Gift of Healing

I wanted that the gifts that I wanted to talk to you guys, tonight is about healing. It's about healing tonight. And listen. I know some of you are are tight on schedules. And listen, tonight is the night that I asked you to make your parents mad and wait a little bit longer with me. Alright, I know some of you suffer the consequences. I promise, it'll be worth it. I know they were a little bit later than we normally are, and I get that, but, please just a pastor Joe wanted me to stay cuz we had some important stuff talked about. So tonight, 1st Corinthians chapter 12. Verse 9 says this, the same spirit gives great faith to another and to someone else. Excuse me into someone else. That one spirit gives the gift of healing is to never talk about the gift of healing. And in Acts chapter 3 verses 1 to 11. I went to read a story to you about the disciples and it goes like this Peter and John went to the temple. One afternoon, to take part in a 3:00 prayer service as they approach the temple. A man lame from birth was being carried in each day. He was put beside the Temple Gates, the one called the beautiful gate. And so he begged from the people going into the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money, Peter, and John looked at him intently. And Peter said, look at us. The man looked at them, eagerly expecting some money, but Peter said, I don't have any silver or gold for you. But what I give you to be, but I'll give you what I have in. Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk. Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand, help them up. And as he did the man's feet and ankles were instantly healed. And strengthened. He jumped up still on his feet and began to walk, then walking leaping and praising God. He went into the temple with them. All the people saw him walking and heard him, praising God. And when they had realized that this lame beggar, they had seen so often at the beautiful gate, they were absolutely astonished. They all rushed out in amazement, to Solomon's Colonnade where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John. I read the story to you because, you know, this this week, these weeks, past two weeks. We've been looking at the gifts of the Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the gift of healing. And I want to take you guys along our journey. Tonight's of the followers of Jesus and how they came about seeing this healing happening. How many of you guys have healed? Instantly miraculously transform. Yeah. It's it's pretty, it's pretty incredible. And so this, how did this happen? How did these humans have? How does healing happen? And God was that has been dealing with me here because I got has been dealing with me. Your pastor, your youth, pastor on the level of this idea of timing and standards. I feel like some of us know what I'm talking about and not my timing not my standards, but God's timing and God's standards. See there's a lot of work to be done. There's a lot of people's lives that need to be changed and transformed and healed. But let me tell you tonight, busyness is not equal productivity. And so in God's grace and his Mercy, I have been able to view things through the filter of my Christian journey in the lives of others. And ask the question. Am I moving at God's Pace or am I moving at my own pace? Am I expecting at? Do I have a standard? I'm holding for myself. That is actually above. Standard. Am I living under this? This law of I have to have be perfect and everything or am I living under God's law of Grace? And so we see I've been able to filter this and ask a question in and let me ask you tonight. If the question is, do I want to possess and operate in the gifts of the Spirit. The answer is what? It's yes. I want to be used to you. I want to be used to see people's lives change and transform that simple. If the question is, does God want to use these gifts to use me in these gifts to use you and his gift. I'm sure the question is the answer is. Yes. I want to be you just got one of you. Yes, is that when he was you 100%. Wants to use you. If the question is, then why don't we see them happening? All the time that answer is I don't I don't know. I don't know the answer. I don't know the answer, but what I can show you tonight is the progression of faith and belief of the disciples, who followed Jesus, and how they came to this place and this in their, in their progression of their faith and belief of the disciples in their giftings and their ability of the spirit for the purpose of Jesus. And hopefully, this formula will point you tonight in the direction of the steps that you need to take to get there and to evaluate along the journey, but first, this conversation starters in John Scooby, John chapter 14 verses 12 to 14. It's actually up there on the screen as I tell you the truth. Anyone who believes in me, this is Jesus talk about the letters in red. I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same words. I have done an even Greater Works. Can you just let that sink in for a second?

