GOD ENCOUNTERS: THE FOURSQUARE GOSPEL #2: JESUS THE HEALER:
INTRO TO TOPIC: Last week we started a series looking at the Foursquare Gospel of Jesus.
Foursquare Gospel: Jesus the Saviour, Healer, Baptiser in the Holy Spirit, Soon Coming King.
Theme verse: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8).
THE BIG IDEA: Jesus is the Saviour who died on the Cross to forgive our sins, and He is also the Healer by whose wounds we are healed.
OPENING SCRIPTURES:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.” (Psalm 103:2-3, NKJV).
• Jesus the Saviour forgives sins and Jesus the Healer heals sicknesses.
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5, NKJV).
• Jesus paid the price for our sins to be forgiven and our sicknesses to be healed.
STORY #1: PETER RAISES TABITHA FROM THE DEAD:
“36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. 37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. 43 So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.” (Acts 9:36-43, NKJV).
STORY #2: STEPHEN IS MARTYRED FOR HIS FAITH IN JESUS:
“54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:54-60, NKJV).
• Notice that Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit, experienced an open Heaven, saw the glory of God, had a vision of Jesus, and yet he still died. No angel came to deliver him!
• After being stoned, he wasn’t healed, and he wasn’t raised from the dead.
• Many times in Acts we see miraculous healings and deliverances.
• But sometimes, the people didn’t receive answers to their prayers.
EXAMPLES OF OTHERS WHO WEREN’T HEALED OR DELIVERED:
Before we consider the WHY question, let’s look at some other examples in the N.T.:
• Five chapters later in Acts (12:1-2), James (John’s brother) is killed by King Herod.
• 1 Tim. 5:23 - Pastor Timothy had stomach problems and frequent illnesses
• 2 Cor. 12:7 - The Apostle Paul had a thorn in the flesh
• Paul and Timothy were both great men of God, and yet they had negative experiences.
ENCOURAGEMENT FROM PAUL’S LETTER: SECOND CORINTHIANS:
• This whole book is all about finding God’s comfort in the midst of suffering…
“3 All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ… 8 I think you ought to know about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead.” (2 Cor. 1:3-9).
1. God comforts us in our troubles (and sicknesses) so we can comfort others.
2. The more we suffer the more comfort we will receive from God.
3. Paul experienced imprisonment, beatings, shipwrecks & more (2 Cor. 11:23-27).
4. Paul and Timothy were godly men, but they experienced many troubles.
5. Through their experiences, they learned to trust God, and not themselves.
“For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.” (2 Cor. 4:17-18).
6. The now / not-yet aspect of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is here NOW, but it is not yet fully realized. Now, sometimes we don’t see total and complete healing, but when we get to Heaven, we will.
7. Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean you won’t experience pain.
“7 But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud. 8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. 10 Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:7-10).
8. The great preacher Paul had a thorn in the flesh – a physical infirmity.
9. He pleaded – constantly prayed – for the Lord to take it away from him.
10. God said: more than physical healing, your greatest need is my grace – favour.
CLOSING THOUGHTS ON WHY SOMETIMES PEOPLE AREN’T HEALED:
1. Jesus is the healer, and He’s still healing people today (Heb. 13:8).
2. Just because you believe in Jesus doesn’t mean you won’t ever get sick. - as long as you’re living in the world, you’ll experience trouble (John 16:33).
3. When believing God for healing, never give up in prayer. - Pray Until Something Happens. Our job is to pray for the sick, God’s job is to heal the sick. That’s a freeing statement!
4. No matter how many miracles we experience in our lives, one day, we will die. - as believers, we are only leaving Earth to be with God in Heaven (2 Cor. 5:1).
5. Even if we don’t get healed, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us.
CLOSING TEXT:
“35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? … 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. 39 Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39).
BACK TO THE STORY OF STEPHEN:
“And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:59-60).
• When God withholds delivering power, he gives dying power.
• God can’t always been explained, but He can always be exalted.
CLOSING: PRAYER FOR THE SICK:
We are going to pray for those who are sick.
Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor’s Blog: http://pastorchrisjordan.wordpress.com/
