Remedy For A Sin-Sick World

Text: Matthew 8:16-17

Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)

Date Preached - (07/08/01)

Introduction:   

Isaiah 53 is a familiar passage.  As we were downtown Toronto yesterday preaching and sharing God’s Word (the Gospel message) and seeing the hardness and indifference of people toward the gospel, it reminded me in a powerful way of the truth of this passage.

LOOK UP & READ Isaiah 53:3-6

Jesus is the Answer for the world today.

            Without Him, there’s no other; Jesus is the Way!!

Matthew quotes from Isaiah 53 and applies it to the healing of physical sicknesses.

DESCRIBE briefly the events of this passage.

Some Ask: Is Healing in the Atonement?

While this is not the topic of today’s message, let’s point out a couple of things.

Of course healing is in the atonement, in the same sense as our glorification and our resurrected bodies are in the atonement, although we have not as yet received them.

But the day will come….

1 John 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Revelation 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Revelation 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

It is not now God’s will for all to be healed.

Paul’s advice to Timothy.

1 Timothy 5:23  Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.

2 Timothy 4:20  Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.

Philippians 2:25-27  Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

26  For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

27  For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Moving back to Isaiah 53 the context is obvious that the first and primary application is to that of the healing of a sin-sick heart.

Isaiah 53:5-6  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The healing of the multitudes in Capernaum illustrates some important truths about God’s remedy for this sin-sickened world.

I. The Scope of the Remedy

A. Many that were brought

Why were they brought?

Because an extremely sick person, an invalid, is unable to come on their own.

ILLUS: A man has a heart attack.  His family calls 911, And he is carried to the hospital by Ambulance.

Spiritually the analogy holds true.  The sinner cannot, and will not come on their own to the Saviour.

The sinner is worse off than terminally ill; he is dead (Eph 2:1) Incapable of responding; he must be brought.

He does not know his own need.

2 Corinthians 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Only Christ can heal, Only Christ can Save!!

But we have a responsibility, a mandate, a commission.

We must bring the lost to Jesus!!

They brought “many”.

How many have we brought?  When’s the last time you attempted a life-saving mission?  Witnessed, invited/brought some soul to church? To the Saviour?

Not all we bring will be saved.  But how can they be saved, if no one will bring them?

John 5:7  The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

Psalms 142:4  I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

LOOK UP & READ Matthew 22:1-10

B. All that came

Jesus healed all that came on that day.

John 6:37  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Romans 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

They cannot come, if no one initiates the rescue mission.

It is a two-fold process of Human Proclamation & Divine Manifestation

II. The Season of the Remedy

“When the even was come”.

Explain how Jesus had ministered on the Sabbath (Mk 1:21)  (Taught in the Synagogue – Healed the Leper – The Centurion’s Servant – Peter’s Mother-in-Law)

The Sabbath was now ended.

Now the people came.  Why not before?  Why not on the Sabbath?

Explain the inconsistencies of their traditions.

(CONTEXT – Healing of the man with the withered hand)

Matthew 12:11  And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

A. They did not have to wait

Jesus had already helped many on the Sabbath.

One day it will be too late.

Some say – “God will reveal Himself, I’ll know when the time comes, I’m not ready, I have lots of time.”

Proverbs 27:1  Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

ILLUS: (Mom’s Uncle Pete – 12 year-old Step-son died tragically two weeks ago (June 2001) after striking his head on a concrete step while playing with school chums).

2 Corinthians 6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

B. Religion & ritual keep many from receiving Christ’s touch.

Some say – “This is what my church says, I’ve got my own religion, I can’t simply accept what the Bible says”.  WHY?

Blinded by religious tradition.

C. Some may receive Christ in the evening of life.

Better to come at the eleventh hour than not at all.

The thief on the Cross is an example.

There is hope while there is life.

Hebrews 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

III. The Situation Requiring a Remedy

There were the demon possessed and the sick.

NOTE: These are two separate afflictions.  – Not all sickness is of demonic or satanic origin!

The need for Christ is illustrated by the sin in our world.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Revelation 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Statistics indicate the increase in violent crime.  Perverse behaviour has come out of the closet.  It is a day of great wickedness and great crying need for the gospel.

ILLUS: The wickedness of the big cities – Amsterdam/Toronto/ Rio De Janeiro/New York City etc.

IV. The System of Remedy

A. By (with) His Word vs.16

Psalms 119:9-11  Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

10  With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Ephesians 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

B. He Himself vs.17

Hebrews 1:3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

C. What He did with our sins vs.17

Isaiah 53:4A  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:

1. He Took them away

It is the doctrine of Remission – Lit. “Putting away”.

ILLUS: The scapegoat EXPLAIN CONTEXT

Leviticus 16:21-22  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

2. He Bore them

1 Peter 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

GONE, GONE, GONE, YES My Sins Are GONE!!!

Conclusion:     (Review)