That's you, that's you. He's talking to. That you will do the same words. I have done an even greater works because I'm going to be with the father. Jesus was leaving. He was going away. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it so that the sun can bring glory to the father. Yes. Ask me for anything in my name and I will do it. So this is a conversation that Jesus has had with his disciples shortly before he's being crucified and in a conversation with his disciples. Jesus is explaining a couple things and one of the things that he's explaining in. This is the necessity of the revelation of who he is, take it back, not take it back to that the one before the first, the first one. I told you to anyone will be because I'm going to be with the father. You can ask for anything in my name and I will do it. So that the sun can bring glory to the father. Jesus is trying to let his his followers, his disciples understand who he is and the power that is in his name and how capable he is. For some of you, you're not operating in the gift of the spirits. You're not operating at the fullest potential of who you are as a Christian because you don't know who Jesus is and you don't know what he's capable of. Can I tell you the first way that you can know who he is, is if you pick up your Bible and read and then begin to believe that the things are being written in here are for you and the guy wants to challenge and change you and transform you, then you begin to understand the power, that is, in the name of Jesus. You'll begin to understand who you are in Jesus. And so he's trying to explain to him the necessary. The necessity of the revelation of who he is and what he's capable of the second. Is he trying to show them the power that is named possesses that if you ask anything in his name that it will be done. That's powerful. Some of your like, what if I'm like hungry and I want something for myself and I asked in Jesus name. Will you give me Captain Crunch right now? Like no, that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about. Maybe. Yes, maybe there might be a moment where you're hungry and Jesus my do. Okay. I'm not going to put limitations on you. God forgive me, but for reals, right? I'm talking about. Talking about stuff for. For building the kingdom of God, for God to glorify God, eating Captain Crunch or being hungry because you're just too lazy and you don't want to make something and you ask Jesus to make you Captain. That's not building a hello. Just following the same. Okay. So this is Jesus's trying to explain the necessity of the revelation of who he is, the power that is named possessive and thirdly the power of the indwelling of the holy spirit in The Believer, when Jesus leaves in the empowerment, that will come with him. See Jesus Is Telling Them In this passage of scripture that Hey, listen, I'm leaving, I'm going to die because the purpose of my life is to die so that you could be forgiven so that you can have a connection to God, but I'm not leaving you alone. I'm sending the Holy Spirit to fill your life into Empower you and give you the things that you need to be my witnesses, to do the things that I have done, and greater things than I have done. And I'm sending him to you so that you can go on a compass, these things. Jesus? What Jesus said, I'll never leave you. And I will never forsake you and you feel feels that. And so, he says it shows us that there is this power that comes. So, here we are fast, forward Acts chapter 3, we're reading about Peter and John at the gate, and they see this man who crippled. This is an abnormal situation. They went to the temple. They were going to a prayer meeting. But here's the thing. How was Peter and John able to perform this miracle and we find In this passage of scripture, some of the equation, some of the formulas along, our journey, as followers of Jesus, to figure out how they got to this place. The revelation of who Jesus was and what he was capable of and the promised that the same Spirit dwelling in them could accomplish powerful things. Do they spent three years with Jesus sing crazy amount of Miracles all the time, and then Jesus looks of it says you're going to do the same thing and you're going to do greater things. I would believe him, I would believe him because he died, and then he rose from the dead and then I saw him. I would believe what he was going to say. I would believe everything that he said. And so there are some things that are super important that you need to take note when we read here and Acts chapter 3 and reread in the beginning. Where were they going? Where were they going?

Where were they going? It's right there. They were going to Temple and what were they doing? They were going to pray, they were going to a prayer meeting. Can I tell you tonight, the first step in the formula a performing, super natural spiritual gifts that God has given you is prayer. That's the first thing it's prayer prayer, is the main source of communication that you had. You had with God. Do you believe that if you create a healthy communication with God, that he will guide your life and the actions that you take? Do you believe that tonight? Do you believe that? Maybe? Just, maybe still open your eyes to the needs of people around you and give you the tools that you need to meet to help them. If you pray, if you asked you believe that God would show you those type of things, whether that be pointing them to the Salvation of their souls or the healing of their bodies prayer, is what we need. If we're not bread. We're not talkin to God. We're not talking to God. We don't know who we are and we don't know what his name possessive. We don't know the power that's inside of us. If we're not praying and so, they're on their way to a prayer meeting at 3 and you might ask me. Well, how does, how does this healing work Pastor? Do? I don't understand. And simply just like this, when Jesus went to the Cross hear me tonight. This is how healing Works in people's minds and in people simply just like this when Jesus went to the cross and put our sins on him so that we wouldn't have to pay for it. The same thing happened for us when it comes to Healing. Because for some of you think that I was hard enough for somebody to get healed or didn't do enough for them, your I wasn't holy enough. No, it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with what Jesus did and what Jesus allowed to happen to his body for you. See, it has the same way happen for us and our healing. There was a prophet hundreds of years. Before Jesus came to the Earth and you describe how Jesus would come into the world and what he would go through for you. And I and it's found here and Isaiah 53. Verse five. It says this, he was pierced for our Rebellion. Another translations are since our transgression use crushed for our sins, and he was beaten so that we could be whole Did we talk about Jesus being crucified and dying on the cross for our sins? But sometimes we forget that he was beaten before that. He was beaten and crushed for our sins for are paying for our transgressions. He was whipped so that we could be healed. So not only did Jesus, pay the cost for our sin by sacrificing himself for us for giving his life for us, but he sacrificed his body to be beaten so that we could place our pain on him. It's already paid for. It's already paid. For just like we put our sins on him. He went through. So much pain for us, Isaiah again, describes the condition that Jesus was in after his beatings and Isaiah. 52:14 says this about Jesus, after he was beaten. But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured. It seemed hardly human. And from his appearance, one would scarcely know that he was a man.

