in and through sickness is very difficult; yet, God uses sickness to show off His goodness and power.
*God chooses some of His people to get sick so that God can use them to demonstrate His power. Through all suffering, we need to give God glory. Even if God does not heal you from sickness this side of heaven, He wants to use sickness to draw us to Himself, using us to display His grace and glory to the world.
Therefore, Christians get sick because we live in an imperfect world or make poor choices or we are under Satanic attack or we have been chosen through sickness to display to everyone the glory and grace of God.
Conclusion: I began the message talking about Pastor Matt Chandler, a young pastor with younger children, getting sick with a brain tumor. Why would this happen to this man of God? Why was he chosen to walk through this time in his life? Ultimately, God is demonstrating His glory, grace, and power through Matt’s illness. Since the time of his diagnosis and treatment, God has elevated Matt to great heights, using him mightily.
Regardless if you are going through physical illness, emotional suffering, you are dealing with additions or recovering from some kind of abuse in life:
Deal with it with God. Only He knows the why; however, FROM THIS POINT ON it is about one thing: God demonstrating His glory, His grace, and His power through your life.
Remember: Jesus reversed the curse of sin. Through the cross, He crushed the head of Satan. Through His blood, He has given opportunity for complete eternal healing one day, where no longer will you be susceptible to this fallen world and its sin or your own sin. Through His resurrection, He offers you spiritual power to live through your life regardless of the specific suffering or sickness.
Jesus WINS: You also WIN with Jesus.
