Christ Our Healer
Kind of what I said in the Christmas tree Alliance, we called the fourfold gospel, which is a part of the symbol of the Christian Missionary Alliance and you might wonder why I'm doing that little part of it is because that's who I'm ordained by the Christmas tree Alliance Bryce is ordained by the Christian Missionary Alliance and part of why I'm discussing the scriptural core Foundation thing is, you know, probably as we start the new year next year, since we are no longer a part of the United Methodist Church something that's going to be important for us to do is a church is to rewrite our own Constitution and bylaws from those things and I know as a church, we want scripture be the core of that. So it's important for us to look at some of these different theological things that are out there. It's like I said, I've been talking about what the alliance calls the fourfold gospel where first week I talked about cry. Star Savior and then last week was Christ Our sanctifier and this week. We come to Christ Our healer. In the way, I've been doing that. I said one of the simple ways to dig into those things that are kind of core for them is to look at the symbol that they used to represent their denomination and You Know chords for Christ Our Savior that has the cross last week. We had the lever it is called Christ Our sanctifier and this week. It is a picture of a picture. As Christ Our healer the picture being symbolic of something that containing oil to anoint the sick for healing. And that's what we're going to talk about this week the scripture that they often associated with that is in James chapter 5 verse 15 says in the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person. Well the Lord will raise them up if they have sinned they will be forgiven. Just want to start off with the question of do you believe that Jesus can still heal people?
Amen, we believe that right. That's a core belief of the Christmas tree Alliance that you know. Christ indeed does still heal people but to get a clear understanding about it. We have to talk about some key theological Concepts and there's a couple scriptures that are usually key to talking about Christ Our healer. The first one is in Isaiah chapter 53 Verses 4 and 5 for it says surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows him stricken by God Smitten by him and Afflicted but he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are healed. Another important scripture there is in Matthew chapter 8 verses 16 and 17. It says when evening came mini Hoover demon-possessed were brought to him and he drove about the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah. He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases. Are these passages are playing and stating that in dying on the cross not only did Christ deal with our sin. But when he died on the cross, he took on the full weight of all of our infirmities all of the things we struggle with.
Theologian Kelso Carter Road that the clear meaning is that Jesus did take upon himself our diseases and our mental trouble and precisely the same way that he bore our sins in his own body on the tree.
You know from what we have read. It's clear that on top of the amazing gift of Salvation that God offered us when Christ died on the cross on top of that we can also have healing It's one of those things. That sounds too good to be true, but it is. He not unlike so often as we think about that and we wonder if it can really happen. But to understand this it's important for us to know that healing is indeed tied to the atonement. That's a very important concept for us to remember. You know now that doesn't mean that everyone who accept Christ as their savior will be instantly healed. It doesn't mean that those who accept Christ as their savior will have no sickness or have no disease in them. But it means that feeling is offered to them. You know for us to expect that the person who believes in Christ can be without any disease or sickness is the same as believing that every Christian also lives a completely send this life. We know that that is not the case because we live in a fallen world and it is simply not possible for us to live entirely send free. So it should make sense that we aren't going to live entirely free of sickness and disease because what we have to realize that, you know, the reason that the atoning work of Christ is able to deal with our physical infirmities is because sickness entered the world through sin. It's part of the fall when the fall of mankind happen sickness and sin are part of what entered the world, you know prior to the fall of Man You Not only was there no send. It's most likely that there was no sickness. There was no disease just like there were no weeds and things like that. You know, it's part of all of God's creation was impacted with the fall of Man. So it makes sense to us that you know, if Christ can deal with our sins so completely to wipe it away and to make us all Able to receive eternal life through his sacrifice. Then it makes sense that it can also deal with our physical infirmities. Christ work on the cross. Like I said is able to deal with her sickness as completely as it deals with our sinful nature.
We often have no problems accepting the idea of it being able to deal with their sin, but we don't think much about our physical infirmities.