See, when we have an image of Jesus being crucified on the cross, whether you've seen it at an Easter play, or maybe a Christian movie or something like that. That's not even close to what he looked like. He didn't look like a man. He was disfigured beyond the condition that people could even recognize that he wasn't man.

And so, we must understand that the pay the price has already been paid for our healing. That is the length of Jesus went to see you healed. Whether you or someone, you know, needs healing physically, mentally, emotionally, or even spiritually. It's been paid for. It's been paid for. Knowing. Knowing this can revolutionize your face and your ability. Your faith in the ability of the supernatural things. I heard a preacher the other about Jesus. They said that Jesus must have passed by this man that Peter and John walked by and prayed for. Jesus, walked by the Sea. Jesus didn't kill every single person when he was here on Earth. There were people that passed by there. People that he passed by. How could you that Jesus? See, member? I told you the beginning of this. Message has been working on timing standards for me and he shows this here. I've heard other preacher say that Jesus must have passed by this man while he was still on Earth. He was placed outside of the temple. Yes. That Temple the same Temple that Jesus visited, many times the same Temple that he came in our table. It's broken the Pharisees. That's how they were right. It's literally right. He came in their whipping whipping, these guys toss and tables, right? This is it. This is the same Temple. And I rehear, it says that this guy was placed there from from this, but it wasn't a teenager. This is a full grown man. It means that he had been there for a long time. And Jesus had walked by him. So why didn't you just hear him? Why didn't Jesus heal him? In my best explanation is that it wasn't his time. Jesus new. Jesus knew this Jesus knew the day would come when his disciples would be the ones to walk by and take notice and see this man get healed. And when I read this passage of scripture, I see two app, two aspects in the spot process. One. This takes the pressure off of you. Play some of us were like, I'm just I'm not I'm not perfect. I'm not the right Christian and I can't pray for big prayers like that because I'm just, I'm not faithful enough. I'm not, whatever know that has nothing to do with you. If you weren't beating for the ceiling. If you are disfigured beyond belief that nobody even understand who you are, or what you look like. You are nailed on the cross. That's not you. It doesn't have to do with you. All you have to do is be obedient. All you have to do is be available. And say yes to Jesus. This takes the pressure off of you to, Jesus could heal this man, but he did, and it wasn't, it wasn't that time for that, man. And so, when we come to these places of the spiritual things, we have to let that offers his take, the pressure off of you. As a believer, that the supernatural transformation of a person is solely on your, on your shoulders. It's not, it's not on your shoulders. That's why it's called super natural. It's outside the realm of things that are within our control. Which leads to the second? All of you, all of you are supposed to be obedient. And I would like to believe that Peter and John, we're on the way to the temple. And right, when they looked at that, man, that they had a flashback of, when Jesus had healed, somebody who is lame. Or the moment. When Jesus open somebody's eyes. I want to believe for a moment that Peter and Sean, remember this conversation that Jesus had with him and John 14th and remembers the words that Jesus said to them. I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same words. I have done an even greater works because I'm going to be with the father. Now, I need to be very clear with you on this. When I say disciple, that's an inclusive word. Do you understand that? When I say the word disciple? That is an inclusive word. If I have to say to you, if you have said, yes to Jesus and you follow him and his teachings and guess what? You are a disciple of Jesus, disciple in the Bible. You can put your name there. You can put your name there.

