Healed
Dr. Marty Baker / October 16, 2005
www.stevenscreek.net
Have you ever experienced a miracle? I have. In the early 1980s, my wife was stricken with Hepatitis. The doctors told her that she would need to drop out of college and expect a long recovery.
I remembered Acts 19:11,12
Acts 19:11,12
11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,
12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
I went to a service and asked the minister pray for her and to touch a piece of cloth for her healing. Within a week, she was back in classes. The doctors were amazed. I experienced first hand the meaning of
Psalm 77:14
You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.
Many of you have heard my story, but the creative team felt like I should share it one more time. I started wearing glasses when I was in middle school. Through the years and three college degrees, my eyes grew worse. I kept my glasses on the night stand so that I could grab them the moment I woke up. One Wednesday evening in August 2001 just before our evening service, my glasses broke. I had sat on them a few days before but Patty repaired them and everything was okay ... So we thought.
Like I said, just minutes before the service, my glasses fell apart. I panicked because I had to preach and I did not know the sermon well enough to preach it by memory. A couple of the guys on the music team recognized my dilemma and offered to fix my glasses. I gave my glasses to them and I went to my office and prayed in desperation. I said, "God, you called me to preach. I need to you to fix my glasses or heal my eyes." I walked out of the room and my glasses were not fixed and service had started.
Some how I made it through that Wednesday evening service. Afterwards, Patty put my glasses back together and life went on as usual. Over the next several weeks, however, my eyes began to hurt. I assumed that my glasses were bent and that the lens were too close to my eyes. I got frustrated and said, "That’s enough." I made an appointment with The Eye Guys so that I could get lasik surgery. After about an hour into the exam process, I noticed that the doctor and his assistant were whispering. A few minutes later another doctor came in to examine me. Eventually, they said, "Marty you have 20 / 20 vision."
I had worn glasses for over twenty years and had at least four other doctors in three different states prescribed glasses. Now, these guys say that I am healed. It’s was hard for me to believe. I waited ninety days and went another doctor and he confirmed it. So, for the last four years, I have been able live without glasses. It has been remarkable.
I am sensible enough to know that when Lazarus was raised from the dead in the book of John, he eventually died again. In the future, I will grow old and I may need reading glasses, but for now, God’s grace has been extended to me and I am so thankful.
How about you? Have you ever had a prayer answered? Do you believe that God answers prayer? Do you believe that miracles - extraordinary events that are the result of special acts of God -- really happen? Most Americans think so.
According to a NEWSWEEK poll, 84 % of adult Americans say they believe that God performs miracles and nearly half 48% report that they have personally experienced or witnessed one. Most Christians would say they pray for miracles, and Newsweek declares:
43% of nonbelievers say they have asked for God’s intervention.
But then there are the skeptics. There are many people who believe that God performs miracles, but for one reason or another, they do not believe that it will ever happen to them.
Also, there is a group of people who say: How can a rational person today accept the stories of miracles in the Bible?
They say, "You want me to believe that
a snake talked to Eve, that a virgin got pregnant from God, that a whale swallowed a prophet, that the Red Sea was parted and a man was crucified and rose from the dead.
I realize that these stories seem far fetched, but I challenge you to examine the record. Consider secular history and study the eye witness accounts. You’ll realize that many of the eye witnesses gave their lives for lives for the testimony of these occurrences.
There must be a balance. We need to understand that miracles were not a regular occurrence in biblical times. The narratives of the Bible are selective and they were written over a 1500 year period. Miracles occurred when normal people’s options had run out and they needed God to intervene in their situation.
Ken Boa and Larry Moody in their book, I’m Glad You Asked, point out that, "The miracles of the Bible are actually clustered around three relatively brief periods:
The times of Moses and Joshua,
Elijah and Elisha, and
Christ and the apostles (all eras of new revelations from God).
We also know that in the days leading up to the return of Christ, God will intervene in an increasing manner so that people will see His mighty power.
It is important to remind ourselves that the Bible is a book about real people like you and me who live in a real world into which God unmistakably enters from time to time. I believe that ...
