The Anatomy Of A Miracle: The Lystra Cripple Healed

THE ANATOMY OF A MIRACLE: THE LYSTRA CRIPPLE HEALED

Acts 14:8-10

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: HE CAUGHT ON QUICKLY

1. A Jewish man moved into a Catholic neighborhood. Every Friday the Catholic's went crazy because, while they were morosely eating fish, the Jew was outside barbecuing steaks. So the Catholics worked on the Jew to convert him.

2. Finally, by threats and pleading, the Catholics succeeded. They took the Jew to a priest who sprinkled holy water on him and intoned, "Born a Jew, raised a Jew, now a Catholic."

3. The Catholics were ecstatic. No more delicious, maddening smells every Friday evening, they thought. But the next Friday evening, the scent of barbecue wafted through the neighborhood once again.

4. The Catholics all rushed to the new convert’s house to remind him of his new diet. They saw him standing over the grilled steak sprinkling it with water. As he did so, he said, "Born a cow, raised a cow, now a fish."

B. TEXT

1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent a considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach the good news. 8 In Lystra there sat a man

crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

C. THESIS: HOW IMPORTANCE IS DIVINE HEALING?

1. You couldn’t enjoy $100 million dollars if you are in substantial pain. You’d give your last dollar for good health.

2. You can’t be effective for God if you’re sick. If I’m well, I’m a threat to the kingdom of darkness. If I’m sick, it’s hard to do anything but take care of myself.

3. We’re going to look this morning at the possibility of miracles, why it’s God’s will for you to be healed, and how to lay claim to your healing.

4. The title of today’s message is “The Anatomy of a Miracle: The Lystra Cripple Healed.”

I. THE POSSIBILITY OF MIRACLES

A. MIRACLES

1. Some laugh at the idea of the possibility of miracles. They argue that miracles are a violation of scientific laws, and are therefore unacceptable to modern man.

2. LOUIS BERKHOF, “When a miracle is performed, the laws of nature are not violated, but superseded (at a particular point) by a force superior to the powers of nature.”

3. Belief in miracles is easy -- if you believe that God exists and that He created the universe. If there’s a God who intervenes in history, then the Flood of Noah, the parting of the Red Sea, the virgin birth, Peter walking on water, feeding 5,000 people with a boy’s lunch, and the other biblical miracles, become not only possible, but expected.

B. DIVINE HEALING IS THE WILL OF GOD

Now some people have been wrongly taught that it’s not always God’s will to heal. There ARE sometimes HINDRANCES to God healing us, but I do believe it’s always God’s desire (because He’s good) to heal us. Here are five reasons why:

1. The ORIGINAL PATTERN for the human race in the Garden of Eden was that there was no sin, sickness nor death. That’s God's highest will (Rom. 5:12; Gen. 2:17).

2. God would not have HEALED people in BOTH TESTAMENTS if it had not been His will to heal all who come in faith to him. Just in O.T.: 16 individual healings, 7 mass healings; for a total of 23 separate accounts of healing.

3. When JESUS ATONED for mankind, He not only atoned for the sins of the soul, but FOR the diseases of the BODY, according to Isa. 53 and Matt. 8:16-17.

4. That SICKNESS is said to be the WORK OF THE DEVIL proves that God wills to get rid of it in His children (Lk. 13:11-17; Acts 10:38; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8; Job 2:7).

5. Every time people ASKED CHRIST TO HEAL THEM, HE DID IT and repeatedly said, "I will" (Matt. 8:2,7; John 5:6).