And so you are a follower of Jesus. That's what it means to be a disciples. When Jesus is talking his disciples through all the gospels. He's not talking about the men and women that you're reading about black and white in the text. He's talking to you. He's saying that you will do greater things that you will see Hugh is and you'll see Miracles and you'll be the one that will pray for people. And so I have to believe in my mind that Peter and John are walking and they see this guy who they probably seen hundreds of times before on their Journey with Jesus, and they finally looking and it finally clicked, and they finally realize the power of Jesus's name that I could transform this man. I have to believe that that it was it was brought back to them. So you read it and you have to understand a John 14:12. He's talking to you. I tell you the truth. Anyone who believes in me will do the same work. I have done and even greater works. I need you to believe this tonight. I need you to believe with me that you are not alone. That Jesus is here with you every single step of the way, but it is our choice to bring him with us or not.

If you want more of God, if you want to be used in these way, the only person that stopping you is you. Jesus has already paid for the healing in your friend's life in your own life and now it's time for you to walk in it. It's time for us to stop playing the victim and start to realize that Jesus Paid the cross. Pay the price for us on the cross. And that we are the ones that are victorious because of what he's done for us.

I know a lot of you and your our burden, because you see how much pain your friends are in. And I need you to believe with me tonight that the very solution to their pain. And a very healing that they need. Lies within you.

It lies within you understanding the power of Jesus. It lies within you understanding what his name can produce it lies within you when you understand the power of the Cross and the power of what he went through.

What is your greatest strength in this generation is unbelievable, empathy, and sympathy for your friends. The couple's with that you've been so overwhelmed with your empathy and sympathy for your friends and their broken is that you said you don't see the whole penny more. Because you're overwhelmed because you're so sensitive and you care for your friend that you love your friend. And you find yourself. Wondering what can I do? What can I do?

You can pray for them. And you can believe with me tonight. That you will do greater things. The Jesus said to you, that you will do the same things and you'll do greater things. I believe it. I believe that you are capable of doing these things. Do you believe it tonight? Fairview Heights, close your eyes.

Jesus, I pray tonight for the roomful of bridge builders Lord, I pray that this room would be full of students that are intentional about their friends. That love their friends, so deeply that they want to spend eternity with them. That love their friends so much that they are sick and tired of seeing their friends, broken and hurting and in pain.

I know that there are people in this room that are hurting that are broken and that are in pain.

And you can heal them because you've already paid the price. But not only can you heal them, you can heal their friends. father, I believe with every fiber in my being, that each person here that says yes to Jesus, that follows you But they will do the same things that you have done and they will do greater things. God, I pray tonight that you won't show them through your spirit that that's a possibility. That's a really, really, really real possibility. They might seem impossible in our minds with my Bible says that my God is the god of the impossible. I forgot that you serve. That's a God that you love. That's a God that loves you tonight, students.

Jesus wants to heal your heart. I know some of you got some deep hurt, and you, emotional mental, physical spiritual pain in your heart, and Jesus wants to heal you. He wants to heal you. He wants to touch you. He's already paid the price for you. Accept the healing that God is done in your heart, your life. Except that he wants to touch you. There's holes. There's void in your heart. He wants to fill. He wants to touch you.

I challenge you tonight. I know it's the end of the weekend. Tomorrow is Friday and you guys can't just can't wait to get out of school. And maybe tomorrow while you're going to school on the bus or wherever you are that, you take time and you pray. Like Peter and John. I pray that you pray. God. Open my eyes to the needs around me. Fill me with your spirit so that I can see somebody get healed. Somebody change and transform. I believe that you've already paid the price. I know that you've already forgiven me of my sin. You've already died for me. I know that you can do these things and God, I believe you, I believe what you say. I believe in your word and God, I believe that when you say to me today, that you, I will do the same things that you an even greater things. God. Give me the faith to do those things.

Give me the faith.

So Jesus, I pray for these students tonight. I got you heal them that they share their healings. With their friends. And got you to start a revolution in this town. A lot has been changed to transform for you. Love you, Jesus and your name? Amen.