God performs miracles for three reasons:
To display His power
To help His people
To expand His influence in the community
Miracles were not a regular occurrence in biblical times, but they did occur in times of need ... In desperate times. It has been said that "Desperate situations require desperate measures." There have been times in my life that I believe that I was placed in desperate situations so that God could reveal his power in my life.
In similar ways, people who were alive at the time Jesus walked the earth were in desperate need. Their culture battled with poverty, disease, and the threat of war. Jesus came on the scene proclaiming the reign of God.
Mark 1:15
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
Jesus was a man of faith. He was convinced that faith could build the kingdom. He saw faith as possessing miraculous power of courage and transformation. Through faith your attitudes, life, love, your friendship, your family and your world could be transformed.
Jesus did not perform his first miracle until he was thirty years old. It was at an unlikely place ...a wedding. During the reception, the host family ran out of wine. Mary, his mother, went to him and told him to take care of it. Jesus then told some friends to go fill six stone water jars (20 -30 gallons) with water. When the master of ceremonies tasted the water, it had been turned into wine. This miracle saved the family from shame and embarrassment.
The message to us is that God is concerned with the smallest details of our lives and he doesn’t want you living under a cloud of shame.
Through his ministry, Jesus brought encouragement to people in desperate situations.
In Mark 2, we read the story of a paralyzed man. His friends had heard that Jesus was in Capernaum, so they brought their friend to see him. They could not get into the place where Jesus was speaking so (desperate times require desperate measures) they climbed onto the roof and lowered their paralyzed friend through the ceiling. Jesus was impressed by their determination and offered forgiveness and healing to this man.
In Matthew 9, there is a story of two blind men who refused to give up.
Matthew 9:27-30a
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied.
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you";
30 and their sight was restored.
In John 5, the Bible records a story of a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. Jesus asked the man, "Do you want to get well?" Jesus told him to take up his mat and walk."
In Luke 7, there is the story of the Roman Centurion’s servant. He approached Jesus concerning his son who was at home sick. The Roman Centurion said, "You don’t have to go to my house just send your word and my son will get better."
There are many other miracles stories surrounding the ministry of Jesus. This morning I want to introduce to you one of our own, Kerrie Valentine. She has a tremendous story of answered prayer that she will share this morning. Let’s welcome Kerrie.
Interview: Kerrie Valentine with "Lexie’s Story"
What can we learn from these stories?
Lessons from the miracles of Jesus
Jesus pays attention to those who follow him.
Miracles come to those who are sincere in their desire for one.
Miracles come through authentic faith, a faith that will risk almost anything.
The greatest miracles occur inside of a person not on the outside.
How to receive An answer to your prayer
1. Ask God for Help
Bring your needs to Jesus. Be specific and clear
Matthew 7:7-8
7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
2. Do what you can do.
Use what you have
2 Kings 4:2
Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil."
Luke 9: (feeding of the five thousand)
They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish ..."
3. Do what the Lord tells you to do.
John 21 (Men had not caught any fish
6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some."
James 5:14-16
14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
4. Believe that Jesus will answer your prayer.
Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Mark 9:23
"’If you can’?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
5. Open your heart to receive from the Lord
Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
6. Give thanks for what he is going to do.
What do you want God to do in your life? This morning I want you to simply ask and believe. In a few minutes I am going to pray. I want you to join me in this prayer. Ask God specifically to help you in the area of your need.
Some of you have never made a decision to follow Christ. The greatest miracle that you will ever receive is the miracle of having your sins forgiven. Open up your life to Jesus Christ. Ask him to forgive you of your sins. Trust him with your future.
Others of you have pressing issues. Call on God. Tell God the details. Ask him to give you guidance, wisdom and direction.
Some of you are sick and you need God’s touch. Ask him to heal you. The Bible gives us some instructions about praying for sick people. Listen to James 5:14.
James 5:14-16
14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
If you are sick or would like to stand in for someone who is sick, as Todd sings, please come forward and one of our Elders or prayer team members will anoint you with oil and we will close in prayer together.
Closing Prayer
