Sick? Only Jesus Heals, But With Your Cooperation!

Sick? Only Jesus Heals, But With Your Cooperation! Capt. Kelly Durant

Matthew 9:12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

2. When you serve on disasters as we do in the Salvation Army you see all kinds of situations with people after a tragic event. One situation is this, a person comes to you to do volunteer work and you think, great, more help. But then as they fill out the form you notice they have not had a shower in several days and that their eyes are red from a lack of sleep, and they are repeating the same phrases like, “I’ve been helping all this time, I just want to help, I just want to help”.

What is you assessment of this person? It becomes apparent that they are in shock and in denial of how they need a rest! In their mind they are there to do good because the tragedy is severe; there to serve and alleviate the suffering, but if they themselves need attention and are not perceiving it, then you and I have to convince them to just stop! They may refuse to hear that they should come back after a few days, that they first should attend to their selves, but otherwise they are in no sane condition to be of a help to anyone and you cannot work with them.

I am using this example as a parallel to what happens in the church. There are many people who come to serve, but they have not perceived how they are not ready to serve correctly due to living in denial of the sins they have, due to not being aware of their lack of being properly trained for the job, and due to a lack of not getting their own healing taken care of first so they serve while healthy.

3. When a Christian shares their faith, what is one of the first steps they must get another person to do? They must help them to see their sin and be aware of their condition so they repent of it. You and I must help others see that they are a train wreck disaster, that they have messed up and sinned and offended God and others, and that they are not able to fix it on their own. Can you still see your sins? Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Name me your past sins right now? Can you? If a person thinks that they are alright, that they don’t need your Christian opinion or God’s word to try and find fault with their life to correct anything, then they are rejecting salvation and they will remain as lost and will keep on damaging others and their own selves! The law is you reap what you sew, so no one escapes. Closeness to God means awareness of what is not right, not by your own definition, but by God’s word.

Proverbs 5:22-23(NIV) 22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. 23 For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.

4. So here is another analogy. You were sick, you got afflicted, let’s say you got a broken ankle; you were not walking with God but rather you were walking in places that were dangerous and risky and you had a fall and a wake up call. A common event that happens with most all of us as humans, right? Then what happened next? You went to the emergency room, got a cast, had some time out laying flat looking into the sky that God made, and then you were better but you were not totally well, so what did the doctor recommend? Therapy!

Have you ever thought of church and your time with God as your therapy? You have been healed for the most part of your broken spirit but you must have God’s word, and fellowship with other Christians to keep maintaining your health, like a medicine. Time with God is needed for all of us or we will not heal in the right way. If you do not heal an ankle in the right way it will hurt horribly and make you walk crooked until you die! But if you do God’s therapy you see positive results!

Fellowship with God’s people brings us joy and happiness and makes our hearts glad! Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. God’s word brings wisdom and healing spiritually and even physically! Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.