Changed at the Core!

ME:

This morning we are continuing the series “Crossing Paths with Jesus”

We are going to be looking at something very specific when it comes to an encounter with Jesus.

We are going to be looking at “FAITH”

More specifically ..... How our Faith must Grow! (EXPAND)

Many of us would probably agree that the only thing Expanding right now is our

Waste-line! (COVID-19 : 19 lbs)

I want to talk to you this morning about “Ones Faith.”

Our faith must expand ....... what we find then is our doubts shrink!

When our faith rises up within us .... doubts decline.

Pledge

Passage: Luke 4:38-41

38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf.

39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.

40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.

41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

Prayer

Title: Changed at the Core

Let me ask us a question, “Why are we not seeing miracles, like we just read about this morning?”

When is the last time you saw someone healed of diseases.

..... The blind seeing again.

..... Casting out of demons

I believe they are still taking place!

The boy who was diagnosed with Leukemia (Healed 2 weeks later)

Shelly and I experienced a Miracle when we first moved to Huntsville.

Have her come and share this story

She has had NO SYMPTOMS since. (Healed)

Transition Statement: Have you witnessed a miracle lately?

WE:

What was the miracle?

Share it on this post or tweet us @thejourneyfam / @PastorRKincaid

#Changedatthecore

What did God do?

Did you get up and dance?

Did you praise the Lord?

Did you give thanks?

DID YOU BELIEVE?

I personally believe, there are miracles everyday taking place!

But, there are people who have experienced answers to prayers and have tasted of God’s POWER ....

… but have walked away NOT TOTALLY CONVINCED of what had just happened!

… of what they just witnessed with their own eyes.

Have you experienced this?

Was this you?

IS THIS YOU?

Have you ever wondered WHY you felt this way?

Maybe it was because you had not been CHANGED AT THE CORE!

Could it be that maybe you didn’t have enough Faith to Believe!

Believing in a miracle requires FAITH!

How many of you have SEEN and/or HEARD of God’s Love and Power, yet never allowed the truth to sink into you hearts and bring about a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ that would CHANGE YOU AT THE CORE?

Transitions Statement: What if I told you, you were not alone?

GOD:

There is a Character in the bible who is just like you! (Simon “The Rock”)

Let’s go back and look at this story in scripture.

Two weeks ago we saw .... Andrew tell Simon About Jesus (He Heard)

Last week we saw .... Andrew Bring Simon to Jesus (He Sees)

This 3rd encounter of crossing paths with Jesus ..... Simon witnesses Jesus Authority/Power

Re-read Luke 4:38-41

38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf.

39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.

40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.

41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

(PAINT THE SCENE)

Jesus has just left the Synagogue after casting out a Demons from a man.

Did you get that .... IN A CHURCH!

How do Demons get in to churches?

Through disguises!

Sneaks their way in!

He enters Simon’s house.

Those present - Simon, Andrew, James, John, and Simons Mother-In-Law

The Mother-in-law is (Sick) ill. (High Fever)

The word “Ill” is Greek word: SYNECHO (Constrained or sized)

The Fever has seized her!

“APPEAL” on her behalf

She is un-conscience!

The Greek word: Erotas

There are two greek words that could have been used for “APPEAL”

The other one is Aiteo

Aiteo - A forceful request

Erotas - Asking as would one friend ask of another.

This is the Greek word that is always used when referencing Jesus speaking to the Father.

“Jesus stands over her”

Just a doctor would at ones bedside

“He rebukes the fever”

Greek word: Epitimao

Def. - to punish, rebuke, charge (He issues a charge to the fever)

What we see is Jesus SUBDUING the fever.

We find this same Greek word used when Jesus commands the Waves (Mark 4:39)

Luke tells us the Fever “It left her”

Greek word: “Aphiemi”

Something that is caused by a seperation

Something physically comes in and takes ahold of whatever and separates the two.

It doesn’t go and hide somewhere. IT’S GONE!

“Immediately” she gets up.

She rose .... and began to serve

This is someone who is completely and immediately HEALED! (Miracle)

Luke goes on to tell us (40)

Word gets out ....

He heals every person who sought Him out that day.

Late into the day. (Sun was setting)

This is the kind of God we serve!

Not just the physically Ill!

Demon Possessed (41)

The demons tried to rat Him out

He rebuked them and silenced them.

Miracles took Place!

People (Simon’s wife, Andrew, James, John, Mother-in-law and others) witnessed this right before their eyes.

What were these miracles?

Fever gone / Various diseases healed / Demons casted out

It would be safe to say that for many of them they were “CHANGED AT THE CORE.”

Simon saw all of these miracles as well.

But what we know is He still isn’t “Changed at the Core” just yet.

(WE will look at this experience next week.)

For what ever reason He still lacked COMPLETE FAITH!

Transition Statement: How many of us have witnessed miracles but walked away with our Core unchanged?

YOU:

Being that type of person who had to verify before you were satisfied?

Before you were going to acknowledge a miracle you had to ....

Rationalize - Debunk - Check off any other possibility that could explain what took place.

OR worse yet ..... You had witnessed a miracle, but over time, convinced yourself it was something else!

IT WASN’T GOD!

This might be exactly what Simon was thinking and trying to do!

Transition Statement: There has to come a point where our faith overrides our doubts!

WE:

There has to come a point where our faith ascends … causing our doubt to descend

There has to come a point where our faith expands … causing our doubt to shrink

This moment starts for all of us when we are CHANGED AT THE CORE!

Next week we will see this Core changing moment for Simon “soon to be The Rock”.

But for us, today we don’t have to wait until next week.

We can experience that Core Changing moment RIGHT NOW.

Def. of a MIRACLE: a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.

Accepting Christ into your heart is classified as a miracle!

There is someone listening right now who is longing to be healed (Spiritually or Physically)

Are you desperate enough?

Those who heard about what JESUS had done in CHURCH that day was ....

.... desperate enough to seek him out!

Are you desperate????????? to SEEK HIM OUT!!!!!!

A Changing at the core moment for you is waiting.