You know, so what is the significance of anointing with oil? Why would we do that? You know, it's not a very common practice within the United Methodist Church to anoint with oil least. It never was in my time. Of growing up here and being a part of the church, but it's something I did on a pretty regular basis working in the Christian Missionary Alliance. I did it probably almost every time I went and visited someone in the hospital or every time my people would come into my office and asked me to pray with them when they were dealing with something but it's not something that we do a lot but we have to realize this significance of the anointing oil lies in the fact that the oil is meant to symbolize the work of the Holy Spirit. You know, we see anointing oil used for different purposes throughout scripture, you know, if sometimes it was used to anoint the person who God had named his King her other things, but you know today we're talkin about that. It is used to symbolize the holy spirit's work in someone's life in the form of healing. No, but we have to realize that when we anoint the person with oil. It's not the oil that heals. It is the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that heals you. You know, I grabbed one of my bottles of anointing oil that I had in my office and you know, it's supposed to be a little special bottle of oil that's been blessed by somebody. I'm not sure who but it has been but you know, maybe what makes this one special is the date on it's June 1st of 2007. So it's got a few years on it. But you know, if you read it, it's really just extra virgin olive oil is what it is. So you probably have some in your kitchen at home. But you know, the significance of the oil is when a person comes and they asked to be Anointed with the oil the significance is that That is that person's showing that they are fully submitting themselves to God. They're coming to God and putting themselves before him and asking for a special outpouring of his holy spirit in their life to bring them healing. That's what the real significance of the asking to be Anointed with oil is because we have to realize that it's not the oil but the work of the holy spirit that brings life that gives us life that brings the healing is the work of the holy spirit in our life. And you know when someone is Anointed with oil, it's important that they know that that it's not some special mystical oil in this bottle that's going to heal you it's your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's going to feel you in the work that the Holy Spirit does through that faith that will bring the healing. It's really a lot of it is about keeping with Christian tradition and something we see in scripture of God having different people that he's using do multiple times to anoint people with the it's in keeping with that. Cuz we have to realize that. Healing should be an important part of the ministry of every Church. You know, I've heard it said by some that, you know churches should look more like hospitals where people are coming for all sorts of things that they're dealing with in their life. And the church is where they come to be made well, You know the church that Christ is Bill here upon this Earth is the inter Instrument through which he ministers to this broken and hurting world today. We have to realize that you know, it's not just physical ailments. It's other struggles that people are having in their life. The church is God's way of helping people deal with that and we need to realize that is a church. You know a couple scriptures that back up that idea and Luke chapter 9 verses 1 and 2. It says when Jesus had called the 12 together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons in to cure diseases and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. In Luke chapter 10 verses 1 and 2 and then skipping 2 verses 8 and 9. It says after this the Lord appointed 72 others and sent them to buy two ahead of him to every town and place for he was about to go. He told them the Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few asked the Lord of the Harvest there for to send out workers into his Harvest field. When you enter a town and are welcomed eat. What is set before you heal the sick who are there and tell them the kingdom of God is near you.
You know Jesus was making the ministry of healing that these people were sent out to do just as much a regular part of what he was asking them to do is sharing the gospel. So it's easy to see that and Christman the two things went hand-in-hand as they proclaim the gospel and as people fully received it and accepted God's word and what God's word tells them. There would also be people who'd be healed. And as they served and boldly proclaimed Christ, they saw that that was happening that people were being healed in the name of Jesus as they boldly proclaimed as were. So it became a regular thing in the early church and really to them. It was something that seemed quite obvious.
Probably because they knew firsthand that Christ who died and risen from the dead and so it didn't seem like a big leaf for them to think that if Christ can be risen from the dead Shirley. He can also heal us of our infirmities. So it made sense to them.
Do you know all this is to say that I think one of the vital roles of the church in the ministry of healing? Is to assure that are members of our church understand. That sort of concept enough to be in a place where they can receive the full benefits of the atonement. That's really what we're talking about here. It's one of those things cuz healing is the natural outpouring of God's grace that can occur anytime in the midst of the life of those who are wholeheartedly serving Christ.
And when our relationship with Christ is not where it needs to be we cannot be receiving the full benefits of the atonement.
You know, it's one of those things if you're not fully invested in if you're not believing all of what God has for you. You're not going to experience all of what God has for you. You know, that's what's so dangerous about is picking and choosing which parts of scripture we like and which parts we don't and we're going to believe this but not believe that you know, the truth is when we do that we're just robbing ourselves of the fullness of God's word and the fullness of the blessings that he wants to give us in our life. But it's so often something that happens.
And you know this I Was preparing and talking thinking about Christ being our healer. You know, this is kind of something. I guess that's near and dear to me for a few reasons.
