THE SUPERNATURAL CHURCH #4: HEALING AND MIRACLES TODAY!
OPENING: For the past four weeks, we have been journeying through the Book of Acts.
Week #1: Being Empowered to Go.
Week #2: Friendship with the Holy Spirit.
Week #3: The Profile of a Supernatural Church
THIS WEEK - HEALING AND MIRACLES TODAY:
OPENING: Tonight we’re going to look at the story of someone whose life was a MESS.
“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.” (Acts 3:2). See also 4:22: “For the man was over forty years old.”
I heard a great preacher say once, “God will take your MESS, and turn it into a MESSAGE!”
Perhaps you are sick, depressed, broken hearted, lonely or afraid. God wants to take YOUR mess, and turn it into a message! God has a miracle waiting on you!
My prayer is that this story will stir up your faith to believe God to receive YOUR miracle! God wants to heal broken hearts, broken bodies, broken lives, and broken relationships! Get expecting! Maybe you’ve been waiting a long time like this man - this is your day!
THE STORY:
“1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 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; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." 5 So he gave them his attention, EXPECTING to receive something from them.
- Notice he was EXPECTING - GET EXPECTING!
6 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." 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them--walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed.” (Acts 3:1-11).
“12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?"
- It’s not about us! We aren’t healers! But we know THE Healer! Jesus is the Healer!
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 17 Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before.” (Acts 3:12-20).
- IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS!
I heard a preacher say once, “Preaching is easy - it’s just bragging on Jesus until He shows up!” If we could come into God’s presence, we would find peace, joy, freedom - wholeness!
KEYS TO PRAY FOR THE SICK:
1. We must freely receive the POWER of God before we can freely give! This comes from the place of PRAYER. Peter said, “What I do have I give you!”
2. We must be careful to walk in HUMILITY. Peter said, “Why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” We must be sure to give God all of the GLORY!
3. We must ask:
(a) for what we NEED (be specific! Ask and you will receive! Many Christians don’t receive because they aren’t specific when they ask!)
(b) in the NAME OF JESUS - the power & authority is in His Name!
(c) in FAITH!
(Faith comes by hearing the Word of God - Romans 10:17). Peter said, “And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know.”
4. P.U.S.H. - Pray Until Something Happens! It’s through faith AND PATIENCE (Heb. 6:12) that we inherit God’s promises, including HEALING!
THE REST OF THE STORY: (Acts 4:7-14).
The religious leaders said to Peter and John: “By what power or by what name have you done this?” (v.7).
“8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole… 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other NAME under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.”
TESTIMONIES: Of people who have been healed TODAY:
Of a girl in our youth group, Stephanie, having her finger being healed during worship two weeks ago.
Of Geoff (one of our youth leaders) & David (a student) praying for a blind man and his being healed.
Of Geoff praying for the man on a respirator and God healing him.
CLOSING: PRAY FOR HEALING & MIRACLES
