HEALING

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HEALING (be thinking: a healing or miracle in your life)

Three topics: 1. Basic healing doctrine
2. Faith
3. When healing doesn’t happen

An umbrella of sovereignty extends over our heads like a giant canopy. Can you think of times in the bible when someone did not know why God was allowing a trial in their life? (Job, Jer. 31:15)

A. Basic doctrine: Healing is provided in the atonement.

Isaiah 53
Matthew 8:17

Just as we receive salvation by faith, we also receive healing by faith. We are saved by the Blood of Christ, and we are healed by his stripes.

The pattern we follow is in James 5:14-15. Healing and forgiveness are given together. Notice it involves several Christians praying for the one in need. It is much more unusual to see a person have a specific gift of healing (I Cor. 12:9) and pray for someone by themselves. Why would God design it this way? Why not more healing evangelists?

As we study healing it is important to never allow your personal experience dictate your theology. Rather, the Bible dictates our theology, and if our personal experience doesn’t line up with what the Bible teaches, then there is something we need to change.

B. Jesus is not only able, He is willing. He desires to heal. If Jesus were here now and you asked him to touch you, would he?
Matthew 8:3 and Mark 1:40-41
Compassion: a key ingredient in Christian ministry.
We can never go wrong praying for compassion.

We need to be careful in our prayers to not pray faith-busting prayers. Example: “If it be your will…”
We already know it is his will! We can pray with authority!
His name is Jehovah Rapha—the Lord that heals.

C. Read Numbers 21:6-9

Who was the healing for?
Who is salvation for?
Who is healing for?

Healing is for all!

Why didn’t God just heal them all? Why did they have to look?

Ans. God has designed that the element of faith must operate to receive healing.

He gave them “life for a look.”

The healing, however, was not in the serpent; not in the look; it was a manifestation on God’s power to those who obeyed.

Obedience brings God’s presence.




FAITH

Read Joshua 5:13-6:2

Four facts about faith:

1. Faith is established upon evidence. (Heb. 11:1)
What was the evidence that gave Joshua faith?

2. Faith is being convinced in my heart that God’s word is true.
Why was Joshua convinced?

3. Faith operates in the supernatural—outside of reason.
It allows us to leave the world of things that seem to be, and climb into the realm of things as they really are.
There were 12 spies. 10 spies came back and said what they saw. (there are giants in the land)
2 spies came back and saw what God said. (God has given them into our hands)

In the natural, Joshua was facing an insurmountable obstacle. Are you facing such an obstacle?

Do you say what you see, or do you see what God says?

Faith blows the ram’s horn before the walls fall. Noah built the ark before the rain.

How do we avoid the trap of trying to manipulating God (name it & claim it)?
4. Faith is the persuasion of the heart and mind of things not seen. It is based on evidence (not a pipe dream)

We have a statement of faith in I. Samuel 17:45-47
(discuss)
What enabled David to speak with authority?

2 Kings 6:16-17 What allowed Elisha to see the army of God? What allowed his servant to see?

STEPS OF FAITH

1. Acknowledge your inability (Phil. 4:13)
When self-reliance dies, faith is birthed.
Faith is a gift from God.
Repeating a mantra will not impart faith. You cannot control God.

2. Press in (James 4:8)
Call on God. Don’t wait for God to visit you.
Only God can impart faith, and then only to the man and woman who knows God.
Discover what God’s plan is, and do it.
Cleanse your heart, get serious.

3. Get hold of a promise
Whatever your situation, there is a promise in the Word to meet it.
Grow your faith like a muscle—little by little.
Walk in all the faith you have today, and you will have more tomorrow.
If God immediately answered every prayer, how would your faith grow?

I. Sam 17:36 David’s answer was based on past hard evidence of God’s deliverance. (the lion and the bear)

WHEN HEALING DOESN’T HAPPEN


1. Lack of faith of the one praying.

2. Lack of faith of the one receiving.

3. Timing—perhaps God’s discipline. Healing will be delayed until the discipline is past. (Heb 12)

4. God is sovereign. As much as we would like to control God, we can’t.

What about Paul? 2 Cor 12 tell us it was a messenger from Satan. Why did God allow it to continue?

Acts 28:9 Since Paul did not allow it to diminish his faith in praying for others, why should it hinder our faith in ministry?

Why isn’t everyone instantly healed?
Epaphroditus was “sick nigh unto death.” (Phil 2:27)

Practical application:
Do I need healing in my life?
Is God slow in answering?
Have you had answers to prayer you can share with the class?
Have you had prayers in the past that God did not answer, or answered at a later date?

Remember, it is my job to believe; it is God’s job to heal.
If God doesn’t provide healing like we think he should, there isn’t anything we can do to twist his arm. Our job is to believe.