You know, there's a running joke in my family. I see them all brick their eyes up a little bit when I say that but there's a running joke in my family that and not to brag but that I'm an amazing physical specimen. Go ahead and laugh. We say that cuz there was one time I forget which cardiologist it was. I was seeing somewhere. That said that to me and threes and he said that was because he looked down through my chart of me most of you know, cuz I grew up in this church that you know, I went through a lot of heart surgeries when I was younger. 4 open heart surgeries in I've lost track of how many catheterizations I've had in my life and you know going through all of that. That's why he made the comment. That's another thing that I've learned over the years is usually a lot of people who have the sort of heart condition that I have also faced a lot of Developmental delays. And you know, I had one doctor told me this. I know this isn't the kind word, but he told me he was surprised. I wasn't retarded because of the condition that I had. didn't go back to see him ever again, but
a lot of challenges that I faced there over the years and you know, I've had people say to me well if you're a Christian and you believe in healing Why hasn't God healed you? And you know, my answer to people is that I'm actually thankful that he has it. And let me explain that a little bit, you know. I was born with this congenital heart defect, you know a birth defect that they call it and yeah, it's sent me through a lot of different things. But I've had to deal with a lot of surgeries and you know, some of them went well some of them and didn't go quite as well afterwards. But as I look back on that mean I may have not ever had that moment where you know poof I was healed instantly and all went away. You know that's never happened. But as I look back on my life and I think about a lot of that I see all the places that God has healed me spiritually throughout that time. And what I mean by that is he know as I faced all these trials. I've felt the peace of God in such a way that you know, it doesn't matter how healthy I am physically if I'm not healthy spiritually. And even though he may have not taken the physical ailments away many of those times. He's giving me his grace and his Spirit to help me through those times spiritually. In what I've come to see is that you know, even though I haven't been healed physically. I have definitely been healed spiritually. And even though you know, I know that one doctor's opinion. I'm an amazing physical specimen but you know, I'll admit I'm a pretty flawed vessel. There's a lot of miles on this model, but
you know, I realize in God's eyes. That's not how he sees me. In God's eyes. I am just the way he wants me to be in that's something I've come to realize to is I've went through all these different physical trials throughout my life. Is that if I hadn't went through those things? I wouldn't be the person that I am. You know, if God hadn't sent me down that long winding road that I've been through then I wouldn't. Be the person that I am so really to me, you know, this thing that seen as a birth defect has been a gift. Because it's made me into who I am. And you know, it's been a challenge this last year. Ever since I had my stroke this summer, you know, I try to tell everybody I'm just fine. I tell everybody I'm doing good, but there are a lot of days that I'm not. And it's been a struggle. You know, I just finished this last week doing going to the hospital for speech therapy a couple times a week cuz I don't know if you guys noticed it but there's times when I'm doing my messages will be a little longer pause than normal. Cuz my mind just went blank at that time, you know, I've struggled since my stroke with my memory and with different things and it's different cuz I'll admit there hasn't been one single day since the stroke where my brain has felt the same as it felt before it, you know, it definitely changed something and like that. I'm dealing with that each and every day, but God has given me the grace to be able to do that. And as I visit other people and see them I realized that you know, it could be a lot worse. I know a lot of other people who have had Strokes who are dealing with far more than what I am and for me to have the little things that I'm having to deal with me. That's a huge blessing and you know, it's kind of funny every different doctor I meet which I've met a lot of in the last few months. They're always surprised that I don't have other side effects. I feel like I go through the same list of questions with every single one of them. But are you sure you are having this? Are you sure you're not having that no, no problems with any of that. So he's blessed me in a huge way.
And I hope that we all know that. You know. That's part of what we have to realize with healing.
You know a prayer so often tend to be you know, Jesus heal me because I want to serve you more. And if my health is better that I'm going to be able to serve you better. So Jesus if you heal me I'm going to do more for you. That's typically how we pray. for healing
but you know what I've learned over the years is what our response really needs to be. Is whatever brings you glory Lord, that's what I want. cuz if you look at the accounts in scripture where Jesus heals people You know those things were done. So that God could be glorified. Not so that people would be amazed at who Jesus was but it got them asking questions and that's when Jesus could share the gospel truth with them. You know, that's why he gave these disciples he sent out the ability to heal people in to forgive them because he knew it would get people talking he knew that then people would be more interested and engaged in their message and they would be able to share it more and it was all done.
For God's glory cuz we have to realize that healing is about glorifying God. It's not about us. It's all about him. Yeah, it's a great side benefit if he decides to take away our infirmities if our pain is gone if we don't have to struggle with some of those things.
But the truth is when we pray and ask God to heal us.
the intention of our prayer needs to be that we want to see God glorified and that's the reason that were asking that So it's my prayer that is we continue to talk about these things and next week. Bryce is going to cover the one of the last one of the four of our coming King. That will continue to see that how important it is to lay a strong Foundation of scripture. But my hope is today. That is we've just scratched the surface talking about healing but as we've done that that you will see that. You know it all goes back to we got to be in a right relationship with God. We got to be where we need to be with him. And we need to focus on bringing God glory and those are the things that are going to help us be for God wants us to be and if healing is a part of that. It is available to us. Please bear with me in prayer.
Most gracious Heavenly Father. We just thank you for all the blessings that you give us Lord. We pray that you will be with us and largest. Help us to want to be in a place Lord where every aspect of our life. Is focused on bringing you more Glory. Lord help us to see that.
The reason you bring things like healing into our life Lord. The reason that you bring Salvation Lord is so that you may be glorified in that others may be drawn to you. Because of the work they see in our life. Lord I pray that you will just continue to be with us and guide us as a church and help us to always stand on the strong Foundation of your word you pray this in your most. Holy name. Amen.